I’m not really a fan of all these outdoor Christmas lights. They are very nice and light up the countryside in the bleak midwinter but I wonder are we inclined to go over the top with them?

At home we have a well-lit tree, a string of fairy lights going up the stairs, one of those little village sets that’s all lit up and some lights around one of the windows.

That’s it. No brightly shining reindeer, no outdoor crib, no electric candles in every window, no duplicate Christmas tree in the conservatory and no string of fairy lights on every tree and bit of shrubbery in the garden.

I don’t mind the people who go over the top in aid of a good cause. One of our neighbours had an amazing display and passers-by were asked to donate something towards the nearest hospice and that’s perfectly fine.

Apart from the expense, it’s the practicalities of getting all these lights working that intrigues me. Our house is relatively new but we’d need extension cables in every room to get that level of Christmas lighting working.

Whatever about Christmas lights, I take a much more militant approach to lit candles. Apart from two candles on the table for Christmas dinner, candles are a no-no in our house.

I’ve never been a fan, not even if we are out for dinner. Let me see my food in good light rather than trying to make out what I’m eating by the flickering flame of a candle.

To my mind, lit candles are an accident waiting to happen. There’s too much going on in most houses around Christmas without the added danger of unguarded flames at every turn.

However, it was fortunate that we had a few candles in the ‘man drawer’ when the lights went out twice over Christmas.

It was funny watching young adults lose contact with their online universe as the wifi went down. Then their disbelief when the phones went dead and there was no way to charge them. They didn’t know what to do with their thumbs.

Luckily we had a pack of cards and I’d bought the game Frustration so there was plenty of old-fashioned fun.

We had a couple of rough nights weather wise and fair dues to the teams who were out getting everyone reconnected. It’s not a job I’d fancy.

So, a week into 2018, how is everyone making out with the New Year resolutions?

My willpower isn’t the best and I don’t like making promises that I can’t keep, even to myself.

But this year I will try to get fitter and lose 10lbs. I am convinced that the older you get, the harder it is to shift a few pounds. I only wish it was equally as hard to put them on.

I also want to make a better fist of keeping in touch with old friends. Over the Christmas, I had a few cards from people I knew at an earlier part of my life and over the years we lost touch.

It was lovely to get their cards and catch up with how their lives have turned out.

Now that contact has been made, it’s my turn to keep it up. But, remember, when it comes to resolutions, you can only do your best, so good luck to everyone.

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