"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

Today the electrician came and checked out the work - he's going to have to put some new cabling in. So the cooker will be delivered tomorrow and the wiring will be done on Friday.

I've also ordered the turkey, chipolatas and bacon from the village shop (which takes deliveries from the local butcher) to pick up on Christmas Eve.

The electrician helped me move the table in the kitchen so it should be out of the way of the delivery. I have a shelf to take down and a bit of floor to wash, but I'm currently drying laundry in the space.

I've also packed up all the amenity packs and hotel toiletries I've collected over the year into a freebie rucksack I was given and need to make arrangements to drop it off at the local homeless shelter. The person who used to do the drop-offs seems to have vanished (at least, she's not responding to messages), so I'll have to find out where I can take it.

And as I'm out of the collection area for pretty much every charity I can find, I've stuck something up on FB and so far have takers for some of the small stuff, but not the bit items. I must remember to put the bits that have been claimed somewhere safe...

I'm planning an early night tonight, as the delivery could be anytime from 7am tomorrow. If it isn't early, I'll probably skip pilates anyway so that I can get the Christmas tree up while the cleaner is here.

Cooker is in, and was installed on Friday. Annoyingly there's a fault on one of the rings that couldn't be resolved with the manufacturer on Friday (as they were closed by the time I called the supplier) so that needs sorting out on Monday. I was very clear that I want a replacement, that they will have to arrange installation as I've already paid my electrician to install it. I've been assured I can use it while they're sorting out a replacement, so have been heating up the ovens during the day with the windows open. They're still pretty stinky...

In the meantime, i've sorted through all my saucepans and put aside a box of the ones that don't work on the induction hob for my brother to pick up. All my Le Creuset is out of boxes and has been through the DW as I can start using that again. I'll slowly work out what new stuff I need as I start cooking. Unpacking the boxes meant I could do some consolidation as they were all packed fairly quickly when the utility room was done. Or maybe when the floor was done. Or a bit of both. Anyway, in between doing the laundry and decorating the Christmas tree I've slowly been putting the kitchen back together in the hope that it'll be useable by Christmas.

I think I have all my Christmas presents sorted out now. I'm planning on giving away all my Beatrix Potter crockery as the kids are too old for it now, and it might as well be enjoyed. One lot is going to a friend's daughter, and another to my cousin for her grand-daughter (I must remember to pack it up and take it with me!). So with that and the crockery, it's a reasonable amount out of the house.

I put the freezers on a local freecycle site but although I had one message and a couple of comments, no one has actually arranged to pick them up. I might post the dresser and see whether that does better. And also try a more local site.

Bag is filled for the homeless shelter, but I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to drop it in as I haven't been near either town recently.

Physio appointment on Saturday involved running on a treadmill in three different pairs of trainers, one of which has gone in the donation bag - I could feel the difference immediately. Next appointment, with the analysis, is in the NY, and he thinks I might need a podiatry referral. In the meantime I need to do my exercises and go for the odd run

I'm hoping that over Christmas, while my mum is here, I can get the last few things sorted out upstairs - pictures and shelves up, and a list of anything additional I need (lights in one bedroom at least, and probably a blackout or thermal roller blind). I should also try to use my planned sick leave to get some financial and admin bits sorted out.

Before Christmas it's just a question of getting the house tidy for when everyone is here!

Only two days of work this week (Monday and Tuesday), then I'm off to collect my mum, see a cousin, look at kitchens, go for a spa day, stay with friends and bring my mum back here to help me prepare for Christmas! I'm also working on the 23rd and then I think the 30th. I'll have to remember to check, but I know I don't have that many working days between now and my hospital visit. And I need to try to stay infection-free between now and then.

Expenses were paid - I have about £500 outstanding which I don't expect to get back before Christmas as my boss did her usual thing of saying she'll approve them and then not getting round to it. She then did them while I was on a call to her which confirms my suspicion that she doesn't check them! My credit card bills are shocking, but that's not entirely down to work - I've been spending a lot recently partly on myself/the house and partly for Christmas.

After a neighbour was broken into through their patio doors on Monday (while they were on the school run) I decided to get myself another security camera (which I need to put up tomorrow - and I have to change the batteries in one of the existing ones), an extra smart plug (I'll use it for the tree lights this week, and then for another light when I'm away).

I've also got my mum cameras, smart plugs and a video doorbell for Christmas which i'll try to install when I'm up there. She probably won't be thrilled, but as she frequently doesn't hear the doorbell, and has doors at both the back and side of the house I think it would be sensible for her to have the additional security given how much she's away. The set up should be fairly straightforward, and i can get her used to them while she's here. It's just the drilling for the fixings that will be a challenge!

As expenses have been paid I'm hoping they'll be a reasonable amount to transfer to savings/mortgage at the end of the month, although I need to remember that the January credit card bills will be high, and being at home costs me more in food/fuel than being away.

Christmas cards are almost done - I need to buy a few more, glue down the envelopes on a couple, deliver the local ones, post the stamped ones, buy some more stamps and locate addresses for a couple of people who have moved.

I managed to tidy up enough to send the robots round, and hoovered up the pine needles by hand. I’m a bit worried that the tree (which looks fabulous) isn’t drinking as I didn’t cut the bottom off it when it arrived and I don’t think it had enough water for the first week anyway.

Office is a tip, and kitchen and dining room still need lots of tidying if we’re going to cook and eat in them. Utility and garage need work too.

For some reason I seem to have a lot of paper to work through - parish and local magazines, university and school newsletters, RHS and ethical consumer magazines. There’s a bit of a backlog.

Fingers crossed the cooker issue has been resolved. AO spent ages on the phone to Rangemaster and got agreement to swap it out - and then agreed to cover the disconnect/reinstall as well (no point having a replacement otherwise - I can't expect the electrician to keep coming back, don't want to pay for that and more importantly, don't want to accept the replacement either if that one doesn't work). So although they can do this anytime from Wednesday, I'm away, so it'll be done on the 23rd, giving us a day to decontaminate the manufacturing smells from the ovens and the house! But great customer service.

I'm cleaning up the old cooker just in case (I can reconnect that if necessary) and if it's all Ok will borrow my brother's sack barrow (and possibly my brother!) and shift it into the garage on the 23rd/24th and then post it online in case anyone needs an emergency cooker.

The garage looks better already with one freezer gone, so I'll chase the lady who wanted the other one and if not offer it to the bloke who also wanted it as he can come any time. By the time i leave on Wednesday it should just need a quick tidy to make enough space for the garden furniture to go in there.

Did some filing during my conference calls today, and also found all my spare coat hangers, so once I've done the ironing I can do the last bit of wardrobe sorting out and then maybe wrap a present or two and start getting my stuff ready for packing on Wednesday.

I must make a list of people to start chasing up after Christmas...