Christmas Eve

Well, that came around quickly and it's been a dramatic build up here in the UK, with pictures of snow and ice, treacherous conditions and travel misery, or that is how the media paint it. And of course, it's a nightmare if you have personally slithered into a mishap (which I nearly did the other day). But last night, near midnight, I stepped outside the door and relished in that very special hush of a land lightly covered in snow and felt the stillness of the cold air. The trees, now bare of leaves, where silhouetted against the gloom and there was a magical quality in the air, which took me back to my childhood. I will never forget the stories of Narnia, and feeling the fur coats at the back of the wardrobe before stepping out in the crisp air of a winter wonderland. Such was the writing of CS Lewis that I was with Lucy and Peter etc and experienced everything they did.

How amazing life can be when you see things through the eyes of a child. It's not just a robin that happens to land on a branch near you, but Mr Robin, coming to check you out and say hello. Old trees are not just old trees, but the keepers of ancient wisdoms and if you stand near their gnarled trunks, their knowledge can seep into your subconscious and you learn about the land.

So for all the grown up kids, forget shopping, stuffing turkeys and new iphones, just remember what Christmas was like when you were little. All the very best wishes love Annabel