Full of festive spirit - who, me?

PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME WELL will tell you that I favour the bah-humbug school of thought when it comes to Christmas, and especially to its more commercialised aspects.

So it comes something of a shock to me that I seem to be enjoying the build-up to the festive season rather more than usual - certainly more than My Good Lady appears to be doing.

For example, as I write this blog, I'm listening to Desmond Carrington's radio show and with much pleasure to his collection of Christmas songs on the BBC iPlayer.

As we wander around the supermarket today, doing our weekly shop, I find myself humming along to White Christmas.

And I'm even keen to hang our modest decorations - usually a tedious task, but one I'm actually looking forward to this year.

Very odd behaviour for me, this - I feel a bit like Scrooge after his metamorphosis!

What is even odder, though, is that MGL is so lacking in the spirit this year; I try to push some cheer her way and she seems to push it right back at me.

It's as if our usual roles are reversed.

But oddly enough I think our feelings stem from the same cause - because it has been such a rotten year; and whereas MGL just wants to put the year behind her, I somehow want to rejoice over some of the good things we're blessed with.

It's all rather disconcerting.