Sunday, 2nd December, 2018
If November was dark and rainy, December is starting off very mild and even sunny sometimes. And it’s getting pretty Christmassy!
![On upper Well Street, the florists are bringing out their Christmas best](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181130_124720.jpg?resize=525%2C934&ssl=1)
![At St Paul's church, the yellowed leaves are a nice mix with the trees on the tree lot. At St Paul's church, the yellowed leaves are a nice mix with the trees on the tree lot.](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181201_150117.jpg?resize=525%2C862&ssl=1)
![And this Turkish kebab place is accidentally festive! And this Turkish kebab place is accidentally festive!](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181201_150904.jpg?resize=525%2C301&ssl=1)
Check these daylight hours, though! By 3pm twilight creeps in and between 4 and 4:30 it’s just like night time. Yesterday I was thinking that, if I were working, it would be properly dark by the time I headed home. I’m not sure if other years have been so dark but they must have been. There’s just more cloud this year…?
![Is it really December? Is it really December?](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/weather-today.png?resize=525%2C196&ssl=1)
However, December has lots of promise. I started jotting things down on one of my quickly drawn up calendars – I like to do this on paper and revise it almost daily. And this week there will be two workshops (one a serious mental health one, and one a fun Christmassy one) two family visits and there’s company coming over for dinner, if Susanne doesn’t succumb to her threatening cold. And Hackney is having a Festive Lights event, marking the first night of Chanukah and turning on the lights of the Christmas tree. I love lights and candles so I’m in!
![Hackney's invitation! Hackney's invitation!](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HTH.jpg?resize=525%2C619&ssl=1)
A busy day for me but a nice interlude at midday so time for the now regular dim sum feast to clear out the freezer before Susanne comes over.
![The remaining dim sum, augmented with broccoli, totsoi, and a bowl of sweet apple slices The remaining dim sum, augmented with broccoli, totsoi, and a bowl of sweet apple slices](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/1543762728828.jpg?resize=525%2C295&ssl=1)
The 276 bus route is turning into a nightmare. I can now expect the bus times to be incorrect and the expected time of arrival to change every twenty seconds or so. Yesterday it was expected to arrive in 5 minutes, this then changed to 4, then 3, then 6, then 8…it did arrive of course, bursting with adults and children headed to the Town Hall for the festivities, but I arrived too late for the lighting of the menorah. But lit it was!
![The menorah right next to the palm tree and the bus stop. A pretty sight! The menorah right next to the palm tree and the bus stop. A pretty sight!](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/DSC05834.jpg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
![The major was there, chatting with his constituents and looking very relaxed The major was there, chatting with his constituents and looking very relaxed](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/DSC05826.jpg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
![The older Hackney citizens taking a turn at holding the handmade lanterns The older Hackney citizens taking a turn at holding the handmade lanterns](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/DSC05829.jpg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
![And not too far away, one of the youngest, also holding a lantern And not too far away, one of the youngest, also holding a lantern](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/DSC05831.jpg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
![After the steel band, the choir started up and people gathered around After the steel band, the choir started up and people gathered around](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181202_171518.jpg?resize=525%2C934&ssl=1)
![And the requisite children's carolling And the requisite children's carolling](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/1543770709957.jpg?resize=525%2C934&ssl=1)
![The cast of the Hackney Empire panto turned on the tree lights in style The cast of the Hackney Empire panto turned on the tree lights in style](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181202_172726.jpg?resize=463%2C350&ssl=1)
![The lights are all on! The lights are all on!](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181202_172944.jpg?resize=525%2C934&ssl=1)
![Then a Festival crew turned on the lights on their costumes and paraded around the crowd Then a Festival crew turned on the lights on their costumes and paraded around the crowd](https://i0.wp.com/slightlyweird.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/20181202_173518.jpg?resize=525%2C934&ssl=1)
I headed home for another busy evening and to light my own menorah but really glad I went. Next time we need some mulled wine, hot chocolate and junk food, please Mr Mayor!