Filling The Silence

This year I´ve been finding the hiatus between my Christmas preparations and the big day itself rather depressing. As long as I was busy doing something positive – and I DO NOT mean laundry! - I felt quite cheerful. But now that the Christmas tree´s in place and decorated, my house looks festive, my cards have been posted and my presents are wrapped, I think Now what?...and start to brood on my health problems and doctors´ appointments and the kind of doomy gloomy stuff that I´ll have to face in January. There seems to be a sudden silence that comes between the sad tinkling sound of Christmas baubles shattering on a tiled floor and church bells joyfully heralding Christmas Day. 

Enough of this! I´ve found my own personal solution. It may not be everyone´s way of banishing the blues on a cold, rainy December day but it certainly works for me. I simply click on BBC Radio 4 Extra´s Listen Again feature - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4extra/programmes/a-z/player - where I have an entire week´s worth of my favourite comedy programmes. In the past few days I´ve been cheered immensely by various funny folk such as David Sedaris, the cast of the vintage Dad´s Army / Steptoe And Son series and the hilarious members of the panel in I´m Sorry I Haven´t A Clue. I always particularly enjoy the daffy definitions of the ISIHAC comedians. Here´s a small sample of those which have kept me laughing today: 

pensive – something you can write with while draining the potatoes.

dogmatic – a dog without a clutch

aperitif – dentures

cherish – rather like a chair

bumbling – jewellery for the buttocks (May only be understood by the British!)

lackadaisical – a bicycle made for one. ( Ditto by those acquainted with old songs.)

menacing - male voice choir

gear – alcoholic drink for ventriloquists

Gandhi - a bow-legged ventriloquist

gateau – a French ventriloquist´s boat

Got a touch of the winter blues? Don´t despair. A smile may only be a couple of mouse clicks away.