1950s

Today is brought to you by Radio Big Blue Swing...

This is the station we found on the internet radio this morning, and which eased us through the day in an easy-going blend of swing, blues and jump. Inspired by this, the day was spent baking, preserving, cleaning and attending wholesome community events.

And a combination of indecision and not having one stand-out photo has resulted in this slightly ropey composite. So, you have the ginger cordial (man, it's firey), apple pockets (The Distracted Hausfrau's recipe), my shandy (not really fitting with the Martha Stewart vibe but very welcome) and the lights on our village Christmas tree - turned on tonight with singing and mulled wine.

Not photographed are the shortbread, the Playgroup Christmas fair and Mr B's fab venison dinner.

The only non-wholesome aspect of the day is my growing impotent fury at banking bonuses. Between 5,000 and 10,000 bankers in London will get more than £1,000,000 as a bonus this year. And these are not shabbily paid people. And that money comes directly from our taxes - in the subsidies paid by Government - or indirectly in the form of the support given to the industry generally (yes, Goldmans, I'm not letting you off the hook either). In East Lothian the Council are considering cancelling the home help service across the county. The cost of this, annually, is £150,000. Any one of those bankers could pay for it from pocket change.

It's enough to make you sick.

It's enough to make you want to go and vote for a Government committed to redistribution of wealth next time. Oh, we already did that.

And as for the Government's ramblings about trying to encourage shareholders to stand up to the banks on this and rein in the excessive bonuses... YOU ARE THE SHAREHOLDER!

And this argument that the top bankers will leave for jobs elsewhere if we ban big bonuses..... well great! Aren't they the f***ers who got us into this in the first place?

I think I'd better go and listen to some more swing and mellow out a bit.