It is SO nice having lovely neighbours here! They have certainly managed to make this weird Xmas feel like a much better one.
The neighbourhood WhatsApp group organised a carol sing along, on Xmas Eve – pinged round a carol sheet with 3 songs and of course – everyone was home to take part! So we all stood on our bits of pavement, drives and in the road – with the older lady Lindy over the road, singing along (with a gentleman friend in the house, no less!) from behind her front window.
We played the background music through our Bose speaker thingy, and it was like moths to a flame – various bods from houses to the left and right gravitated towards us, all keeping a nice distance but singing away.. a natural choreography that added even more warmth to the shared moment. And the immediate peeps were all out, giving it large and following with a few drinkies in the road with just us and our closest neighbours. In the past (in Stroud Road) neighbour things were to be tolerated rather than enjoyed – but this lot are so much nicer… for that we are very grateful.
And then there was Christmas – just us bunnies chez 22, though actually it's what we do most years, so only a shame that none of the usual visitations around Xmas Day itself were possible this year.. So of course Mr H still cooked as if we were expecting 10 visitors and the freezer is now chockablock with meaty remnants that may or may not be the best start to the January weight loss plan. Mix of photos below from Xmas Day (me in my not terribly sexy reindeer onesie) and H proudly sporting his Harrogate Peaky Blinders flat cap and xmas sweater – and us out walking in more sensible wear on NY Eve..
Our lengthy NY Eve walk with Jules & Nicky yesterday was out to the Surrey Hills – I should have sussed that the name had inherent dangers, and indeed, cue a sense of humour failure when I was presented with YET another monster hill right at the end to drag my rather tired and sorry arse up. But again, almost festive to eat our sarnies (and my not too bad banana cake) outside the church on the hill, sitting on the wall at a nice distance from other couples, families, multi generations etc also trying to make the most of the circumstances.
And then again last night, we were invited to stand outside Henry's house (Henry Hailstone – such a cracking name!) for some bloody strong hot toddy (in our own glasses) – which somehow involved me being yanked by Scrumpy on her lead and then falling into the very sharp holly bush outside Neil's place.. sore palms this morning! But still, always nice to be invited..
And the night finished with the two super polite teenage girls next door – Charlotte & Eleanor – playing Auld Lang Syne on their oboe and clarinet from their music stands, while about 6 houses sang along to the really crap jocko lyrics, and waved our giant sparklers.. Only for them would we have stayed up till midnight – I was ready for a kip hours previously, but it was nice in the end and HOW GOOD bed felt at 12.15pm! Easily the latest I have been up since March and all the shenanigans began – how will I ever manage a full on night out again??. But at least I didn't drink as much as Mr 'beer then red wine and brandy and an espresso martini while I'm at it' Hawkes, who is currently groaning his way around the house in a not very happy new year kind of way..
So here we are. Made it to 2021 without catching the sodding virus or killing each other. The dog is arthritic and the cat now unfortunately sees the front doormat as her easy access poo box. Feeling that odd mix of anticipation at a new year, and leaving the rather wasted 2020 behind us – with the still-present concerns over managing to still avoid COVID till the jabs come, and not losing our sanity from the lack of social contact. Walks have been omnipresent this year – the year's photos look like we are homeless as there are so many outdoorsy ones – but outside meets have also been a saving grace. My most worn clothes are now my walking trousers and thin fleece – so I have 2 pairs of each now and they even get rotated once truly filthy.
It's been a year when friendships have waxed and waned, and some things I thought that would always be there, no longer are. But also a year where enduring friends and I have somehow managed to find something to talk about and created conversations to buoy mutual spirits even when the chat material is thin on the ground. I have never drunk so much tea at the common, and H is still knocking out mince pies with the excess pastry, like its not even Xmas yet.
So, here's to a much much better year. When hopefully H's nephew Reeve and Kerry-Anne will manage to get married (cancelled twice, in April and September '20), and we will once again set foot on planes, eat 'forbidden foreign food' and feel the sun on our backs and the sand between our toes. And when hopefully everyone will take things less for granted and contribute more kindness to the world. I shall be trying to do likewise..
Happy New Year guys. Those words mean all the more this year, as we step away from a pretty crap 9 months into what will hopefully be some better ones. Thank you for whatever part you have played in helping us, entertaining us, exercising us, protecting us, Zooming us, hosting us and being there for us.
Much love.
S x