We are so appreciative of a really good Christmas, in relatively good health and both together, especially in the wake of Swight's sad passing. And what a whirlwind it has been..
My much loved uni friend Mark came by to drop off Lottie the Ginger Ninja, and have a rye bread & home made gravadlax lunch with us, before jetting off for his birthday & Christmas in Argentina – all drooling at his booking at the best steak house in Buenos Aires..
Abbie (niece 3) got COVID at the last minute, so wasn't able to join Richard & Heather and us for a dog walk, playground visit, lunch and playing with two of the great-nieces, Lettie and Polly. Having Lettie the child and Lottie the dog in the same space clearly giving rise to much wrong name calling..
Then it was off to the Shard to have a great lunch with my 'two Helens' – uni friends too – although this wasn't perhaps the best photo I've ever taken of Helen V! Really good food and lucky with the weather – you get the amazing London views for free if you eat on the 32nd floor, top tip.
On then to Claire's for a Fri supper pre-Xmas. A fantastic meal cooked by Claire, with perhaps the best thing being that Woodsie felt up to joining us. Huge hugs all round and toasts to our absent, deeply missed friend. For some reason we then lined up in order of height – Oliver aged 16 by far the tallest, then Jon, Abi (aged 14, taller than Pam), H, Claire then Woodsie & Emma. If I had been in the line up I would have just been taller than Emma at the end – and I'm 5 foot 7!
Back to our house for – yup, a dog walk first – then lunch with Mikey, Margo, Patrick & Emmy. Lots and lots of charades – Emmy is very into playing, but maybe not so good as not saying the words out loud…
Christmas Eve loomed up and started with a dog walk (how did you guess?) in Richmond Park with Nurse & Sophia and their two kids, Elizabeth and H's godson Jasper.
I had to leg it straight from the park to go and pick up Maureen from her care home for her Christmas visit to us.
The usual offering of H's homemade sausage rolls and then mince pies with cream – plus Maureen's present. I'm hoping that having some photos of her, me and her friends might brighten her room and give her something to look at. Mostly she can't remember people, but she did seem happy to look at the pictures and have the different events and places described to her. I've let her friends know they are welcome to swap the photos at any time in the year with new ones, as they take them. Hopefully something Maureen can look at when she's in her room ..
On Christmas Day we broke with the habits of our past 15 years or so of just being us two together and – went next door! Really fun day which went past in a flash. We brought various bits – H's cranberry sauce, bread sauce, booze, crackers etc – and at leats it wasn't far to pop home for the various bits we all needed during the day!
Secret Santa was brilliant as ever – I love the version where you can 'steal' other people's presents – and the turkey hat suited Charlotte to a T! Namma (Anita's Canadian Mum) ended up with the squeaky chicken..
Lots of games from Linkee to Cards Against Humanity (never easy trying to explain the word Smegma to a 15 year old while her parents and gran are listening!) A really lovely day – super lucky to have such nice neighbours.
Lastly – Boxing Day at ours. A table set for 8 people, but just us two to eat it as well as the dogs, who loved their turkey dinners! I'm still not sure that putting the sprouts in was a good idea…
28th of Dec today so still much seasonal fab-ness to be had – by God the Jan diet can't come soon enough x