New Year's Eve

Just a quick update blog on a rainy grey New Year's Eve. Like many others I haven't ventured out, Ian braved the heavy rain for the newspaper, milk, tomatoes to add to our Christmas remainders. I do like the slightly odd, unbalanced meals that post Christmas dining can bring, last night we had the last of the Christmas pudding cheesecake as well as bread pudding. Sadly the last of the Christmas pudding has gone, likewise the brandy butter and cream which was enjoyed with fruit salad, preceded by smoked salmon and salad so some healthy eating.

We sat down and had one of our planning meetings, kind of broad policies for the new year, one of which includes an effort by me to socialise and maybe even entertain a bit. I could quite happily stay home, potter, knit, read, drink tea, sit in the garden (when the weather is right) and generally ignore the world. Ian excepted of course, except whilst he is studying. As I lived on my own before our marriage I was used to my own company, even when I lived with a family whilst a student my mother warned my landlady that it wasn't unusual for me to disappear to my own room to be alone. Another decision was that maybe we will sometimes eat breakfast at the kitchen table rather than in the dining room so there will be less lingering and more of the day to enjoy.

Our Christmas was good, each day we were seven, my paternal cousins, one set all day on Christmas Day and another set visited on Boxing Day afternoon and evening. With all the talk about the bad winter that started Boxing Day 1962, I am reminded that we went to this cousin's home on Boxing Day, her father and mine were brothers. It was snowing when we left our home in Twickenham, at a cross roads in Richmond my father braked but our Austin A30 just kept going, fortunately in the right direction without any mishap. My diary recalls that we played Monopoly and I won. No games on Christmas Day, on Boxing day it was Scrabble for four of us and Sorry for the other three.

With wider family joining us, there was no way I could attend a Midnight Mass, I would be so tired after the late night so we went to an 8am Holy Communion service on Christmas Day. Right decision, as last night I did feel so tired, ill with exhaustion, couldn't function so didn't stop for shoulder exercises, just for medication and slept many hours. Not sure why this happened, had been out just for the newspaper, the rain again later precluded going out, the day had been relaxed.

Very tired now, so off to the land of Nod.   All best wishes to all readers for the new year, and thank you for reading this.