Happy Christmas.....

Well, Christmas morning, I joined Clive and his mum and became one of those awful people who are only seen in church on Christmas morning. Some people were friendly, some ignored me...I was slightly distracted as we were supposed to be meeting C's brother and partner there, and they didn't show up..I did an 'Are you ok?' text during the first carol and got no reply which worried me. Then at the end of the service a text that said, 'We are fine..but at the wrong church...' having mistakenly wandered into the wrong church and been 'warmly welcomed' they realised half way in it was the Wrong Church, but felt they could hardly tiptoe back out. They told the vicar afterwards they didn't mean to be at the C of E at all, but at the Baptist across the road, and he was greatly amused....

Back at the house, with Laa and Mec arriving, there were 8 of us for lunch, and it was all very jolly. Except for the stress of trying to get everything ready at once, keep it all hot, make gravy at the last minute, while C was trying to do his mixed green leaves the Jamie Oliver method, and was getting in my way..'It just has to boil for 2 mins' he said, throwing various cabbage leaves into a saucepan. Then, once drained, with me trying to serve lunch to the hungry hordes, he announces the leaves have to be dried and then fried in the special butter he made yesterday...he was laying cabbage leaves on trays and putting them in the garden to dry and cool....the children were making faces and all saying they didn't want to eat cabbage anyway, I was hissing, You will, your dad is going to a lot of trouble.., at last a pot of boiled/cooled/dried cabbage assortment was served.. it was when he said there were chopped anchovies in the herb butter that he lost everyone, I think...

The afternoon was spent as Christmas afternoons should be, sitting in front of a log fire, opening parcels, eating chocolate and not moving much...followed by a wicked game of Monopoly with the new game where St Albans features instead of Mayfair...James and Grandma won, me and Laura just giggled helplessly a lot....

A friend texted and asked if Father Christmas had bought peace, harmony, clothes and chocolate. I replied, no, just chocolate, so that's all right....