Pat me on the back Mum, I did a good job

Best wishes to you all this festive season.

It is true to say that there are just not enough days between Christmas and the new year and in this retirement mode that Mike and I find ourselves in the hope that we have the days of the week firmly in our grasp is a deluded notion because we don’t, and one of our favourite sayings is …”is it Tuesday”….you really have to be there to appreciate the deep and meaningful reason for asking but basically we have no idea what the day of the week is, let alone the date. We started off our festive season with a trip to the UK with all the fun of the Ferry and the onset of panic attacks when we hit the M27 heading away from the port.

It was Mikes Mum’s 88^th birthday and I was not going to miss her two fat ladies day so we kept it a surprise and I think she was truly struck by the unexpected. Hats off to Geoff for keeping the secret alive. We spent a whole day talking, it does not seem possible that we found so much to talk about but we did. Mike brought with him the information he needed to start creating a family tree and Mum was an incredible participant able to explain who was who and why. It has given Mike enough to get started, so we can get Mum to fill in a few gaps on our next trip over.

We spent a day with my Mum, she  has not been well but it was good to see her lively and enthusiastic about her festive agenda, and I was encouraged by her vigour. Thanks to sister Mim for putting us up, feed and water us , star quality.

Maxine had a birthday and as is our need in this family to congregate around a table we did, but   could not miss the opportunity to snap the moment for the sake of posterity. All the siblings on my side of the family have inherited, stuff, from our Belgian family and as this was my first visit to my brother Billies home I was wrapped in a warm coating of good souvenir  surrounded by little nick knacks and objects from my past. The two little choir singers behind my Mum have been in my life all my life and now I am delighted to see them safely reappointed  at my Brother’s home.                                         

 Back home in France and on the party roller coaster, Ann and Graham got us off the starting blocks on Christmas Eve with a fab lunch and a new bunch of people to talk to and get to know, and despite us having just fallen off the boat and collected HOSS from the Kennel we stayed all afternoon and into the evening and guess what, we chatted. 

Christmas evening had us settled in a very baronial dinning room with long views into the lounge with candles, tinsel and festive ambience beyond my capabilities. Ray and Marianne spoilt us with food and drink until we could no more, then tucked us up in bed in their blue room with strong decorational links to our old friend Napoleon, and only my siblings will know where I am coming from on that subject.

We did get around to cooking our Tesco turkey and prepared all the trimmings we just can’t find here in France.  I can boast that within two days the bones were boiled the curry was made and the stock is frozen.  Pat me on the back Mum, I did a good job xx