Well the build up to Christmas seems to go on forever, in the UK anyway, and then it’s all over in a flash. I hope you all had an enjoyable time even if you were being a bit ‘bah humbugish’ and preferring to ‘coorie doon’ until it was all over with.
Here in ‘pining’ land it is of course Jack’s birthday on Christmas Eve, something which in a better regulated land would not be possible as it’s just all too much! Luckily Jack decided that he was going to do his special birthday meal himself this year, so I don’t feel quite as exhausted as I usually do about now. I did bake him a cake though, just a plain chocolate marble cake. No candles at all as he says he has given up counting and they would be a hazard to health and safety anyway – apart from that I can’t find the candles and holders – they’ve gone AWOL since the house move. I suppose I should have replenished my supply.
It was a very nice cake although it didn’t look great.
I hope you ate a bite for me!
Peggy Ann,
I ate more than one for you – so expect to get fat!
I know exactly what you mean about all the buildup and then it is over. Not so bad for me, since we go easy on everything, but parties, parties, parties and then …. back to normal. And you have lots of family coming in. Bravo to Jack for cooking his birthday meal. It sounds like you had fun.
tracybham,
It’s all quiet here now and I do miss everyone’s chat for a while. I just wish that Jack would extend his cooking repertoire!
Many happy returns to Jack. It can’t be fun having your birthday so near to Christmas – well, worse when you are little!
I know what you mean about all the hype and then it’s all over. A friend used to say – “Well, that’s it, as far away as ever!”
Looking forward to the new year and springtime. I know that’a bit away yet but it’s coming!
Evee,
I was just thinking today that I can’t wait for the spring and everything to start growing again. When I first started going out with Jack his mother gave me a row for buying him both a birthday and a Christmas present!! I did think to myself that he couldn’t have had much fun with a mother like that.
I have daffodil bulbs poking up about 2 inches in a pot in the garden! Spring IS coming! Trouble is we still have a lot of winter to come first and that I dread! The sun is shining today so I’m off to make the most of it! Off to North Berwick with Minnie for the afternoon!
Evee,
I hope you had a good time in North Berwick, thankfully it looks like the weather is going to heat up again after tomorrow. I now wish I had planted some daffodils!
Actually, in a flash it’ll all begin again. I’ve come to enjoy the run-up, myself. The day turns a bit melancholy for me. My sister’s birthday is Christmas, and it isn’t the same since she died. But we put on a brave face (right up til Silent Night in Mass, anyways) and soldier on.
With family in your corner of the planet, we have to start the shopping/wrapping/mailing a lot earlier than we used to but it does spread things out. It’s the aftermath – the un-decorating and boxing up of the decorations – that I always dread.
Pearl,
That is miserable for you. My mother’s father actually died on Christmas Day and she really never celebrated for that reason, – which I thought was harsh on us kids! I find Hogmanay/New Year to be quite sad now though as inevitably there are more family members dead than alive.
I’m not looking forward to un-decorating either.
I can’t imagine not celebrating at all. If I’d taken that path, Deb and Dad both would haunt me for sure!
Happy belated birthday to Jack!
Pearl,
Thanks, Jack enjoyed his birthday, he likes wrapping things up for other people on that day! I’ve never understood the importance to some people of the actual date that a loved one departs, if you miss them it isn’t any worse on that day – you miss them all the time to some extent.