Zzzzzz.....
Today has been a real post-Christmas lazy day at home - which to be honest I think we all needed...
I've enjoyed reading about everyone else's Christmas days and Christmas dinners! Our Christmas Day was lovely - me, the Resident Geek and the Small People plus an old friend of ours whom we'd invited over for the day. After the early start when I was peeling potatoes at 6.45 am and no-one else was awake, there were eventually thumps and scuffles from upstairs at about 7, and the SPs came down and opened their stockings. They were very taken by the replies to their Christmas letters, penned by "A.N. Elf pp Santa" and left tucked in with their stocking presents - and of course the glass of wine had been drunk, the mince pie scoffed and the carrot for the reindeer reduced to a stump... ;-)
(They both know it's the RG and me really, these days; but they're still young enough to enjoy keeping up the myth...)
I then went into town to help ring the bells at the Cathedral for the 10 am service, and after ringing went to pick up friend; it was a beautiful day (after the appalling wind and rain of Monday and Tuesday!) so we followed through with our original plan - brunch about 11 (smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, bagels and coffee) and then we went out for a long walk by the river. The water-meadows were all flooded (well, it is the flood plain, that's what it's for!) but the towpath is raised a bit so was quite safe to walk on - lots of people out with children and dogs, and it was a lovely crisp cold sunny day with a cloudless blue sky.
Back home about 1.30 pm and I got the lunch on - we were having venison casserole just for a change and I'd made it the previous day, so there were just all the vegetables to prepare (roast potatoes, red cabbage, sprouts, carrots and broccoli) and it only took about an hour to get to the table; during which time I wandered to and fro between the kitchen and the living room as required to participate in present-opening, glass of prosecco firmly in hand!
Like most of the rest of you, the remainder of the day was spent lazing on the settee, chatting and watching TV (including, of course, the Dr Who Christmas Special for all except Second, who still regards DW as "Too Scary" and had gone to bed early with a new How To Train Your Dragon audiobook on his MP3 player!) At least, the grown-ups chatted and watched TV; the Small People had received a fantastic Hobbit Lego set from my brother- and sister-in-law (the goblin caves from the Misty Mountains) and spent all day assembling it except when hauled away for the walk and Christmas dinner!
The rest of the festive season has largely been spent catching up with various extended-family medical dramas - but I think I'll put those in a separate post!
[Cross-posted at both LJ and DW - feel free to comment at either...]
I've enjoyed reading about everyone else's Christmas days and Christmas dinners! Our Christmas Day was lovely - me, the Resident Geek and the Small People plus an old friend of ours whom we'd invited over for the day. After the early start when I was peeling potatoes at 6.45 am and no-one else was awake, there were eventually thumps and scuffles from upstairs at about 7, and the SPs came down and opened their stockings. They were very taken by the replies to their Christmas letters, penned by "A.N. Elf pp Santa" and left tucked in with their stocking presents - and of course the glass of wine had been drunk, the mince pie scoffed and the carrot for the reindeer reduced to a stump... ;-)
(They both know it's the RG and me really, these days; but they're still young enough to enjoy keeping up the myth...)
I then went into town to help ring the bells at the Cathedral for the 10 am service, and after ringing went to pick up friend; it was a beautiful day (after the appalling wind and rain of Monday and Tuesday!) so we followed through with our original plan - brunch about 11 (smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, bagels and coffee) and then we went out for a long walk by the river. The water-meadows were all flooded (well, it is the flood plain, that's what it's for!) but the towpath is raised a bit so was quite safe to walk on - lots of people out with children and dogs, and it was a lovely crisp cold sunny day with a cloudless blue sky.
Back home about 1.30 pm and I got the lunch on - we were having venison casserole just for a change and I'd made it the previous day, so there were just all the vegetables to prepare (roast potatoes, red cabbage, sprouts, carrots and broccoli) and it only took about an hour to get to the table; during which time I wandered to and fro between the kitchen and the living room as required to participate in present-opening, glass of prosecco firmly in hand!
Like most of the rest of you, the remainder of the day was spent lazing on the settee, chatting and watching TV (including, of course, the Dr Who Christmas Special for all except Second, who still regards DW as "Too Scary" and had gone to bed early with a new How To Train Your Dragon audiobook on his MP3 player!) At least, the grown-ups chatted and watched TV; the Small People had received a fantastic Hobbit Lego set from my brother- and sister-in-law (the goblin caves from the Misty Mountains) and spent all day assembling it except when hauled away for the walk and Christmas dinner!
The rest of the festive season has largely been spent catching up with various extended-family medical dramas - but I think I'll put those in a separate post!
[Cross-posted at both LJ and DW - feel free to comment at either...]