Christmas Day

Phew!! Well that was the main part of Christmas over. It was better than I thought it would be. Christmas Day I didn’t get up until 10:30pm and was just dressed when Cliff rang to say he was on the way. Unfortunately I was caught short and needed the toilet; at least I see the gastro-enterologist next month. We went to see Aunt Rose and Uncle Pete for a while, I’m afraid I didn’t say much as was still trying to wake up. We dropped off at my place to pick up my camera and the stuffing I made the night before both of which I forgot in my rush to get ready.

Christmas Day at Cliff’s was “an experience”. Hahaha, The kids were making a mess and poor Jack was asked to tidy up after them and no sooner had he done so that the “Amazon children” made more mess. Sarah was having her trials in the kitchen and Cliff joined the “forlorn hope”, after both Lee and Gina had popped in with presents for their sisters.

Though there was a problem with one of the cooker rings and Sarah was stressing over the potatoes for mash and forgot the peas, all-in-all it was a delicious Christmas dinner, the mashed potatoes weren’t as lumpy as Cliff said they were, the roast potatoes were perfect, roast parsnips, delicious, carrots, soft but al dente just how I like them. I thought my stuffing wasn’t too bad and my bread sauce was delish. To think I had never had it until Diane, an ex-girlfriend introduced me to it in the mid 80’s. Oh! Silly me I forgot the turkey which was moreish, the gravy, lovely, my Cava great but too much after such a surfeit.

On getting home I went straight to bed for two hours and then had 10 minutes to unwrap my presents before plodding into town to find a pub that was open. No joy. So I went to Lorraine and Craig’s a little earlier than I wanted to, in fact they were just having their Christmas Dinner when I arrived and I felt a little uncomfortable being there whilst they were eating. They were both very hospitable and when Steve got their we enjoyed several drinks, nuts and a cracking Peter Kaye video.

I didn’t leave until two in the morning and didn’t get to bed until six in the morning after catching up on my emails and chatting with Debs, my friend in Belfast.