Dear Marmite
I have come round to thinking that unplanned Christmases are the best. Due to the lockdown rules, I spent Christmas Day with Danielle, Richard, Billie Bump and Shadow. For the first time that I can remember I didn't do anything towards Christmas dinner either. I felt a little bereft to be honest. I like doing the Turkey. Richard, a trained chef, took over the kitchen and did us proud. Even Shadow got a special Christmas dinner of turkey, gravy and the trimmings. This is the first Christmas I have spent with my family since 2017 and there were no uninvited guests this time. You would have loved it, Marms.
The turkey I bought was for 8-10 people. We had just the crown for Christmas dinner. However, before the big day we ate turkey curry, fricassee and sandwiches. Richard has actually saved the day. I imagined eating turkey themed dinners well into February.
We all started off Christmas day with a doggie walk along the Grand Union. There were a number of people out for their constitutionals too. Many were wearing their Santa hats. I got rid of mine when I packed up the house in Singapore. Now I wish I hadn't. So the Santa hat has got added to a long list of things I really should have brought back.
The air was crisp and there was ice underfoot. The flood plain was awash where the Ouse had burst its banks. Oh, the might of nature. It is hard to imagine how so much water could have got there. This area is a nature reserve but along the way in Northamptonshire and north Befordshire homes had been evacuated because of the flooding. When I set off for the walk, I knew it would be wet. Even if I had worn my boots, I still couldn't have gone along the path. I reckon it was thigh deep.
The presents I received for Christmas say a lot more about our current situation than me, I hope. I have drinks galore, chocolate and Christmas fare. Come BREXIT and potential food shortages, I will be fine. Danielle and Richard gave me a wine thermometer so I will be able to drink my wine at just the right temperature from now on. I tried it out yesterday on the champers. We drank it at 2c above the recommended chill which was not a good start. With this gadget I am well on my way to being a wine nerd!
Of course we can't have Christmas without games. So with our Christmas hats on we played Uno, Pictionary, 5 second Rule, quiz games, chase the ace and cribbage. Some of these needed to be adapted for small numbers -but without them it wouldn't have been Christmas. I was an abject failure at chase the ace. However I played it, I ended up with the ace. Thank God we didn't turn it into a drinking game. hic... Richard was especially pleased that I lost. He sees there is a chink in my armour.
Amazing! We three crammed all this in and I still had time for a pretty nasty asthma attack. I am not sure what triggered it but I reckon it could have been the cold air outside. My puffers were well out of date and they weren't effective so I had to ring 111 for advice. It is not easy talking when you can't breathe and it is even worse coughing in a time of COVID. The people who helped me on the other end were brilliant. I have been to the pharmacy this morning to pick up another inhaler ready for the next attack. Fingers crossed I won't need to use it.
Off on my bike later, hopefully...I need to cycle off the the pud I ate!
Cuddles from afar...
Love
XXX
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