Catherine's 50th

This was taken in the early hours of this morning.

Catherine's birthday is on New Year's Eve and it was her 50th so that means a party. I drank far too much, ate far too much and sang far too loudly. Here Chris is demonstrating his (lack of) Irish dancing skills. I'm surprised he's not better as everyone in his family gets up and does Irish dancing at the slightest excuse. Mind you, I've known them for more than 20 years and I still don't know the words to 'Black Velvet Band' or 'Wild Rover' but it doesn't stop me joining in with the singing that always starts when they are all together for long enough. It is played from a very, very old vinyl album called 'A Pint of Guinness' which has a picture of - you guessed it - a pint of Guinness on the front.

Today has been quiet - obviously. Apart from Chris and I getting the children and dragging the enormous box for my bike home from my Mum's house, we haven't done much.

I woke up early though, and at 7.30 was sitting in the garden, in the morning twilight (is that a thing?), drinking tea. I was still in my dressing gown, and wasn't even a tiny bit cold. I sat there for nearly an hour, thinking about 2011, and wondering about 2012, and listening to the birds, and watching them flying overhead as it gradually got light.