Not this year!

My little sister gave me this a few years ago and it comes out every year with the decs. This year I've got the presents but my sister can't be here, thanks to Covid. Eilidh whose sister is three years younger than her took one look at it this year and said, I understand this now, Grandma. Bless her.

Our mother died in 1979, and since dad moved South in 1985, my house has been the family home for we three sisters. Joyce is in Yorkshire and I'm in Edinburgh, there's only the two of us left now, Dad and our other sister both died in 2009, but we'll talk tomorrow and she'll be here next year I'm sure.
The presents have arrived, and my sister will be back!
We have had Eilidh here today, she played happily for most of the day enjoying the peace. I took her home to pick up her sister and got them home in time to ring bells for Santa. As Isobel said, they rang the bells to make people feel happy. Lovely.

I'm off to church now for the midnight service, by the time I get home again it will be a very poignant and different, but still very special, Christmas Day.

I wish you well wherever you are, whoever you are with and those who you are not with. The Jewish saying I believe at Passover is "Next year in Jerusalem". This year I think we are all saying "Next Christmas we'll be together again."

Keep well, Happy Christmas.