Covid Christmas

What a strange day in so many ways! If I tell you that I haven't been over the door all day, you'll perhaps realise how very odd it was - I cannot remember a Christmas day when I didn't go out, often in the dark, for a leg-stretch and some air, but not today. I'm not sure why; it may be because when I thought of it, some time around 7pm, it was raining and windy and the idea of putting off all the fires and lights and putting on all the wet weather gear didn't appeal ...

We spent several hours this morning talking to family - there's a snapshot of one of our zoom calls in the collage of today's blip. We'd managed to open presents from all of them before we talked, though I don't know that I managed to convey nearly enough of my delight at their perspicacity and invention in present-choosing: it can't be easy. There's a shot of the jolly chaos in front of the tree down the middle of the photo. I was glad to see my older granddaughter wearing the present I'd chosen for her - the first adult sized garment I've given her. Quite a thought. By that time we'd had the coffee and moved on to the champagne, so the tired, stress-induced grumpiness of breakfast had given way to helpless, bubble-induced mirth. I hope we'll see more of them in the next few days (no, no - not in the flesh. I'm being sensible ...)

Apart from that I cooked and we ate. I've not cooked my own Christmas dinner for 10 years now, and I've certainly never done the actual cooking quite so insouciantly as I achieved today, being somewhat distracted by the aforementioned chat and fizz. It was actually rather splendid. We flamed the pudding with brandy - I'd actually dispatched Himself for another bottle, having finished its predecessor in the brandy butter.

Later we drank a great deal of tea and had some Christmas cake, on which I even put the customary 47 year old decorations. One of my daughters-in-law gave me an elegant black top for Christmas - it fits beautifully, so I'll have to watch how much of this behaviour I allow myself. 

For music over dinner, we listened to the disc that was always my preferred accompaniment to cooking: some wonderful singing of old carols, in a hearty, rustic manner which just invites you to sing along. Well, it does me... And then I watched the second Home Alone movie, because the young Macaulay Culkin so reminds me of my younger grandson, and finished with the guaranteed tear-jerker of Call the Midwife. I like the way it builds in the social comment - tonight's insufferable consultant was a familiar figure.

It's now just past midnight. I'm not actually sleepy, but feel bed is the sane option. Tomorrow, when the weather is due to be pretty foul, we'll clear out the boxes and wrapping paper from the sitting room and I'll have a practice at whatever it is I'm going to sing on Sunday. 

Wishing all my companions on this strange Blipped journey we're all making the very best of the Twelve Days - and a saner year to come!