Christmas Post

 

As I woke up at stupid o’clock this morning I thought I’d use my time wisely and have a quick update of the Ramblings!

The madness from last week has so far continued with lots of things to do and little time to do them in! Monday has been our only ‘normal’ evening this week – by normal I mean getting home about 5.30, plonking myself down on the sofa, rising only to cook dinner and go to bed! Yes, I confess that that is my ‘normal’ evening pattern, I’d like to say it’s because I’m slowing down and don’t have the energy anymore but, if I’m truly honest, that had been the case for many years now – maybe I’m due to enter an energetic phase in my life (but then again, maybe not!).

Tuesday evening took me off for the Christmas meal with work colleagues. We went to a ‘Hollywood Nights’ themed evening at our county showground which was very nice – they even had a carousel ride (yours truly, being the coward that I am, did not venture on) just outside the function room – they were very brave souls who ventured on,  let me tell you, because it was absolutely freeeeeeezing outside. It was lovely to see everybody in their finery shivering and shaking as they got off – amazing how many women sat side saddle because their skimpy clothing wouldn’t permit them to hoist themselves across the saddle! John came with me because we had a last minute cancellation and it seemed a shame to waste the ticket – at least that meant he had a Christmas do this year! I have to report that I stupidly drank a tad too much and felt really awful all day on Wednesday – plus the alcohol managed to make me relax enough to have a boogie on the dance floor resulting in my back aching like crazy as well! I need to remember that I just can’t do that anymore – at least it’s only once a year!

I meandered through Wednesday in my zombie-like state looking forward to the evening with Son1 and FDIL coming round for pizza takeaway and to ice the Christmas cakes. I supervised this year in the hope that perhaps next year I can pass the job over to FDIL entirely! When I say ‘ice’ the cakes, what I really mean is to open the packs of ready rolled almond paste and fondant icing and lay them neatly across the cakes – the days are long gone when I’d make my own fondant! There is a skill required though in smoothing the fondant in to place, removing pleats and creases that happen as you plonk it on the cake and she did a very good job! They just need finishing off now with the cut out snowflakes that we’ll add from the trimmings of the fondant.

I was so glad to see the end of Wednesday and took to my bed really early in an attempt to regain my feeling of well being!

The sausage rolls I made on Sunday found themselves the centre of attention at work yesterday lunchtime which means that I need more for home – I also need more for work because they were so popular people want them today as well! We have a mini tradition of eating all day on Christmas Eve at work, being the loving person that I am I let most people go home early and stay behind myself to cover what needs to be done so this means we start eating about 11 o’clock if not sooner! So last night I made another 24 sausage rolls which I am about to put in the oven and take to work (back now – egg glazed and in the oven (the sausage rolls not me!!)).

I was thinking last night as I rolled out the pastry at 8 o’clock that only at Christmas would I ever do such a thing! I mean, most evenings I struggle to decide which easy dinner we’ll have – minimal effort is my general theme – and here I am after a day at work and a trip to Sainsburys, up to my elbows in flour – I must be mad!

So, as I sit here 6.10 AM on Christmas Eve, I’m thinking that, apart from cooking tomorrow, I’m all done. A full day at work beckons but I’m optimistic that it will be a fairly quiet day – strangely people don’t seem to want to come to hospital on Christmas Eve – can’t think why! I quite like this time of year work wise because it gives me a chance to tidy up, sort out the stuff that’s been neglected and to clear the decks for the New Year – and plus most colleagues seem to be less stressed as well which makes a nice change!

Tomorrow the boys and FDIL will be coming for dinner – it will be the first Christmas morning that we’ve woken up without a child in the house for 23 years – how weird will that be? I’ll let you know…

 

Merry Christmas everybody and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!