Christmas Part Three.........Is That All There Is...............??

I feel as if I have been in a wonderful Christmas bubble for a week or so, my own little snow globe.  I can thank all the Gods for the safe return home of our own and extended families and dear friends. This is the thing I worry about most really (guess we all do) what with the awful weather, the overcrowded, mad, motorways and the foibles of transport systems. As the festivities finish, reality soon bites when you read the papers and listen to the news but I will leave that for a blog later in the week.  Joe has steadfastly continued to blog over the season and so I won't repeat everything here but do look at foodandbiscuitsblogspot.com which is full of photos and detail.  What a star!

I can't possible mention everything and everyone who played a part in our family (I will blog about friends later in month) festivities but here are a few of my highlights, in no particular order:-

• On Christmas Eve, sitting back and listening to the banter between all four siblings (Sally, David, Joe and Nick) along with Jo (Joe's gorgeous fiance) Georges, Pierre and Alexi plus Lisa and her amour, Hans.  In the Lodge, having a laugh ....and so grown up. My work is done, I'm redundant!
• The efforts sis-in-law Carmel made to 'stay in the game' despite feeling most poorly.
• The laugh my brother, John, gives us all because he is hysterically funny - and sometimes without realising it!
• The fact that the heating didn't break down this year!
• After opening a pressie of two family collages depicting the older generations on both Mum and Dad's side, my (even more sentimental than me!) sister, Karen, burst into tears and said they were "Better than diamonds."  This of course, set us all off!
• Having both my Dad and Rosie join in with celebrations on Boxing Day.  At 87 and 83 this is fantastic for us. Sadly though, for the first time my Aunty Vera was too ill to join us along with Uncle Rao.
• The fact that the owners of the lighthouse I can see from my window, bother to string lights around it and place a big, plastic Santa inside - thank you!  Also, the new neighbours have lit their house up with lights I think they borrowed from Time Square - great fun!
• The Christmas day which Amira and Rafeek organised for us all was unsurpassable in every way (see Joe's blog). Having live music adds another dimension and we hear everything from Vera Lynn to Oasis, from Redemption Song (must put on U-Tube!) to Oh, You Are A Mucky Kid.  As a mum, to hear everyone singing the words of musician son David's own songs along with him, was so lovely....ah!

I have started to take the decorations down, little by little.  I don't have a real fire at present but I have do have a mantlepiece so still adorn it with foliage and lights etc (Kirsty Allsop, moi?). The two stockings either side of it were made when I was pregnant with each son. I have been reluctant to ever wash them (in case they fell apart, not cos I'm slovenly..well maybe I am a bit!) but did so this year, together with a few other bits.  I can't tell you  have black the water was, I was appalled!  I had to make a few small repairs but they should be good for the next thirty years now...... I hope so as I think maybe I do veer towards the sloven!  Also on the left of it is John's 'flat'at' just to keep him included.

So, all that remains of a fab time and my warm glow is too much fruit (must be an aversion to it at Christmas!), an ailing poinsettia, party popper ribbons trailing from the lights (no doubt, as  a sloven, I will leave until Easter!).  I love my Snowman teapot as he has the 'Ah' factor and makes a good brew but goodbye to him too for another year.

I recognise that I am lucky to have the family and friends I do, and so experience all of this and my gratitude is immense. I know though, that each one of us makes a real effort to ensure that we have the best time and take away warm memories to store and remember during the not so good periods in our lives. Generally speaking, I believe we do get out of life what we put into it and hard work does go into this, although mainly under the guise of 'having fun'.  Add to that, a sprinkling of magic along with oceans of love and the result was the best Christmas possible!