New Year

Yes, Happy New Year to everyone!

We had a busy Christmas, with Granny being delivered to us by my nephew and his family on Tuesday 21st. It was lovely to start the Christmas celebrations this way. Lunch was a family affair around the large table in the dining room - 5 adults and a 5 year old (who actually liked the Spanish sauce I cooked the chicken in!). And the playmobil we keep here for the granchildren to play with was much admired by the said 5 year old -and his mum!! We have received the ultimate accolade - Sam would be happy to visit again!

Christmas lunch went smoothly, with the turkey resting for 1.5hrs under 3 tea towels, as recommended by Jamie Oliver. It certainly helped to free the oven for the roast potatoes and parsnips, sausages in bacon, and 2 kinds of stuffing. I served the prawn cocktails in cups on saucers for a change, it looked very 'designer'! But why is it that the Christmas lunch seems to take longer to eat with each successive year?? We (+Granny, DD and family) sat down at 1.30, and I only got up to fetch the dessert at 2.55! Well, that's one way to fill an afternoon...

DD and family left at around 8pm, DD needing to chill in her own home because she is still under the weather from a bug.

Boxing Day brought our DS and his 2 girls for the day, with DIL joining us after she had finished work (in the retail sector).

Monday, DB and his wife suffered the stress of a trip (slow) down the motorway, to join us for tea and then take Granny back to her 'cottage'. DS and family joined us at around 5 pm, so that the girls could enjoy the silliness of DB!

So that was Christmas..

By the time New Year's Eve arrived, I decided my DH and I should join Granny for the celebrations, her first New Year in her 'cottage'. So I phoned her and warned her we were going to her place, then shopped for something nice for dinner at M&S! We opened champagne (M&S)and toasted the New Year with Granny's next door neighbour, Sue, and sent a glass of champers back with her for her mum who was unable to join us.

We stayed with her until Monday, having had a trip to Chatsworth on Sunday and enjoyed Sunday lunch there, and doing a little shopping in the farm shop; a Tesco trip on Monday morning made sure that she was stocked up enough should the snow show up again!