Hello my lovelies. I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since I last wrote anything. It’s not intentional, life just sometimes gets in the way. New Years Resolution time, write more stuff!

We’ve adopted the French custom of doing the main Christmas thing on Xmas Eve, rather than Xmas Day for the second year running now. Just the 4 of us, Craig, Me and my lovely in-laws. We spend Xmas eve here, then Xmas Day is at theirs. Time flying past too alarmingly fast, as both of us are rationed to 6 hours away from our respective dogs. It’s a long story, but basically, they can’t all just hang out together as it’s likely our furries could become dinner – and never mind the cats as a light apero. So dogs remaining all of our priorities, it means one of each couple will drive and like everything when you’re having fun it feels like the time just evaporates.

The benefits of having no real regime to stick to, no bacon sandwiches at 9am, Bucks Fizz at 10am (not the 80s band) , no Aunt Ethel needs to watch the Queens Speech, no Uncle Nobhead needs to watch Mrs Browns Boys etc etc are plenty. So, we do our own thing. This year we made chicken kebabs all from scratch. Marinated chicken cooked on the BBQ for 40 minutes, made flat breads, home made hummus and tzatziki, drank champagne and listened to AC/DC and it was great. You know I love to bake, but this year I just couldn’t be arsed, and when you live in a land where a Supermarket Bouche de Noel is formidable, then why the hell would you bother. So Black Forest Bouche and cream for dessert. Yes please.

We also open presents on Xmas Eve too, because why not?! There’s something quite liberating about having all that wrapping paper already in the bin come Xmas Day, and when you have other family members to talk to by some electronic means, it’s just easier because you can work more around them. I’ve tried to be electronically present while everyone does, erm, presents, but it’s pretty impossible, everyone is always just slightly out of shot, the crunching of wrapping paper is deafening and it doesn’t quite work.

So right now, the makeup has been removed, and I’m wearing my new blanket, with hood and giant pocket (with little hidden pocket for my mobile phone). Oh, and it’s covered in black and white cow print. My husband has won Christmas and I’m only ever taking it off to wash it and immediately put it back on. How many people do you know that got 4 pairs of secateurs for Xmas by the way? And I couldn’t be more thrilled either as it goes….

Tomorrow’s festive fare is Smoked Chicken and Leek pie that I made a month ago and froze, along with all the usual trimmings. Because (and we’re all adults here so I can say it), turkey is dry, boring shite. Dance to the beat of your own drum people!

Speaking of drums….. hub’s new electronic drum kit is set up and ready to go. I’m going to be watching a lot of Roger Taylor on Youtube from here on in. Sadly at the moment I just sound like I’m leading a group of drunk American Revolutionary soldiers into battle, but it’s early days…..

Big love to all of you spending xmas in a slightly different way than you thought you might be a fortnight ago due to travel restrictions etc. Sadly it looks like Covid will be kicking around for a while, and at this rate we might need a booster about every 20 minutes.

So, we continue on, almost in the same way as we did at the start of last year. When this thing will supposedly be gone by Easter, by the Summer holidays, by Halloween…..

I’m grateful that you’re here, reading this, and I hope I’ll still manage to raise an occasional smile in the months to come. I’ll certainly try.

Laters….. V x

And Happy Christmas. (Current status – unapologetically listening to Taylor Swift – (Baileys Salted Caramel Version)