GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST

The ghost is made up of vast amounts of clearing-up … the house looks as if it’s been hit by a poltergeist in a bad mood – or a hurricane!

Had a lovely, lovely time with all sorts of extra bits of family who kept turning up – making the most of the last of my ‘extended family’ Christmases in a house big enough to take us all. My brother, who is a Buddhist and so doesn’t ‘do’ Christmas, but likes to see the family, decided to join us on Christmas afternoon. I farmed him out to eldest daughter, who now has a house with an extra bedroom – my 6 were all full! Then another email – that his daughters, my nieces, would like to join us too on Boxing Day … which was great, haven’t seen them for a while, but they used to spend every Christmas with us when they were younger, and were dragged in to the ‘Christmas play’ by my daughters and son. Usually acting out a version of a fairy tale, dressed up in anything that came to hand, with us all falling about laughing.

Because 2nd daughter and her children couldn’t join us until Boxing Day, – she was on call at the hospital – we decided to postpone our Boxing Day walk until the 27th, and threw in lunch at a lovely pub in a village valley alongside a little stream. We told everyone there would be ‘a surprise’.

Quite a lot of betting went on, I gather, and most people lost money … because the surprise was our son’s delightful girlfriend, coming to meet the entire family for the first time. Brave girl … if she survives this, she’ll survive most things!

By the time we got to the pub extra bits of family had joined us en route, and the party was bigger than I’d booked for 😳 – despite having changed the numbers twice already … but the lovely staff weren’t fazed, extra chairs were found and we were just about managed to get us all round a very long table.

Then everyone decided to come back to ours, and it was such a happy relaxed time … at one stage there was the Bath Party upstairs – with various children being bathed by various mothers: the Creative Party in the kitchen making patterns from Hama beads: the Games Party on the floor playing Killer Ludo … and the Talking Party on the chairs discussing Russian politics with son’s girlfriend (because she’s Russian).

Most people disappeared last night and this morning 😥 boo hoo – but second daughter is staying with the children until new year. For which reason I’m not likely to have much time on my lap top – :wave: – but hope to catch up with you in bits and pieces!

Now, to get back to exorcising that messy ghost while I have some P and Q … :yes: Where’s my ghostbuster errr – I mean my dustbuster ??? :>>