A New Dawn, And A New Day…

So, how was it for you? I can’t believe it’s nine days since I last wrote to you, and thank you so much for responding and bringing me up to speed with your Christmas plans. I know some of you have been poorly with this wretched flu that’s been doing the rounds, so I hope that you were feeling 100% better by Christmas Day. I treated myself to a copy of the Radio Times this year – my mum always used to buy it and we’d spend hours poring over it and circling all the programmes we wanted to watch! Of course in those days there were only three channels and no TV overnight, unlike now where we have so much choice it can make your head spin! So, Wallace and Gromit, Gavin and Stacey, Call The Midwife and Notting Hill were our choices, and were all equally entertaining. Reeves and Mortimer Gone Fishing is also a favourite as is Strike, so they’ve been recorded, and I’m onto the final ever two episodes of the BBC Drama The Split with Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan. It’s riveting! Can’t wait to see what happens at the end. What did you enjoy?

It was lovely to see Jack on Christmas Eve, and to have him with us on Christmas Day, and lunch for just the three of us was very easy and enjoyable. I found a small turkey crown that took only an hour to cook in my Ninja Air Fryer, and by contrast, my slow cooked gammon was also appreciated.

In an attempt to get Jack to eat sprouts – for the first time in 31 years – Colin prepared them with bacon, pesto and garlic but Jack was strong in his resolve to avoid them at all cost! I thought they were delicious, but wanted to save room for some wicked Christmas pudding ice cream Colin had also made. We enjoyed a few of my mince pies – my homemade mincemeat made such a difference –  but the Christmas cake remained untouched! Jack left us at teatime on Christmas Day to go back to his cats, and as we had nothing organised until Sam and Elise were due to arrive on the 27th, we decided to head into London. We had planned to go by train but none of the services were running on Boxing day as I discovered when Colin dropped me at the station to buy our tickets! The roads were pretty clear though so we drove instead and ended up in Notting Hill where all the little shops were open, and I was able to visit the famous bookshop that features in the film! 

With 22 folk arriving on the 28th, we’d done a fair bit of shopping ahead of time and planned most of it with military precision so when Sam and Elise arrived on the 27th we were able to sit back and enjoy our time with them. I have to be honest and say I took I hardly any photographs this year, but here are the beautiful flowers they brought for me, and this is the two of them when they went bowling just a few days before.  It’s so lovely to see Elise looking so well and we are all very excited for the baby to arrive in February!

The 28th was our family get together and there were 18 adults and four children with us, which is the largest number we’ve had since the summer when my niece was over from Australia! It’s such a blessing to have a large family, and nothing makes me happier than to see them all together. They all work and are incredibly busy so barely see each other throughout the year, but inspite of that they all get on really well. The cold buffet disappeared in no time, and everyone had a chance to catch up before exchanging gifts, catching up and then playing a few games. Jack had brought a new game called Monkey See, Monkey Poo that was hilarious – Corey was the only one who loved it! 😁 What games do you play games at Christmas?  

I’m back in the kitchen today, making a carrot cake for my friend Jo‘s birthday on New Year’s Day. We’re spending New Year’s Eve with her and then returning for her family get together on the day itself. Last year we hosted as she fell and broke her ankle on Christmas Eve and was completely immobile! I can’t believe it’s her 65th birthday – mine will be in March – and we’ve been best friends since we were 11 years old! I still remember clear as a bell the day I met her at secondary school in 1971 – our friendship is priceless as are the memories and times we’ve shared.   

And that is the perfect place for me to end this blog, but thank you as always for your love and support over this year, and for all your good wishes and hopes for 2025 – I send mine back to you. I know this last 12 months has not been easy for some but I always head into a New Year believing things will be better, and that there is always something to look forward to. For me, each day is a blessing, and I look forward keeping in touch with you here in 2025! 

With my love , 

 Ali xx