Post Christmas roundup
Well, we had a very nice Christmas this year. Dad came down from up North (near Manchester) and stayed from the 23rd. He’s on his way home now. Then on the 25th my sister and brother in law visited for Christmas day, so we ended up cooking for 7 – five adults and two children. Of course it wasn’t that simple, as one of the adults (me) is a vegetarian, and one of the children won’t eat anything sensible at all. Also one of the adults (Andrew) and both children won’t eat dried fruit. So this meant roast goose and trimmings for 5 people, turkey dinosaurs for one child and curried potato cakes for me, plus Christmas pudding for 4 people and ice cream with chocolate sauce for 3.
Because we had Dad here, who is an atheist, we went to church for midnight mass on Christmas Eve while he was in bed. This may have been a mistake because it meant that we didn’t have anything to do in the morning other than sit around drinking, and basting the goose. However, everything came together when the other guests arrived and we could finish cooking, eat and unwrap presents (and burn the wrapping paper on the coal fire – resulting in some lovely turquoise flames.)
I got my bodhran for my main present, plus a book on how to play it, and an instructional DVD as well. This is good because I’ve reached the end of my current ‘teach yourself’ book and need some new things to learn.
The bodhran is made by Mog of Renegade Rhythms. He decorated it (which seems appropriate) by pasting onto the rim that swirly book paper that you get at the ends of old classic hardbacks and then varnishing it in place. So it’s quite a literary drum 🙂
I also got a lovely knotted silver necklace from wulfila. Thank you! It’s gorgeous, and I’ve been wearing it solidly ever since. And a book bag decorated with the artwork of False Colors from Lee_Rowan, along with a transfer of the cover of Captain’s Surrender, which I think I’ll put on a T shirt. I also got some money (very welcome!) and a pair of pajamas, & slippers, and the obligatory jumper that doesn’t fit, so I’m very pleased with my haul 🙂
On Boxing Day we all went out into Ely to watch Andrew dancing with Coton morris men by the side of the river. It was bright and cold and sunny, and they drew quite a crowd of people who seemed pleased to have some entertainment laid on on a day when traditionally you don’t know what to do with yourselves. They also literally stopped traffic, since they were dancing in the middle of the road.
So now there’s just catching up with emails and eating the left overs to do. I might even put on the DVD and see if I can pick up a new rhythm. It went very well, I thought.