Let’s see, what have I missed? Hmmm. I decked the hall with boughs of holly and all that sort of thing, obvs.

I think a new year’s resolution on the subject of blogging is in order. Years ago, I decided on the discipline of writing something every day – sometimes catching up on my phone in bed – and, a few years later, resolving not to, necessarily. I need something in between now. I do not want to lose the blogging habit.

All has gone very well. Al and co and Ro and the children were here for Christmas Day, but before that, Weeza took us to Great Yarmouth to the circus, which was brilliant. Look, I joined in with the clapping, singing and everything required. Anything less would have been very churlish and they deserved all the applause.

We all met up for lunch today at a pub near where Rose now lives, she introduced me to it a few months ago and we’ve been back several times since. It’s not your olde worlde sort of pub, very much set up as an eating place, but the food is good and the staff are really great. It’s convenient for everyone, probably the most central place for us all, so I’m sure we’ll go there again. Al was working and Dora had the little ones, but the rest of us – 11 – were all free.

Hop the bantam is still limping, but is in good heart otherwise. I took her out, washed her feet and had a good look and couldn’t find anything. She’s very nervous, so not easy to catch. I should wash her again and coat her legs in Vaseline, in case it’s scaly leg mites, but I’ve no real reason to think it is. I think she’d hobble more and others would be affected too. Solo cat’s face is finally starting to heal, but the cut is right by his eye and I wish I could catch him to take him to the vet. I’m afraid that I think that he’s going to lose the sight of that eye, if he hasn’t already. It might have been all right with early treatment, but that wasn’t possible. Still, he’s not got any infection in the wound and he’s gradually getting more trusting. I lightly stroked his back for a moment yesterday, while he was eating – he glanced round, but I had already moved away and he didn’t react.