We spent two nights with Weeza and co, which was really lovely. Rose was on hand to look after the animals here, of course, we couldn’t have done it otherwise. We will return the favour next week, it all works out very well and is very little extra work and just a measure of additional kindness to cats who are feeling lonely.
It was a beautiful Christmas Day and I was – I fear the word, but I use it regularly, whenever possible, because one shouldn’t be ruled by fear – very happy. Weeza had planned very carefully and then trusted her list and relaxed. She had decided to make it a leisurely meal, serving each course every two hours. Ro and Dora, with little Rufus, arrived around half past eleven – maybe a bit earlier. Rufus was asleep by the time we started eating at noon and hadn’t woken up by the time the roast beef was ready, we saved him some.
All the children adore him, their little cousin. Gus calls him “twin.” Cousin doesn’t feel like a close enough relationship, though they’re nearly five years apart in age. We corrected him and explained once, but then let it go with a smile.
On Boxing Day, we came home by way of friends’ party, which was very jolly. LT is meeting more and more of the people I know – he does his best to remember names. They only have him to remember and my helpful explanations of who is married or related to whom probably doesn’t help much. Lots of us took plates of food and our hostess had spent the morning cooking too. I was deeply impressed by the tiny bread rolls, an inch across, that she’d made that morning and filled with various tasty things. That is just the sort of thing she’d do effortlessly, though. Talking later, I admitted that I have never planned anything for Boxing Day. The whole of December has, for most of my life, been much too knackering and I’ve needed that day, at least, to recover. I don’t really need to think that way any more, but I’d still hesitate to invite fifty or so people round.
Today, we’ve been pottering and I’ve been cooking. It was bitterly cold, with a sharp North wind and driving rain this morning, though we didn’t get the snow that many parts of the country did. Once the animals were fed, we mostly stayed indoors. So did Eloise cat, to her annoyance. She dashed round periodically, frustrated at not getting her usual run about the garden. She seriously considered walking along the mantelpiece and knocking off all the cards and, when she’d decided against that, attempted to get into the fireplace and explore the chimney. She was dissuaded from that as well. It stopped raining just in time, so she could take the air as usual. And she’s spent much of the rest of the day asleep.