Oh, that sounds rather sentimental and silly - but true. The cooking all seemed to go really smoothly - the cakes were done and looked ok - and even the cake we kept for ourselves (the runt of the litter) was really nice and not overcooked. Christmas Eve was great - we had blinis and gravadlax, then ajada which was interesting, and orange creme caramel... some problems with the cooking since we were visited by our neighbour J who is a nice man but completely insensitive to the needs of host - sits down and talks at you until he's finished. I found this distracting - and was impatient for him to leave - this impatience transferred itself to the cooking.
We picked C up and went to St Augustine's nice carol service - we sang 5 verses of "Oh come, oh come Emmanuel" (one of the Great O Antiphons!!!) I remember one of our neighbours in London saying she thought it was a dirge...perhaps the organist's fault - nothing dirge like about this. Then the high Mass began with the blessing of the crib - in English, after that it was Latin all the way (apart from the epistle and the sermmon). The Gospel was chanted in Latin - I stained my ears to understand: et pannis involvitur she wrapped him in swaddling bands - is really "she rolled him in cloths" and then we had it read in English. There were lashings of incense (the thurifers must have been on overtime) The Victoria Consort sang Palestrina's Mass for Pope Marcellus (a three week pope... wonder who he'd upset?) and it was all fab. Then we went home, dropping Ned off at the Chapel in Broadstairs - it was late, nearly time to go to MN's Reveillon... but still time to wrap the last present. Everything felt very unhassled.
The Reveillon was nice - MN had prepared a nice fishetarian table... I nibbled a few things, gorgeous mince pies... almonds in the pastry. I felt a bit shy, I didn't know many of the people there - but I began to talk to C - a man with a reputation for being boring. I discovered he wasn't actually boring - but he doesn't take any interest in his interlocutor and is happy to talk ceaselessly about his own experiences and impressions - perhaps that is the definition of boring - but he was talking about Beijing and the Catholic Church and one or two other interesting topics. We came home at about 2 am and slept in until 10 - we had stockings, coffee, then breakfast in the dining room. Then I did the usual preparations on the turkey etc. and we went down to the beach. It was a lovely sunny day and a large tranche of Ramsgate was there - I saw a number of my particular friends - Ann, Kirstie, Anette, Sue - from afar - as well as others whom I like but know less well - Jacqui, Ruth R, plus all the associated husbands and partners. I also spotted Clifford the rabbi strolling on the strands - so went to say Happy Christmas to him - not sure if that was taking ecumenism too far... returned home slightly tipsy (terrible parking!) and then finished preparations - we opened our very lovely and much appreciated pressies: Finn had bought me a book and a CD I had asked for, while Ned had chosen me a very nice cotton multicoloured scarf... "from a hippy shop" in Norwich. Mark had found a cut glass bowl in a charity shop - which was v nice - as well as a cardigan and some chocolates. His originality this year ran to some make-up from TK Maxx in my christmas stocking - white eye shadow, blue mascara and a rather tawny blusher (I have never owned or used blusher before, since I have naturally rather pink - red cheeks.)
Christmas dinner was rather delicious and the fridge door crisis was dealt with calmly and smoothly. Ned and Finn were both helpful and co-operative and did lots of little things nicely. We all enjoyed the Lamingtons although I feel they are not mega enough to be Christmas pudding... Ned said he would have preferred sticky toffee pudding - so perhaps I will oblige later in the hols - for New Year Day perhaps.
We watched telly by the fire and ate chocs.
On Boxing Day we got up - did chores and at 3 went for a short walk at Pegwell Bay. The sun was setting, there were flocks of lapwings on the shoreline and we could see some seals' heads bobbing about at the mouth of the Stour... very beautiful - until 4 mini-hovercrafts came roaring across the bay and up the river creating a great deal of noise for about 5 minutes. There were huge flat topped clouds in the S-West - heading for us. In the night a great storm blew up - it was very windy - and still is, but they say it will calm down soon. We have been less badly effected than some people. Another storm is expected next week.
All in all we have had rather a good Christmas - today is a day of chores and then my family will descend like vultures. So far we have been getting on well, and doing what's expected of us and it has been unusually harmonious.
We picked C up and went to St Augustine's nice carol service - we sang 5 verses of "Oh come, oh come Emmanuel" (one of the Great O Antiphons!!!) I remember one of our neighbours in London saying she thought it was a dirge...perhaps the organist's fault - nothing dirge like about this. Then the high Mass began with the blessing of the crib - in English, after that it was Latin all the way (apart from the epistle and the sermmon). The Gospel was chanted in Latin - I stained my ears to understand: et pannis involvitur she wrapped him in swaddling bands - is really "she rolled him in cloths" and then we had it read in English. There were lashings of incense (the thurifers must have been on overtime) The Victoria Consort sang Palestrina's Mass for Pope Marcellus (a three week pope... wonder who he'd upset?) and it was all fab. Then we went home, dropping Ned off at the Chapel in Broadstairs - it was late, nearly time to go to MN's Reveillon... but still time to wrap the last present. Everything felt very unhassled.
The Reveillon was nice - MN had prepared a nice fishetarian table... I nibbled a few things, gorgeous mince pies... almonds in the pastry. I felt a bit shy, I didn't know many of the people there - but I began to talk to C - a man with a reputation for being boring. I discovered he wasn't actually boring - but he doesn't take any interest in his interlocutor and is happy to talk ceaselessly about his own experiences and impressions - perhaps that is the definition of boring - but he was talking about Beijing and the Catholic Church and one or two other interesting topics. We came home at about 2 am and slept in until 10 - we had stockings, coffee, then breakfast in the dining room. Then I did the usual preparations on the turkey etc. and we went down to the beach. It was a lovely sunny day and a large tranche of Ramsgate was there - I saw a number of my particular friends - Ann, Kirstie, Anette, Sue - from afar - as well as others whom I like but know less well - Jacqui, Ruth R, plus all the associated husbands and partners. I also spotted Clifford the rabbi strolling on the strands - so went to say Happy Christmas to him - not sure if that was taking ecumenism too far... returned home slightly tipsy (terrible parking!) and then finished preparations - we opened our very lovely and much appreciated pressies: Finn had bought me a book and a CD I had asked for, while Ned had chosen me a very nice cotton multicoloured scarf... "from a hippy shop" in Norwich. Mark had found a cut glass bowl in a charity shop - which was v nice - as well as a cardigan and some chocolates. His originality this year ran to some make-up from TK Maxx in my christmas stocking - white eye shadow, blue mascara and a rather tawny blusher (I have never owned or used blusher before, since I have naturally rather pink - red cheeks.)
Christmas dinner was rather delicious and the fridge door crisis was dealt with calmly and smoothly. Ned and Finn were both helpful and co-operative and did lots of little things nicely. We all enjoyed the Lamingtons although I feel they are not mega enough to be Christmas pudding... Ned said he would have preferred sticky toffee pudding - so perhaps I will oblige later in the hols - for New Year Day perhaps.
We watched telly by the fire and ate chocs.
On Boxing Day we got up - did chores and at 3 went for a short walk at Pegwell Bay. The sun was setting, there were flocks of lapwings on the shoreline and we could see some seals' heads bobbing about at the mouth of the Stour... very beautiful - until 4 mini-hovercrafts came roaring across the bay and up the river creating a great deal of noise for about 5 minutes. There were huge flat topped clouds in the S-West - heading for us. In the night a great storm blew up - it was very windy - and still is, but they say it will calm down soon. We have been less badly effected than some people. Another storm is expected next week.
All in all we have had rather a good Christmas - today is a day of chores and then my family will descend like vultures. So far we have been getting on well, and doing what's expected of us and it has been unusually harmonious.
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