Thoughts on Christmas

I know, it has come around rather fast this year. Some say we have to just write off Christmas because of the pandemic, we are made of sterner stuff. For a short few days we can get together with our Christmas bubble, well the official guidelines are; 

From 23 December to 27 December, you may choose to form a Christmas bubble. A Christmas bubble will be able to spend time together in private homes, including second homes and caravans, to attend places of worship, or meet in a public outdoor place.

If you do form a Christmas bubble, you should not meet socially with friends and family you do not live within your home or garden unless they are part of your Christmas bubble.

We intend to make the most of this time. We will be having Christmas eve dinner and then Christmas Dinner on Christmas. In advance of these celebrations, I have ordered in 2 cases of fine red wine from a little known vineyard, much ales and 1 litre of Bells finest whiskey. The meat I thought should be on the lines of Gammon, Leg of Lamb, Turkey (this is Claudia’s speciality and I have praised her in the past but much mention it here again). Pork roast will also feature prominently as I bought a whole pig sometime ago and it has now been slaughtered and shared out among the Middle Smiths and Michael.

I must admit that this Christmas did seem a long way off when the pandemic struck, with all the doom and gloom. I said to Susan at the time, that I would not survive the virus if I caught it. I have changed my mind and decided that I'm going to live to a hundred, older than anyone in our family. A hundred and two, in fact, and lucid right to the end.

I know, but it's a great ploy. Start telling yourself you're going to live to a hundred and you'll look at life through new eyes. You get to our age and you think it's a slippery slope and that there's not much point in doing new things or travelling much, but we might well have many healthy years ahead of us.

You are probably thinking we might drop dead any time, you right of course, but does that matter when you might live to be a hundred.

I am thinking of buying an Electric Car, just think but some say it is the future and we must embrace it, others say they're also very expensive and completely impractical and have the personality of a vacuum cleaner. I like the Tesla but do want a more reliable car, the Asian/Japanese’s cars are more like starships than cars, just look at the new Honda or Toyota. The one that has caught my eye is the ID 3, but as I said, I will think about it.

Talking about cars, I was thinking about Susan and her new car and wondered, if she gave her car a name, not that she does but if. Maybe the conversation would go something like this;

What about Cuthbert?’

‘No, definitely not Cuthbert.’

‘How can you dismiss Cuthbert when you have just suggested Timothy?’

‘Timothy, or  maybe Benedict?’

‘Not Benedict, you cannot call a T-Roc, Benedict!’

Thankfully we tend to call them by their model. Easier just to say; “Let’s take the Zafira or T-Roc.” There have been times when Susan has asked me to move the Blue car, more for convenience than anything else.

In parting, we came across this lady who makes bubbles on the seafront, just for fun and I took this photo, hopefully, you can join us one day and see the bubbles.

I must say thank you for all your comments and support over the last year and wish you all a Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.  

Small, short life.

I remember a child, so young that before she could think of death, death thought of her.