This has been a very different Christmas. Joe stayed with us for the whole time between Dec 18th and this morning, and it has been lovely to have him. He had to work from home for 5 days, and found his laptop did not work very successfully in the conservatory and not at all in the annexe, so we bought a kit to extend the coverage and he got it all set up. It was diffic ult at first, but he stayed up until 12.30 am one night and used internet websites and fora to solve the problems. He never gives up on that sort of problem; we would have abandoned it in disgust. We are very pleased to have that facility because I will find it useful to be able to access the internet from the annexe.
Dave and I bought each other a Wii, with the Resort pack, and again Joe installed it and even got the internet working through it so we were able to access googlemail and watch a slide show of Mary-Ann's photos on the TV. The games have provided hours of fun and a certain amount of exercise (which was not obvious until we woke up stiff and aching!) Alan-over-the-road came round on Christmas Eve with a bottle of his special Christmas sherry (Woods rum). We got involved with 10 pin bowling and he saw Christmas in with us and got quite excited about the bowling.
Dave and I went to church at 10.0am for a short family service, then home to open presents before going to Gressenhall for lunch with Steve and Kate. All except Kate gathered at the Swan at 12.30 for an hour, so we were able to wish Mick and Iris, James and Megan and Joel, and Chris and Sophie a happy Christmas. We had a traditional turkey dinner, with Sally's sister Liz's famous Christmas pudding and my brandy butter. Hannah and Craig with Reece spent the day there, and Tom and Rebekah arrived later with baby Noah, followed by James, Megan and Joel. Kate's mother and her partner had been and gone by this time. We came home at about 6.0pm to stoke up the fire and let Dave have his Christmas drink.
On the 26th we went to the Sunday service, again quite short, and had a quiet afternoon preparing for a Boxing Day meal with Dot and Rodney, (lamb this time, with Dot's Christmas pudding and more brandy butter.) On Monday, officially Boxing Day, the sun came out at about 11.30am and we decided to have a walk at Cromer followed by fish and chips. We got as far as the beginning of Happy Valley, but the final slopes of path were still treacherous with ice so we returned to the town feeling virtuous and thoroughly braced. The fish and chips were very good, but we cancelled the idea of a drive round the coast and headed straight home for our fireside. Steve and Kate came to return Liz's basin and stayed to enjoy a few games.
Joe has left us this morning so we are very quiet and unmotivated to do anything much. We are off to Devon on the 30th, so have to get ourselves organised and packed. Fortunately it is thawing, so our anxiety about burst pipes is lessened.
All a long way from the big bustling family Christmases of the past, but restful and just what we needed this year. We are very grateful to Joe for his company, help and good advice, and to Sally for letting us have him for a long break without complaint.
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