7.45am on Christmas Eve and I am shopping for a pork pie. It is a local tradition to eat pork pie at Christmas, and the pie of choice is a Walkers pork pie. I attempted a purchase at their city centre shop yesterday lunchtime, and found customers queuing around the corner despite wind and rain. Hence my return visit on Christmas Eve.
We both worked on Christmas Eve – me in the office, and Chantal preparing the house for our Christmas guests. Despite various rumours to the contrary, Christmas Eve was a normal day at work, doing a couple of visits and commenting on a couple of plans, although Christmas music on the pool car radio (Classic FM, obviously…)while out and about provided a festive atmosphere. Oh yes, and those of us working on Christmas Eve did manage a stroll to the pub at lunchtime.
Matthew arrived here in time for dinner on Christmas Eve, followed soon afterwards by Simon and Kate, and we had a lovely relaxed evening. We wouldn’t be seeing Kate on Christmas Day, and so we exchanged presents – Simon and Kate bought us a fire pit, and Simon and Matthew spent time assembling it for us, although we didn’t actually try it out.
Ian and Svitlana delivered Steven and Sherry later on their way to Andree’s, and we stayed up late, well at least beyond our bedtime, enjoying a glass of wine or two (or was it a bottle of wine or two?). Chantal and I eventually left Matthew and Steven in front of the log burner, as they took steps to ensure that the final bottle of opened wine would be available for recycling in the morning.
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
