Midnight mass. Cancelled due to severe weather conditions.
9.00am. Recovering from hangover. Last night, my brother Nigel, partner Kathy, daughter Tess and her friend Ed all squished around my dining table for fish pie and copious bottles of wine. Afterwards we went to the local pub and drank far too many beverages with Henry, Pat and Eric. Coffee needed this morning!
11.00am. No church service, so we open presents.
12.30am. Jeanette, Gordon and daughter Gillian arrive for champagne. With eight people in the cottage all talking at the tops of their voices and crammed into my little sitting room, the atmosphere becomes festive and a little raucous. Hangovers receding.
1.45pm. We head up the hill to the hotel for Christmas lunch. Five courses: Parsnip soup; melon and berries; champagne sorbet; roast turkey (with Yorkshire pudding - apparently this is not a Scottish custom, rather the kitchen had made extra because patrons were complaining only those who had ordered beef got Yorkshire pud); Christmas pudding and brandy custard; mince pies. Red wine, white wine ....
4.00pm. Gordon invites us back to their cottage for a drink. Jean and John turn up as well. We play Pass the Bomb (I win!). Gillian and Tess dress up in milkmaids' outfits and wigs. I am persuaded to dress up in a slinky gold lame dress and a wig not dissimilar to that worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Tess negotiates a guitar lesson with Gordon. An expedition to source more mink coats is planned. We drink more than is reasonably good for our livers.
8.30pm. We stagger home and raid the fridge for smoked salmon and chocolates, drink more wine and sit around talking gobbledegook.
11.00pm. Turn on TV. Slump in front of fire. Start dreading tomorrow's hangover.
A great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment