Boxing Day

360/365: Christmas flowers 

 

I've had to make changes to my plans but so far celebrations (on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) have been great and I've had a lovely time on both days. I was expecting to spend a little time visiting with family and friends on those days but a call from J forced a last minute change as she had tested positive for Covid and was worried that she may have passed it to me when we met. I didn't have any symptoms but tried to test anyway but couldn't get a result - I'd had a bad nosebleed during the previous night and that affected the test result so, better safe than sorry and until I'm able to get an accurate test result, I've decided to stay away from everyone. I'd never forgive myself if it turns out that I am positive and passed the virus on to anyone else.

So, I still went ahead with having my turkey dinner on Christmas Eve, something I've been doing for the past few years as it really does make visiting easier without having to worry about cooking big meals when I get home. This year's turkey dinner was particularly good even if I do say it myself! That was all finished and the kitchen tidied in time to watch Carols at Kings (brilliant!), followed immediately by the Royal Carol Service over on ITV (lovely, but Carols at Kings will always be my official start of Christmas!). Then I settled down for my own version of the Icelandic tradition of Jolobokaflod, so a steady supply of hot chocolate and my chosen book, 'The Survivors' by Jane Harper. I was going to watch Midnight Mass on BBC1 but was too tired so took myself off to bed instead.

Christmas Day started with a flurry of texts and phone calls full of Christmas wishes and also birthday greetings for Miss C. I didn't get up until late - every time I moved my nose bled a little, but in the end I braved it and hauled myself off to the kitchen to cook up a breakfast of leftovers ... this is my favourite part of cooking the meal on Christmas Eve as I think the (planned) leftovers from that meal are the best bit. Breakfast, or more correctly brunch, complete with slices of bread from the first loaf from my new bread-maker was ready in time to watch 'White Christmas' which I haven't seen for years and yes, I was an old soppy and cried at the ending. Then I listened to The Nation's Favourite Carol on Classic FM, immediately followed by The King's Christmas Broadcast - I thought he did well, the Queen was always going to be a hard act to follow, but I liked what he had to say. I missed The Festive Pottery Throwdown so will watch it when it's repeated on Tuesday. The evening was taken up with a Zoom party with friends. We lost the two in Italy as their connection kept dipping in and out and they gave up in the end, but I enjoyed an evening chatting with L&P in Exeter, K&A in Aberdeen, and AM, SL, and EW (don't know where they were!). We played charades which my team won, and a riotous treasure hunt which P's team won.  

Today, I will try to test again. I still have no symptoms but I need the peace of mind from the test before I go to visit houses where there are young babies and/or vulnerable adults. Whether I go or not also depends on what the people I am planning to visit want me to do as well so if those plans do fall through I'm quite happy to have another day at home. My Christmas Day present to myself was a Nintendo Switch games console with a couple of detective games; I started the first one yesterday, playing while I was listening to the Nation's Favourite Carol broadcast so I didn't get too far and will enjoy getting stuck into that. I'll tell you about how that gift relates to a fun option for exercise when I write about my new exercise regime in the new year. I also have the first of my Twelve Days of Christmas gifts to open as well. If I do stay at home I will make the first of the turkey curries, cooking it on the hob as I can't work out how the convert the timings to the Instant Pot. It's almost worth staying in, isn't it?