Happy New Year to one and all. I hope that the festive season was a good one for you. Despite earlier concerns about the Covid virus, ours did actually go ahead more or less as planned. Just to recap, L was left rabbit sitting in London, so we had decided to go to her for Christmas, rather than having it at home. Then, a week before Christmas Eve, she tested positive for Covid. She was due to be over the contagious period before our arrival, the only uncertainty was whether her boyfriend, J, would come down with it in the intervening time. Luckily, he didn't. He went off to his parents on the 23rd and we popped to London very early on Christmas Eve. Traffic warnings had predicted chaos on the roads owing to rail strikes but, in the end, we had an easy run, arriving just before 10am.
E and her boyfriend, L, were slightly wary about the whole Covid situation and also had some ill budgies (yes, you read that correctly, they have 2 rescue budgerigars!), which L was also wary about in case it was contagious for rabbits. In the end, they spent Christmas with L's parents, joining us back at home when we returned on the 27th with L in tow, in time for my birthday.
After all the uncertainty, we had a lovely time. Christmas Eve was spent pottering around Clapham. We visited the market and the common, before popping into a cute cafe to warm up with drinks. My turmeric latte was delicious. Even more delicious were the vegan cannoli that we bought at a little stall:
Back at the flat, cannoli consumed, we said hello to the tarantulas that L was looking after for a friend over the holiday. I say looking after, but they really looked after themselves. She didn't even have to feed them which was lucky as they like it live!
Arthur also posed for his picture - Luna was less cooperative!
We were really lucky with the weather over the Christmas period. The 25th dawned grey but dry and we decided to take advantage of the quiet roads by doing a tour of central London in our new car. Some sad news - Lily, my beloved car, was sold recently. She had a hole in her exhaust manifold and R could only find one available ........ in Australia! We sold her to a chap who knocked on the door asking about her. He paid more than we would have got for scrap and he does up old cars and planned to do some work on her. I couldn't watch when she was taken away. :O( I now have a new to me car, that I am determined not to get attached to!
Our tour took in the Houses of Parliament, Horse Guards' Parade, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's and Trafalgar Square. We parked near the old Westminster Hospital and arrived at the Abbey just in time to hear the bells pealing at the end of the Christmas Day service. It was magical. Then it was back to the flat to try out our mojito kit, courtesy of the neighbours, and make Christmas lunch. We had a Zoom call with E in the evening.
Westminster Hall, built in the 11th century:
We did charity shop/homemade presents again this year. L bought me a copy of some classic ghost stories - I'm halfway through and loving it - as well as a notebook containing a retelling of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' that she had written to the metre of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. She did it whilst confined to the bedroom suffering from Covid and I shall treasure it.
R bought me a 2nd hand sweater which I'm wearing at the moment and is very cosy, and a selection of charity shop books.
Boxing Day saw us setting off to explore Battersea Park. I had never been before and it was lovely to walk round. We also started our charity shop Christmas jigsaw, although we didn't get very far. L and J have since finished it and all the pieces were present!
The 27th saw us going on an expedition to Crystal Palace to look for dinosaurs! We also discovered clangers, a maze, a pair of sphinxes, and a great little cafe for lunch.
J set off back to London on the 27th. It took him 9 hours and involved a combination of train, coach and tube. Once we were sure that he would be able to make it back that evening, we set off for home and arrived just in time to cook dinner before E and L arrived with the budgies in tow. They free ranged around her room for the duration of their stay. I think I've just about cleared up the poop! :O)
We exchanged Christmas presents - E bought me some fat quarters that I have my eye on for a cushion, and made clay decorations, candles, chilli oil and chocolate truffles - they were delicious.
My birthday followed hot on the heels of Christmas. R booked a holiday for later in the spring, L bought me a clay stamp and tickets to see 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' (my favourite book) at the Gielgud theatre next month, and E made me a sign for my newly decorated shed, along with some birdy socks and salted caramel truffles.
We had planned to go bowling, but it has been so long since we have been that we didn't realise that the alley had closed down! We walked around the lake instead and went for a Thai meal in the evening.
The following day, games were played until E and L had to set off back to Bristol. It had been lovely to have everyone home. L stayed until New Year's Eve and then returned to London and James to see in 2023. We had a quiet evening and I was in bed by 10 o'clock!
A few more happies recently. A trip to Glastonbury to meet my friend, S. We had lunch at the Rainbow's End cafe, pottered round the shops (I may have bought a pair of trousers!) and then climbed the Tor.
A photo of my Cosy Memories blanket with the new squares added using yarn from Barbara's advent calendar. The new ones are from halfway down on the 3rd row from the left:
I'm adding the leftover yarn into my crocheted scrappy stripe blanket:
Well, that's it for Christmas 2022. Thank you for humouring me whilst I put all these memories to 'paper'. I hope that 2023 brings you peace, health and happiness. Let's face it, the bar has been set pretty low after the last couple of years!
Toodle pip for now. x
