The spirit of tattyhead

At my Aunt and Uncles for New Year's eve dinner ...which was delicious. I am very fortunate to have a family full of amazing cooks - my Dad, my brother, my mum and my Uncle Dave are absolutely geniuses in the kitchen. We had Prawn Cocktail to start, home made pate with home made toasted bread 'soldiers', then a beautiful beef bourginonne with uncle dave's fantastic mashed spuds. Then home made chocolate mousse to finish . Very yummy - feeling distinctly podgy today mind you.

The candle stand was in the middle of the table - had to be blipped really. My Nan is in the background, along with Corin.

Nan got a little teary-eyed during the evening - we were discussing a friend of the family who lost their mum, then their dad in the space of 8 weeks. After the mum died, the dad just gave up. I could see Nan getting quietly upset across the table and it broke my heart - its three years this month since her husband, my lovely Grandad, died - it still breaks my heart just to think about it, so to my Grandma it must hurt like hell every day.

We all think Grandad's still with us in spirit and some odd things happen in our respective houses which we all just say "oh, its Tattyhead saying hello" (tattyhead was grandad's nickname) - last night, not long after this little conversation had happened, a lightbulb in the front hallway dropped out of the light fitting - the whole thing - and smashed on the floor...everyone's response "Grandad reminding us that he's here" - we're not nuts, honest, its just I guess that we think like that to keep his memory with us.