More gold

One of the benefits of prolonged celebration (an octave, remember - it can and should go on for a week) is the delight in each unfolding of the different aspects. This one is the bringing home of the lovely flowers with which #2 son and family turned up on Friday, and which have reposed in a cool garage until this evening, when we brought them home. Beside them is a retro cup and saucer of almost identical shape to some of our wedding china, with a candle in the cup - a gift from #1 son's wife. 

The astute will have clocked that we jumped the gun in more ways than one this weekend; it was unthinkable that we should celebrate without our family and we ensured that this could happen through the willingness of them to accommodate us in more ways than one. Today, my younger grandson asked what had been the best bit about our weekend, and I was able to say without a moment's hesitation that seeing my whole family together looking happy and relating so well with one another - not forgetting Arthur and Oreo, the cats - was all that I could have asked for.

Sentimental old trout, I hear you mutter. But if I can't indulge in a bit of sentiment after all this time ... And besides: it's a great feeling to know that together we made a party!

And a bit of stark realism: we're once more back in our own place, with weather to match. We had a wet walk this morning, and a wet drive home. It was so chilly that the heating had actually come on and the house felt pleasantly, if unseasonably, toasty. But one last joy, after the flower-arranging and the unpacking: our supper was entirely thanks to #1 daughter-in-law, who'd given us a goodie bag of two courses. We ate that, we had a glass of wine, we watched the conclusion of Das Boot. 

And now: bed.

What on earth are we having for dinner tomorrow night...?