More fungi

I fear that I may be developing an interest in mycology. Here's another fungal growth that I have cultivated by accident. It's growing on a log next to our pond.

We don't normally watch television news, but this afternoon we sat through the grim briefings by the Prime and First Ministers.

Like millions of others across the country, our carefully crafted plans for Christmas have collapsed. The most significant aspect of the announcements is that it is now illegal for Mummy hazelh, my middle sister, her husband, their daughter Ailish and her boyfriend Danny to cross the border from England into Scotland. Mummy hazelh was going to join our household for a few weeks, and Paddy and Caitlin should have been hosting the rest of the family for the (previously permitted) five days of festivities in Portobello. This is no longer possible.

Following several frantic phone calls (and a few tears) we have established the following: Mummy hazelh will spend Christmas in Northumberland with my not-so-little sister (and I will visit/bring her to Scotland as soon as I can after the end of the lockdown); my middle sister, her husband, Ailish and Danny will stay put in West Sussex; Paddy and Caitlin will host Christmas Day at their flat for their friends Molly and Ali, who cannot travel south to stay with their family in England; and we will do our best to consume our huge Christmas turkey with Katharine and Jack.

In addition, my middle sister is posting Paddy and Caitlin's Christmas stockings to me so that I can play Elf. I will stuff the stockings with goodies, then transport them to Portobello on Christmas morning for a socially-distanced handover.

We were emotionally exhausted after all this, so after supper we dropped onto the sofa to watch the entire final of Strictly come dancing. We have never paid much attention to this programme before - it's not really our kind of thing - but today it was the perfect antidote to a very stressful afternoon.

In another world, 19th December 2020 would probably have been the date of our annual Christmas party. See 14th December 2019;  15th December 2018; 16th December 2017; 17th December 2016; 19th December 2015; 20th December 2014; 15th December 2013; 16th December 2012.

Exercise today: 4.5 mile run.