Tommy

It has been lovely to have Tommy home, even if it was for a short visit. I enjoyed talking to him last night (before we went out) about his plans for the future and it is good to know that he has a definite plan about what he would like to do and is striving for that. 

We then left for our birthday dinner at my friend's house - Tommy was meant to be going to a party in London but he was too tired so decided to rather stay home and have a relaxing evening instead. Our dinner was wonderful, convivial company, excellent food and scintillating discussions over dinner. Four of us present were all in the same halls of residence at university a very long time ago and we had fun talking about some of things we did. It was a very different world then!

It wasn't a late night but I never slept well and this morning I woke up feeling very grotty due to my cold. It was absolutely freezing outside, it was -2C and the garden was white with a thick frost and with a freezing fog it looked quite magical. All the cobwebs in the garden had frozen and there were frozen web strings across many of the plants, it looked quite surreal.
 
A photography friend had asked me to join him taking photos this morning of these magical conditions, fog and a hoar frost are great for photography but I declined as I know I don't feel great in the morning due to my cold - I feel better as the day progresses.

Gavin walked Xena as we felt it was better for me to stay indoors today, and he said the pond was so frozen today that dogs were running across it.

This was a quick photo I took of Tommy as we were chatting this morning. His hair is usually tied up so this was a rare occasion when it was loose. Hopefully he will cut it off this summer....

Gavin and Tommy went in to the village as Tommy wanted to get some Christmas presents while I made lunch. Tommy enjoyed his home cooked meal and then after lunch we left to go to the carol service at his old school. It was the first time Tommy had been back in the chapel since he left school and he absolutely loved the carol service, it brought back good memories for him - I had his beautiful singing on my left side (he was a chorister at school) and another pupil on my right side who was also a chorister, so I really had to up my game regarding my singing!! 

As the service finished and we walked out the chapel with the organ playing the snow was falling, it was like being on a movie set where they always have perfect snowy conditions for such a scene. Tommy chatted to the headmaster and a few teachers who were there, and then we drove home very slowly in the heavy snowfall, while he drove back to Cambridge. He will be home again just before Christmas.

It was a lovely weekend and now it is going to be another very cold week as this cold spell continues.