All I want for Christmas...

What a lovely day! :-))

Downstairs in time for Christine arriving at 10am.  I pulled on jeans and a shirt in order to make brunch for us (Eggs Benedict) before Alan got up.  That was rather tasty.  

Once we'd eaten we went to Alan's room to find him awake and hyper because Christine was here (Christmas and Christine, his perfect combination! :-) Stocking at the end of his bed confirmed he was on the nice list this year.

While he was getting showered and dressed I said to D that I would go upstairs and get changed into my glad rags and put my make up on.  He burst out laughing as seeing me appear earlier in my jeans and shirt he'd thought I'd decided to have a very casual Christmas!  Alan decided to rock Christmas in a very cool Hawaiian themed Christmas shirt :D 

Back downstairs and it was time to open the Prosecco and the pressies.  Alan wanted Christine all to himself (as usual! lol) so after spending a little time with him D & I retreated to our living room to see what Santa had brought.  Great fun and great gifts and we get to do it all over again tomorrow at Ele's  (we always keep family gifts until we can all get together) 

Phone call from John and Norma from their hotel in Montrose.  They are having a ball and I was so relieved to hear it as poor John was ill last week but the antibiotics have worked their magic and they are enjoying being spoiled in the hotel with fabulous food and entertainment.  I hope I am enjoying a wonderful Christmas knees-up in a lovely highland hotel when I'm 85! :-))

Gift opening done, D took Lola for her walk, I had a snooze read my book (Andrew Cotter's Dog Days :-)) and when they returned it was time for me to make the dauphinoise potatoes, prep the beef tenderloin and the veggies.  All the food was cooking at the time I had planned and we sat down to our starter exactly when I had hoped.  That's a first!  lol

Dinner was delish (though I say so myself :-) Christine loved the beef fillet (we like ours medium rare and she likes hers with no pink showing and miraculously I managed to meet both briefs :-) and the potatoes and she had seconds.  Always satisfying when others enjoy the effort one has gone to :-)  Dessert was New York cheesecake or tiramisu but I had no room for either. It was also an easy meal to clear up.  David was happy about that.

Alan and Christine had great fun watching Christmas movies.  D and I finally managed to watch the end of Murder on the Orient Express.  We enjoyed it but I did guess what was going to happen fairly early on.  Channel flicking afterwards we stumbled upon Love Actually and of course we got sucked in and watched that too.  

A lovely relaxed day and I have cherished every moment as from 29th it will be hectic here!  

Hoping you all had a day that made you happy and thankful, and thinking of friends and family who are grieving for that empty place at their Christmas table, this year in particular P, C & G xxx

364 sleeps!!!! ;-))