Christmas Day - I forgot to post this previously!!

I think I did ok this year - certainly my meal was a resounding success, amazingly!!! but more of that later.

We were not to be blessed with good weather - we had hoped we might sit out on the day bed and open our presents but the gazebo cover there and in Wendy and Bill corner has been shredded by the winds and the waterproof covers to the daybed and its mattress have been tested to the limit and, to be frank, failed - there is to be some mass drying out occurring as soon as we can.  The tree in the field next door has deposited its leaves in the garden and everything is a sodden dirty mess.  Our plan to go and pay our respects at the cemetery were postponed - even if we were to be able to get there underfoot would be soaking and we would get in a right old mess.  Stephen (Haughan the author) text to see if we were going to the Hotel for our customary Christmas drink and I had to say I would let him know nearer the time.  It isn't the journey that is the problem it is the walk down our long path uncovered that is the issue.

We were closer to a White Christmas than the UK but only by virtue of the fact that we had some pretty heavy hail storms throughout the night and then again this morning but then the rain washed it away.

God the island is grim when it is like this.  In fact there has been some terrible damage done at the Harbour in Paphos where the high wind and tides have dragged all kinds of debris up onto the road and the pedestrian walkways.  One thing is for sure you cannot tame the elements and the second thing for sure is that the removal of the sea wall may look aesthetically more pleasing but there is nothing to stop this occurring again.

It may not be cold outside but it is unpleasant and there is always a worry, with good old Cypriot build houses as to what damage the weather is causing.

The one bit of brightness to the morning were the roses which Mum had given me last Friday.  They were looking at their absolute peak of loveliness - not one has withered and they are now fully open and such a glorious range of shades of red/pink.

We sat in the conservatory to open a present before breakfast and then a second after breakfast leaving the remaining gifts for our return from the Hotel which we had decided to visit regardless of getting wet.  It is one of our traditions - and Dad would have wanted to go had he been here.

We had given Mum her ticket to the Ice Show which she went to a couple of weeks ago as her main present but amongst the other little things she had in her Santa Sack was a signed copy of the book Peshwari Nans - Beyond the Bucket List which I thought she would enjoy and which we had got Stephen Haughan to sign for her.  We thought she would be thrilled to actually meet him at the hotel although we had seen him down at Latchi when they had their last market there before Christmas.

Amazingly we made it to the Hotel without getting wet and parked right by the front door in Poll Position.  It was pretty busy as you might expect but we managed to find ourselves a table tucked in the corner and after playing musical chairs for a bit settled mum next to the radiator and not by the door where the smokers kept going in and out - Stephen got that one!!  It was lovely that he joined us and we spent a very pleasant hour or so in his company before we went home and he headed off to Skouli for his Christmas lunch.

I was so excited by the quality of the meal I produced I forgot to take a picture of the main event but I did take one of the starter which was pate with a salad garnish and some of my kumquat chutney.  I was careful not to give Mum any which contained a bit of chilli and as a result she really enjoyed it.  As is our normal routine on Christmas Day our starter was followed by the Christmas Film which was Mary Poppins Returns and unwrapping the remainder of our presents.  We all did really well with some fabulous gifts from friends and family who clearly know us and listen to our likes and dislikes.

At long last John got the football shirt he had been asking for now that the Mighty Blades are back where they belong - in the Premiership - the first one I ordered ended up somewhere in the occupied North of the Island - I do hope the unsuspecting recipient is very happy with it!!

So my Christmas Dinner comprised of a roast stuffed turkey boneless crown and a gammon joint served with homemade stuffing, bread sauce and red cabbage, roast potatoes and parsnips, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, peas, leeks and green beans, pigs in blankets and a light red wine gravy and it was all, to coin a phrase PERFICK - the best I have ever done.  Elena would have been so proud of me because I had observed the seven P's - Proper, Prior, Preparation, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance - she wanted that on her gravestone!!!  I had everything ready and so it was relatively stressless getting it cooked and on the table.  The cooking in a bag malarkey was a winner - I did the turkey and the gammon that way and it was superb - no mess and John's idea to use throw away foil containers meant much less washing up too.  I actually sat down and really enjoyed my meal and think by the looks of the amount that Mum put away she did too.

No-one wanted pud - I wasn't too unhappy about that as John is the only one to have the traditional pudding anyway - Mum and I were having strudel if we were having anything but decided against it.  After sending our love and thanks to friends and family we settled down for some TV - my choices have been successful but whilst we enjoyed the Gareth Malone programme about the Choir at Watford Hospital we all admitted that there wasn't a dry eye to be had in our household.  We blamed the woodsmoke but we all knew better.  The Vicar of Dibley elevated the mood and we finished with Call the Midwife.

A successful day all round and although exhausted I could go to bed happy in the knowledge that I had done my very best and that is all anyone can ask.