Calm!

I intended to post yesterday but somehow I was overtaken by events: cooking, giving and receiving gifts, eating, playing with new toys. A fairly typical Christmas Day, in fact. There was the usual amount of excitement, a minimal amount of squabbling and, on the whole, a good deal of Christmas cheer. 

Talking of Christmas cheer, while we were visiting offspring number one last weekend, we went out one evening to eat at what was described as a nice, quiet Indian restaurant. That may have been the case at other times but on the Friday before Christmas it was certainly not so. Nice, it certainly was, but quiet? Far from it! This was, of course, the season of office parties and work’s “dos”. To get to our table we had to go past a large group who were coming to the end of their meal. They had reached the stage where everyone was speaking at once and usually at top volume. Quite likely they had been out since early afternoon and were finishing off the evening, or at least taking a food break before going on elsewhere, at the place where we had chosen to eat. We even asked to move tables to be a little further away from the revellers but it didn’t make much difference. We were relieved to see them ask for their bill but then they just continued their loud conversation standing up for close on an hour. By the time they finally departed, we were ready to ask for our bill. However, the food WAS excellent and we will go back there at a quieter time of the year. 

None of that raucous behaviour occurred around our Christmas table, I am glad to say, but copious amounts of food were eaten and many crackers were pulled. 

And now I have to find inventive ways of serving some gourmet leftovers!!! I suppose you have to have something to occupy you through Boxing Day if you don’t want to dash off the sales! 

Today began bright and crisp and cold. I spotted ice on the mill pond as I ran past first thing. As I approached said mill pond I saw a man come out of his French windows and stand on his garden wall. Rather odd behaviour for a mature gentleman, I reflected, until it became clear he had a camera in hand. He held up the camera slowly moved himself through 180°. I thought he was videoing the scene but I could hear his camera going click, click, click at regular intervals. At the end of his semi-rotation he showed me the result: a panoramic photo of the scene. How wonderful! I must check the instructions for my digital camera but I’m pretty sure it won’t let me do that. The most I seem to do is switch it from photo to video by mistake! 

Later we went out for a long walk, hoping to catch some sunshine but by then the clouds had moved in somewhat. Still bright and crisp and cold but the sun was now coming through a thin layer of cloud. Clearly preparing for the promised returning storms tomorrow. 

I knew the calm was too good to last.