The kitchen is bathed in bright, dazzling sunlight. So much so I’ve moved into the living room to drink my tea. Upstairs the bagpipes have started up. I must say this has brought a smile to my face. Tom, the owner of this new set, is clearly up and now the others will soon follow.
Today is Tom’s birthday and I guess he can get away with it, for the moment 🙂What is clear to me is that the bagpipes are not an instrument you can just pick up and play intuitively. Some lessons are going to be required. Currently we are at the drone stage. No tune yet.
We do have a plan for the day ahead. Well actually no we don’t. Some years we set off for my sister Ann’s in Holt which is a four hour trek and therefore quite disruptive on Tom’s birthday. We like visiting the fam obvs but this year the lad gets to chill out and has a day of football watching in store. That’s soccer for the colonials amongst us.
The house is remarkably tidy. This is down to the endeavours of THG whilst the rest of us slumbered in front of the fire. On the coffee table the lid on the customary large tin of Quality Street sits loosely on top obscuring the fact that there won’t be many chocs left. Next to it are two large Monty Don gardening books. THG has already made inroads into their contents.
The bagpipes have done their work and all the occupants of the bedrooms are now in the kitchen. The smell of bacon accompanies the sound of sizzling and the occasional refrain of Christmas carol lingers.
Christmas climaxed yesterday. Over for another eleven months before the build up starts again. Boxing Day onwards is all about surviving the remainder of the holidays before the self imposed austerity of January kicks in.
I don’t really like the months of January and February and can see why those who can move to sunnier climes for the period. There is a BA sale on. I clicked on an ad for a holiday in the Caribbean but the term sale proved to be relative. A cursory glance showed a saving of £250 on an £8,500 holiday to Trinidad and Tobago with business class flights. Didn’t bother looking up First but don’t think they fly that class of cabin to da Caribbean, mon.
Anyway I am already off to the Southern Hemisphere in January. It is summer down there. Good job I haven’t packed away my summer clothes. I say “down there” but there is no real reason why the Northern Hemisphere should be depicted on the top half of the globe. It is fairly arbitrary.
In the meantime my biggest decision of the day is what to eat for dinner. The choice is left over lamb balti or leftover beef and turkey in a fajita. Having just consumed some toast and marmalade prior to moving into the living room I don’t feel inclined to think about food right now. The decision is being deferred.