We are almost at the end of the festivities. Apart from New Years Eve, which is often just an early night and a loud film to block out the sound of the fireworks so the dogs don’t get too hysterical it is finished. And although normally I do love Christmas I am glad it is at an end. It has been so painful on so many different levels and there have been many occasions that my sons and I simply broke down. But there has been good stuff too.

My lovely boys both joined me for Christmas Eve, which was wonderful, we had a lovely few hours.

I am sorry I look so peaky, I was on the last day of antibiotics for a chest infection that I’d had for three weeks. I am very glad to tell you that they did the trick and I am feeling much better than I did. Unfortunately that and the rain had stopped me going up the allotment to collect my Christmas veg, but fortunately I managed to secure a cancellation from the Waitrose delivery service and was able to get everything delivered. Which is why we had this delicious looking bird.

Son no.1 and I spent hours pottering in the kitchen on Christmas Day, it was a lovely time and we eventually sat down to eat at about 5.00 pm. There were plenty of leftovers! Some of which have gone in the freezer and some of which will be made into a chicken and mushroom pie tomorrow, I know that non of it will be wasted.

Do you see the black pudding? An unusual addition to the Christmas table but one I adored. Son no.2 came home with a carrier bag full of black puddings he had made for us. I couldn’t believe it, two different versions. This one is his original and I am going to beg for the recipe, it has a sweet note to it and is delicious. The second versions have a curry flavour and I am very interested to try them. We have shared them and my half is stashed in my freezer for a rainy day! (we are having plenty of those!)

Once we had recovered we had some home made Christmas pudding fried in butter and flamed in Brandy with ice cream and cream! Oh the decadence.

The next day I basically didn’t eat until 8.00pm where I managed a few morsels of cheese and crackers before calling it a day and an early night.

Today my thoughts have drifted towards the start of the allotment year and I am glad of the soothing rhythm of the year, it grounds me when my thoughts are flying through the air, the smell of the earth as it changes during the year gently calms my anxious mind and I am grateful for it.