You know it’s all over when…

We play a word game along the lines of “You know it’s all over when…” While I was working, Christmas was all over when I went back to work, which would have been the day after Boxing Day (having packed up early on the afternoon of Christmas Eve). Having given up work (or on those years when I got the lucky ticket and could take time off around the big day), Christmas was all over when we considered what we wanted to drink and came up with a mug of tea instead of dipping into the ocean of alcohol. Tonight, he had his preferred Boxing Day meal of cold turkey and ham with mashed potato and pickles – being vegetarian, I had the green and red salad above (that’s half of it… I was halfway down before it occurred to me to take a photo).

We have kept up our tradition of a game of Scrabble after a meal, and it’s currently one game all with some new words appearing (‘nazes’ was my favourite, and the definition wasn’t what I guessed it to be – ‘oe’ is one I have never heard before, but am very grateful it exists).

As soon as it stops raining, we need to clear the gutters, ready for the next downpour, and the cat is snuffling and looking sorry for herself, so the vet is on the list. Christmas 2021 is going down in memory. New Year still looms, and Twelfth Night with the wassail of our lazy cider apple trees – plus the gift I had from La Befana, courtesy of a friend (thank you!). And a week or ten days after Twelfth Night… I will set up the propagators, plant some chili and sweet pepper seeds and the 2022 growing year will be under way.

The trick is to always have something to look forward to, and whatever 2022 brings, I think we have plenty in store to enjoy.