Christmas at home

Christmas at Jackies brothers. LtoR: Brian, Pauline, Ron, Veronica, Charles, Jonathan, Lucy. Caroline and Jackie

And with that Christmas and the New Year are over. Christmas was a flurry of family, we went down to my brother, Lucy and Charles and Caroline on Christmas Day. Jonathan had collected mum, and Lucy’s parents on the 22nd when we went down to Bishampton, so there was a good crowd. After a lovely day we took mum home and returned to Cookie and Cracker who were very pleased to see us, but they would have been if we’d only been gone half an hour!

Very muddy Cracker and Cookie doglets on one of their walks

Boxing Day was at Steph and Sam’s so another family event with their kids, Rory and Ivy. Along with Denise and Paul and Nick and Jessica. Another delicious, huge, meal, followed by carol singing which I’m sure the neighbours loved. We made our escape before the buffet was served, to go and see our dogs, though we didn’t get away empty handed, we didn’t eat it that night!

Carol singing outside the Ounce public house in Bishampton on Christmas Eve

Our lovely home owners had been very generous and left us vouchers for both the Blue Lagoon, an Indian restaurant in Evesham, and the Regal Cinema which is one of those with sofas, and chairs and tables for food and drink, so that was another two meals I didn’t have to think about. Two thoroughly enjoyable trips out. The day in between Brian had a checkup at the QE with his skin specialist. I wasn’t going to go, until a chat with Abi took us to see her on the way back. Sooty, our bestest black cat had been at the vets since Boxing Day, but was going to come home until it was ‘time’! We had to take the opportunity to say our farewell to her and give Abi the biggest of hugs. So glad we did as ‘time’ was sooner than expected and she was put to sleep the following afternoon. RIP Soots xx

Keith and Donna, Cookie and Crackers 'mum and dad' all dolled up on their holiday, while we look after C&C

Dr. Shah had decided she wanted a biopsy of a ‘thing’ on Brian’s arm, we couldn’t see this happening until the New Year so he was most surprised when he got a call on Thursday morning, as we were having coffee and scones with Angela, Donna and Keith’s friend who had very kindly invited us round. They would have liked him in that afternoon, but we were booked at the cinema, “tomorrow morning?” He didn’t feel he could turn them down again so while I was walking the dogs and starting on our final preparations for leaving, he was dashing back up to Birmingham. We carefully timed it so he would be back about the same time as I was back with the dogs, as bathing had been required every day as every dog walk had involved mud. There was no way to avoid it, if we wanted to let them off the lead, which we did as watching them dash about is a joy, they were going to be muddy. Bathing now involves the kitchen sink as the outside tap fell off in the cold weather, so although they are very good it’s still easier with two!

My mince pies baked and ready for the mince pie competition on Boxing Day

We waited till D&K’s plane had taken off before leaving, back to mums. And here we are. It’s been quite restrained, the ‘last curry of the year’ and the planned NYE party having both been cancelled because Helen had Covid. Yesterday we mostly booked a cruise from Southampton and back, into the Med, with mum in January. I say mostly as just before paying, the line went dead and I couldn’t get through as they were then shut till the 3rd of January, so fingers crossed we will be able to complete the booking! Today we ambled up to the Crown to watch the Morris Dancing and the Mummers play, a long-standing Alvechurch tradition. Tonight we’ll be back there as we are meeting John for a pint or two. It’s Sunday club, so usually boys only, but I’ve asked, and am allowed to go. I might regret it, we shall see!

Carol singing on Boxing Day at Steph and Sams. LtoR: Jackie, Nick, Jessica, Denise, Paul, Rory and Ivy

Sams in charge of the music, Steph alongside

The mince pie competition is on. On the left, samples of each (entries by Brian, Rory and Ivy, Denise and Nick and Jessica) are cut up ready for blind tasting, a sample of each entry displayed for marks for appearance. It's very serious, this!

Ivy and Rory marking the appearance section. Mine's 'C' top left in this photo

Final marks displayed on an Excel spreadsheet and displayed on the TV by Sam (can't beat a good spreadsheet!). Rory and Ivy won the appearance, I came second. For taste, I came joint first with Nick and Jessica. Adding the scores, Rory and Ivy came first, I came second with Nick and Jessica one point behind. Regrettably Denise, my sister came last which will give her a complex. It has to be said that the taste section was incredibly tight, they all tasted delicious so, don't have a complex sis, they were all fabulous. Didn't we all do well!

Ivy and Rory (the Aston Villa FC kit was a present from Nick and Jessica and Rory was soooo excited) get their first prize - a chocolate santa

Brian and Nick receive runner up prizes

I took this photo of Pauline, Jackies mum on Christmas Day, isn't it fabulous! What do you think of it so far, Pauline? 'Rubbish'

And what do you think Cookie? 'I'm going casual'

Who's a pretty boy then Cracker?

Morris dancing on New Years Day in Alvechurch. A peculiarly British tradition, they are a very active group in Alvechurch and surroundings, both in terms of energy and numbers. Light hearted, friendly, energetic, fun to watch - and eccentric! How great it is to be British!   

It was followed by a short play which included a review of the year with no holds barred

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Travelling home for Christmas

We arrived with Dan and Eileen in good time, I had a good stress relieving snuggle with their cats while Brian and Dan took the car back to Fred’s. Eileen took us all into Albuquerque Old Town to one of their favourite Mexican restaurants (Church Street Cafe) which we all thoroughly enjoyed. It was a lovely afternoon and we are really very grateful that they took us in.

Church Street Caffe, the Mexican restaurant we visited with Dan and Eileen in Old Town Albuquerque. No photos of Dan and Eileen unfortunately, we were all so engrossed in conversation I forgot to take a photo!

I was keeping an eye on the flights, Sunday’s worked perfectly, so fingers crossed for Monday. Sadly at breakfast Brian got an email saying that our flight from Albuquerque to Austin, Texas was delayed, it might still work, but we would not have a lot of leeway to connect with our flight back to the UK! We rang American Airlines that all the flights had been booked with, even though our Austin to Heathrow flight was with BA. Took ages to get through, finally did, she went to check if she could do anything with the BA flight, and never came back. We’ll go to the airport, if we are standing in front of them they can’t vanish! No desk at the airport, just the check in queue. Join that then. We got to the front, she went ‘tappy, tappy, tappy’ and said, you are going via Dallas. I hadn’t wanted to go via Dallas as it’s a huge airport, but ok, if that’s what you say. Except the connection time is about the same as via Austin, assuming it doesn’t get any later! I’ll put you on standby for the earlier flight, then. That’s one first, never been on standby. It’s weird watching people board, not knowing if you can join them. We were first in the queue, but just in case someone more worthy showed up we really had to wait till the last second. They didn’t, so we were allowed on. Not sitting together but for an hour and a quarter, that’s fine.

Taking Cookie and Cracker for our first morning walk after starting our eight day housesit for them in Bishampton, near Evesham, Worcestershire, back in the UK. After forgetting to take a photo of Don and Eileen in Albuquerque as we were too engrossed in conversation, I also forgot to take a photo of Donna and Keith at the Ounce Restaurant in the village for the same reason. I must do better!

Leg one, tick, and our luggage was in Dallas, so I was told, hurrah. Sit and chill then till the Heathrow flight. We were all called forward in dribs and drabs for ‘security checks ‘, but that’s fine. Hmm, we seem to be passed boarding time, wonder what’s going on? With that, an announcement was made, by the captain, no less, “the plane is fine, the crew is fine, but BA has a problem and can’t issue flight plans. No flight plan, no flight. No idea when/if they can get it fixed!” That’s not what anyone wants to hear. An hour later, another announcement “we still know nothing, but I’ll get you all issued with refreshment vouchers”. An hour and a half after that “I’ve given them till 23.30. If we have no movement by then we’ll have to wait till the morning “ 500 people sitting around looking miserable, though all impressed by the captain. About 23.15 there was a cheer and we were moving onto the plane. We took slightly longer than expected to actually depart as 7 people had not boarded, and were nowhere to be found, so their luggage had to be found and taken off, but finally, 5 hours late, we were off.

Welcome to an English winter on the shortest day of the year. Cookie in the foreground and Cracker behind trotting along in the drizzle/light rain along a muddy track. It's around 8 C (46 F), gets light around 9:00/9:30am, dark around 4:00pm and the days start misty and continue dull, where headlights are on when driving during the day and the fallen leaves and twigs clog your shoes. Warm, cozy pubs with roaring log fires, real ale and proper British hospitality, along with friends and family nearby give a lovely, homely familiarity that's hard to beat. I wonder how long that feeling will last before the cold and dark get the better of us!

Just the coach to Birmingham to worry about now then. Even with a ‘fully flexible’ ticket, you have to say you won’t be on your booked bus before it is due to depart. You can’t do this online and it’s the middle of the night in the UK. Brian sent lots of messages into the ether, not expecting or getting a response, but what else could we do? As it turns out they were actually very helpful, once we arrived and rang. We got one bus from terminal 5 to Central, and watched as a Birmingham bus pulled out, apologising that he couldn’t stop! The one an hour later however was direct and might actually have got us in before the earlier one! Into Digbeth Coach Station just before 20.00 and into an Uber to mums! Don’t we all just love a 30hour travel day?!

This takes some beating! Relax and stroke dogs

Wednesday we didn’t really know which way was up, but managed a little bit of shopping and got our flu jabs. Thursday unpacking and repacking and head to Bishampton to sit for Cookie and Cracker, two lovely dogs that we sat for in May. We arrived about 16.30 and went to the pub with Donna and Keith. Lovely time, and a great Chateaubriand. We were early as they were off at ‘silly o clock’ and had yet to pack. Suited us. Brian managed a good nights sleep, but I am still waking at 02.30 as my brain thinks that’s 07.00 so waking up time! Into Redditch to the opticians, due for eyetests, anyway but Brian’s glasses that he glued while on the Housesit in San Luis Obispo, hadn’t survived, so he needs new glasses, the sooner the better. Tomorrow? Nothing except dog walking. Hurrah!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!