Stephen's Day calm before the storm
The Big Relaxo! How nice now that the hysteria and anxiety of Christmas is essentially over and the tears of frustration and disappointment have been dried, the washing up is finally done (by me) and I can sit back to enjoy a few weeks of holiday. This is the only real break we have in the academic year, so some serious reading must be done, but I have ensured that the stack of books that I want to read are enjoyable, so it need not be too arduous.
Yesterday went off reasonably, that is not perfectly - how could it ever be? General disappointment at the lack of presents, even though debts forgiven represent quite a bit of money, it isn't the same as boxed sets of expensive smelly stuff or large books from Amazon or electronic gadgetryor --- any of the other things I have been rather bitterly reminded that I could have bought. I did comparatively well, getting Valentino scent and a Bonsai banyan, which will be lucky to survive our central heating. And a non-academic book on Celtic Art...
At least food was on the table, reasonably on time (5pm, because daughter between shifts at the Nursing Home), organic lamb for us, beef burritos for son (don't ask).
This morning, daughter describes the Christmas feast leftovers that an Eastern European employee brought in for them - crab, salami, fishballs and pickles. She loves that kind of thing and must inherit the taste from my Russian-Polish origins, along with her Russian name.
The French eat oysters and other seafood for Christmas, we eat smoked salmon here, but Christmas turkey is not eaten on the Continent as far as I know (or in our house, ever).
Ireland is getting more multi-cultural, though and the taste in food is gradually changing. I wonder if oysters will ever become a Christmas staple here?
I just cut a yellow rose in full flower from the garden, to bring inside.
It isn't Boxing Day here, it's St Stephen's Day, but that doesn't make much difference. The few days respite before the drink-fuelled craziness of New Year's, which I find genuinely scary, and the further alcoholic menace of a 21st birthday (offspring), for which I am ill-prepared, are most welcome and I am determined to wring some enjoyment out of them.
Yesterday went off reasonably, that is not perfectly - how could it ever be? General disappointment at the lack of presents, even though debts forgiven represent quite a bit of money, it isn't the same as boxed sets of expensive smelly stuff or large books from Amazon or electronic gadgetryor --- any of the other things I have been rather bitterly reminded that I could have bought. I did comparatively well, getting Valentino scent and a Bonsai banyan, which will be lucky to survive our central heating. And a non-academic book on Celtic Art...
At least food was on the table, reasonably on time (5pm, because daughter between shifts at the Nursing Home), organic lamb for us, beef burritos for son (don't ask).
This morning, daughter describes the Christmas feast leftovers that an Eastern European employee brought in for them - crab, salami, fishballs and pickles. She loves that kind of thing and must inherit the taste from my Russian-Polish origins, along with her Russian name.
The French eat oysters and other seafood for Christmas, we eat smoked salmon here, but Christmas turkey is not eaten on the Continent as far as I know (or in our house, ever).
Ireland is getting more multi-cultural, though and the taste in food is gradually changing. I wonder if oysters will ever become a Christmas staple here?
I just cut a yellow rose in full flower from the garden, to bring inside.
It isn't Boxing Day here, it's St Stephen's Day, but that doesn't make much difference. The few days respite before the drink-fuelled craziness of New Year's, which I find genuinely scary, and the further alcoholic menace of a 21st birthday (offspring), for which I am ill-prepared, are most welcome and I am determined to wring some enjoyment out of them.
posted by ruth @ 2:50 AM
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