Christmas 2014

My photo record of Christmas this year starts and ends with Winnie, our ancient and increasingly decrepit pug.  She is a constant in our days, following me around the house on her arthritic legs, weeing on the carpets, whining for food and providing the soundtrack to our days with her chronic snoring. Poor old thing, we'll miss her when she's gone. 

Apart from a few photos of the present opening most of the photos are of the food - a very non-traditional selection of gnocchi, paella and salads as well as turkey and ham. I toasted nuts in my new frypan ( a gift to myself) and made gravy in my new saucepan ( a gift from

Craig). We had 24 for lunch and were grateful that the weather was perfect for eating outdoors as we wouldn't have fit in the dining room.  My lovely mother did nearly all the washing up, the kids had water fights and played badminton, my eldest sister and I sang carols - she's a wonderful musician. The kids joined in sporadically but weren't much interested which was fine. I always felt awkward when the adults sang carols when I was a kid too, 

At the end of the day we spontaneously decided to go over to my eldest sister's house for a swim and a bite to eat. I think we all wanted to prolong the day a bit. Tomorrow the Perth cousins arrive and my girls are so excited. It is so lovely seeing the cousins together, forming their own connections and bonds. 

I had an interesting chat with my brother in law about his own family history and his sole surviving relative on his father's side. That story, that history will one day be lost.  Our family changes too. What seemed so important fades away. We've made our new traditions and our children will make theirs - keeping what they like, discarding the rest. Really we have only now.