We usher in another new year

I'm feeling a little doomy this morning but that may be a combination of the tenacious hangover and having spent an hour washing up and not even got half way through the party detritus. The perceptive may have noticed that it is the 2nd today and traditionally the New Year's Eve party is held on the 31st. Yes, well, we sat in among the debris all yesterday, browsing on the leftovers and very slowly moving the empties out into the recycling bin. It was a jolly fine party.


So, to backtrack slightly, Christmas caught me all unawares. Yes, I know it turns up every year but this year a combination of heavy work load, heavy snow and my traditional shopping weekend spent in London meant that I was shocked to arrive at Christmas day almost totally unprepared. I'd knitted a rather nice sweater for Jack that he accepted with good grace and provided him and Sally with a set of silk long johns and a vest. Sally, used to living in the cold, was pleased. Jack, Tucked up in overheated university accommodation, tactfully hid his conjectures about my madness. I got some rather splendid work clothes, four excellent books and some stickers to pimp my wheelie bins; fine gifts.


We drove to Leeds where my sister had cooked a wonderful meal and a chocolate birthday cake for Jack's 21st. I am very sorry to have lumbered the poor guy with a Christmas Day birthday which means he always ends up sharing his celebrations. He seems fairly resigned to it now and realises it could have been worse; I could have named him Noel. And at least he gets to have a special Doctor Who every birthday. This year's special was silly but rather lovely. What a very robust meme the Christmas Carol has turned out to be. And I loved the little fishes of the atmosphere.


So anyway, we've had over a week of holiday now and I've achieved very little. I'd thought that having a small party on New Year's Eve would encourage me to clean and tidy the house but we made the mistake of going to FFW (Food & Fine Wine) for lunch on Friday instead to cleaning the kitchen floor. I did spend the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen making soup (spiced butternut squash without onions), a range of dips (pesto, hummus, fresh herb dip - all very garlicky- and pink grapefruit and cream cheese which was both easy and yummy), a a big tray of cheesejacks. Julia and Dougs arrived with five baking trays of filo pastry delicacies and a huge bowl of chocolate mousse and Fran brought  a plate of spiced beef and marmalade ham together with flavoured vodkas and a rather nice jar of chutney. And then there was the wine. We ate and drank, drank and ate and still there was loads left. The most important thing though, was that we had a lovely fannish new year with Julia & Dougs, and Fran & John from Sheffield and Laura & Paul imported from Birmingham to provide the proper party embellishment (Laura only goes to the best parties). 


So now I think I've indulged myself enough and I'd better think about the next shift in the kitchen of doom.