Sunday, December 26

 

Boxing Day and the sun is shining!  Marilyn and I are off to see the new, Steven Spielberg version of West Side Story this afternoon; we hope it’s as good as the original.

 

Christmas Day went off without a hitch. We were looking after Archie because Jamie and Nera were having a party on Christmas Eve and it’s better for him if he’s not there.  I took him for a walk quite early on Christmas morning and was surprised at how quiet the streets were.

 

There were no kids on bikes riding around the streets in their pyjamas, no impromptu cricket matches on front lawns and not even the sounds from open windows of happy children opening presents.  I tend to see the image of kids riding bikes around the streets in their pyjamas as a metaphor for Christmas Day but that probably just confirms my status as an old fuddy-duddy living in the past.

 

I saw only one other human being: a man getting into his car.  I thought he lloked a bit furtive but that's probably just my imagination.  Had he been up to no good?  We muttered Merry Christmas at each other and continued on our respective ways.  Even the usual dogs which bark at Archie on this walk were safely locked up.

 

Marilyn had baked a piece of ham so our breakfast was hot ham on croissants – wonderful.  Prawns and pasta salad was a perfect Christmas Dinner for the weather.  We had planned to watch Love Actually in the afternoon but became engrossed in our respective books until Jamie and Nera arrived with presents, and to pick up Archie.  They had brought a present for Archie: a Doggy Christmas Stocking filled with doggy games.  Archie was like an excited child watching each item spilled on to the floor, grabbing each one in turn and giving it a chew.  He quickly identified a favourite - a piece of green knotted rope - and took it to his bed for a good gnaw.

After they had gone home our evening was spent watching the Royal Command Performance which has become something of a tradition in our house.

 

No doubt we could have found more to do but sometimes less is more and in these Covid times, we are glad that we can enjoy each day as we do.