Back from Up North after a long drive with many slow downs, hold ups, and speed restrictions, it took nearly nine hours. Tiger and I whiled away the time with quizzes word games and listening to Beatles CDs, joining in with the well known bits. Luckily we did not encounter any floods. There was some snow on Christmas day in Allendale, but otherwise it was wet, wet, wet.
Most of us stayed in the Bunkhouse and sister J and I slept in bottom bunks, but fortunately there was no one on top. Twenty of us sat down to Christmas lunch which was delicious, all wonderfully cooked by granddaughter F and husband R. The baby does not like being put down, so his parents stirred and chopped whilst holding him under one arm (he did not like being held by willing aunts and uncles and grannies to take over baby pacifying). The other three little Darlings aged nearly six, four and three behaved beautifully. So we had a good range of ages from nine months to eighty five (me) and also Bradley Wiggins and grand daughter M`s cat. It was a really good get together and I enjoyed it all.
I have become suddenly totally deaf in my left ear and not too good in the right either, so I have been hard put to it with lip reading and guessing what was said, often getting it completely wrong much to everyone`s hilarity. I have made appointments at Drs and hearing aid place. Now I am home I can have the telly and radio on full blast which helps, but perhaps I am going to be like Beethoven and just have to get on with it. My cello playing has been dodgy for some time so maybe I will have to hang up my bow for good.
Bradley Wiggins had a nice time being taken for rigorous walks over the moors with daughter J and others but he was glad to be home to his familiar walks and his cosy basket. His namesake was on the radio being the guest editor on the Today programme and he pricked up his ears every time his name was mentioned..
I have been given a good pile of new reading matter and also a supply of bubble bath stuff to keep me going in the New Year. That is all I need really.