Something lovely happened this morning.
An unexpected delivery turned out to be a beautiful bottle of Cornish-made sparkling wine from Fortnum and Mason.
It was a present from a friend who comes from Cornwall who thought we ought to be encouraged to re-examine our long-standing relationship with French alcohol.
We were absolutely overwhelmed with the niceness of this, and put the card on the dresser so that everybody who visits us will be able to see that we have got friends who are so sophisticated they can buy things at Fortnum and Mason. Our friend suggested that we drank the wine at New Year but of course we will be working so it will have to wait.
After that the day was a long haul of bringing in logs and doing washing and getting things ready for being at work again after weeks and weeks of seasonally inspired decadence. Mark cleaned the taxis out and washed them, and I cooked and cleaned and put clean sheets on the children’s beds.
It was good to feel everything being smoothed out in readiness for work. We had a consolatory pot of tea in the middle of it, and thought that we had had a lovely time over Christmas, and had done happy things to the point where we didn’t in the least mind going back to work.
It is a bit sad, because it is so nice to spend evenings with the children, and I love to do things like watch films and eat at home, but mostly it is all right to be at the end of such a lovely time.
We have had more good times than I can count, and I have got some new books and soap and slippers. There is chocolate in the cupboard and wine in the dresser and logs stacked high in the hearth around the stove.
This is a good thing, because we have just had something of a financial setback which is going to mean we have got to stay on the taxi rank during all of January, even on nights when we will only manage to do a job or two. Mark says this is my own fault for continuing to believe in fairies, and I suppose he is right, so we have got everything crossed for some good weather over the next month, which will help with having tourists. Cold and clear with blue skies would be good. I will mention it to the Weather Gods.
The children slept most of the day and eventually emerged when Elspeth rang at lunchtime wanting to know if they would like to invite her children for a party tomorrow night.
We will be working and Elspeth is considering some alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour, which leaves three teenagers and one almost-teenager without prearranged entertainment. Elspeth, who is full of good ideas, thought that a party at our house might be the thing.
Actually I thought she was right, all our children are far too dull to do anything wicked, and indeed when the topic was broached to them they thought that the perfect activity would be to hire a film from Netflix and to eat pizza.
We are pleased about the whole thing because it means we don’t have to leave the children by themselves when the whole world has gone out to a party.
It is, after all, a new year and worth some celebration. All sorts of exciting things might lie ahead.
It is now, since it is after midnight, the very last day of 2016. I have spent it cleaning things, cooking and working.
I think some new adventures should happen next year.
I will let you know as soon as I have thought of some.
