It is possible, day by day, to write about what’s going on. It’s very hard, on the other hand, to pick anything out of such a week. We had a good time. I am very, very tired. Everybody has now gone on to Strathardle except me and my husband -- 14 of them. I think we have discovered the secret of how to entertain a house party.


This is our Christmas tree, from Poundland (since the pot-grown Norway spruce I had ordered was 50 miles north):


This was Christmas dinner, early stage, when we are all handing each other bread sauce, cranberry sauce, gravy and wine:


This is James in the Traveller scarf:



And his daughter Rachel, in the Japanese hat:



I also heard that Matt was delighted with his socks.

Rachel and her family appeared on Boxing Day. Here we are having supper:



And here are the Grandsons, on the morning of the 27th:


The Grandson Sweater is looking slightly used, I was glad to note. Joe said he has posted a picture of himself wearing it on Facebook, and someone wrote to him to ask where he got it. There’s glory for you.