" The Unhurried List: Twelve Good Things About This Christmas"
So! Here is the Unhurried Post. Here are my 12 Good Things About This Christmas.
I've jotted down stuff that's happened over the whole period and I've cheated a bit by squashing 2 ( sometimes 3) into one. I've probably forgotten stuff too.....BUT here goes!
And a la StrictlyComeDancing, they're in no particular order, although no 1 IS no 1..
.
1. Christmas Day at the homes of my "children" and us being hugely spoilt much to our huge appreciation. The sight/sounds of said " children" weaving new customs amongst the old. Quite moving, actually.
2. Grandson's delight ( and my son's delight in his own son) He's 2 and his use of language is superb, eg. : " Grandpa, would you mind doing me a favour??" and then some longwinded request..
3. A day in lovely Ludlow with my brother/sisterinlaw. Wet and windy, but The Feathers provided excellent fish/chips and Ludlow shops are quite something. We shall return.
4. My city early Christmas Eve, when I dashed to M+S, when the city was calm and clean and empty ( showing her cheekbones) and promising her ageless delights; she was her beautiful best. Coffee in the Grosvenor Brasserie, relaxing in a comfy leather chair as people scurried by outside.
5.Twixt Christmas and NY, a very sane chat with a close friend that I think brought us even closer.
6. Impromptu ( and very unsane!) Charades in the colourful home of very old friends. Looking at old photographs with them all, pictures of our younger prettier selves. Laughter that made your belly ache. Good for the soul, although felt a bit stiff next day and the head a bit woooollly...
7. Being treated to a Christmassy lunch by one of my writing groups. Having time to know them better. And liking them all (their contrasts, their kindnesses, their talents) enormously.( www.theoldhallhotel.net/ )
8. A Coffee Morning at a lady called Annie's, which ran well into the afternoon and included champagne and strawberries and lots of talk and laughter as well as the mandatory coffees.
9. Listening to a remarkable lady called Jenny Newman; she's a novelist and Reader in Creative Writing at L'pool JMU. One of her books, "Going In" tells of her time as a teenage nun in a convent. Dr Newman is a vivacious honest person; she delighted 40 Friends of Chester Literature Festival ( see www.chesterliteraturefestival.org.uk/ for "how to be a Friend" ) with her tales, thoughts, anecdotes. And believe me, the eyes of several ex Convent educated women were SERIOUSLY wide with recognition....
10. Another scrumptious lunch: Sheldrakes, Heswall, on the Wirral peninsula. Wonderful setting by the water in a lovely laidback place. Boats bobbing, seabirds swooping, the Welsh hills brooding across the estuary..( http://www.sheldrakesrestaurant.co.uk/ )
AND I mustn't forget another Christmas meal: Francs Restaurant ( http://www.francs.co.uk/ ) with L'pool writer Gladys Mary Coles ( see post Oct 31st) ) and novelist Clare Dudman, she of the wonderful blog http://keeperofthesnails.blogspot.com/
11. A W.I gig in a village hall where 6 of us read our Christmassy stories etc. Friendly faces, interested women, and certainly not forgetting a rather good supper....Our group, ( now 8 yrs old; I started it January 2000) consists of a band of very different women, but all are intrigued by writing and wonderfully, this group works a treat...( post June 16th)
12. Our 1st New Years Eve "in" for donkey's yrs.
And we watched " Girl with a pearl earring" ( C Firth: long hair, hooded lids, slow smiles, so let's Say No More) followed by Jules Holland ( filmed 2 wks ago!) but McCartney/Kylie duetted and there was an intro f0r us to Kate Nash ( great) and brilliant Mika....
In the past, we've done NY dinners, pub crawls, CAMRA parties ( can't forget those) and we've hosted the most memorable of street parties....BUT this yr, the grandson stayed and at midnight ( instead of cavorting ) we stroked his cheeks as he slept and we wished him and our quiet selves the Very Best of Times...
I've jotted down stuff that's happened over the whole period and I've cheated a bit by squashing 2 ( sometimes 3) into one. I've probably forgotten stuff too.....BUT here goes!
And a la StrictlyComeDancing, they're in no particular order, although no 1 IS no 1..
.
1. Christmas Day at the homes of my "children" and us being hugely spoilt much to our huge appreciation. The sight/sounds of said " children" weaving new customs amongst the old. Quite moving, actually.
2. Grandson's delight ( and my son's delight in his own son) He's 2 and his use of language is superb, eg. : " Grandpa, would you mind doing me a favour??" and then some longwinded request..
3. A day in lovely Ludlow with my brother/sisterinlaw. Wet and windy, but The Feathers provided excellent fish/chips and Ludlow shops are quite something. We shall return.
4. My city early Christmas Eve, when I dashed to M+S, when the city was calm and clean and empty ( showing her cheekbones) and promising her ageless delights; she was her beautiful best. Coffee in the Grosvenor Brasserie, relaxing in a comfy leather chair as people scurried by outside.
5.Twixt Christmas and NY, a very sane chat with a close friend that I think brought us even closer.
6. Impromptu ( and very unsane!) Charades in the colourful home of very old friends. Looking at old photographs with them all, pictures of our younger prettier selves. Laughter that made your belly ache. Good for the soul, although felt a bit stiff next day and the head a bit woooollly...
7. Being treated to a Christmassy lunch by one of my writing groups. Having time to know them better. And liking them all (their contrasts, their kindnesses, their talents) enormously.( www.theoldhallhotel.net/ )
8. A Coffee Morning at a lady called Annie's, which ran well into the afternoon and included champagne and strawberries and lots of talk and laughter as well as the mandatory coffees.
9. Listening to a remarkable lady called Jenny Newman; she's a novelist and Reader in Creative Writing at L'pool JMU. One of her books, "Going In" tells of her time as a teenage nun in a convent. Dr Newman is a vivacious honest person; she delighted 40 Friends of Chester Literature Festival ( see www.chesterliteraturefestival.org.uk/ for "how to be a Friend" ) with her tales, thoughts, anecdotes. And believe me, the eyes of several ex Convent educated women were SERIOUSLY wide with recognition....
10. Another scrumptious lunch: Sheldrakes, Heswall, on the Wirral peninsula. Wonderful setting by the water in a lovely laidback place. Boats bobbing, seabirds swooping, the Welsh hills brooding across the estuary..( http://www.sheldrakesrestaurant.co.uk/ )
AND I mustn't forget another Christmas meal: Francs Restaurant ( http://www.francs.co.uk/ ) with L'pool writer Gladys Mary Coles ( see post Oct 31st) ) and novelist Clare Dudman, she of the wonderful blog http://keeperofthesnails.blogspot.com/
11. A W.I gig in a village hall where 6 of us read our Christmassy stories etc. Friendly faces, interested women, and certainly not forgetting a rather good supper....Our group, ( now 8 yrs old; I started it January 2000) consists of a band of very different women, but all are intrigued by writing and wonderfully, this group works a treat...( post June 16th)
12. Our 1st New Years Eve "in" for donkey's yrs.
And we watched " Girl with a pearl earring" ( C Firth: long hair, hooded lids, slow smiles, so let's Say No More) followed by Jules Holland ( filmed 2 wks ago!) but McCartney/Kylie duetted and there was an intro f0r us to Kate Nash ( great) and brilliant Mika....
In the past, we've done NY dinners, pub crawls, CAMRA parties ( can't forget those) and we've hosted the most memorable of street parties....BUT this yr, the grandson stayed and at midnight ( instead of cavorting ) we stroked his cheeks as he slept and we wished him and our quiet selves the Very Best of Times...
posted by Jan at 8:31 am
4 Comments:
Lovely list, although I feel tired just reading it all! You've got great stamina Jan.
I like the picture you paint of your grandson asleep, that's a memory to treasure.
I gave the wee boy next door a present, he's 4, and when I took it round I asked when he planned to get up on Christmas Day, he said, "I'm aiming for ten to seven." Which made his Mum laugh as that's about two hour later than he normally gets up, and I loved his adult use of langauge.
You've had a lovely Christmas season, Jan! Thank you for reminding me how pleasant it can be. I found it entirely too hectic this year; I'm always trying to outdo myself and it's exhausting. Next year I'll try to rediscover the joy I've always felt at Christmas.
What a good thing to do--it passes so quickly that the best things are hard to recall. I would have liked your Christmas...
Sounds lovely. Our little grandson is just a bit younger and also a delight. Still not really got my head round the idea of being a grandparent - what me? I can't be old enough. Great list and I am envious of your writing group.
My sister and i had a weekend in Ludlow just before Christmas - stunning food shops!
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