Well, thank goodness for kindly Fathers who babysit on their way to visiting chums in nearby towns, and for the Santa-tracker, which is keeping both children vaguely occupied, despite the undoubted drawback of having to be informed every two or three minutes exactly Where Santa Is.
In the hour that my Father was here I managed to get to the shops, and, without actually running, though it was close, purchase books, a gammon joint, some dishwasher salt and ground ginger. There were no red cabbages to be bought for love nor money, so I substituted a white one (why? it is the evil twin of the red variety) nor any double cream or puff pastry.
Which is why I sit here on Christmas Eve contemplating the fact that in a few minutes I will be trying to make my own flaky pastry. This is something I have not attempted since High School, and then it was a disaster, with turnings and rollings and then forgetting quite which way and ‘oh dear, I’ve dropped the butter’ and, inevitably, ending up with a grey mess of lumpen stuff.
Santa, incidentally, is in Tokyo.
I do not have the whole family over tomorrow, but I do on Boxing Day, in kind of dribs and drabs, because when I planned a sit-down meal I realised that the cottage is so small it really would be standing room only, and one cannot force that on one’s ex-husbands Mother. There would not be room to pass even a canape, and should that be attempted the kitten (Peppermint, professionally in the way) would probably jump on it in the manner of a demented surfer looking for the next wave.
So they are coming in dribs and drabs. And I am gamely going to continue with cooking a Turkey, regardless. They can nibble on bits of it or something. And I have made the spiced cranberry sauce, and the lemon and mint stuffing (mint from the garden). So there. And I have made the mincemeat, with all good things, including brandy. But I have the pastry yet to make.
I wonder where Sat-Nav Santa will be when I’ve finished?
(There will be pictures, at some point. I am determinted, or even determined to revivify this blog, Muse or no Muse, and now seemed as good a time as any to start).
