Flying solo

Sun_Addict

Hope you're having a good day Robin xx

lubava

Merry Christmas Robin!!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Merry Christmas Robin Xx

*Robin*

Hello Diary and Dear MSEers, :hello:

Thank you everyone for your Christmas wishes. :T

At last, a quiet moment in which to catch up on here!
Our Christmas Day went very well: Nobody got embarrassingly drunk, started pointless arguments, or stumbled off the edge of a cliff.
DSD2 decided to cook lunch in what I call Divo Three's Extravagance - a commercial-sized, traditional wood-fired pizza oven which he built himself, a couple of years ago.
This did present a few challenges, not least that none of the chefs had used it before.. Divo Four fired it up on Christmas Eve, and by midday we were getting the hang of it. The size of the thing is impressive - no problem coping with seven large roasting trays at the same time! We couldn't find DS3's tools for loading up the oven, which meant it was quite exciting extracting a dish or moving them round so everything cooked evenly - the excitement was in avoiding getting wood-ash on the food or burnt fingers! :rotfl:

Divo One vanished just as we were ready to serve up, but he returned before anyone got grumpy - with half a dozen people he'd found sitting out the day in a bar.. Typical DS1!
It was a good move, because of course we'd cooked far too much food for the original party. Great-Grandma's Wedgwood dinner plates had to be pressed into service in order to avoid guests eating in shifts - was a bit nervous about that as the set is a family treasure - it was a huge relief nothing got broken.
Luckily the weather was just about! warm enough to enjoy our feast outside. There was plenty of choice for all dietary variants, and enough of everything to satiate twenty people easily.

Clever Dog managed very well, although we had to stop the neighbour's bully tom-cat slashing her face as she wandered past him. But all the people, and the changes Divo Three has made since CD lived at the Old House were obviously a strain on her, so we said our farewells just after dark. Fortunately she was on the lead, because CD was very keen to get back to the van and would have missed her step on the steep path, if she'd not been restrained.

In all the merriment, there was a small discord which I didn't understand until later: Nobody mentioned DH.
The world has moved on, without him. This makes me unbearably sad..

Back at the Nest, the wind's getting up. Divos One and Four have gone off to climb a mountain; if they reach the top they can wave at Divo Three in Africa. He regretted being away from family at Christmas, and wasn't impressed with the meal put on at the local 5* Westerners' hotel (arranged by DS3's employer).
Haven't heard much from Divo Two. He's spending the holiday with GF's family, until DGD arrives for her New Year visit.

Spends:
Firewood - £25
Xmas grocery shopping - £60
Last minute gifts - £20

Sun_Addict

Sounds like it was a good day Robin but very sad with regards to no one mentioning DH. It just shows you how life carries on and it's a scary thought. I'm sure he must have been in your family's thoughts though.

We've got snow here, arrived on Boxing Day. Beautiful blue skies and sunshine but the pavements are compacted ice and very slippy.

missrlr

Oh Robin that sounds like a lovely day.
I can understand why you were a little hurt about the lack of mention. We always do an "absent friends" toast not just for those not physically present but also those not in our plane.
Rather than life for all having "moved on" (and the implication of forgotten) perhaps the assembled crowd simply didn't wish to remind you of the sadness of loss if it appeared you were "doing well" at this time of year?
It is a sad fact that tears of memories can be happy or more usually bittersweet for the crying person but still dreadfully upsetting for those who see the tears. I think with age and experience we can learn to accept and embrace this concept but for those in youthfulness of life death can be very frightening in all it's forms and manifestations and sorrow of a loved one impossible to reconcile and accept.
I raise a glass (cup of tea actually at this time of the morning) to both you and DH. To our absent friends my dear.
And Doglet raises a paw to CD, well sort of, he is none too clever at present spent the day in the vets having been properly poorly but seems better if not back to his usual self now.

chevalier

don't worry about missing my post, i only knew that you would have a good advice for me. But you had aa lot on so cfest LA vie.

Sorry that CD has lost her other eye glad that she is coping fairly well.

Bubblesmum

Hello

I love you had do many for dinner ... It was just 3 of us, Dad, Hubbie and I missing my Mum..... This is our 15th Christmas without her.

Misrir and Sunaddict have wise words I know Dad and I are thinking of her Even if we don't talk aloud

Wishing you all the best for 2015

missrlr

Happy New Year *Robin* hope 2015 is kind to you xx

mcculloch29

Happy New Year Robin. I can feel your sadness that nobody mentioned DH.
I know from personal experience that it can be hard to find the right moment sometimes to bring the conversation around to those gone before.
I have a friend who is very open / up and down with his emotions following a severe head injury many, many years ago.
I have seen him kill a happy atmosphere at a gathering more than once by referring to deaths and losses within his family at length. It's difficult to empathise as these are people largely unknown to us, as he was brought up outside the area. My stock response is that '(They) wouldn't want to see you so unhappy, do try and remember some good times so you can remember them with a smile.' Not the same sort of problem as yours though, I acknowledge.
I hope people did have some happy thoughts of DH, even if they weren't mentioned out loud.