Christmas 2013
What a conundrum this year, my daughter has asked us to spend Christmas with her in London. Mr Hsg has always made a point saying he never wants to go to London, so what to do? The solution was that Mr Hsg would take me to London on Tuesday – Christmas Eve and return home, and would pick me up on Friday. That way he would not have the stress of being somewhere unfamiliar and could remain with the cats.
We got up, made tea and coffee, and opened our presents. C had knitted me a pair of slipper booties, they are brilliant! She also made chutney this year which has delighted me immensely. Such thought and effort that she put into my present. She made chocolate truffles for her boyfriend’s parents that looked divine in the box she had carefully chosen.
Her boyfriend went to his parents to have Christmas dinner, whilst C and I cooked dinner together enjoying catching up with chats that I miss so much.
We had been invited to join C’s boyfriend’s parents for drinks, as this is a serious relationship they naturally wanted to meet me. I admit I was very apprehensive as there would be several other people there and I struggle sometimes to chat normally with people I don’t know. The stress makes my loss of words worse unable to finish a sentence. “Don’t worry” C says to me, “everybody loses words when they talk, I think you make too much of it”. She has always found it hard to acknowledge any illnesses that I have had, and ignoring them to make them go away. I have to talk to her about it sometimes though so that she understands my behaviour.
We walked from her house to Greenwich Village to J’s parents house, I felt sick with apprehension and too much food! I realised that at home my plate is small but our Xmas dinner were plated on normal size dinner plates – delicious but not good for my digestion. Of course I declined the suggestion that we get a cab, and welcomed the 30 minute walk. The evening passed very pleasantly with lovely friendly people and a large glass of water.
Boxing Night was a real treat with a trip to the Haymarket Theatre to see ‘One man, two Guvnors’ with J’s parents. It was excellent and very funny, a great way to spend time.
It was so lovely to be with my daughter, but I looked forward to going home with the peace of the boat and our quiet lifestyle.
When I think of being with people I don’t know I worry that I say the wrong things, inappropriate and isolate myself.
Handbagwarrior; verbal ramblings 