On Wednesday morning I was up by 5:30AM and got my post up. I got the kitchen cleaned up and started the list of stuff I had to remember to do. I got the bacon and cheese thawing out.
Then I had to go outside for something and realized I had to sweep the walks and steps. Because I had waited, it was slushy, so I had to sand all the steps. Now when it got cold in the night, it wouldn’t be so icy.
I still wasn’t feeling so good, lots of coughing, and I had to rest often. Apparently we had solar flares or something, because the messages I was sending out either weren’t being received, or if answered, I wasn’t receiving those.
But in the end, I learned that Tom and the girls would be here after 2PM to get the cooking done.
So over the course of the morning, I got things set up so when they arrived, we could just start cooking. I had all the ingredients ready, gotten out most of the dishes and appliances I’d need, and had started the bacon cooking by the time they arrived at 2:45PM.
It turned out to be my #1, #2, and #3 interns who came. #2 started making waffles, and after the first batch stuck badly to the irons, she had no problems after that. She made something over 40 of them.
My #3 intern brought the extra chairs and table leaves down from the attic. Then we had the problem of the pegs that hold the leaves together coming off or getting stuck. My #3 intern finally got it sorted out and I was able to get the tablecloth on and we started setting the table.
The bacon had finished and I got that into the extra fridge. While we were doing that, my #1 intern was figuring out what was wrong with the 2 strings of bubble lights on the tree. She eventually found the fault and they came on! I’d not had them on for about 10 days.
We reached a point where we could start cleaning up and got a load in the dishwasher. They left about 5PM and I started getting ready for Christmas Eve dinner at my contractor’s.
His son was to pick me up at 6:45PM which would hopefully get us to the house right at 7PM. My contractor had dinner planned for 7PM.
I looked at the clock and it said quarter to the hour, then 10 to…so I texted the son and instantly realized it was 5:45PM, not 6:45PM…sigh… gotta love brainfog. I was an hour ahead of myself.
He arrived on time and he was driving his mom’s Jeep. But something seemed off about it, and when I went to get in, I realized I had never seen the back seat of it. My window lady had always had it packed to the ceiling with whatever projects she was doing. He had inherited it and cleaned it out.
When we got inside at my contractor’s he had the tree and tableau set up in the enclosed breezeway, but hadn’t managed to finish the whole thing. Lots of the stars and snowflakes hadn’t been put up. The tree was different because he hadn’t been able to find the type he usually got with strong branches. So he had only used small ornaments on the tree.
Inside, he’d gotten the inside tree up, but his little globe lights had ceased to work and he couldn’t find replacements. So he’d gotten a set of tiny LED lights instead. Again he’d had to use small ornaments. But he’d not had time to make the skating tableau beneath this tree. Also a lot of snowflakes and stars hadn’t been hung up. But he insists he’s going to finish it, and I can come see it when it’s done.
He has 2 of these large candle carousels, one on the dining table and the bigger one in the living room. He hadn’t gotten the bigger one set up yet but the dining room one was lit and every so often it would turn. There are 3 tableaus that turn in this one.
He always makes the same meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, peas, a salad, and the most glorious Yorkshire puddings. On years when there are a lot of guests, he will make a giant pan of it. This year there were just the 4 of us, so just 2 small pans. He makes the most wonderful pudding! I had to get a photo of it this year.
Once the meal was done we went into the living room to open presents. After, he serves this special ice cream and it’s always served with tiny spoons so you will take time to enjoy it.
His son and the girlfriend had to leave to go to her parents, so my contractor and I visited for a while then he took me home. I brought home the rest of the Yorkshire pudding, as he doesn’t eat it.
He seems to be coping okay, as his partner, my window lady, had died early in December. That’s why some of his decorations weren’t done. But he’d insisted he was having Christmas Eve dinner and I was to come.
I got home just before 10PM and discovered my youngest brother was not going to Connecticut because my oldest brother was rather sick. So we discussed what to do on Christmas and it was all going to work out. He’d have brunch with us and then go for a long drive up in Vermont.
I didn’t have to turn off candles or pull shades as I leave it all on during Christmas Eve night. So I checked the stoves and finally got to sleep about midnight.
On Christmas Day Tom and family were to arrive at 9AM and we’d pull the brunch together, and then do presents. I didn’t have a lot to do, just set up a drinks station, a waffle heating station, and get the bacon ready to warm in the oven.
They would stay until about 1PM when they went to other family in Connecticut. So it would be a very fun day and I could rest in the afternoon.