Festivities continue!

A family friend took us out for a Christmas meal last night, which was a real treat. Being a carvery, we queued first, with the girlies being a little shy and unsure of what to do. At last Av stepped in, trail-blazer that she is, and ordered first. The chef proficiently carved the meat, and handed out yorkshire pudding and stuffing, before she helped herself to vegetables.Inspired by her confidence, her sisters followed suit.

It was a pleasure to have two of the teens with us. My eldest had double-booked and was at her work "do," and my son was otherwise engaged and, he has informed me, he doesn't "really like roast." That was news to me. Children's dietary preferences are exceedingly fickle.

when the meal was over we played a couple of games, story telling and taking turns to remove something from the table so everyone could guess what had gone. Nan, at one point, removed a stray pea. she's quite a character, taking time to make an origami bra as well.

I am hoping our own Christmas dinner will be just as good, and that the children will be as sociable. At home, with the lure of tv, they may not sit for so long. This year we have relatives visiting for lunch on both Christmas and Boxing days; our long table will be full, with 11 occupied chairs- 3 seats more than usual! I am totally accustomed to cooking for many, so I'm not really sure why Christmas dinner seems so different.

I was invited into school for their Christmas feast. That is the one day of the year when the children sit and have their meal brought to them. All the staff get involved, the tables are laid with cloths and crackers, and Father Christmas sits by the tree with a large bag of sweets to hand to the children as they leave. Finally, when the children have returned to class, the kitchen and playground staff sit together for their own Christmas lunch.

The combination of exhaustion and anticipation is always interesting to observe. The children are so excited; December itself sees them on a permanent high.

It is, after all, a time to Celebrate Light, physically and spiritually. The Christian festival reminds us of God's pure, unconditional love. The Solstice marks the point from which the days begin to lengthen, light returning to our lives, and with it, the warmth of the sun, the heart of our group of planets. While food sustains our tummies, the light sustains us in many ways; light, and love, are the things that keep our spirits alive, after all.