And then...

came the Boxing Day walk - just me and the dogs on Crickley Hill, as everyone else was still half asleep. Selfishly, this was exactly what I needed - even extroverts enjoy a window of solitude now and then, provided they know it won't be prolonged and we were out so early we didn't even need to be sociable to other walkers.
The space was specially welcome as the rest of the day was very heavily populated with all of LCM's family convening on a hotel near his mother's home for a loooong lunch.

The great joy of this, from my point of view, was the huge honour of a new god-daughter, Julia...Her mother, A's neice, was once back in the mists of time, one of my bridesmaids, and the whole family is now living near Malmesbury - so there's actually hope that I may be able to get to know J properly and actually be part of her life sometimes. Most of my (altogether splendid) god-children are now in their teens (the oldest, indeed, is in her late 20s) so the relationship has shifted rather. To be invited to share in the nurture of a new generation is really exciting- and of course a baby to cuddle is pure delight!