Christmas cheer...

I have been at home for Christmas week and in that space of time have managed to eat copious amounts of turkey and other decadent foodstuffs and beverages that I wouldn't normally scoff at all during the year. That's not to say I am some sort of food nazi who counts every calorie, but damn it all, the endless temptation of luxury chocolate biscuits, roast potatoes, beer, wine, turkey, ham and assorted snacks doesn't exactly help either....ah well, I keep telling myself it's just for one week of the year but I do know I'll be cursing those Fox's biscuits and that Toblerone bar as I waddle around the hockey pitch next week.

We had a full house on Christmas day as we hosted some of Dad's brothers and sisters from Arklow. It was the first time in about 60 years I'd say that my aunty Emily didn't have to cook a Christmas dinner - not that she was happy about that, so she brought along 2 raspberry cheesecakes and a huge trifle to compensate! I had brought home the Wii, so after lunch we decided to give Wii sports a go in an effort not to remain completely sedentary. The sight of aunty Maudie, a sprightly 80 years young, swinging wildly at a curveball and trying to bowl a strike or two was priceless, although I did fear for pulled muscles and whiplash at one point.