Oh the C issue! I know restaurants have to pay their staff double or whatever, but £65+ for a meal with possibly only one glass of wine and presumably a strict time scedule to stick to is just a RIP OFF.
But making plans for the "festive season". How to upset the maximum number of people the maximum amount?
Last year's C in Somerset when DD and SIL spent a LOT of money renting a luxury lodge house for us opposite the one they own so that we could all spend C together so misfired. DH was misery personified (mystery pains in his side which COULD have been gut/liver/muscular and about which we could do NOTHING, DD fell down her own stairs on C morning and cracked 2 ribs so spent the next couple of hours in A&E, I was worried (and rightly so) about Grace in kennels with her poorly tail , DH developed a reaction to the bedding (prob biological powder) so DD and I Washed and tumbled every stitch including towels, it was not at all what DDand SIL. had planned and should have been lovely. So this year we needed a plan B.
I think (hope) we have it, we are spending C Eve in Birmingham , lunch with the family then going to a C concert in Symphony Hall (their present to DH for his birthday) , but not staying overnight . C Day I just did not feel like another long drive so we have invited DD2 and SIL and Flynn plus SIL's parents as they would have been on their own (her MIL has early dementia) and they can all stay overnight. B Day we will have EVERYBODY and hope a cold buffet will suffice or maybe soup and bread. Just have to work out how to fit in DH's 2 sisters,(both single) 25 year old nephew and maybe niece from Singapore as well, as the sisters have been known to get very upset if not included in "whole family" plans. It would not occur to them to do their own thing, but they are sweet and good at washing up. However I have decided that as we are away all of C Eve, I will NOT be doing a trad C dinner, but a venison or pheasant casserole which will be IN THE FREEZER plus some bought puddings. I really aim to make it as labour saving as I possibly can .
I can't believe I am planning C already, but it will be a relief to know that Grace, if we still have her, will be in her own home as will DH because much as I love going away he is really only happy in his own bed.
Anybody else like that?