Christmas Eve 2023

Jo's smile wobbled like a loose tooth when I told her of my latest experiment. "Carb-free, huh? Well, I did go a little overboard with the, uh, cakes, Christmas puddings and brussel sprouts." Laughter, laced with a touch of exasperation, tinged her voice.

Today was my day of solitude while Jo put in a twelve hour shift at the ED (that's Emergeny Department incase you were wondering). Pip and I embarked on a grand tour of Stalbridge, tracing the familiar route which makes it's way along Wood Lane before we plunged into the emerald embrace of the countryside beyond. We covered just over four miles in total.

Back in town, Dikes' cheese counter offered a dizzying array. Dorset Blue Vinny nestled next to crumbly cheddar from the Barbers of Someset, each wedge a story waiting to be savored. I lingered, choosing my cheese board selection carefully for tomorrow.

As Pip snoozed for the afternoon I wrapped presents. I have bought many this year. Just the close to home ones. Jo's presnts sit patiently under the Christmas Tree. Pip's however are on the Kitchen table just to make sure she can't get to them. There's no foolong that Spaniel nose.

Some steak and a couple of Burger patties for dinner and I can reflect on a peaceful day which, though solitary, has been a perfect blend of nature's beauty, pre-Christmas rush, cheese-scented anticipation, and the quiet sound track of Mortimer and Whitehouse at Christmas on the TV is just a bonus.