Merry Christmas

We had our main Christmas celebration yesterday at my ex-wife's. Two of my three children were there, all three of their spouses and all three of our granddaughters . My ex-wife's partner is the best cook I've ever known socially.

Someone asked Ailz if we would be observing any Christmas traditions today and she said, "Yes, Tony'll be doing a load of washing."

I was lying in bed last night thinking about what I really, really wanted for Christmas dinner and settled for scrambled egg on toast.

What would Christmas be without comedy repeats on the BBC? I was watching a vintage episode of Dad's Army last night and Ailz came in, sat stony faced for ten minutes, then turned to me and asked, "Do you find any of this funny?" And I thought a while and said, "Some of it."

Filling In Time While The Turkey Roasts

1. I'm hearing on the grapevine that LJ is undergoing a bit of a revival. And I've seen a couple of friends whose accounts were dormant start posting again. Well, that's good news. LJ offers something unique- a forum that's interactive and international which allows for the posting of everything from tweet to essay.  It's also a friendly place. People- at least in my corner of it- are remarkably well-mannered. I think I've only ever had to bar one person for rudeness. No trolls and lots of intelligent conversation. Long may it prosper.

2. Rick Parfitt has joined the exceedingly large company of significant figures in arts and entertainment who have shuffled off stage this year. No more Quo- which is tantamount to proclaiming the death of Rock'n'Roll.  What with one thing and another I think future historians will look back on 2016 as the year one phase of world history ended and a new one began. What the new world will look like I'm not going to guess, but I'm choosing to see the upheavals of Brexit and the Trump presidency as symptoms of revolutionary unrest and unease- birthpangs if you like-  rather than the shape of things to come.

3. Christmas Day 2016 is proving very mild weatherwise. Storm Barbara barely brushed the South East of England and Storm Conor has yet to arrive.

4. I read in one of the papers an estimate of how many tonnes of food will be thrown away at Christmas. Apparently- and it sticks in my mind because it's an image and not a number-  we'll be pouring two Olympic sized swimming pools full of gravy down the drain. We- that's Ailz and I- haven't been greatly extravagant in our buying in this year- and I'm setting my face against adding to the total of waste. I hate throwing food away. It's disrespectful.