Bringing the New Year in.

Yesterday and today have been lovely. Sister arrived yesterday morning at about 8.30 am, and we had breakfast with Grandson joining in.(He had been awake since about 5.45am, and I had been awake most of the night!) I made eggs and bacon, toast and coffee, which we all enjoyed; it was a good breakfast to start the New Year.

What was the reason for my sleeplessness? Well, I had been fast asleep by about 11pm on New Year's Eve, mainly because I was expecting to be woken early by Grandson. At Midnight, or so I imagine, I was aware of fireworks outside, which sounded very close to my bedroom window. I didn't get up to look, and they didn't wake Grandson, so that was OK. At 12.35am my phone rang, waking me again. I scrabbled for the phone, to hear Son's voice wishing me a Happy New Year from Edinburgh. He sounded very merry, and said that they were outside a club because they'd lost the top off their bottle of whiskey, and couldn't go back into the club until it was finished!! (Luckily, I thought, there are at least five of them to do it.) He also said that it was pouring with rain and they were all soaked to the skin. Next I had both his friends on the phone, also wishing me a great New Year, and all sounding similarly merry. I kept thinking that all this noise would wake Grandson, but it didn't. Phew! I settled down again, only to be jolted up 15 minutes later by the phone again. This time it was Son, with his Girlfriend insisting that she wanted to wish me a Happy New Year too! She hoped I wasn't asleep - and I was able to say, quite truthfully, that I wasn't. Luckily, this hadn't woken Grandson either. But after that I was too jumpy to go back to sleep. I counted the hours and finally dozed off at about 4.30am.
Grandson woke at 5.45am, but I literally couldn't move. Luckily, I had thought to put a cup of milk and some biscuits in his room before I went to bed, together with a few books and toys to keep him busy, so I didn't have to get out of bed until just after 7! What a start to the New Year. Welcome 2008!

Daughter arrived, looking blooming, lovely and rested, at about 10 am. We chatted, opened belated Christmas presents, and by then it was a sunny day outside, so we all set off for a walk. Then Daughter caught the bus back home, with Grandson waving until we were out of sight, and Sister and I set off for the sea-front. It was another warm and windless day, so we walked on the beach, and she gathered a few shells and stones with holes in (these are believed to be the lucky ones). By the time we arrived at the Meeting Place, it was perfect timing for a cup of tea. The day passed very pleasantly, and we celebrated our own New Year's Day with some pink bubbly and a light supper. How civilised. (I must say, though, I have never put out so many empty champagne bottles for recycling. They will think we are proper posh.) It was so good to spend more time with my Sister, and we took a few strolls down Memory Lane. It's funny how she remembers some things so clearly, and I remember others. We both recalled how we had lost a ten shilling note one day, on the way home from shopping for our Mother. She had been furious, and we had been distraught. We had to retrace our steps and try to find it, all the way back to the shops. And I can't remember if we did find it - only that awful feeling of having done something terrible and unforgivable. As Sister said, though, our Mother didn't offer to come back with us - we were sent off in disgrace. If only I could remember the outcome!

I haven't mentioned the flat sale just lately, because everything went quiet over the holidays, but today it has jumped into life again, and we are nearly there - oh Joy! I don't know about you, but after a week or so of Christmas and New Year, I just want to get on with life again! And I think I might just stop eating for the foreseeable future...