Thirteen+ neighbours boozing (with their chums)

We have now moved from the traditional 12 days of Christmas items, to the neo versions for days 13 to 25. The above seems especially apt as tonight is the Ruthven Seasonal Pizza Party for the neighbours. I am getting my blog in early as I’ll definitely not be fir for it tomorrow (which may well be 14 fizzy aspirin). Before things get out of hand here is today’s round up:

• Mince pies and sundry items parcelled up for party bags- fifty odd
• Mince pies consumed – none – saving myself for pizza
• Christmas jumpers knitted – 2 inches of the one that’s going to need to go fair isle – still no idea how that’s going to work but downloaded some charts…
• cards – all the Selkirk family ones and the party goer ones. Just three sheets of labels to go..
• Presents – All the party bags are stuffed. Moving on post party to the hampers for delivery.
• personal glamour and grooming – this is now coming off the list – it is as good as it gets.
• bulbs planted – still big fat zero

I had an early morning scoot to Selkirk to collect the mater for party duties. Lyra and I bombed along the quiet morning roads singing to a 70s selection. Well I sang, she may have covered her ears with her paws. It was so beautiful out. There was a warm tawny glow from the dried grasses in the verges and when the light hit the bare hedgerows they shone like polished mahogany. The sky seems always to be full of crows at the moment, a Brownian motion at the edge of your vision. (This may, of course, have something to do with the death seeking pheasants that lurk in the hedges waiting for a juggernaught to come over the brow of the hill to add a frisson to a game of poulet.). Nearing Selkirk, a bank of thick white mist had settled low in the valley above the Ettrick, leaving the hill sheep looking curiously down into curling whorls and swirls of white.

Back at the ranch party prep was well underway. When we got back Keith had already lit a fire in the pizza oven, put up the Luigis tree and decorated it all in silver – apart from one random bit of red tinsel. An avant garde touch perhaps? After a chilly spell assisting with the outside lights I retreated to the kitchen and played elf, filling the party bags. Mum supplied tea and coffee as required. Lachlan arrived home a few minutes ago and, somewhat truculently, took my tiramisu over before retreating to the sofa for a brief rest before pizzaiola duties commence.

Having been made redundant on the pizza dough and canapé front I now find myself wondering what on earth to do with myself for the next couple of hours. Keith suggested I devote myself to pampering and putting bows in my hair. Does he have some other, entirely different, wife out there? I suppose there’s always the Christmas jumpers…

As ever quiz question and answers below the pics

Question 13: In which newspaper was this bear to be found  ?

Answers to the last ones are:

10. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes was a novel about which mythical character	Medusa
11. What is the world’s biggest freshwater fish?	The Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso) is the biggest freshwater fish in the world. The largest Beluga ever caught weighed 1,571 kg and was 7.2 m long. The Beluga is extremely long lived and females do not reach maturity until at least 15 years of age.
12 What is Ashley’s mother called in “Colin From Accounts”	Lynelle – if you haven’t watched this yet – do!