Chris and I soon got over our “empty nest” feelings once our visitors began to arrive; first to arrive was Ron, our neighbour, followed shortly after by my Mum, who walked up from her house (she was sprightly!), and then came my sister, Mary, with Geoff, Katie and young James (who stayed with us for a few days recently). Surprisingly, Geoff took off his coat to reveal that he was dressed in a black bow tie and formal dress suit.

“You look handsome!” everyone exclaimed.

“Mary told to me change into something smart because I looked too scruffy,” he said with a wry smile.

So his response was to dress to the other extreme – we all got the picture.

I cooked enough for twelve, or more, hungry people. As per usual, the oven didn’t seem quite big enough; I didn’t have enough saucepans, vegetable dishes or serving plates; the kitchen felt too small and was lacking in work surfaces, and it was also extremely hot, especially as the central heating was on to ensure that rest of the house was warm for our guests. I had a few timing issues which resulted in fears that some elements of the dinner would be cold; and when I went to pour the leek sauce from the saucepan into serving dishes, much of it splashed out onto the worktop. I use the word “splashed” because it had become as thin as water – it all went back into the pan and had to be thickened once again, during which time the meat got colder and I got hotter. Chris put the carved turkey back into the oven and then I worried it would get dried out…

At last the enormous dinner was served and I sat down at the table. I was perhaps a tad hotter than the sprouts, which had turned a little pink at the edges (I must use more bicarbonate of soda next time). Chris hates sprouts – and I had made him prepare so many of them (enough for twenty sprout lovers!).

“I didn’t know you were so religious, Sally,” said Geoff.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, I thought you must be religious because you talked to your “Maker” so many times while you were cooking!” he laughed.

I laughed too.

I do not think many people actually like sprouts, especially when they are not green any more. Three quarters of them were still in the vegetable dish at the end of the meal. Never mind, I’ll make Chris some sprout bubble and squeak for breakfast.

We never did play Poker with James – like me, he is a gamester, and he had bought with him the new game he had got for Christmas, in the hope that we would enjoy learning it with him. We have promised to play it tomorrow, when we shall be going over to Mary’s. Which reminds me….

Owing to the great success of Geoff’s attire, we have agreed to make our Boxing Day bash at Mary’s a rather formal affair – bow ties and evening dresses. Well, the rest of us want to have some fun too.

Before I go I will leave you with a joke from Geoff, seeing as he was the star of the day.

Apparently, my brother-in-law had come across a strange sight in his home town of Teignmouth the day before. As he was walking along the centre of town to his regular newsagent for his Daily Telegraph, he saw a busker playing ABBA’s hit song, “Dancing Queen”, on a didgeridoo.

“Good Lord,” he thought, “That’s ABoriginal!”

(Geoff and I are both a bit religious.)