Under the influence

I realised this year that my sweet late Mama is present in almost all of my Christmas preparations, and despite those preparations and the rush and bustle, that gentle, background grief has smacked me into full on missing her again. Talk about not realising the obvious, and that other cliche…you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

We don’t do the same thing every year, expect that we do really. By which I mean, we put up a tree, but not always in the same place. In fact, for the last three years, we’ve put up two trees, just like Penny did. We don’t always have loads of fairy lights strung about the place, but some years we do. Penny used to have them all around the little village on the mantelpiece, entwined amongst greenery on the lounge window sill and wherever she could find a socket. I don’t do it as tastefully, but I’m pretty fond of little lights, and use them wherever I can. Spare socket allowing of course! I have a lot of nick-knack type Christmas ornaments which I dot about the place, creating small clusters that always involve a tea light. There are tree ornaments that absolutely have to appear, and there are foods that I cook or buy that I wouldn’t dream of not having on the table at Christmas.

And directly under Penny’s influence, there are a couple of things that won’t be on my Christmas lunch menu. Turns out it’s controversial, but I never do Yorkshire Puddings with any roast other than Beef, so they won’t be there. I don’t know why, it’s entirely a matter of choice isn’t it, but I can’t break the habit/tradition/Mum rule. Can’t say that the people around my table don’t comment on it, because they do, but it hasn’t stopped them coming for Christmas, so it’s obviously not too important! And here’s where Penny's influence is merely a memory: Bread Sauce. I don’t get it, never liked it and do not make it. And when I don't do it, Mama is front and centre of my mind, because to this day I’m not convinced that she liked it! So this Christmas I will be safely gathered in and surrounded by people I love, I’m a very lucky woman. And anyone that wants to can stop by and visit; sample the hospitality that I now realise is a part of my legacy.