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Xmas Day

I was quite prepared for spending Xmas day on my own for all the sympathy. The religious significance of Xmas is long gone and replaced by a consumer frenzy and false family bonhomie. However at the last moment my brother expressed a wish to come to the South Coast and I was only too pleased to entertain him and his wife. Entertaining is perhaps the wrong word as he said “Don’t worry about food, we will bring it.” As a religious Jew he is strictly kosher but I was not certain if I was catered for too. I duly went to the kosher section of the supermarket and reinforced supplies with a bottle of Sauvignon blanc and moscato.

Having grossed out the previous evening with smoked salmon, rib of beef and cheese washed down by an excellent Montrachet, Patache d’aux and Dow Port, I was quite relieved that a heavy Xmas lunch was not on the agenda. We were rewarded by a clear if slightly crisp day and, no useless present exchanged, we duly set off for a long coastal walk. I rather hoped that this would be enhanced by Polly sprinting past us in her running gear but of her there was no sign. At the cafe on the walk, I did notice how solicitously a lady in a mobility chair was treated. She had nowhere to go for Xmas and was denied the freedom of movement we all take for granted but I could not detect any sadness or self-pity.

Lunch turned out to be sandwiches they had brought for themselves but the Sauvignon blanc was pleasantly clean and fresh with the remainder of the smoked salmon. They left at 3-30pm so they could begin their journey in the day light. As I lay on my bed for my habitual siesta I was rewarded by the vista of a beautiful sunset of blue and vivid pink hues. Mother Nature, I reflected after a day well spent, is truly the consummate artist.

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About Robert Tickler

A man of financial substance, Robert has a wide range of interests and opinions to match. More Posts