Christmas and then some

With the holidays now over, I shall recap. 

Christmas time in London was magical. We took

the bus for the ride down so when we first pulled into the city limits there were so many lights and sights to take in and people bustling around on the sidewalks all bundled up. After braving

the tube train and walking a few blocks we finally

came upon the Mennonite Centre where

Ed and Phyllis Shirk awaited our arrival. Ed and Phyllis are actually from the states and are serving a 3 year term as hosts for LMC. So after Kristen and I settled in we decided to try our foot at ice skating. We hopped back on the tube and headed to Hyde Park for the holiday festivals only to discover the ice rink was sold out ... of course. So instead we meandered around the carnival eating Danish pancakes and German sausages, which were almost better than skating. 

The rest of the time mostly consisted just of shopping! Well, more like browsing. We made our way to Covent Garden and Oxford Street and spent all day in and out of stores where I found the infamous kangaroo jumper!! On skies, no less. And if it wasn't for the price, that little jumper would be mine. I resent my frugal upbringing. 

Christmas Day was spent at the centre with Ed and Phyllis, Dora Marie (from Canada, think brunette Dorothea and 5 inches shorter, oh yeah) a family of 4 from London and a couple other random guests. We chatted with Phyllis and the ladies in the kitchen while preparing food and talked about the much missed states and Kansas because that's where Phyllis is from, too! The meal was magnificent, minus the brussel sprouts. and the christmas pudding. After the meal we sat around the christmas tree and played Dutch Blitz and scrabble. It was a really lovely day and I felt very safe there at the centre. Plus, all the company took my mind off home and made it easy to enjoy myself. 

New Years

Well, New Year's Eve was quite uneventful because I was ill with another cold. Kristen and I had plans to go to Chris Howson's Mamma Mia! sing-along bash, but I think Kristen was a little grateful for my condition instead. On New Year I slept half the day away, thanks to my cold, and then that evening the Bilton's invited us over to share New Year's dinner with some friends and family of theirs. Goose was on the menu so I took some, but later I changed my mind and so I cleverly slipped it onto Paul's plate when he got up to get some more wine. 

This week we are headed back to work and I'm looking forward to having a full agenda again. But not for long because K and I are headed to the sandy, sunny beaches of Tenerife in two weeks!