Tuesday - Boxing Day:
I woke up, definetely worse for wear! Scott was off to America and it was 7:30 am. about 4 hours of sleep and I was happy to only be up for about 20 min saying goodbye.
Back to bed.
Then a loud and boisterous James, "Do you know what time it is?"
2pm we made it downstairs. Yesterday, we had moved to the studio, next door, above the garage, so finally got some sleep.
Called to Ron Andrew and moved our visit to Ketton farm to wednesday.
A little lunch, turkey sandwich, a rush to get out the door, and off to go shooting. A Boxing Day tradition, we got out the guns, the clay pidgeon rig strapped to the back of the truck bed, the kids and the dog piled in and we went for the 4x4 drive across 2 fields to set-up and spend about 200 shells into the air. I wasnt hittin anything... well here and there, mostly with the 20 guage, but when I moved to the 12g I was missing them all. Jen picked up the gun too and blasted away. She had a great time.
Evening came on fast and we sat down to another meal. This time a little slower.
Wednesday:
Up early to get ready to go visit Ron and Pam in Ketton. Grandad's brother. He owns most of the family farm and lives in a barn conversion next to the main farm-house (which was sold to a corporate lawyer for CAT tractors). Other family live next door in conversion and one cousin runs a horse Livery in the barns in the back.
We got the run-down on the family rift and Emma was with us and learned of Granny and Grandad's shotgun wedding after learning of pregnancy with Mom and Grandad enlisted in RAF service and off to war. He was a pilot and after Battle of Briton, was sent to Canada to train CAF and USAF pilots. He was very close with Ron for years (10 yr age split) and it was after return to UK in 1946 that the family broke apart. Grandad was stubborn and felt snubbed. Family land given to eldest and Grandad headed to Wing as a tenant farmer. He never spoke to any of the male brothers on Andrew side for 55 years.
Too bad we never knew that side of the family, they were wonderful. I think Janet and Emma will mend the broken ties and we will see a new era of family unity. Wonderful to be a part of that!
Granny fell down the stairs at Janet's and we had to cut our visit short and headed off to Peterborough to see her in hospital -- Broken Hip! damn! Just when I thought I was done with sitting bedside!
Doesn't look good for Granny. Osteoporosis and broken femur mean less than stable recovery. Her independence will now surely be lost and she will have to move in with Janet or Emma for a bit. No certain prognosis, surgery in morning.
Back to Whissendine to prepare for the next party, Mexican Night - olé.
I cooked Pollo Norteno, tacos, and all the salsa trimmings. Whipped up a make-shift margarita mix and readied for 16 guests. My second cousins arrived with their husbands and wives and other friends showed too. 14 of us (two bowed out with baby woes) and we all started in. Only a few actually had margaritas, but rest got deep into Stella Artois. Then we sat to eat. As soon as all the tortillas and burritos were devoured, the team dug in deep to tequila shots. 5 bottles of tequila, one bottle of Sambucca, 5 limes later, Biffa was barfing in the downstairs bathroom, Jen and Katey were slurring, Margaret was lying down on the table bench, James was passed out sitting up at the end of the table, and Emma and I washed the floor and tidied up as there were limes everywhere. It was good fun.
Off to bed at 4am to pack to leave in just hours time.
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