Easter eggs – derrickjknight

Christmas Covid-Cancelled, Collecting Easter Eggs

Today we took an early lunch and drove to Tesco for our big shop. As usual I sat in the car, Jackie did the business, and I intended to read my book. After one page my sister, Jacqueline, phoned me and that was the end of the reading.

In fact Tesco wasn’t too difficult, so the Caterer in Chief wouldn’t let me unload the shopping into the car for Covid safety’s sake.

We took a diversion round Holmsley Passage and its misty, frosty, landscape on our way home.

As I wandered, fingers and toes tingling, I discerned just one group of grazing ponies.

Others, on Holmsley Road

and Wootton Common were nearer at hand. One, as soon as I paid it any attention, huddled against its companion seeking security.

A weak sun, putting in an appearance over Hordle Lane, silhouetted a number of oaks.

Undeterred by the fact that we are still consuming provisions bought in for Covid-cancelled Christmas, Jackie had made her first Easter egg purchases.

This evening we dined on more of Jackie’s perfect spicy pork paprika; boiled potatoes; firm carrots and cauliflower; and tender runner beans, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Malbec.

Oh Yes – We Did Have An Easter Egg Hunt

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This morning Aaron began weeding the Brick Path.

Bees were feasting on the tiny blooms of tellimas which grow quite profusely.

Noticing Becky wandering around the garden gathering up Scooby’s poo bag contributions, Aaron quipped that she had missed Easter, so there was no Egg Hunt today.

This afternoon Jackie drove Becky and me to Elizabeth’s home at West End, where we enjoyed a roast lamb meal cooked by Adam, in honour of Danni, Thea, and Andy’s 10k run in aid of Cancer Research.

These are before and after photographs e-mailed to me by Danni.

As soon as I opened the front door it was apparent that such an event had taken place. a medal on the stairs and discarded trainers provided the evidence.

My great nephew Jasper earnestly concentrated on his father’s train set

details of which he explained to Becky and to Danni.

The constituents of Adam’s excellent meal, namely roast lamb, potatoes, parsnips and carrots; cauliflower cheese and red cabbage were laid out on the kitchen table from which we helped ourselves and repaired to the dining room. Of the drinks on offer, I chose red wine.

During the meal, Mum was prompted to relate a story of a particular Easter when I had gone to bed after eating too much chocolate and emerged later with the liquidised version all over me.

Afterwards, an Easter Egg Hunt was laid on for Elizabeth’s grandson. He was a little frustrated at first when he could not find any of the treasure,

but soon got into the swing of things.

The highlight of his afternoon was the final large package containing a train that had to be embarked upon immediately.

At this time of the year, it is best to avoid Lyndhurst on this journey, because you are likely to be held up by traffic jams. That is what we did. The donkeys at Beaulieu were determined to demonstrate that they were perfectly capable of providing a similar delay.

While the others grazed a bit, I needed no further sustenance this evening.

Location Established

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The discovery of a few more colour negatives from 1986, with the aid of a properly labelled photograph album, enabled me to establish that the mountain scaled by Matthew and Sam in yesterday’s post was actually in North Wales, near Cerigydrudion, where Ann and Don were refurbishing their house.

Seen in context, with Louisa hastening to join them, the hillock doesn’t seem so daunting.

Early one morning Sam escorted his little sister on a recce down the lane leading from the farmhouse we had rented.

Becky

gave Louisa a lesson in building a sandcastle.

I’m not sure where Sam and Louisa found this swing boat which gave so much pleasure.

Becky at Christmas tree with Easter eggs

This afternoon Jackie went out for newspapers and came back with the first Easter eggs of the year – and it’s not even Twelfth Night, when the Christmas decorations are customarily taken down. Becky suitably expresses the stupidity of our marketing practices. Indeed, it occurred to me that, unless kept at the right temperature, the chocolate would have a white film on it by the time of the festival for which it was intended.

This evening, with our dinner, Jackie, Becky, and Ian drank Don Cayetano Sauvignon Blanc 2015. My beverage was Louis Virion Costières de Nîmes 2014. We ate Jackie’s sublime roast lamb, potatoes, and parsnips; green beans, broccoli, and carrots; followed by Christmas pudding and cream.