The Last Week of 2022

The week between Christmas and New Year was really busy - in a pleasant way and different than usual, but still busy.

On Monday, Boxing Day, the thermometre here showed 13 C (55.4 F) - good, because it meant we were not going to freeze in the largely unheated church! The village church saw its traditional family mass, with the music provided by the village band (including O.K.). 

Inside the village church half an hour before the start of mass. The lights are not all lit yet, and many of the seats are still waiting to be filled.

Afterwards, O.K. and I went home just long enough for him to change out of his uniform, and then drove to his sister and brother-in-law, who were hosting a festive family meal for the six of us. We took our traditional family portrait, enjoyed the excellent food and drink, and of course the company.

Back at the cottage, we were understandably not very hungry and just had a salad and a piece of bread with a little cheese while watching an old episode of Midsomer Murders.

I took the usual Monday morning train (only that it was a Tuesday) back to Ludwigsburg on Tuesday, the 27th, and arrived on the dot. It was a sunny day but somewhat colder. It was a regular working day for me. Two of my cousins from France arrived for the next few days, staying with my sister. For the evening, we all met at my Mum's for a family meal. It was so good to see them again, and this time for a happier occasion than when they'd been here for my Dad's funeral in October.

In the afternoon, I had managed a nice long walk and timed it to I arrived at my Mum's so that I could help with any last-minute preperations.

Wednesday (Dec. 28) was rather spring-like with a beautiful sunset and evening sky. 

This is not the sunset, but looking east at the colours reflected from the west.

The actual sunset; the view west from my flat is blocked by buildings.

Tonight, I was hosting the meal for Mum, sister and cousins, and so after work I prepared a thick creamy soup of butternut squash, spuds, carrots and parsnips. For spices, I used coconut fat, plenty of ground ginger, salt, pepper and a little muscat, giving the whole thing something of a Thai-style taste. I topped each plate with a swirl of rich cream and a few leaves of fresh coriander (sorry - forgot to take a picture of the finished soup). It went down really well, served with warm crunchy ciabatta and white wine. Dessert was star-shaped vanilla ice cream with a cinammon dusting and a bottom of dark chocolate. Oh, and for starters, we had the champagne (real, proper French champagne) that one of the cousins had brought.

I do love hosting meals and parties but do it far too rarely.

Thursday, the 29th of December, was another mild day at 12 C and mixed weather of cloudy morning, sunny mid-day and rain in the evening. I spent part of my lunch break on an errand for my Mum, adding a walk to it. 

For a change, a walk that did not end with a sunset!

The evening saw us once more gathering at my Mum's; it was the last evening together before our cousins were on their way to their parents (my Mum's brother) the next day.

And then Friday (Dec. 30) was here - my last working day of 2022! I can not begin to tell you how relieved I was at the end of it. It felt as if I'd been running a race and finally arrived at the finish. Not having any proper time off since September, plus the emotional and physical impact of my Dad's and R's deaths and funerals etc. has been taking its toll on all of us.

For the first time since Christmas Eve, I spent an evening on my own. I did not go out at all but, once I had wrapped up work, did my cleaning and then settled on the settee for a while before going to bed early-ish. The only two people I spoke to that day were my boss and O.K.

New Year's Eve was sunny and really warm at around 17 C (62.6 F). It felt so good to sleep in! I ran the washing machine one last time this year, went to the bakery and did a few other household things I had not felt like doing the day before. 

O.K. arrived at my place in time for a quick coffee and some Christmas cookies. We drove his car to my Mum's where we left it in the underground garage, safely tucked away from all those idiots who think it is funny to throw firecrackers at parked cars. A walk on the fields to catch the last of the daylight was next, along with a visit to the cemetery. 

We then helped my Mum setting up things for the evening and went home for a bit before returning in time for our small New Year's Eve celebration. There were five of us - Mum, Sis, Mum's friend, O.K. and myself. Our meal was a New Year's Eve classic - Raclette, followed by Feuerzangenbowle (try to pronounce it, if you dare!). You can find out what it is by clicking here on the wikipedia entry. That was quite exciting, and I felt uneasy at first, when the flames seemed to shoot higher than expected. 

The sugar loaf atop the mulled wine, looking quite harmless.

My Mum poured rum over the loaf and lit it...

...which was when the fun began!

Nothing happened - my Mum had it all perfectly under control.

Midnight saw the five of us on the balcony, clinking glasses of champagne and watching the fireworks. It was a rather emotional moment for us, and I am not ashamed to say that tears were flowing. 2022 slipping into 2023 - amidst loud bangs and some really beautiful fireworks - brought home to me how the last year with my Dad still around was over, and the first year that he and R would never know had just begun. I am welling up even as I am typing this. Oh well.

Anyway, in spite of the time of austerity so often proclaimed (and certainly felt for many) in this country throughout the year, the fireworks were huge and lasted a long time. We watched from the top windows across town as well as from the balcony. Afterwards, my Mum served delicious home-made pasta salad, and at around 2:00 am, we went home.

New Year's Day felt again much more like spring than like winter. It was at least 17 C warm; in the sun and with hardly any wind, the thermometer surpassed the 20 C mark (68 F) in places.  

After coffee and responding to messages from friends and family, we had a small breakfast of filet of trout with horseradish cream and Earl Grey, before packing our bags and walking over to my Mum's to pick up the car. Driving to the village took just over 1.5 hours in spite of the motorways being very busy and things coming to a standstill twice for a short time. 

We were at O.K.'s parents for 5:00 pm to toast the New Year with them, O.K.'s sister and her husband, and have their traditional meal for that day, all his Mum's delicious home-cooking.

Neither of us lasted very long, though, and we were at the cottage at 8:00 pm, going to bed as early as 9:30, also in view of our early start the next morning.

- - -

What a year... it was the saddest I have known, losing my Dad, R and other friends. On a larger scale and among many other things, there were the Ukraine war, energy crisis and prices rising like rarely before, and the on-going effects of the pandemic which is far from truly over. Of course you know all this and so I won't go into more detail. 

But let me say that I, on a personal level, had good times as well. There were beautiful walks and hikes, sunsets and sunrises, great books and films, two weddings, some birthdays and other gatherings with friends and family I enjoyed.

And last but not least, I thank you all for reading and commenting here. I am proud to be counted among your friends. You matter to me. Thank you once again, and all the best for you in this still very new year of 2023.

One side of my living room is still Christmassy...

...while the other side already holds a promise of spring (thanks to my sister, who brought me these tulips when I hosted our family meal).

PS: Nothing new here since I published this post originally - I merely amended a typing error.