Wednesday 21st December 2011, 7.20pm (day 118)
24 people from the neighbourhood gathered in the ex-pub over the road to eat good home-cooked food and drink wine. Call it a ‘Solstice celebration’ (for today was the shortest day of the year), or a pre-Christmas get-together; it doesn’t matter, the good food and the good emotions remain either way. This is Christmas, for me: forget the presents, the best thing about it is the excuse it offers to push the boat out a little further and indulge in some really excellent eating for a few days. Tonight’s meal was great, and I didn’t have to lift a finger.
Being 42 
[…] we are on an exact anniversary of last year’s equivalent dinner (same house, same seats); but none the worse for that, I have been looking forward to the evening […]