Festis
It was typical weather for Saint Andrew’s Day let me tell you.
I cannot remember the number of times we had to plod over to a cold, damp Kirk for a lengthy sermon.
Rather put us off sermons unaccompanied by scones and hot toddies.
But naturally the castle always puts on a Saint Andrew’s Day feast for all of Acharacle.
Our father was a supporter of local generosity, especially when he could justify the bringing out of his pipes.
Cousin Morag has even expanded the tradition to include any and all passersby.
Fortunately the pub has the contract for supplying the drink so the cellar has not been denuded.
But regardless of the weather our duty could not be compromised, so we ventured out, after finding our waxed overcoats.
It was too nasty to venture too far beyond on property and we did not go up to Bank Street for breakfast.
But fortunately we had not finished the frozen croissants.
Niamh took the car to the university before she went to her work.
It was far too rainy for Craig to venture forth to get his flu shot so that has to be rescheduled.
It appears as if wheelchairs turn into miniature bathtubs in the rain. Now that is unfortunate I must say.
Emmet sent us a note confirming that he will arrive here on the twentieth of December.
So Zita spent a bit of the morning putting his room into some sort of shape.
She found that the translucent cover over Emmet’s window well had broken and it required replacing.
So she needed to go to the plastics store. But to do that she needed the car.
She got her umbrella and walked over to The Three Trees to retrieve it.
Dugal’s hamper from Harrods appeared just in time for us to plan the celebratory dinner.
Fortunately, as Harrods association with Dugal goes back to their beginning, he always get a complementary hamper for all the significant holidays.
Which as one might imagine includes Saint Andrew’s Day.
So we went into the dinning room to examine this year’s offerings from the food court.
And my goodness it was overflowing;
Harrods own chocolates
Harrods mustard
Harrods caramel and sea salt biscuits
Harrods blackcurrant preserve
Harrods English Breakfast tea
A box of Mille-feuille
A box of fresh cream eclairs
Two boxes of lemon meringue tarts
Orange, lemon & bay marmalade
A large tin of all butter shortbread biscuits
Tomato and chilli pasta sauce
Kenyan Blue Mountain coffee
Green tea
Pink Marc de Champagne truffles
And three tins of sweet caramels
And accompanied by a lovely letter of thanks “for past services….”
‘No more than I expected” said Dugal enigmatically.
Now although today is the actual day we intend to spend the next few days indulging ourselves.
So we had to fall back on our logistics experience and divide everything to all our satisfactions.
About five o’clock we made ourselves presentable for our FaceTime annual speech to the multitude assembled at the castle.
We thought to get it done early before things get rowdy and Morag takes the broom to them all.
When Zita got home she brought some apple turnovers, so we did not feel too guilty about the Harrods hamper.
Then she and Craig had another coffee and Zita talked to Kathy about funerals.
We do not have much experience with funerals as I may have mentioned.
Our father’s being the last one and that was near fifty years ago.
Now when Dugal’s Gurkha batman man Thapa died in the western desert, they cremated him and the other fellows in a captured panzer.
With the help of a twenty five pounder.
Local regulations do not allow for such spectacular send offs nowadays, more’s the pity. Noise regulations no doubt.
Because of all the rain Zita went and picked up Niamh at her work and brought her to her friend Tarryn’s house.
Then Craig and Zita had bacon and egg sandwiches. And they smelled delicious I must say.
But we were on our way out for evening patrol, so we made our own dinner with Niamh when we came home.
That was good timing I do say.
Then it was poker time for the three of us.
Our Niamh declined our invitation as she has another early class tomorrow.
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