I'm overwhelmed!

[estepheia]

Seven of our friends came up with the most amazing surprise (b-day for hubby and xmas for both of us): An Invitation to a Murder Mystery Dinner with a 4-course meal, taking place some time in February. *faints* Six of the seven friends will also go to the event, and we will all be sharing a table, and of course together we will try to solve the mystery. Yay!

Hubby's birthday party (today) was a success. People left us well-fed and well-entertained, at least I think so. After years of celebrating with more or less the same crowd our friends know each other well and are happy to meet twice a year. The kids (those of our guests included) behaved very well - untlil 9 pm when Tina reached sell-by date (she gets horrible if she's tired - but of course she never admits that she's exhausted). The kids received lots of wonderful gifts (Pokemon figures, calendars, books, sweets, fairy wings) so they were happy too. The only complaint they had was that we didn't find the time to play their new boardgames - which is why I promised them to play with them tomorrow.

Tina's new aquarium was dutifully admired by our guests. On the 23rd hubby and Tina bought a beautiful blue Siamese Fighter male and a little harem of four for him. A day later they'd eaten all the snails. I can only recommend fishies, they bring a soothing presence to our living room. I love pulling the chair in front of the tank when I read. Occasionally I'll glance up at the busy little creatures and admire the beautiful colors.

Auntie was stressful and annoyed me. She sniffed through our things, picking up things that looked like letters or other private stuff and reading them, and when I complained she told me there was nothing to it, that she was simply curious. I was actually speechless, and afterwards I may have been more curt with her than would have been polite.

Christmas Eve yesterday was less harmonious than I would have liked, but once we'd settled around the Raclette set to eat lots of melted cheese, and grilled meat with dips the whole family was happy. Tina gave me a small Egyptian statuette for Christmas. Very nice. I have to find a nice place to put it, where it stands out.

So, all in all I managed to survive the last few days without suffering any grievous bodily or psychological harm. Thank god! On the 28th it's Tina's birthday but she is invited to another child's birthday party. Tina's party takes place in January, so we do get a bit of a breather. Thank heavens, because I need a few days to read and write fic! For purely therapeutic purposes, of course. :-)

Comments

[rahirah]

I was actually speechless, and afterwards I may have been more curt with her than would have been polite.

Hmph. After reading your private letters, I think a little curtness is well-deserved!

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I always feel guilty when I'm rude - she is after all older than me and I've been taught to be nice to my elders.
Oh well, she's 85 and not likely to change for the better any time soon.

Hope you had a good Christmas. *hug*

[shapinglight]

Glad it all went okay. Hope you get your few days' respite.

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Well, we played Tina's boardgame today. Brilliant game. We really had fun. And now hubby is playing Shrek2 with them on our PS2.
We ate well and we are mellow and lazy.
The news of the flood catastrophe put a damper on my mood though. Those poor people!

You mentioned your Spike calendar in your post (I'm glad you had a good Xmas). Are there new pictures in there? the 2003 and the 2004 calendar were a bit more similar than I would have liked... I am thinking about ordering the Spike one (if Amazon has it)...

[shapinglight]

The Spike calendar is all new pictures, from AtS season 5 - no BtVS ones at all.The pages consist of one big picture with a smaller insert from the show, sometimes just of Spike, but once of him and Angel and once with the group from Just Rewards. I'm not so keen on one of the pictures, which has captured JM doing a rather (to my eyes) unattractive smirk, but mostly I like them (although of course they are posed, as they are publicity shots) and I'm glad to have it since I wasn't one of the people who felt JM's looks had 'gone off' (although willingly admit he looks older), and also it's undoubtedly the last one there'll be.

I'm sure Amazon will have it.

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

I just checked, Amazon Germany doesn't have it. :-(
Oh well, I will try ebay. *sigh*
Thanks.

[shapinglight]

Amazon UK seem to have it. I could get it for you and then post it on if you like?

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sweetie. Amazon UK delivers to Germany, but the postage is higher... I will look into ordering. A friend of mine might want something too, so we can share postage. If that doesn't pan out I may come back to you. :-)

I'd like to have it. I had to wait and see if I receive it as a xmas gift...

[shapinglight]

Let me know soon if you want me to get it, as it says it's a 'hard-to-find' item. It's true that the BtVS, AtS and Spike calendars have been less readily available this year - due, no doubt, to the shows being over.

It's possible that Forbidden Planet online may have it too.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

She read your private letters? Grrrr. How long is she staying? Do you have to have her back again?

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

*sigh* She's my only surviving relative - other than my dad and my other (dead) great-aunt's descendants who I don't have contact with.
Auntie was always good to me when I was a kid, generous and loving, paid for horse-riding lessons and cooked my favourite food whenever I stayed with her fpr a few days (especially during the two years that my mother was in and out of hospital). But now she's 85 and getting more and more stressful. She has her flaws but also her virtues. But the fact that she does not respect our privacy is kind of... meh.

She visits about 5 times a year. And she's always here for Christmas because she has no one else. We both grit our teeth and try to get on. But an age gap of 44 years is sometimes hard to bridge.