On the final day of the old year, I wish you a peaceful and happy New Year.

If you have read my stories of Christmas in a Tudor town and Medieval Christmas Stories, you would be forgiven for thinking that I am a Christian.  I am not.  I am just someone who is fascinated by history and captivated by traditions, ancient stories and powerful evocative words.  And someone who studies the past to escape from a chaotic present.

My Christmas has been spent as per the Louis Wain postcard below – or rather I went nowhere, but my lovely, lively family visited me.  Stay-over visitors included a terrapin – complete with tank and his (or her – how can you tell?) own personal entourage of fishes, one vivacious daughter, a calming soon-to-be son-in-law, an ancient Italian mother-in-law with the onset of dementia, and a hyperactive profoundly mentally retarded brother-in-law.  They added to the permanent residents of 3 cats (one who is elderly, virtually toothless, and selectively incontinent), 3 fish, an ADHD/dyslexic/dyspraxic 9 year old son, an energetic teenage daughter and a vague/absent-minded very loud Italian/Polish/British husband!

I wouldn’t change any of them for the world.

Paying Visits postcard by Louis Wain (1860-1939)

Postcard by Maurice Boulanger

Postcard by Maurice Boulanger

Postcard by Maurice Boulanger

Postcard by Maurice Boulanger

PS The terrapin will be going home minus one of his fishy entourage. We’re not quite sure who was the culprit but ‘someone’ enjoyed an extra special Christmas treat!