totallyfake@emailaddress.com said...

Well yes, there is that.  She's never got time for anything though,
that's one problem.  I've heard it said by people who didn't know I
was listening that to hear her talk you'd think she was the only
person in the world who had anything else to do.  Funnily enough, I
knew exactly what they meant.

We were OK, because it didn't make an atom of difference to us.  
We've always known that one day 'Grandma' isn't going to be with us
any more - after all, it's true for all of us - and sooner or later
something or other is bound to strike her down.  There's also the
fact that mother is doing fine.  She's already fed up with pureed
food and looked longingly at the cheesy vegetable bake I'd thrown
together for us all to have; she had the same but somehow it didn't
look quite so appetising once it had been in the blender.  Still,
she kept disappearing into the kitchen to mash some more of it, so
it can't have been too bad :-)  Even the children liked it - and I'm
definitely *not* a cook.

They probably meant that at last they could relax and enjoy
themselves without the thought at the backs of their minds that they
were slowly losing a father.  As well, children are amazingly
adaptable.  If Christmas hasn't featured going to your mother's in
the past then the very fact of doing something different was
probably enough to change their mood.  They won't have forgotten
their father; had you done things the same as usual they might have
been a great deal more upset that he wasn't there to share things
with them because they would *expect* him to be there as in other
years, if you see what I mean.

Oh yes!  I know exactly what you mean!  When the weather allows it,
maybe it would be a good idea to dress in whatever's appropriate and
go for a long walk or something?  Hang on, where are you?  Is it
warm or freezing cold where you are?  If you were in Australia or NZ
you could go and play on a beach or by a river somewhere - just to
get out of the house.  I'm planning on taking mine off for a couple
of days just to ease the monotony of being at home.  A couple of
years ago I took my younger boys, who were then 4 and 6, camping in
the Brecon Beacons at new year.  We had a fabulous time, but they've
made me promise not to do it again <g>  Anyone'd think it had been
cold there!  (It was.  Freezing.  Literally.  And very windy atop
the mountain.  But then, what would you expect in Wales in Winter?
<g>)

And to you and yours as well.