Christmas Leftovers

So there were a few things about Christmas I didn't mention what with all the pet health scares. They were good and/or funny moments that definitely bear remembering.

Like when my dad had a little too much Christmas cheer at dinner and decided to "help" my mom with cleaning up after we opened all of our presents. This resulted in my mom having to hunt for tree ornaments among the discarded wrapping paper and coming across a Christmas present or two in the process. This is exactly the reason why my dad shouldn't clean.

My older bro officially got engaged! He gave his now-fiancée a gorgeous ring hidden inside an origami heart, and we were all lucky enough to be there for the moment. It was sweet and hilarious at the same time. Let's just say neither my brother nor I were born with a romantic bone in our bodies, but we both enjoy a good laugh. He's a born engineer, and he undertook an extremely comprehensive and exacting process in picking out the diamond. Once he bought it, he spent hours sipping whiskey and examining the diamond with a loupe, which I find to be both typical and incredibly amusing. 

Soon after I arrived, I found myself busy in the kitchen baking a chocolate and raspberry cake for my family to taste test. It turns out I passed, which means I'll be baking my brother's wedding cake! Don't worry, I'll be taking the proper preparatory measures and practicing a lot! I've already done some research on the logistical hurdles on building and transporting the cake. It's a lot more complicated than one would think, but I rather like the idea of a challenge. Fingers crossed it all goes well!

I was also responsible for cooking Christmas dinner, and I decided to go with a goose and ham instead of turkey. It turned out to be a great decision! Goose beats turkey hands down, and I think we all decided that we'll have goose for holiday meals from now on. It costs quite a bit more, but the difference in flavour and texture is amazing. I can't figure out why people ever decided to switch to turkey, other than that you get more meat with a turkey. It's also nice to know that geese can't be battery-farmed like turkeys if you're concerned about animal welfare.

Casper also had a fun time trying to eat Christmas. Yep, he tried to eat an entire holiday. That's my boy!

Ornaments that were clearly not edible.

I ended up getting mugged for my candy cane.

And he made out like a bandit on Christmas gifts! A new, fancy carrier courtesy of his aunt D and uncle P.

And lots of kitty toys, which he's been hard at work on destroying to bits.

London's been pretty empty since we got back. I think most people stay on holiday until the last possible moment, and I think everyone will be back at work on the 6th. I don't blame them one bit as the weather has been pretty foul with lots of rain and wind every day. The weather forecast looks pretty much the same for the next month or so, but I'm really hoping it's wrong!