Christmas letters

I love receiving Christmas letters, particularly if they have been written directly to me.  I got a long hand-written one from my best friend from school with all the news about her family.  Her eldest daughter is getting married at the end of June and preparations are well in train for a good country wedding.   Then 
there is the letter from another friend saying how delighted they are that their daughter, who has just graduated and is in the middle of a masters course, is due a baby.  I suspect that delight isn't quite the right word.  Yet another friend wrote to say that she is taking early retirement from her public sector job in which she has worked extremely hard over the last 30 years.  She is going to do a masters degree in history, a well deserved change.  

Now I am feeling very guilty that I haven't yet written to them and I've tried to start letters without any success this evening.  However, I console myself with the fact that I can respond to 
their news and make the letters more personal.  Some of our specially designed Christmas cards arrived today.  They have a photo of Knocknagow on them, looking very splendid, though not very Christmas-like except for the red hull.

Tomorrow is Christmas concert day at Newtown and Ian is singing a solo, accompanying himself on his guitar.  I'm looking forward to it.  It's a pity that term doesn't end until Friday as it means two trips to Waterford this week.  Roll on next weekend!