Wassailing

 I had to drag myself out of bed at 6.45 this morning as the chap is coming to do the heating boiler service for the year.  It was going to be last Friday, but they had to cancel it as there were people with broken boilers.  So I had to go in and get the bed linen off the drying rails, move Keith's wheelchair, a couple of the 3 child car seats etc.  He was due 7.30 -8 a.m. and hasn't arrived yet (10 to 8). At least we wont be too long without the heating on.

I had another rough night, as it suddenly occurred to me I'd left the heating on at 15 as  Tam gets cold in the middle of the night - she sleeps half covered so that Rosie has no risk of suffocating.  So I had to come down and go in the airing cupboard and turn the system off at the control panel.  Then of course, I was awake for hours and instead of shivering, I was really hot and my bladder was uncomfortable again, and my hair looks like an oil slick this morning. I took Ibuprofen at breakfast but none since and feel a little more human so perhaps it was just a chill.

Then, as no engineer appeared, I left a somewhat irate message on the company's answerphone as they weren't answering it. Turns out it was my fault as it was NEXT Monday they were coming, so we froze for nothing.  

3 short videos at the bottom.

Wassailing is supposed to take place on the 12th night after Christmas.  However, this was postponed from last weekend as it was so bitterly cold.  HAH-not much better on Saturday.  It is an ancient pagan tradition to ensure tree fertility in the coming season, drinking the health of the tree in cider and making loud noises to scare off evil spirits. The piece of bread is to bring good fortunes to all for the year. Wikipedia will give lots more details.