A bit of a non-Christmas for me

 I just don't have the energy to do anything.  I have just vacuumed the kitchen (and believe me it HAD to be done as it was starting to look like a health hazard) and wrapped 3 gifts, and that is me, exhausted.  I need to go to the compost bin, so will have to rest up a bit before I meet that challenge.  I have been resting and resting for 3 weeks now, but this virus has just wiped me out.  I have to meet the challenge of making the roulade later.  I have just fossicked around in the freezer and found the bag of wild raspberries I picked last summer, when we had a bumper harvest of wild and tame ones.  They will be cooked up to make the ju for the roulade.  Not wasting the good tame ones to be smashed up!  

I had great pleasure watching the Puissance from - well it used to be called Olympia - but it's the London Horse Show now.  The best horse/rider won it - Rachel Proudly and Easy Boy De Laubrey Z - what sensible heads on both shoulders - but the crowd, me included, absolutely LOVED the thrill of the hot-headed chestnut Shanalough Luichew, ridden by Irish horseman Andrew Hodgkins, who had a very individual riding style - sat at the back of his saddle and with such long reins.  Clearly he knew his horse well, but could only present it at a fence at the last moment or else it would have gone absolutely flat out!  He finally got 4 faults at the wall at 7 foot, after the horse had launched itself on a wrong stride.

Another rider, Nathan Bull and Castaltonia, made the wall rock (but no bricks off it) and then the horse pecked badly on landing and he sailed off over its head, but landed beyond the finish line (a bit of luck).  The horse trod on him in passing and the Dr said he couldn't jump again, which was probably just as well.  So truly, thrills and spills, and I had a lovely evening watching that.

Gabby arrives today, so finally I will have some company.  Being laid up alone for weeks isn't much fun (though I did have Tam and Rosie here on the middle weekend, long enough to pass this on to Tam).