An absolutely delightful day

I don’t say that often. Days are days. Some are better than others, which is good, but “absolutely delightful”? No. Some days offer some delights – such as rehearsals or walks with Georgie. And those delights keep one going. But it’s rare to say an entire day was delightful, offering so much fun that one is reminded real fun exists and it would be a shame to miss out on it, so being alive really is preferable to the alternative.

First there was the walk with Georgie and Joe. It had snowed here the day before and, whilst most of it had disappeared in the subsequent rain, there was still some about.

Apparently she’d been a bit of a brat the previous day, when there was snow everywhere, but it didn’t bother her yesterday.

Snow, no snow.

Georgie’s happy as long as someone is throwing the ball for her.

Normally a walk with Georgie and Joe is enough to lift my spirits, but yesterday there was more! I’d also been invited to a dinner party. On a Tuesday evening! My friend Scott had invited Donna, Garry, Joe and myself round for a pre-Christmas meal. 

An hour before we were due to arrive at his house the power went off. Rang Scott to see if he was also in the dark. He was, but, he said, he had plenty of candles, had just finished the sauce and could boil the water for the pasta on the barbecue, so game on. 

Bit tricky to find his house in the pitch black, but I managed, arriving at the same time as Joe. Before I left I’d added some cheese and biscuits to the bag containing a bottle of Scott’s favourite wine. Struck me this might be helpful what with the power failure and all. 

Inside the house it was quite magical, the dining table lit up with a dozen candles and multiple tea lights. I can’t remember the last time I had a candlelit dinner, which was the first thing I said. Turns out the cheese and biscuits were most welcome as Scott’s appetizer plan had gone out with the power.

Good friends, good wine, good food (including an apple crumble dessert cooked in the barbecue), great conversation. 

On one of our walks a while ago Joe and I decided it might be fun sometime to have a games night. When we suggested it to others the idea was greeted with considerable enthusiasm. Last night, after the lovely food had been consumed, with no one in a tearing rush to return to their dark homes, I suggested a game of charades. And everyone was up for it.

That was where the tears-rolling-down-your-cheeks laughter came in. I cannot remember the last time I had so much fun. When the power eventually came back on we continued until the bowl was empty.

The normal time for dinner guests to arrive is 6pm. If they’re still in your home at 9pm, you’ve done a good job and entertained well.

When I finally looked at my watch last night I was surprised (as everyone else was) that it was gone ten o’clock. Now that might not sound like a late night to city folk, but trust me, by island standards, it is. 

A roaring success. An absolutely delightful day.