New Year's Day today. All's quiet here. Em was in yesterday evening, very excited about her new sewing machine and planning what she can make "for practice". DIL suggested making a cover for the machine first, and she will make one for her own at the same time so they work together and Em learns the process. DIL is really a very gifted woman. She can play musical instruments and sing (used to play professionally as part of a folk group), she is running her new(ish) laundry, she sews, makes clothes for herself, Em and grand daughter, doing alterations and making curtains for other people and when she has the time, making stuffed toys. Her only failing, as far as I can see, is that she's not good at keeping the house very tidy, but No 2 son can do that. The only time she can find time to do it is overnight when she can't sleep. Then she gets up and blitzes the house. Usually it is back to it's overnight state by lunchtime! Nobody can be good at everything.
Em is now able to put pillow cases into the big laundry press as opposed to "supervising" others but she was offering to help with the hand ironing last evening. But no - at 8 she is too young and vulnerable to burning. She was given an electric glue gun at Christmas for her "craft work" so figured, if she can handle it, she can handle an iron. We persuaded her that her hands are just too small so far, to manage an iron and ironing board. She does so want to be helpful.
Tonight's meal will be lamb chops - from the top of the leg, but not full gigot chops with Brussels sprout slaw. Breakfast was some cold beef, left over from yesterday's steak and mushrooms, and some mayonnaise. No lunch. Still drinking room temperature milk to keep my innards calm.