I thought I’d take this opportunity to have a look back at the year. In a nutshell, I think it would be fair to say it’s a year I wouldn’t want to repeat again in a hurry.

2013 has been an emotional roller-coaster full of soaring highs, deep, deep lows, with shed loads of hard work, punctuated by spells of extreme inactivity and boredom. Having said that, we did sell our house within 4 months in a poor (unless you’re living in London) housing market and we didn’t have to do Xmas with 2′ of water in the kitchen and no power like some poor souls, so perhaps I shouldn’t grumble.

However, living in a rented cottage out of boxes is beginning to loose it’s charm. Having only unpacked the barest minimum, 2 big plates , 2 small plates, 2 dishes, 2 mugs (slight exaggeration, but you get the idea) and having limited cooking facilities, our Xmas ‘spread’ was always going to be limited this year. Nevertheless we set off to the supermarket on the Monday afternoon before Xmas.

On returning home from this festive food shop, I realised I’d forgotten to buy some garlic, an essential ingredient in one of Peter’s ‘creations’. So on Xmas Eve morning I walked up to the local shop, more in hope than expectation, to see if they had a bulb.

As I feared their meager vegetable selection was bereft of garlic, and I resigned myself to an unscheduled Xmas Eve supermarket battle, all for the sake of a garlic bulb. However, as I was leaving I noticed a lady in the store room and decided to ask just to make sure before I left the premises.

She said they only had garlic puree in tubes, which was no good for what we wanted, but then she disappeared into the back and emerged a couple of moments later clutching a Morrisons till receipt and a small net bag containing 2 garlic bulbs.

She’d bought them for herself the previous day and sold me one of them ‘at cost’ for 30p. To be honest, I’d have paid her twice that to avoid a further supermarket trip.
Was it my imagination, or did Peter’s ‘creation’ on Xmas Day taste even better than normal due to that small act of kindness by a stranger?

Here’s wishing everyone a very Happy and Peaceful New Year.

2014? Bring it on!!!!!