Brief December 2017 Update

As usual, it has been an ongoing whirlwind. Up to our yule, we enjoyed Young Marx, the Nonsuch Singers’ Christmas concert, Vivianne and Chris Crowley’s Treadwell workshop on the god Mars, dinner at the Rixies, neighbour Peter over for dinner, dinner out with Jonah and Mitch, and a festive luncheon at Elisabeth’s with a great group of people. Richard had a successful dental visit, and I have had a sobering Royal Marsden appointment.

Our yuletide begins on the 11th. During its thirteen days, we enjoyed a most interesting Nova Stellar presentation by Spyros Melaris on his fake Roswell autopsy documentary, had lunch with Gin at the Tate Modern and then re-visited the Modigliani exhibit, went to Gin’s birthday tea, have had Barbara and Patrick as houseguests, have had Meg and again Peter for lunch, re-visited the British Museum’s “Living with Gods: Peoples, Places and Worlds Beyond” exhibition with Gin, Barbara & Patrick and then a Greek lunch at the Living Goddess, a second performance of American in Paris that was just as stunning as the first time, the Pagan Federation Yule ritual at Conway Hall, and a visit with Eamonn to the Temple of Mithras. During the second half of our yule, both Richard and I came down again with the flu, and with presumably the energylessness of my hormone therapy, it has taken a long time to recover. For the Larentalia and the culmination of our Numan celebrations, we had some space cakes that I had prepared. They turned out to be much too strong, and I was almost the whole time in bed – shades of Palm Springs. The Saturnalia were also spent mostly in bed. These were not as strong space cakes, and the sleeps were heavenly. That night we splurged and had Mexican and margaritas.

Our great sadness is that Warren died, maybe not quite unexpectedly but unexpected it still was, just after the midwinter’s solstice. We are still in shock. Tomorrow the 28th we go to Amsterdam for the first time in over a year. The funeral will be on Saturday, and we will have a reception chez nous afterwards. And we had already arranged a New Year’s Eve dinner for about twenty-five of us. It will by default have to be a buffet. And the house will be full. Even with my renting two rooms at the hotel next door, at least one person will be sleeping on the floor.

We had a lovely Christmas gathering at Ben & Tanya’s. I was not feeling great, but the food was delicious, and I was famished. But what was best was watching our offspring (Chloe, Woody, Cosmo, Nina, Marly and Saul along with Big Max, Little Max and Big Max’s brother) interact with each other and share their mutual affection. In all, it was our extended London family and was more than complete.

2018 remains a complete mystery. One astrological forecast for Virgos says it will be the year to “ride or die.” But all I can say at present is that happiness is never excess baggage. My wishes to one and all for a happy and healthy new year!