A very fun evening

This has been a monstrously busy week – all busy with fun things.  I tease my aunt about her rich, full social life, but I have enjoyed the same lately.  On Monday, I visited Samos’s fabulous house.  It is becoming a work of art, as is his garden.  The light was poor, so no good pictures, except of a bit of Christmas décor.  Then, a games evening with The Twins.  We had a lovely dinner with a delectable salad, delicious lasagna, and some delightful cookies.  Our game du jour was Scrabble, which, as faithful readers know, I hate.  But I only hate it if we keep score, because I always lose.  Thinking up nice words is fun, but constantly losing is not.  When Rachael was wee, we played and didn’t keep score, and that was great fun.  We did keep score last evening, but I didn’t pay attention, so it was the same as not keeping score at all.  Our object was not big numbers, but fun Dickensian words.   I was thrilled to be able to put down Smee.  (Click here for pictorial evidence.)  Maria instantly said, “That is not a Dickens word.”  I said, yes it was, I was sure.  It was from Nicholas Nickleby. Corinna agreed with me, and we both agreed that it was the “poor beat up boy.”  We did develop slight doubts, however, as Maria was so certain.   Maria instantly whipped out her miraculous telephone, and informed us that the poor beat up boy was Smike and that Smee was a pirate in Peter Pan.  The astonishing thing about this, is that she also found that Winona Ryder, playing Jo in Little Women, looking through a window at Laurie, said, “He looks just like Smee, from Nicholas Nickleby.”  So I was not alone in my error.  A very odd coincidence. 

Here are bits of Christmas décor from both visits – a lovely new crèche, (the Wise Men are on their way, and are still off on the other side of the room) and a funny tree ornament.  I bet you can guess which was whose. 

P.S.  I lost grandly at Scrabble, but enjoyed it enormously anyway.