This is the darkest time of the year and we don’t have all the usual Holiday parties to fill the calendar and make it bright. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still be festive. The halls are decked and candles lit—it’s basically hygge 24/7 around here.

And last night Amy and Carol joined us for what turned out to be a lovely evening. It was Amanda’s idea, really. She had discovered that Lookingglass Theatre was streaming a new play by Mary Zimmerman about the Steadfast Tin Soldier. We got tickets and got together to stream it live.

As a pre-theatre activity we divided orchids on the back porch . . .

. . . and then we settled down to watch the delightful rendition of the classic tale. It was fully pantomime, no words, but clearly told and the final scene when the soldier and the ballerina burn to embers in the fire was particularly beautiful. At the end, we FaceTimed Amanda to debrief from afar.

Then it was time for post-theatre supper. I made a hermit’s soup; Amy brought bread; and Carol and Justin contributed home made apple pie and kouign amans, respectively.

It was as cosy and warm as could be, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have these people in my “pandemic bubble”, and for the technology that lets us stay close to people further afield.