A mercy dash!

We had a very relaxed start to the day and watched Saturday Kitchen Live from a week ago, when Bob Mortimer was the guest of the week. We also witnessed the atrocious end to yesterday's show when James Acaster "lost his temper" over Food Heaven, and acted like a spoiled toddler, hitting the table decoration, a Polar Bear decoration, and a Christmas Tree. We watched the aftermath, and everyone seemed highly embarrassed by his childish actions.

I then went and put a colour on my hair while Sophie and Keith prepared tonight's dinner, a gammon joint served with creamed cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli cheese and roast potatoes. The smells coming from the kitchen were delicious!

Back downstairs, I was relaxing and having a bite to eat when my phone rang, and it was Mike asking if we'd pick him and Abbi up from Bletchley train station as the trains from London were stopping there, unexpectedly. They were getting in at 1.30pm, in just over half an hour's time! Sophie said she would come with me, so we hurriedly changed and set off in the pouring rain.

The M1 was busy, and the spray being thrown up from the vehicles using the motorway made driving difficult. It was a relief to pull off at Junction 15 and follow the signs to the station. Mike and Abbi were waiting outside when we arrived and were very grateful we'd driven to collect them. They'd been to a friend's birthday party in London and hadn't realised there was a problem with the trains until they got on in the capital.

I asked Sophie to take me home via the A5 and the A508, and it seemed a lot quicker getting back! We dropped them at Abbi's Mum's house and popped into McDonald's so Sophie could have something to eat. 

Back home, we were straight back out again to the care home to collect Dad's clothes and shoes. We packed them into two suitcases and a box, sat with Mum for a while and then went home. Plans to play Scrabble tonight were put on hold, and Sophie made us both a small vodka and tonic.

Our dinner tonight was utterly delicious, but it was hard work! Luckily, Sophie had prepared the cabbage and broccoli and cauliflower earlier, and just had to heat them up. We simmered the ham with cloves, onions, celery and carrots and then brushed over a marinade and roasted the joint in the oven. It was lovely to sit and read the weekend's papers while the smells wafted about us!

The gammon was moist, juicy and sweet, and the vegetable dishes were gorgeous. Sophie can certainly make them again, perhaps when we have our Christmas meal on New Year's Day!