Glitter-Free Christmas Post, with Pseudo-Celebrity

After a few hours of opening presents with little kids, I feel like I should be posting photos of ribbons and glitter and gold and red foil. But frankly, I've had about all of that I can take, so here are photos of what we did yesterday.

In addition to me, Dave and Olga, another couple is staying at the guesthouse along with their two young daughters. Yesterday we all went for a walk, along with our hosts Dick and Georgia and their dog, Bonnie, in a patch of wooded pasture land not far from the house.

Olga chased her Kong, but she wasn't sure what to do with the resident sheep. She chose not to approach them at all.

Dave said, "They look like Barbara Walters!" Which is completely true.

Yesterday afternoon I went with the other couple, Carolyn and Mark, and their two daughters Zoe and Ella to a church service at the old village church across the road from the guesthouse. (I posted photos of this church the last time we were here.) The service was aimed mainly at children, meant to decorate the "crib," or creche. Zoe and Ella got to participate and we sang carols, many with melodies that varied from what I'm used to in the states. (Apparently this is a common thing in England.) We were identified as visitors during the service, and in the end after everyone formed a circle and enthusiastically sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," a village woman turned to me and said, "This is England for you!"

We came back to the guesthouse for authentic eggnog with some neighbors, and finished up with a dinner of beef wellington. And now, after presents this morning, I'm already exhausted.

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas!