That Was Family, We Did The Xmas Thing Already

We had a family Xmas morning tea, with my lovely Auntie and my cousins.

I looked around Marie’s house, it has the look of the elderly about it, the décor looks elderly. It all looks old and dated, the same furniture Marie had in their first house, recovered in a regrettable fabric in the eighties. First year without Uncle Al. I guess that is what we all become in the end, the first Xmas since [fill in the name] died and who we all remember for that Xmas, we say nice things, then we talk about other things.
We still have our family Xmas dinner tomorrow night. I don't see the point really, as we all just got together, but my brother and sister still seem keen.
 It means we have to drive to the country. "Do we really need to come," I say to my sister as we leave my Auntie's house.

"Yes, you do," my sister says.

My niece from NZ will be there. And my brother in law will be out of hospital. Oh, yes, my sister's husband fell off his bike. Yes, good timing, right on Xmas.

I hope none of them expect presents, I haven't bought one present this year. I haven't made one Xmas move, no tinsel, no Xmas wishes. Oh, one. Two. And the bulldog. (see below) He looks like Buddy. The girl I took over from, who is going in for cancer therapy, left it for me, as a Xmas wish. A girl I knew for two days, made more of a Xmas effort towards me, than I have towards my entire family. It is true. So, I can't even really claim the bulldog.