Amanda under a portrait of Amanda

Christmas Eve with Amanda Eliasch, Tim Willis and Kay Saatchi in Beverly Hills.

I wore a tweed waistcoat.

I chattered with everyone.

It was a great night.

I was the last to leave.

Tim

Amanda cooked dinner for twenty.

We ate turkey, beef, brussel sprouts, assorted roasted root vegetables.

Every scrap was eaten.

The dogs ate beef bones.

I told other guests about my self sufficiency plan.

They were delighted.

Also discussed Health Care debate and-unsurprisingly-reality TV.

Luna and The Little Dog

Kay Saatchi wore a red silk Marni dress and took many pictures.  Tomorrow she is going to Arizona.

Luna was the belle of the ball.  Everybody loved her.

The Little Dog found a boy to trust.

They both ate tons of beef and turkey.

Earlier in the day Kay, Jerome (French cultural attache) and I took Kay’s Mustang onto Rodeo and drank hot chocolate bumping into Sharon along the way.

We were way laid by the 50% off Prada sale and Ralphs to buy Cranberry juice.

That morning I fretted for an hour about what to wear.  Finally opting for

Amanda

tweed waistcoat and cordroy trousers.

No jacket-just a shawl.

Once I arrived, formally, that night I wore birds in my hair.  Pulled two stuffed birds off the Christmas Tree and made the hat.

As I said, I was the last to leave.  No traffic at all on the way home.

Christmas morning 2009 Kay made eggs, bacon and roasted tomatoes.  We set the table in the garden and ate breakfast in the Californian sun.

By the way, my presents included these fab highlights:  1. A cashmere covered hot water bottle-I opened it and it smelt just like they used to when I was a boy.  Rubbery.

2.  A pair of scull socks from New and Lingwood.

3.  Several scented candles.

For a short while they roosted here..

4.  A promise of sobriety.

I spent most of Christmas Eve with Tim.  We have a great deal to remember together.  Trips to Greece, Scotland, Yorkshire a particularly drunken toga party on Patmos when we both fell through a plate glass coffee table.

We remembered Issie Blow who he was with for two years.

I love how Tim gets on so well with Jack and Charles-Amanda’s two grown boys.  Jack showing his love for Tim by customizing a pair of kicks for Tim’s Christmas present.

Tim’s delicious present from Amanda:  a frock coat by Paul Smith.  He looked divine.  By Christmas

Mid-Day Tim had been totally made over by Ms Eliasch.  Again.

Oh, I am all over the place.  My chronology is ruined.

Tim and I love giggling about how RUDE we had been.

I love Tim.

By the time we got home the dogs were exhausted!  They went straight to bed and we all slept like logs until the alarm went off on Christmas Morning.   I went to a 7.30am AA meeting which was TERRIBLE.

Amanda and Kay

After Kay cooked breakfast I met Jake and  his wife for Finnish rice pudding and licorice.

DON’T!  I know.

I must have received well over 200 Christmas text messages and emails and tweets, calls and Facebook messages..

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!