A mammoth undertaking

My sister and her husband have been visiting me for the weekend, and brought with them those Christmas presents that I couldn’t (and in one case, wouldn’t) carry home on the train.  As a family, we don’t really “do” Christmas, mostly buying each other games, puzzles and other non-serious gifts. I was pleased to be re-united with a number of model-making kits which will keep me busy on a wet Sunday afternoon – including a working trebuchet which looks fun.

My brother-in-law demonstrating the use of an Easter Island Head tissue box holder.......

The main reason they came up to Malvern though was to make sure I took custody of their Christmas present to me – a tissue box holder in the shape of an Easter Island moai. It’s made of stone and resin, and looks indestructible enough to survive a thermonuclear explosion. I’d claimed I couldn’t possibly carry it back on the train at New Year, but trust them not to forget to bring it with them this weekend.  It looks like the statue has got a cocaine addiction and his nose keeps running all the time. As my sister said, it was just as well they had pre-filled it with a box of white tissues, as it would be even more tasteless with a multi-coloured tissue box forming rainbow snot! Now I’ve got to find somewhere to put it – and if that’s the back of a dark cupboard, I’ll have to remember to bring it out again every time they visit!