I still remember the last Christmas Granny spent with us. I remember it was a cold, windy day because Granny’s grey hair was a     1     when she arrived. With Christmas on the way, our     2     grew each day—lights appeared in the streets, Christmas cards arrived, and there was snow everywhere. Granny and I made sugar biscuits,     3     the turkey and then I sat on my granny’s lap and we sang Christmas songs. Granny had     4     to sing it over and over again.

On Christmas Eve, Granny took a seat by the fire as we put up the Christmas tree. I     5     most of the decorations on the branches.Before bed, Granny and I put a stocking at the end of my bed. I was on my best behaviour as we opened the presents the next day. Later, Granny called me over. “I have something special for you,” Granny     6    . “It’s for all your treasures. Merry Christmas.”It was a music box with a ballet dancer inside.

Lunch was a loud and exciting affair. We put on silly paper hats and had a big turkey with potatoes, followed by Christmas pudding. David put so much pudding in his mouth that he couldn’t     7    . Granny laughed so much that her paper hat fell off.

A few weeks after that Christmas, Granny passed away. When I think about what makes Christmas so     8    , it’s not just gifts and Father Christmas that come to mind. It’s also my memory of Granny.