May I share with you my earliest memory of a political row? It was with my mother, about the Queen - classic Freudian stuff, shrinks would say. I was eight, and refusing to watch the Queen's Christmas Day broadcast.

Like my dad, I have a Christmas party most years. I like to celebrate and see as many people as possible.

My mother would give my brothers and me a pile of catalogues and let us pick what we wanted for Christmas.

Our last jam session was this past Christmas. Dad played his harmonica, mom sang in English and Italian, and I played guitar. I'm so happy that we could share that musical experience for one last time.

The best Christmas present I got from my husband was a week to do whatever I wanted.