Finished at last. I think it's totally safe to post these here as there's no way the recipient will be reading my blog.
(please forgive the slightly out of focus-ness of some of the photos)
The carol singer.
The lantern carrier
The mince pie seller
The cook
And the party guest
And, as an extra, to make sure they stay nice, not naughty, Father Christmouse.
Good morning.
Why are colds such disgusting things? They're probably one of the most anti-social things around - all that coughing and sneezing and spluttering. And as for waking up each morning - urgh.
I will be having another indoors day, whinging and whining to myself, but at least I won't be sharing anything unsavoury with friends and neighbours! I expect a day in my favourite chair beside the radiator, Christmas films on DVDs, book on one side and cold drink on t'other with knitting on my lap will be the schedule.
The Christmassy thing for today will be to make a few sausage rolls and a few pigs in blankets. Gone are the days when I had to make a huge trayful of these popular little sides; this Christmas we will be four, one of whom is vegetarian so a dozen will be more than enough - that's a dozen little ones made with half a chipolata each. The remaining six chipolatas in the pack will be made into sausage rolls. Again, not many and I will take the skins off the sausage meat and pep it up a bit before wrapping in pastry and freezing uncooked.
If I can muster the energy, I will go down to the garage and carry in the Christmas boxes that contain all the decorations, cards, wrapping paper, etc. I seem to remember I gave them a good tidy up at the beginning of the new year but, if I didn't, they will need it so maybe that's something I can do sitting down, bin bag to the side!
And it really is time the nativity set was out. If I didn't have a lovely wooden set, I'd have knitted one but as I do, I haven't. I expect the one I made for Mum will come back to me in the fullness of time, hopefully many years in the future.
The Christmas music, to cheer me up, is my most favourite part of a favourite classic. 'For unto us a child is born' from Handel's oratorio, 'Messiah'. I remember singing this with great gusto in the big top at Spring Harvest many, many years ago, as part of a large, bring-your-own-music, ad hoc choir. It was great fun, albeit not so great on technique!
Sung by Kings, of course. Who else?
Good morning. Isn't amazing how quickly a place can warm up. After yesterday's heavy frost, this morning feels really mild and, according to the Beeb, it's at least ten degrees warmer. It also seems to be raining a bit which is not so nice.
Yesterday, after a very easy drive over, I got to Jackie's and we had a jolly good chat, finishing off by sorting out the next get together (lunch in January) and three coach trips, one in March and two in April. Bruges, Oxford and the Milestones Living Museum. I've never been to any of them so it should be good, although how much time we will actually have in Bruges is questionable (or whether we will get there at all, given the whole Brexit fiasco).
Dad replied to my email saying that he'd much rather not risk getting any kind of chest/lung problem right now so that's the weekend plans cancelled. It's a shame because we were eating out this evening followed by a Christmas Concert given by the Arcadians, an excellent local operatic drama society. It can't be helped but it is such a shame.
I also heard from Beth who is feeling very unwell, poor love. There's some very nasty bugs going around at the moment, particularly one that isn't flu but is pretty close and Beth seems to have got it badly. She was doing a school Christmas fair this evening but has had to pull out of that.
After all of that, I had a think and messaged the mum of my Thursday student, saying I was ready and happy to tutor but I did have a nasty cold and she ought to know. The result was that she decided to cancel, sensible mum. She was apologetic but she didn't need to be - I quite understood. At least there will be no prep needed for next Thursday.
I went to pottery but Beth didn't, she wasn't well enough. It was good, as always, although people have finished off their projects more or less and were making little things like Christmas decorations. Only one of my glazed decorations had been finished as the kiln has been working overtime this week but the others had been loaded in by the end of the evening so I'll have them next week. I'm not totally happy with the one that was finished; the glaze has hidden the patterning on it more or less. Something learnt, I guess.
Earlier on yesterday, I had prepared my templates for the candle holder so I got going with a bigger slab of clay to roll it out, cut the shapes, do the patterning and by the end of the evening Alex had taught me how to construct something using clay, tools and what she calls 'slurry' which sounds disgusting but is only clay scraps and water that form a sort of 'glue'.
I didn't get beyond the four sides so it's all wrapped up well ready for next week which is the last session of the term. Hopefully, Beth will be well enough to come by then.
What a day!!
Today, I have a busy morning. I'm paying a governor's visit to the school so that should be great fun and I will fill up with some sort of ache-killer before hand Once that's over, I will come home and rest.
The Christmas themed thing today will be to make the pigs in blankets and get them into the freezer. I'll pop them into the oven tray I intend to use so there will be no extra faffing about before they go in the oven on The Day. I was going to get the necessary from Chapmans, a really good butcher in Baldock, over the weekend, but seeing as that's now off, I will get the bacon and sausages in Morrisons after I've finished at school
Today's performance always makes me laugh - from the incomparable Kings Singers, Deck the Hall.
Enjoy! xx
Good morning. It's another extremely cold start to the day but, fingers crossed, I'm hoping it is bright too.
I now have a wonderfully clean, fresh downstairs carpet again. He did a really good job, very thorough and no time wasted. Long time stains have now gone and I just have to wait until lunchtime today to remove the protective film from table and chair leg ends. I'm really glad I've had it done as the carpet was a disgrace to any decent home.
From now on it's shoes off in the hall!
Governors' training was very good, much better than I expected. It was all about the new way of reporting pupil progress and attainment, how to interpret the reports and, as governors, what to look for and what questions to ask.
It was going to be another busy day today.
This morning I am off to Jackie's, diary in bag, so we can arrange some outings and get togethers. Jackie's a good friend and I always enjoy our times together.
Then Dave and Anna were going to come for lunch. I've already made the soup, a really flavoursome turkey and veg affair. Unfortunately, this cold is proving to be a right stinker and Dave, having recently had a few medical issues, doesn't want to risk me kindly sharing my bugs all around, so he's called it off. I think he's right; it's not sensible to take the risk.
(With that in mind, I have also emailed Dad. I was due to go there this weekend but his health is also in a bit of a compromised state right now so I've explained the situation and await his decision. Bloomin' cold!)
In the afternoon, it's tuition. It's all planned and prepped - I did it while the carpet was being cleaned yesterday. I don't intend cancelling that - the student is young and tough. :-)
And finally, pottery! Woo hoo. It's the penultimate session of this term but, as we're both booked in for next term now, I can start something to carry on with in January. I want to start the candle holder that I saw in a pottery magazine. I've done a lot of slab pottery but I haven't made a slab pot yet so it would be a good thing all round. The tree decorations should be all ready to take home and there's a couple of heart shaped ones to glaze so that they're ready for next week.
Today's music is a blast from my past, so often sung at school. A lovely children's song that takes me back to happy times teaching the children the Christmas music for that year. I did enjoy doing that every Christmas
I'm not sure what other Christmassy things I will do today. I might move the furniture around, seeing as I have to remove the protector thingies from chairs and tables anyway. I need to make space for the Christmas tree and to make sure the easy chairs are all in a sort of semi circle for family chat.
I'll see how I feel later on.
Have a great day. xx
Good morning, everyone. After a very broken night's sleep (the cold, finally 'coming out' after weeks of threatening to), I'm up at stupid o'clock and it's too dark to see if there's a frost. According to the Beeb, there should be by morning but we will see. I'm wrapped up warm and the heating is on so it's not cold inside.
Yesterday went OK, all of it. Jeff turned up at the designated time and now my back garden has has a little haircut and dust down and looks , if not neat, a lot less tatty than before. Autumn is the worst time for tattiness really. Once most of the leaves are down (and they are) it's just a question of a snip here and a pull up there and making sure the bulbs are coming through (and they are!)
Once he had finished and gone, I took a walk to Morrisons to get a few bits and bobs in and espied some fresh cranberries that looked so festively jewelled that I just had to get some. I'll turn them into cranberry sauce (aka jam, really) in the next few days and that's that sorted for Christmas. I've stopped fussing with spices in my cranberry sauce as it makes the texture a bit grainy and I like it clear. I boil up the cranberries with sugar and a dash of water (amounts are a bit guess work really but it always works) and add some orange zest (just from fruit I am going to eat anyway so it's often a couple of easy peelers), some lemon juice (from a bottle) and a splash of cointreau (optional but lovely!). The lemon juice is not for setting purposes, it's because tastes nice! The fact that it helps setting is an optional bonus.
And that's it. Decant into a clean jar (or two), screw on the lid and allow to cool before storing in a cupboard. I never have any problems with setting and never check; you can just tell by the consistency.
At twelve, I set off for my hour of personal training. Lindsey's changed the routine now to include more balance ball exercises with weights which I can do at home. I'm continuing to really enjoy these sessions and have booked another set of them but once a fortnight rather than once a week so some work in between sessions is quite important.
As I set off for PT, the window cleaner turned up. He hasn't come for ages and I was wondering if I need to find someone else but it turns out the poor chap broke his ankle and was off work for ages. I'm glad he is OK now.
Later on, I had a tuition session and that was fun - I so enjoy the bit of teaching I still do and, without feeling I have to look over my shoulder all the time, it just becomes a most satisfying experience all round.
Today is a different day.
At around nine to nine thirty, a company is arriving to clean my big downstairs carpet which, frankly, is in a disgraceful state. It will be disruptive, of course, but so nice when it's all done and nowadays the machines are so good that they leave the carpet pretty much dry anyway. The central heating will see off the remaining dampness.
After that I have a free afternoon when I will probably make the cranberry jelly and that can be my Christmas Thing for today. Then, come the early evening, I am off to school for a multi academy governors' training session on 'Analysing School Performance'. I've read through the paperwork that came via text and am hoping for clarification this evening!!!
And after that I should sleep very well!
Today's music is a lovely rendition of 'Mary, did you know?' performed by Pentatonix.
I hope you enjoy it (and today) as much as I do. xx
I started my five days of blood pressure readings yesterday and, even after a weekend of unwise eating (and drinking) it was lower than at the surgery (although not low enough) so I guess white coat syndrome did come into play here. I'll give it three days of readings and if it's not still going lower, I will contact Dr Singh as she requested.
In better news, after a weekend when I didn't know whether the problem was dental or sinus, yesterday I didn't need to resort to any pain killers whatsoever. So, so much better and my conclusion is that it was sinus. There's a bit of tenderness under one eye but nothing really, so much better. I'm very happy about that as it has been a right nuisance!
I had a spot of luck at school in the afternoon - they were having the first complete run through of the Christmas Show and it really wasn't bad at all for a very first go. I enjoyed it very much.
I had a good look at Google Maps and found the way my sat nav took me on Sunday afternoon. Really, it wasn't all round the houses at all and, to be honest, really didn't add anything to the journey. It was just a different way, that's all.
So, on to today and it's all change. Jeff didn't come last week as it was raining and said he'd come today (it's usually Wednesday) Then I got a message from Lindsey to say could I come for my PT today instead of tomorrow which actually suits me much better this week. So I have a nicely punctuated day, fore, middle and aft (tuition).
Today's Christmas event is planning to get out my bedroom decorations and the tartan quilt cover and pillow cases (don't laugh). I love it because it's brushed cotton so lovely and warm and cosy.
Today's Christmas music is one I have never heard before but I think it's beautiful so am sharing it with you. I hope you like it too.
xx
Good morning, everyone. This morning is what yesterday morning should have been - cold, frosty and sparkly! Lovely.
I am such a homebody. I've had a lovely few days away but it was so lovely to get home again and already 'my' corner looks as if a bomb has hit it with little bits of mouse knitting strewed around, waiting to be assembled!
Yesterday was brilliant - the morning was anyway. I had an early start but managed to get back to sleep for a while, safe in the knowledge that I had done most of the packing (such as it was) the evening before.
Breakfast was amazing . . . it's funny how much one can tuck away when someone else has prepared it all, isn't it? Then I loaded up the car and walked through the Abbey Gardens to meet up with Sue from 'My Quiet Life in Suffolk' whose blog I have read and enjoyed for a long time now. In a way it's a bit like mine as it is full of the simple things that give so much joy, family love and everyday doings although also very different. I love it and recommend it to you.
We had a good old chat over coffee and when we had to stop I felt there was still loads to say. I'm looking forward to May now when I will be back in Southwold and, hopefully, we can meet up again. Thanks for coming, Sue.
Then I set off for Blackthorpe Barn which was a bit of a surprise as it was absolutely packed. I think I had mentally prepared myself for a small, hidden-away place which was silly, given the evidence of their web site and the glossy leaflets all around the town.
Once I managed to find a parking slot (not easy), I had a great time wandering around, looking at all the decorations for sale (and, I have to confess, buying a few) before returning to the car, setting the sat nav to home and setting off.
And that's where it all fell apart because in Sudbury a tiny part of the A131 was shut off - less than a hundred metres, that's all! Not knowing the place at all, I relied totally on my sat nav which ended up taking me all the way across to the A12 which I joined just south of Colchester. At least, once I was on the A12, I knew where I was and I was very thankful for it but, really, I'd have done better to go A14/A12 all the way, especially as Blackthorpe Barn is so close to the A14.
Today I must look on Google Maps and see if I can work out which way I ended up going. It was pretty much country roads until the A12 anyway.
Once home, I settled in and then did the day's Christmassy things, starting off the Advent candle and hanging up the decorations I bought for my bedroom tree. Very nice.
Today, life returns to normal. I have school this afternoon and then tuition, and the Christmassy thing will be candle, calendar and painting the clay decorations which have now dried out properly.
The other main thing is sewing the last two mice up and sorting out any last minute details such as the carol singer's little song book. Some little bits will need a gentle steam press first. You shouldn't iron acrylic based yarn as it over-flattens it and takes out all the texture but holding the iron over the piece and giving it a jet of steam works very well. I pin the bits into shape first to get it just right. Yes, it's a fiddle-faddle and takes time but it does make a difference to the finished article so it's well worth it, I think.
Today's Christmas music is the classic annunciation carol, The Angel Gabriel. I've chosen this clip because, although my voice is a disaster nowadays, I still enjoy 'reading' through notation and there's a bit of a joke in the clip as the link below shows.
Have a lovely time on this second day of Advent, wherever you are and whatever you have planned. xx
