Wednesday 26 December 2012

Delighting in Boxing Day


Sitting on the little sofa squished right up next to the tree, digging into the Lindor chocolates. I have my nan's crochet blanket on the sofa which has a special pocket in it for putting sweet wrappers: good use of a spare crochet square nan! We've just had another Christmas dinner, this time pheasant and salmon wellington. Yesterday we started off the day at home opening presents in bed with the cats enjoying the ribbon and paper. Lots of lovely presents and homemade cards for each other.


Me and M bought the same thing for each other, Lee Hazlewood's 'A House Safe For Tigers' which I mentioned in the last brief post. The rest of the day was spent having a fine time with Mr and Mrs O . Lots of relaxed fun.
Apart from the opening of presents in bed the other traditions we have established over the the years include a meal on Christmas Eve after all the prep is done, often fondue. Me watching 'The Snowman' on Christmas Eve, this year the delightful but sad 'The Snowman and the Snow Dog'. Watching 'Bad Santa'. M making a game pie and glazed ham . For Christmas Day breakfast I always make something potted, this year potted crayfish tails. For the tree we have a woodland theme, M is very serious about the decorating of the tree and would get a tree on 1st December if he could. I  make a swag for the front door with a chopped off lower branch.


We also have a homemade advent calendar which is lots of envelopes and small boxes in a corner of the kitchen.

The last couple of years I've established a new tradition purely for my girl friends, 'Christmas for Girls' which takes place a few days before Christmas and involves lots of fizz, clementine cake and not a pork pie or massive slab of ham in sight. We never get away with this when the men are about! Boys are 'sent' to the pub. I don't think they mind!


I love the bit of the holidays between Christmas and New Year when they are endless plates of snacks from the fridge to be had and craft to be done and catch up tv and much needed relaxing.


One of the lovely presents M got me was a LP and cd by 'The Shangri-las', who I love. I'll leave you with one of their finest tracks




Monday 3 December 2012

Wednesday 21 November 2012

A right knee(s) up and a soul treat

 Recently there has been a lot of this....



...because of this...


However...there has also been a lot of visitors, favourite foods, presents, cats who are happy that I am at home, garden, a helpful husband and a birthday with fireworks. Which means all of this...fifteen days in fact...

















The owl-adorned present was for Mr O who loves his fireworks, take a listen here, a soul treat! Hope I will be up dancing to it again soon...














Sunday 4 November 2012

North Norfolk

Before we set off for Blakeney I dug up the last of the potatoes and visited my parents, taking with me some recently finished makes that had been destined for the pile of UFOs (unfinished objects).





A long weekend away with Mr and Mrs Orton in Blakeney. Walked on the salt marshes, marvelled at the sun and rainbows on Holkham Beach, saw seals, Oyster Catchers and Brent Geese at Blakeney Point. There seemed to be lot of pork pies and sausage rolls eaten by the boys and I have tried nearly all the Adnam's ales now I think.