More Advent Windows

Before I disappear under piles of wrapping paper in a mince pie induced stupor, I thought you might like to see some more of the advent windows that have popped up in our village over the past week or so. I have managed to get out at 5 pm to the lighting up of most of them, despite some very wet and windy weather. Quite often the few hardy souls who venture out have been rewarded with some very welcome refreshments. Mulled wine, mulled cider and hot chocolate have all been sampled along with mince pies, Lebkuchen, stollen, cookies, flapjacks and panetonne... although not all at once I might add. I quite miss my 5pm treat on the nights I have not managed to get out! Anyway, the windows in the order that my photos loaded...

John and Lesley did a simple but very effective silhouette, lit beautifully with a star of fairy lights which hasn't photographed at all well. Taking photos in the dark has been quite a challenge. There is a touch of humour in this one with the Star Wars TIE fighter... did you spot it? It reminded me of my brother who aged about seven drew a lovely picture in his school book of Harold at the battle of Hastings removing the arrow from his eye, complete with a fleet of fighter jets whizzing overhead.

Tonight we were treated to this stunning tree from Peter and Christine. The warm mulled wine was very welcome as we stood in the freezing rain!

I didn't actually get to see the window above on lighting up night but isn't it beautiful with all the doves flying around. However I did get to see Jane and Alan's window below, which must have taken ages to put together. Although I have loved seeing every single one I think their rendition of a bookshop window is just perfect and probably my favourite. It is full of Christmas themed books that Jane has collected. Just peering in feels like entering another world. I think I would like to curl up in a corner with one or two of those books!

The stained glass effect angel was simple in design but very effective and quite poignant. Gilly made it in memory of her sister, with the angel wearing her sister's favourite colour dress. The sunshine was a reminder to keep sunshine in our lives despite difficult circumstances.

My photo doesn't really capture Anne and Peter's window very well but the beautiful traditional crib scene is made from a bamboo set that Anne collected when she lived in Hong Kong. But the piece de resistance is the coloured star which moves across the night sky in an arc down behind the stable, driven by Peter's childhood meccano set!

The window below is another feat of construction, again not really shown up in my photos but each of the little buildings is beautifully made from Lego.

This gorgeous snowy scene is just a few doors along from us so we didn't have to venture far but I think the children of the household had a part in making the snowflakes and pompoms etc. They were very excited by their lights being turned on and the people turning up to watch.

The window below is a beautiful parade of nutcrackers.

And Sarah and Colin's window is another fabulous stained glass effect, although Sarah did admit she had outsourced the work to her Mum!

I have missed a few and there are of course still four more to go. On Christmas eve the window will be unveiled at the chapel following a carol service so I expect we will wander along for that. From Monday through to Friday next week we have various family members turning up at different times culminating with twelve here for lunch on Friday, although Christmas day itself will be quiet with just the two of us and my Mum. 

So that's it from me for a while. The jury is still out as to whether I will continue to blog into the new year, as I've not been around much lately. We shall see... I won't disappear without saying farewell!

It really just remains for me to wish you all a very happy Christmas whatever you might be doing... I hope it's a good one!

Decking the Halls

When you have lived somewhere for almost thirty years the Christmas decorations evolve to fit the house, so moving somewhere new feels like starting all over again. When we packed up after Christmas last year I did get rid of quite a bit, such as my stair garland, as I knew it was unlikely to fit a new home. To be honest I was glad to see the back of it as each year it seemed a little balder and dustier than before! Most of the other bits and pieces have been accommodated into our cottage with only a few being relegated back into the box, having tried them and decided they don't really fit.

Despite downsizing we have gone from a single fire place to having three so that has required a major rethink as I don't really want to go out buying new stuff... being on a year of not buying new stuff where possible. The big open hearth with it's solid wood mantel proved a challenge but over the weekend I went foraging for greenery and pine cones and came home laden. One reel of florist's wire later plus a few silk poinsettias from our old stair garland and I have a beautifully decorated hearth in our living/dining/kitchen area.

 

 I feel quite pleased with my efforts!

 

In our small front room I have put together more pine cones and poinsettias together with ornaments that used to adorn our piano and have decorated the mantel there.

And the fireplace in our hallway has inherited the garland that used to decorate the one and only fireplace in our old house.

So together with a wonderful 8' tree, grown in the village and carried home on Saturday I think the house feels just about ready for Christmas

If only everything else was so organised... I've barely even thought about gifts or food etc! And we might just have to go without a Christmas cake, although it wouldn't be the only year I make one with less than a week to go! But I'm not stressing because none of it really matters.
Are you ready for Christmas yet?

Advent Windows

It's not often that I'm sitting doing nothing much on a Saturday afternoon but after several weeks of non stop activity plus a bout of seasonal insomnia (always happens this time of year - too much going on adds up to a busy head that won't let me sleep) has led to my body screaming "Stop and put your feet up woman". So that is what I am doing. However I'm not one for daytime snoozing so I thought I would pop by here for a quick update while I recline on the sofa.

Within just a few weeks of moving to the village I was asked if I would like to participate in an advent windows event called "Light the Night". Throughout December different households light up a window each evening until there are twenty four different illuminated windows throughout the village. It sounded such a lovely idea and back in July, December was still a long way off so of course I agreed to take part. Fast forward several months and I have been frantically gluing and grouting broken china and mosaic tiles to wooden angel shaped bases. There were a few technical issues i.e the stick on hooks kept falling off the window frames and until I actually switched it all on I wasn't sure how illuminated it would be but come lighting up time on 2nd December I was thrilled with the resulting window.

I have fifteen mosaic angels plus a bauble with a number two (because we were 2nd December) hanging from each glass panel amid lots of fairy lights and twinkly bits.

We had quite a crowd turn up for lighting up time who were treated to a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie or two.

It has felt lovely to be part of such a festive tradition and although I'm sure we won't make every lighting up time until 24th, we have managed to be there at 5pm every evening so far.

 

The event was started last Sunday on the 1st December at the village pub where ten windows were revealed one at a time while the landlady read the story of The Nutcracker to the gathered crowd.

On 3rd my friend Vicky revealed her windows, which depicted the Three Little Pigs. Her beautiful straw thatched cottage used to be a piggery and then subsequently it was a pub called The Pig and Whistle. Her thatch also has straw pigs along the roofline so you'll understand why she chose her beautiful scene. The colours are glorious.

On the 4th we were treated to a Bethlehem scene lit up by a beautiful star

And on 5th, the school revealed their window of the Three Kings bearing gifts, created by the pupils and staff.

Last night we were treated to a traditional nativity scene with beautiful carved wooden figures from Africa.

 

We'll be taking another little wander up the road this evening to see what is in store for the seventh window as it is such a wonderful way to count down the days until Christmas. Although to be fair we have got a chocolate calander too!

Food, Glorious Food

So here we are once again on the other side of another Christmas. Despite my lingering cough and cold, it has been a fun few days spent with various family members. There has been laughter, some games, a few drinks and plenty of food. Which seems fitting, because food is so much more than just eating. For me it's about sharing, togetherness and good times, which is what Christmas should be about too.

Although having seen the size of the portion a certain someone had for his Christmas dinner it is probably a lot about the eating too! It is only one of a handful of occasions when I cook him a roast dinner with meat so he was forgiven... although my parsnip roulade and vegetables don't really come close do they! Suffice to say, no-one went hungry though.

We don't do lots of big gifts in our family but food featured heavily this year. We received this huge can of extra virgin olive oil that came directly from our daughter in law's family in Kalamata, which made me very happy. Another son and daughter-in-law filled a bag full of fabulous homemade baking and preserves, including these preserved lemons and harissa paste. I feel a Moroccan feast coming on! And a third son and daughter-in-law baked us mince pies and cookies. We have been very spoiled indeed.

In an effort to not buy our grandson more plastic toys, I made him a set of felt food for his new toy kitchen (remember that last minute idea... this was it. The knitted hat however never did make it on the needles!).

I think they gave me a whole lot more pleasure than they gave him. After lots of fun opening the parcel the entire contents were tossed aside along with the little personalised shopping bag, in favour of the football (plastic) that my Mum had given him!

As the week has gone on we have been creative with leftovers, finished off the mince pies as well as the last of the turkey and I am now longing for fresh flavours and lots more fruit and veg (real rather than felt!). The Christmas cake however remains untouched waiting for someone to cut into it in the New Year. 

And so we come to the end of another year which we will be celebrating with friends... and more food of course. Looking back it has been a wonderful year of weddings and celebrations, although not without its challenges too. But we enter 2019 looking forward to a fresh start in a new home before too long.

Wishing you and your families a very healthy and happy New Year!

Happy Christmas

I have spent today flicking a duster around and giving the vacuum cleaner a cursory run up and down the hall, I've pretty much wrapped most of the presents which have now taken up residence under the tree and I have bought all the food I intend to buy... if we haven't got it in now then we won't be having it! So I feel as ready as I'm ever likely to be... it all happens one way or another. Mostly I enjoy all the preparations, except for the food shopping which is stressful in the extreme, but like I say it's all done now and all that is left to do is to cook. Well, that would be the case if I didn't have a last minute brainwave to make some felt fruit and vegetables and knit a hat. I'll let you know how that plan went once Christmas is over but given that I haven't actually cast on the hat I think I might be being unrealistically optimistic. Plus I have gone down with a cold which is waking me up at 4am every morning this week. I really could do without that but realised as I lay awake at some silly hour this morning trying to ignore my thumping head that I only ever get colds at this time of year so it feels as much like Christmas as the smell of pine cones and the continual backdrop of carols. Looking on the bright side if I'm awake at 4 am I might get that hat knitted!

I leave you with some of the images of a recent outing with my Mum to see the Christmas lights at Kew Gardens. It was a spectacular show of light and sound and my pictures don't begin to do it justice.

There were trees covered in  twinkling fairy lights and curtains of light that changed colour as we walked through them.

A whole cathedral of light with accompanying choral music

as well as giant flowers that changed colour.

It was all quite breathtaking. Plus I had churros and hot chocolate for my dinner which was also rather amazing. Do not judge me until you have tried it!

The finale was a projected light and sound show onto the Palm court and the fountain. It was a wonderful evening that was rounded off by driving home through the West End of London to see the lights there too. They didn't disappoint either - I just loved the host of angels down Regent Street. It was such a fabulous evening that I have declared it my final 60 x 60, more in an attempt to draw a line under this particular project before I launch into something else.

I hope all your plans and preparations are going smoothly and all that remains is for me to wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy Christmas.

My December so far

I never intended to go AWOL for quite so long, but you don't need me to tell you how life sort takes over at this time of year.

The decorations went up earlier than usual as I was hosting our book club party. It was only as I was putting out all the usual bits and pieces that I started to feel  quite sad that this is probably the last time I will decorate this house for Christmas.

And it does lend itself to bit of decorating!

It's a great house for parties too... and boy have there been parties over the years! There have been birthday parties and barbecues, fancy dress parties, post production parties and of course lots of Christmas parties. But it is ridiculous for two of us to be rattling around in all this space just so we can throw a good party or two so I'm trying not to feel sad.

As well as parties there has been shopping and except for food I have mostly finished Christmas shopping, even managing to treat myself. This little cactus makes me smile every day with its cheery blooms. It's the best £3 I've spent this month.

This month there have been some lovely walks too with some beautiful sunsets... although I got rather wet and muddy this morning. The downside of having a dog is you can't really choose when to walk, although I often think that is the good part too, as it makes me go out and walk everyday whatever the weather.

And of course there has been plenty of baking... all the usual mince pies and Christmas cakes, as well as Rocky Road and chocolate orange brownies for the afore mentioned party. I think they might just be my favourite ever brownies

Youngest son is still finding life a challenge at the moment and I had to bring him back home again at the weekend. I wouldn't have minded quite so much if I hadn't managed to get a parking ticket in the process. My own fault... I was collecting him from his brother's  where it is resident only parking. I took a chance as I knew I was only going to be ten minutes (plus it was pouring with rain) but as bad luck would have it I chose the same ten minutes that the warden decided to wander up the street. It didn't seem fair under the circumstances but there was no point arguing so I've paid up!

But I guess  the biggest news of all since I was last here is that we've sold our house this week, so it definitely will be our last Christmas here. There are an awful lot of memories here aside from parties... twenty nine years of memories. My children all grew up in this house and Stewart and I held our wedding reception in the garden, but I'm being positive and thinking of the exciting times and adventures that lie ahead in 2019. 

And I'm trying not to think about all the clearing out involved in moving from a large five bedroom family house to a three bedroomed cottage... we can worry about that after Christmas! Anyone want a piano?

It's Starting to Feel a Lot Like...

Yes, Christmas. So now we are here in December I cannot help myself feeling a lit bit excited. Already I imagine I can make all the presents, cook everything from scratch, decorate the house with homemade garlands etc. etc. but it's not going to happen because the truth is I'm already exhausted! This week began with a long overdue trip into London to catch up with a friend. I went in early not wanting to waste the opportunity of being in town and I saw the Anni Albers exhibition at the Tate Modern. It was good, but if I'm honest weaving is not really my thing and so after the first few exhibits they all started to look the same. Coming out it was lovely to see the city lit up on a cold but sparkling evening, already looking very festive.

Jude and I met at Comptoir Libanais, London Bridge which was a feast for the senses, a riot of colour and decorative detail. The fabulous Lebanese food was also a treat for the taste buds full of wonderful flavours. I had an Aubergine Fattet ( a sort of Moussaka) followed by an Orange blossom Mouhalabia ( a traditional milk pudding with a dried fruit compote). My Insta worthy photos of my half eaten food weren't really that good so I won't share them with you. Trust me... it was excellent!

Back at home there has been baking as I have made a start on the Christmas cakes... yes, that is cakes not cake as I have six to make this year. I'm not complaining as they are all orders and I enjoy making them. If we are lucky we might get to keep one of them too but I'm not that bothered. I can take it or leave it as I find I'm too full of everything else to want cake at this time of year.

There were also a batch of mini Christmas cakes too, made for the church market on Saturday. They usually sell like... well, hot cakes... but not this year. So if I don't get to keep a large cake for us there could well be several small ones instead.

The reindeer cookie pops however were a big hit and I sold out of those.

There was also a day this week looking after this little chap... it's hard to believe that he is almost two. He is on the move constantly and so busy and interested in everything. I think I must be getting old as I'm sure I never used to get this tired when my four were small! He's an absolute delight though. Maybe I wouldn't get so tired if I wasn't crawling around on all fours pretending to be a lion!

Stewart got a treat this week as I made him an advent calendar filled with twenty four different beers. Well I think they are all different but I did start to lose count of what I had already bought. It's a bit rickety and the doors don't quite fit but he was happy

This was me at the market yesterday, held in the local church. I have been doing this market for several years now and it feels like the start of Christmas for me. It's always a lovely morning catching up with lots of friends

Today I have been at work in the cafe, mostly in the kitchen where it has been non-stop all day. Back home I made another couple of Christmas cakes this evening, plus a pan of soup from all the veg lurking at the bottom of the fridge (it tastes much better than it sounds), a batch of granola for some quick breakfasts as well as tonight's dinner. Should keep us going for a few days I hope as I'm back in the cafe again at 8.45 tomorrow morning.

So bit of a boring post really as I catch up on this week. Plans of shorter more regular (and more entertaining) posts just don't seem to happen. Well they do in my head but as you can see there is too much else going on. At least I wasn't silly enough to attempt a daily post in December as in previous years! How are your Christmas plans going?