Your our advent calendar is beautiful - ho w lucky your children are to have such a creative mum! I too love Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles - beautiful writing and a beautiful book.
Gina you are a tour de force! I hadn’t heard of the Tolkien Christmas Letters before. What a wonderful tradition. I’m sure your grandchildren will treasure the letters. As for Nigel…huge fan here!
oh my I do remember the days before Xmas when the kids were young and still coming home at Xmas with their partners , until one Xmas one of my daughters called to discuss when they would be coming . I told her we wouldn’t be here this year, where will you be she said , at your house i replied and that was it. We never held Xmas here again.We always travelled to my children’s homes. Then one Xmas I went totally rogue and I went alone to a friend’s house in South Carolina, she was single , one son who lived out of the country and we had the best time pretending it wasn’t Xmas. We drank a lot of Champagne, as we got older we stopped travelling to spend Xmas with the kids and grandchildren .Never put up tree anymore , no decorating . I buy 2 very large poinsettias and sit in my sunlit living room looking at the 3 feet of snow blanketing the out doors . I give gifts to the little neighbour boys next door and I am content . Love your post as always but so glad I am not there anymore.We have a set up in the kitchen and the kids post pic s on a daily basis of their and the grown up grands doings and I am content .
Oh loved your reply to your daughter! When I was first married I hosted Christmas every year from then for my parents, in-laws and often additional waifs and strays for about thirty years. It wasn’t unusual to have 20+ around the table for lunch. Then when my children got partners and got married I thought it might change but no. So now it’s often just the two of us. We might have a long walk, often a bottle of champagne and fish or a curry for dinner! Perfect!
Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles - yes, yes, yes! I always start reading them in November as it get's one into such a Christmassy frame of mind. And his recipes are terrific, they always turn out well. At some point over Christmas I always cook his cranberries and little sausages - comfort food. I love an interesting advent calendar. - for the last two years we have had Angela Harding calendars but this year I might have a change - I shall be looking next week. I feel for you with 'handmade' anything for Christmas. I once decided I would make cross stitch christmas cards for everyone and thought I would die of stress trying to get them all finished in a reasonable time!
Working in the cardmaking industry for 17 years, our xmas designs were always released in June, so many memories of making xmas card samples on summer heatwave days! I was so over xmas by the time it arrived! Tescos shop due any minute.. the first of the mince pies slipped into the basket ….
Good luck with the bin bag replacements! Am busy scribbling out fairies here as it appears that I have ten days in which to make them before the next pop up; how did that happen so quickly? Likewise I have letters to write, although to my very elderly Aunties, and cards to make for the extended family. Rod for own back isn't it? once we start these traditions. I love writing the letters with a glass of red and just letting my pen and mind ramble. It really does feel like Christmas then.
I shall look up Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles. Sounds lovely. Although it sounds problematic already - husband is a marzipan lover and we do some serious Stollen damage over the festive weeks!
Rod for your own back were precisely my husband’s words! But it actually brings a lot of pleasure too. The alternative to the bin bags is virtually finished… I’m just hand stitching the binding with a glass of red by my side!
Just catching up: two things! "the tedium of patchwork" - yes!!! Although the results are undoubtedly beautiful. And 'that song'?? I did start a semi-serious petition a few years ago, to get it maybe not outright banned, but at least further down the playlist of 'Christmas songs' that get trotted out time and time again. I gave up after a somewhat cool reception to my idea, but good grief, isn't anyone else sick of it yet?!
As you can see, I am catching up too. We're definitely together on patchwork although the results were worth the effort this time. Having done the local Church Christmas fair this morning and listened to four hours of Christmas music I have definitely had my fill for this year!
Your our advent calendar is beautiful - ho w lucky your children are to have such a creative mum! I too love Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles - beautiful writing and a beautiful book.
Thank you Deborah. I’m a great fan of Nigel Slater. I have several of his recipes that I regularly make
I have been reading him for more years than I care to remember! His recipes are so reliable.
Gina you are a tour de force! I hadn’t heard of the Tolkien Christmas Letters before. What a wonderful tradition. I’m sure your grandchildren will treasure the letters. As for Nigel…huge fan here!
You can’t beat Nigel for a great recipe. We have just had his squash pie for dinner which was delicious
oh my I do remember the days before Xmas when the kids were young and still coming home at Xmas with their partners , until one Xmas one of my daughters called to discuss when they would be coming . I told her we wouldn’t be here this year, where will you be she said , at your house i replied and that was it. We never held Xmas here again.We always travelled to my children’s homes. Then one Xmas I went totally rogue and I went alone to a friend’s house in South Carolina, she was single , one son who lived out of the country and we had the best time pretending it wasn’t Xmas. We drank a lot of Champagne, as we got older we stopped travelling to spend Xmas with the kids and grandchildren .Never put up tree anymore , no decorating . I buy 2 very large poinsettias and sit in my sunlit living room looking at the 3 feet of snow blanketing the out doors . I give gifts to the little neighbour boys next door and I am content . Love your post as always but so glad I am not there anymore.We have a set up in the kitchen and the kids post pic s on a daily basis of their and the grown up grands doings and I am content .
Oh loved your reply to your daughter! When I was first married I hosted Christmas every year from then for my parents, in-laws and often additional waifs and strays for about thirty years. It wasn’t unusual to have 20+ around the table for lunch. Then when my children got partners and got married I thought it might change but no. So now it’s often just the two of us. We might have a long walk, often a bottle of champagne and fish or a curry for dinner! Perfect!
Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles - yes, yes, yes! I always start reading them in November as it get's one into such a Christmassy frame of mind. And his recipes are terrific, they always turn out well. At some point over Christmas I always cook his cranberries and little sausages - comfort food. I love an interesting advent calendar. - for the last two years we have had Angela Harding calendars but this year I might have a change - I shall be looking next week. I feel for you with 'handmade' anything for Christmas. I once decided I would make cross stitch christmas cards for everyone and thought I would die of stress trying to get them all finished in a reasonable time!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Nigel Slater! Even I would draw the line at cross stitch cards for everyone so I feel your pain June
I don’t know what I was thinking..
😂
Working in the cardmaking industry for 17 years, our xmas designs were always released in June, so many memories of making xmas card samples on summer heatwave days! I was so over xmas by the time it arrived! Tescos shop due any minute.. the first of the mince pies slipped into the basket ….
I think I would be done with Christmas by now if I started in June! Enjoy your mince pies
Good luck with the bin bag replacements! Am busy scribbling out fairies here as it appears that I have ten days in which to make them before the next pop up; how did that happen so quickly? Likewise I have letters to write, although to my very elderly Aunties, and cards to make for the extended family. Rod for own back isn't it? once we start these traditions. I love writing the letters with a glass of red and just letting my pen and mind ramble. It really does feel like Christmas then.
I shall look up Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles. Sounds lovely. Although it sounds problematic already - husband is a marzipan lover and we do some serious Stollen damage over the festive weeks!
Rod for your own back were precisely my husband’s words! But it actually brings a lot of pleasure too. The alternative to the bin bags is virtually finished… I’m just hand stitching the binding with a glass of red by my side!
Stollen… now there’s a thought!
Just catching up: two things! "the tedium of patchwork" - yes!!! Although the results are undoubtedly beautiful. And 'that song'?? I did start a semi-serious petition a few years ago, to get it maybe not outright banned, but at least further down the playlist of 'Christmas songs' that get trotted out time and time again. I gave up after a somewhat cool reception to my idea, but good grief, isn't anyone else sick of it yet?!
As you can see, I am catching up too. We're definitely together on patchwork although the results were worth the effort this time. Having done the local Church Christmas fair this morning and listened to four hours of Christmas music I have definitely had my fill for this year!
😂 I’m all Angel Caroled out after singing in church today! It’s been my earworm for weeks…