Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

You know it's nearly Christmas when the address book comes out and OH walks round to the post office for the Radio Times!
Off to choose our tree... well, I sit in the car while OH disappears into the 'forest' to choose. The farmer cuts it and delivers it same evening. I must organise its collection in January. Every year I say we'll get an artificial one next year!
Wonder what biscuits @Ante1 is making?
Hope those with lurgies are better soon.

 

I really dislike the idea of fake trees and the most realistic ones are very expensive so would have to last years and years. As long as we are able, we'll have a proper tree in the living room. We also have branches I collected in the garden a couple of years ago to hang from the kitchen and dining room ceilings and in the hall I've copied a Scandinavian idea - hang bamboo stems in a triangular shape and string with lights and decs to hang against a wall.

I've just been mixing all the fruits to soak in booze for my Creole cake. I have to be creative as I've never seen currants here, hate glacé cherries and can't always find dried cherries so it's a mix of raisins, sultanas, apricots, cranberries, prunes and preserved orange and lemon peel all sat soaking up the booze and spices for a week or so. Can't get cherry brandy either so I've used home-made damson vodka.

Now that OH has mowed the grass I can lay out our hosepipe again and water the plants in the polytunnel and then I'm off to sew. Oddly enough, when tidying up my sewing room yesterday I found two packets of seeds.

@Ante1 I used to have a really big Xmas cactus that always flowered in late November and was glorious. I put it outside, as usual, for its summer hols but 3 fat snails moved in and ate the roots just below the crown while I wasn't looking. Fortunately I have a baby.

 

I used not to like fake trees, but I've changed my mind and now I have one, or rather 1 and a 1/2. If the family were all coming to me like they used then I'd have a real one, but now I take it in turns to go to them. OH wasn't even with me last year, he was with his daughter in the UK and I was with my son in France.

I haven't done much today, too cold and grey to garden. Done a bit of HW, washed some jumpers, watched TV and read.

 

Afternoon all. It was warm but rainy day. I also didn't do too much, just a bit baking and cooking. I'll have few people on lunch tomorrow. I baked biscuits and red wine cake, and prepared caramel sauce which goes with cake. It sound like a lot of work, but it isn't.
I'm glad you saved Christmas cactus @Obelix-Vendée. Snails decimated my amaryllises last year.
And just for you @Penny_Forthem, licorice and almond biscuits with glaze made of apricot marmalade and gin.

​

 

Oh @Ante1 recipe please!!

 

No problem at all @Penny_Forthem. I'll write it tomorrow morning.

 

Night from Barney doodle

 

Good morning all. Sunny and warm, didn't expect this according to forecast. Hope it will stay like this.

Third candle is lit, candle of joy. Wish you all lovely Sunday.

​

 

​

Good morning all. Apologies for not wishing you all good night last night but I was feeing the effects of the bug and after the wonderful Strictly final I took some Night Nurse and retired to bed. Of course I overslept but am looking forward to another quiet day just keeping warm and recovering. Ante, those biscuits look delicious. Could just manage one now. @Penny_Forthem - a stunning Barney doodle.

 

Your wreath is so beautiful @Ante1. Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

@Obelix-Vendée your Creole cake sounds absolutely delicious.

 

Good morning ladies & gentlemen.

Firstly, my heartfelt thanks to the following good people for their very kind words to me:
@Songbird , @Obelix-Vendée , @Bluejayway , @Ladybird4 , @lizzie27 , @Penny_Forthem , @Allotment Boy , @AuntyRach , @Ergates , @Tui34 & @Busy-Lizzie . Your kindness has touched me greatly, thank-you all.


@Tui34 Apologies for not posting a translation at the time. There is a lyrical, poetic quality to Irish which is almost impossible to capture in English. However, a fairly loose translation of the words (which are as old as the hills and frequently spoken at funerals) is as follows:

My beloved Father,
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
And may God hold you in the heart of his hand.
Until the dawn breaks, and the shadows flee away.

Best wishes to all you good people, as always.

 

Good Morning all.

I hope you are doing ok @Badly_Maintained.

Oo @Ladybird4 - now you’ve announced it’s 10 days until C’mas, and with @Ante1 ’s third candle lit, it really feels that time is whizzing by this month. The Winter Solstice/ Shortest Day is next weekend, so we are nearly at that tipping point too.

Have a lovely Sunday all - calm, cosy and comfy (unless you desire something more energetic and busy of course).

 

Good morning all.

It's cold and foggy here. I'm calm, cosy and comfy indoors, playing with my computer @AuntyRach. All I've done so far is sweep the kitchen floor. OH is outside beavering away. He's got in the logs for both wood burners and now he's sweeping up leaves.

 

Morning everybody, it's warm and foggy here @Busy-Lizzie and I'm also playing on the computer when I should be outdoors sweeping up leaves. The last storm finally bought down all the birch leaves - most of which are now in the courtyard so I need to get out there, move all the pots, table and chairs etc and sweep them all up. They make very good leaf mould too as they're small and thin so that's my reward.

OH has walked down to fetch the morning paper - I should have gone too to get some exercise but didn't feel that energetic.

Love the candle wreath @Ante1.

We have a neighbours cat very peacefully sleeping on our Lutyens bench in the back garden but I don't suppose he/she/it will stay there for long once I get going. I do so miss our lovely little black and white cat Tavistock. He used to sleep on the same bench.

Right, better get on. Catch up later.