Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Good afternoon everyone!!

Sunny here today but quite windy. Good!!! It will dry up the puddles!!

Thank you @Ladybird4 for the translation. I find that as I get older, I get easily moved to tears. And it's not hormonal - my Dad was the same. I do hope you are feeling better by Monday - these colds seem to drag on f'ages. Much flu' around here, too. I hope my vaccinations work!!

St Lucia @lizzie27 is the festival of light and on the 13th December, the Nordic regions have the entrance of light with children wearing crowns of candles as we move towards the shortest day.
Here is a little explanation: St. Lucia’s Day | History, Traditions, & Facts | Britannica

I have Christmas Cactus @Songbird and in bud. They make a very pretty display during these cold months. Mine is a pink one.

Have a pleasant Sunday everyone.

 

Greetings all. I'm supposed to be cleaning windows today but, for the first time in ages I slept thru the night till 10am and now I've cleaned the walk thru pantry floor after a wet and sticky accident with a bottle of mirin the sun has come out. Tuesday then.

@Ladybird4 the creole cake is a Delia recipe and much easier than an Xmas cake as it needs no feeding. @lizzie27 both our cats are curled up indoors on fleecy blankets rather than venture out in the cold.

I love your candle wreath @Ante1. I hope everyone is doing well with their preparations to celebrate or hibernate and that all lurgies are fading fast.

 

Hello all.
I, too, have been outside this morning as it’s quite a bit milder than of late, with a bit of a breeze. I failed miserably to walk past some mixed narcissus yesterday- 30 for £5, which I thought was cheap. Have cleared out a large pot near the garage and planted them all in there. They should make a nice display if they grow. Have cleared lots of leaves and OH has cleared a few weeds and leaves from the front garden.
We are planning on getting rid of the front garden grass next year. It’s on a slope, is very bumpy and full of weeds. It’s also quite large and getting a chore to cope with it. Our plan is to lift grass, level it, weed membrane down and cover with good gravel to match the driveway. We will be be “ getting a man in” to do the job.
@Tui34 , we used to have a pink Xmas cactus but that died,we don’t seem to be very good at growing indoor plants at all. I am half waiting for the present one to start dropping its buds.
@Obelix-Vendée , I wish I could sleep through to 4am let alone 10am, that would be a bonus for me.
@Ante, lovely to see the candles now, good memories.
@Badly_Maintained , I hope, each day, you are recovering well from your operation and that you and your mother are coping.

 

i usually wake up at least once @Songbird and then have difficulty dropping off again so i must have needed it. How are you planning to stop your gravel going downhill?

This is my deceased Xmas cactus 2 years ago. It's baby is in a 4" pot so has a way to go.

 

Good afternoon all. Drizzly here, so no gardening today - but plenty of jobs on the go, so I don't expect to have much time for my knitting until this evening.

I'm going to have a go at making bread from spelt flour, for my daughter who's on the FODMAP diet. She has an ap on her phone which tells her what she's allowed to eat, and bread made from white spelt flour is OK. I thought I'd make a loaf in advance of her visit, to see if it works out ok and tastes reasonable... has anyone here tried making spelt bread? I'd be grateful for any tips. I've also had a change of plan for the Christmas cake, since she'll be able to eat the chocolate cake I make with ground almonds instead of flour, and it's very yummy! It won't have white icing for the angels to sit on, but I don't think that will matter.

 

I use spelt flour for bread @Liriodendron and sometimes 5 cereal flour with linseeds. I also use the poolish method which means a long, slow prove with minimal yeast and kneading. It's better for the digestion and has better flavour. I can pm you the recipe if you like.

 

Yes please, @Obelix-Vendée - thank you!

 

Good afternoon, after a bright start it's been dull all day, a reversal of yesterday. I have been spraying the Allotment fruit trees with winter wash. It's based on veg oil, so Organic. Full explanation on "what are we doing in the garden today "
Regards to all.

 

@Obelix-Vendée , sorry, should have made it clearer that it’s not a steep slope in front garden, more of a slow decline. The gravel on the driveway is the same and never moves. No doubt the cars that stop on the gravel will soon bed it in anyway. I’d love a christmas cactus that looks like that, covered in flowers.
Yousound as if you did need the extra sleep, hope you felt really refreshed after it.

 

@Songbird, if you stipulate 'self-binding' gravel, it has sandy/gritty bits with it which over time stick together so the gravel doesn't move. It's been a godsend in the parking area around our garage as I reverse down the drive, over to the side of the garage then forwards onto the lane.
It means we don't get that annoying scatter of gravel onto the road and also keeps down the self seeding weeds, not all, but it helps.

Thank you @Tui34 for the link to St Lucia.

I got out about 11 ish when it took me well over an hour to tidy up and sweep all the leaves up - and it's a relatively small area. I've ditched several pots, found others with unknown bulbs beginning to sprout so hastily put those in the greenhouse away from the squirrels. I've also lined up the pots with emerging hellebore flowers in a row where I can see them from the kitchen window.

Last episode of Wolf Hall tonight - hankie at the ready! It's been an absolutely riveting series and the acting has been fantastic. The BBC as it's very best, wish they would produce more high standard stuff like this one.

 

Good afternoon everyone,

I’ve not posted much recently because we had a few days away in York this last week and then I’ve spent the weekend putting up the trees and decorations which has been time consuming but fun. Consequently, I’ve been catching up with your posts.

I’m so very sorry to hear about your Father @Badly_Maintained, plus your own frightening health scare at nearly the same time. You are going to need to really look after yourself in the coming months, and I send you and your Mum my deepest condolences. The poem you posted is beautiful, and I hope its words bring you some comfort.

That’s a lovely tradition with the wheat @Ante1, and it certainly looks pretty and festive with the candles in the middle.

Going to the carol service at church shortly.

 

I hope to be able to watch that over Christmas @lizzie27
Our tree is up, but not yet decorated, cards written, but not posted and presents bought, but not wrapped.
It's a start...

 

I record Wolf Hall as we are an hour ahead in France so it doesn't start until 10pm.

I went into the garden after all, late morning. I dug up the rest of the potatoes, a bucketful, and dug and roughly weeded the area. Tomorrow I will put weed suppressant fabric on it.

This afternoon I watched the final of Strictly Come Dancing. It was very good but I put my thoughts on the Strictly thread.

 

Evening everyone.

Just popping in whilst dinner is cooking away. Decided to have our festive roast dinner on Christmas Eve, as that way we can have leftovers/bubble and squeak on C’mas day evening once I’m home from work. I won’t do a chicken dinner next Sunday in that case - maybe a stew instead.

 

@Tui34, I had a peek at St.Lucia - pleased to see the little girl was weaing battery operated candles on her head - it added to what @Ante1 had taught us about St Lucy. I love traditions and am always concerned they may just disappear. Lovely to see that this one hasn't.
Thanks for the info about the Creole cake @Obelix-Vendée.