Your day (apart from gardening) what took place ? 2024

Sort of gardening but not. We went to a garden centre to get ideas on what to put in a pot that would be winter foliage/colour. Yes we know not a great time to do this but we did. Came away resolved to buy a plant on the internet and also came away feeling...well not sure. Why? The GC obviously have to bring the punters in all year round and so they sell loads of non garden products. However do you really need 1000s (and I do mean 1000s) of christmas cards, every aisle full of gift packs...actually wont go into all that was there. But we came away with the thought that the cost of living crisis isn't stopping the manufactures from putting in front of many people things that maybe they (or their recipients) don't want/need. It is not that we don't like christmas it was just such a shock to see the amount of things in one place. What do they do with all the stuff they don't sell and that includes the enormous decorations they had around the GC? Do they hire these?

 

-4c for the morning walk, the swans didn't seem to mind

 

Taking River for his walk this morning as usual and there was a fox following behind us it wouldn't go away, River saw it and it took all my strength to stop him running after it.

 

I put my Christmas decorations up today Well it is Advent isn't it !
2 cribs and another one that opens out like the inside of a card but bigger (that Beryl - late partner - gave me in 1977 !)
A knitted Mr and Mrs Christmas that my mother had from someone many years ago, and a few 'jinglaires' as my Grampa used to call them.
And I'm going to write my cards later on - 3 less than last year
And I played some Carols sung in Welsh on a vinyl record, on my record player I enjoyed singing with them

 

I've put my Christmas tree up

 

I put the icing on my Christmas cake. I do like some wild animals on top too.

 

I went to Carmarthen and on a stall in the market, where they sell 2nd hand CDs and vinyl records, I got a CD which had Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, 18th variation. I used to have it in one CD but I can't find it anywhere, and I like listening to it, it's a lovely tune. I often put it on 'repeat'
Then I went to the garden centre behind the market and bought a variegated Hellebore

Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - 18th Variation | Somewhere in Time

 

I love that piece of music @Michael Hewett.

We went to Périgueux today, bought some lovely food in Le Grand Frais, some Christmas presents and had lunch in a restaurant.

 

@cactus_girl , your picture of the cake and icing and toppings brought back a long hidden memory for me of when my mother used to ice her cakes like that and use very similar decorations. It’s a lovely memory for me so thanks for sharing the picture. Cake looks wonderful.

 

@Songbird I have been making this cake for some decades! The recipe is out of my "The St Michael All Colour cookery book" by Jeni Wright, bought in 1976! I will next be making their rum truffles, which are even yummier. My hubby's favourite recipe from this book is Noisettes of lamb with Pernod. An all round good recipe book - my first purchase on leaving home.

 

@cactus_girl , your book sounds just like my Stork recipe book. Got it when first married( early 70’s) and still being used. Nothing as adventurous as your recipes though as I can only bake basic things really. Is this your book?…..

 

Yes it is @Songbird and hubby is going through at the moment suggesting our next meals!

 

I have that book too - although I never use it now.

I still have all the cake decorations that were my Mum's, and often used them on Ch'mas cakes. I don't make a Ch'mas cake nowadays as I could easily eat the whole thing at one go....
I use the decorations for the shelf in the kitchen with lights etc. They're all older than me. I'll do a pic when I put them up later this month.

 

The funny thing is I never eat the icing! Hubby does, but my portion goes in the bin. I don't how anyone can eat the stuff. I'm more of a chocolate cake person. I also do a chocolate log - yum yum.

 

Chore over! Written all the cards that need to be sent and the ones that will be hand delivered.
Then great surprise postie delivered much awaited parcel and 12 other items. Probably wont see anything again for another week.