December, Christmas and New Year

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you had a good Christmas and, if not a good one, perhaps just one which was peaceful.

December was a mixed bag really. I had pretty horrendous toothache (and a horrible cold) during the last week of term and the first week of the school holidays which pretty much ruined the build up to Christmas for me. I don't remember much about that week: between the painkillers, antibiotics and lack of sleep I wasn't really with it. It will be the only Christmas in which I did not drink (antibiotics) and lost weight (stress). Days where I had planned to make decorations or bake were spent crying on dental receptionists. Finally, on 23rd December, I got an emergency filling and, since then - touch wood - we are ok. Not fully better but no longer in white hot, stabbing, breathe-through-it pain. Of course, I brought all this on myself by bragging to John about how I had not needed any dental work for 20 years so I only have myself to blame.

But! in amongst my dental woes there was a lot to celebrate in December. We did some nice things.

In early December, my mum and sister and I went to a Winter Fair, in West Sussex, on the last really cold day we had. (We had had a very mild, wet and windy December this year.)

We went last year and loved it so much we went again this year too. It is an excellent place to do some Christmas shopping with lots of independent sellers and everything so beautifully presented. 

That afternoon, John and I went into Chichester to do some Christmas shopping and had a very productive couple of hours. Then, that same evening we went to my parents' for a big family meal to celebrate my mum turning a big birthday. 

The next day we put up the Christmas tree. The kids avoided all the tedious tree-straightening and light-wrangling and swanned in at the end to hand a few decorations on the tree. 

All in all a very good weekend, 

While at the garden centre, I grabbed a pink poinsettia. I love these plants. I know red is more traditional but the softer pink appeals to me more. It's still doing remarkably well one month later. I think this is because our living room is one of the cooler rooms in the house and, since it has been so mild, I haven't lit the fire much. I've also only watered it a couple of times.

The following week, I was in London for the day for my book group Christmas meet up. Every year we try to get together. Last year we met in Oxford, this year it was London. We go shopping, have some lunch, a few drinks. It''s lovely.

My friend Abigail, who set up the book group, gave everyone one of these Christmas tree ornaments. 

As the month wore on, I added more decorations to the house, wrapped some presents, kept putting on foot in front of the other until we broke up on the 15th.

Bella made John and I the most wonderful Christmas card with a picture of Ziggy on it.

We were back in London again for Bella's birthday. All she wanted to do, more than anything else, was go to some shops on Oxford Street then go to this restaurant called Bone Daddy for lunch. They make ramen which is her favourite thing to eat.

Then we celebrated Bella's birthday at home with cake and family.

I don't have any photos of the week leading up to Christmas except this one, on Christmas Eve, of the gammon joint about to be boiled in cider before being smothered in mustard and marmalade and roasted. It was good 

Christmas Day was quiet. I often feel quite cooped up on Christmas Day and the dog walk is the best bit. Ziggy wanted to get very involved in the unwrapping of every single present.

John and I cooked a good roast dinner. We ate late in the day, about 5pm. 

I made a pavlova wreath which everyone was too full to eat. I wanted Christmas pudding but no-one likes it but me. 

Boxing Day was brilliant fun, eleven of us my my parents' with lots of game and fun. 

And then we are into the best days of the year. Those beautiful in-between days between Christmas and New Year, where everything slows down a bit.

Time to enjoy Christmas presents.

Time for jigsaws and Christmas cake. 

For lazing on the sofa.

For walks and matching hats.

Even this walk, in which the heavens opened as we were 3 miles into a 4 mile walk, and we all got drenched, was beautiful.

And this takes us up to New Year's Eve.

We went for an exceptionally blustery walk - more of a stagger really, it was hard to stay upright - on the beach with our friends.

Then there was a late pub lunch followed by an evening spent playing games, eating and drinking. 

It was a good way to see in the New Year. And now I am back at work, already getting back into the routine of it all. I have no resolutions, and absolutely no intention of doing anything like Dry January or some new diet. Just feeling very thankful for what we have. Happy New Year. 

November Moments

I was thinking earlier that November is an underrated month. I used to think of it  as a cold and dreary month, a dark pause between Halloween in October and then everything that December brings. This year it was certainly cold and wet, but I always think the leaf colour is so much better in November than October, and suddenly feel the urge to get out into the woods and make the most of it before all the leaves disappear. The pause is welcome because it gives me time to rest but also start thinking about the marathon that is Christmas planning and shopping.

And so that it what I have been trying to do this November: get out into the woods, spend time in the house, do a bit of Christmas planning and rest here and there.

So here is a random collection of moments from the last month, times when I have paused and enjoyed what is before me.

The woods, with the dog and John (teenagers sometimes) always make me feel better. 

I love it when I get home from work and John has already lit the fire. I like it even more when he hands me a glass of wine. 

After some busy weekends away, I have really enjoyed just pottering at home on recent weekends. I am also very much enjoying reading at the moment and am already adding a few festive titles to my bedside table.

We have been blessed with the odd frosty morning and it has been beautiful. This was the staff car park at work early one Friday morning, It was the kind of day where a big walk in the countryside would have been just the thing.

We made pumpkin pancakes with canned pumpkin puree. They are just normal pancakes but with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Absolutely delicious and one of my favourite autumn things to eat.

I don't know how or why, but a lone rose just started flowering in the garden. A November rose.

Last Sunday I made my Christmas cake. Just a small one this year, as it's just John and I who eat it, but I felt better for making one, like I had done something enjoyable and festive. It's now wrapped up in greaseproof paper and foil, tucked away in a tin.

I really want to bake more Christmassy treats this year. Last year I think I managed cookies and mince pies and that was it. I also want to make time to do some festive crafting, It is really hard to find the time for things like this now that I work full time, and usually at the weekends too, but I know that I will feel better for a little festive pottering, 

I started crocheting this scarf over half term and haven't picked it up for a while. In the evenings I just want to crochet a few rows of my blanket, but I am hopeful to so a little more of this soon.

I picked up my Iceland embroidery from the framers a couple of weeks ago,

I opted to have no glass, as I dislike glass on my embroideries. I like to be able to touch them when they are in their frames, and feel the texture of the stitches. 

It just about fits at the top of my gallery wall, above my New York embroidery.

It's a good memory of one of the best holidays we ever had. 

I'll leave you with a few pictures of Ziggy. He can mostly be found lying in a sunbeam, or on a freshly made bed. When not doing that, he will be begging for food or stealing my slippers.