On Christmas Eve

It's a lovely morning cold but bright and sunny.  I put on coat and boots and went into the garden.  I washed and filled the bird baths.  Seeds, suet balls and nibbles had been topped up earlier.  Loads of goldfinches, one chaffinch,  one greenfinch,  a couple of dunnocks and a couple of blackbirds spotted so far today.  All the shopping is done, all the presents distributed, we may pop out for a gentle stroll later on after some preparation of tomorrow's meal has been done.

At the weekend we went up to wonderful Little Moreton Hall for their Yuletide Celebrations, something we try to do the weekend before Christmas, it has become somewhat of a tradition.

Watching and listening to Piva celebrating Christmas Tudor style.  They sing of the Yule Log, food and ale, the Twelve days of Christmas and the  Lord of Misrule or Master of Revels on Twelfth Night.  Also the tradition of Boy Bishops which ran from St Nicholas Day to Holy Innocents Day.  I think in the photo above they are singing and playing Gaudete which means rejoice.

Peace and joy to you all.

Just a Little Bit Festive

The weather has been awful these last few days, wind, rain and then wind and rain again.  We have managed a couple of local walks between raindrops but almost got blown away on one of them.  Many places were closed because of the high winds, incuding the Trentham lakeside walk.

We walked to the local park yesterday but I didn't take many photos so I thought I'd take some of a few of our favourite decorations which are here and there around the house.  

Cheerful Cards on the mantlepiece

Other festive items along the radiator shelf

The Christmas tree is a small one, rooted from the top of a larger tree.  It will go out in the garden early next year.

 

We have nurtured it over the last month since we bought it and now it is decorated with some of our favourite things and is in the conservatory rather than the living room. 

 

Favourite decorations include the mouse above from the Chatsworth Garden Centre. We took my step-sister shopping it was Christmas 2015.  She was registered deaf/blind so needed help with shopping. The next year she was diagnosed with dementia and has been cared for in a safe home ever since.

The newest decoration Fox in a Winter Jumper from Waitrose. As a lover of foxes I couldn't resist.

Hare from the Token House in Nottingham one of my favourite shops and one of my favourite animals.

Not sure where the bird house came from.  I wish I could remember.

I remember buying this cat in a car but can't remember where, most probably a garden centre.

A snowman crocheted by a dear friend.  She has been in hospital but is home now and we wish her well.  She also made the Gingerbread man below.

 

Well, I think that is all now.  I always feel slightly sad at this time of year as I remember Christmases past and those we shared them with.  So many awful things are happening in the world at the moment that it seems hard to be frivolous.  Cards are sent, telephone calls made and contacts made with 'absent friends and cousins dear' a favourite saying of one of my late cousins.

 

All for now.  I wish you all peace and joy and hope for the future. 

Season's Greetings

 

 Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Christmas Morning

Just popping in to say thank to all who visit me here.  Thank you for reading, commenting and being such lovely blogging friends.

 Christmas will be different for us all this year but wherever you are my wish is that you have a peaceful day today finding joy in small things. Take care and stay safe.

 

Scents of the Season

There are quite a few delightful aromas around at this time of year to make us feel festive, even in these strange and troubled times.  

Sweet evocative smells of childhood Christmas.  Pink sugar mice, marzipan and chocolate. 

Herbs and spices, dried fruit and mixed peel.  All things citrus.  Coffee, hot chocolate and mulled wine or cider.  The kitchen aroma of mince pies fresh from the oven and gingerbread biscuits too.

The spruce smell of the door wreath.

I expect you all have a favourite.

 

This year we will miss visiting Little Moreton Hall and Haddon Hall for their Tudor Christmas events and displays.  Below are some photos taken in past years.

 

Little Moreton Hall near Congleton, Cheshire.

Haddon Hall, near Bakewell, Derbyshire

 Time now I think, for a mug of tea and a mince pie.

Christmas Tree Festival at Lichfield Cathedral

On Wednesday morning we made our way to the city of Lichfield.  It isn't too far away from here, about forty minutes drive and is small enough to feel like a market town rather than a city.

Our main intention was to visit the Christmas Tree Festival at the Cathedral before doing a little shopping.

It was a very cold day and for some reason I was finding it hard to keep warm in the damp and breezy weather. 

As soon as we entered the Cathedral I felt better from being inside and the glow of the lights made us feel warmer too.

I didn't take too many photos as I wanted to just look at the trees and take in how lovely it all looked.

I've taken you inside the building a few times over the years so not many words this time especially after my wordy grumbles in my last post.

Before we get to the trees I wanted to mention the structure above. It's called 'In the Image and Likeness:  A constellation of Images'  It's a collaboration between the Cathedral, its artist in residence Peter Walker, local schools and community groups.

It was quite beautiful both seen at a distance with its pale, fragile silvery light and also close to looking up into it with it's bright golden glow.

Here is a - link - to more information about the project which explains it more easily that I could have done.

On to the trees, I had meant to find out how many there were but forgot to ask and didn't pick up any information about them, I would think there must have been about fifty of them.

I liked the turquoise blue feathers on this tree.

This one caught our attention as it was so simplel with gentle seasonal colours and didn't have glitter or flashing lights.

On closer inspection it was a tree from the National Memorial Arboretum.

I loved this star on top of one of the trees

I think you can see from the photos that at the time we visited it wasn't very busy

The tree with the rocking horse was decorated by a local vetinary surgery.

From about 5.30p.m. onwards there are also light displays and illuminations both inside and outside the cathedral.

I've heard that is is quite spectacular and seen wonderful photos on facebook taken by friends who have visited in the evening. 

After Christmas

The last few days seem to have consisted of food, brisk walks, good books, listening to music and the occasional watching of television and more food.

We had prepared a lot of the Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve the filling for our usual Chestnut and Red Wine Puree en Croute was made ready to be covered in puff pastry the next day, a few mince pies were made with what was left of the pastry.  Vegetables like Brussels Sprouts and Red Cabbage were prepared with just the root vegetables left to peel on Christmas morning.

For our joint Christmas present we had sent for Ancestry DNA kits in November, when there was a special offer, and duly sent them off.  My results came back on Christmas Eve but Paul has to resend his for some reason.  As I expected my results showed my links firmly in the Midlands,  Forty four percent Great Britain - Northern England and the Midlands. Twenty Two percent Western Europe and twenty percent Scotland, Wales and Ireland.  Nine percent Scandinavia, Finland and North West Russia and five percent Iberian Peninsula.  I have yet to work out the connotations of this but I seem to be made up of little bits of possibly Roman, Norman, Celt and Norse with later British/Midlands influences.  I find it absolutely fascinating and there are several second, third and fourth cousins whom I can contact which I may do in the New Year.

I found television programmes I wanted to watch a bit thin on the ground this year but we did watch Maigret in Montmartre on Christmas Eve.  We also watched The Highway Rat, Dr Who (just Paul) Upstart Crow and Victoria (just me) on Christmas Day.  I've spent most of the time reading a collection of short stories by P D James and the latest 'Fethering' mystery by Simon Brett. I've also just started The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.

I'll leave you with a few photos of Geese spotted on one of our walks

and a few photos from our visit to the World of Wedgwood's Magical Christmas.

How was your Christmas? Have you had a great time?  I hope so.