Just back from a perfect day out. Trains were great in both directions, the mooch round the shops was good. Husband now has a jacket he wants rather than the shirt he didn't. The jacket was in the sale and only £2.00 more expensive than the shirt that wasn't. We brought some nice cards for our greeting cards stash and I got some lovely earrings in the shape of dolphins and a rather belated Christmas tree decoration from an interesting art gallery. Coffee in one of our favourite coffee shops was good as were the Eccles cakes from the old-fashioned bakery and deli next door. It almost made me want to start eating meat as their pork, stilton and cranberry pie sounded delicious. Lunch was in the cafe of a museum and our culture fix was visiting the town's art gallery. It was the sort of gallery I like, a variety of paintings and not too big.
If it hadn’t been so cold I might have ventured to the same city myself, but for me it means two trains if I don’t drive, and I avoid driving on Friday afternoons given the choice. But it is on the list for when the weather improves.
The snow forecast means I probably won’t get to church on Sunday morning, sadly, as I have been home alone all week and was looking forward to singing again.
Welcome back, PP - always good to see you!
Work was just about right; I got everything done, and didn't even have a mid-afternoon slump (this may have had something to do with the cup of tea and three cups of coffee I had during the course of the day ...). I'm also fairly sure I didn't send anything out with the date written as 3rd January 2024!
It being Friday, supper was FISH & CHIPS, and some WINE (I've just noticed there's half a glass left, so I'm off to drink it).
I rather like the idea of the week beginning on a Friday ...
Sarasa appears to have had my ideal day. Unfortunately I have spent the day marking instead. But I am up to date with my work and looking forward to the weekend.
Enjoy your weekend @Heavenlyannie. Another thing I brought was a new cook book. Tomorrow we'll decide which of the recipes to cook, the first few all looked good and go and get the ingredients. I think more 'proper' cooking might be one of my New Year's resolutions.
One of the things I like about my town @puzzler is that there are so many places I can get to by train. I wish the bus service within town was better, but you can't have everything.
We had friends round for a meal this evening and have had a most delightful time catching up with them. We had roast chicken, followed by profiteroles and fruit with ice cream and/or Greek yogurt, followed by coffee and chocolates; good food, good company, plenty of wine. One bonus was that I managed to stay awake. I'm usually exhausted in the evenings and have been known to fall asleep in other people's houses but this evening I managed to keep going, despite having been awake for several hours last night before getting to sleep.
Tomorrow's task is to take down and sort out the Christmas decorations. I'm giving some thought to what sort of other lights I might be able to get to cheer the place up at this time of year. Once the decorations are down the lack of pretty lights is the most depressing thing of all.
Grey and chilly in Arkland the Arctical, after a heavy frost overnight. The onset of Proper Winter™ is being heralded by the sound of much wood-chopping, and the sight of wisps of smoke emerging from chimneys. The few denizens to be seen walking around resemble mediaeval peasants clothed in layers of shapeless sacking...
A foray to the Co-Op has been made, and more Essentials (including BEER and SOUP) laid in just in case the promised Sn*w arrives this evening.
Take care, any of you who are also experiencing Proper Winter™.
Cold and grey but still snowless in West Lothian too, but with the possibility of Patches of Treachery™.
I'm having a lazy day, but I'm meeting a friend later at a concert in St Michael's church, after which we're having supper in the bistro along the street.
No snow here but certainly puddles of ice on our walk this morning. We headed to the farm shop in the village to the west of here for the ingredients for tea tonight, more bird seed and to check out the farm shop's cafe. This afternoon we de-Christmasfied the front room, but haven't done the big tree in the back room. That will be tomorrow's fun.
Have driven across northern England (on our wedding anniversary) to celebrate our eldest’s 30th (Monday) with his siblings by seeing Les Miserables Arena Spectacular show at the Utilita Arena tonight and a celebration lunch tomorrow. A Sunday off for me.
A Sunday off ? On Piffaknee Sunday? Is probably Outrage!
Sn*w permitting, Our Place is putting on a theatrical performance, called *The Procession Of The Kings*, at the beginning of Mass. It involves numerous children (Kings, Kings' Servants, Camel Drovers etc.) turning up at 10am in order to be costumed and rehearsed, ready for the 1030am start, which is signalled by the singing of *We Three Kings*.
The Procession is to be headed by a child carrying a big silver Star on a pole, and three soloists will each sing one of the middle verses of WTK, the congregation singing the first and last verses.
It has been said that one should never work with Children and/or Animals in such circumstances, but FatherInCharge is an eternal optimist...
I did move the various sets of Kings (two different Nativity sets... it's a long story) around church nearer to their respective stables when I went in earlier to drop off some papers. I have to admit I would like a Sunday off the organ bench tomorrow as there is Experimenting with liturgy going on which does not bring out the best in anyone for complicated reasons.
I'm also aware that the weather is likely to keep most people at home tomorrow, which is jolly sensible of them all, I think.
Back to main workplace on Monday, though, and a very long term, what with it being a late Easter.
Our three kings had to make a swift teleported journey yesterday from the far end of the mantelpiece to the stable, in order to have some time adoring the Christ child in the manger before being packed away with everything else for another 11 or so months. Mr Nen and I have sorted the decorations together and done some rationalising of the various odd boxes and disposed of some of the really old things (from his childhood) so that feels good. The living room looks very bare but I'm sure a meal of stir fry and plenty of red wine will help me to feel more positive about that .
It's Very Cold here. Mr Nen's been out and came back reporting that it's just starting to rain; I'd be surprised if it stays as rain if it keeps coming, although according to the weather we're expecting sleet turning to rain as we're outside the amber weather warning area.
Cold and grey but still snowless in West Lothian too, but with the possibility of Patches of Treachery™.
No snow here, but many Patches of Treachery™. I often walk with a friend at the weekend, but went round to see them this morning instead as they are very cautious about walking in snow/ice, having fallen & broken a wrist a few years back. I got there OK, though it was somewhat icy. But by the time I left it had warmed a little, so there was surface melt on top of the icy stuff, which resulted in my feet aquaplaning and going from under me. My backside is sufficiently padded that there wasn't much damage - largely a wet bum, and wet knees from getting up. I did bang an elbow, and I think a shoulder as well as that's been stiffening up nicely all day. It's getting colder again now, and I foresee a repeat tomorrow...
There ... are ... no ... Kings ... in ... the ... story ... (nor a Grumpy Innkeeper, for that matter).
However that is probably a tangent as far as this thread is concerned!
I got into Trouble when I pointed these and other inconvenient truths out last time... ours all look like Kings with crowns which is probably why I described them as thus.
I content myself with sending the figures of the people bearing their gifts on interesting routes around church, though this year I've managed to get the various angels abseiling to distract everyone.
Dry but very cold here. Difficult to tell ice from water on the pavements.
This being Saturday it's Cocktail Nite. After which I will do redfish (I think - the label dropped off in the freezer) with Cajun spice rub and sweet potato fries.
A bit too much three kings for us... At lunchtime we invited a friend, and after the mains repaired to my in-laws' house to eat galette des rois for dessert. At about 4:30 pm, my sister-in-law arrived with another one. She'd called to say that was what she was going to do, but my father-in-law's phone was out of battery and he hadn't noticed the message. And we had to eat the second one to avoid hurting her feelings. You can have too much of a good thing.
It's just raining here - no Sn*w yet, which is probably just as well.
I like looking out at freshly-fallen Sn*w, as long as it thaws within an hour or so, otherwise it Upsets My Arrangements. Especially if I need more BEER or BREAD...
My nativity scene never made it out of the box this year as its place was occupied by a lovely plant I was given for my birthday ( and have not managed to kill off, unlike the cyclamen I was also given the same day).
The tree will be undressed tomorrow, but I have lot of candles to light for a bit of cheer.
No snow here yet. Bath and bed call, but whether I get up early for church tomorrow depends on the weather overnight. My phone app predicted snow from 6 pm. Wrong.
I don’t have a nativity set and I am feeling quite left out. I did consider getting one this year but Mr Heavenly is very fussy and indecisive about anything decorative. We will be taking our Christmas decorations down tomorrow.
LVER, the dessert looks very tempting and frangipane is one of my favourite things.
We drove to York and back today with Master Heavenly the Elder to return him to uni (Master Heavenly the Younger and his Heavenly girlfriend are at her parents, who will return them to York in a few days too). Lunch was at a Brazilian restaurant in York where they bring a continuous supply of different meats to the table (we have been to a similar restaurant in Edinburgh). We got back to Cambridge at 7pm so as to avoid driving in the snow but the snow still hasn’t arrived here yet.
That’s hilarious. We just figure that everyone who wants to be at the Christchild’s manger, should be—and who cases if it’s a dinosaur, superhero or Darth Vader?
My Magi* have reached the unit the telly lives on, and will be transferred to the windowsill where the other Nativity figures are shortly (I know it's not the 6th yet, but we'll be Epiphanying at church, so that's good enough for me).
* or, as an old friend called them while watching a Sunday school pageant, "three wee kings".
Tomorrow's task is to take down and sort out the Christmas decorations. I'm giving some thought to what sort of other lights I might be able to get to cheer the place up at this time of year. Once the decorations are down the lack of pretty lights is the most depressing thing of all.
On the day after Twelfth Night our outdoor lights are officially transformed into Winter lights and they stay lit for as long as there is snow on the ground. It's a dark rural area and a small show of lights cheers it up considerably.
A good inch of snow in the night here, doubtless leading to chaos on the roads, terror, destruction, and suchlike. It's also shown just how much distance the local foxes put in round our (small suburban) garden, there are a lot of footprints!
And someone very keen, as I reckon it was after 6pm before it started snowing, has built a snowman on the little green next door!
Meanwhile, we will be heading off in a bit for the first ringing of the New Year, and then cycling into the cattle crossing for the mother Knotweed's 80th bash. Obviously in an arctic blast sort of way.
Our nativity scene is a carved olive wood one which my father bought for me as a child and it's always displayed. It always used to be Nenlet1's job to put it up when the Nenlets were here to help with the decorations and now it's gone back to being my job. Woe betide Mr Nen if he goes anywhere near it!
Tomorrow's task is to take down and sort out the Christmas decorations. I'm giving some thought to what sort of other lights I might be able to get to cheer the place up at this time of year. Once the decorations are down the lack of pretty lights is the most depressing thing of all.
On the day after Twelfth Night our outdoor lights are officially transformed into Winter lights and they stay lit for as long as there is snow on the ground. It's a dark rural area and a small show of lights cheers it up considerably.
I can imagine. I need to give some thought to winter lights to cheer things up for the next few months. I do have plenty of candles I can burn in the meantime but I'm always a bit uneasy about candles because of the fire risk.
It was snowing heavily at 1am when I went to bed but it has rained and nothing remains of it. The temperature is also creeping up.
We are taking the Christmas tree down this morning and tidying the decorations away. My candle bridge has a laser cut nativity scene (ah - I do have a nativity!) so it is a little too Christmassy to keep out. I need to choose some garden lights to go round the front of my new garden office when it is up -we already have solar powered sparkly lights at the end of the garden where the BBQ and benches reside.
When it was time to make the decision, it looked treacherous with icy roads and a thin layer of snow. Forty minutes later and rain is clearing it all away, but by then I was listening to Radio 4 celebrating the hymns of Timothy Dudley-Smith. So I missed church.
I'm not going to church either though my kind neighbour offered me a lift. I woke up in the night with a horrible cough and though I feel fine, it was one of the symptoms of the lurgy that my husband had over Christmas. I'll follow Mass on live stream instead.
It's wet here with a thin layer of snow.
Following Twelfth Night tradition, the tree and decorations are coming down today. We are, however, debating whether to keep our candle bridge in the window until Candlemas.
My tree is still lit, and will probably come down tomorrow. The Magi have reached the rest of the Nativity figures (well, we were celebrating Epiphany at church today), and they and the candle-bridges will stay up until Candlemas (there's no reason why the Nativity can't stay up until then). Sadly, the church decorations were taken down after the morning service, so we'll be singing Epiphany hymns in a bare church at Evensong.
There was a goodly crowd at church this morning despite the very light sprinkle of sn*w (you could still easily see the grass and pavements through it). It's now turned to rain, with a temperature of around 2° although there's still a yellow warning for snow* on the Met Office website.
* as opposed to a yellow snow warning ...
Laundry is laundering, and I suppose I ought to have some brunch.
Grey and cold and sleety here. My slightly numb fingers are nevertheless working the last dozen rows or so of a cardigan - a 4x5 grid of squares each with a different pattern (either stitches or intarsia) in brown, blue, fawn and lemon.
Shortly I will go and make soooup from sweet potato, carrot, onion, ginger and chilli.
There ... are ... no ... Kings ... in ... the ... story ... (nor a Grumpy Innkeeper, for that matter).
However that is probably a tangent as far as this thread is concerned!
There's no midwife either, but surely there was some woman there with Mary?
Zoom Church today as, though I am feeling better, I can't sing or laugh without coughing.
We finally visited Mum to give her her Christmas present, and this afternoon we are going to have our postponed pre-Christmas visit to my cousin.
I am due my flu and Covid jabs tomorrow and am not sure whether to delay until I've fully recovered from the bronchitis. I am regretting not paying for a flu jab in September. I used to pay until I became eligible for the NHS, but the downside of the NHS is that I am young enough to be at the tail end of the jabs. When I paid I used to get jabbed in September.
The Sn*w which started falling heavily at midnight began to turn to rain an hour later, so Arkland the Drenched is at least free of Patches of Treachery™.
No need for me to venture out, so I won't venture out. I hope that, despite the rain, there will have been a good attendance at Our Place this morning, for FatherInCharge's Epiphany *Procession Of The Kings*
The Nativity Scene (complete with Kings, but minus the Shepherds, of course) will remain in place for one more week, and will be removed after Mass next Sunday. At one time, we used to keep it in place until Candlemas, but FInC doesn't like to do that, so we don't do it.
Laundry is done and the tree and decorations have been taken down and returned to the loft. All the excitement resulted in Mochi the Perpetually Anxious hiding on top of my wardrobe. She is now back downstairs and hiding under the coffee table as usual but won’t be there for long as Mr Heavenly is about to get the hoover out.
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The snow forecast means I probably won’t get to church on Sunday morning, sadly, as I have been home alone all week and was looking forward to singing again.
Work was just about right; I got everything done, and didn't even have a mid-afternoon slump (this may have had something to do with the cup of tea and three cups of coffee I had during the course of the day ...). I'm also fairly sure I didn't send anything out with the date written as 3rd January 2024!
It being Friday, supper was FISH & CHIPS, and some WINE (I've just noticed there's half a glass left, so I'm off to drink it).
I rather like the idea of the week beginning on a Friday ...
One of the things I like about my town @puzzler is that there are so many places I can get to by train. I wish the bus service within town was better, but you can't have everything.
Tomorrow's task is to take down and sort out the Christmas decorations. I'm giving some thought to what sort of other lights I might be able to get to cheer the place up at this time of year. Once the decorations are down the lack of pretty lights is the most depressing thing of all.
A foray to the Co-Op has been made, and more Essentials (including BEER and SOUP) laid in just in case the promised Sn*w arrives this evening.
Take care, any of you who are also experiencing Proper Winter™.
I'm having a lazy day, but I'm meeting a friend later at a concert in St Michael's church, after which we're having supper in the bistro along the street.
It. Will. Happen - You Mark My Words...
Is that what's called Optimism?
Sn*w permitting, Our Place is putting on a theatrical performance, called *The Procession Of The Kings*, at the beginning of Mass. It involves numerous children (Kings, Kings' Servants, Camel Drovers etc.) turning up at 10am in order to be costumed and rehearsed, ready for the 1030am start, which is signalled by the singing of *We Three Kings*.
The Procession is to be headed by a child carrying a big silver Star on a pole, and three soloists will each sing one of the middle verses of WTK, the congregation singing the first and last verses.
It has been said that one should never work with Children and/or Animals in such circumstances, but FatherInCharge is an eternal optimist...
I'm also aware that the weather is likely to keep most people at home tomorrow, which is jolly sensible of them all, I think.
Back to main workplace on Monday, though, and a very long term, what with it being a late Easter.
It's Very Cold here. Mr Nen's been out and came back reporting that it's just starting to rain; I'd be surprised if it stays as rain if it keeps coming, although according to the weather we're expecting sleet turning to rain as we're outside the amber weather warning area.
However that is probably a tangent as far as this thread is concerned!
The Kings, or whatever they were, didn't go to the stable, anyway - they went to a house...
O! these Evil Vicars - perpetuating non-Scriptural myths!
No snow here, but many Patches of Treachery™. I often walk with a friend at the weekend, but went round to see them this morning instead as they are very cautious about walking in snow/ice, having fallen & broken a wrist a few years back. I got there OK, though it was somewhat icy. But by the time I left it had warmed a little, so there was surface melt on top of the icy stuff, which resulted in my feet aquaplaning and going from under me. My backside is sufficiently padded that there wasn't much damage - largely a wet bum, and wet knees from getting up. I did bang an elbow, and I think a shoulder as well as that's been stiffening up nicely all day. It's getting colder again now, and I foresee a repeat tomorrow...
I got into Trouble when I pointed these and other inconvenient truths out last time... ours all look like Kings with crowns which is probably why I described them as thus.
I content myself with sending the figures of the people bearing their gifts on interesting routes around church, though this year I've managed to get the various angels abseiling to distract everyone.
This being Saturday it's Cocktail Nite. After which I will do redfish (I think - the label dropped off in the freezer) with Cajun spice rub and sweet potato fries.
Sleet promised for tomorrow.
Listen to this, or read the transcript: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026261
Indeed; a Gromit, a reindeer and a duck are in ours. Universal inclusivity. Sorry if other people's theology is offended.
A cold white covering over everything outside, and it's still coming down.
I like looking out at freshly-fallen Sn*w, as long as it thaws within an hour or so, otherwise it Upsets My Arrangements. Especially if I need more BEER or BREAD...
The tree will be undressed tomorrow, but I have lot of candles to light for a bit of cheer.
No snow here yet. Bath and bed call, but whether I get up early for church tomorrow depends on the weather overnight. My phone app predicted snow from 6 pm. Wrong.
I don’t have a nativity set and I am feeling quite left out. I did consider getting one this year but Mr Heavenly is very fussy and indecisive about anything decorative. We will be taking our Christmas decorations down tomorrow.
LVER, the dessert looks very tempting and frangipane is one of my favourite things.
We drove to York and back today with Master Heavenly the Elder to return him to uni (Master Heavenly the Younger and his Heavenly girlfriend are at her parents, who will return them to York in a few days too). Lunch was at a Brazilian restaurant in York where they bring a continuous supply of different meats to the table (we have been to a similar restaurant in Edinburgh). We got back to Cambridge at 7pm so as to avoid driving in the snow but the snow still hasn’t arrived here yet.
Time to feed the Dragon some coal, and then retire to my berth.
That’s hilarious. We just figure that everyone who wants to be at the Christchild’s manger, should be—and who cases if it’s a dinosaur, superhero or Darth Vader?
* or, as an old friend called them while watching a Sunday school pageant, "three wee kings".
On the day after Twelfth Night our outdoor lights are officially transformed into Winter lights and they stay lit for as long as there is snow on the ground. It's a dark rural area and a small show of lights cheers it up considerably.
And someone very keen, as I reckon it was after 6pm before it started snowing, has built a snowman on the little green next door!
Meanwhile, we will be heading off in a bit for the first ringing of the New Year, and then cycling into the cattle crossing for the mother Knotweed's 80th bash. Obviously in an arctic blast sort of way.
I can imagine. I need to give some thought to winter lights to cheer things up for the next few months. I do have plenty of candles I can burn in the meantime but I'm always a bit uneasy about candles because of the fire risk.
Light rain here and rapid thaw.
We are taking the Christmas tree down this morning and tidying the decorations away. My candle bridge has a laser cut nativity scene (ah - I do have a nativity!) so it is a little too Christmassy to keep out. I need to choose some garden lights to go round the front of my new garden office when it is up -we already have solar powered sparkly lights at the end of the garden where the BBQ and benches reside.
It's wet here with a thin layer of snow.
There was a goodly crowd at church this morning despite the very light sprinkle of sn*w (you could still easily see the grass and pavements through it). It's now turned to rain, with a temperature of around 2° although there's still a yellow warning for snow* on the Met Office website.
* as opposed to a yellow snow warning ...
Laundry is laundering, and I suppose I ought to have some brunch.
Shortly I will go and make soooup from sweet potato, carrot, onion, ginger and chilli.
There's no midwife either, but surely there was some woman there with Mary?
Zoom Church today as, though I am feeling better, I can't sing or laugh without coughing.
We finally visited Mum to give her her Christmas present, and this afternoon we are going to have our postponed pre-Christmas visit to my cousin.
I am due my flu and Covid jabs tomorrow and am not sure whether to delay until I've fully recovered from the bronchitis. I am regretting not paying for a flu jab in September. I used to pay until I became eligible for the NHS, but the downside of the NHS is that I am young enough to be at the tail end of the jabs. When I paid I used to get jabbed in September.
No need for me to venture out, so I won't venture out. I hope that, despite the rain, there will have been a good attendance at Our Place this morning, for FatherInCharge's Epiphany *Procession Of The Kings*
The Nativity Scene (complete with Kings, but minus the Shepherds, of course) will remain in place for one more week, and will be removed after Mass next Sunday. At one time, we used to keep it in place until Candlemas, but FInC doesn't like to do that, so we don't do it.