Very quiet day here - Christmas dinner, a steaming plate of which has just arrived from my kindly neighbours F & T, is about to be avidly devoured. WINE will be drunk, too...
No other visitors, save a delightful Little Egret (a sort of small, white heron) looking for his (or her) lunch on the river-bed. They aren't particularly rare, but aren't seen all that often this far south...
A phone call from Madam Sacristan cheered me up by letting me know that Christmas service attendance at Our Place had not been too bad at all, considering The Troubled Times - probably 50% of what we would normally expect. Some families with children, who haven't been seen since March (!), came to the Crib Service, thanks (IMHO) to FatherInCharge's careful keeping in touch with as many as possible...
... I've offered help, but so far not been given anything to do ...
I have now - I was appointed Chief Sprout Crosser. Having never had to deal with a sprout before, this was a whole new experience for me ...
They're very inefficient wee beasties - I reckon I threw away nearly as much as went into the saucepan.
We've got Christmas carols playing here - at the moment it's someone's Nine Lessons, as the Ninth Lesson has just been read - but before that they sang O come, all ye faithful without the last verse (so no Chord!). Is outrage.
OCAYF was said as the congo at Midnight Mass made its way to the back of the church for the final Blessing.
It sounded awful - given that there was an organist present, an improvisation on the tune would have IMHO been far better, but FatherInCharge insists on words words and yet more words all the bloody time....
Had a good brisk walk before cooking lunch which was a lovely butternut squash and nut loaf with all the vegetarian/vegan trimmings you could want. Pudding will happen sometime later. In the middle of all that we had a socially distanced chat with our neighbours. They brought over mince pies for us last night so we gave them back the plate with some Christmas cake on it. We'll miss them when we move
Remember when bias cut satin was a Thing? About 20 years ago I think? Rummaging through the wardrobe for something other than my comfy trackies and baggy tops in which to Go Out (albeit to friends to whom you could turn up in your 'jamas and they wouldn't mind) I found a top which I'm sure hasn't seen the light of day since the Blair premiership.
Church this morning: 4 sopranos, 2 each alto, tenor and bass. A selection of carols including OCAYF with a David Hill descant (the best IMO) and Willcocks last verse with that chord - bliss - and the Final from Vierne's Symphonie no 1.
We seemed to eat for hours. Smoked salmon blinis and pigs-in-blankets while we exchanged presents; lobster ravioli, followed by marmalade glazed duck with lots of veggies; a very fine brie, delicious chevre and Shropshire blue; crepes with chocolate sauce to finish. Number One son, his girlfriend and our "lodger" did all the cooking, I was dishwasher wrangler-in-chief.
Second Grandson arrived, in mask, with our freshly cooked Christmas lunch and quickly departed with a carrier bag of gifts for the family.
It was a very substantial lunch, so we were unable to manage Elder Son's homemade Christmas pudding, which we will eat after lunch on New Years's Day - that will probably be the next time we will feel able to consume a full meal.
Other homemade sweet treats that arrived with lunch were nibbled in the evening along with some cheese & biscuits.
There was a chaotic Whatsapp group video call during the day, with the entire family - us, both sons and daughters-in-law, and all five grandchildren - aged from 19yrs to 10weeks. Not much by way of comprehensible conversation went on, but that is exactly how it is when we are all get together 'in the flesh' - which was quite heartening.
Not a bad day over all.
I've had a lovely day: my brother and sister-in-law did the cooking, and we had the delightful company of an elderly lady who lives in a flat downstairs, who would otherwise have been on her own.
Much food and drink has been taken, and a lazy day beckons tomorrow.
Unfortunately what beckoned to me was the lack of a cooking wine for tonight's fondue. Have therefore just battled out to Tesco in teeth of a gale, got some cheap white and a rather skinny Guardian. Now settling down for some serious indooring - possibly all the way to 2021.
Tesco's was open?? I thought all the supermarkets were closing today to give their staff a decent break?
I don't think there'll be much element-battling here; brunch of omelettes, smoked salmon and leftover bits and pieces, and then my brother will take me back to Linlithgow (OK, that might involve a bit).
It is decidedly blustrous out there though - stay safe if you have to be out in it.
We seem to be having an indoor day too. We have plenty of left overs and can improvise if needed. I'm about to go and play table tennis with my son on our rather small dining room table. Husband has new gimble thing for his phone and wants to take action shots.
Tomorrow is husband's birthday and we intend to make various curries, that will probably include braving the local Asda for ingredients.
Mr Nen has gone for a run but the wind is rising and the rain coming in so I think plans for the rest of the day will be to hunker down and shut out Storm Bella as much as possible. Food and alcohol will be involved. I also received some books I wanted for Christmas so that's my day sorted.
I got a couple of enjoyable looking books too: Nigella's latest cookbook and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, so I think they'll feature in my plans when I get home.
I don't need to be anywhere until Tuesday, so I won't be.
I noticed from friends in Canada on Facebook that the temperature in Freddy yesterday was 17°. Yes - that's plus 17° Celsius. On Christmas Day.
I'm re-visiting some of my H P Lovecraft and August Derleth collection, feeling in the mood (I know not why) to be *entertained* by tales of Unspeakable And Eldritch Beings Of A Squamous And Amorphous Nature, Who Are Not To Be Named.
No, I don't mean a set of biographies of the members of the *English government*...even HPL and Derleth couldn't make them up...
We had two friends over for lunch yesterday - smoked salmon, foie gras (or "faux gras" for the pescatarian), chicken, plus trimmings (sole with buttet/lemon sauce for the pescatarian), cheese and panetonne bread/butter pudding. They left reasonably early - we have an 8 pm curfew in France - sp we collapsed after the washing up with CtM. Today we were at friends for lunch - butternut squash soup, salmon, cheese and raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake.
This evening we have a Taskmaster style evening planned with my family via Zoom. It is likely to be chaotic.
We are also going easy on the food today after some major indulgence over the last two days. We did finish the Christmas pudding, of which we only had a small amount yesterday, having partaken heartily of the foie gras. I was quite pleased with my first ever pudding (usually my Dad makes it) and it flamed most impressively after husband en rouge doused it in about half a pint of cognac.
I'm re-visiting some of my H P Lovecraft and August Derleth collection, feeling in the mood (I know not why) to be *entertained* by tales of Unspeakable And Eldritch Beings Of A Squamous And Amorphous Nature, Who Are Not To Be Named./quote]
There must be something in the air. My work's Secret Santa this year (not that secret, we had a whole conversation about it, she's not just giving out random woolly elder gods) knitted me a Cthulu which is currently residing in my Christmas Tree. It has moveable limbs, button eyes and a face full of tentacles. Too cute.
We had guinea fowl and trimmings followed by cherry trifle and will be having it again today in a form yet to be determined. Christmas cake for breakfast. Leftovers are the best.
@Piglet your book gifts sound great! My husband tries buying me books, bless him, but I wish he'd just ask what I'd like so I can give him the list of ones I'd really like to read.
Do you all have presents which crop up repeatedly each year? Last year was the Year of the Socks (I got about 6 pairs) and this year is the Year of the Soap.
@Martha It would never occur to Mr Nen to give a book as a present, he not being a natural reader (apparently, when he was a child, if he guessed by the feel of a present that it was a book he felt immense disappointment) so I have trained him to let me buy books for myself as presents that he then gives for birthdays and Christmas.
This year I had a couple of things I'd specifically asked for from Nenlet1; otherwise the presents this year had a distinct alcohol and chocolate theme. I also tend to get a lot of "smellies" - bath and shower gel, body lotion, hand cream. I sometimes wonder if people are trying to tell me something.
One December I received 10 calendars - a few for my birthday and most at Christmas. My dad gave me one for each. I wondered if was a hint of me being disorganised (I’m not really) but the next year I didn’t get any so got one very cheaply in the sales.
This year I received sweets & baclava (all vegan and rice free) and 2 bars of goats milk soap - a huge improvement on calendars!
Today I’ve mostly been making a late Christmas present and cat-proofing the mirror-doors on my wardrobe to stop her fighting herself.
I've started on the Nigella book - so far, very enjoyable, and am now tucked up on the sofa with the blanket I got from my nephew wrapped round me (I'd turned down the storage heater a few days ago because it was too warm, but the weather's cooled down now and it seems to take a while to adjust itself).
I made a mushroom risotto for supper, and probably ought to think about what I want to take out of the freezer for tomorrow. Possibly smoked haddock, and I'll make an attempt at an omelette Arnold Bennett.*
* as I haven't tried it before, it may be more of an omelette Gordon Bennett ...
I have a copy of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi to read which was on my wish list. I haven’t read a novel in years, preferring non-fiction, but I loved her other ones so am looking forward to this.
Today I made some leftover turkey, ham, sausage meat and stuffing into two long puff pastry pies with a topping of homemade cranberry sauce in the gap at the top. We had one for lunch, followed by trifle. Then an afternoon of a new strategy game followed by cheese and biscuits, with the rest of the Sauternes.
Husband finished the new decking in the garden Christmas Eve so I’ve ordered some benches and a table. If it stays this warm we might have a winter barbecue at some point!
The Taskmaster event was successful, although I think my 92 year old mum was a bit fazed by it...but she gamely came dressed as a shepherd, in the "come dressed in the most surprising way" round. And "wore" bread sticks as horns for the longest moo round.
I feel I should be going to my study to "do something" but it's warm in the sitting room, with a furry blanket, the fire going and a curled up cat. Sod that. I'll stay here, try to ignore match of the day, and read my new book. "Hitler's Canary" by Sandi Toksvig.
Oooh, I might buy that book, Dormouse! I lurve Sandi Toxic (as I like to call her), and have been binge-watching quite a few QI XLs recently! And the theme seems very appropriate for these strange virusian times, where we have to keep our wits to outwit the silly (and oft dangerous) invader!
I'm having another lazy Sunday, as I like them to be, doing the washing up, tidying, cleaning, ironing. With the weather in Continental WesShire beginning to turn, I decided not to matinally venture onto any of the lower or higher hillocks - and checking their webcams now, it appears to have been a good idea to stay put, as not that much is to be seen from the heights. I better wait for sunnier times.
Storm Bella is passing our way, and lo the wind doth blow mightily on the twenty-fifth floor. We've blocked our air vents with strategically placed socks because otherwise it sounds like an aeroplane taking off. We went out to the market earlier to get some fish for lunch and almost got blown away.
The people I really don't understand in weather like this are the ones who take an umbrella. Strikes me that the chances of it staying in one piece are rather slim. I reckon a woolly hat is a much more efficient way of keeping your head dry.
How do you feel about Keeping It To Yourselves, La Vie?
It's a cold, but really rather nice day here in sunny West Lothian, so once I'd forsaken the warmth of the shower (you're so right about that, Dormouse), I decided to amble down to Tesco's in search of WINE, and was rewarded with New Zealand Sauv Blanc at £5 a bottle. It's times like this I wish I had a car, as it's really not feasible to carry more than two bottles the length of the High Street when you've got other groceries as well.
I went before having anything to eat, as I didn't entirely trust the weather to stay nice, so I'm now having a late lunch of bread, CHEESE, hummus and breadsticks (with a glass of WINE, because Christmas).
The smoked haddock is still defrosting so the omelette Gordon Arnold Bennett will be for supper.
Cold and sunny here too. I had a lie in and went for my walk after church instead. The ditches around the lake were flooded and looked quite magical.
Lunch was pasta with turkey and ham in tomato sauce, topped with cheese.
This afternoon I might make some scotch eggs with veal mince.
We had a wild night with Storm Bella but all is calm and bright today. I've been for a walk and am now sitting down with a cup of tea and The Sound of Music.
It's a cold, but really rather nice day here in sunny West Lothian, so once I'd forsaken the warmth of the shower (you're so right about that, Dormouse), I decided to amble down to Tesco's in search of WINE, and was rewarded with New Zealand Sauv Blanc at £5 a bottle. It's times like this I wish I had a car, as it's really not feasible to carry more than two bottles the length of the High Street when you've got other groceries as well.
Have you thought about either a rucksack or a sholley? I find it a lot easier to carry stuff on my back rather than bags in my hand (though you need to be able to swing the backpack onto your back in the first place). Or a wheeled trolley that you can push, which again means the weight is supported and not hanging off the end of your arms.... I've always had rucksacks, so that's my default but there are one or two other shipmates who have sung the praises of the wheeled trolley (but I can't remember whom)
Cold and sunny here too. I had a lie in and went for my walk after church instead.
No church today. Nothing to do with Covid and everything to do with Christmas falling on a Friday!
We had a reasonable turn-out by The Standards Of The Times*, I'm informed by my Spy, including a young family who are recent returnees IYSWIM. Youngest Lad is due to be baptised, hopefully early in the New Year.
(*more than 50% of what we might normally (remember that?) expect on a dismally wet Sunday so close to Christmas).
I was one of the shopping trolley fans used the same one for 13 years for the family shop (until covid changed our habits).
Veal (pink friendly kind) scotch eggs are now in the oven for tea. Then I think we will have a family games evening.
Veal, I mean, well, that was another interesting experience, quite Boogie-like (I reckon). While last week's service was a sort of webinar, this Sunday's was a full-blown multiple-participants-with-audio-and-video service from the kirk, some attending on site, with video inserts of hymns and a video of a rather good sermon by someone from a related church. - You didn't have to turn on your own camera and mic though, so I didn't.
Now, once we reach Eternal Glory and the New Jerusalem, I do hope that the writers, composers and praise band of our hymns today might be in a rather different part of the heavenly building, if you see what I mean. If I had a dog, undoubtedly it would have started whining and howling... not too dissimilar from said praisy hymns! Ach well.
Here endeth the lesson. Thanks be to God. (It was a useful thing after all.)
I am another adept of the wheelie shopping trolley. Given that a full 50% of Parisians don't own a car (and even the ones who do often consider it more convenient to do their shopping on foot), they are very widespread here.
Yay for shopping trolleys, as long as I’m using a bus. Otherwise if I’m walking it’s a backpack because it’s too far to drag a full trolley.
On a visit to the allotment I was rather relieved to find the shed still standing up - in one of the storms earlier this year the walls were blown over, leaving the base and all the contents standing rather exposed (but amazingly still there and nI had some help heaving the walls back upright and said help banged a long pipe into the ground behind the shed to prevent it tipping over, but I wasn’t sure how effective it would be against such a mighty Bella. Phew.
Comments
No other visitors, save a delightful Little Egret (a sort of small, white heron) looking for his (or her) lunch on the river-bed. They aren't particularly rare, but aren't seen all that often this far south...
A phone call from Madam Sacristan cheered me up by letting me know that Christmas service attendance at Our Place had not been too bad at all, considering The Troubled Times - probably 50% of what we would normally expect. Some families with children, who haven't been seen since March (!), came to the Crib Service, thanks (IMHO) to FatherInCharge's careful keeping in touch with as many as possible...
They're very inefficient wee beasties - I reckon I threw away nearly as much as went into the saucepan.
We've got Christmas carols playing here - at the moment it's someone's Nine Lessons, as the Ninth Lesson has just been read - but before that they sang O come, all ye faithful without the last verse (so no Chord!). Is outrage.
It sounded awful - given that there was an organist present, an improvisation on the tune would have IMHO been far better, but FatherInCharge insists on words words and yet more words all the bloody time....
We seemed to eat for hours. Smoked salmon blinis and pigs-in-blankets while we exchanged presents; lobster ravioli, followed by marmalade glazed duck with lots of veggies; a very fine brie, delicious chevre and Shropshire blue; crepes with chocolate sauce to finish. Number One son, his girlfriend and our "lodger" did all the cooking, I was dishwasher wrangler-in-chief.
Merry Christmas to one and all.
It was a very substantial lunch, so we were unable to manage Elder Son's homemade Christmas pudding, which we will eat after lunch on New Years's Day - that will probably be the next time we will feel able to consume a full meal.
Other homemade sweet treats that arrived with lunch were nibbled in the evening along with some cheese & biscuits.
There was a chaotic Whatsapp group video call during the day, with the entire family - us, both sons and daughters-in-law, and all five grandchildren - aged from 19yrs to 10weeks. Not much by way of comprehensible conversation went on, but that is exactly how it is when we are all get together 'in the flesh' - which was quite heartening.
Not a bad day over all.
Much food and drink has been taken, and a lazy day beckons tomorrow.
I don't think there'll be much element-battling here; brunch of omelettes, smoked salmon and leftover bits and pieces, and then my brother will take me back to Linlithgow (OK, that might involve a bit).
It is decidedly blustrous out there though - stay safe if you have to be out in it.
No need for me to go out for a day or two, TBTG, as my kindly neighbours are providing me with lunch today as well as having done so yesterday!
Tomorrow is husband's birthday and we intend to make various curries, that will probably include braving the local Asda for ingredients.
I don't need to be anywhere until Tuesday, so I won't be.
I noticed from friends in Canada on Facebook that the temperature in Freddy yesterday was 17°. Yes - that's plus 17° Celsius. On Christmas Day.
"Crikey" doesn't begin to cover it.
No, I don't mean a set of biographies of the members of the *English government*...even HPL and Derleth couldn't make them up...
This evening we have a Taskmaster style evening planned with my family via Zoom. It is likely to be chaotic.
Do you all have presents which crop up repeatedly each year? Last year was the Year of the Socks (I got about 6 pairs) and this year is the Year of the Soap.
MMM
This year I had a couple of things I'd specifically asked for from Nenlet1; otherwise the presents this year had a distinct alcohol and chocolate theme. I also tend to get a lot of "smellies" - bath and shower gel, body lotion, hand cream. I sometimes wonder if people are trying to tell me something.
This year I received sweets & baclava (all vegan and rice free) and 2 bars of goats milk soap - a huge improvement on calendars!
Today I’ve mostly been making a late Christmas present and cat-proofing the mirror-doors on my wardrobe to stop her fighting herself.
I made a mushroom risotto for supper, and probably ought to think about what I want to take out of the freezer for tomorrow. Possibly smoked haddock, and I'll make an attempt at an omelette Arnold Bennett.*
* as I haven't tried it before, it may be more of an omelette Gordon Bennett ...
Husband finished the new decking in the garden Christmas Eve so I’ve ordered some benches and a table. If it stays this warm we might have a winter barbecue at some point!
I think we're in for some rather miserable weather - they're talking about sn*w, at times heavy ...
One of those morning you don't ever want to come out of a hot shower.
I'm having another lazy Sunday, as I like them to be, doing the washing up, tidying, cleaning, ironing. With the weather in Continental WesShire beginning to turn, I decided not to matinally venture onto any of the lower or higher hillocks - and checking their webcams now, it appears to have been a good idea to stay put, as not that much is to be seen from the heights. I better wait for sunnier times.
Have a lovely Sunday, all!
The people I really don't understand in weather like this are the ones who take an umbrella. Strikes me that the chances of it staying in one piece are rather slim. I reckon a woolly hat is a much more efficient way of keeping your head dry.
Between them, the twain did murder Sleep...
Yet now, thanks be to God, the Sun doth Shine prettily, forsooth.
It's a cold, but really rather nice day here in sunny West Lothian, so once I'd forsaken the warmth of the shower (you're so right about that, Dormouse), I decided to amble down to Tesco's in search of WINE, and was rewarded with New Zealand Sauv Blanc at £5 a bottle. It's times like this I wish I had a car, as it's really not feasible to carry more than two bottles the length of the High Street when you've got other groceries as well.
I went before having anything to eat, as I didn't entirely trust the weather to stay nice, so I'm now having a late lunch of bread, CHEESE, hummus and breadsticks (with a glass of WINE, because Christmas).
The smoked haddock is still defrosting so the omelette Gordon Arnold Bennett will be for supper.
Lunch was pasta with turkey and ham in tomato sauce, topped with cheese.
This afternoon I might make some scotch eggs with veal mince.
I’m exhausted!
Have you thought about either a rucksack or a sholley? I find it a lot easier to carry stuff on my back rather than bags in my hand (though you need to be able to swing the backpack onto your back in the first place). Or a wheeled trolley that you can push, which again means the weight is supported and not hanging off the end of your arms.... I've always had rucksacks, so that's my default but there are one or two other shipmates who have sung the praises of the wheeled trolley (but I can't remember whom)
Same here, I'm afraid - too much saccharine (in TSOM, not the tea...
We had a reasonable turn-out by The Standards Of The Times*, I'm informed by my Spy, including a young family who are recent returnees IYSWIM. Youngest Lad is due to be baptised, hopefully early in the New Year.
(*more than 50% of what we might normally (remember that?) expect on a dismally wet Sunday so close to Christmas).
Veal (pink friendly kind) scotch eggs are now in the oven for tea. Then I think we will have a family games evening.
Now, once we reach Eternal Glory and the New Jerusalem, I do hope that the writers, composers and praise band of our hymns today might be in a rather different part of the heavenly building, if you see what I mean. If I had a dog, undoubtedly it would have started whining and howling... not too dissimilar from said praisy hymns! Ach well.
Here endeth the lesson. Thanks be to God. (It was a useful thing after all.)
On a visit to the allotment I was rather relieved to find the shed still standing up - in one of the storms earlier this year the walls were blown over, leaving the base and all the contents standing rather exposed (but amazingly still there and nI had some help heaving the walls back upright and said help banged a long pipe into the ground behind the shed to prevent it tipping over, but I wasn’t sure how effective it would be against such a mighty Bella. Phew.