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A little of everything...

Christmas is over.

Tessi told me the other day that she was sad. I thought maybe she was homesick or upset about something. No, she just said that we all looked forward to Christmas for weeks and then, just like that, it was over.

Everyone had a great time. My daughter and her family arrived around noon and by 1 we were digging into the gifts. This year we didn't spend a lot on presents but got things that were needed or smaller things that were less expensive. Next year we might all try to save our money by getting each person one thing and saving the rest for a trip in the summer. Everyone agreed that we'd like to go back to Senegal and it would be an expensive flight-not expensive to BE there though. I don't know if it'll come to pass but we're thinking about it anyhow. You just never know!

Last night my brother and his family came over for a big leftover dinner. That's just the best kind of meal. We didn't put anything out until we'd surveyed the choices, and we ate on paper plates. There were at least 7 desserts to choose from. I said that next year, a buffet on paper plates would be a great way to have Christmas dinner too!! After dinner, we played a card game and by 9:30 we were done and tidying up.

Tomorrow my niece comes for a couple of days. She lives two hours away but they got over ten inches of snow. We didn't get anything. Her mom suggested meeting halfway since the trains are being delayed by drifting snow. I have to work, but everyone else is going to Lancaster to meet her and who knows? Maybe they'll do a little outlet browsing too! My husband is the family shopper!!

Then we'll be here a couple of days and then off to DC for my daughter's birthday on Thursday. The teenagers will stay there and then on New Year's Day Tessi will come back home. We don't go out on New Year's Eve so it'll be a quiet night here, probably watching TV and I know we'll be in bed long before the ball drops in New York City!

Everyone is talking about resolutions. I normally don't make them-I just try to improve myself somehow and try not to beat myself up if I don't always succeed. This year, in addition to losing the few pounds I gained over the holidays, I plan to be more tolerant of those people who say things-intended or not-to hurt me. I want to be more forgiving and less angry when it happens.

Do you have a resolution? And if so, what is it? Is it something you can DO or work on in the next 12 months?? Please share.

And have a Happy New Year!

The Anniversary Of An Iconic Picture

Seventy years ago tonight, during the Blitz of WW2, an incendiary bomb fell onto St Pauls Cathedral and started a massive fire. People watching thought the great cathedral was doomed.

Two teams of specialist fire watchers recruited from the Royal Institute of British Architects and hand-picked because they had heads for heights were soon crawling along the wooden beams with hand pumps to reach the blazing section.

But suddenly the incendiary bomb, having burnt through the wood, fell far, far to the nave below, where it was easily put out. Though almost every building around St Pauls perished, the cathedral survived.

Herbert Mason, a Daily Mail photographer was on the roof of the papers offices, less than a mile away, watching the conflagration.

'The glare of many fires and sweeping clouds of smoke kept hiding the shape. Then a wind sprang up. Suddenly, the shining cross, dome and towers stood out like a symbol in the inferno. The scene was unbelievable. In that moment or two, I released my shutter

The next morning, it was bitterly cold. There was a light scattering of snow as office worker Dorothy Barton emerged from London Bridge station on her way to work. She gazed in horror at the acres of smoking and still burning ruins then her heart lifted as she looked up at St Pauls, towering over the scene. I felt a lump in my throat because, like so many people, I felt that while St Pauls survived, so would we, she said. [full story here]

Back To Narnia!

We went into Norwich and watched The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader at the Castle Mall Vue Cinema [useful tip park in the CM car park and Vue give you a discount on the parking ticket we were there for almost four hours, and ended up paying nothing for parking!] Spent my Christmas M&S vouchers on a pair of shoes, but otherwise ignored the sales [Lakeland was a little disappointing]

I thought the film was super. Great effects, close to the original book, Tilda Swinton as cold and scary as before. The new character, Eustace Scrubb, was played by Will Poulter. This actor is almost 18, although he looks considerably younger.

He reminded me of Michael Gove, the moment I saw him on screen!

By the end of the film, Eustace has seen the error of his ways, and turned into a thoroughly nice chap, making wise decisions, both for himself and the benefit of others. Let us hope that Aslan can work similar magic on the Secretary of State for Education during 2011!!

After a few days of resting and relaxing, we have got a weekend of family visits. We had a lovely meal with A&M on Tuesday [Marion made a lovely turkey&leek pie one of Jamies recipes]Tonight Adrian, Marion, Lucy, and Chris are coming for a meal [Bobs cooking] and Saturday we are making a flying visit to Essex to see my cousin & co down there. On Sunday all the Almonds are descending for their first visit to Cornerstones [Bobs cooking!] Do you notice a pattern regarding the cooking here?

Then it will be back to Leicestershire and a new year of busy-ness.

Five-A-Day

Just in case you missed this sketch, in the great tradition of Fork Handles

Missing Mr Hudson!

I am still not quite sure about the new U/D. It isnt quite right. All good fun, but I am finding it hard to reconcile the new series with the original.

The only things in common are the house and Jean Marsh [again playing Rose Buck] and Eileen Atkins. EA, along with JM, was one of the original creators but now she is appearing as one of the main characters Maud, Lady Holland.

In the old days they had a butler, cook, ladys maid [Rose] upstairs maid [various actors] and kitchen maid [Ruby] as well as a manservant and a chauffeur [various actors] and Mr Bellamy had a female secretary.

Now they have a butler, cook, manservant and maid and a housekeeper [Jean/Rose] and Maud has a male secretary [Art Malik] It feels as if the characters of the housekeeper and Maud have been written to give JM and EA important roles. Which is fair as it was their idea in the first place, I suppose, but I am beginning to feel that they said You cant reprise this unless we get big parts [Jean Marsh is 76, which makes her a bit old to be running a big house like that!!]

They are getting through staff pretty quickly though first manservant out for breaking the law, and ladys maid died, chauffeur on probation for fascist views.

The series is getting quite mixed reviews and many comparisons with Downton Abbey [but I never got into that so cannot comment there] It is sad that some people in the cast had to make rather unpleasant remarks [here]

I would like to be two stone lighter and wear a bias cut silk evening frock! But I suspect my destiny is to be a stone heavier and wear a sensible pinny. [My family have always been downstairs, not upstairs.]

I have just watched Episode 2 where a pregnant Lady Agnes is knitting baby clothes whilst Well gather lilacs is playing in the background. I am a little confused, as this is meant to be summer 1936 [Cable Street/Mosley etc] and I thought the song was written during the War, and later incorporated into the 1945 musical Perchance to Dream. I didnt think Ivor Novello penned it back in the thirties. As far as I know, he first sang it to the troops in Belgium in 1944 [after he came out of Wormwood Scrubs, where hed been incarcerated for cheating with petrol coupons!!]

I can only assume that this anachronism occurred in the programme because U/D was not filmed in Londons Eaton Square, but rather in Cardiff, and the scriptwriters forgot to be accurate when they saw the new Ivor Novello Statue outside Cardiff's Millennium Centre. It was a popular tune after all!

Ah well, last programme tonight, all about The Abdication.

Im really looking forward to The Kings Speech with Colin Firth in January, though. I am hoping that will be historically accurate! [I have persuaded Bob that he should take me to see it I am a royalist with a keen interest in history]

Ay Up Me Duck!**

Boxing Day began with Church [well, it is Sunday!] We dismantled the paper chains we had made in yesterdays service and we each got a section containing a task or two which would be an Act Of Random Kindness, or a Reminder Of Gods Goodness.

My two links said Look Up At the Stars and Take Cakes To Colleagues At Work

I shall do #1 whilst at Cornerstones, and #2 when term starts again.

Back home for lunch. Bob is now Officially On Holiday, so he cooked two superb curries [a veg one and a turkey one]

I filled the pavlova I had prepared earlier with some cherries and raspberries from the freezer.

Then we went for a walk in Abbey Park.[One of Bobs paper chains said Go for a walk]

It was like Walking In a Winter Wonderland. The river and boating lake were frozen.the ducks seemed very cold. The waterfowl came right up to us though [we hadn't taken any food for them though]

On the bridge, looking at the ice

Nobody is going in the water today!

More cold waterfowl [is that a crane?]

Weird sculpture [wonderful daughter]

The Chinese pagoda and bridge

Cardinal Wolsey looked very cold too!

The ruins are picturesque

Back home for tea and hot buttered crumpets. Later on, Liz and Bob made BubblenSqueak for our evening meal. Real Comfort Food!

Then we watched Upstairs, Downstairs. I am reserving judgement till I have seen all three programmes!

Looking forward to Cornerstones tomorrow but sorry to be parting from the girls, we have had such a great time together.

**Ay Up Me Duck is a popular expression in Leicestershire. According to the BBC it means Good Day Sir [or Madam]

Almonds At Christmas

We opened our stocking and had breakfast [Liz made amazing Danish Pastries] then off to church.

This morning, all five candles were lit **

Despite the icy paths and cold weather, we had loads of visitors, and enjoyed film clips from Yogi Bear and the Muppets!

Back home to open the rest of the gifts [carefully!]

Then a splendid lunch [mostly prepared by Steph, with help from Liz and Bob]

Then Bob and I went back to church, where Jo and Bruce had been catering for those who attended the lunch there

Everyone was really enjoying themselves, and we all went into the Chapel to watch Her Majesty on the big screen

Back for coffee and mince pies but I caught someone helping out by finishing off the bowl of trifle!

A lady from the village, whod been to Get In the Picture had donated all the table decorations

Thanks Jo, Bruce [and Sophie and Jessica] and Geoff for giving a lovely day to those who would otherwise be alone

**all those Advent hope/joy/love/peace cards are now assembled on a large display

Bob and I walked home [carefully] and noticed a large crack in the pavement through which water was leaking at quite a rate. I rang Severn Trent Water and a helpful chap called Robert said he would get it checked out. I sympathised with him that he had to work today, and said my husband was working too!

We played our annual family game of Cranium

Steph made some chocolate mousse. I do love having the girls home, they produce such delicious food! Then we watched Dr Who [with Katherine Jenkins]

And Bob worked on his final sermon of the year, ready for tomorrow.

No more blogging tonight hope your day has been good too!

A Date With Mr Churchill!

Heres the Cabinet War Rooms Wartime Christmas recipe for Orange and Date Cake. I made it the weekend before Christmas and it tasted surprisingly good.

Notice how it is artistically arranged to show off one of my Christmas plates!

INGREDIENTS

2 oz margarine
2 oz sugar
3 tbsp orange marmalade
4 oz dates, finely chopped
7 oz self raising flour
1 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp milk or water
tsp bicarbonate of soda [baking soda]
1 egg [fresh or reconstituted dried!]

Sift the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl combine the other ingredients. Mix all well together [if it seems a little stiff, add another tbsp milk or water] Bake in a loaf tin at 170C for about 50 minutes.

This is a fairly economical recipe and if you have any dates left over from Christmas in one of those glove boxes, you could use those.

Why do so many of my wartime recipes include dates? Surely they were hard to get hold of?

Aw, come on Winnie cant your Clemmie let my Eleanor have that Orange and Date Cake Recipe?

That recipe is a State Secret. Never!

Peanuts At Christmas

Move Over Rudolph

I dont feeling like dashing thru the snow to Aldi for a box of teacakes, but A Thrifty Missus has posted this picture of her Teacake Reindeer and it amused me

Amazing raisins can do [with teacakes, pretzels, and glac cherries!]

A Holiday Wish...

Today I started writing a short blog about how the holiday season seems to not only bring out the best in people, but also the worst. How people who only know each other superficially can pass judgment on someone, hurting their feelings and either don't realize it or just don't care.

I wrote my thoughts on it all, and the more I wrote, the more angry I became. Why? Because today some of it was directed at me. Someone decided to criticize me for no good reason other than to hurt. It did. Then I deleted it.

I do my best to be supportive of everyone and the decisions they make. I try to treat others the way I would like to be treated. And then someone with nothing better to do decides to point a finger when they shouldn't.

After waiting a whole day, I decided that my real thoughts on this don't matter at all. There are more serious things in this world than someone finding fault with me. Like my friend who has to put his elderly father into a nursing home this week and somehow feels like he's failed him. He hasn't-he's a good son-but he still feels really terrible about the changes in their lives. And my sister's homeless guys who are suffering through a really cold winter with only each other and a handful of others who care about them. Or the many people who are facing this Christmas without the loved one who passed on to a better place this year. Or the woman who's husband walked out on her, leaving her with 6 kids under 16, and he's having no contact with the kids at all. And now they feel so abandoned that one of the children is currently in the hospital because of severe depression.

My life is good. I have my family and a warm place to sleep at night and food in my stomach and a hot cup of cocoa when I need it. I might not have a lot of money, but I have enough. I might not feel good today, but in a few days I will. I'm lucky. There are many people out there who don't feel well today and WON'T feel well in a few days.

So the next time you think about saying something hurtful, don't. Instead, treat that person the way YOU would like to be treated. You'll be doing yourself a favor and will be giving that person a gift by your kindness. And then think about all the people who are less fortunate than you are. You know them. You know someone who's lonely or hungry or sick. If you can't do anything else, say a little prayer for them. You'll be better for it.

My Amazing Village

Sign as you enter Kirby Muxloe

other trees turn right, presumably!

See Amid The Winters Snow

Frozen Carol Singers outside the gift shop

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