Sunday, December 19, 2010
Getting ready for Christmas.
I wrote yesterday evening that Jonathon had offered to do our extra Sunday duty at the shop for us.
Silly really, for I felt sure that we would have driven there OK.
When I phoned the shop to offer our grateful thanks, he wasn't actually there.
Stephen was there - and not at all busy. If he had hopes of being busy I would have offered to go and join him.
We used the time instead to go and buy bits and pieces in Lidls - and most importantly, the planned for Christmas dinner.
Large frozen turkeys they had in abundance - but not the beef wellington that we were wanting.
Deliveries of things are now completely unreliable because of the snow and we are hoping that more beef wellingtons will appear.
The girl on the till said that normally deliveries are made at 6 o'clock in the morning - today, maybe it would be by about three o'clock in the afternoon.
We'll try again tomorrow.
The main roads are very drivable on. The salt means that it is like driving through inches of water and slush. Lidls car park was like that too - should have worn my wellington boots.
I took some pictures of our Christmas decorations.
The silly snowman tree was bought one Christmas Eve afternoon at Cheal's Garden Centre many years ago. It was reduced to a low price to clear.
The collection of wind up Father Christmases and snowmen.
The snow globe collection. It looks like they could do with topping up with water.
This is what I call my goth Christmas tree - I bought one of the black lanterns whilst with Ecky when we were in Wales.
The flat iron was Bill's grandmother's - we are lucky to have that because Bill's uncles had thrown it in the dustbin!
This is our silver Christmas tree. 
Above the silver tree we hang some things - some years very many things. 
We can light the silver tree from below.
Most people have some unwritten rules about things that have to be done at Christmas time. 
I have a lot of trouble with the greenery - it all becomes top heavy and wants to tip over.
I am glad that we have some which we gathered ourselves. 
Harry is not a decoration - but he is a lovely, interesting cat.
Silly really, for I felt sure that we would have driven there OK.
When I phoned the shop to offer our grateful thanks, he wasn't actually there.
Stephen was there - and not at all busy. If he had hopes of being busy I would have offered to go and join him.
We used the time instead to go and buy bits and pieces in Lidls - and most importantly, the planned for Christmas dinner.
Large frozen turkeys they had in abundance - but not the beef wellington that we were wanting.
Deliveries of things are now completely unreliable because of the snow and we are hoping that more beef wellingtons will appear.
The girl on the till said that normally deliveries are made at 6 o'clock in the morning - today, maybe it would be by about three o'clock in the afternoon.
We'll try again tomorrow.
The main roads are very drivable on. The salt means that it is like driving through inches of water and slush. Lidls car park was like that too - should have worn my wellington boots.
I took some pictures of our Christmas decorations.
Baubles on Solly's tree.
The silly snowman tree was bought one Christmas Eve afternoon at Cheal's Garden Centre many years ago. It was reduced to a low price to clear.
It still make me laugh each year; and I do like fibre optic lights, changing colours. The colours on this tree have faded over the years.
The stocking was made by Barbara, a young German friend; must be about 35 years ago.
The collection of wind up Father Christmases and snowmen.
The snow globe collection. It looks like they could do with topping up with water.
It will be possible to do some of them, I think.
This is what I call my goth Christmas tree - I bought one of the black lanterns whilst with Ecky when we were in Wales.
The flat iron was Bill's grandmother's - we are lucky to have that because Bill's uncles had thrown it in the dustbin!
The candle stick I bought at a village carboot/antiques fair in Normandy during my first holiday after recovering from the years of illness in 1994.
The picture is wonderful - to me.
The picture is wonderful - to me.
It was done by a German prisoner of war, named Matthias. My parents became friends with some of the German men who were held prisoner in this country for some years after the 2nd world war ended.
The picture was sketched in our family kitchen and shows my parents by the old kitchen range and me playing with a toy on the floor between them.
This is our silver Christmas tree.
In the year when I felt I couldn't justify the expense of a real tree I found this one.
It is made of twigs of varying thickness, so at least is made of a natural material.
The little toys are now permanently attached and so each year it is removed from its black plastic sack and hey presto - we have our tree!
I have had the fir cones for very many years.
They are put in a basket that was once my mother's.
Above the silver tree we hang some things - some years very many things.
This year we have the decorations that Bill and I made two weeks ago on our walk at Nymans Gardens.
I bought the Christmas ball only 10 days ago at Tulleys Farm.
We can light the silver tree from below.
Most people have some unwritten rules about things that have to be done at Christmas time.
I have now thrown many of those rules away - but these two creatures are a remaining unwritten rule.
Our first married Christmas was in 1965. We had a real Christmas tree with very little to adorn it. We used cotton wool balls and a few old baubles that Bill's Mum provided.
But it needed more.
Bill came home with Mr and Mrs Christmas and they were hung on our little tree.
He said then, romantically, that they represented us.
And they must continue to do so.
I have a lot of trouble with the greenery - it all becomes top heavy and wants to tip over.
I am glad that we have some which we gathered ourselves.
The picture alongside is another one done by Matthias.
It shows my Dad working in the cottage garden just after the war.
We moved from Wadhurst Park when I was just 5 and my memories of the place are very skimpy and vague - but good enough.
Strange thought - I am now the only person alive who has any memories at all of our living for a while in this rural paradise.
Harry is not a decoration - but he is a lovely, interesting cat.
I wonder how many more Christmases he will see. He is now 14 and seems to be very limp with arthritis. On the other hand he can fly very speedily through the cat flap when the vacuum cleaner appears!
This evening another unwritten rule was broken. The Sports Review of the year had become a sort of tradition, but has become exceedingly predictable. I didn't watch.
Instead we settled down to watch a film. I am one of the few who have ignored the attractions of Harry Potter up until now - so I was pleased to enjoy what I saw.
That's right - I fell asleep, feeling really warm and comfortable.
Its cold outside though - minus 4.6 as I write.
