Tis the Week Before Christmas

when all through the house, the dusters have flown
The cats are curled up and the dog chews a bone
The Christmas tree, still tied in its net outside
The baubles in boxes since the last yuletide.

The girls all grown up, still get excited as ever
my husband wonders what he will get for his dinner,
with a hoover in one hand, sellotape in the other,
I try so hard to do everything better.

The girls out with their boyfriends enjoying festive fun
while I slave in the kitchen trying to get everything done.
My mum visits for the holidays, enjoying the rest
I want everything right and just at its best,

The night draws in, we are settled by the fire
A tap at the door, carols sung by a choir,
The temperature is dropping, we hope for some snow,
But will have to wait till tomorrow before we will know.

We wake to the silence and brightness of snow,
The sun on the horizon with a bright orange glow,
To the kitchen for toast and a cup of hot tea,
then through to the lounge and what is under the tree?

A couple of presents, not a massive great pile,
just one for each person, I look on with a smile.
One day without telly, just good fun and chat
Silly games and good food that might make us fat.

I wish we all lived closer like we did when I was small
Aunts, uncles and cousins, grandparents and all,
Lived close enough for us all to get round and visit
Having fun, and getting into the Christmas Spirit

Times change, things move on, we can't always stand still
Christmas is for family and all they fulfil.
There is nowhere I would rather be at this special time of year
But with family and friends and all I hold dear!

Snow

We love snow! We get it rarely, that it is great. I know alot of people moan about it, how it grinds the country to a halt, its just that this sort of weather for the UK is not the norm! I know we had it last year, but thats 2 years out of how many?????



People moan because they are so used to using cars to get around, what about those two things sticking out of the bottom of our torso, legs! Amazing they are, they actually move you around!



Well I have been using mine to take my little snow plough for a walk.

He has thoroughly enjoyed the snow, until today when by the time he got back he did not want to walk and I'm not surprised he had snowballs attached to his feet and seemed to have like ice burns on his belly!



He wears a coat, to help keep him warm, but what I forgot is that his belly has very little hair coverage, and having such short legs would explain everytime he stops he was shivering!



You can see the ice, building up in his beard.



and our Postman 'Pete' made it through with a smile!

As to Christmas, well I am totally disorganised this year, most unlike me. The tree is up, with thanks to K, the cake is made, thanks to my mum!! I have put marzipan on it! The presents are bought, still to be wrapped.
I ordered the meat at the beginning of December so we will have turkey, whether there will be anyone here to eat it is another matter. My mum and her partner are due to be collected as is our eldest daughter. The priority is to get Kathryn, otherwise she will be all alone!



one animal who always finds a warm spot, Tango, and yes T was asleep!!

Mincemeat

1st Batch made and it smells divine and tastes even better.



next batch underway, then onto Medlar Jelly!

Windfall Apples

It was a glorious day today, cold but bright and sunny, so I went outside and raked up the leaves and picked up the windfall apples, that have fallen from my neighbours tree into my garden... a bucket full.



So what do you do with a bucketful of windfalls????

Make Mincemeat, this is Lotties recipe (Allotment Lady) I have used her recipe for 3 years now and its so easy to do and so very scrumdiddleumptious,



this is soaking overnight then will be warmed up tomorrow then popped into jars.

But, what do I do with the rest of the apples?????



I think I shall make another batch.