Fun And Games

Tuesday was wonderfully quiet and restful. In our pjs till midday, and I spent the afternoon sitting sewing.  and watching yet more TV while Bob sat in the other armchair - coughing, blowing his nose and drinking honey and lemon. [Thank you NellieGrace for the brilliant suggestion to make large quantity and keep it in a flask]

We have enjoyed all the quizzy stuff on TV these past few days [thank you Victoria, Amol, Clive and Richard] We were able to catch up with "Slow Horses" at Steph's. 

And while Julian was here, we watched "The Man Who Invented Christmas" - an interesting take on the creation of Charles Dickens' classic novella. An excellent cast and clever script.

The only downside- we have been watching Miss Scarlet. That's also set in Victorian London and filmed in exactly the same Dublin streets. 

And we have enjoyed sitting round playing games - an old favourite, Cluedo, and a new one, Shenanigrams. That's a Scrabble/Upwords hybrid. [Thanks Julian!]

The Klimt jigsaw is half done, rolled up to be finished next year! 

Have you enjoyed any good programmes or family games this Christmas?

Two-By-Two-By-Tuesday

So here we are, almost at the end of the month, and I've only just made a start on the December 2x2 patch. Fortunately Kirsten is equally behind, so we have allowed ourselves another week.  Today will be a good day to sew as we don't have any family activities. 

In the previous nine days we have seen Steph and family in Manchester, my bro and his wife [who live in the village], and also Julian, who came up from Romford on Saturday for three days [he went back last night, it's his 40th birthday today] Tomorrow we'll see Bob's sister and her husband, then Liz and family will be in Norfolk over New Year. It has been lots of fun...but you can understand why my stitching has foundered, unattended, on the top of the chest of drawers. 

Today there are just the two of us, and Bob has succumbed to The Cold which seems to be doing the rounds.

So a quiet day, and time for gentle sewing. And perhaps a day for listing. 

Listing in the sense of 'making a list',  not 'leaning over' - although if I lack energy, there maybe some lying down later!

Welcome To Wisteria Cottage!

Here is  my latest cross stitch project. A kit which came with Cross Stitcher magazine, and I found it in a CS. I thought it could be a FlatGift to go to Kirsten with one of my TwoByTwo patches. However, it was just the threads, felt and evenweave fabric - no stitching chart. I thought "This isn't fair - I can't send her half a kit" I managed to track down the pattern online. And concluded it would be nicer to make it up for her as a Christmas gift.
I tweaked the pattern - adding some coloured beads [lilacs for the wisteria, and other beads to the flowers on the shrubs and in the tubs - and a black bead doorknob. I added a button on the top. On one side there are two tubs, on the other a pink bench and a tub - and lots of wisteria, and bits of brickwork.[and signed it AA2025]

It's about 8cm in diameter, and 12cm high. The base and removable roof are felt - I lined the inside with cotton fabric- I didn't want the back of my stitching showing!
"What can I put in this?" I asked Bob. It is a bit too small for chocolates, perhaps some haberdashery notions? He suggested I should select an assortment of my vintage buttons. So that's what I did. The buttons date between 1930 and 2000, and range in size from 8mm to 25mm, and are different colours, and some interesting shapes.
It was an interesting  and enjoyable project to make, and now I have the chart, I may make another one for someone else.

I wonder how many of these little magazine kits get put away and never made up? Now I have realised you can find the charts online, I may look for some more in CS. I wonder if K will keep the buttons in it, or use it for something else...

Leftovers Sunday

Unless Christmas Day actually falls on a Sunday, there is always one Sunday left before the New Year begins. I believe Catholics call this Holy Family Sunday and Anglicans refer to it as first Sunday of Christmas.  As a very nonconformist Baptist, I am designating it Leftovers Sunday. 

Delicious meals made from Christmas leftovers are among my favourite treats. Bob's Turkey Soup is legendary, as is his Christmas leftovers pie [this picture is from Jamie's recipe.

Christmas cake crumbs tossed in butter, strewn over ice cream, panettone bread&butter pudding...so many ways to use up the treats and avoid food waste. 

But I am preaching at church today [Pastor Nick away with family]

So I am focusing on leftover bits of the Christmas story which often get missed out. Like the "slaughter of the innocents" and "the flight into Egypt" [please avoid the old joke about Pontius the Pilot]

We will sing Bumping Up And Down On A Camel [just because i like it!] And Bob and I will do a brief drama. [Read script HERE] And we will pray for those who may be leftover or left out at this time, especially refugees, and the bereaved, and those who grieve for their children.

Has anything been leftover or left out for you this Christmas? How will you deal with that?

Serious answers, and interesting recipes will both be welcome!

The End Of Their Search - And The Beginning Of...?

I often wonder what their journey home was like - what did they talk about?
Did it change them forever?

In the book Ben-Hur, author Lew Wallace cleverly depicts a character who was one of the Magi. [The book is way better than the film , imho] Wallace describes how the scholar's experience affected the rest of his life.

For many people, finding Jesus is a truly life changing experience. 

Wise folk still seek him

Good News For Everyone

 Glad tidings of great joy

Even the sheep and sheepdog look up to see the angel

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

 And Heaven and Nature Sing...

There are so many animals in this picture! A reminder that He came to redeem a fallen World, a damaged Creation and well as lost Humankind

May Christmas joys be yours today, the peace and love of the ChristChild fill your hearts