Christmas Crackers

I'm definitely crackers to have done the party last night, I have less energy than I used to. It was brilliant, the team worked hard, but lots of thinking-on-my-feet [like when 32 book in but 41 turn up] But all went well, and we were home by 6 with a fish&chip supper! Thanks for all the great comments yesterday. Today I shall take things at a gentler pace. 

Just a few things that have made me pause for a moment this week

WOW!

In the autumn, my bro gave me a pepper plant. It had been given to him at the start of the summer, and was just leaves. I trimmed it and kept it in the greenhouse. It produced a green pepper. I moved it to the kitchen window. And yesterday I turned it round and look! a red pepper - such festive colours! [Adrian says I can eat it if I like]

WHERE?

We were expecting a delivery - and thought we might be out. The company offered the option of "a trusted neighbour, or a safe place on your property". 

So I asked my friend across the road , saying "but if you are out, I shall ask them to put the box next to Baby Jesus in his manger"

WHAT???

Yesterday morning I went out, and discovered our wall had been knocked down. Possibly someone struggling to turn round or reverse out of the close [Too many cars parked at the end again!] The top suspects are the binmen - or  The Lions and Santa on his sleigh in the dark last night. 

AWWW!

I have a wooden nativity set, for children to play with. I also have a crocheted tree coaster [thanks to a blogfriend] Last weekend little Jess was here playing with the little figures. 

She carefully folded the tree and draped it over the manger, and declared

"It's a blanket for the Baby Jesus"

Has anything made you smile, laugh or sigh lately?

Top Tips For a Children's Party

Tonight Bob and I will be running the Christmas Party for the children who came to our Easter Club - plus a few extra. The party will happen in the Chapel, and parents and carers can stay in the church hall and drink coffee and eat cake. There will be activities in there for younger siblings too. My tips for such an event

1. Get as many helpers as you can! And ask somebody else to be responsible for all the catering [thank you Wendy] They will eat less than you think. And they don't like sandwiches.
2. Plan your timings very carefully. We have two hours, 3.30-5.30 - and there will be registering at the beginning, and at the end, parents can come through for a couple of carols etc. At 5pm, I will check how it is going - if behind schedule, we will cut one thing out, if running ahead, I'll throw in a Christmassy quiz. We are having four teams
3. Vary the activities- we have some crazy songs, some games, and a few short videos, as well as sitting on the floor in circles for refreshment time, and a brief craft activity [an angel spinner using old CDs]
   
4. Choose age appropriate games - for our 4½ - 11 year olds we have Pass the Parcel Plus, Musical Islands, and Balloon Battle.
5. PPP means every layer has a small pack of Haribo PLUS a little challenge. Make sure every child gets a chance to unwrap - and if there are more than 12 children have teams, and two or more parcels to speed things up.
   
   Use different paper for each layer, and including brown paper salvaged from internet packaging [to save money.] 
6. 
   Musical Islands- make sure your newspaper has enough pages. My Eastern Daily Press was alarmingly short of sheets, my neighbour's Daily Mail had plenty[ I had to prune out those with unsuitable pictures!] 
7. BB blow up the balloons beforehand, take them in a large bin bag. You'll get a headache if you try to inflate 20 balloons by mouth too quickly [use a balloon pump if you can find it]
8. Relax, enjoy yourself and the children will too.
9. Best tip - find someone else to do it!

Hot Fuzz? *

It's the time of the year when the Pantone Color Company announces its new shade for the coming year. Last year it was Magenta.  And this year, they have chosen - I kid you not - one called Peach Fuzz. The launch statement says

PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul. 

 "At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future. We are reminded that a vital part of living a full life is having the good health, stamina, and strength to enjoy it” says company vice president Laurie Pressman, adding “We needed a colour whose gentle lightness and airy presence lifts us into the future," 

Here are a some press pictures - a fluffy peachy bird, a peachy princess. and absurdly fluffy lounge setting, and the shade card.

You can guarantee that a photo will always be found of Kate wearing the shade. Many reports this week show shots of her in a very peachy coat - but is is at least 5 years old, as she's in a maternity dress, with a generous baby-bump.

I'm not sure I am going to buy any new clothes or redecorate [ the walls of our bathroom are already a peachy shade]

Many on social media have agreed with the pick, describing it as beautiful and refreshing. Others panned the colour as boring, out-of-touch and unflattering. One said the peach is "a very democratic shade considering it doesn't look good on anyone." Another critic wrote"The world is neither peachy nor fuzzy anymore. Pity," 

Leatrice Eisemann, Director of the company says "In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a colour radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless" 

Sadly, |I am afraid that it reminds me of that colour which the late, great Shirley Conran [author of Superwoman"] always described as "Corset Pink"

[*apologies to anyone who thought this post would review Simon Pegg's 2007 Cop Comedy]

Wandering Angles

We once had a friend who was responsible for preparing hymn words for the church data projector. Now and then a spelling mistake crept in. The amateur electricians smiled at "Onward  Christian solders" and as a maths teacher, I liked it when we sang "the angles keep their watch of wandering love"

This year we've added an angel to our Nativity Tableau. Unlike the other figures, created on frames made of old microphone stands and gazebo struts, this figure is based on the ancient laundry bin [replaced when we redecorated the bedroom]

Here's Bob in the workshop, attaching the gold polystyrene head to some shoulders [a length of packaging] on the upturned bin. There are three "vine hooks" - two on the shoulders, and a third halfway down the back. This last helps to adjust the position, so the angel is "bending on hovering wing" over the Holy Family. Bob says it "determines the Angel's Angle of Dangle" 

The wings are fixed separately behind, and constructed from a large sheet of card, covered in gold foil and draped in white and gold net from my Fabric Stash. 

Almost complete. I just need to pin the Wise Man's robe, it keeps blowing back to reveal the brick on his base - and I've mislaid the gift he had last year [a gold box] 

My young neighbour likes the angel, and speculated on who would be added next year. Would it be possible to have a camel standing outside? she asked. No! I told her. 

... But having seen Catriona's photo of the wondrous creature made by her husband's Men's Shed group, maybe it could be done after all... 

Advent Sunday 2

The second Advent candle represents PEACE. As we continue to pray for peace in our world, let us also seek God's peace in our own hearts. 

This is a prayer by Henri Nouwen. 

Lord Jesus

Master of both the light and the darkness

Send your Holy Spirit 

upon our preparations for Christmas. 

We whose hearts are heavy

seek the joy of your presence. 

We are your people, 

walking in darkness, 

yet seeking the light. 

To you we say

"Come Lord Jesus!" 

Deck The Halls!

In between plumbing, and preparing for the Craft Fair, I've been slowly putting up more decorations.

My lovely rocking horse, which we have had for 30+ years looks much better since I refurbished and restuffed it. It stands proudly on the bookshelf in the hall.

The Gospel Chandelier has been blinged up with red and silver baubles, and this year, I've hung my wire LOVE sign from the centre.

The fabric wreath was made [with Rosie's help] from a kit which Kirsten sent me last year.

And Bob put up two hooks outside for my wreath from the November workshop. 

Two older decorations and two new ones. And it's starting to look very Christmassy. The dining table is covered with the stuff I'm taking to the Fair this afternoon. I hope it sells. 

What If...

If you can keep your money when governments about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust your neighbour when they trust not you
And they be very nosy too;
If you can await the warm delights of summer
Then summer comes and goes with sun not seen,
And pay so much for drinking water
Knowing that the water is unclean.

If you seek peace in times of war creation,
And you can see that oil merchants are to blame,
If you can meet a pimp or politician,
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you cannot bear dis-united nations
And you think this new world order is a trick,
If you've ever tried to build good race relations,
And watch bad policing mess your work up quick.

If you can make one heap of all your savings
And risk buying a small house and plot,
Then sit back and watch the economy inflating
Then have to deal with the negative equity you've got;
If you can force your mind and body to continue
When all the social services have gone,
If you struggle on when there is nothing in you,
Except the knowledge that justice can be wrong.

If you can speak the truth to common people
Or walk with Kings and Queens and live no lie,
If you can see how power can be evil
And know that every censor is a spy;
If you can fill an unforgiving lifetime
With years of working hard to make ends meet,
You may not be wealthy but I am sure you will find
That you can hold your head high as you walk the streets.

 [from Too Black, Too Strong, pub, 2009]

RIP Benjamin Zephaniah, poet, actor, passionate campaigner. A man who genuinely cared for others, and fought for justice. He will be missed, his poems will live on.

Waxworks

 While Bob was on his knees plumbing [and fixed the problem] I spent much of Wednesday preparing stock for Saturday's Christmas Fair. I decided my mini jumpers needed better presentation. I used my gift tag punch and made long slim tags to hold the jumpers on their little hangers.

I also made ten sets of Waxwraps, like the ones I did back in Dorset. I ironed the wax granules onto the fabric, then made some cardboard envelopes. 

I've modified the "bellyband" round the packs to include my shop logo

I use my ironing board as a standing workstation. I think it's better than sitting all the time! 

I ended up with ten neat packets. 

All very satisfactory... But I'm behind with my Advent Stitching, and my cross stitch collaboration piece. 

And definitely I think I need a new cover on my ironing board.

Plumbing The Depths

Well that wasn't the Tuesday I expected! We were taking Ruth out for a Pre-Christmas lunch. So we decided on a light breakfast - I started making toast, whilst Bob rinsed the cafetiere. And then we saw a stream of dirty brown water running out from under the fridge across the floor.

Bob pulled out the fridge, I mopped up the water. It was coming from that pipe on the left. That is a capped off outlet from the previous owner's dishwasher [our DW is in the Futility Room] But why is it leaking now, nearly fifteen years after we bought the place? We mopped up the floor, and had breakfast. 

Bob - who loathes plumbing - checked what supplies he had in the workshop. 

We went off to Downham Market and had a lovely day with Ruth. We met her over 40 years ago, when her son married Bob's sister. Technically, a "relative-by-marriage", but very much part of the family, and we are so fond of her. We came home at 3 and returned to the Plumbing Problem. We ascertained that the pipework was a load of bodged, mismatched pieces. [much like the electrics] 

As is to be expected, none of Bob's spare pipes - shown  standing on the fridge - is the right size for replacing anything. Bob concluded that it would be better to tackle it all in daylight. Knowing that I might easily forget and empty the teapot down the sink, I've temporarily tied festive red warning ribbons in place! 

I am so grateful for a sink in the Futility Room. This Grandma runs on tea! 

Better Than Chocolate!

The grandchildren are enjoying their Advent Calendars - both families have a "Jesus" one and a "Chocolate" one. George insists on opening Grandma's Jesus Calendar picture first.

But I too have a splendid Advent surprise each day - it was my Christmas gift last year from Liz. She wisely checked with me in late October that I knew where it was.

It is a Crafter's Advent Calendar from Corinne Lapierre's company up in Leeds. The box contains an instruction book, felt, and threads [the needle packet was sealed, but empty - but I have needles]

The largest piece of felt is the blue background, and every day you cut out shapes from the coloured felts, and stitch on another piece of the picture.

There is an elastic band round the book so you do not peek at what lies ahead. The book says "about 30-60 minutes stitching per day". I'd thought I would be at the 30 mins end of the scale, being relatively practised at stitching. Actually 3 out of the 4 days to date have taken 50+ minutes.

But it is such fun. Each day there are templates to cut out [I'm tracing mine and keeping the book intact.] with clear instructions about which of the 10 sheets of felt to use. So far I have needed whip stitch, running stitch and cross stitch. Nothing too complex.

Day One - two white hills [easy start!]

Day Two - three pine trees

Day Three - a Yule Log

Day Four - three little cottages.

There are specific measurements for where to put things ['top of hill 7cm down the side', 'Pink cottage up against the right hand edge' etc] so that everything will eventually fit in. And instructions about which stitch and shade of thread to use

I am absolutely loving this project. It requires concentration and I can chill out with it.  Liz you are a genius, thankyou.

I am not looking at the CL website, in case she has posted a picture of the finished article.

I will post more photos as the winter scene builds up...

Two Tyred?

It has been a rather busy few days, and we still haven't quite finished putting up the Nativity Scene. We were outside in the freezing snowy weather on Saturday morning. Stepladders and power tools...and interesting comments from passers by.

I was chatting to my neighbour's carer, and she said how pleased she was to see it again - apparently last year her granddaughter was fascinated by the manger scene.

I said to my other neighbour - walking her beautiful husky, that I wondered why I made life so complicated - other women were just icing cakes and making mince pies - not dressing wise men in the garage!

In the afternoon we went over to the chapel to help decorate it - lots of trees and windowsills It looks lovely. 

Saturday night it was utterly freezing at the Village Carols. Our neighbour Pete reprised his usual seasonal role.[That snowy white beard is all his own!] We sat well to the front, and I kept my hat on, as my ears were so cold! We'd left our car outside my bro's house and were grateful for the warming cups of tea they gave us afterwards.

However we've realised my car has a slow puncture in one tyre - it keeps going down. So I'm off to KwikFit this morning to get both rear tyres replaced.

Then back to all the other tasks which are piling up.

Here's the link [I hope] to the Advent piece from Philips comment yesterday 

Advent Sunday 1

The first advent candle represents HOPE

We light this candle 

Amidst a world of uncertainty 

A world of unexpected outcomes 

And ways forward that are unclear. 

A fragile flame burns 

That could be extinguished at any moment 

A flickering testimony that there has always been light 

Since the day your voice declared that it should be. 

So in this world where kingdoms rise and fall 

Where rulers posture in their temporary squabbles of state and empire 

Where the weakest pay the price for the follies of the powerful ...

The word of the Lord endures for ever. 

Words that promised Messiah’s coming 

Words fulfilled amidst the chaos of human circumstance 

Words of hope, words of life, words of promise 

Words that will last for all of eternity.

Flakes And Flowers

Friday was definitely a cold and frosty morning. Bob dropped me and my trolley in Dereham at 9.15am and went on to the Hospice. The cheery guy in the Post Office said he had seen three overturned cars en route to work. I paid for my package [another 31:13 order!] and wished him a Happy Christmas. Down to the Christian Bookshop. I'd bought Advent Calendars for the grandchildren - which were a few cm too wide for the 'large letter' slot - so these flat, light envelopes had to go at Small Parcel Rate. That was more than the cost of the calendars.I suggested to the manager that [a] it would have been helpful to know that when I bought them and [b] next year, please could they find ones which were just a tiny bit narrower, please? The Manager said she'd been caught out at the Post Office too, and yes, this was already under consideration! I walked on to the Flow Craft Café

Nina had alreadtset out the tables, and I began to put out the Kusudama packs. It began to snow. Not everybody turned up, but the ladies who did were great fun - and one had been at school with me in 1966, when I first came to Dereham!
We had great fun reminiscing. Nina hopes for another of these workshops in the new year. We're also thinking about a sewing activity too.

Afterwards I walked up the road to Morrisons and did my shopping. I sat in the café and had not long finished my bacon roll when Bob came to collect me.

It snowed again - bigger let-it-go-flakes this time.

Top Tip for the day - one of the workshop women said her friend had some kusudama flowers on bamboo stems- standing in a bottle of diffusing oil as a room freshener. That is a really creative use for them. I may do that myself...

Sorting out all the Christmas Decorations today, I do hope it is not too cold tonight - Village Carols in the Parish Church [I will wear my motorbike thermal underwear]

Un-Boxing Day

Kirsten's parcel arrived just as I was going out. I left it on the dining table till my return. Note the festive tablecloth. I love its retro poinsettia print. 

Inside the familiar Graze box I saw a Christmas card[I thought] a postcard, the notebook and a few other things,

In fact, the card opened into one of Kirsten's brilliant Advent Calendar booklets. I plan to put in some of the recipes I found in the Scandi cookbook last week.

Kirsten's two 'flat gifts' were intriguing. She challenged me to work out what they were*. But best of all was her stitching for the month

Utterly fabulous - half a dozen starlings perched on a wire in the morning sunrise. K has used some of her Sarah Homfray Variegated threads to stitch a beautiful sky in shades of lilac and pink through to pale blue. Isn't it exquisite?

Last week, sitting in a traffic jam, Bob pointed out some birds on the telegraph wire alongside the road. "I could stitch them" I thought. But K got there first!

The lounge is in chaos. I an preparing the figures for the outdoor nativity. Those heads on poles do look sinister! This is the third year and I am adding another figure.

Pictures will follow when completed.

* the pink 5 sided perforated item has suckers underneath. It is now in place over the plughole in my shower - it is designed to trap hairs.

* the small yellow object is a ring with built in thread cutter. Sharp, but so useful! Thanks K.

Life is very busy round here. And rather cold outside! Hope wherever you are, you are warm and well. Happy December!!

On My Christmas Shelf

We fetched down all the Christmas stuff from the loft - including the "late bag". That's the carrier which holds all the random things you find in January which somehow got overlooked when you cleared everything up last year [a festive tablecloth awaiting ironing, a decoration on a forgotten hook etc] And I found these characters - which went into the bag in late February...

Freezy George McBreezy, Snowy Jacob McMerryMittens and Frosty Arthur McIcyPants

This year such elves cost between £3.50 and £6 in various outlets. This trio were in a bargain basket for 50p each in a Garden Centre during the February Half-Term. There were very few girl elves, no Jess or Rosie. But these will go to the boys in Manchester and my great-nephew in Norfolk.

My John Lewis Xmas mugs collection started about 15 years ago with the red reindeer one at the top. I kept adding mugs, till JL changed the shape, then I looked out for them in CS. I wanted to have a set of eight.I got up to 7, and then someone gave me a green one, almost identical [Was it cousin Gill?]

Sadly my penguin one got chipped. I keep it as a 'non-drinks' item to hold teaspoons etc. 

The Peas Mug is the same shape and size but the handle is curved differently. But look at this! For £1.50 on Friday, this was in a CS in Greenwich! New style handle, same old shape and size. The regular everyday mugs will go away for a month, and these will be the matching mugs for visitors.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Do you have any decorations up yet?

Marvellous Mini Makes

It is nearly twenty years since I began knitting mini Christmas jumpers to decorate the tree, and ten since I posted the pattern on the blog. But this trio is made in 4ply yarn, and the three cable columns require a fair bit of concentration.

I've written a much simpler pattern which I'm using to make jumpers for my 31:13 shop. Here's a stack of seven jumpers which I knitted while I was down in London. When we got home, I pressed them and stitched the side seams. 

Then I added contrast stitching and Swiss Darning, and added a few beads and sequins. Simple motifs work best - snowflakes, trees, wreaths, reindeer, and just rows of stitching.

Here's the pattern. You need a pair of 3.25mm[UK #10] needles and about 5gm double knit yarn.

Cast on 13sts.

Work two rows in K1, P1 rib

Work 12rows in stocking stitch

Cast on 8sts and beg of next row. [21 sts]

P2 K19

Cast on 8sts at beg of next row [29 sts] 

P 29sts

P2, K25,P2

P29

P2, K10, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K10, P2

P12, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P12

P2, K10, cast off 5, K10, P2

P12, cast on 5, P12

P2, K10, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K10, P2

P12, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P12

P2, K25, P2

P29

Cast off 8, K to end

Cast off 8 P to end [13sts]

Work 12 rows in st st

Work 2 rows in K1, P1 rib. 

Cast off. 

Fold in half, press, sew up side and sleeve seams

Decorate as required [I use 6 strands of regular embroidery floss for stitches, 2strands to stitch on beads] 

That's it! 

Laughter, The Best Medicine*

Doing a word puzzle recently I discovered that Roger is American slang for vomit [is that true? Friends in USA please confirm or deny!] I thought about this at 1:30am in Liz's bathroom on Sunday. I blame the sausages I'd had for Saturday tea [fortunately I was the only one to eat them, nobody else was poorly] I'm fine now. But I wasn't going to let being unwell in the night ruin my day. I deliberately looked for things to make me smile. 

On our way to the bus stop we pass a lovely florists. Rosie always calls it the Nuthead Gardener. 

This week they were selling Christmas trees, and the pair of us couldn't help giggling at the tree funnels. Have you seen them? They seem to be everywhere this year. They are like giant sausage machines. 

They wrap each tree in a nylon net to make it easy to carry home. For some reason Rosie and I thought the gadget was really funny

In Sainsbury's we watched a woman buying a "Christmas Decoration" for £2. Three twigs wrapped in cellophane! Good grief, how crazy. I know we were in London, but surely there was somewhere nearby to forage a twig?  Some people have money to burn. 

In John Lewis I looked [briefly] in the haberdashery section. They had Christmas "fat quarter" packs. But clearly nobody spell-checked the labels - I was amused that the festive foliage fabric was labelled "holy selection" 

Less amusing was the John Lewis "Santa's Grotto". It cost £20 per child plus £2 for each accompanying adult.

"Each child has their photo taken, and receives a plush toy worth £10" But you had to pay extra for the photo - and accompanying adults were not allowed to take their own pictures. My SIL bought an elf like that for just £5 on Friday - Waitrose are currently selling them half price. 

I felt it was wrong to charge for the adult. No way would I let my two precious children go unaccompanied to meet a hairy old stranger on the other side of the curtain! I'm not saying I suspect the guy of nefarious behaviour, but it goes against all the safeguarding principles. Parents ought to be allowed in free of charge. Rosie thought it was very expensive too and pointed out it would cost us £44. I admired her maths and bought her a little felt elf for the tree. As her Dad said "the real Santa would never charge that much" 

*This comes originally from Proverbs 17 :22 "a merry heart is good medicine". Happy to report that I've quickly recovered from the Roger-interlude. 

How much would you pay for a child to see Santa? 

Should the carer have to pay extra? 

My Little Chatterbox

 Like her Mum, and her big sister, Jess has developed a good vocabulary already, at 2½ years old. We've been in London looking after the girls while Liz and Jon were away. It's been exhausting but fun. Arriving Thursday afternoon, I went on the bus to collect Jess from Nursery. It was already dark. I said to her that we would see lots of pretty lights on the way home. First time the bus stops, she says “Grandma, lights! Orange and red and green". I hadn't been thinking about traffic lights - but they are pretty colours.

The Novello Theatre is where Mamma Mia the Musical is on. But Jess looked at the turquoise sparkling lights and told me it was "Elsa's Frozen Castle" 
She is obviously well up on this particular Disney offering. She looked at some snowflake lights hanging along a hedge, and declared "Let-It-Go-Flakes"

Jess began to sing Let It Go (I didn't join in) and the other bus passengers smiled happily.

The first evening, Jess missed her Mum and Dad, and didn't settle very well in her cot. Rosie came down and said she was crying a lot. I went into the room. A little voice, sobbing, said "I'm in a mess, Grandma" 

She had pulled a lift-the-flap book through the bars of the cot, and ripped two pages. And absolutely shredded the flap that was a garden gate. How many children have I known who have been really upset about something and torn a page or two? I gathered the shreds and put it all to one side "It's OK, Grandma will fix it" 

Then Jess and I cuddled in the big bed and I told her Mummy loved her and she would be home soon. We talked about all the people we loved. "I love Grandad so much, because he cooks me sausages" she declared

After that she was OK - and Rosie was a brilliant Big Sister. I stuck the book back together [recreating the gate with a rectangle cut from cereal packet] And I will post photos of some of the things we saw later. Jon and Liz got back safely last night and today we go home visiting another relation en route. 

What a privilege to spend time with the children. But I shall be glad to be back in a bungalow - stairs are exhausting [especially when carrying buggies up and down] 

Old Tune, New Words

I am fond of an old Welsh hymn which begins "Here is love, vast as the ocean" - it has a  Welsh tune. 

Last week we sung this hymn in church with different, modern words. I found them very challenging.

Show me how to stand for justice:
how to work for what is right,
how to challenge false assumptions,
how to walk within the light.
May I learn to share more freely
in a world so full of greed,
showing your immense compassion
by the life I choose to lead.

Teach my heart to treasure mercy,
whether given or received –
for my need has not diminished
since the day I first believed:
let me seek no satisfaction
boasting of what I have done,
but rejoice that I am pardoned
and accepted in your Son.

Gladly I embrace a lifestyle
modelled on your living word,
in humility submitting
to the truth which I have heard.
Make me conscious of your presence
every day, in all I do:
by your Spirit’s gracious prompting
may I learn to walk with you.