Cats in the Kitchen, Flora in the Garden

It's always around about this time in the days before Christmas, that I have had enough of preparations, and now just want to wind down and enjoy the holiday season. I can't stand to be in a panic very near Christmas with a long list of 'to dos', although there have been many years when I have been. I have done really well this year, despite, being extra busy, and all the presents are bought, but not wrapped, that is a joy for me to do and I will do it next week. The cards are written and sent and the major cookery and baking is over. The decorations are just about up, except for a little tweaking here and there, and my home is just about ready for the children's return.

I am not giving myself pat on the back because, I have just been lucky this year in fitting it all in, although where once I would have been in a panic, I think as I get older, I am now much more philosophical and think 'well, if it's not done, it's not done and it won't spoil Christmas for me'. I have seen a younger version of myself, run raggeded before Christmas and not be able to relax when Christmas came. Too much organisation kills Christmas. I want to start relaxing now.



Next week I will be making my mince pies and sweets, both a joy to do, I'll bake up a storm with Christmas music playing, dancing round the kitchen, and then one evening I will take over the dining room table, place a bottle of wine and a glass there, bring the presents out and once again wrap to the sound of Christmas melodies whilst singing along. The sweet recipes are from Pea's site [Thank you for sharing them Pea] and choc and raspberry bars are from Vicci's [Thank you for that scrumptious looking bar Vicci]. The only thing to work out.I can work out American cup measurements, but can any one tell me - What is a stick of butter in weight in the USA?

All the shopping left to do is fresh fruit and veg at the end of next week, which I will go to the nearest small market town for. After this week I will not be going anywhere near the nearest town I always go, to much rushing around of last minute shoppers, overactive children and drunken office workers. Not that I'm against all that, I just will leave it for them to enjoy. I want to start chilling. I'm just saying to you all if it isn't done, leave it just start enjoying Yuletide, worrying spoils Christmas.




I have just been on my last supermarket trip before Christmas, with the weather being so wet and windy, we can very occasionally lose power, at peak times, so it was mainly things like, plain candles, lightbulbs, batteries, matches and one or two little odds and ends, that I happened to see like a good special offer on chestnuts and some rather nice looking bottled fruits.

My local supermarket is an out of town Tesco, and you would have thought Christmas was this week the crowds that jostling round it. I just needed a small trolley which was just as well, all the giant ones were in use. People were staggering out with groaning heaving trollies of food and drink, I made a mental note to make sure that next year I organise my shopping as well as this year. Though I have to admit I don't ever do giant supermarket shops. I have Tesco deliver all my staples once a month, so my shopping every week is not horrendous, it's a system I have used for two years.



I have been gathering treats around the front, main living room, a rush basket with some magazines in I am looking forward to reading, a pile of new books to read on the long chest, and in the stereo cupboard, the Christmas, classical and late night smoky jazz cds, I want to chill to.
The Wizard of Oz on top of the dvd player, and a boxed set of Audrey Hepburn films I got at a bargain price a couple of months ago that I have been saving. Everytime I look at them I think of the pleasures I have in store. Small pleasures make life joyful. The only glitch on the horizon, is that the river has risen to the top of the banks and we are on floodwatch, we just have to get through the next day and hope the rain will stop. Also this terrible wet and windy weather has meant there has been no time to get out and cut some holly branches on a walk.

The Christmas site is open on Sunday, 17th so I hope you have all had time in your busy schedules to think of something to post. I have nearly finished my story but it is slightly long, but never mind, the site is open for reading until the end of January, so no doubt people will have more time after the festivities.

I am now going to try and get round as many sites as possible, before people think I have disappeared off the face of the earth, but we are all just so busy at the moment.

http://daisyschristmascircle.blogspot.com/
Open this Sunday, 17th
Daisy Lupin’s Christmas Story or Memory Posting
Post a Christmas memory, story, even a ghost story
Or poem you would like to share,
More than one if you wish ,
Last postings 24th December
Just let me know it is your contribution
I will transfer them to a temporary site
There they will remain for everyone to enjoy
Until the end of January.
Come on lets have a Giant Christmas Story Circle