Christmas

...was our usual quiet togetherness. Reverting back to our student days in terms of drinking good beer and slobbing out. I baked the grandmother of all Christmas cakes...

hand blanching almonds - hours of fun for everyone!

and our little living tree was invited in - he has been with us for eleven years and we decorate him a few days before Christmas...

The lovely wood fairies called again, with six sumptuous sacks of logs, and Secret Santa left a mysterious bundle on the doorstep on Christmas Eve. Somehow 'he' knew I am in the middle of a tea towel famine. (Andy has used most of them to clean the bike with). Not only did I get a beautiful Emma Bridgewater tea towel which I can't quite bring myself to use, but a somewhat eccentric miscellany of coal, logs, a clockwork cowboy, fruit, nuts sprouts, chocolates and glittery stars. Eccentric, unless you know me well and how delighted I would be with it all. I think I know who it was though...

My Christmas SOSF match sent me delightful hand made ceramic decorations...thank you so much Sarah, they will be treasured.

There was splendid Christmas box from another kind fairy - complete with sweet handpainted card...

jampacked with goodies, as every respectable hamper should be

...which magically turned into a Pumpkin...

"I would eat the world if I could get my jaws round it"

...and a mere two days rest for Andy before he had to return to the Valhalla of retail where he is gainfully employed.

Next blog installment - Christmas card Heaven and the biggest 'Thank You' letter I have ever written.