Christmas Scenes Around My House

It's Christmas
the tree is up

along with my knitted Christmas craft

with a different view from the conservatory

with a peep into the dining room

and some lights in the front

the cards are made, written and posted

the cake is made

marzipaned

and iced

and the Blackbird feasts every day outside my kitchen window

I think wrapping the presents will be next

in a week's time I will be looking forward to the Christmas edition of Downton Abbey

Did I say that life was looking good!

I am just being facetious, Christmas is more than these outward symbols as we know so I look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus and enjoying the company of my family, aware that many do not have that privilege for whatever reason. My heart goes out to them and they will be in my prayers.

Blue Skies and Hard Work!

A week of blue sky brings out the gardener in me. I have not done anything in the garden since October so although bitterley cold it was good to get out there and make a start. We have cleared all the roses from the bed at the front of the house as they were past their best and becoming deseased. This week I was able to plant 9 shrubs in their place. (You cannot plant new rose bushes in the same place you have had old ones or they will take up the deseases of the old ones)

We have also cleared out and dug over my herb bed. Herbs do get straggly and woody and it is best to start again every few years. I have had ornamental herbs as well as culinary ones but decided this time to plant only the herbs that I regularly use. It will be a little while yet before a good selection will be available but the ground is all ready for when they are. I also used some of this space to plant 2 minature rose bushes. One of these is called Golden Wedding so you can guess which celebration that was bought for.

So good to get the laundry out blowing in the wind too after months of tumble drying.

Another achievement for me this week. I have managed to finish reading Vanity Fair.

768 pages in such tiny print. I have some DVD/Book sets of a number of the classics and having watched the 3 hour DVD while resting with a cold mid-December I was inspired to read the book. Two and a half months later I have finished it. I always have a number of books on the go at once so just kept this for reading in bed.

Although I have most of the old classics it is years since I read one of them. I was so taken with the quality of writing and how clever these old writers were. This particular author William Makepeace Thackeray impressed me with how he writes about the same situation from the viewpoint of different characters.

William Thackeray's hilarious and biting satire exposes the greed and vanity behind the elegance of early 19th-century society. Two girls leave school with very different ambitions - wealthy Amelia Sedley wants nothing more than to marry her childhood sweetheart, but low born orphan Becky Sharp is determined to claw her way up the social ladder by whatever means necessary. The dramatic events of the Napoleonic Wars throw their plans into turmoil, but cunning and ruthless Becky soon turns the carnage of Waterloo to her advantage. In Becky Sharp Thackeray has created one of the most enduring heroines of all time, as relevant and recognisable today as she has ever been. (From the cover)

And we have some weekend baking. Indulging again. I have had several baking sessions this week as I am one of a number making cakes for the afternoon tea that will be served at a friends wedding in a couple of weeks after the ceremony before people move on to the reception venue.

Here we see Peanut Butter and White Belgium Chocolate Blondies. A recipe from Rachael Allen's book.

Last but not least, having given up knitting, passing on all my needles and patterns etc., I wanted a hat to cover my ears when out walking in this very cold weather we have been having. Hence the production of an Aphgan style hat! I do not care what I look like I want warm ears.

Garden Images Today

I am so enjoying seeing the leaves and blossom appear as the garden takes shape for another year.We have just had a week of beautiful warm weather with the temperature hitting 70f but it is about to change for next week. Not having had the opportunity this week to be out working in the garden as there has been too many other things to do, I am off now to put in a few hours work there. Will be looking after Oliver for 2 days this coming week while Janie recovers from her C-Section and takes care of Rebekah. We are also in the middle of decorating another bedroom. No surprises this time though!! I have also been enjoying using my new electric carpet and upholstery shampooer. So, this is where I am off to now to continue trimming and tidying.

This will probably be my last post featuring knitting. Although I had decided to give knitting up for good, I saw this yarn in Ho*bby*craft and just knew that the colour was right for a blogging friend so took the needles out of retirement to knit a scarf. The second photo is a scarf I knitted for Alan a little while ago but did not post on it.

Anniversary and Crafts

Yesterday was our 49th wedding anniversary and here I was forgetting to mention it! We did not do anything to celebrate but I did get to spend 10 hours (minus his 90 minutes asleep) with grandson Oliver as we spent the day visiting with our daughter Janie. We were to be going over for the day anyhow, but Janie had fallen at work the previous day and her company had insisted she stayed home to recover. She is fine and the baby is fine, just somewhat bruised.

My card to Alan

I have actually been making some greetings cards lately to replenish my stock

A few of the many Christmas cards in the making

I have also managed some knitting since finishing the Throw

And remembered that I did not show the 'man' scarf I made for Alan

some time ago

The Smoke Bush (Cotinus) finally shed its leaves in the wind this week but I managed to catch these pretty and delicate colours before it did. This bush changes through the most beautiful colours from Autumn through early Winter. It turns from deep burgundy to scarlet and then this mixture of pink and gold. Today it is bare deep wine colour stems waiting to be cut right back in the Spring.

The Throw

I have just finished a 90 week knitting project, that's 2 years all but 3 months. Just another reason to prove just how quickly time flies by.

This was done through a knitting course called, "The Art of Knitting". The idea was to knit one square a week for 90 weeks, finishing up with a patchwork throw. Basically the course was aimed at teaching people to knit by introducing different patterns and stitches throughout the weeks.

Now I first learned to knit when I was 15 years old but this course intrigued me and I thought it would be fun. Although I certainly did not need to learn to knit I have learned quite a few new techniques over the weeks.

The course came via. a weekly magazine which also contained a number of patterns each time both for the home, bits and pieces and designer knits. Whether I will ever make any of these only time will tell. For the throw there was the pattern for the square of the week complete with the wool to complete it. Also included was a stitch library, questions and answers, knitting school and glossary.

When one adds up £2.99p times 90, plus the cost of 6 binders, it would seem a very expensive throw. Initially Alan was horrified at the ultimate cost until I suggested he add up the cost of our daily newspaper which of course over 90 weeks would come to much, much more. It got me thinking - 2 mugs of coffee a week at Starbucks and certainly for much longer than 90 weeks!!! My weekly Belgium chocolate fix....... no, I won't go there!

So, after all that - here it is. It is extremely heavy and warm.

Nearly Finished