Oops!

 

The "Oops" is because I didn't post this on Saturday

Last week's idleness couldn't be allowed to last!  I still have several Christmas presents to finish (and even one or two to start!) and hitting the "publish" button last week gave me the necessary kick up the proverbial.

I posted my overseas cards this week while the Post Office isn't quite so busy.  Post to and from the USA seems very slow at the moment - I sent some cards for Thanksgiving and I don't think they have arrived yet!  Next week will be the turn of UK cards and I always heave a sigh of relief when I've got that job finished.  I wrote most of the cards a few weeks ago.  

I've wrapped more presents but as that was mostly just in paper saved from last year it's not really worth photographing.  However, I have used the ecofriendly sticky tape and cellophane which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.  I'm happy to report that both were very good: in fact I preferred the new cellophane (I just use it for food items) as it wasn't as springy as the conventional stuff and was easier to use.  

,, , , with an English slant

 My cousins daughter has been living in Maryland for several years but she recently moved back to the UK and her parents' home.  She put in her request for a Thanksgiving meal.

I was invited.  It would have been ride to refuse.  I am rarely rude!

So we had our turkey (crown) dinner.  But we had it English style.  

And although I know Thanksgiving cards aren't all that common, I made one.  

That is Mary style.  

Thanksgiving

 A Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!  We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here but it sounds a lovely festival.  I hope you all have a lovely day.

Or should that be I hope y'all have an awesome day?  (I do my best.)

It's good to talk

 I went to Brigg today.  It was such a cold day but so bright.  I took the trundle truck (mobility scooter), of course and meandered along the riverbank.  And I found a new notice, pinned to a bench.  My trundle truck has a warmer seat than that looked but I hope it gets well used, even if not by me!

I went a little further along the river bank and saw an angler and remarked that he obviously took his fishing pleasures very seriously.  He was baiting his hook and he told me that this stretch of river has lots of pike and perch. 

Then I met a friendly dog which fancied a ride on the trundle truck so its owner and I had a chat.

Then a schoolgirl gave me a shy smile and wished me "Good morning!" on her way to school.

I hope lots of people use the chatty bench but to be honest, people talk in Brigg without any encouragement whatsoever.  Has anyone seen this initiative anywhere else?

Five weeks to go

 

Those weeks whizz by, don't they?  The house feels a little untidy as presents wait to be wrapped and odd foods find their way into the freezer or store.  Cards are ready for the last letters to be popped in and sewing projects need to be completed.  It's definitely time to draw breath.

I'm also thinking about food, always a happy thought!  I've got the meat for my main meal (in the freezer already and I've cooked the pud but as I'm a little better organised than usual I've been thinking about doing some baking, a rare event in this one woman household.  I thought, "Should I make some puff pastry and make my own mince pies, sausage rolls and cheese straws?"  Then I thought, "Nah, I'll buy frozen pastry and cheat my own mince pies, sausage rolls and cheese straws."  Happy thought. 

Because, to be honest, this has been a lazy week Christmas preparation-wise.  I've had my covid vaccine booster and I've had my flu vaccination so I've been a little tired (my only reaction) so apart from a couple of hours sewing I've been a little lazy.  And it feels important to note for my future Christmas planning: start early and allow for weeks when very little will get done.   

Six weeks to go.

 
I don't really enjoy wrapping things (but I love unwrapping!) so I need to get started before the heap of gifts to be wrapped becomes overwhelming.    Pretty paper, a sparkly bow, a bit of ribbon and it will look OK!   But that's not good enough.  I wasn't happy when I looked at my waste last year.  I salvaged what I could and will use what I have but I want to get more creative and less dependent on the plastics. 

I buy quite a lot of stuff on line and it all comes "well packaged" so throughout the year I have been salvaging the brown paper and cardboard sleeves sent by A****n and this is a pud wrapped in salvaged brown paper tied with raffia and labelled with card from an A****n sleeve.  I've used dried orange slices to decorate it and I've used an adhesive label on the reverse to list the ingredients.  This also covers some printing on the card - I'm not giving anyone free advertising!

I shall experiment with eco wrapping this year but that will include any "non eco friendly" stuff which I reuse although I won't be buying any more.    Nearer to Christmas I may go outside and collect a few natural bits and pieces to decorate parcels.  I've bought some zero plastic tape and ordered some compostable cellophane.  I'll let you know how I get on.

Zero waste wrapping takes more time than using the plastic stuff so I'm glad I've started early.  

I've done an inventory of the freezer contents so I can eat up the older items.  It's good to have space for those delicious leftovers after The Big Day!  And it's also good to be able to buy reduced food after Christmas.

Starting my eighth decade

 

A "tactful" birthday greeting

One or two "friends" have been tactless enough to point out that I am in my eighth decade which sound even worse than saying I am seventy!  

First nineteen colours

I decided that such an auspicious year (for me) deserves a special project.  I have admired the weather scarves or temperature scarves made by various bloggers  (Ang at Tracing Rainbows did a really good one) but I decided mine would start on my birthday.  I have a different colour for each degree Celsius and I'm using Jamieson and Smith 2ply jumper weight (which actually knits as 4ply) as there are 92 colours in the range.  (No, I won't need 92 colours but I do like to have a choice!)  I'm knitting it as a tube on a 3.5 circular needle as I found that to be successful for another scarf I knitted earlier this year.  This means that all the tatty ends will be held inside the scarf.

First sixteen rows

  

Seven weeks to go

 

I'm trying to be organised but the weeks seem to be flying past!  These weekly posts are intended to be the basis for my Christmas planning in years to come and blogging about my preparation is a cue to assess the situation each week.  

This week I bought sausages and bacon and made and froze pigs in blankets.  I have Christmas Day alone but I enjoy a few PIBs through the Christmas-to-New-Year season.  I've put a three-bird-roast and some rather nice stuffing into the freezer too.  

My big brag of the week has to be that I have got all my Christmas cards written.  I don't think I have ever been quite as early as this, certainly since I retired.  I've written letters for some of them but a couple will get letters written just before I post them at the end of the month.  

Later on I'll need to think about decorating the house but most prep now will centre on presents and food.