Chalking the door

The magi have, at last, found their way to the stable to worship the Christ child.  It's a bit crowded around there now.  Sorry you haven't had much in the way of travel reports this year - doing the Advent alphabet was quite demanding!

The Bible doesn't tell us the names of the magi.  It doesn't even say how many they were.  Tradition says there were three because three gifts are named but it ain't necessarily so.  Tradition also names them Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, CMB.  

Each year at Epiphany I take down my Christmas wreath and chalk the door.  That isn't easy on a modern UPVC door so I have a chalk label for the purpose.  On it I have written 20 C + M + B 26 in honour of all who seek Christ wherever he is to be found.  And I pray Christus Mansionem Benedicat (May Christ bless this house) using the traditional initials in a different way.

 May all who come to my home this year rejoice to find Christ living with me; and may I seek and serve, in everyone I meet, that same Jesus who is your incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen.

V is for visit

 

Yesterday it was hard to write a post about "U" but today I had a choice for "V".  The obvious subject was the Virgin Mary, but instead I wanted to share the Advent Collect with you.  In many Anglican churches it is used throughout Advent in addition to the collect for the day.  The more modern version omits the word "visit" but I remember being struck by it as a child.  

Almighty God,

Give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness,

and put upon us the armour of light,

now in the time of this mortal life,

in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;

that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead,

we may rise to the life immortal;

through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever.

Another thing I remember as a child is being taken on seemingly innumerable visits to people I didn't really know but who were known to my parents as people who would have a lonely Christmas.  It's a custom I still maintain as do many others.  

The posh gentlemen have got fed up with walking as their feet are so sore and they are considering giving up the idea of visiting.  (The camels went on strike a while ago.)  They've now hijacked my car and my trundle truck.  And it would appear that they pinched some Elastoplast for their blisters!   

And I've just had a visit from Jack, not to sort my garden but to exchange presents.  Jack, thank you for all you do.  I hope you (and all my readers) have a blessed Christmas and a peaceful 2026.  

T is for Tree

 

At last!  The posh coves are on the move.  At the moment they are travelling through a magic forest of fir-shaped trees covered with holly leaves and stars and with bright stars twinkling out of it.  They've checked it out and decided these are not the best stars to follow unless they want to go around in circles.  

So, onward they go.  They're not sure where they are going but they are going.  

The tree looks suspiciously like a coloured version of the tree I made last month, courtesy of Holly Dog

S is for sprouts - of course!

 

The love/hate vegetable to end all love/hate vegetables.

Sprouts aren't among my favourites but Christmas dinner wouldn't be the same without them.  When I was a little girl they were straight from the garden: these days they are Christmas loss-leaders in every supermarket.  I was going to order just six loose sprouts but that would cost more than a 500g net so I've ordered the net and found a recipe for sprout soup.   

The posh chaps are huddled around a campfire doing a meal plan for their travels.  They sorted a route (sort of) but none of them is much good at map reading so they might just follow a star.  They've decided to include sprouts as the camels quite like them as an occasional treat.  They wanted chocolate but I'm not letting them have any.  I remove the chocolate from the cupboard each morning and dispose of it Carefully.  That's my job as a responsible adult.

Sorry this is so late in the day.  I've had problems with uploading photographs.  

Q is for Quiz!

 1. Which country is credited with starting the tradition of decorating Christmas trees?A) England, B) Germany, C) Norway, D) Austria

2. In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” how many total gifts are given?

A) 78, B) 182, C) 364, D) 432

3. What popular Christmas beverage was originally marketed as a medicinal tonic in the 19th century?

A) Mulled wine, B) Hot chocolate, C) Eggnog, D) Wassail

4. Which author wrote A Christmas Carol?

A) Oscar Wilde, B) Charles Dickens, C) Mark Twain, D) Hans Christian Andersen

5. In which modern-day country was St. Nicholas born?

A) Greece, B) Italy, C) Turkey, D) Israel

6. Which Christmas song was the first to be broadcast from space?

A) Silent Night, B) Jingle Bells, C) White Christmas, D) O Holy Night

(Answers below.)

But what are the posh chaps and their animals up to?  

I was rather worried about them yesterday as all three of them are rather portly gentlemen and chocolate can't be good for them so I confiscated it.  I allowed the carrot to stay.  

Today they are consulting a map.  It won't get them far but I'm not sure if they could charge their SatNav on a camel's back.

1.B) Germany, 2C) 364, 3C) Eggnog, 4B) Charles Dickens, 5C) Turkey, 6B) Jingle Bells

P is for presents

 

For several years I was in a Santa Sack Swap which was organised on line.  There are blogs which I first read while getting ready for a swap and which I still read today.  The participants were all crafters, usually sewers, and I got some lovely hand made things.

One year I was chatting to a friend and she thought it a lovely idea so I now have a swap with her.  The rules are that things must be mostly home made, but re-gifting and used things are OK with the odd low-cost bought item (OK, I mean chocolate!) being allowed as well.  We have a stocking and a sack which we swap each year.  There is a distinct possibility that C may read this so no piccies!

Today's news about the posh gents is confusing me.  Another one has arrived and they're having a meeting around a bar of chocolate while the animals are meeting at one end of a carrot.  Are these presents they are planning  for someone?  It all seems a bit odd to me.  I hope time will tell.

N is for Nativity Set

 Odd things are happening in my sitting room.

It started with someone deciding to build a stable.  I don't remember being asked to comment on the planning proposal.  It just appeared.  

And then animals arrived.  Last Saturday we had  three sheep, one horse, one donkey and one goat.  We now have a shepherd and a chap with a lantern and he has a faint odour of beer around him.  The shepherd looks more useful.  He may be needed as one sheep didn't survive the whole scene spinning on its axis to reveal the remaining cupboards and it's now laying on its side.  And, as Catriona commented, someone will be needed to clean up the mess produced by three sheep, one horse, one donkey and one goat.  

But what is happening here?  All this week people and animals who look far too posh to live in stables have appeared.  We have two upper class gents, two camels and two horses.  The gents are trying to look busy but three of the animals are having none of it and are having a sit down.  The angel looks rather bemused.

What can it all mean?  I'll let you know when I know myself.  

G is for gnome

Elves aren't the only magical creatures to have muscled in on Christmas.  Gnomes have established themselves too!

I made these two fine fellows to adorn bottles of prosecco.

And this Dopey one to hang on my tree.  

This seems a good opportunity to check on the stable which has appeared in my sitting room.  

With three sheep, one horse, one donkey and one goat.

But it's six chocolates lighter.

1st December. B is for Blogmas

 

There's always a lot to read in Blogland in the run up to Christmas!  So many people, myself included, make an extra effort to post daily so there's lots to read and some wonderful ideas shared.  I'm trying to do an Advent alphabet.  

Advent Sunday is anywhere from November 27 to December 3, depending on which day Christmas falls that year.  

Commercial advent starts today with the first chocolate being consumed from many a calendar.  I put my stable out yesterday (Advent Sunday) and today the first figure has appeared.  I won't be showing the stable every day but will give updates a couple of times each week.  And we just might follow the Magi on their journey.

So my Blogmas is sorted: an Advent alphabet and the goings on in the stable.  I will think about food, charities, socialising, and anything else which occurs to me.  I've actually worked out in advance the theme of all my Blogmas alphabet posts.  

So, here's the first view this year of my Advent stable.  Nothing strange or startling.  Just one sheep.

And being a big kid, I put a chocolate in each cupboard as well.  Happy Advent to one and all!

A is for Advent Sunday

 Don't believe what the Advent Calendar manufacturers tell you:  tomorrow is not the first day of Advent.  Today is.  It's the fourth Sunday before Christmas, the day to light the first candle on the advent wreath.  Commercial companies have made sure you can't open the first window on your "Advent" calendar until tomorrow.

I've brought my Advent stable into the house ready for tomorrow.  No figures out yet, though.  It's empty, a space where a wonderful story will emerge.

I'm the sort of person who starts Christmas preparation as soon as possible after Christmas because I want to let Advent be Advent: a time of spiritual preparation.  The Christmas tree won't go up for a couple of weeks yet.  Most presents are made and wrapped, cards are ready to be posted.  Most of the seasonal food is in the freezer.  The music is more, "O come, O come Emmanuel" than "Hark, the herald angels sing".  

So this Advent Sunday is the quiet day before the rest of the world realises that Advent has begun.  It's a day of faith and waiting on God.

So that's what it was all for

The stable looks a little crowded now.  The baby sleeps.  The woman and her husband watch him with pride.  Those very important chaps are not as important as they thought.  

No matter how hard I  try, I cannot improve on the original

"She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger."

Peace be to you this Christmas tide.  

Their mums would be proud of them!

 

The magi have finished their car journey.  I'm happy to report that they were very well behaved in the car and they haven't left any sweet wrappers but they didn't leave any gold, frankincense or myrrh either, which is a bit of a disappointment.  (The camels didn't leave anything either, thank goodness!)

Anyway, they've noticed the bright lights in my house so they've come in to investigate.  They are very good and are wiping their feet for which I am very grateful.  Their mums would be proud of them.

There is some sort of kerfuffle going on in the stable.  I'm keeping my distance but once I know what is happening, I'll let you know.

That's a better idea

 The magi seem to have decided that the best way to travel would be to thumb a lift.  It might be hard to find a driver with enough space to transport three blokes in fancy robes and three camels but my car can manage so they've hopped in - or on!

Meanwhile back at the stable, a woman has arrived.  She looks a bit weary and is on her knees.  She's shooed out most of the chaps.  Good luck to her.  Not sure what she's done to that sheep.  Maybe I need to intervene when I get back from my journey with the magi.  

Travelling on

 Those magi are always on the move!  Where can they have gone?

Oh, there they are, in the garden.  They've found a good spot by the remaining carrots and other vegetables so their animals can feed.  They've also decided to have a camp fire while they are in a safe place.  I shall do a head count of animals, just in case they fancied a barbecue while I wasn't around!

Meanwhile in the stable things get even more weird.  Another angel has taken up residence.  Each of them has a trumpet - it could be they are starting a jazz band to entertain the men in the shed.  There are four chaps gathered for a chat - I wonder if the original Men's Shed Project was in Bethlehem. They've got four sheep, two cows, one goat and one donkey.  That seems to be about right although all the chaps are ignoring the animals.  I think they need a woman to organise them.

Weird happenings

Stables are for shepherds, herdsmen and animals, right?  So why is there an angel on top of mine?  And a star, for heaven's sake.  What is the world coming to?!

I've got severe problems with moving anywhere at the moment, even around the house so where the magi get to is anyone's guess.  However, yesterday I found them in the wetroom on my shower stool.  Obviously they have mountaineering abilities which I had never suspected.  Perhaps they are desperate for a shower - I don't know.

Next visit Monday!

Have the magi been reading my blog?

Maybe I shouldn't have written a post about food yesterday.  The magi have gone on their travels and have arrived in the fridge!  Fortunately most of the Christmas goodies haven't arrived yet or I would fear for my supplies.  

At the stable another sheep has arrived.  Two shepherds and a chap with a lantern are hardly overworked even then.  

What can be happening?  Come back on Friday for the next thrilling installment.

Arrivals and departures.

 The stable seems very well staffed with three shepherds.  That seems a little excessive for the number of animals but maybe they've all decided that the fire looked a little tempting so they've gathered around it.

There is no sign of the fancy chaps anywhere near the stable.  Where can they be?

Oh that's where they are!  They've toddled off to admire my flowers.  The three blokes are having a bit of a chat and two of the animals look like they've gone far enough even if one animal looks ready for anything.

What can be happening?

Next thrilling installment on Wednesday

The world spins!

 Men and beasts are all feeling a little dizzy today.  The stable and its surrounds (which they all trusted), have turned around on their base so that cupboards thirteen to twenty-four now face front.  Somehow another sheep  has appeared (that shepherd really needed a little more to do) and a third fancy cove has appeared so we have three animals and three blokes.  They might be going on their travels as all the animals are carrying stuff although only one looks ready for action.

Come back Monday for another thrilling installment!

Rival event

 

At the moment the action is centred away from the main stage.  Another fancy fella has arrived bringing another camel.  All the animals look ready to go on a journey.  I suspect that posh coves' opinion would be that they are the main event and the plebs in the stable can be ignored.  We shall see.  

Meanwhile, back at the stable . . .

 

a shepherd has arrived to sort out the unlikely collection of animals.  He's got his hands full with two cows, one horse, one sheep and one goat.  I read something somewhere about sorting sheep and goats but he won't have too much of a problem with just one of each.  There seems to be  no food for any of them: the chocolate in front of the stable is mine and woe betide anyone who nicks it.

The overdressed gent in front of the stable can keep his greedy hands off it too.  He's now got a camel and a packhorse but the pack horse is having a rest.  No-one is going anywhere or doing anything anytime soon.