Giftwrap

Whatever Santa has brought you, and however it is wrapped, I wish you a Merry Christmas.

From Facebook archives

25 December 2017 at 10:31 

Look what Santa brought me.

The shears, headphones and gin were suggested.

Not sure about the garden kneeler 

"because you're getting on now"!

Gin, fudge and Baileys will always be welcome as I sink into my self-indulgent dotage. 

By the way Santa's form of wrapping was to wait until I was in the bath (well it is Christmas) put them on the bed, throw the duvet over the top and say

"There's something in the bedroom for you."

Well I suppose it's an ecologically sound form of gift presentation and saved a tree (ish).

 Mrs Banjoman  I like it! Why waste paper.

Traditions

From Facebook archives

24 December 2019

If it’s not done today it’s not going to get done.

The cake is decorated.

The Christmas dinner parsnips have been dug up, together with some more potatoes I didn’t plant.

This morning we’re down to the Grainger Market to collect the goose and more vegetables.   

The boys will carry them home in back packs; as they have done since Thunderthighs was 6.   

The first time he nearly fell over backwards when we put the goose in his bag, but he carried it home.

This afternoon it’s tinsel time!

🤶🎄🎅

This year, in October, I discovered a frozen goose in Lidl and, knowing we wouldn’t get a Rising Sun one, bought it. 

We have time-limited £5 off £50 spend Tesco vouchers so last Monday Thunderthighs and I got the vegetables at Clubcard prices.

The parsnips will be dug up sometime today or tomorrow.

The candles and crib are on the mantelpiece.

The band of angels are on the tree, but very little else.

The cake is undecorated, the gifts are not wrapped and this afternoon it's tinsel time. 

Jivo

From Facebook Archives

23 December 2018 at 10:28

Today is the feast day of Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland.

 

The cake is cooked and awaiting icing and decorating. 

We steeped the dry fruit in raki, whisky and other undefined spirits for a fortnight or so 

(in large screw topped ex-gherkin jars) and the kitchen smelled delicious while it was cooking.   

The steeping liquor has been bottled up for next year's cake.

The foil and candles are up on the mantelpiece, and all the cards strung up. 

If someone gets the steps out of the garage today we shall tinsel up the ceiling 

(my poor old step stool is suffering metal fatigue and no longer safe)  

and wrap the boys’ presents.

Any one passing is welcome to pop in for a taste of the little cake made from mix that couldn’t fit in the cake tin, or a sniff of the steeping liquor.

🤶🎄🎅

Now referred to as ‘jivo’ the steeping liquor is used to soak the Christmas pudding fruit (for about a month or so) until the pudding is mixed; then the Christmas cake fruit (for a few weeks).

If the dried fruit soaks up so much there is not enough jivo to cover the next batch then it is topped up with whatever is in the emptiest opened bottle in the drinks cabinet (this year rum).   

I can still smell the raki from 2018 in the current jivo.

 

Absent Friends

Every Christmas dinner, after ‘the cook’, Dad would ask us to raise our glasses in a toast to “absent friends”.  Mum and Dad lived through, and served in the RAF in, World War Two and I think this was a particularly poignant moment for them.  I remember my absent friends in another way. 

 

From Facebook archives

22 December 2019 at 16:43 

The fireplace dressed for Christmas, and protected from candle smoke. 

Whenever someone I'm fond of passes away they join the band of angels on my Christmas tree.   

I was in a charity shop the other day looking for one to represent Paula when I found this little teddy-head candle holder. 

She was an arctophile, who collected, was given and made hundreds of teddies.  

It started with the one 16E Richardson Road (the student flat we, Dr E, Dr D, Mrs Fitz, Peter Ceylon and others shared) gave her as a 21st birthday present 

I now have him.

This is now front and centre on the mantelpiece.

Her light will shine.

 

 

Window Of Opportunity

From Facebook Archives

21 December 2010 at 19:08

Turning myself inside out sneezing.   

Temper not helped by Fester calling "you rang" every time he hears me explode!

‎Mrs Freyarn  Saw that Sean Bean is single again. Just saying.

Bentonbag  Thanks but I have my own svelte-thighed, bad tempered, foul mouthed, 100% Blades (Sheffield United fan) simmering gently in the bath as we speak - and he's so much easier to live/sleep with since he started using the cpap machine that controls his sleep apnoea.

I'm afraid Sean Bean has missed his window of opportunity with me.

 ⚔⚔⚔

Other blogs containing Sean Bean references can be found at:-

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2016/06/pillow-talk.html

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2020/09/sean-beans-arse.html

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2020/10/sean-who.html

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2021/01/quiz-queen.html 

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-morning-after.html

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2021/03/never-crossword.html 

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2021/10/definition.html

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2022/09/modesty.html

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2022/09/media-tart-strikes-again.html 

https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2022/10/scenes-from-marriage.html 

Running Out Of Fight

 From Facebook Archives

20 December 2013 at 09:14

Thunderthighs failed in his attempt to carry in six bottles of milk this morning.  One made a kamikazi escape so my first chore this morning was mopping milk off the hall floor.  Thank goodness we no longer have carpets or the place would be stinking of cheese for the next six months (and it's bad enough now).

However he has taken all the cards to be posted.

Now to pin down Fester with a pen to sign the ones to his family, friends and colleagues.

If, as a friend of Fester, you get a card with only my scrawl but without his, do not be offended.

There is only so much fight left in me these days so I have to choose my battles ....