Monday 11th December - The Tree! and other bits and pieces

 

I started thinking about the Christmas Tree yesterday, Sunday, but there was a bit of clearing and tidying to do first before it could go in the bay window;

so I went and made cranberry, orange, apple and onion chutney instead. I started with a Delia Smith recipe, very easy, and just took an hour.

I say 'started with' - I added an apple, used cider vinegar, couldn't find and cinnamon sticks... you know how it goes... I also made just half quantities (there is only one chutney-eater in this household - me) and put it into the half-size jars I bought specially for home-made stuff. Otherwise I followed the recipe... 

Himself had zoomed off in the car to rescue a friend with a computer problem, returning in time for lunch and to clear the chest in the bay window. That seemed plenty for a first pass. After lunch the chutney was cool enough to put away, but the jams and chutneys cupboard was blocked by the shredder and a toppling pile of paper awaiting its fate.  

 So he dealt with the obstacles, and the chutney is sitting in a cool-ish dark place until it is ready.

I just drew a little duck - the Jacquie Lawson calendar picture for Sunday.

Today, then, was tree day! I think this is the first time in years we have 'done' the tree in a single day. We took it gently; found the tree and put it up. How sad and small it looked!

 As we progressed, it began to look more respectable; lights and tinsel

baubles (just silver, gold and red - the only colours my mother would allow on the tree!), star, tree skirt, and, my latest purchase, battery operated tree candles! 

I love them - they take me straight back to my childhood, when the electric tree lights we used for many, many years were a Dutch set of candle-shaped lights that had paper-clip style coil to hook them onto the branches, and white lights when all my friends (how I envied them!) had strings of multi-coloured flashing lights.  

As the afternoon became darker the tree really came into its own;

 I might add the little German-style wooden decorations tomorrow...

I realised today - how has it taken me so long? - that the reason I have always felt so harried about getting ready for Christmas every year is because until just a few years ago - 2020 - I was always working full time, and completely embroiled in possibly up to 20 school concerts of varying complexity. As well as accompanying for music exams and preparing my own piano students for their exams. 

Presents, decorations, food, cards just all became added things threatening to derail an already crammed schedule. All it would take is for a colleague, or worse still, for me to be unwell, and everything would pile up until, until... yes. indeed!

  

I am so enjoying this leisurely pace. I did desperately want to clean the bay windows before the tree went up because of the streaks and smear and spots - too late - tra la la - I won't even be able to see them through all the tinsel! 

Ho ho ho - Happy Christmas, everyone!