29th December 2018 - Jig-saw time

The Son has shown himself to have an extraordinary talent for 'impossible' jigsaws (no, this is not your opportunity to unload all those horrible jigsaws of baked beans or whatever that you have lurking in dark corners.) Back to The Son; while round at friends the other evening, he more or less finished off an 'impossible' jigsaw; the sort with 750 pieces and no picture on the box. All that was left was a large area of Black.

It was a marvellous sight to see him pick up, look, place, pick up, look, place the puzzle pieces apparently without thinking, like some kind of machine. The last few pieces wouldn't fit neatly; there must have been a mistake earlier on, but we decreed the jigsaw 'finished' so it could go.

I set about a 500 piece 'kittens in a sweetshop' which friends had given me;

  doing all the jars of sweets was quite fun, but then I was left with a few bald patches in the picture and a whole pile of fur. The Son completed all the kittens in fifteen minutes (I timed him).

Good-oh, I thought. About three years ago Someone bought 'The Puzzle That Burned The Turkey'. He and I got it out over the Summer, tried it for a day or so and put it back. It is FIENDISH. So, today the Puzzle Expert is cracking on through it;

Not a puzzle for the faint of heart; no square edges anywhere, and the picture is a fuzz and the pieces are a mass of interlocking snow-flakes, and what look like gnomes and bats. Son and Daughter are further on with it than we ever managed.

We are great fans of Wentworth wooden jigsaws, especially the ones with 'whimsy' pieces. I bought these little 40-piece ones for everyone (including one for me) this Christmas;

           
        

We also bought a larger, Christmas one, which is waiting for the Right Moment, and also one with cats that we gave to my godmother and she has given back to us because 'I never do them twice - you can have it now.'

Jigsaws might well become a new Christmas Tradition.

#Pause for Advent 4

Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

O Lord, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; 

that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, 

thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; 

through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

I've had several goes at writing some kind of post to go with this collect, but totally failed to come up with anything that is worth reading.

I came to the conclusion that the words stand for themselves. 

I'm just about at the end of the race to get ready for Christmas - writing cards, shopping, wrapping presents. Just the cake to marzipan and ice, some mince pies to bake, last minute shopping as the satsumas are all finished, a few emails instead of cards to write and press 'send'. 

Looking at the collect for today, it is clear that this is not the race that God has in mind...  but speedy help and deliverance from those things that are hindering me is close by... 

Saturday 22nd December - Nearly ready

Someone will have to go out into the cold this evening (unlikely) or tomorrow morning (more likely) to post the neighbour's cards through their letter boxes.

And there's still a fair bit of present wrapping to be done (I've wrapped everything that I am responsible for so I'm alright thank you!).

But the turkey and the ham are in the fridge, and the vegetables ar all in the shed.

We have cups of tea, and I've lit the candles and switched on the lights, and we are eating chocolates out of our Advent calendars - from yesterday's little drawers - we've got a bit behind - and the cats have settled and it is all quiet and peaceful.

We've been sent personalised Christmas baubles from our friends in Canada;

(this is an open blog, so I have turned them round to hide the names; mine is purple, his is dark teal). They will become a Christmas treasure, to join the others collected over the years.

The last couple of days have been full of happinesses;

we visited old friends in their new house in a pretty little town, or maybe large village? This involved a pub lunch - very good -  and exchange of news and a generally excellent day. Driving back through the remnants of heavy rain we discovered that our little Panda loves swimming and paddling through the puddles in a way that our old car would have strongly resented.

we visited my godmother, now about 90. Another lunch! Twice in succession - I could get used to this! She is slowly but determinedly clearing out everything that she no longer uses. We took her a Christmas present, and collected from her the birthday present jigsaw puzzle we gave her a few months ago ('you have it now - I only ever do them once you know'). Last time we went, I came away with a bag full of Christmas and other hand-embroidered tablecloths and napkins.

It was a bit of a puzzle to know what to do... one friend has taken a tea-table sized cloth embroidered with Spring flowers, but didn't have a use for the napkins. So I sewed them together in pairs to make gift bags;

Hooray - I have given them all away! As for other the tablecloths and Christmas tables runners and place-mats and so on; I have made Japanese 'bento bags' and gift bags, and wrapped the presents in tissue and tied them up in a cloth bag. That's another four table cloths and three napkins 'gone'.

   
I have to say there was a fair amount of 'deep sighing' and 'murderous muttering' going on as I made the bags. Not sure how much of a great idea it was.

Anyway, it is beginning to look a bit like Christmas...

#Pause for Advent 3

Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent

O LORD Jesu Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee: Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The first time I heard this collect, as in "hear, mark, learn and inwardly digest", was only a year or so ago. It struck me then that quite a duty is being laid upon the "ministers and stewards of thy mysteries". To begin with, I assumed these are the Vicar and the Curate, and maybe the Churchwardens. A little more thought and I realised that all of us who follow Christ, who believe in the Holy Trinity, who worship God, are included in "ministers and stewards of thy mysteries".

And who are "the disobedient"?

This looks like a call to all of us followers to reach out and share the Good News.

Today I also read the fourth Chapter of the Gospel of St John. I was feeling a little 'off' as yet again I had nearly, but not quite, made it to the 9am service. I could have got there... and then I didn't.

This is the chapter where Jesus meets the Samaritan Woman at the well. The encounter ends with these words from Jesus, ('The Message' version)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icon_of_Agia_Fotini-Pachia_Ammos-Lasithi-2.JPG

19-20 “Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshipped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?”

21-23 “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.

23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”

25 The woman said, “I don’t know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we’ll get the whole story.”

26 “I am he,” said Jesus. “You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further.”

The two main thoughts I had on reading this were

firstly that getting to church every week wasn't the main thing to aim for (Phew)

secondly - this is the Good News!

Sunday 16th December - A Quiet Day In

I haven't been indoors All Day - no, I have stepped out into the garden twice; once to clear the leaves from under the apple tree to see if the snowdrops will be in flower for Christmas Day, and again, later, to take a photograph...

Here they are! It is four o'clock now, and the light has faded, so the buds are not very easy to see,

so here's a flash photograph so you can see the first buds more clearly. It always amazes me how the leaves of bulbs will grow through the dead oak leaves lying on the ground, making holes in them. I'm not sure what is more surprising - that the little snow drop leaves are so strong, or that the fallen leaves are so determined not to move out of the way.

I've been sewing all day. When the house is full I have found it is the path of least resistance to bring a little Windsor chair into the sitting room and sit there - but then I have nowhere to leave the book I am reading or the knitting that is in progress, as a side-table would be sorely in the way. Brainwave - I have converted three rather unloveable cloth table napkins into a bag that can be tied on to the chair arms;

It seems a very old-fashioned idea, but will hopefully be the answer. The whole scenario is full of memories; or Oma (that's my Oma, children, not yours!) used to sit in the rush-seated chair that is in the back bedroom at Christmas chair - she was so short that it was the most comfortable chair for her - and this Windsor chair is one of two that used to be in her sitting room when I was a child.

Going through the button jar to find four matching buttons was another trip down memory lane...

The table napkins came from a whole bag of tablecloths and napkins, many hand embroidered with great skill, that came from my godmother. She is de-cluttering - every time we visit we come away with bagfuls of things - some for the tip, as she can no longer get rid of rubbish, and others just things that she wants to be cleared away. 'I don't need those things any more,' she says. 'You just take them away. You can have them now.' So we do, as it is clearly what she wants.

I'm not sure what to do with all the linen tea table cloths and matching napkins. So they are de-cluttered out of her house, and cluttered into ours at the moment. Well, we have lots of clutter - ours and other peoples' in the house - what's a little more, here or there?

And, breaking news; when was the last time the cats consented to share a settee?

 
Leo was hugely suspicious at first, but finally settled on the blue fleece rug heaped on the back of the settee and draped over the radiator, and went to sleep with her head on one of the hot-pack teddy bears, kept ready in case of sore necks. She's not there now - when she woke up and found McCavity had crept into her cushion/bed, that was the end of that.

Friday 14th December - Custard Biscuits and Malt Loaf

I promised son and daughter I would publish the recipe for the Custard Biscuits we were scoffing last weekend. This is my preferred recipe, and you can find it here;

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/node/101365/bbcgf_pdf

Custard & white chocolate biscuits

but I always leave out the white chocolate. It makes around 30 biscuits

Ingredients;

140g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

225g self-raising flour

85g custard powder

85g white chocolate, chopped into small chunks - let me know if it works better with or without!

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Line 2-3 baking sheets with baking parchment.

Put the butter and sugar in a food processor and whizz until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.

Sift together the flour and custard powder, then tip into the bowl and pulse to mix into a dough.

Scrape out the food processor and work the chocolate in by hand.

Roll the dough into balls a little smaller than a walnut, then place on the baking sheets, a little apart to allow for spreading.

Press each biscuit down lightly with your fingers.

Bake for 12-15 mins until lightly golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

One of these days I will follow the method properly - instead of creaming the butter and sugar and adding the egg, like making a cake, I keep forgetting and tipping it all in together and then wondering why it doesn't mix properly.

Mary Berry Malt Loaf

Today I made a Malt Loaf. Remember those Soreen fruit loaves that you slice and butter and they are delicious but stick your teeth together? This version uses Ovaltine powder, tastes exactly right and doesn't stick your teeth together. Perfect! I made one this afternoon, partly as procrastination befor writing Christmas cards, and partly to have as a reward for writing the cards.

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/30263/ovaltine--loaf-cake.aspx

It appears to be identical to the Mary Berry recipe, but double quantity, and so makes 2 1lb loaves.
I have halved everything below, so you only make one.

Ingredients 

170g (6 oz) self raising flour

• 2 tablespoons Ovaltine®
• 25g (1 oz) caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 150ml (1/4 pt) milk
• 85g (3 oz) mixed dried fruit
• 
  
• Method
• 
  
• Heat oven to 160C fan or gas 4
• Grease and lined a 1lb (250gram) loaf tin
• (they are quite small)
• Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix
• Tip into the loaf tin
• Bake for around 50 mins/1hour
• test with skewer; if done, cool on rack
• 
  
•