Seasonal Delights

I love this time of the year, when the Christmas catalogues arrive in the mailbox and I can sit and dream of all those pretty gifts and home ideas. Lakeland always produces lovely catalogues and these are a favourite of mine.

Most of the planning is purely for fun ~ in these thrifty times, I am not planning on spending much money this year.


The English Home was a bit of an indulgence though ~ I couldn't resist the traditional Christmas scene on the cover, so I treated myself to this one. I love the idea of a real fire, but for the time being, I will have to make do with reading this.

Thought For The Day

'I will rise to taste the dawn, and find

that love alone will shine today.'

Ken Wilber

Projects

If you are anything like me, you have numerous projects awaiting your attention and this is the latest one. I would like to say that it is finished, but this is actually a photograph of the packaging!

I bought this cross-stitch kit with the intention of stitching it for Christmas. The appeal of this one was the fact that it features an English Robin and you will know from a recent post that it is my favourite bird. I also liked the holly berries and the Norman church in the background ~ a traditional English scene. It would be nice to have it completed before Christmas, but as I am so busy, I don't think that it will even be started this year. So for now, I will store it away with my other projects to await a day when I have time to sit down and sew.

Ring A Ring O'Roses...

Whenever I see Cadbury's Roses, I think of Christmas.

With their jewel-bright wrappers, they will always be associated with the season ~ shiny baubles hanging on the Christmas tree and twinkling fairy lights. Watching old movies on the television and fighting over who gets the last caramel! At least these days there is less competition and I stand more of a chance of being able to choose.

Christmas Robin

The English Robin is a garden favourite of mine. I make the distinction between this member of the thrush family and its American cousin, which is closer to the size of a rather fat blackbird! The joke in our house is that the robins around here are on steroids!

I spotted this sweet little mug on eBay. I was hoping to catch one of those Emma Bridgewater mugs, but they are so expensive. When I saw this one and no-one else placed a bid, I got it for the bargain price of £2.99. It arrived safely wrapped in layers of bubble wrap and a substantial box and now I can enjoy using it during this Christmas season. It is actually a Denby mug ~ another of my dreams is to own a whole set of Denby, but I think that will have to remain on my wish list for a while longer.

Feeding Time

Feeding my Christmas cakes with brandy has become a weekly ritual. For really moist flavourful cakes, I find that it is best to bake them in late September/early October and then liberally feed them each week. The air is filled with the aroma of spices and fruit cake, mixed with brandy.

I leave them uncovered until the brandy has soaked into the fruit, then wrap them up again in greaseproof paper and foil. The first of the cakes is going to be served before Christmas, so I want to get it as moist as possible before I have to start the icing.

You're A Midwife Aren't You?

Some time during the past week there was a shift in my thinking. For a long time now, I have been in a kind of denial about midwifery, then someone asked me this question.

I think this came about because a) I don't practise midwifery in Canada and b) I can't officially call myself a midwife here because I am not licensed to do so.

This left me in a kind of limbo where I call myself a Registered Nurse who trained as a Midwife in the U.K.

All of a sudden, I am on a course working with midwives from across the globe and we are talking about midwifery and our varied experiences.

To be honest, the past few weeks have been absolutely exhausting as the course is really intensive. I have a pile of work on my desk and another pile of reading that is about 6 inches high!

For those of you who are wondering why I am taking a midwifery course, it is a requirement in Canada that internationally trained midwives complete a bridging programme in order to be eligible for registration.....

The good news is that I passed my mid-term exams. The end of term exams are tomorrow, so now I really should get back to that reading....