Take it easy on yourself.
Aside


Except for one year when we both had ‘flu this will be our first Christmas with just the two of us and we have the luxury of doing exactly as we please – which will be as little as possible. Most people have children and others to consider but the title above is my message to you. Do you remember Scott Walker’s great record of the sixties? I actually downloaded it and all hell was let loose – side bar disappeared and the page and text stretched and diminished, so I deleted pronto. Shall I sing it to you?


This is a very good year – with the credit crunch and all, to do a bit of cutting down and making life less stressful and more restful for everybody. Every religion has its special festivals and Christmas is when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ by remembering friends and family and others less fortunate; it doesn’t have to be an ordeal.


Shirley Conran –Superwoman - now in her seventies, wrote decades ago ’ Life’s too short to stuff a mushroom.’ and gave heart to all of us trying to ‘do it all.’ and look immaculate at the same time. Now she tells Becky Pugh in the Daily Telegraph:

‘Christmas is the perfect time to save a tree; hovering up all those needles is a step too far’ Her tips are:

‘Plan a budget and stick to it.
Feel free to do away with the labour intensive traditional Christmas meal with all the trimmings and opt for a simple family favourite instead.
Only give gifts to children under 12 and those dearest to you.
Save energy – yours. Don’t travel for miles just at the time when travelling is most nightmarish.
Throw away expensive mail order catalogues as soon as they arrive.
If you insist on sending cards make them yourself.’


Well we have already booked a delicious Festive menu at The Crocombe Arms – one of our favourite inns, for the week of Christmas and plan to have a simple, but delicious steak with thyme and butter on the day. The cards I feel duty bound to send as they are a way of keeping in touch, but even that can be a minefield and now only a tenth of what I send depict the Nativity- the rest are the ever popular robin. Life was much simpler before Political Correctness reared its ugly head.


I had a twinge of conscience and wondered if I was depriving MTL of lots of Christmas cheer but he said;
‘Let’s make life as simple as possible.’ I’ll drink to that!

Onward and upward

2007-2008

Aside

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Back in one piece, despite ‘flu germs and fog on the journey. Our last visit to the farmhouse, though a little sad, was a happy, energising one. The children were a joy; the youngest grandson who still believes – most of the time - in Father Christmas said it was a great time because you could ask for anything – didn’t matter how big it was – anything: ‘because NOBODY PAYS’ His Mummy then had to explain that Santa doesn’t like greedy little boys. On Christmas Eve he held aloft two family Christmas stockings and said:

‘I have a pronouncement to make: these stockings have to be filled NOW or they won’t get filled a TALL!’

I said he would make a jolly good head- master but he said that school was his worst hobby.

Our fifteen year old grand-daughter brought a tear to her mother’s and my eyes when she gave her a beautiful album of photos and copy she had been assembling secretly, of her mother’s life up till now. Flash, the cat, went berserk on the polished floors, with wrapping paper and string and blotted his copy book by up- chucking his salmon treat on one of the rugs.

We enjoyed the Christingle Service where the vicar had taken up ventriloquism. I said there should be oranges for Grandmas and grandson said I could have his orange as long as he had the sweets.

We went to Crawley to see ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Snow White was played by Kellie Shirley, an excellent East Enders actress but she was blighted by a black wig and an uninspiring Prince. The parts of the Wicked Queen, Nurse Gertie, Muddles and the Forest Fairy were played with terrific gusto, in the old-fashioned way and we all enjoyed it.

Travel Lodges made the journey a piece of cake and they were nicely refurbished. Little Chef has moved a bit up market and one can get grilled salmon, a minty choc with coffee, a concoction of fruit yoghourt and granola for breakfast, to say nothing of the Belgian waffle (Hi girls!)doused in vanilla ice cream and maple syrup. We thought it was sweet that they have a peeing pole for dogs on the green, and in case the dogs can’t read there is a picture of a dog atop the pole.

BTW we heard two smashing radio programmes on BBC 4 which wiled away the journey: Count Arthur Strong, which if you have had a northern childhood, particularly in the thirties and forties – is an utter delight, and we both laughed out loud. The other was a writer who went on a cruise ship as a host to the lonely old ladies – all highly respectable and decorous but you had to be able to dance – keeping a distance of six inches betwixt at all times, of course. Most of the hosts were retired and married and seemed to love it. How about it- some of you dishy older men? If nothing else you’d get posts out of it.

The photos below are random as I didn’t want to just repeat last years. The card is one of the ones our grand-daughter made for us.

It was good to get back to messages from my cyber friends. Thank you all and I’ll be round to see you as soon as poss. Here’s hoping for a happy, healthy, peaceful year to one and all. God Bless.

. Monday Mutterings

Aside

Oh Praise be! Just four letters to write, the Sussex presents to wrap – which we’ll take with us, DV, and that’s Christmas preps over and done with. Now I can relax and think of the true meaning of Christmas. Time is rushing by – our eldest grand-son about to join the army, the next eldest – he of ‘Anything to do with Super Heroes’ has just passed 18 and also his driving test.

This is the last Christmas we shall spend in Sussex with the Sussex branch as in July they are returning to live in Australia, where our grand-daughter was born, fifteen years ago. They did live in the Sydney area and we had a wonderful visit with them when we did a round the world trip. This time they will live in the Brisbane area and sadly – as MTL can’t do long haul flights - we won’t be visiting them.

However they assure us they will be over frequently and as they have always been seasoned travellers I believe them. We have just waved goodbye to my younger son and wife after a pleasant visit. This lunchtime I did my special roast chicken beloved of the youngest grandson. It’s simply stuffed with two lemons, quartered, and two heads of garlic broken into unpeeled cloves, and a bunch of fresh thyme. It is always delightfully moist and a firm favourite. Searching for some red currant jelly I was scolded by my son for standing on a chair and given a little lecture on the reasons why I shouldn’t. Quite sweet really!

Isn’t it strange how sheer beauty can make you cry? This happened to me last night watching Alesha Dixon and her professional partner Matthew Cutler doing the Viennese waltz in the Strictly Come Dancing semi- final dance off. Simply magical.

Watching Cranford I’ll bet I’m not the only one to wonder what happened to Mattie’s late, lost love’s money. Those of us who haven’t read the book that is. There is a deserving case in dire need of it – but maybe I’m worrying needlessly