Saturday 25 December 2021

Christmas Day

 

And just like that...

It's been a lovely couple of days. This Christmas was never going to be easy for me, but with some careful consideration and little in the way of expectation, it has turned out to have been one of the most relaxed and stress free years I have known in a long time. Just what I needed, in fact. 


Following a gentle afternoon walk, the annual family Christmas Eve buffet was a huge success, and I think I may have eaten my own body weight in cheese. Baked camembert with homemade cranberry sauce, and some crusty bread for dipping, a cheese board and some of my courgette chutney, followed by some freshly baked chocolate Yule log covered in Baileys buttercream -  delicious! Excitement levels were high, so it was gone 11pm before Lily finally fell asleep, and I wasn't far behind.

I was awake all too soon. Mog had been keen to start the day and expected me to keep her company. I didn't mind really, it was lovely to drink my coffee whilst enjoying the quiet of the early morning, as I knew it wouldn't remain that way for very long.



The usual frenzy passed me by this year and our morning was a calm and unhurried affair. Presents were exchanged - all of them having been thoughtfully chosen - and, along with many others, Lily was thrilled to receive the one gift she had been hoping would be under the tree this Christmas morning. I'm calling it a success! Our roast dinner was cooked in as simple a way as I could manage and it was incredibly tasty. This afternoon, we went out for a lovely, albeit very chilly, walk down by the river, arriving home just as darkness fell and in plenty of time to call in on family and wish them a Merry Christmas. 

This evening has been spent mainly with my feet up and enjoying a glass of wine. Now, I think I might just treat myself to another mince pie - It is Christmas, after all.

J. X

30 comments:

  1. It is fatal to have mince pies in the tin - they are so moreish aren't they?

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    1. At this time of year, there is so much food in the kitchen that I find myself constantly picking at things. I'll be back on the fells soon, I hope. X

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  2. Sounds like you had a lovely day x

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    1. Thank you, Maggie. It was lovely and relaxed. X

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  3. I'm so glad your days were so lovely and gentle. Happy Boxing Day to you. xx

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    1. Thank you, Joy. Under the circumstances, it was a lovely day. X

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  4. Sounds like you had a wonderful day x

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    1. It was, thank you, Eileen. But it felt good to get out for a walk and get some fresh air. X

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  5. It sounds like an absolutely wonderful day, Jules. Glad you had such a relaxed time. You planned it well and deserve to enjoy another mince pie! :)

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  6. Happy Christmas. Sounds just perfect. Jo x

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    1. Thank you, Jo. Happy Christmas to you and your family. X

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  7. Sounds like your day was a really good one, the stress leading up to creating the 'perfect' day can often inhibit the actual enjoyment. I suffer that🙄 this year was less stressful but certainly had more 'juggling' needed to make it work! Enjoy the rest of the festive break xxx

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    1. I think many people suffer from it. It is very easy to take on the stress of planning and organising the 'perfect' celebration. It has taken me quite a while to get to this stage (a few years ago I made an unpopular decision regarding gift buying) and I am still a work in progress. X

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  8. That sounds like the perfect Christmas, unhurried, stress-free and relaxed. Perfect.

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  9. Oh sounds like a lovely Christmastime! Just my style :)
    Take care and lets hope for a happy new year now...
    Titti

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    1. A Happy New Year. We could all do with one of those. X

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  10. It sounds like a lovely Christmas Day and the Yule log logs and sounds very more-ish. Are we allowed to know which present Lily was so excited about?

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    1. The Yule log was very rich, so I couldn't manage more than one slice :)
      Lily's favourite present was 'Hotwires' - Electric circuit board experiments! She loves them. X

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  11. Delightful, all............ I am so happy for you.

    Dec. 26, 2021

    Happy Boxing Day!

    We have little snow, but it is cold...

    So it is the beginning of Deep Winter, to me.

    And yes, I welcome it. -smile-

    🌲 ⛄ 🌲 ⛄ 🌲 ⛄ 🌲 ⛄ 🌲

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    1. 'January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow'.
      I hope we will get some more snow in the New Year. X

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  12. So lovely. Your Christmas sounds cozy, relaxing, and delicious. I too found myself doing less and enjoying it more. Have a lovely week in between!

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    1. It is often all too easy to get caught up in the frenzy, I'm glad you've found a balance.
      Merry Christmas, Billie Jo. X

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  13. It sounds a perfect Christmas Jules. We expect so much from ourselves sometimes, it's nice to take a step back, be kind to ourselves and just go with the flow. xx

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    1. There can be so many expectations at this time of year and it can be all to easy to give in to the pressure at the expense of running ourselves ragged. X

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  14. Glad your day went well. Sounds like a perfect Christmas. B x

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  15. Beautiful beautiful photo of the orange slice on the tree. I always seem to end up with them overdone and warped when I do them! x

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    1. My oven is very hot, so I was extra careful not to leave them in too long. X

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