X is for Xmas Fairs

 Not many things for X  so it's Xmas Fairs again! the same as 2023

With the end of car boot sales I find these are fun to go to, to get me out and about at the weekends, people to speak to, appreciating all the crafts, the chance of a nice find  and as promised in the F is for Fundraisers post I've been to several. Although strictly speaking................ 

The first, which was furthest away, wasn't fundraising for anything except the business putting on the event (Bridge Farm Barns) and the individuals selling their own antique/vintage and craft things. I enjoyed this event last year so it was good to go again and I  had a lovely look round and bought a couple of small things for a gift, the wreath that was on the W post and................

...................................had my first celebratory coffee and cheese scone in their café 😄

 The second was a small  proper craft fair, mainly stitched things, there wasn't anything I wanted but I bought a cup cake to take home to have with  my Sunday afternoon cuppa.

Number 3 was in Stowupland Village hall and I called in on my way back from shopping. I had a go on their raffle as they had 5 large hampers of food as prizes - but no phone call came 😞. I bought a small jar of fig, apple and balsamic vinegar chutney for £3 which sounded interesting - haven't tried it yet and found a copy of The Shropshire Lad and Other poems by A. E. Housman for 50p- I'm getting quite a collection of poetry books now - need to have a sort out.

The 4th was the 'Grand Christmas Market' held in the main hall of Stowmarket Leisure Centre. Much of the stuff for sale was tat! which was a shame as it made the proper hand-made items look very expensive. It was ever so busy. In 2023  I couldn't stay long as scented candles and other smellies set me off coughing but I was OK  to have a good look round this time, although I  didn't find  anything I wanted.

The fifth was advertised as a Christmas Sale with Charity stalls at the United Reformed Church in Diss on a Friday and as I needed to go to Diss for Morrisons anyway I went to have a look and spent £1 for three Christmas tree decorations from a stall raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Then I went round all the Diss charity shops and in the Big C Charity shop on my way out of town I found something for my friends Church fund raiser - The Nativity Scene display.

Christmas Fair number 6 is my favourite as it's in Son and DiL's village church and we've been meeting up at this since the Christmas after Col died in 2018. It's always packed with people and we have a cuppa and cake on wobbly tables - because the church floor is so uneven - drinks usually get spilled! -  and lots of goes on the tombola. This year I was the only person whose tickets won anything - and actually two useful things that will be used as part of Christmas gifts.  

 I bought one Christmas gift and forgot to take any photos.

The 7th I called into on my way home  after the 6th but bought nothing and there were other fairs I could have gone to Saturday afternoon and Sunday but the weather was awful and I'd spent enough so stayed at home. 

There's a choice of around 8 various fairs happening this coming weekend, but I won't be going to more than one as the car is in for repair to the suspension bushes next week so better not drive far.

There are several more fairs/fayres on the 6th of December and then the one-off Christmas car-boot sale on the 13th. Then it's just another two weeks until Christmas!

Back Soon

PS for readers from afar who often ask what a tombola stall is...........

In the United Kingdom, a tombola is a form of raffle in which prizes are pre-assigned to winning tickets. Typically numbered raffle tickets are used, with prizes allocated to all those ending in a particular digit (traditionally a five or a zero). Players pay for a ticket, which they then draw at random from a hat or tombola drum, and can instantly see whether they have won a prize. Tombolas are popular at events such as village fêtes and coffee mornings, when it is expected that not all the players will be present at the end of the event.

F is for Fundraisers

 For every group, every charity, every village,  fundraising is key to keeping things going. My favourite sort of fundraiser is a charity book sale - of course!

 I miss jolly old jumble sales which was the way most fund raising was done in the 70's and 80's with a special Christmas sale each December - Father Christmas in attendance. With Scouts we also had a wonderful summer fete with a knobbly knee competition  and plate smashing was always popular too, and we were one of the first places to run a car boot sale.

For many years I travelled down to Colchester each October for the giant NSPCC book sale, but this year I just couldn't be bothered- even though it's the last one they were going to have after 20 years - and here is the problem in so many places - it's  often retired people who keep things going and they get older and run out of energy. There was a worrying message on a local Facebook page that the village hall where we have our Keep Moving Group urgently needs more people for the their management committee, as the treasurer and bookings clerk have been doing their jobs for years and would like a break. 

Where are the 30 and 40 year old's with energy? 

So I didn't go to the big Colchester book sale to start November  but I did visit one in Suffolk, a fundraiser for their Village Hall, they always have a nice lot of books. These are what I found. No grey cover Persephone books again but these below are interesting and there at the bottom of the pile is one to add to one of my other collections - The Little Toller Nature Classics series. I've read the one on the top of the heap but don't own a copy and it's a war time mystery so will be a good one to keep.

Just like the shops who have to make much of their profits at this time of the year, the run up to Christmas is peak time for fundraising for villages and groups too, hence the huge number of Christmas Fairs coming up.

There is a lovely list of local Fairs to visit to cheer up my November and December weekends, I might not spend much but I do need to find a few Christmas gifts this year as it's not been a successful year for finding things at boot sales.

My diary has filled up with ideas for places to visit....................

November 8th Monks Eleigh or Stuston; 

15th/16th Diss or Stowupland or  Eye;

 22nd/23rd Haughley or Otley;

 29th/30th Burgate, Stoke Ash, Thorndon, Debenham, Finborough or Stowmarket.

 December 6th/7th Cotton, Wetherden, Stonham, Mendlesham, Thornham Walled Garden or Rickinghall.

Then everything comes to a halt!

How many can I manage to get to? Will I have coffee and cake at some? - Not all! that would be silly.

Are there as many Christmas Fairs and sales in other places or is it just here?

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Enough Christmas Crackers?

 I found another new box of Christmas crackers for £1 at the last boot sale, I have enough for a small army! 

I was surprised how heavy these were when I picked up the box and found the shiny bits on the ends of each are metal candle holders for tealight candles. They've gone a strange colour and don't need to be included.

Must tell the family not to get any new ones this year.

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Out and About Last Weekend

 It's the start of the Autumn Fayre season. Fundraisers for villages all around. From November they will be called Christmas Fayres, but basically the same thing! 

At the first one I went to in the United Reform Church in Debenham I found a crime fiction new-to-me author, I've read it already as I was out of library books. It was slightly cosy-crime but readable. Also bought a home made lemon cake to take home which has lasted me all week.

At the second Autumn sale in Thornham Magna village hall, I just bought a jar of lemon and lime marmalade from a local small business but it will be the last one I buy from them as they're now using 8oz jars whereas they used to sell in 12oz jars, but charging the same price for the smaller. As well as selling at all the craft/autumn/Christmas sales, they've just opened a shop in a unit at the hardware/gift place - maybe they had to put prices up to cover that.

Lots of people selling Christmas bits at last Sunday's boot sale. I have enough really now I only do a Christmas tree and the seasonal bits on the bookshelf but I liked this Christmas Goose and bought it for £1. The man had a whole box full of these and similar new tree decorations, originally from The Range and originally priced at £1.99 or £2.99. Maybe he bought them in the January sales last year? 

Also splashed out 20p on another crime fiction which I wasn't sure if I'd read or not as there are a whole series of these short story collections. Luckily it's one I've not  read  so that's added to my shelves for reading 'emergencies!'

I do like to get out and about at the weekends while I can.

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And Into October

No sooner had I written about the named storms that might arrive this year and Storm Amy blew into Northern Ireland, Scotland and Northern England, forecast to bring rain and strong winds yesterday and today. As usual not so bad here in Suffolk, just a very, very wet Friday, with rain all day. I didn't even step outside the door .

Instead I got the first jigsaw out of the cupboard and got started on the edges.

I've added the pumpkins onto the top of the bookshelves for October. The white one is a new find - car boot sale of course. It should light up but the light won't stay on but as it was only 50p it doesn't really matter.

At last Saturdays car boot sale  I picked up the box to turn over to see what 'gifts' (junk!) were included inside the Christmas Crackers. The crackers themselves weren't very appealing. But when the lady said 20p -  they had to be bought!

I think it will be me providing the crackers for all our family get togethers this Christmas as there are some previous boot sale finds in the cupboard already. 

Finally had part one of the shingles vaccination and I must make a note in the new diary to organise part two for next April as the health centre can't make appointments that far ahead. 

The garden waste bin had settled so I was able to squash in all the dead climbing bean haulm and get the canes into the greenhouse before we get wet weather. I'm drying some of the pods for the seeds, I don't know what variety they were as the plants came from a boot-sale after my failed sowing, but they were really good and didn't get tough at all. 

The bin gets emptied on Monday and then I start  filling it all over again - too much Buddleia!

Have a good weekend - stay safe if you are up north in the rough weather. There are garage/yard sales in a nearby village here to look round - after the boot sale of course and if it stops raining.

Back Monday

That Wartime Christmas Pudding

  Not  made in wartime! but using the wartime recipe that I wrote about on the 23rd HERE.

 I didn't try it myself before Boxing Day and reheated portions in the microwave for me and BiL [after making him read the blog page about it so he knew what he was letting himself in for!] It was absolutely delicious, especially with custard and cream. Light and fruity and plenty sweet enough despite the very little sugar.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Presents and Cards

 I had some lovely Christmas cards, didn't need to hide any away! 

Good pressies

Got myself the Folklore Diary after a break of a few years (and gave it to BiL to wrap as my present from him!)

The Folklore Diary and the book 'Everyday Folklore', in that pile of books above are going to be used a lot on blogs in 2025 - you have been warned 😃

The three children all chipped in to get me a new lamp for the living room. This means I can move my old reading light from behind the settee to behind my chair and avoid having the ceiling lights on (that's the ridiculous 10 lightbulbs-all-at-once ceiling lights!)

It's one of those lights with two lights and came in a box in bits, with loads of cardboard all around and yesterday took BiL an hour or more to put together. Thank heavens he is brilliant at working things out as I'd never have managed it.

I fed him well with dinner and tea and he joined me with the first of the chocolate liqueurs later - heavens know what effect that had on his diabetes!

Back Soon

Sue

Boxing Day

 .............................................isn't a holiday in most parts of the world............so Lucky Us! 

 Boxing Day became a "thing" around the 1830's and the name comes from the custom of giving  "Christmas boxes" to servants and apprentices and the tradesmen who delivered to the house. 

This below is from the book 'Cattern Cakes and Lace' by Julia Jones and Barbara Deer, and has a bit more explanation about the 26th and a gruesome story of the custom of 'Hunting the Wren'.

And then I came across this song

Boxing Day in Mid Suffolk is much less violent!

(much of this post is repeated from many years ago, so you might have seen it before!)

Many thanks for all the Happy Christmas wishes yesterday. It was lovely to have Youngest Daughter and Eldest Granddaughter here. They went home before dark as it turned very foggy. I then quickly popped over to see Son, DiL and the two grandchildren who have DiL's sister staying with her partner and gorgeous little fella Sunny who is coming up to one year old. He was asleep but still nice to say hello to the grown ups. I could have gone over to Sister in Laws but by then it was dark and very foggy. Fog in the country is different to fog in town! and I don't like driving in dark and fog, it's easy to lose the road edges.

So home to watch the Strictly Christmas Special and Doctor Who. I love the BBC feature of the green button which puts the programme back to beginning - it's so handy.

If you didn't get to see 'Doctor Who at the Proms' which was on TV on Christmas Eve, (and possibly on earlier in the year too) it's worth a watch, the music was fantastic.

Back Soon

Sue

Happy Christmas!

 

Thank you to everyone who writes, reads and comments.

Hope you have the best possible Christmas.

Sue

Advent 2024 and Tempting Shelves and Bargain Veg.

 It's no wonder people spend more than normal at Christmas time when the shelves are full of specially packaged food that looks so festive.

Everything is Christmassy red. This is Aldi but all the supermarkets have their aisles of Seasonal items, tons of chocolates everywhere. This was yesterday, so still plenty left for Christmas.

Have to say the thought of Pumpkin flavoured coffee doesn't get  me excited!

I went to Aldi to get the bargain pre-Christmas Veg. Despite feeling guilty, as I expect they've cut the price paid to farmers too. But at least it's all British ( apart from the broccoli which I discovered comes from Spain).

Broccoli, carrots, parsnips and potatoes all just 8p a bag! Some years I can't take advantage of these specials as I've needed them a week before, and being on my own a bag of carrots lasts me two or three weeks, and potatoes last me more than a month,  but this time it's worked out just right. I don't buy extra to freeze either - it wouldn't be worthwhile. 

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Advent 2024 and Plans Change + Other Notes

• Bought myself the Festive Puzzle Collection - for a change from reading -  these Take a Break Puzzle magazines always come with a pen that falls to pieces after a month or so! The 150+ puzzles take me longer than the pen lasts.
• 

• Last year it was plans for Boxing Day that got cancelled due to everyone being ill. This year it's Christmas Day that has got altered for me. The YD and EGD had planned to go to  a friend and that fell through so now they are coming here instead and my plans for going to the community lunch had to be cancelled - I guess it's what Mum's do! I don't mind at all as it will be a treat to have them here.

• Hopefully this year there will be fewer winter illnesses in Son's family as DiL, YGD and MGS are all at the same school rather than 2 different  schools and a pre-school. Last year the colds, sore throats etc just went round and round the three lots of small children - who love to share all germs!

• I came across this blogger who has listed lots of vintage Christmas books  Babs Beloved Blogs , and I've decided that 2025 Advent photos will be pages from my Christmas books. I did this a few years ago and they were well received. 

• Whoop Whoop new series of Strike (J.K. Rowling) starts tonight. I don't read the books - they are too big and wordy, but love the televised version, plus there's a Christmas special on Wednesday of The Good Ship Murder with the rather handsome Shayne Ward, who should have gone further in Strictly.

• After reading several blogs with people moaning about or refusing to go shopping in the run up to Christmas I've decided I'm odd because I don't mind shopping in the days before Christmas at all. I like the hustle bustle and the decorations in the shops. Colin never took many days off at Christmas because his holidays were more useful in the summer for smallholding so I often got a lift into Ipswich with him when he went into the office a few times before Christmas - the town would be packed, Christmas music playing and lots of Christmas lights.

• Apologies to people who had comments going into spam. If I check daily there are none there, if I forget for a few days there are dozens - including some that were published months ago. Also the follower button had vanished and is now back again - All Jolly Good Fun!

• I need a recommendation for a starling proof bird feeder, if there is such a thing, the darn hooligans flock in and clear out the mealworms in just a few minutes. Very frustrating.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

 

Advent 2024 and Going Green For Christmas Plus This Week's Happenings

 I've got lots of Christmas tree decorations gathered over 40 years and only a smallish tree so a few years ago everything got sorted into different bags. Gold, silver and white, red, green, and finally old fashioned and handmade traditional, so I could swap around each year.

Looking back on the blog to see which had been used last year and found this is what I'd written after going to the one-off Christmas car boot sale.

 I went round looking for green things for the Christmas tree for next year and didn't find any. 

The traditional bits got used last year and  I must have been thinking of using green this year and there aren't many of them. So when I shopped I did a tour of all the charity shops in Stowmarket .......7 and then in Diss...........6  ............ and one in Eye on my way back from Diss and found these..........

After the usual battle with opening up the tree and fluffing up the branches and getting the lights spread out - (glad this is only a once-a year thing!) and putting on all the green and silver and white bits it looked like this. 

( There was one minor disaster, because that lovely long green decoration slipped as I tried to hang it up and it smashed into pieces on my new hard floor - being the only one that was glass - typical!)

Had to shift things around to find a different place for the tree this year as my chair is near the window now and putting the tree where I've had it before meant it was between me and the TV which didn't work of course.

I'm thinking green and silver are a bit 'cold' so I reckon it'll be back to red and gold next year.

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I've had a good week. Sorted out more Grandchildren presents, got all but one card finished - needs a letter to go with it - and all that were done got posted. Bought a few frozen vegetarian main meal type things that are only in the shops at Christmas and met up with my friend from Grammar School days for a coffee in the Osier cafe in the church. While there I took photos of the Christmas tree festival, I'm sure there were even more trees there than usual, it looked lovely and a man started playing carols on the piano while we were there which was nice. I'll put photos on the blog post tomorrow.

I finished the first 'Reading the Seasons' for Winter. Stella Gibbons- The Woods in Winter This is one of the books published by Dean Street Books in the Furrowed Middlebrow cover and I loved it. 

Seems the country is to be hit by Storm Darragh today. (I'm puzzled because we had Storm Bert but I didn't hear about a storm beginning with C ?) Anyway, there are Red Warnings for west coastal areas of the country for very strong winds and rain but over here in the East it might not be quite so bad. Hope they are right, as I'm supposed to be heading to the coast on Sunday and there are so many places on the cross country roads that get flooded. And thank heavens we've not got the huge snowfalls some parts of the US have had.

Stay safe blog friends 'in the west' and I'll be back tomorrow.

Sue

 

Advent 2024 and Decadent December!

Decadent a noun meaning

1. a person who is luxuriously self-indulgent.

Decadent December....................

This is a month that comes in between  No/Low Spend November and Just-stay-in January!!  But although it's a good alliteration I have no idea if I can actually be decadent at my age!

After Low Spend November I'll be spending lots of money this month as there are 8 remaining presents to sort out and after avoiding all coffees and cakes/scones outside home last month I'll be indulging this month whenever possible! Whoopy do! 

I started with a Coffee and a Bacon Roll for breakfast at yesterday's Christmas Sale - not exactly decadent but very tasty. The Village Hall at Rickinghall, was packed with lots of lovely things and a happy atmosphere. Having their sale on a Sunday meant they avoided clashing with so many others on Saturday

My real special Christmas indulgences are tucked away on the top shelf in the kitchen, way out of reach without the steps. It's so odd how my tastes have changed over the years and no longer are there any boxes of Quality Street, Cadburys Roses or those lovely things that are no longer around called  Neapolitans .............do you remember them? they were little individually wrapped chocolates shaped like a mini bar of chocolate in different flavours, milk, plain, mocha etc. Used to love those, when did they stop making them I wonder.

There are just two chocolate things on the top shelf, one is a box of  After Eights for Christmas  and the other is a big box of Chocolate Liqueurs - the ones that are shaped like little bottles with a teaspoon of whisky, brandy or Cointreau inside each - and that's a weird thing to be a treat as I've never drunk spirits in a glass at all......ever! They are for cheering up grotty January.

The other decadent indulgences are preserved fruits also for January and a box of good shortbread for Christmas and I'll be adding a bag of mixed nuts ready for making the spiced nuts which are rather more-ish, and that's all I need!

I don't spend long in the "Seasonal" aisle of the supermarkets............. I'm not a lot of help for their profits!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Monday Morning, Writing About Last week

 Some weeks I only get to chat to people at the Keep Moving Exercise group - it doesn't bother me, I'm happy at home alone anyway. But last week I had a visit from my Essex friends on Thursday and BiL called in on Friday on his way back from an eye test  to pick up some cheese scones I'd made for him as a thank you for cleaning the patio. He stayed for a cuppa. A 'busy' talking week!

The Christmas Fairs I visited on Saturday were not very exciting. The first one had a beautiful dolls house as a Big Raffle prize so I bought some tickets but no phone call came and the only other thing I got there was this old book for 50p.

What's left of The Middy is at the museum across the field from where I was at Clay Cottage. The railway ran out of money and closed in the 50's way before Dr Beeching shut down so many other branch railways in the 1960's. I don't think I've seen this book before and I can donate it to the Middy Railway Shop after I've looked at it.

The second Fayre, in Stowmarket town centre was smaller than usual and I found nothing and got cross with myself for going as there's a road closed in town that means a detour 'round the houses' to get to the Asda carpark. 

 I'd taken the cold-box to get a nice frozen dessert for Sunday visitors and being at Asda means having to buy £5 worth of shopping to get car-park charges back, so I got some of the Chinese/Indian party food bits while I was there. These go, a few at a time, with my veggie curries and veggie stir fries.

In the afternoon I dithered about going out again but went anyway in the hope of visiting a church in the same village.....  

This third Christmas Fayre of the day was a very 'posh'  craft fair held at a Huge nursing home. Some of the items for sale were lovely but very expensive, however I did find another jigsaw and bought it as it was £2.50 which is much less than charity shop prices. I've now got three to do, one each for December, January and February and that is ENOUGH!

Despite the village Church website telling me it was open on Saturdays, I found it locked but called in at another that was open on my way home.

Once home again I caught up with the final of  Taskmaster and of course Strictly was on later. Then I turned over to see the second semi final of the Champion of Champions Snooker which I'd been following on and off all week. 

Yesterday Son, DiL and the grandchildren came over bringing most of the makings of a roast dinner for us all which is always lovely. 

That was another week gone and much more talking than usual - this week it will probably be back to just the Keep Moving Group!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

First Christmassy Event

 This is where I headed on Saturday morning. It sounded more interesting than the usual Christmas Fayres and  was being held at the place where I bought the corn dolly that I wrote about in September

when the one I had began to fall to pieces.

 I thought I'd see how much they are now and there were two churches close by that  I could visit too.

 There were lots of interesting stalls in the big barn, many had vintage Christmas decorations and all sorts of lovely things

I had a good look round and then spent £1.50 on 5 tickets from a charity tombola stall. Usually I win nothing but when I opened my tickets I discovered 3 were winners and the prizes weren't just one thing but some taped together and others in a gift bag.

When home I unpacked all these things. A cookery book, a candle holder, small bottle of wine, tiny Christmas crackers, some bath bombs, a small bag of sparkly glittered pine cones and three hanging gold bead Christmas tree decoration plus the mystery below.

I need some ideas about what this is, the main bit looks like an enamelled pendant but it's attached to something that looks as if it goes on a finger, with a ring at each end.

I'm not sure what I'll do with all those bits and bobs - probably pass some to a charity shop, add others to a Christmas present and keep the mini Christmas crackers, the red wine and the gold tree decorations.

I was very good on my morning there because of 'Low spend November' and £1.50 was my only spend. The Corncraft corn dollies are now very expensive - £8 upwards - so they were left and nothing jumped out at me from the stalls or the shop. I avoided the expensive coffee and scone in the cafe by having breakfast before I went out and even passed on the £2 coffee with free mince pie in the barn  ......................See my halo!! 😇

On my way through Needham Market when going home I stopped at the Sue Ryder charity shop and found these small Christmas tree decorations of 3 little corn dollies for £1, which seemed a coincidence not to be ignored.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

October Round Up

 This time last year we'd had so much rain and everywhere there were floods and the weather had been chilly too. Thank goodness this October has been much, much dryer and milder and the heating oil is lasting well although will need a fill up in November.

I finished painting and got started on garden clearing, but my garden helper has opted out so I really need to get on with it, especially out the front. In the back garden the vegetable beds are not too bad but I need to spread the compost from last years bin and turn this years bin into it - hard work which is not a favourite job.

Not a frugal month as I finished off the living/dining room re-furb with a new table after looking all over for nice second-hand one with no luck. It's circular but extends to oval and has made the room look so much bigger than it did and still room for visitors - although not all 11 of us, but as cooking for too many visitors now makes me very nervous it doesn't matter.

My October income was the usual - State Pension and County Council Spouses Pension.  The usual outgoings of Council Tax, Phones and Broadband, monthly Electric bill, Charity, Diesel for the car, food and household bits. 

There were three family birthdays and a dentist visit, a haircut and I had to buy postage stamps again.

Christmas shopping for everyone except immediate family is finished but shopping for the 3 children and SiL and the 5 grandchildren hasn't even started which is very worrying. DiL had half Christmas pressie for her birthday and I know what I'll be getting her for Christmas and BiL has given me a pair of jeans he got for himself so I can wrap them and give them back! that means 9 things still to sort - Oh dear. And the 4 presents for the Surrey family need sorting early as they are off to Thailand for Christmas.

I got myself my food treats for the dark days of January. Have to have something to get me through the worst month alone. My choices are  dark chocolate liqueurs and Opies peaches in brandy - I don't normally drink  but love both these and they will be the only bits of alcohol I shall be imbibing! Just need a large bag of mixed nuts to make spiced nuts - another favourite thing.

No point in writing frugal month notes - it would be hypocritical  - although I still do my best to save pennies where I can.

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I went to the village over 60's meeting yesterday afternoon - my friend Val, who goes to Keep Moving exercise group too, said from where she was sitting she saw two men  fall asleep! It was a lady talking about making 3D Fabric flowers, it wasn't That boring (although it wasn't exactly riveting!). These are the same old men who generally interrupt the speaker when they think they know more. I'm glad they were kept quiet!

Back Soon

Sue

Very Early Present

 I've bought my Christmas Present from my BiL!  He doesn't know yet.

I've not had a Country Wisdom and Folklore Diary from Talking Trees Books for a few years as they changed the binding so it wouldn't lay flat, but they've now added a gate fold bookmark to the front cover and changed the binding again so hopefully it will stay open where I want it. 

BiL now has to think of  what he would like from me. We'll swap money later!

Back Soon

Sue

The Only Thing I Brought Back.....................

..............from the Isle of Wight  was this (plus photos and memories).

The IOW is well known for being the biggest producer of Garlic in the UK. We didn't go to The Garlic Farm - we didn't think the children would have appreciated it! but I bought this jar of very interesting sounding chutney, made at the farm, from the Quarr Abbey farm shop.

 I might send for another jar to go with the small fig tree I got during the spring from a boot sale. They could make a Christmas present for Col's sister and husband. I only bought the tree because it was cheap, I'd not seen any fig trees for sale locally for years, and I thought it could go with me if I moved but it would be silly to keep it as my original Fig is doing so well and I might Not move! 

I'm not doing hampers this year as I got a couple of things for them and for my sister and her husband last year so just need to add a 'something' to each present and they are sorted.

The chutney taste test? Very delicious but mainly apple - I was expecting a bit more ooomph!

Back Soon

Sue

 

Reading The Instructions

 Getting a new "thing" that needs instructions to put it together and how to use it is to be avoided at all costs in my home except I really wanted a coffee machine but not one that needed pods. 

I was fed up with filling up the rubbish bin with the empty sachets of  the now very expensive cappuccino mix and I'm sure even the Nescafe sachets aren't as nice as they once were and the cheaper ones seem to be tasteless. 2024 needed to be the year I changed from drinking just coffee sachets, with their strange ingredients, back to proper coffee and back to tea too after several years of avoiding tea unless there was no choice. 

My three children all clubbed together for my Christmas present  and thank goodness Youngest Daughter held my hand through getting the machine going. She'd worked in a social club a few years ago so knew about filling the filter thing and loading it up. It is all very exciting for this non-techy and hate-gadgets old woman!

I bought a pack of Columbian ground coffee from Aldi for my first try and it  makes a good coffee although smaller than my old mugs, which are bigger than the one in the photo. I've gone back to a mug of tea in the afternoons too. As soon as I've used up my store of the decaf Nescafe sachets I'll be buying some decaf  coffee grounds for my evening cuppa.

I'm sure this isn't a big deal for people who enjoy new gadgets but we didn't even own a toaster until about 15 or so years ago - we had an LPG grill, and when I replaced the microwave I bought one the same as before so I didn't have to learn how to use it!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

 

How 2023 Ended and Plans for 2024

 Managed to get the Suffolk bits of the family here together for the belated  Boxing Day meal last Friday. None of us were running at 100% but at least the food has all been eaten. Youngest Daughter and Eldest Granddaughter had to be away before tea-time as EG was due at her Daddies house for the weekend. Brother-in-Law couldn't stay either so just 5 for tea but many of the food things I didn't want to get stuck with here (the chocolate yule log - much too sweet for me now and a box of chocolate biscuits ditto) went off with family. ( I've put a list of family abbreviations in a column over on the right to save me having to write in full from now on)

Lots of the car-boot sale Christmas Crackers got used - a mixed lot of other people's chuck-outs with all sorts of different things inside and still some left for next Christmas too.

 

I had some books from the wish-list for Christmas presents which was lovely and some random things too which have gone in the charity shop bag already (makes me sound ungrateful but....) Also had a box of chocolates from someone in the family who didn't know I no longer eat them. They will go in the Foodbank collection.

This pretty little jug from my sister had Muscari/Grape Hyacinth bulbs in and coir discs -  the bulbs were meant to be planted in the jug, but I thought the bulbs would do better outside and popped the jug in the dishwasher. It was only when it came out that I discovered what it said on the base!

Why? I wondered and  filled it up with water and it doesn't leak or seep, it's glazed inside and out and looks like a proper serviceable jug. Very odd.

The three children all clubbed together for my present and that's special and deserves a post of it's own.

And Onwards...........

 The 2024 diary has been filled in with all the things that I know are happening........ dentist appointment, all the  birthdays, a summer holiday and what days the library van visits and which bins are due to be emptied on which Wednesdays - I live an exciting life!

Not much in the diary to do outside of home in January although I came across details of a Jumble Sale at the end of the month. There's the Keep Moving Group of course but otherwise I'm mainly hibernating with a list of stuff to get done in the next week or so..............

Must put the Christmas tree and decorations away before the 6th

Make a batch of pastry cases

Make focaccia bread

and a spiced fruit loaf

Get some books off to ziffit

Sort the grandchildren toys and clear out those they have grown out of

Clear up the huge heaps of leaves that have gathered out the front near the porch as soon as it's dry enough (seems as if there hasn't been a completely dry day for weeks!)

Finish emptying the water-butt in the greenhouse

Sort out last years paperwork and file or chuck.

 It's annoying that the swimming pool has altered the sessions with so few that are a decent time for me to get to. Certainly couldn't make it for a 7.30 or 8.30 a.m swim! And evening swims don't appeal either. I've not been for various reasons since October and missing it.

Thank you to everyone for Happy New Year wishes.  

Back Tomorrow

Sue

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