The family left this morning after a delightful Birthday Breakfast and cards and presents and all that birthday stuff! We then went off to the beach to watch the wild waves and came home to find 1, someone very lovely had left flowers on our doorstep (Thank you!) and 2, we had been sent a Monster! She has been made by LiveWire No 4 and her photo sent for us to enjoy.
A Happy New Year to all my Readers! May the New Year bring you peace, love, health and happiness and all that you wish for yourselves. With love to you all and thanks for your support over the years.
Last full day with our LiveWires and two of our daughters and a busy one it has been – a very windy walk up to Wheal Coates in the morning followed by a good stomp through Trelissick Gardens all illuminated and gorgeous though the rain was relentless.
A delightful day was had by all, half the family going into Truro for shopping and we, with LiveWire T, going into Redruth, enjoying the Welly Dogs, going to Home Ground coffee shop for a treat, playing in the park, chopping the tomatoes for the guacamole for supper and finally learning how to do French knitting.
We were given Daffodils before Christmas and they are still beautiful.
Two of our LiveWires arrived tonight. I found the little Christmas stirrers for their drinks.
I was at the hospital this evening for an MRI on my ankles- the lovely young people were working all evening – and outside the block were a Christmas tree and some charming reindeer.
A quiet day today, making Christmas Leftovers Soup, reading and resting. This year we had our locally grown, organic turkey boned and rolled and I asked the butcher for the bones and giblets from our bird and any others that he could spare. I was given the bits from three turkeys! I have made the most amazing stock from all these which has formed the base of our CL Soup, the best soup of the year! I have made several pints for later and also made four pots of delicious Turkey Liver Pate, one of which we had for lunch yesterday and the others are in the freezer along with the soup.
Candlelit dining
We have filled the dining room with candles for our festive dinners.
A lie in, an unexpected visit from beautiful friends, (after their Christmas Day swim), a walk on the beach, a scrumptious dinner and chats with kids and LiveWires on the phone. How lucky we are to have such a special day together.
We love watching dogs having fun on the beach and admire youngsters who can run up the hill in moments and wearing wellies!We send our love to all our readers especially to Singing friends who are themselves in hospital or whose partners are. As one Dr said to one of our friends, “Flu is ripping through the county.” Take care all. 🙂
The seaweed along the rope and its reflection in the harbour in Penzance pleased me yesterday.
This afternoon I have made a very pretty stuffing to go with tomorrow’s turkey, Sausage meat with Apple and Cranberries.
I love getting on with preparations while listening to Carols from Kings on BBC Radio 4. It was something my Humanist Mum and Dad always did on Christmas Eve and I have done it for many , many years too. It is my time in the middle of all the busyness. I then put on the TV loudly in the sitting room and listen all over again while still busy and content in the kitchen.
Happy Christmas to all my readers. May your days be filled with peace and love and joy.
We spent a delightful evening with the Prideaux Angels last night, a gentle promenade performance with dance, music and narration where the last scene outdoors was the beautiful Snow Globe. It runs until 28th December so if you can get to Padstow, there is a treat in store. You can get a delicious meal in the marquee afterwards too.
Spotted this sheep in a wool shop in Penzance this afternoon and it made me smile.
We have made the brining mixture for the turkey today so that when we collect it from the butcher tomorrow, it can go straight in for its twenty four hours soaking. It is a very pretty mixture.
Brining mix
The following poem by Carol Ann Duffy appeals to me as a Humanist. I especially love the radio’s prayer which reminds me of a seminal moment in a favourite novel, A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines.
Prayer
Some days, although we cannot pray, a prayer utters itself. So, a woman will lift her head from the sieve of her hands and stare at the minims sung by a tree, a sudden gift.
Some nights, although we are faithless, the truth enters our hearts, that small familiar pain; then a man will stand stock-still, hearing his youth in the distant Latin chanting of a train.
Pray for us now. Grade 1 piano scales console the lodger looking out across a Midlands town. Then dusk, and someone calls a child’s name as though they named their loss.
Parked just down the road from us is a gift wrapped car! I took the photos at night and they are not very clear but I hope you can get an idea. Every bit of the body, except the glass, is covered in wrapping paper!
