Today I have made the beautiful brining solution for the turkey – oranges, onions, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, cranberries, ginger, all spice, star anise, sugar and salt.

Brining solution

I made a start on other Christmas baking – this afternoon, the much requested sausage rolls.

Mini rolls

I love getting Christmas letters, be they an insert written on the computer or hand written within the card. This poem sums up the sentiment.

The Christmas Letter – John M. Morris

Wherever you are when you receive this letter
I write to say we are still ourselves
in the same place
and hope you are the same.

The dead have died as you know
and will never get better,
and the children are boys and girls
of their several ages and names.

So in closing I send you our love
and hope to hear from you soon.
There is never a time
like the present. It lasts forever
wherever you are. As ever I remain.