Christmas stole rather softly over Ruthven House this year. The bellwether of preparedness that is Monkey’s jumper was competed with 48 hours to spare and by Christmas Eve there was a fridge replete with pigs in blankets and stuffing balls, a lemon meringue pie cooling on the cake stand and, in an unprecedented feat ofContinue reading “And so it was Christmas…”
Tag Archives: Christmas
Luxury Stuffing!
I managed to hold onto the feeling that matters festive were completely under control until the 19th this year – rather a triumph! In the days running up to the Great Christmas Party on the 17th there was much cake icing and canapé making (making canapés that is, the cake is sacrosanct) is the veryContinue reading “Luxury Stuffing!”
December Dilettantism
Oh my, I have been remiss! First post of December and it’s almost half way through! In my defence, it has been just a little frenetic the last couple of weeks. A quick catch up follows and I shall return to the usual beat of dog walks and hedgerow watching tomorrow. The first few daysContinue reading “December Dilettantism”
Bewitching ‘Twixting
The last two days have been all go. After breakfast and stockings on Christmas morning we had a slightly hair-raising drive to Gala to see Dad and deliver his presents (Lachlan drove, taking all the bends with a racing line, because I was deemed too slow. Ishbel admirably kept her breakfast down, but only just).Continue reading “Bewitching ‘Twixting”
The quiet before the onslaught
And so it is Christmas, and what have I done…. Everything!! Things have been manic since my last post. In the first wave of action cakes were iced, cards written and posted, mince pies baked in industrial quantities and force fed to the neighbours and two sides of salmon cured (one beetroot one experimental citrusContinue reading “The quiet before the onslaught”
One two three hop,
Back two three hop… goes the progressive barn dance. And so it is with all Ruthven home improvements. The lovely Barry painted and papered the big spare room in double quick time, the carpet fitters were secured for a few days hence. The carpet does indeed look lovely and tones nicely with the wallpaper. PityContinue reading “One two three hop,”
Whirlwind inside and out
After the gales and the blackout, the floods came… Sounds like the beginning of a dystopian “end of days” fantasy novel of the type it is highly satisfactory to consume when warm, dry and supplied with cake. However that was earlier this week – when we all piled into the car to go to theContinue reading “Whirlwind inside and out”
Christmas Stocktake
“The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things….” Ishbel has booked her train ticket and we have set a date and for the annual neighbourhood Christmas party, so there’s absolutely no getting out of it now. Christmas is coming to Ruthven. What with the rather reduced travel and entertaining over intermittentContinue reading “Christmas Stocktake”
The peonies are almost out, it must be Christmas
Like many families, we were split up at Christmas and Ishbel missed out on the traditional Christmas dinner and her usual Boxing Day birthday celebrations (indeed she worked an extra shift at the hospital). We posted down a stocking, a mini cake and a few odds and ends but promised when she was able toContinue reading “The peonies are almost out, it must be Christmas”
Rebooting
Between the celebratory bookends of Christmas Day/Boxing Day and Hogmanay/New Year’s Day I have successfully rebooted the Ruthven system by switching myself off and then on again. Several days of barely cooking have passed and, somewhat astonishingly, the leftovers from the gargantuan turkey and slightly more reasonably sized ham are largely all used up. AsideContinue reading “Rebooting”
Live from Ruthven 