Well Christmas is done and dusted and I am now firmly in harness for the New Year celebrations. We had two, delightful, “leftover days” when the denizens of Ruthven had to fend for themselves and I lolled on the sofa with an audio book and a plate of bijou snacks but those days of hedonism areContinue reading “A Christmas bouquet”
Tag Archives: knitting
God rest ye merry gentle wife
It is Christmas Eve and, in the time honoured manner, my feet are gently throbbing and I am enjoying last year’s plum gin and tonic. But Monkey’s Christmas jumper is made, the vast haul of twigs from the garden have been decanted into vases, the fridge is full of stuffing and there are crème caramelsContinue reading “God rest ye merry gentle wife”
The Zen of the Last Post
With the passing of the last sensible posting date and the annual Christmas party (when a few by-hands can be made) there comes, a brief period of seasonal zen. What could be done has been done and what could not be done can always be added to the list of interesting projects for next year. The finalContinue reading “The Zen of the Last Post”
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
There is a haunted look about the place today. The orchard is a spectral grove of skeletal trees bearing baubles of hollowed out apples. The gravel garden has the air of Miss Havesham’s wedding feast, with eerily preserved frozen shades of summer’s bounty. Driving down our rollercoaster of a road into town for coffee withContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come”
Flibbertigibbet
Oh dear, somehow I just can’t get myself back into any kind of sensible routine. I am just skittering and dittering. I start the day, as often as not, with some kind of plan but it takes but the flap of a butterfly wing to derail me. I have taking to rising and donning myContinue reading “Flibbertigibbet”
Inter Alia
A welter of birthdays, visiting offspring, family reunions yet more birthdays and sic like affairs have come between me and my keyboard of late. However, following yet another bout with mum’s insurers (the product was ironically entitled “RBS Elite” – god help those in steerage is all I can say…), I find myself with anContinue reading “Inter Alia”
The kindly smirr
A gentle smirr of rain has been hanging in the air all day today so I have been gifted a cast iron excuse to keep out of the garden (where I have been labouring in stakhanovite fashion the last few days). As always, initial excitement at the boundless horizon of possible indoor activities caused aContinue reading “The kindly smirr”
Snowdrop time
As the snow dwindled, the frost set in with the melt reforming overnight into hardened pools of ice, grey and strangely rounded, like melted candles. The paths around the fields set into uncomfortably frosty ridges. Mum and I trudged on stoically in the quest for extra steps and fancy camera angles and the family soupContinue reading “Snowdrop time”
And so it was Christmas…
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…”
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!”