'Twas the week before Christmas...

Last week was not a good week for headaches. Hot weather + strong winds = headaches.  But I've been ok since yesterday and catching up with things...

Saturday I'll make the cheesecake I'm to take to Marnie's for Christmas lunch.

And today I made the Christmas cake, which also doubles as Christmas pudding...

step one

step two

all done

Working on my blanket for the fistula hospital patients in Ethiopia...

5 strips of six colors.  One strip done

And rather than start the book I mentioned in my previous post, I decided to re-read some Miss Read.  Her books are always lovely easy reads when life is busy.  I did buy myself a new book for Christmas, but I'll tell you about it in my next home post :)

Here's a snippet from Miss Read...

"The round table in the window had already been set.  The best china, sprigged with violets, the silver teaspoons, thin with age, and bread and butter cut wafer-thin awaited us, with a splendid sponge cake of Miss Clare's own making.

One always sat up to table at Dolly's house.  Only the odd cup of coffee was partaken of in an armchair, and even when she was alone the mistress of the house set the solitary place and dined, as if she had friends present, with simple dignity.

I spread some of our vicar's honey on my bread and butter, and thought how marvelous it was that dolly Clare, despite her age and physical frailty, had never lowered her standards.  My own casual meal arrangements seemed positively slatternly in comparison.

I said as much to Dolly.  She looked somewhat surprised.

"I suppose early training had something to do with it," she said.  "My mother was a stickler for having things just so.  And then, when you are as old as I am, you wonder if you might be taken suddenly, and it would be so dreadful if you were found in squalor, wouldn't it?

"I hadn't thought of that."

"You see, I now look upon each day as a bonus.  When I wake in the morning I think how lucky I am to have yet another day to spend."

and an illustration from the book

I bought a Christmas wreath, the sum total of my Christmas decorating...

It now hangs on the front door, but it looked so pretty on the hall stand (while waiting for me to hammer a nail in the door) that I think I'll put it back there after Christmas is over, so I can look at it all year

Freya is off to the vet on Friday for her annual vaccination and worming...

shh ... don't tell her

And after the overnight rain, some pretty flowers on my walk this morning...

The Baptist church here in Latrobe is having a Christmas morning service which I hope to get to before going to Marnie's for lunch.

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well.  But don't get so busy that you forget the real reason for the celebration :)

xx