Baking  There is no need  to bake my own but I so much prefer the taste of homemade mince pies. Bought pastry has that slightly artificial taste  and goodness knows what preservatives have been added to extend the pastry’s shelf life. I use a recipe by Josceline Dimbleby from a Sainsbury’s Cook Book that I bought back in the 1970s. She uses orange short-crust pastry and places a teaspoon of cream cheese mixed with caster sugar under the pastry lid.

Buying On Saturday it was so busy in the supermarket BUT I needed some basics. Should’ve shopped on Thursday but the wind and the rain had put me off. The wind was so strong that it blew my wheeled shopping basket along all by itself and I had to rescue the rubbish bins from across the street.

Knitting If I get a move on I should be able to knit a pair of wristwarmers in time for when I meet the recipient  next week. Then I shall start work knitting for my niece’s baby – due early summer.

Listening to the Christmas morning service from York Minster on the BBC Radio 4. Sitting in the comfort of my armchair sipping a cup of tea, it is not quite the same as being in the congregation. However it is nearly as good, and saves me the stress of finding transport to church – walking in the pitch dark is not advisable. Yesterday’s Festival of Nine Carols and Lessons from Kings College, Cambridge was truly beautiful and uplifting.

Making This year I made over 3 dozen Christmas Cards. Some I stitched using fine golden thread straight onto the cardboard. It took ages piercing the holes for the stitches! Others I painted with acrylic paint, dotting with while paint for the ‘tinsel’ then using red and gold or silver pens to add ‘baubles’. One of my friends announced that she was not sending cards this year because she was “saving the Planet”. I think she meant “trees”. Anyway, I love receiving cards and I enjoy sending them. My only dilemma is how to display the ones that I receive.

Printing Wrapping paper may be bought cheaply but I much prefer to print  my own. I bought a roll of brown parcel paper and cut it into one metre lengths. Then I used my sponge saucepan scourer, green side down,  to print red rectangles. They looked a bit bare so I cut the scourers into a cross shape and added white crosses to the red rectangles. oops! Now it looked like the Danish flag. So I found some green paint and added spots to try to reinforce that the design was meant to be “Xmas parcels”. Next year I shall print star shapes . . .

Walking It is SO tempting to stay indoors when the wind is gusting outside – and even more tempting when rain threatens. But a couple of days ago I managed nearly three miles at a fairly good pace. I am trying hard not to shuffle like an old lady!

Celebrating This time of the year I join family and friends for lunches, ZOOMs and walks to celebrate Christmas. And in quiet moments I remember Christmases past, tinged with nostalgia of course! In a week’s time it will be 2024. Nearly a quarter of a century after I stood on the beach to welcome in the new millennium. Best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

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