Domesticali

Post-festive slump

Yesterday, the year almost gone and the one to come were surveyed from bed. Johnny's been fighting a lurgy over the whole festive season and my body had given up the ghost too. So, with all social engagements met, he and I holed up in the big bed together for the day.

The perspective from a whole day under your duvet is not one I often achieve. But with hubby home to field Mark and provide a steady stream of Calpol and hot drinks, there arose an unexpected opportunity to think back on the past year.

Uncharacteristically, I had no master plan for 2008, and yet wonderful things seem to have happened of their own accord. Going back to work has been a hugely unexpected pleasure, and a challenge too as I learn to juggle an additional ball. There was a trip to New York - so spontaneous, I almost have to pinch myself to believe it happened. And I seem to have learned to knit (and knit and knit and knit).

So, perhaps my lesson from this year is that maybe it's okay to sit back a little bit and let fate take the reins once in a while. Because it seems that in doing so, wonderful things sometimes happen.

I have emerged today feeling much better and full of enthusiasm for what 2009 will bring. Whether planned or not.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

So, it's Christmas Eve and I am snatching a few quiet moments alone to visit my little blog space. The boys and Granny are tracking Santa on NORAD, hubby is home from work, Grandad is stacking the dishwasher. The house is full - of family, of food, of noise and of future memories.

I have some wishes for you all this Christmas - you friends who share this space with me.

• May you have a moment or two in the course of your busy busy days, to be still and savour the here and now.
• May you have the luxury of dreaming and planning for the future
• May you always find friends who can share these things with you

I think these wishes were granted for me on the day I began blogging and started to meet you all.

A very Merry Christmas to you.

Tingles

An elderly gentleman came into the bookshop on Saturday. He'd had a phone call that morning to say the book he'd ordered had arrived. But try as I might, I couldn't find it. He explained it was the large print edition of a Hymn book, so his wife, whose vision was failing, could still join in with the music at church. I hunted again, but I still couldn't find it. So I asked my colleagues to see who'd phoned him and where they had put the elusive book. No joy - neither of them had seen the book nor telephoned the customer.

Just then, our postman came into the shop with the mail and a large envelope containing the hymn book.

Some things can't be explained and just have to be enjoyed.  A little Christmas miracle perhaps.

Driftwood decor

 

And lo, I have conquered my fear of the pillar drill. In fact, I think I may be addicted. When can we go beachcombing again? And does anything else need a hole?

Banana bonanza

Are things going bananas at your house yet? I have the feeling that there are only a few of us clinging on in blogland while everyone else scurries about. But for me, it's the ultimate feel-good displacement activity. I feel so calm here in front of my screen, watching pretty words and images float by. In reality, there are a bazillion things I probably should be doing, but hey, do what makes you happy right?

So I met Monica for brunch on Monday (one of my favourite treats), wrapped presents and listened to podcasts on Tuesday, had small son Nativity on Wednesday and school carol service this morning. And I haven't finished cards, or made a shopping list, or planned menus. But I am really really enjoying Advent this year. I highly recommend it.

Not sure why it seems different this time - I am usually a huge 'event' stress-head. Dashing about, barking orders, snapping at the nearest available adult. All that may still arrive come the 25th. But I hope not, because this way is so much more pleasant. Perhaps it's my Advent book.

Or maybe the knitting is keeping me calm - I managed a  scarf for hubby. Pattern is here. It was a welcome interlude in the knitting of the cardigan which goes on forever.  He doesn't know it's for him, but all through the knitting process he kept saying how much he liked it.

And I'm sure it will look much better on him than on the chair.

Baking

There was much kitchen activity here this weekend. The Christmas goodies for teachers bake-fest, the hi-light of which was, as ever, the Mandarin Macadamia Shortbread Sticks. Those suckers are just too good.

I'm going to generously share the recipe (Because Jen's been drooling over them on Flickr and I like to please):

250 g butter (room temp)
80 g icing sugar
2 tbsp rice flour (got mine at the health food shop, but I' sure it wouldn't matter too much if you left it out - it just gives them a touch more 'snap')
300g plain flour
2tbsp grated mandarin rind
60ml mandarin juice
75g macadamias, toasted and finely chopped
60g dark melted chocolate

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Fold in other ingredients.
Knead gently on a floured surface till smooth.
Roll tablespoons into sticks roughly 15cm long.
Place on a lightly greased oven tray or a non stick mat.
Bake for 15 to 20 mins until firm. Stand on tray for 5 mins before moving onto a wire rack to cool.
Pipe or drizzle the chocolate onto the shortbread.

They keep for about a week (I think - ours never linger that long) and the recipe makes about 30.

But even though these are my favourite seasonal biscuits to bake for others, there really is nothing to beat cookies made, wrapped and delivered in person by friends who stop by for tea.

Christmas gift candles

School finishes next week - we've been preparing. Lines to learn for Christmas performances, cards to write for classmates and treats to bake for staff. My boys go to a small local primary school, but between them there are 12 teachers or teaching assistants to make for. I predict a weekend of baking (in my very clean oven!).

But to go with the sweet treats, there are a couple of candles, designed with love.

Thanks to Lina's tutorial. Talk about maximum impact for minimum effort. That's exactly the kind of Christmas crafting I like best.

Going in...

Wish me luck comrades. I may be some time.

 

What, you mean the fun activity in your Advent calender today wasn't 'Clean the Oven'?

The back door

We're not really a front door sort of household. With two perpetually mucky boys, it makes more sense to strip them off in the utility room, just inside the back door. In fact, today's mud quota was so serious, I removed their clothing on the driveway. There's just something totally irresistible about ice crusted mud puddles. Apparently.

And because we use the back door, most of our friends use the back door too. And it seemed fitting that we welcome them there. So when our weekend walks yielded plenty of green stuff for me to make a wreath, the back door was always going to be the logical place for it.

A gift from the hedgerows, if you don't mind a little side order of mud.

And thank you all for the knitting assistance on my last post - I think I have it sorted. Although I'm mighty tempted to use the solution suggested by The Coffee Lady

"If your armpits are uneven, just make sure that you are very animated with one arm. Wave at people. Point. Gesticulate. Hold your wine glass out constantly to be refilled. No-one will ever know unless you adopt a symmetrical stance in an unguarded moment."

 

Silly me

I am still plodding my way through the knitting of the slowest cardigan on the planet. The back and right front are done. I'm halfway up the left front, but I have been thwarted by an innocent little phrase. Reverse all shaping. Aaaargh. I can reverse my car without incident, I have been known in my youth to place the odd reverse charge phone call to my mother, I even use reverse psychology on my children, but this reverse shaping business has me going.

Bear with me while I attempt to explain.

My cardigan has a seed stitch border with acres of stocking stitch. Proudly, I managed to get the seed stitch on the leading edges of each side without incident or swearing. Result. But my Waterloo seems to be the armhole shaping. I need to cast off some stitches to make the armhole (although quite frankly, at this stage a half cardigan, half cape seems an attractive proposition).

On the right hand piece, I cast off some stitches at the beginning of row 100 - nice curve, no problem. So in my reverse shaping world, I just had to cast off some stitches at the END of row 100 on the other side. How wrong can one be. Because I am left with a gap and a single lone stitch at the end of the row and my working yarn in the wrong place.

Even if you are not a knitter, it is clear that this is not a good thing. Is there some trick I don't know (it will no doubt have a bizarre name if there is) or do I just do the casting off at the beginning of row 101? This seems a workable solution, but then my armpits won't be even.

You have to help me. I'll even give you a slice of my birthday cake as a reward.