HAPPY CHRISTMAS

EVERYONE !

pre-Christmas mutterings

I did not intend to start my post in this way, but events, as they say, overtook me.

 Vaclav Havel, a former president of the Czech Republic and a great statesman, died today.

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I have some wonderful childhood memories of Christmas, spend usually in my grandmother's house, on the edge of a village, deep in the Czech countryside. These paintings by Josef Lada remind me so much of that place (less the ruins in the background). Yes, there was always snow. I remember the time my parents and I were picked up late in the day from the train station in the next village and driven in a horse drawn sleigh, through a spooky forest, the only light being a reflection from the white snow, and arriving to the warmth of my grandmother's country kitchen, smelling of baking and freshly cut Christmas tree. Memories......

I have always been fortunate to be able to spend Christmas with my family, be it with my Czech family as a child, and later with my own family in England. I have always tried to pass on that little bit of Christmas magic to my own children, and in the last few years to my beautiful grandchildren (although I could never quite manage the horse drawn sleigh here in England).

When my children were away studying, we told them not leave anyone on their own at Christmas time. So there was the time we received a call from our son, a day before Christmas: "mum, there is this girl from Australia, she has nowhere to go for Christmas". So arrived Katherine, with a bottle of Bundaberg and spent the holiday with us.

We have not always been able to be all together. There was that tearful "I miss you" phone call on a frosty Christmas Day from our offspring travelling in Australia. But we just put it down to those "few" beers on the beach :)

But Christmas can also be a difficult time for some people, those without a close family or friends, or those touched by a recent personal tragedy or loss, and feel that Christmas will never be the same again. Hope is a great thing and they say that time is a great healer...

In the words from Slade's Christmas song:

Look to the future now
It's only just begun.

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I wish you all a very peaceful and safe run up to Christmas!

I would like also to take this opportunity to thank you all for your friendship and support.

Oh, and talking about friendship.

I have just finished reading a beautiful book "Astrid and Veronika" by Linda Olsson.

It is about two women from different backgrounds, one young and the other old, who form an unlikely friendship and learn each other stories.

Thank you Gudrun for recommending this book on your blog.

Scandinavian Christmas

At last I have finished my Christmas wall hanging, just in time for Christmas.

This lovely design is by Lynette Anderson.

All embroidery, applique and quilting is hand stitched.

Mistletoe Fayre

One of the advantages of living out in the country (and there are many disadvantages) is that this time of year we can choose how much or little we can join the pre-Christmas "shopping madness". When you live in a city or a large town, it is difficult to avoid the Christmas hype, which very often starts as early as the end of September.

Here in the country it is different, Christmas arrives more slowly. It is only now that many villages have their Christmas fairs, with local produce and crafts (some better quality then others).

It would be hard to beat the setting for a Christmas fair to the one of Barrington Court Mistletoe Fayre, which we visited yesterday. Most of the National Trust house have closed for the winter, but Barrington Court opened its doors this weekend, the first weekend of Advent.

Enter through the shop please.

Many of the stallholders were wearing period costumes in tune with the atmosphere of this beautiful Tudor house.

Even some Tudor ladies came to do their shopping here and very kindly allowed me to take a photograph. The one on the left made these wonderful dresses.

The stalls were very varied. You could buy anything from jewellery, to hand made soaps,

lovely local food, from sausages and pork pies, a fresh duck or a goose, beautiful Christmas cakes and puddings, drinks made from the local apples and fruits.

We could even enjoy some entertainment.

This area is close to the Devon and its sheep and there were lots of wool products, but the find of the day for me was

Sharon and her wonderful Five Moons wools, hand dyed in Devon.

This was a real "sweet shop" for me

and of course I could not resist.

This is a beautifully soft 2ply, a mixture of extra fine merino wool and silk, with a touch of silver sparkle, an addition to my knitting stash.

Outside in the apple orchard the trees are full of mistletoe ready for Christmas.

But away from the Christmas market it is a little difficult to think about Christmas just yet, as the nature still insists on hanging on to some wonderful autumn colours.

Have a very good week!

my angel

It is more then two years ago since I bought a pattern for an angel and I started making it last year. Unfortunately the angel did not make it past this stage at the time and it stayed, unfinished, in the basket in my work room.

                                    

But "Heirloom Hannah" will see Christmas this year!

The pattern is from the "Button Angel" by Elaine Aitken .

after Christmas

So Christmas is over. Yesterday the temperature outside went up a few degrees and last night it started to rain and has not stopped since. This morning we woke up to a totally different scene. All the snow has gone and we are back to a typical English winter, damp and murky. The thermal underwear has been put away, at least for now. I would like to think that we have seen the last of the bitter cold weather, but it is too early in the winter to hope for that.
I was planning to take a break from my stitching this week, but as any stitcher knows, that is difficult to do.
I should be working on some figures for the tax man, but it can wait a few more days....
Instead I have picked up a project I started at a work shop last summer, the Freeform Designer Bag, before it becomes a serious UFO.

celebrating Christmas

Our grandchildren are very fortunate, they get two visits from the Father Christmas on the same night.
All our immediate family comes to our house for Christmas Eve and while we are having our meal, "Father Christmas" sneaks in through the back door and leaves lots of presents under the tree.
There was even snow on the floor from his boots! Just as well granddad put some newspaper on the floor!
And  would you believe it, the same night the Father Christmas finds his way to my grandchildren's house and they wake up on Christmas morning to yet more presents!





                                   getting ready for Christmas Eve

Christmas Day - we enjoyed the day and Christmas dinner at our daughter's house.

On the way there I took this picture of our valley.

Somewhere in the middle is our house.

We arrived to find two very exited children and just as exited dog, who could smell her present under the tree.

today was time was a quiet walk to recover from the festivities