The Star of Christmas

 

She has helped our tears with her antics!  Bless her.

The cost of Christmas

 We are sharing the cost of Christmas food and drink amongst the family, and all told there will be 5 people to feed, spread over the Christmas period.  Even so, my contribution was 3 figures.  That is mainly because of extra cat food (a fortnight's), several bottles of wine, a joint of beef from the butchers' for Christmas Day, and a kilo of Venison (butchers too) for the Anthony Worrall Thompson venison casserole on Boxing Day.  There is extra fruit, lots of veg (though that is pennies right now), double cream/good dark chocolate/raspberries for the roulade, a tub of Quality  Street etc.  I shan't need to go shopping until the New Year though.  I went into Llandod today for the veg and more fruit, and even though I was in Aldi by 8.30 it was still busy, and left Tesco by 9.30.  5 mins later people were queuing up for the Tesco car park!  

Tam has just messaged to say that Aberystwyth is totally gridlocked and she has been sat in a queue to leave the Tesco car park for 20 minutes now. . .  Madness!  

I wasn't going fast around Tesco (only needed 4 things) and happened to notice that turkeys are expensive beyond belief.  I was looking at Organic Bronze Free Range turkeys - the smaller ones were around £75 each and the giant ones - well, one was £117!!!  You'd need a blardy big oven to cook that in!   However, if you are vegetarian you can eat for peanuts as in Aldi they had a bank of veg all at 8p a hit.  I bought a red cabbage and a head of broccoli (Gabby's bringing the veg, cheese board, nibbles, Lemon tarts for Boxing Day, and more wine).  You could have parsnips, a bag of sprouts, a bag of carrots, etc - all 8p a time.  I feel sorry for the farmers, who obviously take this seasonal hit in their pockets.

I've done my round of friends and neighbours with home-made Christmas gifts - cushions and jam for my two local friends, and a Spicy Dorset Apple Cake and two jars of jam for the farmers up the hill.  I walked up the hill to them - every time I do that I forget QUITE how steep it is and how many times I have to stop to catch my breath!  Their mum was so pleased to see me, as she doesn't get much company, an she said to come up any time, so I will try and go up for a chat more often.

Last night I finished the embroidered present:

A close-up - I did a lot of it in the tiniest chain stitch.

Those French knots got a bit tedious towards the end, as there are lots of them in the pre-printed design.  Anyway, it is a useful gift.  It took me probably 35 + hours of sewing.  Love (and Outlander!) sewn into every stitch.

Tonight I shall start on the Felt Mistletoe and will need some of the craft wire which Tam bought to make Jon's present.  She has made an absolutely AMAZING gift for Jon, which is called "Alchemy".  It's inside a glass dome and is dried moss, tiny fern sprigs, tiny twigs, tiny Alder cones, dabbled with gold leaf, and a wee green glass bottle with Iron Pyrites in it, and a printed and scrumbled Alchemists' "recipe".  It looks amazing.  I did take a photo of it but it hasn't downloaded from my camera.  It's wrapped now so I will share it once Jon's received it.

Well, this won't do.  I know everyone will be busy with family and food over the Christmas period, so I will wish you all a special Christmas now.  

Next Project - FINALLY, My William Morris Heritage Quilt

 

This has been in my stash since 2018, when darling daughters took me to Calico Kate's in Lampeter to get the fabrics for my birthday present.  Bless them.   Finally I have the chance to make a start on it, so that is my New Year project.

This photo (sorry about the glare from the  flash) gives you an idea of the overall design, with a close-up below.  The range of William Morris fabrics (Kelmscott) doesn't seem to be generally available to buy yet, so I chose William Morris fabrics I liked and will look for some more to add to (or instead of) patterns already chosen.  (NB: This was written originally in 2018).

Above and below - the fabrics my daughters bought me.  We had such fun choosing them, and laying them out on a table to see what was going with what.  There are a couple of prints I chose just because I liked them (my girls were saying, go on mum get that one or this one!) and will be used in other projects.  The red fabric in the photo above is one of those.

I still yearn to go to William Morris's Cotwolds house Kelmscott Manor.  It's 101 miles each way . . . if I got up early one summer's morning . . . it is possible.

This morning I checked my emails, and was annoyed that I kept getting reminders for car insurance.  NO, I kept saying to myself, they've got that wrong, it's the HOUSE insurance that is due (Christmas Eve).  But no, when I checked, it's due on 21st January.  The only slightly good thing is that the quotes are actually DOWN on last year. Ye Gods, are there no end to the bloomin' bills for this time of year?  The only one I managed to get mid-year was the car tax, by taxing it for 6 mths, and then the normal yearly renewal.  So that's some BIG bills (apart from 3 birthdays and Christmas) in December/January.  House insurance, car insurance an car MoT (potentially big).  Sigh.  I had better have a good Fair in February is all I can say!!

Windy out, grey - with moveable clouds and a bit of sunshine, instead of just drab wall to wall grey - and rain.  I need to pop out with Christmas gifts for a couple of friends, and need to make the cake for the farmers up the hill.  I will finish the embroidered bag for Tam today, and then there is the Mistletoe from Festive Felt book to sew together - all cut out and pinned. 

I thought I would watch a couple of films the other day, just for a change.    I chose one that Timothy Spall was in - The Last Bus.  Mistake.  Turns out he had to get down to Land's End with his wife's ASHES . . .  Cheered me up no end, NOT!  So then I watched Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Top Hat which was more cheerful.  

Yesterday we were watching Sanna Vaara back to back - so peaceful - and then ended up with Paddington Bear (movie).  L. Whale was on the sofa, and Rosie wanted to stroke him (e.g. yank his hair out in handfuls!)  I have been trying to show her what stroke meant, and put my hand in the way and said "gently" - which resulted in her taking my hand and moving it out of the way (!!!) and ignoring me :)  Tam rolled her eyes and said, "she's very determined".   I can't help thinking that those drops of Keith's Manx blood which were so strong in the Pankhursts, may have filtered through to young Rosie too!!

Right, this won't do.  Baking (must use up those last apples quickly).

The Winter Solstice and some Christmas crafting

 It is the Winter Solstice today, so in a month we will begin to really notice the days lengthening again.  I can't wait.  I hate the wet grey days we've been having constantly, and there is another storm coming in tomorrow!  I hope it won't be too bad for folk, but they are threatening 50mph winds again. (That's better than the 80mph ones they were talking about yesterday).

Here's the little Dala horse I've just finished sewing.  He is from the Festive Felt Decorations book I got last week.  Took ages though, as lots of fiddly bits of embroidery on him.    I think he turned out quite well, and is to go on Rosie's (well, Tam & Jon's) Christmas tree.

Tam and Rosie were here yesterday afternoon and overnight, leaving 3 p.m. today.  It was lovely to have them here, though they are still getting over the really nasty cold they've had for about 10 days now - still snuffly and coughing, and Tam is mostly deaf.

We have been watching a lovely set of Youtube videos from Northern Finland by Sanna Vaara.  They are very calming and peaceful and enjoyable.  Check them out.

I've now finished Series 6 of Outlander and the first episode from the 2nd half of series 2nd was available to view today, so I've seen that now.  I was hoping to watch the London International Horse Show on iPlayer, but whatever I do, I cannot get the recordings to run.  Tam couldn't either. So frustrating.

Tomorrow I need to make a good loaf of bread and bake a big cake for the farmers up the hill.  For now though, it's bed.  My brain is tired from all the concentration on the embroidery.

Can I go to bed yet?

 Thank heavens it's nearly the Solstice.  I know I am not alone in not enjoying the long dark evenings of winter which start mid-afternoon and seem endless.  Several friends who like me, live alone, have said the same thing recently - we get to about 7 p.m. and think, can we go to bed yet?!!!  Admittedly one of these folk lives very basically (my neighbour who's doing up the cottage) and doesn't have a tv and I imagine you soon get fed up reading stuff on your mobile phone . . . I can remember one of the stories in All Creatures Great and Small and there has been an evening call out to a farm up in the Dales, run by a couple of brothers and a sister.  James Herriot arrives and as he walks past the parlour window to the door, he sees by the light inside (this is 1930s so possibly pre-electricity and it is just lit by a Tilley Lamp) the three figures just SAT, not talking, no radio, nothing.   Just satisfied (one assumes) with the labours of the day having ceased. It is so hard to imagine that now when we expect more from life.  

This year's greenwood wreath.  I'm not happy with the droopy fir on the bottom and would have preferred Ivy, which was in great trailing abundance at Ynyswen but harder to find round here.  Ah well, not one of my best, but I may go for a wander down the Dingle and see if I can find some trailing ivy.

The tree is all decked out in its finery now.  I have to say, 10 days or so before Christmas is quite early enough to make the house Christmassy.  I know some people can't wait to get the decorations out and the plastic tree up  and Tam thinks I'm a spoilsport for taking it all down on New Year's Day (though she swears I do it on Boxing Day!!) but it works for me.  I don't get time to get fed up with it.

This lovely throw has turned up on a Quilting Magazine feed on Facebook and I fell in love with it. I have worked out how it "works" - the central  star is surrounded by half the same block either side. I'd love to do this and have some aqua/turquoise fat 1/4s which would be perfect to make this, and then I could hang it over the back of the oak settle in the kitchen.  

Well, it is of course the middle of the bloomin' night again.  Alfie woke me at 1 a.m. to be Let Out. As I'd gone to bed at nine, I'd had a good chunk of sleep and my brain got too busy for me to nod off again.  I lay there till 1/4 to 3 before giving up and coming downstairs. 

The embroidery I am doing (a gift for Tam) is coming on really well and I am enjoying doing it and watching Series 6 of Outlander.  It is giving me a break from the endless hexies for the blue and red quilt I was working on.

After two years of totally ignoring the Christmas tree, Pippi has this year discovered it! I was sat there sewing and she did a gallop-by, swiped one of my little x-stitch decorations which flew in the air, and put that on repeat with a couple more low on the tree!  Apparently Rosie has also discovered Tam's Christmas tree so has to be deterred from eating it!  She has now learned to say "dada" and says it over and over.  What a lovely Christmas present for Jon.

We had a windy start to the day again yesterday, but it was just that - windy - though apparently there were gusts of up to 60 mph in some places and there has been plenty of rain with it and flooding in certain areas of Wales.  I am glad to be on a hill . . .

Right, I shall do Hexa Stack and make my brain tired, I hope.

Window shopping in Hay, part 2

 Having bought a replacement battery and a charger, I now have my camera working again and when it is charged, a spare battery.

Apologies for the reflections of vehicles, but isn't this cute?  I knitted a couple of meeces like these for my Aunty Betty one year, to amuse her.

I have begun the day considerably poorer, as I went to do the Christmas shop in Llandod - it soon adds up when there is wine (both red and white), IPA beer for the menfolk, some more chocolates, a BIG double cream, dark chocolate to make the roulade, two bags of spuds rather than one, ice cream, and some meats and stuff for the freezer, and the usual cat food and biscuits (an extra big one for the girls, which alone was £15) and what have you.  Tam's bringing our M&S curry and a bottle of wine for Christmas Eve, and Gabby is bringing the cheeseboard, veg, wine, nibbles etc for Christmas Day.  I have yet to get the beef and venison, although I got some venison burgers today which are going to be the filling for a Spicy Venison Pie for when Danny comes up.  At least I won't need to do a shop, bar fresh fruit and veg, until the New Year now.

Now for some for around the market.  Photo above has gz's name on it!

Fresh fish is a rarity these days.

This is where I normally get my herbs and spices and dried fruits etc.

I'm sorry gz, I didn't get the stalls in the cheese market for you, but they were very busy and a queue for the bread and baked goods there right across the other stalls. The other bread stall, down the bottom past the clock tower, just below and opposite where Ian used to have his stall, had NO such queue!

One of Kath's window displays.  I say that but I know she was moving near to her daughter, so not sure if she is ever in the shop now.

A back window (looking towards the castle) of the Antiques Emporium . . .

Some quilt photos for the quilt makers amongst you. This top one had some age - the others not.

This was one thing which I did like but I'd rather pay the auction price on it and not £180 retail!

Nice cushions, but cheaper to make my own.

I still have a soft spot for good authentic horse brasses too and this was a lovely example.  Needed to find it before the dealer put £88 on it though!

This should give you an idea of some of the stuff on offer. Not for me.  Cranberry glass is pretty but SO yesterday!  Fashions soon change in the antiques trade.

Someone obviously has a keen eye for glass - loved the giant cocktail glass near the bottle, with smaller ones inside it for effect.

Since unpacking the comestibles for Christmas, I've popped out to the greenhouse and rustled up a wreath (photos tomorrow).  Not fancy-pants one but something that reflects my love of nature and the countryside.

Now I am about to make up the dala horse and the mistletoe templates.  Watch this space.

Strata Florida - Vale of Flowers

 Well, today has grabbed me by the throat somewhat!  The day carried on a little from last night, when the farmers up the lane cut my hedge for me and came in to ask had I noticed that I had a side light bulb gone on the car? He got me to open the bonnet catch and checked it for me and said he'd be down this morning with a replacement bulb, as they always had plenty of oddments in store. Before heading off, he helped me with the Christmas tree, which needed an inch or so sawing off the bottom, so I could put it in water (the tree holder has a water reservoir too) and we got it set up in the living room.  So that saved me some hassle.   He was then as good as his word and fixed the light for me this morning, and I sent him back with a Date Gingerbread cake and a pot of Jumbleberry and Apple Jam.  He has two brothers (they all run the farm together) and his mum is no longer up to cooking or baking, so they should enjoy that.  I have promised them another (bigger) cake for Christmas and some more jam as a thankyou.  Since Keith died, they have  said they will look out for me, and they are, bless them.  How wonderful it is to have such good neighbours.

Sorry it's so dark but it was a gloomy day yesterday.

 I have been for a nice walk along the lane for a mile and a half and cut snippets of holly with berries, dried Oak leaves twigs, Ivy blooms, and picked up no end of pine twigs wrenched off the tree by the storm.  These are now currently in a bag in the greenhouse, and I have already made up a small wreath base using some of the Clematis vine rescued from Tam's when Jon cut it down.  One job off the to do list and some fresh air and exercise too.  I'll make up the wreath tomorrow.

The farmhouse which is waiting for funding for restoration.

I've done two loads of washing, so am up to date with that.  Then I decided I really HAD to use up a tub of plums I bought more than a week ago and popped to the Co-Op for Pears and Lemons. I was just going to do the first stage of High Dumpsie Dearie Jam this afternoon, but it was going so smoothly I carried on and have made three BIG jars, 2 small ones and some leftover for my breakfast toast for a few days. I have to say, down the years I have made so much jam it is automatic and no problem.

I've got chicken curry from Friday for tonight's evening meal, and then I shall put on Outlander (Series 6) and dress the tree, then sit down with an embroidered tote bag I'm working on.

I loved the scroll embellishments on the stonework.

Also the fact that EW made their mark in 178?

I assume this was a baptismal pool?

The Abbey was very well provided for, having a number of secondary Granges which kept it supplied and funded - there was a Mill, a Fruit Farm, an Arable Farm, Fish Lakes, an Oxen Farm, a Pig Farm, a Dairy Farm, a Great Meadow and many many acres of sheep grazing up on the mountain pastures.  Ffair Rhos was the local market.  There was also lead ore from the Abbey owned mines.  You would think this would have kept them very well provided for indeed, but things went pear-shaped when they leased off the land and lived from the rentals, and by the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, there were only 6 monks remaining to evict!  Many thanks to the Local Drove Roads site which provided this information.

If you have followed this blog for a while you may remember Tam and I doing walks just outside of Rhayader, where there is a beautiful area of Nature Reserve at Gilfach.  That was also part of Strata Florida land once - and this extended up beyond Hafod, the estate we visited this summer.  There was a Monks Trod from Strata Florida to Abbey Cwm Hir, a distance of some 24 miles as the crow flies.

The Abbey has the most tremendous history and proudly houses the remains of several sons of the Lord Rhys, ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Deheubarth, who gave the Cistercian monks huge tracts of land which supported the sheep and cattle of the Abbey and provided their sustenance and income. Mind you, he had seized Ceredigion in the first place!  HERE is a time line of important events at Strata Florida.

There were more burial stones than this behind us.

The names in bold show who was buried here.  The good and the important in Medieval Welsh history.

The Lord Rhys (Rhys ap Gruffydd)(1131 - 1197) was buried in St Davids Cathedral.

One of the small chapels.

Putlogs (for scaffolding) in a section of remaining wall - these went right through the (very thick) wall.

The remains of Medieval Welsh poet Dafydd ap Gwilym were laid to rest beneath one of the ancient yew trees near the church.

Some of the remaining Medieval tiles, which included Birds, Griffins, Fleur de Llys and an enigmatic Man with a Mirror, possibly symbolising vanity or else self knowledge.

I hope you have enjoyed visiting Strata Florida. It has SUCH a history.