Thursday 22 December 2022

Playing catch-up

 


FINALLY, I began again with the wreath.  I was never going to hack it with the bits of spruce I cut a week or so ago.  I just couldn't get myself enthusiastic about continuing with them so listened to what Sarah said about going out for a wander and finding wild greenery, and that's what I did. Not my best effort, but it has bits of the wild in it, and that's what counts for me.  I don't have the long trailing strands of ivy that used to grow over the wall at Ynyswen, and were trimmed each December for the wreath, but there were sufficient bits draped over the post and rail fence bordering the orchard, so those sufficed.


Two little faces at the window.  They have just discovered how nice and warm it is on the windowsill (radiator nearby, and it's south-facing).  They like to watch the world go by.  They've only just discovered it this week.


The Christmas cards had been hanging down from the candle box, but of course that was too tempting for kittens!


I got my act together and did the baking for the farmers up the lane, who help us out with garden jobs - cutting the holly/ivy hedge and trimming the overgrown bottom triangle of land this autumn.  A Lemon Drizzle Cake and a tray of Chocolate Blackberry Brownies.  That should keep them fuelled up over the Christmas period anyway.

Keith has already remembered the downside of any steroids - they affect your sleep.  So now the effectiveness of taking them has to be balanced against the side effect of non sleeping.  Keith used to take them just before bed when he was on a much bigger dose.  I have suggested he takes 1/4 tab in the morning and the other 1/4 just before bed.  We shall see if that helps.  Meanwhile, I have left a message for the PD nurse.

The oil delivery came today, so that's us topped up for the winter.  Tomorrow is make up a spare bed, do some domestic economy, more baking and enjoying Tam's company as she should be here around lunchtime.  Oh, and once she's here we'll put the tree up.  The kittens will LOVE that!!

16 comments:

  1. That is a lovely wreath. Everything is quite festive!

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  2. PS a wild gathered wreath and interesting artist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwJS5wNWSWI&t=853s

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  3. I have some lichen like that (Oak Moss it's called hereabouts) on fallen twigs, which I have picked up and put in the utility. I will add them tomorrow. Thanks for that Lizzy D.

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    1. Merry Christmas! I m glad you enjoyed the link, but my much longer post admiring your wreath disappeared, maybe it went to spam. Often my comments do not show up but I read and enjoy every post. Thank you! Festive Yule to you and your family.
      lizzy

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  4. Your decorations are lovely. My wreath goes up early December; I just take it off the hook in the garage and outside it goes! Easy, though not nearly as lovely as yours! I was housebound today with snow and deep cold, and expect to be housebound again tomorrow as a blizzard is forecast starting early morning. So finally am writing holiday cards. I hope both you and Keith get some much needed sleep. And good luck with the Christmas tree and the little girls!

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    1. My wreath SHOULD have been done and gone up a couple of weeks ago but I have been feeling very low and just kept ignoring it. Sorry you have blizzards and lots of snow but I am guessing you are in Canada or America, so it's par for the course where you are.

      Keith is still sleeping. I had a lie-in till 6 a.m. then couldn't sleep for the thought of everything I still had to do.

      1 little girl, two big daughters and 1 son will be enjoying the tree and I will be worn out removing kittens from it!!

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  5. Before I gave up on Christmas decorations [mainly due to destructive felines] I enjoyed foraging for natural materials--dried weeds/flowers, bits of cedar, pods, cones and such. In addition to the mess the cats made I began to worry that I would unwittingly bring in something that could be toxic if nibbled. After an initial inspection Rosie decided to ignore the lovely centerpiece Dawn brought in. I like your wreath! Just reading again an old blog story re the wreaths that Grampa Mac and I constructed when I was a girl. We surely wouldn't have won prizes for artistry!

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    1. Only when they were kittens did our cats bother the tree. This pair - well, I think it may well last longer! The wreath is well out of reach of anything and I'm glad you like it despite it being a last-ditch attempt and some of the ivy had trailed through the grass rather than hanging over a wall so I had to cut rooting stems off! Lovely to hear that you and Grampa Mac made wreaths when you were a girl.

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  6. That is so lovely BB. Well done you. Do you know the fancy florist in Petworth charge £75 for something not dissimilar. Think I should change jobs! Mind you we have had our second best month ever in the bookshop and still a couple of days to go. We are going to Arundel today to see what the competition is up to and on the way home we will call in to Charlie’s farm shop to collect our pork for Christmas day and a few treats. Have a great day and good luck with the kittens climbing the Christmas tree. When my cat was a kitten I used to decorate a yukka plant for Christmas and I do have a photo of her in it! She used to bat the decorations off - in those days they were mostly ping ping balls covered in gold thread which had come from Woolworths (I still have most of them) - and chase them around the floor. No word from my daughter and her cat since I had my surgery to my face on 11 November which is causing me concern. Her illness (for which she is not having any treatment) means she has these very quiet patches and I think the period in the lead up to Christmas is particularly challenging for her - she is after all her mother’s daughter. I am therefore employing all the strategies to keep calm and trying not worry about her. Take care everyone - Christmas is not a bed of roses despite what the commercials would have us believe. Sarah x

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  7. Uh Oh! Kittens and a Christmas tree. This will either be a very humorous experience or a very frustrating one. Good luck. LOL. Your wreath is absolutely beautiful. Mine is still in the attic. The hwyl just is not being upon me to decorate this year at all. I'm so happy Tam is recovered from her Covid so she can be with you for Christmas.

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  8. All looking good. Sorry about the steroid side effects, poor Keith.
    Those kittens at the window - adorable
    Alison in Wales x

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  9. Your wreath looks lovely. I cannot wait to see photos of the kittens and the Christmas tree ... or should that be the kittens IN the Christmas tree!!

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  10. Loving your Christmas Wreath, so beautiful. I haven't made one this year, similar feeling to you, now wishing I had made the effort. Your blackberry chocolate brownie looks delish, would you be good enough to share the recipe with me please. Hope you all enjoy a peaceful Christmas and here's wishing you all better health & much happiness in 2023.

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  11. Your wreath is beautiful. Merry Christmas!

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