Happy New Year

Happy New Year Performed by Abba 1980.
Copyright Polar Music International.

Sending Christmas Wishes

"Remembrance, like a candle,

Shines brightest

at Christmastime"

Charles Dickens

Christmas Greetings

Well, in the UK we still have a couple more hours of Christmas Eve although my friends and family in the Southern Hemisphere are already on Christmas Day!

The weekend has passed in a flash. We were busy doing the usual almost Christmas grocery shopping and then wrapping presents.

My beloved spent today cleaning the oven for me and I spent the day at work. Working before a holiday is always stressful and today was no exception. We had a steady flow of patients until about 5.30pm. A local Doctor had been in surgery this morning looked absolutely shell shocked when I saw them this afternoon. We commented that when did it all get so bad? and after agreeing that we actually could not remember, we parted ways with wishes of festive greetings.

We had the usual GP prescribing disaster, the patient who realised that they have no medication, the patient who refuses the medication and many patients who were simply glad that we were there, to talk to, offer advise, support and conversation. Never, have I been so glad to see the end of the working day. Actually, that is a lie, I can recall the last day I felt like that, and that is exactly the point. Whereas, really bad days were few and far between, they are now the norm rather than the exception.

Now I am home to a rather exhausted husband, a sleeping dog and a gleaming oven! We have had dinner and the gammon joint is in the oven. I am writing this quick post and then I plan to enjoy a cup of tea in front of the TV and simply relax and unwind.

However you spend Christmas and where ever your spend Christmas have a wonderful one. Watch lots of rubbish on the TV, read a few books, chat to friends and family, eat, drink and enjoy the fact that we get to experience the love of our friends and family.

Happy Christmas!

Postcard Friendship Friday - Australia Christmas Greeting 1917

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Advent Tour - 21st December 2012

This is the second post for the 2012 Advent Tour I have written.

I did the same last year, and you may recall that my husband, who has his birthday today had a special one last year, you know, the sort that end with a zero! - Well the shock of all that is over and he has toddled off to work and then is out this evening for his work Christmas meal and we are celebrating tomorrow.

Unless you have been living under a rock you can not have failed to have heard stories of prediction that the world was going to end today. We have passed the "magical hour" and I can confirm that those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are still here as are those in the Southern - I received several posts via Face Book earlier confirming it!

In the Northern Hemisphere, the 21st December is the shortest day of the year. From today, day light remains for a little longer as we trundle through the rest of Winter into Spring and then finally, hopefully Summer!

The BBC reported that more than 5,000 people arrived at Stonehenge to mark the occasion of the Winter Solstice. A quick peek on YouTube revealed the following video



Wherever you are, Happy Winter Solstice and its just days away from Christmas! And also a very special Happy Birthday to my beloved!

Virtual Advent Tour - A 100th Birthday!

I am delighted to once again take part in the Virtual Advent Tour hosted by Marg & Kelly.

Last year I wrote THIS post about my late Grandmother and how I was giving to Kiva, via being part of the Genealogists for Families Team as a way of commemorating her birthday.

Likewise, I shall make a further loan as part of the team as today would have been my Grandmother's 100th Birthday.

She was, at least to me a very special individual. We spent lots of time together and her last Christmas was spent with myself and my husband, her visit last 6 weeks and we loved every minute of it.

My husband recorded some of our conversations as she reminisced about past Christmas', She recalled events from her own childhood, her parents, her siblings and her time spent as a newly wed during the early years of the Second World War. She remembered being so cross with my Grandfather for volunteering, when he could have worked at the farm where his brother's worked. Those video tapes are still here and have been transferred to DVD, yet I still can not watch them 17 years later.

She was a huge influence in my life and I dreadfully miss those conversations we had, the laughs, jokes and advise she gave.

I was incredibly lucky to have had her as my Grandmother and to have had such a wonderful relationship with her.


Here she is, in what is my favourite photograph of her. This was taken on her 21st birthday, so it does somehow seem rather fitting to share it here.

Incidentally, her present for her 21st birthday was a 24 carat gold bangle. I never saw her wear it, but she obviously treasured it as I am now the proud owner of it.

Lilian Edith Butcher nee Matthews
18th Dec 1912 - 21st April 1995




If you wish to join the Genealogists for Families Team, whose motto is  "We care about families, Past, Present & Future" please click HERE

Advent Calendar 2012 - Fruitcake – Friend or Foe?

My Grandmother spotted this Christmas Cake recipe in a copy of Woman Magazine, and since then both my Mum and I  have used it.

The photograph is of the actual page from the magazine, which does look in rather a sorry state! The actual date is gleaned from a book review on the reverse of the recipe - 1983!

This post is also being shared with Weekend Cooking which is hosted by Beth at BethFishReads

Postcard Friendship Friday - Santa Border Terrier

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Blog Caroling

Inspired by a post at Footnote Maven. The idea is to share your favourite Christmas Carol.

Well, being married to a Christmas baby, I can not escape the almost weekly viewing of the film Home Alone. Four films were made, we have all four, but films one and two are the favourites. Anyway, one of the Carol's sung on the film is simply lovely and I had a real challenge trying to find out what it was called and had to resort to getting the film and playing the credits!

Here is the details from YouTube - The Song is Carol of the Bells written by John Williams.

Here are the lyrics

Hark! how the bells
sweet silver bells
All seem to say
throw cares away.

Christmas is here
bringing good cheer
To young and old
meek and the bold

Ding, dong, ding, dong
that is their song,
With joyful ring
all caroling

One seems to hear
words of good cheer
From everywhere
filling the air

O, how they pound
raising the sound
Oer hill and dale
telling their tale

Gaily they ring
while people sing
Songs of good cheer
christmas is here!
Merry, merry, merry, merry christmas!
Merry, merry, merry, merry christmas!

On, on they send
on without end
Their joyful tone
to every home

Hark! how the bells
sweet silver bells
All seem to say
throw cares away.

Christmas is here
bringing good cheer
To young and old
meek and the bold

Ding, dong, ding, dong
that is their song
With joyful ring
all caroling.

One seems to hear
words of good cheer
From everywhere
filling the air

O, how they pound
raising the sound
Oer hill and dale
telling their tale

Gaily they ring
while people sing
Songs of good cheer
christmas is here!
Merry, merry, merry, merry christmas!
Merry, merry, merry, merry christmas!

On, on they send
on without end
Their joyful tone
to every home.

On, on they send
on without end
Their joyful tone
to every home.

Taking part in Blog Caroling, hosted by Footnote Malven

Advent Calendar 2012 - Traditions

Back in 2010 I wrote this post.

Traditionally, in my profession the lead up to Christmas is frantic, and this year will be no exception. I have to say, writing this post three days later than scheduled that if I see another prescription I shall go mad - well, at least until tomorrow! There is this endless thought process that I must have every drug ever prescribed dispensed before Christmas, and purchase every imaginable food for the Christmas period. Why is this the case?

I shall purchase my food shopping in the wee hours of 24 hour grocery shopping. Then get up and go to work as usual. Christmas Eve will be spent working with it going quiet around 2pm. Because of the field I work in closing early is not an option and I shall spend the last few hours working quietly, catching up on a few bits before closing and then coming home for the festive break.

As a child we always had gammon on the evening of Christmas Day. As time progressed, I have always cooked the gammon and had that for dinner on Christmas Eve with the remainder on Christmas Day during our finger buffet in the evening.  A colleague has suggested to me that a local pub has a Christmas Eve sing song around 6pm, so we thought that we might go, just for an hour and then head home.

How will you spend Christmas Eve? Do you exchange gifts on Christmas Eve?

Advent Calendar 2012 - Grab Bag

A few years ago, I stumbled across a rather nice set of mugs made by Spode. Each Christmas, from 1998 until 2004, Spode released one mug featuring a Santa from a different Country.

Here they are in more detail -

In 1998 the First of the series was the British Santa

In 1999 Spode released the German Santa.

In 2000 Bishop of Myra was released.

Then in 2001, The Russian Santa was release, the only one that I am missing from the set.

In 2002 The Norwegian Santa made an appearance

In 2003, The French Santa was released

And finally, in 2004 to complete the series, the American Santa was released.

I think of all the set that I currently, have my favourite is the American Santa, because of the vibrant, festive colours. Which one is your favourite?

Advent Calendar 2012 - Christmas Cookies

Last Christmas I took part in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Exchange. I had planned to participate this year too, but the nominations were open whilst we were in Australia and I forgot to complete the form when we came back, so I shall await next year!

This post is a tweaked version of the original post. (The original post can be seen HERE).

I looked on line and through every cookbook I owned and still was undecided on what recipe. Then I recalled that one of my favourite books, which is part of a series and sits on the bookcase in the hall was a novel, interspersed with recipes. A quick look and I knew that I had found the recipe. It's very title sharing the ethos of the cookie exchange.

See what mean, it was meant to be! Each hardback edition of the series has printed within the covers the quilt designs shared within the book. These is the Friendship Square design.

So to cooking -

Firstly, heat the chocolate and butter over a pan of simmering water

While that was under way, I gathered the rest of my equipment and ingredient.

The little red measuring spoons were my Grandmothers, and despite having two much newer sets, I used my old faithfuls. I used a photocopy of the recipe, rather than have any spillages on my nice book!

Then in a bowl mix the sugar and 4 eggs. Then add the vanilla essence and lastly the mix of flour and salt. After a further good mix add the cooled chocolate.

Pour the mixture into a prepared 9 x 13 tray. Lightly greased with a sprinkle of flour and decorate with the choc chips, nuts and coconut you can see in the above picture.

Place in the oven at 190c or 325F for 25 minutes.

Here we are after cooking.

Make sure that the tray has more than a slight grease! Removal was tricky and I was quite worried about cooking casualties!  - Here they are on a plate just before packing and posting.

It is a lovely recipe and one I shall try again. I think next time I shall use cake cases and then add a small plop of chocolate drops or a walnut or two, as cleaning the baking try was a bit of an ordeal!

This post is also being shared with Weekend Cooking which is hosted by Beth at BethFishReads

Postcard Friendship Friday - Border Terrier Under the Mistletoe!

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Advent Calendar 2012 - Santa Claus

I wrote previously about my Santa experience. You can read about that HERE.

As I don't think I have ever written a Dear Santa letter, I thought perhaps this was the year. Now, this is not going to be a wish list of gifts exactly, it is more of a simple list of things that I am grateful for



Dear Santa,

Thank you for a family who love me
Thank you for a family who accept me for who I am and respect me, for my decisions.
Thank you for having the finances to pursue my dreams and hobbies
Thank you for my friends and acquaintances
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take chances and be in a position to support projects that I value, such as the Kiva Project.

Julie

Now, that was a lot harder than I thought.

So, if you were going to write a letter to Santa, what would it say?

Advent Calendar 2012 - Christmas Cards

I remember both my Mum and Grandmother sending cards, but not how many or what happened to them. I have a few old cards, perhaps the last one received from a particular relative, or those with a photograph or letter. Any that my Grandmother received I now have.

Currently they are in a box packed away in a box awaiting scanning and archiving. I can't really remember where they were displayed, I suspect the mantle piece as that is where I have mine and on the dresser and other furniture in our lounge.

I probably started sending cards when I as about 12 or 13. Mainly to school friends, but when I left home and then subsequently married to family members. In many cases a Christmas card is the only contact we have, which is a shame.

When we first set up home together and started sending cards as a couple I asked for Stuart's card list. He looked at me blankly and said he only sent about 6 cards, I was amazed, that meant the other 60 odd were mine! Since then I have written all the cards and letters and Stuart's list has not really got any bigger. My list has reduced a little bit, but not by much. Even people that I communicate with on line these days still get a card in the post and they get an additional email. I keep the email letters and file these with letters I receive, along with any letters and cards that arrive in the mail.

I usually aim to send my cards out early December, but each year I seem to get later and later. The overseas ones always go first.

At the end of the 1980s I bought a card booklet, with the details of card and present and address. The book was set up for about 10 years. At the end of the 10 years I looked around for another book similar but no one seems to sell them any more, so I have a bit of paper in my Christmas card box and each year tick or highlight in a pen to say that I sent the card. I really should find a better way of recording it, but somehow the scrappy bit of paper is like able. I usually buy Charity cards apart from ones that I send to close relatives. I tend to go for the Charities whose good cause has touched our family life, mainly Cancer Research as many of my family have suffered in this way.

This photograph is of my Great Grandmother, Annie Prudience Butcher nee Harris,which was sent as her Christmas Card in 1955.The picture was taken in Guildford Surrey England in the prefab house the family lived in after the War.

The photo was certainly sent to her children, I have my Grandfather's copy George Butcher (1908-1974) and I know of at least one cousin who has his father's copy.

Do you have a copy in your photo collection? If so please get in touch.

Advent Calendar 2012 - Christmas Tree Ornaments

The collection of tree ornaments we have are ones that we bought from our first Christmas together.

There are others that were given to us by my Mum and each year Stuart and I buy at least one ornament to keep the tradition going. We tend to go for the reds and golds but there are some others that have special meanings to us.


A Spode china Millennium bauble which always has pride of place, and a gold bell which has a picture of a Border Terrier on the side,which we bought the first Christmas we lost our lovely Monty in 2008.

We also have a lovely set of the Lilliput Lane tree decorations as Stuart collections the lovely houses, and especially the snowy and wintry ones.

The decorations that we had as when I was a child are still with my Mum. The original fairy which I mentioned earlier this week is still in the family. I think Mum has it and she thinks I have it, and we won't know until we both put our trees up and find it!

As a child we used to have chocolate ornaments on the tree which I was never allowed to have until Christmas Eve, and even then, only one. Now I don't have them as we have our current Border Terrier, Alfie just incase he is tempted by the chocolate.