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The Christmas
Lace Notes

30/11/2022 0 Comments

Why is an Advent Calendar so special?

PictureA typical Medici shaped Advent Calendar
As a child, my Aunt would be the one who brought us our Advent Calendars.

There was a shop called 'The Library & Music Shop', so called because it sold books and music ... I know, and they had Medici Cards.  The Medici Society was founded in 1908 as a publisher of art prints and cards and I always thought that Medici cards were obviously the poshest because people would talk about them with that hushed voice of reverence. 

​The Advent Calendar theme would always be either religious or feature Father Christmas and the numbers would appear non sequentially so you had to hunt the number that you were looking for.
Each window would open to a drawing with the final one, the 24th December showing the manger scene.  This always confused me because Christmas Day was the 25th.  Never did get to the bottom of that one.

Advent calendars have their origins, as do many modern Christmas traditions, in Germany during the 19th Century.  Just like Christmas trees, we, here, in the UK, embraced them.
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My mum worked for a lovely couple who were German / Austrian and one year they gave me an advent candle.  I liked sitting in the twilight and watching the candle burn down to the next number.

I treated a friend to one, as a present, one Christmas.  They lit it, and promptly forgot about it. 

​Well, as you can imagine, it burnt down, past the next day and a few more days. 

​All I got was a complaint from them that it was a waste of time. ​Perhaps, occasionally, traditions are wasted on some people!

A big part of my childhood was the Christmas activities on Blue Peter. 

In particular, the Christmas Crown was the one thing I wanted to make.  Where on earth we would have put it, I have no idea.

​I was only recently that I found out that it was not introduced by John Noakes, rather it was first shown the year before I was born.

Want to make your own?  You can download the instructions here.
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These days, you can have presents in your calendar. 

Hubby has a tea advent calendar.  ​It's a great way to try out different flavours and an excuse to take a little time for himself as he makes his cup of tea and sits and drinks it.

I have indulged in a chocolate advent calendar.  Rather than just gobbling the choccies as I do with other things, I'm going to take a moment, each afternoon, and sit and eat my daily truffle.  

​Now that is a form of mindfulness I can cope with.

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28/11/2022 0 Comments

It's not Christmas without a movie

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So, I'm trying to watch a Christmas movie each day between now & Christmas. 

​Yes, I want schmaltzy.
Yes, I want corny romance.
Yes, I want Die Hard!

62 = Total Watched To Date

November = 18
​December = 44
The List watched so far:
  • Saturday, 19th November - A Castle for Christmas (Netflix) - worth watching it includes knitting
  • Sunday, 20th November - Falling for Christmas (Netflix) - Linsey Lohan trying to put on a fitted sheet.
  • Sunday, 20th November - A Christmas Prince (Netflix) - the zombie from iZombie meets a prince
  • Monday, 21st November - A California Christmas (Netflix)
  • Monday, 21st November - A California Christmas : City Lights (Netflix)
  • Tuesday, 22nd November - Christmas Under Wraps (Netflix)
  • Tuesday, 22nd - Wednesday, 23rd November - Merry Happy Whatever (series Netflix)
  • Wednesday, 23rd November - A New York Christmas Wedding (Netflix) - Thought provoking
  • Thursday, 24th November - Christmas with You (Netflix) - Lovely to see Freddie Prinze Jr in a recent role
  • Friday, 25th November - Return to Christmas Creek (Netflix)
  • Sunday, 26th November - The Noel Diary (Netflix)
  • Sunday, 27th November - Christmas with a View (Netflix)
  • Monday, 28th November - All about Christmas Eve (Prime) - Sliding doors for Xmas
  • Monday, 28th November - Fatman (Amazon) - a hitman is sent to take out Santa ... only Santa is Mel Gibson
  • Tuesday, 29th November - ​Christmas Cookies (Hallmark)
  • Tuesday, 29th November - Christmas in Vienna (Hallmark) - brought back memories of our honeymoon​
  • Wednesday, 30th November - Christmas in Evergreen (Hallmark)
  • Wednesday, 30th November - Small Town Christmas (Hallmark)
  • ​Thursday, 1st December - Christmas in Evergreen, Letters to Santa (Hallmark)
  • Thursday, 1st December - A Christmas Chalet (Hallmark)
  • ​Friday, 2nd December - Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane - the sheriff from Eureka falls from one of the detectives from Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
  • Saturday, 3rd December - ​Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Apple TV) - Introducing Kevin Bacon!
  • Saturday, 3rd December - Noelle (Disney+) - when Santa wants to teach yoga and his sister comes to the rescue
  • Saturday, 3rd December - Miracle on 34th Street (Original Version) (Disney+) - Maureen O'Hara looks beautiful in her 40s suit
  • Sunday, 4th December - A Timeless Christmas (Hallmark)
  • Sunday, 4th December - Shaun the Sheep: The flight before Christmas (Netflix) - what could go wrong trying to get a bigger stocking
  • Sunday, 4th December - Starlight by Christmas (Hallmark)
  • Monday, 5th December - A Snow Globe Christmas (ITVx) - be careful with those snow globes.
  • Monday, 5th December - Our Christmas Love Song (Hallmark)
  • Monday, 5th December - A Cookie Cutter Christmas (Amazon) - two school teachers have been rivals since childhood.  I liked this so much last year that I actually bought it to watch this year.
  • Monday, 5th December - Christmas Tree Lane (Hallmark) - who would have thought that Alicia Witt would have made so many Christmas movies.
  • Tuesday, 6th December - Santa's Secret aka Christmas at Cartwright's (Amazon) - yes, another Alicia Witt film.  I like her!
  • Tuesday, 6th December - Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses (Hallmark)
  • Tuesday, 6th December - Hope at Christmas (Hallmark) - starring Tony's undercover love interest from NCIS
  • Tuesday, 6th December - Road to Christmas (Hallmark)
  • Wednesday, 7th December - Angel Falls Christmas (Netflix) - when angels mess in the business of women and men
  • Wednesday, 7th December - A Kindhearted Christmas (Netflix)
  • Thursday, 8th December - A Christmas to Remember (Hallmark) Mira Sovino gets amnesia and learns to be kind ... Sound familiar?
  • Thursday, 8th December - Spotlight on Christmas (Hallmark)
  • Friday, 9th December - A Christmas Melody (Hallmark) Watching even though it has Mariah Carey in it and was even directed by her.
  • Saturday, 10th December - The Christmas Club (Hallmark)
  • Saturday, 10th December - ​​Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy (Hallmark).  The detective from Psych goes on holiday and finds love.
  • Saturday, 10th December - White Christmas (Amazon).  The song, 'White Christmas' was previously a hit in the film Holiday Inn (Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire) but became the central theme of the later White Christmas.
  • Sunday, 11th December - Romance at Reindeer Lodge (ITVx)
  • Sunday, 11th December - Christmas in Mississippi (ITVx)
  • Sunday, 11th December - Christmas at Holly Lodge (Hallmark)
  • Monday, 12th December - My Favourite Christmas Tree (Paramount)
  • Tuesday, 13th December - Rocky Mountain Christmas (Hallmark)
  • Wednesday, 14th December - Christmas Joy (Hallmark)
  • Thursday, 15th December - Christmas Connection (Hallmark)
  • Friday, 16th December - Christmas in the Air (Hallmark).  One of the FBI agents from without a trace is a toy inventor and falls for the good witch
  • Friday, 16th December - I believe in Santa (Netflix). A woman who thinks that the 4th of July is the best holiday meets a guy who thinks that it's Christmas.
  • Saturday, 17th December - Christmas in Washington (Paramount)
  • Sunday, 18th December - Die Hard (Disney+).  It is a Christmas movie
  • Monday, 19th December - The Christmas House (Hallmark)
  • Monday, 19th December - A Nashville Country Christmas (Hallmark).  Wyonna Judd reminds all of us that caring for people is essential to a happy Christmas.
  • Tuesday, 20th December - Christmas at the Plaza (Hallmark).  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Simmons finds out that there is a lot to learn about Christmas tree toppers.
  • Wednesday, 21st December - Nostalgic Christmas (Hallmark)
  • Wednesday, 21st December - Meet Me at Christmas (Hallmark).  The good witch finds the man she shared a magical day with many years ago
  • Wednesday, 21st December - ​The Holiday (Amazon).  Still stands up, even after 16 years.
  • Thursday, 22nd December - Charming Christmas (Hallmark).  How playing Mrs Claus changes different women's lives, including Dexter's girlfriend
  • Thursday, 22nd December  - Love Actually (Amazon).  "It's so much more than a bag"
  • Friday, 23rd December - Christmas Confessions (Hallmark)
  • Saturday, 24th December - The Nightmare before Christmas (Disney+)
On the list:
  • Four Christmases (Amazon)​​
  • It's A Wonderful Life (Apple TV)
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol (Disney+)
  • The Santa Clause (1, 2, 3 and clauses) (Disney+)
  • Arthur Christmas (Amazon)
  • Christmas with the Kranks (Amazon)
  • Christmas Eve (Amazon)​
  • Last Christmas (Amazon)
  • The Santa Claus (Amazon)
  • The Christmas Chronicles 1 & 2 (Amazon)
  • A Christmas Candle (Amazon)
  • ​The Bishop's Wife (Amazon)
  • Godmother (Disney+)
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas (Apple TV)
  • Sound of Music (Disney)
  • Bell, Book & Candle (Amazon)
Tried but failed:
  • The man who invented Christmas (Amazon) - found it slow and heavy going
  • The Loss Adjuster (Amazon) - watched 20 minutes and still have no idea what is going on
  • Spirited (Apple TV) - 20 minutes of fast forwarding through Will Farrell singing. I just gave up.
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27/11/2022 0 Comments

A tree is a tree, is a tree, is a tree

PictureLooks like this tree was exceptionally small that year. Me for scale!
As a child, I would go with my mum on Christmas Eve to the greengrocers and buy our Christmas tree.

It would be left in the garden until my father came home, then he would put it into a large bucket of sand, then the bucket into a decorative box that he made years ago.  

On the front of the box was a paper cut tree on red paper that I think I made in Infant School.  It got turned around in different directions depending on how big the tree was (so whether or not the tree was in the box or on the box).

There would be around 20 minutes of wobbling the tree to get it straight.

Now with our artificial tree, getting it straight involves playing with 3 screws in the base of the tree stand.  Far easier.

As with most of the things involved with Christmas, my mother would save up the money to buy the tree from her part time job.  The tree would be up only until the 12th day of Christmas and would always be taken down for the 6th January.  The idea that it would be up any longer just didn't cross anyone's mind.  

During these early years of my childhood, my maternal grandmother lived in the first house in our road.  She always had an artificial tree, a silver tinsel one.  I thought it was rather magical. 

​My parents' friend, who lived opposite us had a green tinsel tree which they always hung long silver strands of silvery tinsel stuff on and 'angel hair' to look like snow ... I think it was just some form of thin cotton wool.  I always felt it very busy looking and was secretly worried that it might catch fire!


PictureHubby brought the tree in last night to 'rest'. I think he has forgotten that it's not a real life one.
From our first Christmas together, hubby and I always had a real Christmas tree but back in 2016 we decided that it was time to move to an artificial one as we were having problems sources trees that hubby liked. 

​I didn't realise that buying an artificial Christmas tree would take us 3 months and visits to over 6 garden centres!  But we found it in the end.

When we first got together, hubby and I bought a set of cheap baubles from Ikea (where we also got our first tree).  As we travelled around together, we bought decorations to remind us of our travels and I also made hubby a decoration each year.

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27/11/2022 0 Comments

Ghosts of Christmas Food Past

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Last year I missed out on my Christmas Cheese order by a few days. 

So, when I was able to order early, this weekend, I was reminded of how my mum paid the milkman a pound extra each week so that at Christmas she had a 'hamper' delivered with special Christmas food.

​I think she would start around easter and it cost about £30 which, when the weekly shop was around £20 was a massive amount of money.

Although our milkman was Unigate, I found this ad from the period for Express Dairies which gives a taste of what you could save for.  We used to go for the cupboard food bundle as mum would put away a few pounds each week with the butcher, in order to pay for the meat at Christmas.

There would be all the accompaniments for Christmas dinner; cranberry sauce, mint sauce, bread sauce packet (special because it was Knorr!).
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A Christmas biscuit selection box - one each of savoury cheese for biscuits and sweet biscuits. A packet of Cornish biscuits (I loved their texture). The classic McVitie's Tunis cake ... a joy to behold with its marzipan fruits on top (see the link for more on this 1970s delight) and some glace fruit.

There would be tins of soup ... Always Baxters... I still think of these as being posh because of that. Tinned vegetables;  including a tin of Heinz Russian salad, which was basically carrots, beans, peas and potatoes in salad cream .. in a tin!

A couple of packets of nuts would also be in there. Always KP. Always peanuts and a packet of either mixed nuts or cashews.

PictureI have no idea how they made the trifle look so big, as the kit never filled a proper trifle bow. They must have shrunk the pack for the photo!
Then there would be the Bird's Trifle.  That totally chemically created thing that had rock hard trifle sponges, strangely bright red coloured jelly, custard and a 'cream' substitute that was whiter than brilliant white emulsion paint.  And don't forget the hundred's and thousands sprinkled on the top.  It was supposed to feed a family of four, but in reality, it barely fed one person.

Elizabeth Shaw mint thins ... or matchmakers. And iced Gems. Those little biscuits with hard icing that could shred your mouth if you dared to chew them before having sucked them for 20 minutes to get them soft.


Tinned meat ... Tinned ham in that strange arch shaped tin and corned beef. Old oak for the ham and Princes for the corned beef.

And for the tinned fruit ... tropical fruit cocktail. The same as a standard fruit cocktail, but with pineapple. And talking of pineapple, there would be that tin of crushed pineapple that no one knew what to do with and lived in the back of the cupboard until Christmas next year when mum would make us eat it for tea one day because you legally couldn't have two tins of it in the house or the world would end.

Pickles were always a big thing in the box. Piccalilli, which was so yellow with no forbidden food colours that it almost glowed in the dark. Those mini gherkins that were so hard, along with silver skin onions, rock hard olives and maraschino flavoured cherries because, at Christmas every woman would be whipping up a dry Martini for her husband and popping a maraschino cherry into her Cinzano Rousso and lemonade.

There would be a crate of soft drinks ... Always corona because 'every bubble has passed it fizzical'. I would be allocated one bottle of limeade and one bottle of cherryade to get through the festivities. There would be masses of lemonade because ... Well, you need something to add to your Cinzano. Although I strongly believe that mum and her friends had basically lemonade with a dash of Cinzano so it looked pink and smelt exotic.
If mum had a bit extra money, she would go for the top tier hamper which would also have two bottles of wine; always a choice between Blue Nun, Black Tower and Matteus Rose (do you like Demis Roussou?).

There would be an advent calendar (paper ... no chocolates in it in the 70s), some paper chain papers to make up and a card from the milk man.

It was such a big thing opening up the box. We'd all sit round and ooh and hah as each item was pulled out from the shredded wood and put into little groups on the carpet.
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    Back to the Christmas Lace Notes

    Why the Christmas Lace Notes?

    It's 2022 and we are putting up decorations for the first time in 5 years.  My lace decorations are going to be coming out and I thought I'd share with you the stories behind them and some of the things I have done at Christmas

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