So, the food order arrived at 9am this morning. A la Margot Ledbetter. In a van. Christmas was delivered. Every two months I ensure that we work our way through the freezer and fridge. With the fridge dying the other week, that wasn't a problem and the freezer was down to a bag of oven chips and my frozen lobster which was put in there a few months ago when I got the opportunity to buy one on offer. So, I defrosted the lobster today for my tea. Normally, it's a treat that we would have if we go to a fish restaurant. But with lockdown and wfh we've not done that sort of traveling these past 3 years so a lobster on offer in Morrisons was a big treat. I gave hubby a plate of nibbly things as is our Christmas tradition (his blue goat's cheese, goats gouda, tomato, olives, home made chutney, crab, figs, goats cheese filled peppers, dill pickles, roll mops ... you get the idea. And for me, some mayo, the lobster and two slices of bread. I have to say, I think my plate, only half his, was more divine. It's December, it's wet and miserable but with every bite it feels like a summer day, outside the Oyster Sheds in Whitstable. Food really has a way to bring memories to life.
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Last year, I wrote three short pieces about Christmas. I wanted to share these again. Marley’s Ghosts Part 1 When Jacob Marley’s Ghost visited, he showed Scrooge Christmases past, present and future. My childhood favourite past memory of Christmas was attending Church for the midnight service. The lights on the Christmas tree, always twice my height, would be twinkling against the tinsel. The winter flower arrangements would be full of holy berries, bright against the green of the laurels and holly leaves. And the heating, although turned on sometime in June, never really worked so we were wrapped up to the nines under our choir robes. I had been a member of the choir since I was in my teens. One of only two ‘kids’ allowed to be in the choir (there were auditions and a waiting list to join, it was extremely competitive). To stand there, with the organ playing and us sopranos singing the descant to ‘O Come all ye faithful’ and the volume from the congregation being so loud, I couldn’t hear my own voice. I’ve sung over the years in amateur choirs and semi-professional choral societies. Performing the Messiah was a wonderful experience and really pushed my vocal range. And they were fun and wonderful experience, but there is something completely different singing as part of a congregation. When you sing in a concert, it’s for your enjoyment and the audience. But at those Midnight Services, it was always the feeling that the all those people together, singing as one voice, regardless of talent or experience were truly making a joyful noise unto the Lord. And loving every, single, minute of it. Marley’s Ghosts Part 2 Marley’s second ghost showed Christmas present. A few years ago, we chose to celebrate Christmas day as just the two of us (and the kitties). Having had my parents stay every Christmas for over 10 years, I naturally still catered for in case I should happen to have the missing 9th Legion of the Roman Army turn up. Who honestly needs a 6lb ham for two people? Well, at least we wouldn’t go hungry for the rest of January. That first time that we sat down, just the two of us, for Christmas dinner, I realized that in the storm of all the preparations for Christmas, sometimes you need the simple peace of being with the person who means the most to you. Yes, we have roast dinners throughout the year and yes sprouts are not just for Christmas. But, Christmas Day is the one day that there is very little traffic on the roads. Our house is quiet as are the streets around us. I like to get up early, sit listening to my mix of carols and Christmas songs and as I peel my potatoes and prepare my sprouts I get to talk to God, just on my own. For one day, I am not anxious about anything. In fact, as I bring out our dinner and give thanks to God for everything, I am always overcome by that peace of God which passes all understanding and guards our hearts and minds. Marley’s Ghosts Part 3 Looking forward with the last of Marley’s Ghosts I am always torn between the ghosts of Christmas past and present. Wanting to be part of a Congregation celebrating Christmas together and being at home with just my husband enjoying the peace and personal closeness to God. Yes, you can pop into Church for the Christmas day service and then go home to the quiet. But that doesn’t really explain the dilemma. Coming together helps enthuse and encourage us in our faith, it brings us closer to God because we undertake the act of worship and do it as a community. Spending time with ourselves in contemplation is also an important part of being a Christian. There is a difference between hiding from the world and taking a step away to separate yourself from your worries and concerns. I’m lucky enough that once each year, at the start of Lent, I’m able to go on a sewing retreat at a monastery. When the commercialism of Christmas starts to overtake the meaning of Jesus’ birth, I will take time out to reconnect with what Christmas is really about. For me, it is being able to connect in the weeks of advent leading up to our Christmas morning service, then to enjoy connecting with my personal relationship with God in the days following Christmas when I am at home with my husband and my cats so that I can truly hear that still, small voice of calm. My first visit to a Christmas Market, in Germany, was in 2006 when I was in Munich for work. Between 2012 and 2016 I visited Munich for work every December and spent most of my evenings wandering around Marienplatz and taking in the Christmas vibe whilst keeping myself warm drinking Glühwein. One year, I was so cold that it took me nearly an hour to defrost back in my hotel room. In 2007, hubby and I went to Cologne and visited the 8 markets there. German Christmas markets, also known as "Weihnachtsmarkt," have a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. These markets originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe and have since spread to other parts of the world. The first recorded Christmas market was held in Dresden, Germany in 1434. These early markets were held in church squares and were a way for people to buy and sell goods, particularly food and handmade crafts, during the holiday season. Over time, the Christmas market tradition spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, becoming an important part of the region's cultural and economic life. Today, German Christmas markets are known for their festive atmosphere, which includes the sale of traditional holiday foods, drinks, and gifts, as well as live music and other entertainment. Every one of our nutcrackers and incense burners, that we get out at Christmas, have been bought at one of the Christmas Markets we have visited in either Germany or the UK In the UK, Christmas Markets have started to become a regular feature with a Medieval one in Lincoln and the now famous Frankfurt German Market in Birmingham.
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Why the Christmas Lace Notes?2023 has come along and this is the second year of my lace notes. All kicks off on 15th November with the first of this year's Chrismas movies. One a day, every day until Christmas. Archives
December 2023
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