Wartime Christmas

I'm  hoping to do some Christmassy posts this month...........So here is   a Wartime Christmas from Chesterfield Borough Council.

This is the  link ..................... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYE5eBul2i8 in case the above doesn't work.

In my collection of books about the Home Front in WWII I have some about Christmas at that time.

It's  interesting to read how people coped when so many men and women were in the forces and away from home. Food was basic - no extras - everyone was glad to eat whatever was available. Many factories and businesses had been turned to war production and taxes were high to fund it all.

Typical wartime gifts in a child's Christmas stocking.

There wasn't much money to spare for Christmas in wartime and people were pleased with even one gift, often home made or recycled. How things have changed in the 80 years since. Maybe we all expect too much now.

What's Happening in December?

I usually schedule posts for 6am but this one is delayed due to waiting to open the first day of my coffee advent calendar so I could include a photo here - great excitement!

And the Christmas mug is out of the cupboard for the duration. The coffee for the 1st was Italian which is what I get from Aldi anyway. There is way more than enough to fill the press thing on my machine - probably enough for 3 mugs - I shall have to use the cafetière. I had frothy milk and chocolate sprinkles to celebrate the beginning of winter!

There are a dozen different flavours to try so I'm expecting two of each.

What's else is happening in December? ...........well, I'm going to be paying too many bills! Everything, everywhere all at once! 

There will be bills for dentist, hygienist, car repairs, boiler service and repairs, car insurance and there are still Christmas presents to finish sorting out. The grown up children are getting a small gift and money as I struggle with ideas, grandchildren are having toys, games or craft things of course, although even the 9 year old  grandson is liking money towards an x box - whatever that is! (I know it's a rather expensive game thing!). I didn't make chutneys etc for Christmas hampers for sister and sister in law this year, but have found some small things to put together for presents, including some items from charity shops but haven't a clue for BiL - neither has he.

There are Christmas cards and notes to write - not my favourite job - although I love receiving them so I keep sending. Stamps are ready, I think they are lovely and colourful this year.

What else is coming up? Well, friends from Essex are popping up for the afternoon next week.

And it will probably rain on the 13th! - that's the date of the one off Christmas car-boot sale, which will only happen in good weather.

Then  the ED and family are here from Surrey for Christmas. They are renting a cottage with room for all of us to go there for the day. It would be far too complicated for everyone to go to Surrey and my bungalow isn't big enough and she really wanted to host a big family Christmas. I'm on dessert duty (but not Christmas pud) and will take the umpteen  Christmas Crackers found at boot-sales.

Boxing Day will probably be me and BiL at my bungalow. He usually goes to his sister's home for Christmas Day. I asked him what he'd like to eat for Boxing Day - he said "food" - no help at all.🙄 Although I will make a small Wartime Christmas Pudding - that was a success last year.

If December goes at the same speed as the rest of the year it will soon be 2026!

Z for the end of the Alphabet

HUGE THANK YOU to all the people who left a note yesterday of where they were reading from - all around the world again - it's amazing when you stop to think about it. Just one old woman in a bungalow in a village in Mid Suffolk, writing nothing exciting but  being read by so many! Although I was right in saying there would be fewer comments than 2022 as 'only ' 166 this time!! Lots of people said they had been reading for a long time, thank you all again.

So it's the end of another November A-Z although I can't help thinking it was a silly idea to try and find 26 more A-Z things to write about after 2022 and 2023. It sort of fiZZled out at the end and maybe I won't try it again! 

November had lots of driZZley days and some very, very wet days - thankfully no snow in Suffolk.

During the month I got another jigsaw puZZle done. All pieces present and correct.

December posts around blogland are often Christmassy - I'm hopeful about getting some sorted. And I'm looking forward to reading Mary's (Trundling Through Life) posts. When I wrote about doing the A-Z through November, she said she had  A-Z Christmas blog posts already planned for December.

What wasn't Christmassy was staying at home all weekend instead of going to anymore village Christmas fayre/ fairs, the car had developed a crunching sound at every bump in the road so I called in to see my friends at the repair place and Ashley said "bushes". Now that's a word I heard in the past from Colin - when he did all our car repairs - it's a suspension thing so as it had been getting worse I thought it best not to drive anywhere yesterday or today. Hopefully it will be fixed on Wednesday as there are dentist appointments for a filling and hygienist coming up.

Tomorrow I'll open day 1 of my Coffee Advent calendar and swap the seasonal display on the top of the bookshelves from Autumn to Winter.