Tuesday 24 December 2019

December 24th and All Things Green and Colourful

After cutting a few bits of holly with berries from a tree down the road I went round the meadow and garden for some more greenery to bring indoors

I found Bay, Rosemary, Spruce  and Ivy to go with the Holly. Sometime in the future who ever lives here will have their own holly too, but holly is so slow growing so the saplings planted 2 years ago are still only 18 inches tall.




And for colour.......... a bunch of flowers I bought myself for Christmas. I was too mean to spend much, consequently lots of the flowers fell off my £5 supermarket bunch before I even got it home into it's vase!




 Over the last few days I've had comments from so many new people - it's been lovely to find who's reading and enjoying the blog and more folk have tapped the follower button too - welcome. I enjoy writing the blog and it's been a brilliant thing to do since Colin died. As I said to someone recently "without the blog I would have had to keep busy doing more cleaning!"

Didn't get to sing any well known Christmas carols at church on Sunday, I forgot that The Methodist church follow an advent plan so we sung advent carols - some I'd never heard  before and I don't think the stand-in organist(because the usual one had flu) had either! Lunch at Col's brother's house was delicious - out of necessity over the last years on his own he has become very good at roasts.

Now we are round to Christmas Eve, I've brought my pressies into the living room and tomorrow will put on the tree lights and open them - being alone will be odd.  Then I shall finish making a trifle to take over to SiL's. It will be a grown up Christmas this year - my niece is the youngest and she's nearly 30! There will be 9 of us altogether and it should be a lovely day.

(Ho! Ho! Ho! - yes that is a Santa on a stick in the middle of the flowers....it came with them, I hope Santa comes to your house tonight.......bringing you all the gifts you wished for)

Back tomorrow........briefly
Sue

64 comments:

  1. I treated myself to flowers too - blimey, and not even for a viewing! Just some pastel roses with a sprig of Gypsophila for £2.99 in Aldi. Very pretty they look in the hall too.

    I bagged some berried holly a couple of weeks back (kept in a bag to preserve it) and have that on picture frames, and there is some russet from beach twigs I gathered too, which are in a dry vase with some Catkins.

    It will seem very quiet tomorrow morning, opening your presents on your own, but you will have a special Christmas at your Sis-in-law's. Nice not to have to cook! I am going to rope my kids in - Danny used to cook for 30 out in Oz so is better at it than me!

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    1. I'm so much Off cooking for crowds now - so will enjoy being out.
      Have a good Christmas

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  2. Merry Christmas to you. I hope you enjoy your day

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  3. Merry Christmas to you and thank you for sharing your life with us. I look forward to your daily report from one of my favourite counties.

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  4. Sending warm wishes to you, Sue, for Christmas and the coming new year.
    I've some mince pies to bake shortly. Lily is hoping there will be someone who wants one tonight. Xx

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    1. Happy Christmas to you, hope Santa enjoys the mince pies

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  5. Lovely flowers and greenery!
    A shame about the carols but I guess we can warble them today to our heart's content. At the moment, I'm on In the Bleak Midwinter! Must find my Christmas music CDs
    Have a very lovely Christmas, Sue. May Santa bring you loads of good things, not just for tomorrow but for the coming months too.
    Thank you for your lovely blog. Reading it is a highlight of each day.
    xx

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    1. Thank you Joy, hope you have a lovely time too

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  6. Personally I like your traditional decoration of green things. I too will be without my husband but I do have my two adult sons at home. They couldn't be less interested in the decorations so we are just having some greenery - their interest is in the feasting side of things so as I like to cook it works out well for me. Have a lovely day and may it all go smoothly for you.

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  7. I watched a TV programme last week with Lucy Worsley, she explained traditions of Christmas. I love that the bringing in of greenery dates back to Tudor times. To think that we are still doing it all these years later is not only pretty amazing, but rather wonderful too.
    Happy Christmas Eve, and a very merry Christmas to you.

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    1. I missed that programme the other day but it's on again tonight. Have a lovely Christmas

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  8. Would you believe I’m here!? Hope you have a lovely Christmas, I’m sure you will enjoy it.Why don’t you take your presents with you to SinLs to open together, I have another friend who is on her own and she does this when she goes to her brothers for Christmas dinner.The 25th for us will be very quiet and easy after this horrible year for us that you know all about

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    1. Hope you have a quiet peaceful Christmas and 2020 is better for you.
      There will be presents to open when I get to SiL's too - I'm very lucky.

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  9. I have a pot exactly like the one you've put your flowers in! I keep kitchen utensils in mine.

    Merry Christmas!

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    1. I used to keep my kitchen utensils in that pot but it was a squeeze so I swapped to a jug with a wider opening.
      Happy Christmas to you too

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  10. Hope you have a nice day Sue the forecast is for dry today here so I am going to get the bus to Leyston Buzzard and have a look round, my presents are wrapped and I have just realized I have not got any presents to unwrap this year (they will be at my daughters for tomorrow) so I will just enjoy a couple of mince pies and a cup of tea before my Granddaughter picks me up.
    HAPPY CHRISTMAS SUE and everyone and thank you for you posts.
    Hazel c uk

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    1. Thank you for reading and comments and have a lovely day with family

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  11. Happy Christmas Sue, also wandered round finding Xmas green leaves from the garden, the pigeons are guzzling their way through the berries on the holly but some of it made its way into the church as it has done every year.

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    1. One day the holly here will be big enough - but not for quite a while I think
      Happy Christmas to you too

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  12. No peeking at those pressies - Father Christmas will know. I'm just about to head out to cut our greenery, including some holly with berries which I have been keeping an eye on for the last few weeks. Some for me, some for the birds!

    I made a batch of your spiced nuts yesterday...they soon disappeared. Mustn't make them too often, but they are so good! I hope you enjoy your day.

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    1. Oh thank you for the reminder - I bought a pack of mixed nuts a while ago, so will treat myself to the spiced nuts between Christmas and New Year

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  13. Happy Christmas Sue. I have really enjoyed reading your Blog through the year. I hope you have an enjoyable 'Grown Up' Christmas.

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    1. Although I love spending time with the grandchildren it will be a different Christmas with the chance to do some quizzes and games that we can't do with littlies around

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  14. happy christmas to you and your family, i love your blog xx

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    1. Thank you - I enjoy writing,
      Have a lovely Christmas

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  15. Merry Christmas, Sue. I'm glad your numbers are up, makes it all worthwhile doesn't it?

    The sum total of my preparations have been to make the cards, write them out including any letters and wrap the presents for our two grand-daughters. Oh, and to supervise my husband as he put the few decorations out that we are displaying this year, lol. A far cry from how it was 12 years ago. Hey ho!

    My plans for today aren't Christmas related at all as I have to finish knitting a band for my youngest grand-daughter's cardigan I have been making which I'd hoped to have finished by now.

    Have an enjoyable Christmas!

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    1. Thank you for always reading and commenting and hope your Christmas is a good one

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  16. Christmas blessings from my house to yours. xx

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  17. Happy Christmas to you and yours Sue, have a wonderful time!

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    1. Thank you - hope your Christmas is a good one too

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  18. I filled our house with very inexpensive cream roses and some holly and it is as nice as a load of shop bought decor - in fact my usual decorations are still in the loft this year.
    Have a wonderful Christmas xx

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    1. I just did the tree, the mantel-piece and my cards strung up this year - less to clear away by Twelfth Night.
      Hope your Christmas is a good one too

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  19. Happy Christmas, Sue. Enjoy the time spent with family and friends.

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  20. Happy Christmas to you & yours, from Julie.

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  21. Christmas blessings, Sue xxx

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    1. Thank you, hope the news from the Midlands is better

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  22. Merry Christmas Sue. I hope you have a lovely time xx

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  23. Merry Christmas Sue to you and yours. Have a great time. My poinsetta has officially died, didn't even make it to Christmas Eve. I love reading your blog. I find the folklore fascinating. Happy 2020. Carole

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    1. Mine is still alive but some leaves have fallen off already, best wishes for a Happy Christmas

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  24. Merry Christmas, Sue. Have a wonderful time with family. -Jenn

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  25. Merry Christmas, Sue. Thanks for your blog ... I love reading it and exploring new authors you introduce me to! x

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    1. I'm glad you enjoy the book posts - always good to find a new author.
      Merry Christmas to you too

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  26. Merry Christmas, Sue.
    KJ

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  27. Christmas Greetings, have a good day:)

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  28. Hope you enjoy this time around. And for being there.

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  29. Thank you for your blog. I enjoy it so much each year. May you have a Peaceful and Merry Christmas!

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  30. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I don’t often comment but I do read your lovely blog everyday without fail, love the greenery and enjoy your Christmas Day.

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  31. Happy Christmas, Sue!

    I hope that 2020 is a wonderful year for you and your family. Love to you from Florida.

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  32. I enjoy reading your blog.. I hope you have a fabulous day tomorrow!
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  33. Merry Christmas Sue, hope you have a lovely day with family.
    Thank you for your blog through out the year, I know it is childish but I always leave yours till last read of the morning as I enjoy it the most.
    My Dad was British so it's like a little catch up with family and countryside I never knew.
    All good wishes from Australia, please send some of your rain.
    Margaret

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