Thursday 24 December 2020

24th December - Advent Photo and Yesterday

First of all Must remember to say hello and welcome to follower number 650 - that's a good round number to finish the year with I reckon.

Oh Goody, we in Suffolk and Norfolk have now jumped from Tier 2 to Tier 4 from Boxing Day, which is lock-down in all but name and something I predicted the other day and I'm not at all surprised after hearing how many Covid cases are being treated in Ipswich hospital. Plus another new variant has got here from South Africa...as well as that which seems to have started in Kent. It's not ending anytime soon is it?

Did it rain where you were yesterday? It certainly did here..........most of the day...... heavy rain - really nasty. The water in the ditch across the lane is as high as I've ever seen it, and a few weeks ago I reassured the people buying this house that it never floods over into the lane, now I'm not so sure!

 By the time I got to the Greengrocers just after 9 yesterday all the sprout stalks had sold - everybody must have had the same idea, so I got some loose - they looked fresh so that's OK. And to make a change I got a bag of their mixed colour carrots -that will puzzle BiL tomorrow - bet he's never seen a purple carrot!

I'm not a huge fan of cookery programmes but I watched Jamie Oliver  doing some Christmassy stuff  and liked the look of his roasted squash 'sausage rolls'. Unfortunately I didn't write down what ingredients he used, wonder if it's online anywhere - I shall do a search. Later there was a Wartime Christmas programme, first of three in a new series and at the opposite end of the scale "Christmas at Chatsworth" was very decorative.

Today I'm going to get the pigs in blankets prepped - my favourite bit of Christmas dinner, yummy with a honey and mustard glaze, the bread-sauce made - that's youngest daughter's favourite bit of dinner,  and get as many other jobs done before my visitors tomorrow. Strictly legal visitors I hasten to add- an odd thing to say but there you go. 

Back to  the books................

And the last of  this years Photos in Advent, a couple of old favourites. Two of my Miss Read (Dora Saint) collection. Both these books are made up of either her other very slim titles (No Holly for Miss Quinn and The White Robin) or extracts from her Fairacre or Thrush Green books.

A friend  used to read these every year at Christmas to get her in the right mood, perhaps she still does. I've not read them for ages and only thought of them when I was searching the shelves for something for this last day of advent post.
 I love these gentle stories of the 1950's and 60's villages and villagers. Her 2 room primary school is just the same as the 2 room school I went to but we didn't have such a wonderful head teacher as Miss Read. 
I started reading them when I first worked in the library and she carried on writing one a year until the 1990s. Over many years I gradually found all of them in charity shops to read again, although they've rarely been out of print since and are probably still around to buy now.
 
Back  Briefly  Tomorrow
Sue

 

40 comments:

  1. I shall listen to "No holly for Miss Quinn" )also by Miss Read in the Fairacres series) as I get ready today. Happy Christmas.

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    1. Yes, a lovely story included in one of the books in the picture

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  2. Love Miss Read books, haven’t read one for ages. Chucked it down here from early afternoon. All night as well, even heavier. Yep, like you, predicted tier 3 or higher, to be expected really. Enjoy your day with your family.

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    1. I've not read them lately although they are there if I want to again

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Would love to know what you said that needed removing!

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  4. Last night I got a knock on the door to say I should move my belongings upstairs - flood water rising! I said, don't worry, I have no possessions. Actually I had already taken a few precautions. Like you I didn't believe it would or could flood here but they pointed to the level it got to 14 years ago! High. I am not a worrier. Went to bed. All ok this morning. Tier 4 is a nuisance.

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  5. It rained here, too. And it does flood. Last year, the beck came right up to the threshold (thankfully no further) and the road we live on was washed away - so completely that you could see the gas pipes!

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    1. Oh yes I remember Pat saying there were floods all around

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  6. They broadcast Chatsworth at Christmas here as well and I really enjoyed it. My son-in-law (he is English) loves pigs in blankets!
    Wishing you a safe and joyous Christmas day, Mxx

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  7. The Miss Read Christmas stories are so lovely. You can get pretty much all of them on Kindle now.
    I'm enjoying the new Jamie Christmas programmes too. They keep repeating the old ones but once seen a few times, they're not interesting any more. They don't seem to have shown the Delia Christmas cooking series this year. I suppose it's showing its age by now.
    ('they' being whichever channel the programmes are on!)
    Have a wonderful Christmas and stay safe. xxx

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    1. I don't really like cooking programmes and didn't really mean to watch but liked the sound of the veggie sausage rolls

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  8. I do hope those books are still around to buy now as I've popped the first one on my Christmas wish list. I've heard so many recommendations for them but have never read any so I thought I'd give them a go. Wishing you a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas.

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    1. Yes I'm sure they are still available - Hope you like it.
      And a Happy Christmas to you too

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  9. https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/squash-sage-chestnut-rolls/. Is the link you need. Obviously our Christmas break to Norfolk is cancelled. The tree there is decorated and there's food in store... It will keep. But the floods sound grim - my neighbour there says roads into the village flooded. 5 miles up the road the A47 closed, and my daughter's partner outside at midnight as their garden was under water and it was almost coming into the house. Keep safe, warm and dry, Sue
    Dorset remains sunny and in Tier 2

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    1. Lucky you in Tier 2! But sad that your Norfolk trip is off. Soon you won't have to go back and forwards!

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  10. Yes the rain was bad last night hopefully nobody was flooded my greenhouse gets flooded but it is all above the ground and dries out quite quickly, I feel for people who are flooded indoors for it takes so long to dry in the winter.
    I had my vaccine yesterday and so far no problems, I had to wait 15 minutes after to make sure I was alright, very, very well organized and lot of people there.
    Had a lovely hamper from my daughter with lots of goodies, we decided that I would not go to her house for Christmas at all and she would just bring my dinner round, I don't mind if it means we are safe.
    I use to love the Miss Read books.
    HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE DAY SUE AND ALL YOUR READERS and keep safe.
    Hazel c uk 🌈🌈🎅🎅🌻

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    1. Thank you Hazel. Not the Christmas we had all hoped for

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  11. I have read a lot of Miss Read books, doubtfully all of them. The village junior school I went to only had two proper classrooms originally but had been extended by using the stage and part of the hall as classrooms. Sadly it has since been demolished to make way for a printers premises.

    My daughter's partner is a very good cook and has picked up a lot of tips from Jamie.

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  12. Enjoy Miss Read books. A nice break from some of today's genres that try too hard to be relevant. :)

    Guess we are sharing inclement holiday weather across the Pond (meaning you may see it again next week--sorry) as we are under a Christmas Eve flood watch and wind advisory (e.g. 50mph near midnight). Temperatures will drop from 14c today to -5c tomorrow. Brr.

    Wishing you and yours a cozy (dry) Christmas.

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    1. Yes you are right about more rain coming from your way in a few days. Just 2 days without rain forecast and then back to heavy rain Sunday. I suppose it's better than snow is about the only good thing I can say about it

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  13. Love your blog
    Merry. Christmas
    We r isolating
    I am moving also as soon as vaccine
    My 31st move...

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    1. 31 Moves!! Oh my goodness. Thats a lot.
      Thank you for reading the blog and leaving lovely comments.
      Happy Christmas to you too

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  14. think we all saw it coming, calling it a Tier instead of Lockdown doesn't make it sound any less awful!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours. :O)

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    1. And to you Violet and Bill - May your Christmas be sparkly, fairy light lit and pink!

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  15. I haven't read any Miss Read books for years. I must look out for them. Here in Merseyside, we're lucky to still be in Tier 2, but I don't think it will be long before we're in 3 or 4. I hope you have a lovely (safe) day with your visitors, and here's hoping that 2021 is a better one for all. xxx

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  16. Merry Christmas from Kansas. Enjoy reading your blog. I've read all the Miss Read books, some of them several times.

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  17. Happy and Blessed Christmas Sue love to you and your family and A new year where you'll find that perfect new home.

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  18. Maybe this one?
    https://jamieoilver.com/veggie-sausage-roll

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  19. I love Miss Read and have many of her books on Kindle. Merry Christmas! Stay safe.💖

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  20. I hope you are having a pleasant Christmas Eve and have a safe and Merry Christmas tomorrow!

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  21. It is Christmas Eve afternoon here in the middle of the U.S. While you have rain, we had a blizzard yesterday. Thankfully our area only had an inch or two of snow, but oh the Wind! Howling at 40-60 mph. We have drifts but most are not totally across the roads so we can travel and the highways are clear.
    I have been buying the kindle version of Miss Read books. I'm finally getting all the characters straight on who is who and what community they belong in. It was a bit of a muddle for a long time.
    Merry Christmas!

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  22. Merry Christmas to you. I get such pleasure from your blog and over the years have always looked forward to viewing your monthly book stack. We have the same taste in reading material and have ordered books from my library. I think I have read all the Miss Read books my library has to offer.

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  23. I too watched the Wartime Christmas last evening. I was working this evening so hope to catch up when I can. Merry Christmas Sue. x

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