Christmas Eve

The Oxen

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.

'Now they are all on their knees,'

An elder said as we sat in a flock

By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where

They dwelt in their strawy pen,

Nor did it occur to one of us there

To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave

In these years! Yet I feel

If someone said on Christmas Eve, 

Come see the oxen kneel

'In the lonely barton by yonder coomb

Our childhood used to know,'

I should go with him in the gloom,

Hoping it might be so.

Thomas Hardy

Every year these appear on the green near the village hall  where we do our Keep Moving Group - and each year there are more.

Why did Father Christmas need so many umbrellas?

It was because of the rein deer!

Michael Bublé reads The Visit from St Nicholas - now often known as The Night Before Christmas

Yesterday the coffee in the advent  calendar was the Cinnamon - I gave it a sniff and decided not to try it - cinnamon is not one of my favourite spices. And I forgot to say there was an empty section one day last week which was why there were two sachets in one section the week before.

Had visitors all at once yesterday morning as I was cooking the ham and about to make cheese straws for EGS. Because he was so poorly as a baby before the first operation and then again later before his second he had several years when he was never hungry - so odd for a growing boy - but could always manage the cheese straws at Nanna's. Now I make some for each time they are in Suffolk. 

Sister in Law was here as I was putting the honey and mustard on the fat edge of  ham before finishing it off in the oven - she said she'd never seen that before - but it's what I've done for ever and I said my cheese straw recipe involves adding grated cheese to the rolled out dough, folding over and repeating before cutting and baking and she'd not heard of that before either. Funny how we all do different.

YD and EGD came over later on their way to staying with Eldest Daughter in the holiday cottage, it was a good thing I had the ham cooked so I had something to give them for lunch - this is why I have to have things in for all eventualities. All my children tend to organise themselves and their families and forget to tell me what they are doing!