My Quiet Life in Suffolk: Advent Photos 2022

Showing posts with label Advent Photos 2022. Show all posts

24 December 2022

December 24th

The last day of the 24 days of Advent Photos 2022 . I think I've managed not to copy many posts from the last seven years of Advent Photos.

Todays photos are more pages from the little book -A Christmas Album.

There's no mention of the artists name

What are your jobs to do today to be ready for Christmas visitors?

I'm cooking a ham for the first time in many years, the two Suffolk families plus BiL are here on Boxing Day and then the ham will be my meals for a week! Proper ham in a sandwich is one of my reasons for not being a fully signed up vegetarian - it's completely different to any pre-sliced vacuum packed stuff which I never bother with nowadays.

I've also got to deliver a hamper after I've finished making spiced nuts to add to it and wrapped it all in cellophane. I didn't want to make them too soon before Christmas as I'd have been tempted to eat them rather than put them in cellophane bags to give away! I'm delivering the other hamper on Christmas Day especially so I can say hello to my Nephew and his Fiancée and my niece and her partner, they've been together for nearly 3 years and I've still not met him.

Our weather systems in this country mostly arrive from the West, and the extremely cold weather that's occurring in the US right now sounds very nasty, so will it cross the Atlantic? That's the question. Hope all US bloggers and readers are OK over there - stay warm and safe.

Have a good day

I'll be back (briefly) tomorrow

Sue

23 December 2022

December 23rd

Thank goodness that nasty cold I had went far enough away so that I could get to the exercise group on Tuesday. Although it still hasn't completely gone - hanging around far too long in my opinion. No swimming this week - it's school holidays so the only lane swimming sessions are early morning or evenings.

Postmen have packed up early for Christmas by going on strike today and tomorrow. I've had some Christmas cards through and the bill for the boiler service last month finally got here. My post usually arrives about 1pm but because of missing some days it's just meant they have needed to work much later and it was almost dark when he popped cards through the door yesterday. Lots of Robins on cards this year.

I was pleased to find I could watch The Battle of the Brits tennis on TV, this was a two day tournament between England and Scotland organised by Jamie Murray. It was on the BBC iplayer and there were some good matches. I've also been watching the Finals of this series of Countdown, one young fella has broken all records with his high scores and University Challenge Christmas Alumni quiz - it's quite strange sometimes to find these brilliant brainy people - all specialists in their fields - don't know some everyday basics.

And finally as requested here are some more photos of the pages from the book.....

Decorating the Christmas Tree, December 1944 by John Worsley. The Red Cross crate in front of the Christmas tree shows that the two men are decorating their hut in a prisoner of war camp

A tank crew of the 44th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment, part of the 4th Armoured Brigade, unpack a Christmas parcel to reveal a pudding inside.
Behind them is their camouflaged tank

The sorting of Christmas mail is undertaken on board the battleship HMS King George V, Christmas Eve 1943

Back Tomorrow

Sue

22 December 2022

December 22nd

Around about the day of the winter Solstice I always try and go out for some nice bits of greenery to bring in for Christmas.

I've got Holly and Ivy from the same places that I've collected from for the last few years, a sprig of Yew from the Churchyard, just a little clipping from my Bay tree (I'm going to need to repot it or plant it out next year as it's probably getting pot bound). Plus the Mistletoe which came from a Christmas Fayre a few weeks ago.

I stupidly left the mistletoe out in the greenhouse in a jug and discovered it had frozen solid and broke the bottom of the old blue and white china jug - which I'm quite sad about.

The Holly has been decking the halls far longer than any other Christmas decorations and the well known song goes back a long way too. Originally a C16 Welsh song for New Year with new words written in the 1800s.

Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
'Tis the season to be jolly:
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Troul the ancient Christmas carol.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

See the flowing bowl before us,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Strike the harp, and join in chorus:
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
While I sing of beauty's treasure.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses:
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Laughing quaffing all together,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Heedless of the wind and weather.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

I've written about Holly and the Ogham Tree Alphabet HERE and Ivy HERE

Back Tomorrow

Sue

21 December 2022

December 21st

A Green Man for the Solstice. The ancient symbol of fertility and nature probably dating back to the very first farmers. Often seen in surprising places - church fonts for instance.

I bought my new one from a Christmas Fayre last month. I had one at the smallholding and at Clay Cottage and left them both to guard the land for the new owners.

He is still in the shed at the moment, waiting for someone to hold the ladder while I use hammer and nail and put him up on the Flowering Cherry tree.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

20 December 2022

December 20th

The Winter Solstice can be on the 20th or 21st December. This year the moment that the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn is at 21.48 on the 21st, after that daylight increases by 6 minutes to the end of the month. The word Solstice comes from Latin sol stetit , meaning sun stood still. And for 6 days in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears to rise and set in the same place, which must have been frightening for ancient peoples, wondering if the sun would move again? would the daylight grow again?

I've been saving this little book to read at this years Solstice, the 12 stories come from all parts of the world, passed down through the generations.

The Return of the Light

We often get our coldest weather as the hours of daylight increase but this year we've already had many days that have been colder than an average December. The long range forecast for January is a bit vague or as they say "confidence is low" which I take to mean "we don't really know"! So we'll have to wait and see.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

19 December 2022

December 19th

A couple of weeks ago I had a big tidy up of my fat recipe folder - which is polythene pockets in a very old ring binder. Some of the pockets had split and every time I moved the folder half the things fell out.

A big sort out and many recipes that had been saved but unused for years have gone into the recycling. The useful recipes put into some new polythene pockets and everything is tidy again.

At the back of the ring-binder were 2 polythene pocket things full of Christmas Cuttings and clippings from old magazines, some dating back to the 70's.

When I started maternity leave in 1980 one of the ladies I worked with in the library gave me a whole pile of old Family Circle Magazines to keep me occupied during the rest of the waiting time. I seem to remember it being a nice little magazine, more down to earth than many that came later.

Perhaps pages from one of those old Family Circle mags is that discoloured collection in the middle, featuring Mary Berry - years before she became more famous through Bake Off.

I use her Christmas cake recipe and there are cuttings there that I refer too when I'm doing the spiced nuts each Christmas, but other than that I've not looked at them for years.

I put all the Christmas cuttings back in their pockets - perhaps someone will find them useful after I've gone!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

18 December 2022

December 18th

My good intentions of visiting the decorated Christmas Trees displayed in Stowmarket church for todays post was a fail.

It was too blinkin' cold and I'd run out of energy after just 10 minutes in town!

Back to the settee and my books and the TV. Plenty of time for thinking...............

This will be my 5th Christmas since Colin died - it gets no easier.

There was a funeral and burial over the road in the cemetery last week - the mourners looked frozen, the vicar looked to have at least 10 layers on under his surplice. Everyone followed the hearse down the road from the church to the graveyard gate. Next time I was in the kitchen at the front of the house just an hour or so later the gravedigger was back-filling the grave . All over so quickly.

Remembering a past Christmas.......... Me and Eldest daughter both down with horrible colds just before Christmas and sitting at the dining room table making Christmas Crackers - feeling so rough I don't know how we got finished.

I used to make everything......... crackers, a wreath for the door, napkin rings, 2 or 3 deserts, you name it and Christmas was homemade. We always had Col's Mum and Dad and Brother around for the day, it was a good family day.

Listening to the radio in the early hours of a broken night about the people freezing in Ukraine and Russia continually bombing power stations and the reactions of defiance by the Ukrainian people reminded me of Aesops fable of the North Wind and the Sun. ........you know the one I mean I'm sure..........

The North Wind and the Sun had a quarrel about which of them was the stronger. While they were disputing with much heat and bluster, a Traveler passed along the road wrapped in a cloak.

“Let us agree,” said the Sun, “that he is the stronger who can strip that Traveler of his cloak.”

“Very well,” growled the North Wind, and at once sent a cold, howling blast against the Traveler.

With the first gust of wind the ends of the cloak whipped about the Traveler’s body. But he immediately wrapped it closely around him, and the harder the Wind blew, the tighter he held it to him. The North Wind tore angrily at the cloak, but all his efforts were in vain.

Then the Sun began to shine. At first his beams were gentle, and in the pleasant warmth after the bitter cold of the North Wind, the Traveler unfastened his cloak and let it hang loosely from his shoulders. The Sun’s rays grew warmer and warmer. The man took off his cap and mopped his brow. At last he became so heated that he pulled off his cloak, and, to escape the blazing sunshine, threw himself down in the welcome shade of a tree by the roadside.

And we all know the moral of that story

Here is another photo of a page from the Wartime Christmas book

No more to be said really.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

17 December 2022

December 17th

Lots of blogs I've read this week have included temperatures recording this unusually cold spell of weather we've been having. I can't tell you the temps here as I don't have a thermometer - but it's been cold for sure! (Not cold compared to Canada etc! just cold for England!)

Even if I had been well all week I don't think I would have ventured far but the aching all over cold hung around for several days, added a sore throat and a cough, went away for a day, came back, kept me awake but has now more or less gone. Thank you everyone for wishing me well and Apologies for not getting around to commenting on many blogs this week.

So what have I been up to while resting up and drinking plenty of water?

I've wrapped some of the Christmas presents, just a few more things needed now, read a couple of my own books and eventually ventured out for shopping.

Washing had to go in the tumble dryer - not because of rain but it just froze on the line with temperatures below freezing all day and all week.

One of the guys from the building company came and tightened up the joints on the new shower where there was a bit of a leak. And I gathered up enough energy to walk up the road to collect my library books...............my Christmas and January reading. 10 books I'd reserved and quite a mix this time.

Including this very aptly titled..........

I might have already abandoned two!

At the bottom of the heap The Kitchen Front is such tiny typeface that I can't read it easily (and it's not my usual reading anyway) and A Murder of Crows looks to be a bit too cosy crime - although I'll try it. At least I know I'll enjoy the Donna Leon - which is a newly published copy of her very first Brunetti crime series from 1992 and the crime book by Ann Granger.

'Behind the Seams' is another American Cosy Crime but I've read some of her books before and know they were OK to read. Top of the pile is another I know nothing about and have no idea why I ordered it especially as I've just noticed it says Science Fiction Classic and I Never read Science Fiction!

I've got Thunderstone back to try again and the most recent book from Ronald Blythe - another collection of writings about his village, church happenings and the countryside over the last 25 years- perhaps his last book as he is now 100 years old.

Also in the pile there is Frostquake - which is the story of the REALLY cold winter of 1962/3, I was 7 and remember some bits but it will be interesting to read more.

Below are the November books from last month. I sent some back unread, and still have one of the D.E.Stevenson books here. I decided not to read "The Ink Black Heart" as the series of her last Cormoran Strike book is on TV and I thought it would get a bit complicated reading one and watching another- anyway it is a gigantic book. I'll wait for it to appear on TV. I didn't read Scenes from a Prehistoric Life either - it was a bit dry.

The books I actually read have got a mention on the Book Read 2022 page

Back Tomorrow

Sue

16 December 2022

December 16th

Another page from the Wartime Christmas book.

They worked all through the wars................now they are on strike!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

15 December 2022

December 15th

This picture and the poem below comes from one of my small Christmas books " A Christmas Album". A collection of poems, pictures and little stories published in 1987.

A WORD ABOUT WINTER

Now the frost is on the pane,

Rugs upon the floor again.

Now the screens are in the cellar,

Now the student cons the speller,

Lengthy summer noon is gone.

Twilight treads the heels of dawn

Round-eyed sun is now a squinter,

Tiptoe breeze a panting sprinter.

Every cloud a blizzard hinter,

Squirrel on the snow a printer,

Rain spout sprouteth icy splinter,

Willy-nilly this is winter.

Summer-swollen doorjambs settle,

Ponds and puddles turn to metal,

Skater whoops in frisky fettle,

Golf club stingeth like a nettle,

Radiator sings like kettle

Hearth is Popocatepetl.

Runneth nose and chappeth lip

Draft evadeth weather strip,

Doctor wrestles with grippe

In never-ending rivalship.

Rosebush droops in garden shoddy

Blood is cold and thin in body,

Weary postman dreams of toddy,

Head before the hearth grows noddy.

On the hearth the embers gleam,

Glowing like a maiden's dream,

Now the apple and the oak

Paint the sky with chimney smoke,

Husband now without disgrace,

Dumps ash trays in the fireplace.

Ogden Nash 1902 - 1971

I googled to see when this was written and found it doesn't seem to be as well known as another of his poems which has often been included in books of children's poems.

Winter Morning Poem by Ogden Nash

Winter is the king of showmen,
Turning tree stumps into snow men
And houses into birthday cakes
And spreading sugar over lakes.
Smooth and clean and frosty white,
The world looks good enough to bite.
That’s the season to be young,
Catching snowflakes on your tongue!
Snow is snowy when it’s snowing.
I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

14 December 2022

December 14th

Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday.

A spell of very cold weather landed on the UK - quite unusual for many places to have snow in December. I've gone down with a cold too- first for so long I can't remember when I last had one. It's an aching all over and headache type cold. Decided against going out to the exercise class and swimming but I really need to go shopping as soon as I can.

Last Sunday I went to visit Father Christmas in his grotto at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens.

This video - if it works - dates from a few years ago , but it was much the same.

Of course I didn't go on my own but with Son, DiL and two grandchildren.. It was a frosty day but not too cold walking around.

We went on the train and looked around the museum. Grandson was very excited by the model railway, especially after he found he could push a button to make the train move. I think he would have stayed all day, climbing on the step to watch the train then climbing down saying "press the button" and climbing back up to watch it again.

No sitting on Santa's knee here, he was fenced in!

This sort of thing didn't happen when our children were small and if it had we wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway. The Santa they saw was in a home made grotto made from a clothes horse, covered with a curtain at the Scout's Christmas Fayre.

Just one way things are so different now........

Back Tomorrow

Sue

13 December 2022

December 13th

One of the new books added to my Christmas book collection was this one above. It's full of interesting bits and photos and illustrations about people's experiences during both World Wars.

Below is a page from the book about the difficulties of shopping in wartime written by a lady called Mrs E.J.Barnicot from central London.

A Children's stocking from 1940

I'd forgotten about this type of Christmas stocking that we used to get. They were made of net stuff and edged with a sort of red crepe paper. I think they are still around for pets! By the late 50's they didn't have cardboard or small wooden items items like those in the photos. It was more likely to be a small bag of marbles, or a tiny tracing book or one of those puzzles where you have to move squares around to get the numbers in order. Plus one of these clicky ball and catch things.

I loved these simple toys - in fact I might get some for the grandchildren seeing that I've found them on amazon.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

12 December 2022

December 12th

Had a very quick trip out recently to look at some Nativity cribs on display in a church.

They didn't have anywhere near as many as I saw at Grundisburgh Church in 2018 but still a treat to see them all.

Sadly Grundisburgh are unable to have their display anymore as most belonged to broadcaster and author Libby Purves - who was looking for a permanent home for them or to the vicar who has moved on.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

11 December 2022

December 11th

After my post about lost bloggers on Friday there was a lovely catch up message from Trish who was in Norfolk and now down South. Perfect timing. And I think I got confused in a reply - getting Dove Grey Reader mixed up with Lovely Grey - two different people I'm now thinking.

Still very cold here, with freezing fog rather than snow. I braved going for a swim at the pool on Saturday - it was worth the effort as there was only me and one other lady in the Slow Swim half of the pool.

Found this photo on the old blog - Photos in Advent 2015.

That's how many Christmas books I had back then

and now..............

Several have gone in the intervening years and 3 moves, but I do seem to have added a few new ones .....no surprise there then!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

10 December 2022

December 10th

Winter got here on Thursday, greenhouse looking like an ice house and car frozen up, so it was the first outing this year for the windscreen cover which was a really good buy last year, saves running the engine to defrost the windscreen, which is what my neighbour does at 4a.m.! or scraping like crazy or having to buy that nasty de-icer spray stuff. Colin used to pour a jug of warm water over the windscreen of his works van - but that's not recommended and if it gets into the side windows it stops the electric window opener switch from working until the whole thing has dried out.....ask me how I know!

Finally got the Christmas cards (with notes written) into the post box, just in time as I'd not heard about the earlier posting dates due to the strikes. I just have one more letter to put with one more card and parcel and a few to hand deliver locally and that's the end of the cards. I've had 2 cards so far, one from WI and one from my penfriend on a windy Scottish Island - thank you W for beating everyone this year despite being so far away! (and thank you for pressie and the Robin who has been added to the tree!)

And I've nearly sorted presents. Eldest Daughter and Son in Law are getting a voucher towards a new hoover - boring but useful. She said they'll get it in the January Sales - "Good Plan" I said. Son had no idea really but then said he really needed to replace their utility room door so another voucher for a well known DIY store has been purchased. Again not very Christmassy but useful. Son gave me a good idea for Daughter in Laws pressie so that's sorted, which just leaves Youngest Daughter but as she is in the middle of moving house this weekend, and a move always means something is needed, I expect she will be grateful for some money. I'm a very lazy parent when it comes to buying presents .....it was much easier when they were little! Plus now of course there are also 5 grandchildren to puzzle over.

This fella

or actually these fellas, came from a Charity shop last month.

I felt a bit guilty because as I went into the shop a lady was looking at him, but then put it back in a box of lots of decorations and moved further into the shop. I swooped in and grabbed him and then heard another lady say to first lady "I'll have the Russian doll Santa's if you don't want them" by which time I was at the counter paying £1. I saw first lady go back to box to get him and of course he was gone! "Oh" she said "where's it gone?"

I was on my way out of the shop by then!

This is not my first set of nesting Santas, I had some many, many years ago. They stood on the mantelshelf at the smallholding every Christmas when the children were growing up until the heat from the wood-burner warped them and made all the paint flake off, by then the children had grown and flown and I expect the Santas were added to the fire!

My bargain charity shop buy is probably missing a larger Santa and teeny Santa #5 has been permanently stuck inside Santa #4 but for £1 I won't complain and the two grandchildren who've seen them were still fascinated anyway.

I wrote about how Santa came to look as he does HERE in a 2021 post.

I've just tried to see more than the 10 most recent posts in my list of "Blogs I read" on the right and the Show More thing isn't working - which is a tad annoying. Hope it rights itself.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

09 December 2022

December 9th

Christmas time is a time for remembering people we don't see so often.

I was looking for something on my old blog and found a long list of blogs I used to read but they don't write anymore....as far as I know....or maybe they are still around with a different name.

I know some are probably too busy to write, some have had illness, some just decide not to write anymore. But I do hope they are all OK and wish them all a Happy Christmas.