"Christmas in a glass"
Dec. 26th, 2011 11:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chrishansenhomeWe had a relatively quiet Christmas this year. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
spwebdesign did not need to stay here this year as he's otherwise engaged than the choir at English Martyrs, so we had no house guests. Good thing, too, as we're still not totally recovered from the infestation of bedbugs we had a while back and have bags of clothing that need to be laundered and either hung up or donated to the jumble at church in the spare room. But, we'll get there.
Midnight Mass, which I had prepared for, was a dud. Only four people showed up, including the Rector and HWMBO, so we did not sing anything and it was over by 12:20 am. The Rector ascribed it to the abandonment of the Heygate Estate across New Kent Road, and people not wishing to walk near it to get to church at that late hour. I'm not so sure, but I'll reserve judgment.
While I was preparing for Midnight Mass, the Sky satellite box chose Christmas Eve to die on us. This means no TV until later on in the week, as today is a holiday, and so is tomorrow. So the earliest I can call them to get it replaced is Wednesday, and I can imagine how difficult it will be to get through. Will listen to the Queen's Christmas message on iPlayer later on.
Our neighbour, Mark, had nowhere to go this year so we offered him Christmas lunch. He brought crackers and cheese, and we supplied the lunch. Ham, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sprouts, with key lime pie for dessert. Befores were stuffed celery, the aforementioned cheese and crackers, and a glass of homemade egg nog.
It's peculiar that in England you must make your own egg nog; no handy quarts of egg nog in the supermarkets. So I did, just enough for three glasses. When Mark got his, he took a sip and said, "Ah, Christmas in a glass!" which seems to encapsulate the holiday season well enough.
We did not exchange presents. This is deliberate, for whatever I buy for HWMBO is just not right. So I don't dare give him anything as he won't like it, guaranteed. We have the present of each other, and that is just about right.
The key lime pie (made with regular limes) was good, but I still didn't chop the lime zest quite finely enough. However, I don't think I'll try it again as it's much too sweet for me. It does taste good, though.
Today is Boxing Day, the origins of which name are shrouded in history and much argued over. The Tube drivers are mostly on strike, which makes it difficult to go anywhere. So we'll just stay at home today and savour the peace and quiet.
I hope that you all had a very nice Christmas, are having a good Boxing Day (if you celebrate it), and will have a happy and prosperous New Year.
spwebdesign did not need to stay here this year as he's otherwise engaged than the choir at English Martyrs, so we had no house guests. Good thing, too, as we're still not totally recovered from the infestation of bedbugs we had a while back and have bags of clothing that need to be laundered and either hung up or donated to the jumble at church in the spare room. But, we'll get there.Midnight Mass, which I had prepared for, was a dud. Only four people showed up, including the Rector and HWMBO, so we did not sing anything and it was over by 12:20 am. The Rector ascribed it to the abandonment of the Heygate Estate across New Kent Road, and people not wishing to walk near it to get to church at that late hour. I'm not so sure, but I'll reserve judgment.
While I was preparing for Midnight Mass, the Sky satellite box chose Christmas Eve to die on us. This means no TV until later on in the week, as today is a holiday, and so is tomorrow. So the earliest I can call them to get it replaced is Wednesday, and I can imagine how difficult it will be to get through. Will listen to the Queen's Christmas message on iPlayer later on.
Our neighbour, Mark, had nowhere to go this year so we offered him Christmas lunch. He brought crackers and cheese, and we supplied the lunch. Ham, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sprouts, with key lime pie for dessert. Befores were stuffed celery, the aforementioned cheese and crackers, and a glass of homemade egg nog.
It's peculiar that in England you must make your own egg nog; no handy quarts of egg nog in the supermarkets. So I did, just enough for three glasses. When Mark got his, he took a sip and said, "Ah, Christmas in a glass!" which seems to encapsulate the holiday season well enough.
We did not exchange presents. This is deliberate, for whatever I buy for HWMBO is just not right. So I don't dare give him anything as he won't like it, guaranteed. We have the present of each other, and that is just about right.
The key lime pie (made with regular limes) was good, but I still didn't chop the lime zest quite finely enough. However, I don't think I'll try it again as it's much too sweet for me. It does taste good, though.
Today is Boxing Day, the origins of which name are shrouded in history and much argued over. The Tube drivers are mostly on strike, which makes it difficult to go anywhere. So we'll just stay at home today and savour the peace and quiet.
I hope that you all had a very nice Christmas, are having a good Boxing Day (if you celebrate it), and will have a happy and prosperous New Year.
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no subject
Date: 2011-12-26 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-26 03:33 pm (UTC)In case there's any ambiguity, it's just the hat, not the olives, that is "for costume purposes".
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Date: 2011-12-26 03:36 pm (UTC)Our Canadian people, Torrington and Quentin, have of course heard of Boxing Day, although they're not quite clear on the concept: When we woke up this morning they were engaging in a display of pugilism.
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Date: 2011-12-26 04:01 pm (UTC)And remember there are always interesting
menthings to watch online. ;)no subject
Date: 2011-12-26 11:48 pm (UTC)I thought Her Majesty's message was quite good this year (having been able to watch it on the Beeb, as opposed to CBC or YooToob)
no subject
Date: 2011-12-26 11:58 pm (UTC)We are running through the Harry Potter films one-by-one and will save the King's Speech for afters. So no TV doesn't bother me TOO much.
Hope that Preston is being kind to you...I spent a week there one night.
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Date: 2011-12-27 03:54 am (UTC)Great that you two had a pleasant Christmas, in spite of a few inconveniences!
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Date: 2011-12-27 10:50 am (UTC)I suppose that if you wanted to go to a fancy dress party as a 1950's hors d'oeuvre, you might stick the olives on toothpicks, put some cheese on more toothpicks, and then don a costume that looked like a cheese log and stick the toothpicks in it.
You could call it "The Thing from the 1950's".
I made my usual chopped stuffed olive spread with cream cheese and used celery for dipping into it, rather than stuffing them. Spreadable cream cheese isn't thick enough to stuff celery with.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-12 11:37 pm (UTC)BTW, believe it or not, I saw eggnog in a store that week. I think it might have been in Northampton, or maybe it was Bedford or Chippenham, I can no longer remember. They called it something else, but when I tasted it I remarked that it was eggnog. It didn't seem to be to anyone's taste, though.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 11:24 am (UTC)On the other hand, I made a passable Irish Coffee yesterday…