a gentler routine

We are settling into the slow routine of a winter holiday. Richard and I off for two weeks and a day. The kids were at school on Monday and Tuesday but now they are off, too. They won't be going back to school as scheduled but will resume with blended learning, mostly online for the first two weeks. Annie gave us an early Christmas present by getting not only herself ready for school but also her little brothers. They feasted like the kings on both days, cheese and ham omelet on Monday, pancakes on Tuesday. I don't know how she does it but there was no fighting at all and they both left the house on time and fully prepared with water, school iPads, snacks and masks. 

Over the weekend, Richard and I went for a long dog walk with friends we had not seen in person in a long time. We ended the walk with soup and sausage rolls in their back garden, fire roaring in the fire pit and warm furs on their garden chairs. How different our social life has become! Never have thermal underwear and wooly jumpers been quite so important in my life. My long down filled jacket adds another layer of warmth for those cold winter outdoor social visits. Our own outdoor "entertainment zone" is not quite as luxurious with camping chairs, fire pit and quilts. We can fit up to six people around the fire pit without compromising distancing. A tarpaulin provides shelter from the rain. 

What I love about our winter holidays is that there is no structure to our days. We don't have to travel or go places and we can just be. The one thing Richard and I had to do is a grocery shop, never a pleasant affair but definitely not in the run up to Christmas, with the additional issue of freight blocked at the border and with Brexit looming. 

After the grocery shop was done, I spent some time wrapping Christmas presents. It is not something I enjoy much but we all like to unwrap a surprise, which makes wrapping important. This year will be the first time ever it is just the six of us for Christmas. We miss seeing my Swiss family. It has been a long time since we last spent time together but there will be another Christmas in 12 months and we can look forward to getting together then. Maybe sooner, fingers crossed.  

I baked obscene amounts of Swiss Christmas cookies, all my our favourite kinds. Two kinds I usually make need drying for a few hours before baking and I thought the ironing board would be a safe place to keep the baking trays out of Jack's way. How wrong I was! He teleported up on the ironing board, feasted on the chocolate-almond cookies and teleported back down again without anyone noticing. He ate half of them, which meant that he had eaten 50 grams of chocolate. Of course chocolate is poisonous for dogs. We mixed 30 grams of activated charcoal granules into a tub of luxury dog food (the kind you that is served on dainty china in the adverts). Jack couldn't resist and snaffled it all up although he must have had a sore tummy from all the unbaked cookies. I think he felt a bit sorry for himself after the charcoal meal. He was bloated and windy but he didn't show any signs of chocolate poisoning, which was a relief. A few bowel movements and a good nights sleep later he was back to his normal self. Refining his teleporting skills no doubt.

On the creative front, I finished sewing my black dress. I think it might be a smidgen short but knickers aren't showing and it will be ok. I don't enjoy sewing black fabric at best of times and the weak December light doesn't help but it is done now, dress ready to wear. I much more enjoyed mending an old quilt. It is nearing the end of its life time but I can't let it go just yet. I sewed several patches over the frayed seams, which should give it a few more months of life. While doing that my creative mind was wondering over ideas for a new quilt, made with strips of fabric that I collected from various places and over some time. Log cabin is my current favourite idea. 

In between all the baking I made a batch of soap. These days, I make them plain and simple, no fancy colourful swirls and patterns. I am the only one using it anyway. It took literally no time at all.

My next task is to make a ragù for our Christmas Eve lasagna. I love making ragù, it is deeply satisfying and always tastes nice. I'd be happy to eat it on a slice of bread, it is that good. I am cooking on Christmas Eve, Richard on Christmas Day. I'll serve the lasagne with salad and petits pois (from the freezer of course).

I have two audiobooks to listen to and a book about fungi to read. There is still some hand stitching to do on my current quilt project. Four children to chat to and maybe play games with. Plenty to keep me busy and happy. 

Did you witness the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction? I didn't, it was cloudy. This evening though I spotted the two planets, still close together. If only we had a telescope, I'd love to see the rings of Saturn.

In other news, I found out that someone thinks I have a "beyond pleasing personality and a mellifluous voice". I haven't received a compliment like that ever I don't think. I have a fan that is not my husband and it feels good. 

I'll leave you to mull this over. Thanks for visiting. Enjoy Christmas if you are celebrating. Also enjoy your week if you don't. Stay safe and healthy xx