or should that be Chocolat? I have seasonal readings – I have decided I now have seasonal reading is probably more correct. It started out that with the arrival of December I would dig out my copy of The Christmas Mystery and as each chapter is a date in December I would read each chapter on the day mentioned. I even manage it for the most part! I then progressed and started reading Christmas ghost stories in November (a between Halloween and Christmas thing) I’m not overly successful with that but I do try. Now that it’s lent I’m thinking of bringing Chocolat by Joanne Harris into the mix as the story takes place during lent…
I’m wondering should my choice of words have been festive reading rather than seasonal? Anyhoo! I’m a very slow reader so I think I’m going to indulge in an audio version of Chocolat – You can’t beat the curling purring tones of Samantha Bond and the writing of Joanne Harris. Mercifully I’ve not given up chocolate for lent ’cause that is a book just dripping with temptation for the finer indulgences.
Author: MsWalsh
As I type I'm 40 odd yrs. Sometimes very odd :)
I'm separated and now I'm also cat free.
I love to cook, craft, read & watch TV.
This is to be the place that makes me smile.
More Kitteny Goodness
Sleep!
I hope I’m not putting a jinx on this but I’ve just had good sleep for two nights in a row! I would never have thought of myself as a light sleeper previously but I’m very aware of himself in the bedroom – when he gets up, when he get back in to bed, when he’s reading to the extent that I’m almost waking up when he rolls over! – ok maybe not THAT bad but not far from it – I wake up 3 or 4 times every night. I don’t have any problem going back to sleep but it’s the disturbance that gets me. Ok I’m used to it – I’ve been like this for the best part of 9 years. However I’m not saying that I haven’t had any good nights sleep since but I’ve had two in a row and I’m feeling great.
So the thing that makes me smile is waking up after a nightful of sleep and not feeling the need to have a snooze. Yes I’ve been awake since the early and I’ll need an early night (ish) but I don’t have “I’m wrecked” as my background for the day. Even just the thought of that has me feeling slightly buzzed. So with that I’d better buzz off and get stuff done.
Much Needed Smiles
Since my last post we (me & he) got a bit of bad news – so I’ve been in search of smiles and not really finding any. Instead I’ve been hitting anxiety levels that have been previously unheard of.
So – it’s not so much smiles as giggles but if you haven’t come across Simon’s Cat you haven’t lived. If you’re a cat person you will love this – if you’re not a cat person I do apologise and please don’t click the link.
Anyway I’ve the house to myself for an entire 2.5 hours so I’m off to soak in a bath! I’ve had a recommendation of – rose & lavender with a hint of Juniper oil so I will let you know how I get on 🙂
Smile or no smile
I know this is a blog about things that make me smile and one of the things that makes me smile is The Vintage Kitten. I love this blog – the pictures, the narrative = the whole thing! It goes one better then making me smile on occasion it is simply laugh out loud!
So what doesn’t make me smile is the fact that the VK is being plagued by somebody who is leaving nasty comments etc and making blogging a misery for her. Nobody likes a bully and in the blogland of pretty pictures of craft & vintage and happy narratives it’s not nice to think that there is one in their midst.
Terry Pratchet
The other day I was looking for something to read. Mind you I reckon I should be a little more precise – I was trying to decide what to read. I have a load of books in the UnRead pile/room so trying to find something not a problem!
Anyway while I was waiting for himself to finish work I was looking around at some of the shelves – I should say that himself works in a bookshop called Chapters (it’s absolutely fab!) Anyway wandering around and I came upon the Pratchett shelves – and there was this lovely copy of Maskerade and I thought I’ll have that! However himself asked do I really need it and I had to say no (not yet) I still have one or two on the shelves at home that hadn’t been read so I’d give them a go first.
Previously I claimed not to be much of a fan of Granny Weatherwax & the Witches but that might have been ’cause I hadn’t read any of the books. So when I got home I was fairly sure I hadn’t read Lords & Ladies so I’m giving it a go and I have to say I’m enjoying it mightily.
OK so I’ve had a little bit of Baileys and I’m not a drinker so my head is starting to cloud over making thought a bit fuzzy around the edges.
All I really want to say it that I love the fact that when I read a Terry Pratchett book I always really enjoy it and think they are great fun
December 8th
Ok so the making a post every day isn’t really working out. There have been two reasons for this – the minor one is that I was away over the weekend doing my Christmas Visits and the major reason is that our internet at home is on the blink. Right now I’m on my lunch typing this on my little net book
So festively speaking what has been happening the last post? The houses on the bus route are finally lit up. OK maybe not as much as last year but there is a recession going on. Speaking of lights I put up some lights around the fireplace on Friday. They are really pretty so I plug them in first thing in the morning so I can look at them as I potter about getting ready for work. I have to say it works really well ’cause they are white lights against black marble so there is an element of reflection going on.
My mother, sister & myself were off for the weekend visiting and delivering cards & presents etc. However when we went to visit my aunt on Sunday I realised it was the first decorated house I’d been in and there really is something about it that makes you break out in a big smile. After that visit we had the 2.5 / 3 hour drive home so I spent the evening in a daze – recovering from the journey and also trying to figure out where will I put the Christmas Tree next weekend? I’m still not sure I have a feeling that it is going to be a case of putting it together and then seeing what will fit where!
The one thing I was looking forward to when I came back from my travels was the Christmas edition of The Radio Times! According to a previous edition it was due out on Saturday but no joy – perhaps it will be in on Tuesday?! I popped my head in the door of the news agents this morning – no joy 😦 However I’m hoping for the edition that has the two dancers on it and not the dalek. I’ve gone off that stuff and Dr Who doesn’t exactly scream Christmas to me. On the other hand we’ll be getting 2 copies of it – one for me and one for himself (don’t ask!)
Speaking of Radio Times that leads me nicely into the topic of seasonal viewing 🙂 Who was watching Delia? I only want a small part of her house – boy was it fabulous! and as for the food – I think there will be one or two of those recipes experimented on over the next while. Tonight I’ll be watching Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas. Mind you I think I’ll be recording it as I’m going out tomorrow evening and will miss it – so record them and watch them as I decorate the tree!! That is a plan I’ve just come up with as I’m typing. Now I really am looking forward to Saturday 😀
Well I must go as I have to clock back in and dedicate myself to the company for the afternoon ;P
December 3rd
Yesterday we went to the National Craft Fair after work. There were two stalls that we had to buy stuff from so when we arrived we made bee-lines for them. The first was a pottery stall – last year we bought two cups and a milk jug – they had a holly motif and it was Christmas! This year we got two bowls (soup/cereal) a sugar bowl and a tankard shaped mug.
Then we toddled off into the food hall. There we picked up our Christmas pudding from Food For Thought in Carlingford – we got this last year and it was delicious! I had a slice of it every time I walked past it!!
I managed to do two other things that really needed to be done: Our dinner from M&S has been ordered = Turkey, Chicken & Duck Ballotine with pork & apricot stuffing all wrapped in prosciutto, also we are getting the vegetable medley – Yumms!
The other thing I managed to do was pick up some make-up. I don’t normally wear makeup but this is powder so it’s alot lighter!
Oh dear – I’m running late for work as per usual – it doesn’t help that I’m listening to christmas radio!!
December 2nd
I had a notion that I would like to make a blog post everyday for the month of December. However I have been foiled at the first hurdle and our internet went down yesterday and still hasn’t returned. I’m writing via my little net book – 3 cheers for a back up!
So this is my first December blog post:
Today we are definitely allowed to talk about Christmas! All throughout November we’ve been studiously ignoring what the shops have been doing. Ok secretly I’ve been basking in all of the sparkle:)
December 1st sees all of the stalls setting up on Henry Street in Dublin and that for me means it’s started. I was sitting in a coffee shop yesterday and just seeing the decorations up sees me a heart jump of glee. So with me glee I hoped on the bus going home last night and all I could see were twinkles. Our bus route passes through estates where there are houses dotted here and there with lights on the houses. Others just don’t have their curtains closed and we can see their tree lights blinking and some have candle bridges. Don’t tell anybody but I’m softening to candlebridges.
Last night Christmas kicked off with Delia. OMG but that food looked to die for! To top it off so did the house. I would sell my granny for a house half that size! We also took in the decorations and tree from the shed. I don’t think they will be put up until next weekend as I’m away this weekend. Yikes! just realised I’m going to have to get pressies for that trip!
Best dash for now – talk to you all soon!
Kitten Boldness
We came across some old photos:
In fairness himself put them in the pot – but it was a time of heady innocence. Now-a-days they will get into the pot themselves and it’s no longer considered innocent- it’s treated with suspicion. Ahh you may say – but I’ve seen what they’ve done to boxes – and they weren’t bothering anyone!
Ah yes lovely little pud-puds!
You can tell just by looking at them – Daisy (white & fluffy) very curious and naughty, Oscar – loves to have a lie down.
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