Christmas + Boxing Day

On this side of the pond, the day after Christmas is Boxing Day. I've always seen this marked on calendars, but had not the slightest clue as to what it was. Now that I'm in the land of its origin, I decided it was time to do some research. It turns out Boxing Day is called so because charitable organizations went around asking for donations . . . one website sites that you offer gifts from your Christmas box. However, it seems it's actually a celebrated holiday, maybe kind of an extension of Christmas? Because Christmas was on a Saturday this year, Boxing Day is today! Apparently it's a good day for shopping, kind of like Black Friday, and there's a full day of watching Rugby and "football." I think I'll make chicken soup. 
(For more insight check out this site.)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas; we enjoyed a nice evening with friends and I learned a great deal about the Dutch and Icelandic Christmas stories (it is fascinating, in Iceland there are 13 Yule Lads that are quite mischievous and the Dutch story is that Santa Claus arrives on December 5th from Spain by a great big ship filled with gifts, he then mounts a white horse and sets out to deliver presents!). 

happy holidays!

Thanks so much for sending us treats, we miss you!
p.s. Can you find our resident turkey amidst the presents?

It's been a while since my last post, it feels like a lot has happened since then. . . I sent a bunch of my applications in so I took some days off to do some leisurely reading. I'm reading Frederick Seidel's book, Going Fast and I'm nearly finished reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and what next? I'm thinking either John Berryman's biography or Twilight of the Mammoths. I love choosing a new book! I did a bit of Christmas shopping for everyone back home this week too, which was quite fun. I'm finding some cool stuff. And Ray is now off from school!


It snowed again the other night, it was just enough to coat everything in lovely white. Yesterday morning I went out and the snow was unsullied. One of my favorite things is finding animal tracks in freshly fallen snow. I found little paw prints near our front door, likely the cat I've been seeing in our backyard and a winding trail of bird feet prints. I think my other favorite thing is how the snow sits on the wiry branches of trees and on the roof tops, of course. 

back in the land of the living.

After living like Zombies for a few days, we've recovered from the cold and are back as real people! However downtime wasn't lost on me, I took to the Christmas movies and have now watched The Muppet Christmas Carol, Home Alone (1 and 2) and Elf. Then I finished reading David Sedaris's book, Holidays on Ice, which was very very funny. He reads a few of the stories on various "This American Life" shows and it's quite a treat to hear him read!  

I just love when Scrooge makes the change. Good song, too.

our first snow!

A photo of a "gingerbread house" I made a few years ago,
designed mostly in an effort to have a truly delicious  gingerbread house, not just a decorative piece.
If I recall, it worked. 

We woke this morning to a thin layer of snow on the ground. . . Is it time to hang the Christmas stockings and decorations? 

the weekend.

Guy Fawkes Day:
November fifth is Guy Fawkes Day here in England. Guy Fawkes was in charge of protecting the explosives that were to be used in the Gunpowder Plot set out by Robert Catesby, in his plan to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch. However, authorities were tipped off that there might be something suspicious in Westminster Palace, so on November fifth 1605, they searched and found Guy Fawkes guarding the explosives in a storage room beneath the House of Lords. He was then questioned and tortured the following days and finally gave the details about the plot. Before his scheduled execution on January 31, he jumped from the platform where he was to be hanged, breaking his neck, and avoiding the drawing and quartering that was to come.  So in remembrance of him, people shoot off fireworks and have bonfires. (I think it might help to get an insider's take on this one. . .) 


Saturday evening we took a walk to the Victorian Christmas Fair in town! which looked promising, except that vendors were packing up early. There were stands with knitted items, spices, cheese, Harry Potter treasures, stones and gems, nuts and dried fruit, Turkish Delight, cookies and breads, jewelry, hot chocolate and cider, AND the vendors were dressed in Victorian attire. Quite lovely, really. We picked up a very tasty cupcake along the way. 


Fantasy Football took off on Sunday evening, and so far my team is looking pretty good, Ray is also winning. Plus, I saw the Saints won, LSU won, and the Hornets won. Nicely done!


Yesterday I decided we needed a treat, so I baked cinnamon rolls. And they are delicious.

Ray gives them a thumbs up. 

Here is a picture I've been meaning to post, of the new scarf I found at a vintage clothing store in the arcade.