Merry Christmas!

A little belatedly (because of no Internet for a couple of days...):

Merry Christmas to all!

We have had a couple of very nice and quiet days after the hectic run up to Christmas. Isn't it strange how it ALWAYS is hectic in the run up, no matter how well you think you are prepared? But I guess it goes with the territory... My added complication this year was catching a nasty cold. It knocked me out a bit, but not too much. What is worse is that I have thus not tasted any of the Christmas dinner. Don't misunderstand me - I have EATEN it, but it is incredible how you need your nose to be able to taste the food! Not to worry - my men said it tasted better than ever, and I will most likely make the same meal again for New Year's Eve and hopefully my tastebuds will be restored again.

But Christmas Eve brought a surprise I had completely forgotten about. The lovely and very sweet Namaste from the blog Kreativ Impulsiv sent me the incredibly cute little "nisse-girls" on the bottom right in the collage above as well as really nostalgic little tablecloth (which I have forgotten to take a picture of so that will be later).

THANK YOU!

What an amazing surprise - and right in time! The little nisse-girls already belong to the Christmas tree decorations and I will be reminded of you every Christmas!

;-)

Christmas is the real time for traditions.

I am lucky being married to somebody who "only" knows how to celebrate Christmas through being with me so we do it MY way and there are no compromises to be made ;-)

But I noticed this year that even our "fixed" traditions change a little with time. Yes, we have porridge for lunch (with a secret almond in and a marsipan pig for prize), Our Boy gets a stocking with a magzine and some sweets and clementines in the morning on Christmas Eve (actually MY 44 year old stocking from the USA - top right in the top collage), we eat pinnkjott for Christmas dinner followed creme caramel pudding for dessert at 5 pm and open the presents thereafter.

But it dawned on me that these years in England has also brought some new traditions for us: we now have party crackers decorating the table (top right in the collage above), we play charades and groan and laugh at the silliest jokes in these crackers, I now prepare the Brussel sprouts with pancetta and I make roast potatoes (will post a great recipe some other time)  in stead of (boring) boiled potatoes. Ok, I admit they are not big and drastic changes, but for a day that for so many years was impossible to fantom could deviate from the fixed script, these are still changes.

Still, the events of Christmas Eve is very predictable in our house.

I admit Christmas is a very sensitive time and we miss our families and friends overseas, but given the weather and the difficulties with travelling this time of year -

this is still how WE like it.