We gathered loads of pine cones & dried them in the bottom oven (any warm place would do). We did the same with orange slices. Adding lots of cinnamon sticks & ash keys we mixed it all up. We added a few drops of essential orange oil - but actually it smells quite nice without this. And there you go, some nice home-made stuff to put in bowls around the house.

I find becoming engrosed in something creative is one of the best tonics. As it's too wet for gardening or walking (but not for going out for a drink or a meal with friends, which is my most favourite!) sewing will have to do. So it's bags and Christmas decorations at the moment...will show you the decorations in a few days, hopefully.

I think Margaret will be very comforted by the kind words about Maisie from fellow-bloggers.

Brian took this the other day, while the puddings were on the stove. I like it because of the steam

Maisie, our elderly Westie, has been showing increasing signs of her age and died yesterday, to our great sadness. She was fifteen so she did well, but it seems very strange in the house without her and will take some getting used to.
The cyclamen was purchased on impulse...they're cheery plants and we need some cheer at the moment. I am looking forward to the preparations for Christmas though, especially gathering the holly and ivy.

We are certainly not so precious as to turn up our noses at the tinsel and the baubles and the fairy lights,(no stark tasteful minimalism should enter our houses!) but we do try to make some more nature-inspired Christmas decorations also. Hence, some scrambling around the garden for these pine cones. After a long time in the slow oven they have opened out - now wait for the next bit, (and wait until you see Margaret's mantlepiece decorations). - No pressure, there Margaret!

Last Friday Brian had his Farm Assurance - which is a bit like an inspection for a dairy farm and happens every 18 months. I have never seen him so stressed out about the job as he was in the few days leading up to this. Anyway, we passed - a big relief. These are in for the next few months now and seem to have settled in well to their winter quarters

So many people have colds or flu at the moment...loads of folks at work...and 2 year old William is just recovering from one.
Seeing him reminded me of this favourite book that the children were given. It's called Ameliaranne and the Green Umbrella by Constance Heward with illustrations by Susan Beatrice Pearse. First published in 1920 it tells the story of the five little Stiggins who can't go to a party because they're all in bed with colds. Ameliaranne gets into trouble when she hides cakes and buns in her umbrella to bring home for them but it all ends happily when the Squire takes pity and sends them a basket full...ahhh! Yes, it is very dated but I just find the illustrations adorable...very Mabel Lucie Atwell-like.
Hope I'm not tempting fate here, talking about colds!

You all probably know that today is Stir-up Sunday; so I made that the excuse to get these puddings mixed. Getting the baking and cooking done is as much part of the preparation for Christmas as the ...famous...shopping! And also, depending on your mood, far more enjoyable.

Who can resist a hot water bottle on a chilly night? I've just made a woolly cover for it out of a man's scarf that I bought from a charity shop...it's really easy to recycle old knitted items in this way. Thought I'd have a go at a pom-pom (can't let the men have all the fun!) to finish it off. I'll need to wrest the hot water bottle off teddy though...looks like I might have a fight on my hands.

Could I add a couple of eggs to that last...wouldn't let me do a second edit....don't know why

Something about this nicely packaged, organic flour in that stall yesterday...combined with a plaintive, "there's nothing sweet in the house", (most unusually), spurred me on today to throw 6oz self-raising flour, 6oz butter, 6oz sugar, a couple of eggs, a little orange juice, a tablespoon of marmalade, a teaspoon of ground ginger into the mixer, transfer into a greased loaf tin and put in the Aga. Then...we had a power cut for an hour. Brian was in the middle of milking (naturally) and was worried one of the cows would get in the pit before he could get the emergency generator on. Anyway, the cake got a bit burnt round the edges. It tastes fine though. But..no photo. I wouldn't want to destroy my image of perfection, now would I....and believe me that is a joke!

Margaret & I went to Macclesfield today and found this treasure trove of a stall in the indoor market. It seemed to sell much local produce; there was lots of variety, and the quality, packaging and lay-out all appealed. Markets seem to be coming into their own...as many people are sick and tired of the bland superstore type of shopping. We do need an alternative, but for years many town markets had a jaded, downmarket feel about them. Isn't it interesting to think about why they are changing? You can still get the bargains, of course (I got some wool today at a very reasonable price), but there seems much more an air of excitement and entreprenaurship around.

I would definitely say that in the time/effort/result equation making mincemeat for your homemade mince pies really delivers. Apart from the shopping - it is so easy to do - no cooking - just a few minutes while watching the telly. Go on, I promise it is worth it.

It is not too late to chop up 2 Bramley apples and put in a big bowl with 8oz each currants, sultanas & raisins, 8oz shredded suet, 2 oz mixed peel; 8oz dark brown sugar, the juice & grated rind of 1 orange & 1 lemon and 5 tablspoons of whiskey (Brian's best malt, as it happens, in my case!) Give a good stir. Leave overnight and pack tightly into some clean jars. Seal. This is easy to do and much better than the bought variety.

Festive sewing has taken over our lives. It doesn't take much material to make these hearts...bits of red and green felt, hessian, wool, ribbon, buttons and so on...but what a mess it makes over every surface. They're becoming addictive - can't stop making them. Oh, just one more.

I was beginning to think this Christmas pudding would never get made. Noreen maintains that it's not the making that's the problem but gathering the ingredients. I have to agree, having just experienced a frustrating foray into a supermarket after work. This is something I've been pretty much avoiding lately...can't say I've missed it. It took me 20 minutes to locate 3 items...one of them suet, needed for the pudding. Anyway, it's finally assembled, well stirred and wished over...Les added his wish...best not to ask what it is - I haven't. (Not told him mine either!)

There comes the time of year where there is nothing to beat a nice fire. My grandmother used to have such a good fire going that people would involuntarily take a step back when they opened the room door - such was the blast of heat. You do hear people talk about the mess and the work involved...but in our view anyway, a real fire is worth it.

Oh, it seems too soon for snow. This was unexpected. We only had a thin covering and it was very slushy, but it really moves us on to winter...and winter means Christmas. The pudding fruit is soaking in brandy right at this moment...it does smell nice in the kitchen. I've yet to buy all the other ingredients though...tomorrow hopefully.

The geese are getting fat...but difficult to photograph as they strut off, indignantly, heads in the air, at the sign of a photographer. Excuse me for infringing your privacy, you lot, but...who do you think cleans out your shed?! Which reminds me, another job that needs doing. I was going to mention some Christmas cooking preparation that also needs doing...but that may be just a little insensitive...in the same breath, as it were, with cleaning out goose sheds.

By the way, I'm very glad that Usksider has re-appeared - we missed you!

As the weather is so foul I was really pleased that Georgia came to visit. I showed her the Christmas decorations I'd made and asked if she wanted to do some. Silly question. Soon the table was covered with all manner of bits...felt, ribbon, wool, buttons, glue. This child is such a creative soul...she produced some cartoon type drawings of Rudolf that we could use...they're just visible in the photo. And she was delighted when I gave her some beads with cat faces to decorate the hearts she'd done. A brill day after all.

It is hard to believe that this photograph was taken after 8am this morning - and the weather has gone downhill from there. At the moment it is trying to snow, but not the beautiful crisp, thrilling kind of snow...just big half-hearted flakes amongst the greyness & rain. Yep, it's being so cheerful that keeps me going!

Yesterday was a sad day in the village as it was the funeral of a lady who was a key person in the community and a bit like everyone's mother. The sadness was alleviated by the size of the crowd that turned out, and by the way she had obviously touched the lives of so many.

Looking for a little bit of light, myself this morning, my eye fell on this Christmas cactus. We have a few; this one always comes into flower in November. But the big one on the sitting room window-sill-which flowers in December has been in this house for over 40years...imagine!

I don't know how our lovely lady bears it this weather...it takes some stoicism. But as the foliage dies down, we see more of her and I'm pleased she's there. While not being an advocate of the garden gnome (that's an understatement!) I think a few special features can add a bit of interest, especially in winter when there's less to look at.

Brian finally got around to bottling the damson wine the other night. There were tubes, kettles of water and demi-johns all over the place. I made myself scarce, by attaching myself (just for a change!) to the computer. Quite why he chose to take the photograph with a Father Ted video, I really have no idea. I can only wonder at the strange association of ideas going on in his head at the time...

I decided I'd copy Noreen's brilliant way of using a pumpkin shell. The gem squash from before Hallow'een was languishing in the conservatory so I cut the top off it to use as an autumnal vase. Some of the greenery was picked from the garden and some, like the rosehips (love that vermillion) and bronze oak leaves, I found during a walk. It's too late now for any dahlias...they've all been blackened by frost, but I think it's ok without flowers.

Instead of throwing away the strained off damsons from the damson gin, put in the bottom of a dish. Mix together 2 eggs, 5oz self-raising flour, 4oz butter, 4oz caster sugar & 1oz ground almonds, (just throw all ingredients in a bowl and mix in one go). Put this on top of the damsons, and bake in a moderate oven. Delicious...or so I have been told by Brian. I'm cutting back, well, probably for about a day!

Following the success of Noreen's tea cosy, it seems there's some hidden talent going to waste here...Brian can make pom-poms and now Les says he can knit. When I proposed that Les and Brian set up a cottage industry making tea cosies and bobble hats Les backtracked hastily saying he can only do a stitch or two. No excuse - you just do more stitches. Why spend time watching Top Gear and I'm a Celebrity when you can use the time productively. I'll put my bright idea to Noreen...I've a hunch the men may need some persuasion though!

I finally got around to straining & bottling the damson gin last night. It has got the taste of dark, cold winter nights' comfort about it!

I'm going to experiment with the damsons which remained after straining - Watch, (as they say) this space.

This is carrot and coriander soup, made at the weekend. We've been eating it for lunch since then. That's what I like about soup...it's a big reward for little effort. It was made with lots of carrots, a couple of potatoes, a handful of red lentils, some vegetable stock and fresh coriander. After simmering well, I liquidise it in batches, return to the pan and add seasoning. Some has been frozen in plastic pots so that Les can take it to work for his lunch...how fortunate is this bloke?!

Well, for November we promised you cosy...so we made you a ...tea-cosy! Sorry. Anyway this brightens up the tea-pot and was easy and fun to make. Brian helped with the pom-pom. Mmmm wonder if he'lll talk about doing that with his farming friends at the market next Tuesday!?

All this talk of food recently (even more than normal) must be related to the increasing cold don't you think? We can't be the only ones who need warm, comfort food to get us through the dark winter months to come. Now the leaves have gone I realise that I need to buy some wild bird food for the feeders. The berries should provide a useful source as well...these cotoneaster berries are a favourite of mine in the garden...hope the birds can enjoy them as well.