Apple muncher's number crunching

apple_muncher

Santa has been visited. Next door's dd's present has been purchased. Pink felt has been found. Friend has been coffeed with. Aldee shopping has been done. We found parking spaces and were not been blown too far by the wind. Dd has been a delight despite being tired and weary. She has decorated our real tree for us, thus earning herself a chores sticker. I suspect dh may change some of them once she is asleeep...! Now to chill out and maybe wash up and wrap a few more bits and bobs.

I have heard of much sadness in people's lives at the moment. It is a time for me to count my blessings - of which I have a myriad - and be grateful and joyful.

apple_muncher

An utterly lazy day. Bliss. Unusual to get little bit bored! And obviously a new feeling for dd...

4 hanging lavender owls all made and a few more mice cut out, using yesterday's pink felt purchase. 3 parcels sent - yep, waaay to late for Christmas but, hey, wasn't it the Magi who brought the gifts? In that case, I'm well ahead of schedule...

Felt stash tidied up - not short of pink or red!

Dh went out to give blood 2 hours ago... So I have cooked my version of a korma. Saves using the jar, and I'm rather pleased with my efforts.

Pearla*Merle

Well done for officially posting before the 25th! I've failed miserably at that... Good point about the Magi though....!

Korma sounds divine, any hints or tips? Much more cooking from scratch is my plan for next year

PS. Hope you had something nicet to drink with it

apple_muncher

You are up very late, Pearla! All I did for the korma was look at the ingredients on the jar from aldee that I was going to use, then looked along the spices we have and lined them up in the order they appeared, put them in decreasing quantities in a small container and voila! Also added polenty of creamed coconut and cream at the end. Fraid I just drank my usual water with it!

Dh left early to go and have his eye prodded and poked again, and should be home soon.

I got in an epic workout: two ZWOWs!

Dd is having a pyjama day (she's still under the weather with a cough and cold, so it is a good idea) and her Sylvanian Families magazine arrived so she is absorbed in that.

All I need to do today is make cherry bakewells (and some cakes). We'll leave a bakewell out for Santa, and some cakes and bakewells are for some friends.

Off to have a read...

apple_muncher

Bakewells and cakes made and delivered to friends. They were all severely sprinkled by dd - several sprinkle accidents occurred! Dd joined me on a walk - a bracing one indeed. And we are off soon to look for Santa and his sleigh.

Dh's eye is painful but as the day has gone on, it has improved a little.

I have sewn up over a dozen mice, but they are still blind as black is the best yarn to use for that.

Reading about the mountains of food some are preparing makes me wonder if I take the simple approach too far... But we are only feeding the 3 of us; dd will have her usual fare; dh is the only one who consumes alcohol. Simples really. So it is smoked salmon + scrambled egg for breakfast, and gammon + something for lunch (dh is supposed to be cooking hte gammon today...). We seem to have plenty of chocolates under the trees and in the cupboards too.

We shall not be going hungry!

I remember my dad laughing when the shops started selling the brussels still attached to the stalks instead of loose, as if it was a new idea they had invented. Still makes me smile!

Hmmm, ideas/plans/resolutions for 2016 need a ponder. Cannot really just carry over the ones from this year, and last... . However, there are still 7 days to mull them over.

Got paid today - 4 days early - but shall leave it until about the 30th. However, then I shall ensure we dip into the 39Ks to start the year off well.

apple_muncher

We have seen the sleigh! :j It was much harder to spot than last year, but we knew where to look this time... Now we just need dd to get to sleep as usual and stay asleep and all will go smoothly...

CathT

My 2 have asked to go to bed. Not especially early for them but this is typical of them Christmas Eve. Now the real work starts getting presents out of hiding places, doing final wrapping and arranging everything under the tree.

Very low key here this year too, just a glamorous Sunday lunch for the four of us. I've found last hers tablecloth but wouldn't have worried if it wasn't found.

Hope dd settles and sleeps well for you.

Also, being in the 39's sounds like an excellent way to start the year!

apple_muncher

Dd is finally in bed but is coughing so much and simply not well, all of a sudden. Poor mite.

Forgot to mention earlier that I had an offer from the exam board to work for them again this summer - both moderating the speaking and marking the writing. Yay! Speaking is normal, but nets little pay for the amount of admin and problems it throws up. Writing looks much better! And if dh is jobless by then, then we shall need all the extra pennies.

Down side is that the time frames for both coincide almost to the day, so lots to do for an intensive few weeks, and it is when I'll still be working 4 days per week, although y11-13 will be gone.

That'll be a month out of my crafting time then...


ps: have told dd that even if she does not manage to sleep tonight, Santa will still leave her stocking presents. However, if she doesn't sleep, then niether will I be allowed to - hmmm, more problematic then, getting those pressies into the stocking...

apple_muncher

CathT - child free at 6.30 pm? Sounds idyllic! Hope you have a lovely evening getting prepped and all enjoy tomorrow together xx

apple_muncher

Dd went to sleep coughing- at around 10 pm- and woke us at 6.25, coughing. Could've been worse...

Merry Christmas to one and all!

We have been very blessed with gifts. I have been given sooooo much to eat that I despair of ever decreasing my girth. All gluten-free so I simply cannot give any away or share with the 'normal' people in my life!

Dd's favourite present is a China doll I found for £2😁. And when she opened the dresses I'd knitted for her dolls, she exclaimed, "I seriously underestimated you, and what you could make,mummy!" Nice to be able to surprise her still.

The only blot on the horizon is snot, and we may run out of balm tissues...