10 Christmas things

• The decorations and tree were all packed away this morning.  I enjoy feeling Christmassy during Advent, but once it's over, it's over.  The house feels so spacious and tidy without the tree!  Every year it reminds me of this book - a favourite with C and O when they were little.
• I have left the jugs of holly and ivy up on the mantelpiece.  They feel wintry rather than Christmassy.

• I like this week between Christmas and New Year very much indeed - there is a feeling of time being suspended; the pause button being on.  Rules are relaxed and things are more free-form.   
• I made a wallet for my new Kindle.  It is padded with quilt wadding, so that I can drop the Kindle into my satchel without fear of it being scratched or turning itself on.


• I love the juxtaposition of grey, functional, electronic gadgets and bright fabric cases.  My phone, my laptop, my camera and my iPod all live in padded sleeves like this.
• There is good cooking to be done in this holiday week.  At lunchtime we had a glorious Boxing Day soup of leek and potato with some of the leftover roast chicken from yesterday.  I also used the leftover giblet stock and a slug of champagne that we somehow failed to finish yesterday.  There is no other time during the year when I would put champagne in soup.
• Tomorrow's cooking will focus on the leftover sausagemeat stuffing.  I always make about twice what I think we will need so that we will have some spare.  I think this year it will end up in a spicy tomato and pepper stew.
• As well as my Kindle I also received some actual books for Christmas - River Cottage Veg Everyday is as wonderful as I hoped it would be.  Once all the leftover chicken and stuffing is finished, I shall be turning my attention back to vegetable-based meals which is how we eat most of the time.
• I love not getting up until the sun has risen - it feels incredibly decadent.
• We're still eating (and baking) mince pies.  Everyone in this house loves mince pies.