by safe arrivals
Our middle daughter and our granddaughters arrived late this afternoon safe, sound and tired from their long flight from London, England with only slight delays but nothing like during last year’s snowstorms. How excited we all were to see each other but soon after a barely eaten dinner, they went to bed early. The girls’ daddy will be coming on Monday.
Youngest daughter had her last day of work today until the new year so now begins the countdown with all the baking to be done with many helping hands. First I need to restock the pantry! The house is prettied up, just the main tree still to do and just a couple of gifts still to buy, as well as the ham, the bird and vegetables closer to the big days.
Hope you are all enjoying the holiday preparations. We wish a safe journey to all travellers including our eldest daughter and partner heading out to Calgary for a few days. They will be joining us on Boxing Day. My holiday card and wishes will come next week!
December 16, 2009 in Culture, Current Events by Marja-Leena
Enjoy the preparations and your family, so glad to hear they all arrived safe and sound. And wonderful holiday wishes!!
Sounds like the holidays have started beautifully! Enjoy this time with your family.
Hope your season is filled with light and spice and … jingle bells! Don’t forget the jingle bells! For the bird, are you thinking duck, goose, or turkey?
Glad your family is gathering and that their travels were safe. Enjoy all the holiday preparations – I think your family is very lucky to have you to provide such warmth, beauty, and love for them!
Julia, thank you, nice to hear from Prague. Happy holidays to you and your family too.
Maria, thanks. Youngest daughter and her older niece are having fun making paper snowflakes right now. I’ve just got back from buying the baking ingredients and start that tomorrow! How about you?
R, thanks, it will be fun with the young ones around. And the bird will be an organic turkey.
Beth, thanks so much for your sweet words and good wishes! I wish you, and every blog friend here, could drop by for some of my Christmas baking. Wouldn’t that be something?!
It’s going to be a wonderful holiday for you all. I just know it and I’m glad.
Susan, thank you and I hope you will be having a wonderful holiday too! Virtual Christmas cookies coming your way!
I’m so glad that your family arrived safely. I hope everyone else can also head off threatened strikes and snowstorms.
My poor father slept for about 15 hours the day after he arrived in England. I’m sure the journey (not to mention the dark sky) tired and confused him!
What will you be baking? My mother and I have made so many old favorites together this week. We even made a gingerbread house. It is such a comforting, cozy way to visit and feel the link with past happy Xmas memories. Not to mention the cookies themselves!
Bee, thanks for the wishes. Those long flights are an endurance test! J is flying on Monday from what I hear is a very snowy London so hope he has no problems. Then eldest daughter and partner are driving down through mountain passes on Boxing Day so we hope for fair weather.
A gingerbread house! Eldest daughter used to make them for many years and even won a prize once. I don’t bake as much as I used to, just four favourites this year: Finnish Christmas stars (plum tarts) and gingersnaps (thinner than gingerbread cookies), German stollen, and Italian biscotti with cranberry and pistachios. The granddaughters bake lots of cookies with their mom to add to it all. No wonder we all have to go on a diet in the New Year, heh!
It will be wonderful. I know how beautiful your house is, and with Christmas decorations reflecting your taste and skill, it must be amazing to see. Best to you and yours over the holidays.
Hattie, thank you for your kind words! It’s all a lot of work but worth it. One day when I’m really old, I can sit back and let the daughters do it ALL or we’ll escape to Hawaii for a rest, rather like my in-laws used to do.