Mince pies and christmas pudding
Dec. 4th, 2004 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annwfynI'm going home today to stir the Christmas pudding and make mince pies.
Now I KNOW it is Christmas coming.
I've also got my plans for Christmas sorted. I'm spending Christmas Eve day at home, helping put up the Christmas Tree, handing out presents etc. I then pick uppierot from work and we drive down to Wales to see his parents. I spent the night there, and then drive back to London on Boxing Day to see my extended family.
This is my first Christmas away from home. There is something a little bit odd about that. A little bit scary. I'm still kinda trying to work things through in my mind. It's something I want to do. I think I need to make a new kind of Christmas for myself, a new way of doing things. That's moving on. It isn't right to try and cling to an old style family Christmas when my family has changed, when there are a whole new family that are involved. But tis scary. In some ways it feels like I'm losing another tiny bit of my mummy.
I miss her so much at Christmastime.
Mum loved Christmas. It was very much her time of year. Christmas stockings, the entire house decorated, a big social on Christmas Eve for friends, then Christmas Day for family and Boxing Day for the extended family. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' read aloud before an open fire on Christmas Eve evening and then midnight mass, which I think I went to with her. No one else ever really wanted to go, so it turned into the two of us. The entire thing had so many traditions, so many rituals.
And now it is going.
It needs to move on.
That's the thing I keep saying. Penny and Dad need their own Christmas and it must be harder for Penny's kids, with her having sold their childhood home to move to be with Dad. We all still have our own rooms, our own space. They don't anymore. We don't need to push our Christmas on them as well. It's like I think it'll be a good thing in some ways when Dad and Penny sell up and move.
But it's still kinda hard. Still saying goodbye.
Now I KNOW it is Christmas coming.
I've also got my plans for Christmas sorted. I'm spending Christmas Eve day at home, helping put up the Christmas Tree, handing out presents etc. I then pick up
pierot from work and we drive down to Wales to see his parents. I spent the night there, and then drive back to London on Boxing Day to see my extended family.This is my first Christmas away from home. There is something a little bit odd about that. A little bit scary. I'm still kinda trying to work things through in my mind. It's something I want to do. I think I need to make a new kind of Christmas for myself, a new way of doing things. That's moving on. It isn't right to try and cling to an old style family Christmas when my family has changed, when there are a whole new family that are involved. But tis scary. In some ways it feels like I'm losing another tiny bit of my mummy.
I miss her so much at Christmastime.
Mum loved Christmas. It was very much her time of year. Christmas stockings, the entire house decorated, a big social on Christmas Eve for friends, then Christmas Day for family and Boxing Day for the extended family. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' read aloud before an open fire on Christmas Eve evening and then midnight mass, which I think I went to with her. No one else ever really wanted to go, so it turned into the two of us. The entire thing had so many traditions, so many rituals.
And now it is going.
It needs to move on.
That's the thing I keep saying. Penny and Dad need their own Christmas and it must be harder for Penny's kids, with her having sold their childhood home to move to be with Dad. We all still have our own rooms, our own space. They don't anymore. We don't need to push our Christmas on them as well. It's like I think it'll be a good thing in some ways when Dad and Penny sell up and move.
But it's still kinda hard. Still saying goodbye.
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 12:32 pm (UTC)Christmas season (in a good way) starts with stirring the pudding mixture and making a wish. We used to do that & the cake at the autumn half term, because it meant everyone was home to kitchen skivvy (none of this just turning up to stir business - everyone pulling together to do all the stuff that needs doing :), and the results had time to mature/be thoroughly 'fed' with alcohol in the weeks between then and Christmas!
I haven't been able to be involved in that for a few years now, due to not getting half terms anymore...I could +almost+ be tempted to try making puddings here, but it's a big job for one, and our kitchen's a bit small to have the lads helping. That and a lack of Mrs Beeton's recipe!
(I think I shall be all domestic and copy out some of my favourite recipes from my mother's books while I'm home :)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 06:14 pm (UTC)They are also a really easy substitute for Christmas pudding. Easy to make in small space and makes everyone feel that little bit more christmassy. You could get some cutters in various shapes (we always have star and occasionally tree topped mince pies) and I'm sure even Dave and Simon could manage to cut out the pastry dough.
They are wonderful fun. If no one else wants to I would happily come and do some cooking with you one Sunday afternoon.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-07 02:48 pm (UTC)*remembers just how warm our tiny little kitchen is, especially if the oven is warming up*
no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 01:16 pm (UTC)Yeah, Christmas can be a hard time of year for a lot of people. All I can suggest is focus on the good memories, and try not to get caught up on the fac she's not there anymore.
And have some virtual hugs from me, huh?
J
no subject
Date: 2004-12-05 06:14 pm (UTC)Thank you darlin'
no subject
Date: 2004-12-06 12:00 pm (UTC)Moving on.