MLK Weekend 2020 - Old Twelfth Night

Friday, January 17, 2019

Dale came home around noon and the snow started in at 1:30 p.m. 

Did some reading today in Nigel Slater's book, The Christmas Chronicles. He writes, "Those sad souls who fail to appreciate the cold months might feel better when they remember that the winter solstice was once the time of much making merry. The festivities lasted from harvest until Candlemas. Drunkenness, debauchery and feasting were the rules of the day. A far better idea than sitting around moaning about the cold and rain." (p.433)

There's no debauchery going on around here and certainly no drinking due to our dry January. However, according to Slater, today, the 17th, was Old Twelfth Night.

According to Wikipedia, "In some places, particularly southwest England, Old Twelfth Night is still celebrated on 17 January. This continues the  custom of the Apple Wassail on the date that corresponded with 6 January on the Julian calendar at the time of the change in calendars enacted by the Calendar Act of 1750."

The Third Day of Christmas - A Day on the Couch

Friday, December 27, 2019

The Third Day of Christmas

A day with nothing planned! I hung around the house all day. 

I got in a lot of reading. Many Christmas books to look at. I've enjoyed re-reading parts of The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. I appreciate his full embrace of the Christmas season and his desire and effort to create a truly festive atmosphere in his home. 

I also had time to listen to Christmas music including some Bing Crosby. All in all is was a great day of relaxation. Extended time on the couch is what I've needed for a while. 

Pre-Holiday Season 2019: Martinmas

Monday, November 11, 2019

Martinmas snuck up on me this year. Work has been stressful and I've already been sick a few times. That's unprecedented. Currently I'm dealing with a very mild respiratory condition, but still. Three times ill in just over two months of school?  No fun. Also, Dale's been dealing with some overwhelming work issues as well so things have been a little gloomy around our household. We're trying awfully hard to keep our spirits up but that can take extra energy which can be hard when one is exhausted. 

Anyway, yard work is mostly done. Leaves are raked and bagged. I didn't quite finish cutting back all the plants I wanted to but it'll have to either wait for spring or the increasingly less likely warmer day. It's gotten quite cold recently and it's snowed a little here and there. Today we only got up to around 15 degrees. 

Last year Dale and I made a chicken pot pie to mark Martinmas. Today we had no such special dinner. Nigel Slater, a food writer I follow, will make a ham on Martinmas as something of a practice run for the ham he'll make for Christmas. I'm not that ambitious, however, I will note that I ate a ham sandwich for lunch. 

For me, Martinmas is developing into a day to mark that yard work is done, winter is inevitable, and that it's time to turn my energies inward to hearth and home. 

Holiday Season 2018: Martinmas Day - Winter Weather and Walking Athena

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Inspired by Sasha's (see previous post) desire to be up and about and brave the world I decided to take on the cold and snow and go on a walk with Athena immediately upon arriving home. The Christmas cards I bought at Squire House yesterday features a linoleum print titled Morgan's First Snow by Leslie Evans. 

Now, Athena's been out in the snow many times  so it's nothing new to her. She loves it and it continues to amuse me how much so. 

I'm reading a book titled The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. It features notes, stories and recipes for the winter season. I'm taken by the author's true love of winter and Christmas and all the sentiment behind it. The man really adores the season and looks for to it every year -  cold, snow, and all. He reminds me of Dale and his deep love of winter time. 

The author lives in London and he laments how little snow they actually get there now with climate change. He states that the last substantial snow they got was back in 2013. I may be feeling differently about it in March but I'm really appreciating the snow right now and how pretty and calming it is. 

We weren't able to quite get up all the leaves before the snow fell this year.

Out and about on a walk with Athena. Enjoying the cold, snow, and winter in general. So good to be mobile and able to explore my world. Thanks for the inspiration, Sasha.