Advent a time of preparation, waiting and hope

We are now well and truly in the season of Advent. The time leading up to Christmas when we busily prepare for the special day and festivities, and of course when we have our daily fix of chocolate from our Advent Calendars! 

For many Christians Advent is a time of expectant waiting.  The anticipation of Christmas when we celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus. 

Immanuel ..God with us

It is also a time when we look to the fulfilment of the promise that He will come to us again.  This is our sure and certain Hope.

I love this time of preparation, waiting and hope.  
Excitement wells up within me as I look forward to the celebration of Christmas with family and friends. Traditions, laughter, silliness, gifts, food and fun.  Remembering memories of old and the making of new memories.  All a blessing that fills the heart with joy.  But of course the very real and very true meaning of Christmas cannot be over shadowed by all this.  The important season of Advent which precedes it, prepares and makes expectant the heart to receive the fullness of the joy of Christmas.  

"Great little One! whose all-embracing birth

Lifts Earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to Earth."

Be blessed this Advent

A simple craft idea with hearts........

Last night I sat in front of the fire and spent an hour making a heart garland using an idea I found on the internet.  

Easy, Easy Easy!!

This is how I did it..........

This is such a simple and easy idea.  Go on... have a go and show me how you got on!

Click on the link for full and clear instructions.

Paper Punch Hearts

Autumn - It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I can't imagine living in a climate with no seasons. Don't get me wrong, I am sure there must be advantages in waking to wall to wall warmth and sunshine every single day of the year.  It would certainly help with making plans.  We had planned to finish the work in our garden today, but having woken to heavy rain and day time darkness, we find ourselves instead drinking tea in the warm and dry, both occupying our time in other ways. 

For all the unpredictability of our weather, I would always prefer to live in a seasonal climate, and fickle as I am, the current season is usually my favourite.  This Autumn is no exception with the its beautiful jewelled colours, misty mornings, the feint chill in the air, and smells of  late afternoon bonfires or coal fires lit to warm chilly homes, whilst robust stews are bubbling on the stove.

It is at this time of year, that an inner compulsion to 'nest' and prepare for the winter months comes to the fore. Christmas pokes it's head on the far horizon, and thoughts turn to preparing it's Provender. 

Chutney has been made with my autumnal gifts from friends.  

This week we found the elusive sloe and picked enough to make 2 litres of rich ruby red Sloe Gin.  

SLOE GIN RECIPE

450g/1lb sloes

225g/8oz caster sugar

1 litre/1¾ pint gin

Preparation method

Prick the tough skin of the sloes all over with a clean needle and put in a large sterilised jar.

Pour in the sugar and the gin, seal tightly and shake well.

Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every other day for a week. Then shake once a week for at least two months.

Strain the sloe gin through muslin into a sterilised bottle.

Onions were bought from the farm shop, to pickle in vinegar and fiery spices. Prepared now, they will add their zing to our cold meats on Boxing Day.

I am unusually late in baking the Christmas cake and Christmas puddings.  These are usually prepared and cooked around mid October, and are always, (well with very few exceptions!) a shared event with my dear friend Nikki; a tradition of some 18 years. Her village am dram commitments, and our busy diary, have delayed this annual event by a couple of weeks. The sense of occasion that this traditional Baking Fest brings, along with the heady smells of sherry and the fruits soaking in brandy, and the cooking aromas of the cakes and puddings which fills my home, reminds me that all is well in my Autumnal world, and feeds my nesting instincts.

Yes Autumn is a feast for the senses, and for me the most homely time of year and my favourite!! 

The Wild Geese

Ancient Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit

SOMETHING TOLD THE WILD GEESE

By Rachel Field

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go,

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, "snow."

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, luster-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spice,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly,

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry

Loved this poem..........worthy of sharing!

When is a cream tea not a cream tea? .....When it's taken in Bosham!

Our lovely friends Al and Lynda visited us at the weekend. They live in the West Country...Devon to be precise; a county rich in picture postcard perfection, and chocolate box wonderment when it comes to scenery and beautiful places to visit.

In wanting to show them both why living in this neck of the woods offers some charm all of it's own, we took them to Bosham which is tucked just inside West Sussex between Portsmouth and Chichester.

The weather continued to be glorious and this weekend proved no exception, giving us another warm, cloudless autumnal day.

It was high tide when we arrived, so we walked through the village to the small meadow by the quay. Here we sat in the sunshine and watched the world go by. 

Bosham attracts many visitors who like us were keen to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Children were crabbing in the water, dingys were sailing past in the breeze, and all the while the church bells were ringing out, ushering in the wedding party for the three o'clock wedding.

The bride was fashionably late keeping us waiting for our afternoon tea. 

We had our cuppa in the tea shop in the Craft Centre.  Tea, scone, jam but no cream I'm afraid!  A Sussex Cream Tea is, for those who herald from the west, a poor relation to a Devon Cream Tea.  The missing essential ingredient being of course clotted cream!!

So all in all, a lovely afternoon.  Relaxed and replete, we returned home for an evening of wine, curry and Strictly Come Dancing!

Circle Me ......

Circle Me

Circle me, Lord.

Keep protection near

and danger afar

Circle me, Lord.

Keep hope within

Keep doubt without

Circle me, Lord.

Keep peace within

Keep turmoil out

Circle me, Lord.

Keep light near

And darkness afar

Circle me, Lord.

Keep calm within

Keep storms without

Holy Island Summer 2008

Circle me, Lord

Keep strength within

Keep weakness out

Nehemiah 8:10

The Might Three
My protection be
Encircling me

Hone!

You are around my life, my home,

Encircling me

O Sacred Three

Space to think

Every once in a while, life chucks a swerve ball, that catches you unawares.  Sometimes this can wind you, and you need some space to take it all in......space to think.

A special place for me to go when this happens is St Huberts Church.  Sometimes known as Idsworth Church, or even still the little church in the field. 

The church is old..very old.  I am sure that over the centuries many pilgrims have come to sit and contemplate life.

A furlong from
the nearest habitation,
a field without,
in splendid isolation,
and yet, within,
a wealth of decoration

Whatever the season, in fact whatever the mood, this tranquil little church offers peace, stillness, and a moment away from it all.

Autumn gifts

I have some really lovely friends who have recently blessed me with some of the bounty from their gardens.

Sam and Nick passed me some apples and duck eggs whilst at church last Sunday, and the previous evening Jo and Dave came for dinner bringing a bag of pears.

The duck eggs went to make a special cake for my work colleague Linda to celebrate her birthday!

I love how in life the simple things often bring the most pleasure!  The Apple and Toffee cake went down a storm at work during our morning elevenses.

There was no question what to do with the apples and pears.  This perfect autumn gift would be transformed into CHUTNEY!

A chutney is a mixture of fruits and or vegetables (fresh or dried), cooked with sugar, spices and vinegar.  It is a most rewarding preserve, quick and easy to make, and is perfect to use the glut of produce so generously given.

I made mixed fruit chutney, adding plums and dates to the apples and pears. Plums are always a favourite of mine, and were the added idea of my lovely Mum.  Incidentally I bought the plums from the green grocer, and noticed that they were called 'Marjorie' which made me smile, as this is my Mum's real name.

Making chutney is easy.  Prepare the fruit by washing, peeling and chopping and add to your preserving pan or large sauce pan.

Add all your ingredients, stir, then bring to the boil.

Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer.

As the chutney simmers, it is good to stir it frequently.  As it simmers you see the chutney change colour to a darker more golden colour.

The colour of your final product is often determined by the vinegar that you use.  Malt vinegar gives added flavour, but will always give a darker chutney, but if you use white vinegar, you allow the fruit to colour your chutney, which is what I have done on this occasion.

While the chutney simmers and fills your home with rich aroma, it is time to prepare your jars. It is vital that your jars are spotlessly clean and dry.

A bottling funnel is a great idea, as it saves splashing your clean jars and delicate fingers with boiling chutney.

See how the funnel avoids any faff whilst bottling your chutney.

Before you put your lids on, which by the way should be done when the chutney is still warm, cut out circular discs from greaseproof paper and lay them directly on the top of the chutney.  With the lids now on the jars, it is time to label your jars.

And of course, decorate the jars to give that shabby chic look.....

And there you have it....mixed fruit chutney ready to set aside to be eaten at Christmas time with all the lovely cold meats and pickles.

It has been a great afternoon's work turning this........

into this..........