Sunday 25th December 11

I was having a bit of a lie-in and at 9.30, our youngest came to wake me up to get me to come downstairs so they could open their presents.

We didn't have many presents this year... normally we don't 'do' Christmas that much, although Gill always puts a tree up and a few decorations. We've used the same 1960s artificial tree that belonged to Gill's mother since we met and started living together... apart from this year as I obtained a real tree with roots, very cheaply.  However, back to the presents.  I got 3 pairs of thick socks (excellent present) and a bar of chocolate and a wordy dice game called Alphabet Soup.  The boys got calendars and books.  Gill got a cheque from her sister.  And that was about it.

In the afternoon we all went out in the garden and I did a lot of tidying and composting.  Really enjoyed being outside.

We didn't do any special food... the tomato soup I made last night was much appreciated, and Gill did some potatoes to go with it.

I had a couple of good telephone conversations, including one with my Aunty Lizzie who has managed to move house and is now living close to cousin Bob in Beccles.  

Wednesday 15th December 10

I had intended to go to St Nicks today and help with some coppicing, but Gill wasn't feeling too brilliant so I decided to stay closer to home and do some work in the garden, chainsawing and compost bin filling, harvesting artichokes, tidying.

I popped round to the bread shop, and after lunch went into town to put in a cheque and find a 'seasonal gift' for the family.

I came back via Richard at Country Fresh, and made a really good nutloaf, with equal amounts of breadcrumbs and grated parsnip.  I also put all the dried red and yellow pepper in the liquidiser goblet and reduced it all to dust, sieved it so that I had a bowl full of sweet pepper paprika.  Melody came to pick up her Suma order, so I gave her a jar of the paprika as a seasonal present.  She gave us a bag of foraged nuts, some jam and chocolates.

The nutloaf was delicious.  I zoomed into town after tea as I wanted to attend the York Green Party AGM at the Guildhall.  I enjoyed this.  Then I visited Anna as she hires out TENS machines and I borrowed one for Gill.  However, I'd asked on Freecycle about one and I had an offer there too.

I enjoyed a science programme quite late into the night, and a nice facebook chat with my friend Lisa.  She is fun.

Thursday 25th December 08 'Christmas Day'

Well, I justabout survived the day.

Up early as we had quite a bit to do before I went to work. The boys enjoyed opening their presents, our youngest pleased with lego and eldest pleased with money instead so he can go and buy a 'Wii'. Gill had found an unused table football game (quite a big one, about 3 feet long) in a charity shop for only £5, and they were pleased with that. They unwrapped the legs first and were just a bit bemused as to what they were for. Gill was pleased with her new frying pan (she'd dropped enough hints) and I was tempted to go and fill up my chainsaw's oil port immediately but just resisted! Probably the best gift was Simon's home-made pestle and mortar, created from sheets of reclaimed birch ply, glued together into a sturdy block and then turned and carved and sanded down. The pestle is made in the same way. We already have a pestle and mortar... it rarely gets used and it's small enough to fit in the back of the cutlery drawer. As for Simon's, it's massive and beautiful and I'm not sure where it will go or whether we'll use it... but it is lovely and home-made presents are definitely the best!

Gill made my sandwiches and I packed my bike trailer, and I set off for the Novotel to go and perform an hour of Fiddlesticks and then unknown amount of Father Christmas, a role I really dislike as it's not me..... Professor Fiddlesticks is more the real me than I can be when being just John, if that makes sense, whereas Daddy Xmus is acting and very hard work. David was just getting ready so I signed his 'release form' which allows him to use the images, and started unicycling round, devilsticking and making balloon animals. Several people recognised me from last year and were very friendly, kids excited and keen to do the various circussy activities. The hour went very quickly and I went for lunch in a bedroom, got changed and came down for 1.30, walking very slowly, making sure my beard and cushion didn't slip, and doing a variety of deep Ho Ho Ho's and assorted other merry greetings. I'm sure I pulled it off pretty well, but it was hard work! I only had about 10 presents to deliver, this taking only 15 minutes... and I was finished, Hooray!

I got changed back into John and packed all my gear into the trailer and panniers and came home via Freshways who were open, and I bought some Halva as a treat.

Found out no-one else likes it, apparently.

Gill had made a lovely Christmas tea... the boys wanted noodles, I had the rems of nutloaf, all with roast veggies and a tomato and leek sauce. Lovely and completely non traditional!

We watched the Wallace and Gromit 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit' film together but I drifted in and out of sleep until the news after which I escaped from the Dr. Who Christmas special and went upstairs with my laptop and did assorted things, including watching two extremely moving YouTube videos:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mrOwvNnTeD4&NR=1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Z7rV7kKnI&NR=1
after which I joined the Aaron Fotheringham fan page on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38047288049&ref=ts
as he's someone I really admire. Totally inspirational!

Came back down for a family viewing of the new Wallace and Gromit, 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' which was ok. The boys eventually went to bed and I prepared a big pile of waste mangoes for drying. Each one has a one or two small bruises or bad patches, with the rest of the mango being very tasty and lovely. Did about 15 of them... Two cake-racks loaded with mango slices, balanced precariously on top of the 6 gallon pan on the stove...

Thursday 18th December 08

Went early to the station so to get the 8 something train to Sheffield so I could get to see Ali before her meeting. I got the tram to her house and was there for just after 10 and had a nice chat with her son who was most civil and pleasant... made me a cuppa before he went out.

The meeting went well and went on for 2 hours, after which I went to the local Co-op and did some shopping for her... and our lunch which she hadn't got in!

Ali's carer came and we soon went to pick up Ali's daughter from school.. and she was delighted to see me, and I was just as happy to see her! She and the carer went to buy some Christmas presents for Mum, whilst Mum and I went to a supermarket to get a load of stuff to help their Christmas be 'traditional'... presents for neighbours who help her, for her carers, relatives, both her children and even something for my boys!

When we got back to Ali's house I gave her 5 year old her wrapped present, to put under the tree (which isn't up yet) and the Flipside Vision Climate Change Calendar to Ali. Then I went to get the tram down to the station.

My brother lives very close to the station so I walked up to his place where he was expecting me, and I joined their family meal of nutloaf, red cabbage and parsnips... lovely!

Then I dished out their presents and another 3 calendars, one for my bro and family, one for my sis and her hubby and another for my folks, when they get back from their globetrotting. After cuddles with their three kiddies and a short but good chat, I went back down to the station and got a train to Doncaster (good chats to a pair of Christian youth workers) and eventually, a train back to York, getting in just before 10. A long day.

Gill had put up our usual Christmas tree, which is an old 'artificial' tree which Gill's Mum first bought in the early 1960s... and it's been reused nearly every year. On some years we've got a branch of a tree and done a 'pagan style' decorated non-Christmas tree, and I think once I was given a mis-shaped 'real' tree which I was happy to use before shredding and composting it. But we like our really old well-re-used plastic jobbie... very eco-friendly!