The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2024 Part 3

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Welcome to thread three.

The Christmas Chronicles is the story of Nigel Slater’s love for winter. Taking you from 1 November all the way to early February, The Christmas Chronicles covers everything from Bonfire Night, Christmas and New Year to Epiphany. Throughout the season, Nigel offers over 100 recipes to see you through the build-up, the celebrations and the aftermath.

Anyone who hasn't yet joined in, there's still a big chunk of the book to go as you can see from the description above. It's in diary form with an entry most days and is easy to dip in and out of.

Anyway, welcome friends new and old. Pull a cosy chair closer the the fire, light a candle, pour a glass of something warming and settle in.

Beautiful weather today with a first for me, frosty sand dunes.

More gorgeous photos today. Shattered today after waking at 4am then getting the car to the garage for a service at 8. I had booked into the hairdressers for 9, so had to walk around the village for an hour in icy -1 temps till the salon opened.

@Bimblesalong we are all good now after a week at home and mostly better. I hope the last 9 weeks of your treatment go as smoothly as possible. You've been so incredibly positive and it can't have been easy, especially given that your treatment has spanned the Christmas period. This might sound horribly naff, but it is meant sincerely. I think you're an inspiration and I've loved seeing all your beautiful knitting along the way ❤️

@piscofrisco hope you managed to get an appt for your DD2 and all got sorted.

I've snipped the Christmas cards up with pinking shears. Mr Darcy thought this was great fun and almost had his whiskers snipped off! Here's a pic of him going bonkers for the offcuts and also one from this mornings wander round the village.

We're staying at my parents on the Kent coast at the moment. DD and I went for a walk as the sun set, the sky was just beautiful. We're heading home tomorrow, hopefully before the icy weather hits!

My absolute favourite type of weather today ❄️enjoyed a beautiful sparkly frosty walk this morning crunching across the ground - will be back to wading through the mud tomorrow no doubt but will enjoy it while it lasts! Tree and decs down very sad and lots more cleaning to do this weekend. Beautiful night skies at the moment too loving the stars 🌟

Ooh twas a chilly morning to be traipsing and waiting. Hope you've kept warm and cosy later.

4 January

Pear and pickled radish

A ripe pear is a lovely thing, and they are still with us. Tubby as a cherub, their flesh butter-soft, especially if you watch over them as carefully as you might a sick child, and have the patience to wait for the day they reach perfection. It is a fleeting moment, more so than even an avocado

Is that Deal @Bearsinmotion?
Hope your Barnet looked nice after your chilly wait @RainbowZebraWarrior. That's commitment!
Lovely pics @HannahDefoesChristmasHamper.

No appointment for dd. And she has her first mock a level on Monday to add to the woe. She is due to go to her dad's today as she hasn't seen him much over Christmas. It's much warmer in his house than ours (no idea why but our house is always colder than everyone else's no matter what we do), so might be the best place for her at this point! We at last have a proper frost this morning and the garden looks very pretty. 65% chance of snow tonight even for us. I'll believe it when I see it.

Dh is off to Biarritz tomorrow for a 3 day workmeeting, (jolly), And dd allowing we are child free today so just trying to work out what to do with our lovely spare day.
It will include trying to get hold of some pears and radishes, as that sounds right up my street and I'm craving vegetables! The pickled pears from late November are still one of my favourite things from the book so happy to give the radishes a bash.

A lovely chilly Saturday to all

I’m having bit of a think for pears at the moment (with truffled cheese!) so today’s is right up my street!

As we reach the end of this year’s readings I really want to thank @RainbowZebraWarrior for doing a marvellous job of keeping things going. Also to the rest of you for your companionship- the writing and photos have been wonderful. It’s been a very special source of loveliness in a difficult winter.

Completely agree @Bimblesalong.

Thank you so much @RainbowZebraWarrior for this wonderful calming thread. It has been very much needed during these last few weeks and has been a very welcome balm to the fraught days over Christmas.

And much thanks also to all the other posters and their stories and photos.

Hopefully happy and healthier times are ahead for you all x

Well spotted @piscofrisco , yes!

@Bearsinmotion dh and j sort of went to deal hg mistake in October. We loved it there! Such a lovey place. So much delicious food!!
Yes I'll second @Bimblesalong the you for this thread @RainbowZebraWarrior, it's been a lovely place to Bob in to. We've a little while yet mind xx

Thank you for the thank you's. We have another month to go as the book takes us up to candlemas 😊

I also recognised that beachfront @Bearsinmotion as I used to stay at the Royal Hotel there when I travelled with work. I'd get up every day at 5 and either go for a run or a crunchy walk along the beach.

Hope everyone stays safe and doesn't have to venture far this evening. I see Wales already has some snow and I'm just looking at the radar for the rest of the night. It could be interesting. It's not due to hit us till around 2 or 3am, but being on the coast, it may just fall as freezing rain. I've charged the ring camera battery so I can check if I wake up in the night.

It's so cold. I'm just waiting for my Waitrose order to arrive and I'm then hibernating. I found a Neom candle earlier and it's rather nice (very lime-y) although DD doesn't agree.

I’ve cracked and taken down the tree and replaced it with some amaryllis in a vase the kids bought us for Christmas. It was so dried up and we are invited out for a galette des rois tomorrow to mark epiphany so it felt like the right time. Still got lots of twinkly lights around the place and roomful of candles so getting my cosiness fix. Very cold here tonight and there is a severe snow and ice warning on my weather app, but I think it’s more likely to be rain. Joining in thanking @RainbowZebraWarrior, but I will be staying on for the final chapters and beyond (I seem to recall posting from a Christmas shop in Basel in May last year). Nigel adjacent thoughts can occur at any time of year and it’s good to have a place to share them.

You lovely people have led to me thinking about a word for the new year.

Some of you might have seen me mention my newly identified food and stress intolerances likely related to histamine/mast cell issues. Definitely complicated by menopause/HRT issues.

It's pretty niche even for Mumsnet 😁

Anyways, I was thinking of words beginning with A - Adapting, Accommodating, Adjusting, Accepting...

But instead, I'm turning it on its head a bit and going for a hyphonated Self-care.

It's going to be a big challenge as I've form for putting other people's needs ahead of mine but I have reached a "body says no" situation.

I started today with 10 minute morning yoga. MIL rang in a flap just as I was about to start. Then halfway through DH stepped over my legs to get his phone (on his way to MIL's tbf). 🤦‍♀️

I've been reading and nodding along and felt the need to delurk to thank you all @RainbowZebraWarrior especially for starting this wonderful thread

I too recognise Deal as I live close to there 😉

I’ve done a rather wonderfully rash thing today, egged on by dh and bought a chair! Poking around one of the antique shops in the city, this one spoke to me and I knew I needed to take it home. Can’t say why and a bit woo but something drew me to it. I’ve not bought old furniture for 30 years and dh was totally with me on it, which is sweet.

It’s 1800s, George III, the back and arms are in yew, a special wood. The seat is elm, which also draws me. Apparently the legs are beech and the splat (the panel up the back), fruitwood. It is extremely comfortable and could have been made for me. Once our tree is down it will go in the space left, to be sat in for the window light for reading and also to be admired from the sofa. Of course my mind is working overtime creating stories for its life experiences and also just sitting quietly in it, with my hands feeling the patina of ages where others have grasped the arms.

When we got it home, our dog spent ages carefully sniffing it and then sat in front of it looking at the seat.

Ooo she’s a lovely chair. - well done!! So many woods as well.

Ooh @Bimblesalong in my professional opinion that is a lovely chair! I'm not great at identifying different woods, so I have just bought from a fellow dealer a set of 15 wooden tree shapes each made from a different wood and labelled accordingly.

Can I add my thanks to @RainbowZebraWarrior too. This is such a lovely thread.

Finally, I have chosen my word for the year, it is Friendship. Our little group of close friends were all neighbours at one point. We lived in each others houses like teenagers do! Sadly one neighbour died a few months ago. The others moved house. It's only 10 miles away and it's our closest town, but we've gone from seeing them every few days to seeing them every 3 or 4 weeks, less if we're busy. So Friendship is to remind me that friends are important and to make time for them.

A lovely chair @Bimblesalong. Think how many people have rested on it.

We have snow! Much more than was given on the weather and not yet turned to the predicted rain.
The puppy wasn't very sure at first but has been gambolling about in it-which is uncharacteristic for a sausage.

DH up early to set off for Biarittz and as the DD's are at their dads I will have the house to myself until this evening. Candles already lit and after I've walked the dogs and popped out for bread and milk I intend to slow cook a stew and read on the sofa all day long. Delighted!

What a photo @piscofrisco - dogs and snow! Possibly my favourite photo of the entire thread.

Good morning, all. There is no chapter today.

@HannahDefoesChristmasHamper my old therapists' catchhrase was 'adapt and adjust', and tbh, i still remind myself of it now. It's definitely apt of any life situation. I had so many diagnoses at once that I did kick and scream quite a bit at the time. Adapting and adjusting (and accepting) very much also reminds me of the early days of the pandemic. Self-care definitely helps us in that vein.

@Confusedmeanderings Friendship is also a great word for the year. I'm trying to build in a little bit of gratitude time which fits with my reflections / appreciation of any moments of joy each day.

That chair is spectacular @Bimblesalong and looks like it could tell a tale or two. I love wood. Yew and Walnut are my favourites.

Brilliant photo @piscofrisco Another one that could be used for a calendar / christmas card. I'm also now minded to get the slow cooker out and get some sort of stew on the go. It's definitely the weather for it!

There's not much snow to report here. Too close to the coast. A mile or two inland, my best friend has around 15 cm.

I took a pic of the front garden nonetheless. Right, cuppa, and candle time. I'm really enjoying these last few days before DD goes back to school.

@piscofrisco that looks and sounds like heaven!

@Confusedmeanderings thankyou - I know nothing about furniture, just what I like the look and feel of (same with art)!

Good morning from a snowy Northumberland. Starting to melt already though so I'll enjoy the prettiness while it lasts.
Beautiful chair @Bimblesalong You did well there. I'm a firm believer that certain items call to your soul. Enjoy.
I started my 30 minutes if reading yesterday and read for almost 3 hours so I'm in credit 😂

Oooh Nigel and Adam's Farm Kitchen starting on BBC2 now.

Just thinking about self care, mindfulness and carving time out for oneself, I thought I'd mention this. It's the Sleeping Forecast from BBC Sounds. It's a combination of classical music interspersed with excerpts from the shipping forecast. Great to listen to if you're stressed or struggling to get to sleep.

Here's the Christmas Day edition.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00269fq