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.

@AgathaMystery that is a thoughtful comment but I hadn’t compared your dear friend’s terribly difficult situation with mine. This is a very special thread for sharing beautiful things and that brings much compassion. I am deeply moved by her journey and the care she and her family are receiving. I think part of what you are doing is showing her that her family will have ongoing compassionate support and that must be balm.

Hello all! Lots to catch up again, I see! I hope everyone's keeping well? And no major storm damage? (You've probably all mentioned this already - I'll read back).

Last week was stupidly busy with 18th birthday prep for dd1 and several appointments of my own! No proper down time at all 💤

Anyway, now it's all done & dusted, I am very much looking forward to quiet afternoons at home this week to catch up with things and enjoy some time to myself 😊 with the bonus of birthday cake to be eaten through the week 😋

Amazing cake! Was LucyFest NVN or Nigel adjacent?

Ah, I suspect it was NVN at all...it involved a very loud & busy restaurant, and trying lots of cocktails 🙈

@AgathaMystery the beauty of this thread is that we all feel comfortable enough to share whatever we want to share. Please don't feel guilty or apologise. I loved the picture and your words about the snowdrops.

Just to
Send lots of love to
Those here who are struggling, grieving or missing people. I'm sure your Helen feels very loved @AgathaMystery and that's the best any of us can hope for really.

Excellent shortbreads and mittens. I'm
In awe of them both!

Rotten weather here too. Spent the day corralling 300 chickens into
Sheds and getting them comfortable as can be. Very wet and very muddy. Dd1 finally admitted she needs some help with her MH and I think called the GP. She is just home from work so I'm giving her some space to settle down before I go and see how it's all gone. She is 19 but of course still my baby, and it's horrible to see her so low.

I'm sorry to hear about your DDs struggles @piscofrisco but pleased that she's reached out for help.

Busy day today (yes, of course I left my tax return till the last minute) and the rest of the week is the same. Couple of candles on the go, feet up, for the rest of the evening and a nice cuppa and a sweet treat.

@AgathaMystery love and support ❤️ you write about Helen beautifully, it's so clear how much you love her and I'm sure she will know this and feel this.

@RainbowZebraWarrior we were quite lucky over here, lockdown was only about 4 - 6 weeks. My first day back after maternity leave was the first day of lockdown. I do understand your DD point of view, I found it very difficult to teach from home. I couldn't separate work and home at all. I either worked all day into the night, prepping resources, recording lessons or the other end struggled to engage with computer. I kept an online chat open with my class parents and lots of my students were feeling the same. We ended up altering the times of the school day, starting earlier and finishing earlier too. At "playtime" we all had to go out and bring something in from outside to share on the video chat. The "things" got more and more bizarre as the weeks went on. It's one of my favourite memories. We ended up writing a group story once about a rusty screw one student had found.

I have a job interview this morning! I found out yesterday afternoon. I've been a teacher for nearly 20 years, but in late 2023 I decided to stop, I had completely had enough. I've had a year off as I realised that I seem to have spent more time with other people's DC than my own.

It's a one year project position to support newly arrived families and adults with settlement and integration.

I applied as I used to do a lot of this type of work supporting new families as part of my leadership role, on top of the teaching elements. So I'm very surprised but thrilled to get an interview. It will be in Norwegian so I'm a little nervous, my general language is fine, but in a more formal setting, I'm worried I don't have enough specialist vocabulary. The advert states though, that as the service users are non Norwegian speakers, strong English is required.

Yesterday we took a little cross country 'ski tur' with DD as she has Mondays off. She's so fast on her skis now! But we are really struggling for good snow. It's so much worse than last year. We have a big downfall, then strong winds which raise the temp and blows the snow into drifts. So the snow that is left is mostly ice.

Good luck @IngenTing that seems the perfect job for you!!

Just popping in to say I am still here in spirit at least but literally no time to post properly until the next few days are over, but wishing strength and peace to those in need of it, and thinking of you.
@RainbowZebraWarrior Waking up to the glow of the tree is my absolute sanity right now, and there are a good five still up on my route into central London daily.

Sending love if you need it. January is the longest month of all time. And this January is the longest ever.

@IngenTing very very good luck. I cannot think of a kinder person to help someone integrate into a new country!

@piscofrisco reaching out for help is the lowest day isn’t it. She had a long road ahead of her but I think asking for help is the hardest step of that journey.

Good morning, all.

It's another 3 days until our final chapter, so here's an excerpt from Kitchen Diaries 3 (written 10 years ago)

29 January

Comfort(able) Food

I have begun posting pictures on Instagram. Hardly photographs at all really, just snaps from my phone. The postings have neither rhyme nor reason and can be anything from a dish I have just out on the table for dinner to a view from a railway carriage in deepest Norway or the sun piercing my bedroom blinds. One of the more popular postings was 'every wallet I have ever owned' (apart from the one that was 'lifted' of course). Neither are they particularly 'insta' either and are often pictures from my archive.

Being a newbie to this particular form of social media (I only took to Twitter years after everyone else), I am always surprised and delighted when someone 'likes' one of my photographs. Today, after posting a picture of last night's dinner, I am somewhat shocked by the number of people to whom it appeals. But looking again at the tangle of sauerkraut, browned onions, sour cream and sausage, I can see their point. It really does look good.

This is often the way. The food you throw together without a second's thought often looks more delicious than food you have rearranged artistically on a plate. It is the same with flowers in a jug or throwing any old thing on in the morning and realising you look better than when you spend ages getting ready to go out.

The postings have neither rhyme nor reason and can be anything from a dish I have just out on the table for dinner to a view from a railway carriage in deepest Norway or the sun piercing my bedroom blinds. This is actually not a bad description of our thread (particularly since we even have our own resident Norwegian @IngenTing)

And on that note I’m just going to add this random photograph, snapped yesterday when the sun finally broke through. There was just something about the green bicycles and the green paintwork with that sliver of blue sky between the buildings that made me feel we are finally heading towards spring rather than into winter. I know there’s still a while to go, but there was something in the change in the quality of the light yesterday that lifted my heart. Made me think of that line by Shelley - If winter comes can spring be far behind?

Beautiful photograph @LillianGish and I know what you mean. There's been more birdsong here, a flurry of activity as well as a change in the light similar to the one you describe. Come Saturday, I will feel we've really turned a corner as we enter February. I adore Spring as everything feels so full of promise.

Perfect spring morning here. Textbook in fact.

My lovely friend died this morning whilst her daughter was tucked up in bed here. I think we all did it exactly right. No regrets. I’m sad for us but not for her. It was time.

Here is a photo of an evening walk on the marshes in Suffolk taken last year (I think). Acres of beauty.

Sending much love @AgathaMystery ❤️

Much love @AgathaMystery I wish the powers that be had given us a “care and compassion” option. Go gently today, you’re doing so well.

@AgathaMystery So sorry to hear this. It sounds like your friend was much loved in her final days. Sending love.

So sorry @AgathaMystery

So sorry to read this @AgathaMystery . ♥️

So sorry @AgathaMystery ❤️

So sorry for your loss @AgathaMystery ❤️

You are all very kind. I don’t feel any loss per se. I feel very sad for her daughter.

it’s been the most lovely day here. Cold, crisp, sunny, feels like spring is properly on its way. I’m so glad!