1 EAGLETON NOTES: Just Saying...

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Saturday 15 September 2018

Just Saying...

I went into town today. The Christmas cards are out. I'm told that the mainland Garden Centres have all their Christmas stock out. 

I've made two of my Christmas cakes. Only four to go. 

Looking on the bright side there's only 96 days and it will be the shortest day and the days will start getting longer again. I realise that that doesn't work for my readers in the Southern Hemisphere. Sorry about that. 

All this is strange in that my 'summer holidays' won't happen for another three weeks when I 'go South' to see my brother and sister-in-law.

 


31 comments:

  1. Okay, I read between the lines here. You are going to enjoy late spring in 3 weeks. Enjoy your trip.

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    1. Red, you're correct in that I would usually have been down to see my brother much earlier in the year but it's just been 'one of those years'.

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  2. I'm with Red.. Sounds like you are extending your summer, and that is a Good Plan.
    (sheesh, 100 days to Christmas! I have to fit in painting 9/10 of the paintings for an exhibition between now and a month before then!)

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    1. I am indeed, Kate. You'd better stop reading blogs then!

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    2. True oh Captain My Captain.

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  3. ugh. Doesn't seem that long ago last Christmas was here. Time flies.

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    1. Amy, it isn't that long since last Christmas but so much has happened since then.

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  4. The 'C' word has been mentioned here a couple of times recently. My wife will probably go to Oz, leaving me alone again (which I rather like).

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    1. Sorry, Cro. I just couldn't resist it. I certainly havn't given any thought as to what might be happening at Christmas.

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  5. You are going to have a marvellous spell of autumn weather for your holiday.....if it doesn't snow.

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    1. Thanks, Adrian. A good spell would be very pleasant. Snow would not. Nor would the usual October gales when trying to return to the Island.

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  6. We are in for another week of really warm sunny weather here (up to 29 C), but I actually am much more set on cooler temperatures. The autumn light is lovely and golden already, and the nights have become much longer. Yes, Christmas is not far away, but before that, I want to enjoy autumn. Inhope your surgery wounds are healing well and you can enjoy your late summer holiday.

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  7. Christmas!! Really!! Good on you for starting on your cakes early.

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    1. Lynda, I hate rusing so if I can get them done now then they should be fed well and iced in time for Christmas.

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  8. Yup! The Christmas cards are out in my Oxfam shop. Why anybody would think of buying Christmas cards in September is beyond me. There should be a law against it.

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    1. Ironically, YP, I decided on the Christmas cards I wanted last year from The Beatson (Cancer Centre). By the time I got around to it at the end of November the ones I wanted had gone (I was lucky in that I got some returned stock).

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  9. Christmas cakes...I am seeing a slice with cream being poured over it. Yum.

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    1. That's interesting Kay. I've not associated them with cream before.

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  10. I call it swearing when anyone mentions Christmas before the end of November! I don’t dislike Christmas but rather all the hype, needless expense and angst that precedes it. Gullible people spend money they can ill afford on presents that they give to relations or work colleagues they really don't like all that much and pay ridiculous amounts to have a meal out on Christmas Day when they could feed a family of 6 for the amount the hotels charge for one person. I do like the sentiment of family gathering and enjoying a day playing games with the younger members of the household but by Boxing Day most folks sigh a sigh of relief and head off to the shops to try to change the hideous gifts that someone slogged round the shops to buy only a week or two before. I love January 1st, a new year just starting and thoughts of what we might do when the weather gets better! Call me Scrooge if you want to.
    Bev

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    1. Beverley, for must of my life I've been a Bah Humbug sort of guy. I certainly don't like the commercial hype. However for the last couple of years I have actually had Christmas decorations in the house. Not a tree and tinsel but snow scenes etc.

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  11. I admire your industry, Graham, but what do you do with all those cakes?

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    1. Frances, I started the tradition when I had my heart attack and couldn't drive for 6 weeks back in 2000. I give them away to family and friends.

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  12. Ah, you've got three weeks to do a bit of early Christmas shopping then! Put on your Santa costume and give family and friends down south a surprise... ;)

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    1. Monica, if I put on a Santa costume it really would give my family rather more than a surprise.

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  13. No need to be sorry!

    This year is flying by so very quickly. Christmas will be here before we know it....as will, down this way, our summer! I used to make my Christmas cake/s around this time of the year, but nowadays I don't. I no longer make the big, rich fruit cakes...but I do make big, rich boiled fruit cakes a few weeks prior to Christmas. I was thinking about that only last night!@ :)

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    1. Lee, you've given me an idea. Today I made the second two cakes (they are still in the oven) so only two to go. However I used to make a lot of boiled fruit cakes and I'm just wondering whether the recipe could be adapted to produce a 'mock' Christmas cake with more than just the fruit in it. Hmmmm.

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  14. Sorry I somehow missed this post. It reminded me I have a boiled fruit cake recipe given to me by my mum. It never occurred to me to wonder what makes it different from an ordinary fruit cake, which shows what an unenquiring mind I must have! I do recall it tasted nice though- because I asked my mother to write it out for me.

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    1. Jenny, I've never given any thought to the difference either. I'm going away next week - my 'summer' holiday had to be delayed but I shall try and explore this cake subject during November. The cakes still have to be baked, of course, but it's infinitely faster than the 5 hours my Christmas cakes take.

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