I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a few days late I know…Am sincerely hoping that you all had a wonderful day during these troubling times.
I know we are stoic on here, and are capable of dealing with many challenges that life can throw at us, we ARE survivors, BUT the last 9 months have been a slow, meandering, unmarked path through the woodlands with unknown obstacles to overcome, to conquer. With only glimpses of the winter sun finding it’s way to us through the momentary gaps that emerge through the trees on our paths, the journey seems dark at times, and unsettling, but those pockets of dappled sunlight, with their ethereal indications of a greater force, our nature, our planet, is comforting. We WILL see an end to these unprecedented times, we will have lived through history in the making, and we will be stronger.
Listen to me being all poetic. It’s hard to put these feelings into words so the paths, woodland and sunlight are metaphorical for the emotions I’m sure most of us are experiencing. After the gales last night, today I see bright sunlight so there is hope.
Every day life update
Am so grateful for time off over Christmas. I’ve been so grateful for my new job which I started in August, I’ve put my all into it, worked hard, worked out of hours improving my skills to bring to the job. Consequently, this impacts on time to blog as I’m finding myself rather exhausted at weekends and on catch up. TODAY is the first free day with nothing else that needs doing so I am doing what I love, BLOGGING!
The Pandemic Pantry Cookbook will be completed and am hoping with three more full free days ahead of me, it will be finished and distributed for FREE to anyone who wants one on January 8th 2021 (my 55th birthday!), and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who submitted recipes. I wish I was able to have finished it sooner, there has always seemed like something else has had to take priority, maybe it’s just me.
Am full of hope and optimistic for 2021 and wish everyone the best of health and happiness for the year ahead.
C xxxxx
PS: I’m going to update my blog regularly with small diary like submissions with the occasional recipe. I think this will work better, I do so miss posting.
Merry Christmas to you as well! Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy 2021. And your dinner looks yummy!!
Thank you Susan, it was just my daughter Em and myself, we kept it low key. We did open presents virtually with my other daughter and son so though apart we were all together. Wishing you the best for 2021 xxxx C
Thanks for the lovely message Carolyn. I thoroughly enjoy your posts and especially the WWII cooking and information.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy 2021 ! X
And you too Melanie and thank you for your kind words. I love posting info, I feel sad I have so little time to make updates, the job has had to come first, feel so lucky to be employed right now xxxx Take care and best wishes for 2021 C xxx
Thanks Carolyn. I fully understand the need to prioritise. The majority of us will have no doubt gone through a lot of changes in the last 9 months, some worse than others sadly. Here’s to a brighter, safer 2021 for us all ! Xx
Keep up the good work you are doing here! Looking forward to the cookbook.
Thank you! It’s been lovely having some time off to do things!! xxx Hope the New Year will be good for you xxxx C
Happy and prosperous wishes of the season to you, and safe and healthy too! Lovely to hear from you. Look forward to more in 2021.
And you too Nicola, wish you a wonderful 2021 and thank you for leaving a comment xxxxx C
We hope you all had a good Christmas, but there is still Hogmanay to look forward to !!! Now that the Christmas part is over and done with lets all look forward to vast improvements for 2021 & the future, remember the Dunkirk spirit & carry on regardless ! If we all pull together & follow the pandemic rules it will all be over (not by Christmas, please !) but soon. Keep well, keep safe & keep your chin(s) up !
Totally agree! We WILL get through this and by all working together as one, it makes it easier than if we are all fighting against each other! xxxx Take care, have a wonderful new year and thank you for all your comments on the blog, I do read everything and so enjoy them. Having time to join in and/or respond is often challenging these past 4 or 5 months. C xxx
and a Happy New Year to you Carolyn, so nice to see your blog today! I loved the poetic bits you are a kindred spirit. looking forward to a new year with lots of vaccine and less isolating. best wishes,
ann Lee S
I feel the same as you, modern medicine is wonderful, we will all be getting for armed with extra antibodies to help us fight the dreaded Covid. I’m hoping this will lead to an amazing summer for everyone!!! C xxxxx Happy New Year
good to see this post, have missed your blog posts. wishing us all a far better new year
Yes indeedy! Hope with all my heart it will be a better 2021 for us all. Happy New Year Brenda xxx
LOVE the look of your Crimbo dinner! I had promised myself H’s Beanz on a stack of hot toast for mine, but got into the galley and threw together some pasta instead. No idea why, I just wasn’t thinking.
Happy New Year!
p.s., Brussels sprouts are the food of the gods.
Oooooo YESSSS!!!! I love them at room temperature the next day (Brussel Sprouts)- usually pan fried on toast for Boxing Day breakfast!!! Happy New Year Ian!! xxxxx
Hi Carolyn:
I enjoy reading your blog and recipies. I love how you go back in time back to the 1940’s. It’s like time travel for me:) I would love a copy of your Pandemic Pantry Cookbook whenever you get the chance.
Thanks so much and Happy New Year!
Rosetta
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Thank you for your kind words Rosetta xxxx I was working on the cook book again today! I have decided to launch it on my birthday (January 8) as it gives me an extra few days and it will be a lovely thing to do on my birthday as I have the day off work! Happy New Year xxxxx
Lovely to hear from you. Your Christmas dinner and gifts look amazing … love the ‘mini you’. And we are reading the same book 😃
Am loving that little diary! The mini me elf is scary. I’m sure it moves around my bedroom at night! (hahaha). Happy New Year! C xxx
So happy to see yorkshire pudding on your dinner plate…it was part of my siblings Christmas dinner for years 🙂
I love Yorkshires BUT I always buy them already cooked as they are one thing, I just cannot make!!!!! Happy New Year! xxx
My brother was the best at it…Happy New Year to you as well 🙂
So glad to hear from you. It always brightens my day to see a new post from you. Thank you.
Awwwww what a nice thing to say! Reading comments like yours brightens my day and my week too so thank you!!!! C xxx
Happy Christmas! I I missed your posts. Looks like you had a very nice Christmas. We are all blessed I feel. I was saying to the family I saw over Christmas “we are very blessed. We have clothes on our backs, food on our table, a roof over our heads and the ability to also help those who are not as fortunate.”
Hi Colin, that is sooo very true. I don’t know about you but every Christmas eve I actually cry my eyes out with guilt. This time of year is so hard for many, many people who don’t have those things. Hope you have a wonderful new year C xxxxx