Yay! I Did It!

My Christmas food shop has been delivered and Richard's been out and bought some extra bits and bobs for me so as behind as I was, everything is now on target.

We're having turkey this year for the first time ever. I was brought up with beef at Christmas then moved to Norway where their Christmas dinner is belly pork with a special type of sausage and pork cakes but this year, after watching Jamie Oliver, I decided to go for the bird. I've never prepared and cooked turkey before so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't go terribly wrong. A lot of the preparation will be done tomorrow - the veggies will cooked ready for rewarming and the turkey stuffed and buttered. At least that way the day itself shouldn't be too stressful with the work being shared between LM and myself.

My mouth's watering already.

The cherry vodka that I made back in August is looking good now so I'll be trying that bottling that up later today and there's a bottle of Bailey's with my name on it.

The presents are all wrapped and those that needed to be sent have been. The embroidery didn't get finished but I'm not beating myself up over that. I don't have too much left to do so they should be sent during Twixmas. People will understand that I was ill and lagging behind.

With help from Richard and LM, I don't think I've done too badly.

Sharon J xx

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Image Credit: Bucklava

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Yuletide Celebrations

Today is Yule, also known as the winter solstice, the original winter celebration that early Christians tried to stamp out by introducing a Christian celebration during the 4th century instead. You know the one I mean, it’s called Christmas.

A lot of people still mark Yule though, in one way or another, because tonight will be the longest night of year meaning that the days are gradually going to start getting lighter as we once again head towards spring. If that’s not something to celebrate in the midst of a grey and dismal winter - and that’s what we usually get here in the UK, after all - then I really don’t know what is.

I don’t make a big fuss about Yule because our family celebrate Christmas too, although not from a religious point of view. We celebrate it as the turning of the year, the mid point in winter from where things can only get better. Basically, a delayed Yule celebration but I do mark the actual day in my own quiet little way by lighting lots of candles and making a meal that I particularly enjoy. The lighting of candles was originally to persuade the sun, through the Sun God, Mithras, who was born on the shortest day of the year, to reappear as quickly as possible, grow strong and drive away the darkness. As for the food, I don’t have a tradition, I just go with what I fancy. This year it’ll be marinated pork loin with cherry sauce, potatoes and fresh vegetables. The cherry sauce has been frozen for a couple of months but that’s ok, it’ll thaw out and warm up nicely and will be a reminder of the glorious fruit that will once again adorn the tree in the garden following the setting of the blossom, a true mark of spring. As for the pork, I just love pork loin, especially if it’s been marinated properly, and a few winter veg never go amiss.

In Scandinavia they still use the name Jul (pronounced Yule) to describe Christmas, rather than anything religious. Try as they might, those early Christians just never managed to ‘persuade’ them to entirely drop their Pagan traditions. They still have ‘nisser’ - naughty elf like creatures who you have to be kind to during the celebrations otherwise they’ll bugger up your crops next year - and they still use apples, oranges with cloves in, straw goats and other typically Pagan festival decorations.

Mind you, having said that, a lot of what we have originates from the Yule celebrations, it‘s just that most people aren‘t aware of them. Holly, Ivy, Yule Logs, Mistletoe, and even some ‘Christmas’ cards have a Yuletide greeting on them, being sent by people who have no idea that Yule is not the same as Christmas. The twelve days of Christmas also originates from the burning of the Yule log for twelve days.

As somebody who feels the cold something dreadful, I’m sooooooo looking forward to the sun gathering strength and warming us up again, so for me the winter solstice is definitely something to celebrate.

Sharon J xx

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So Who Does Christmas Belong To?

I’ve seen an awful lot of arguments happening on various Internet boards recently, all with the same theme: who does Christmas belong to and who should be ‘allowed’ to celebrate it? Some of those arguments have gotten really out hand, with name calling and threats to personal safety being thrown about.

I believe that Christmas should be celebrated by anybody who wishes to join in the festivities and that, as long as they’re not hurting others, they should be allowed to celebrate in whatever way suits them, be they Christians, Pagans, Jews, Atheists or whatever else.

Many Pagans will argue that Christmas (Yule) originally belonged to them with the counterargument from Christians being that the word CHRIST in Christmas makes it theirs. Everybody has their own opinion but shouldn’t it foremostly be a time when we can practice peace by showing tolerance towards other religions or lifestyles, and stop arguing over who it belongs to and how it should be celebrated?

Here in the UK we’ve been calling this winter celebration Christmas for a good few hundred years. Before that it was known as Yule, a celebration of the Winter Solstice (the rebirth of the sun). Whether or not we should or shouldn’t call it Christmas is of no real relevance to me - it’s just a name - what’s important is that we can accept that it’s a time when each and every one of us should be able to do whatever we feel is right on that day. For some, it means absolutely nothing more than presents, for others it’s a time during which they can feel close to and give thanks to their God, for others it’s a time when they can drink and be merry. No doubt there are many, many more reasons why people celebrate Christmas too. Or even why they don't, whatever the case may be.

If we choose to celebrate, can’t we at least do that in peace, without needing to justify why we choose to do so as Atheists, Pagans or Worshippers of Little Green Men from Mars? Nobody has a supreme ‘right’ to Christmas, it’s just a day really, like any other. There’s no proof that Jesus was born that day (in fact, it’s highly unlikely) and nowhere does it say that you have to believe in God (as depicted in the Bible) in order to celebrate it.

Personally, I don’t believe it really has much to do with religion anymore at all. It’s about money. Even if everybody stopped celebrating on grounds of their faith, Christmas would still live on. The money grabbing capitalists would see to that. If anybody, they're probably who Christmas really belongs to these days.

Sharon J xx

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Image Credit: Tom Stardust

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My Story of Sparklers

Well it's Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes' Night if that's what you prefer to call it, and all over the country kids will be given sparklers.

Once upon a time I saw sparklers as an innocent type of firework that the kids loved to hold and swirl around, making pretty light patterns in the dark. I did it when I was little and so did all of my friends so it was natural that I let my own kids have them.

One New Year‘s Eve, when LM was about 4, we all gathered outside in the deep snow (this was in Norway) to send up our rockets and as usual, I had a pack of sparklers for the children. I gave them one each, lit them and turned my back for a few moments because a neighbour had called out Happy New Year.

Suddenly Lise is tugging at me, telling me that LM’s on fire. I turned around and there she stood, sparkler still in her hand, with her mitten on fire. A mitten that was surrounding her hand! I immediately pushed her hand into the snow, extinguishing the fire and, using the torch we had with us, examined the damage. Luckily, she was wearing padded mittens and the flames hadn’t managed to get right through to her skin, but another few seconds and who knows what the results might have been. And I hate to even think about what would have happened had the sleeve of her snowsuit caught fire!

Sparklers are DANGEROUS! They reach a heat of around 2000 degrees. Considering water boils at 100 degrees, it doesn’t take much imagination to understand just how hot that is! It’s hot enough to melt iron!

If you're celebrating tonight, do enjoy yourself but please, please be careful if you’re giving your children sparklers. It really does only take a moment for a spark to turn into a tragedy. LM was lucky, but it could so easily have been different.

Sharon J

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Image Credit: Tom Olliver

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Market Murder

I’m afraid our local market may well die its death quite soon. The council have plans to ‘re-vamp’ the area where the market’s now held and spread the stalls all around the town instead, a plan I honestly can’t see working.

A market is traditionally a place where traders GATHER to sell their goods and where people know they can go to get either a bargain or something special that they can’t find elsewhere. It’s a place that should be bustling with young mums with pushchairs, men and their dogs, old ladies with pull along trolleys (yes, I know they can be annoying but give them a break, it can be hard to carry bags around when your arms and legs aren’t what they used to be) and housewives looking for fresh veg, meat and whatever else they can lay their hands on for the dinner table. It should be filled with the sounds of traders calling out “get your caulis here, darling” and there should be at least one greasy spoon where you can rest with a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie. What it shouldn’t be is a scattering of stalls dotted here and there around town. That has to be one of the daftest ideas I’ve heard in a long time.

Apparently the plan is to build new council offices on the site of the market but because there’s a bit of a financial problem with it along with the fact that our local council is being grouped together with a few others to make one big council area, nobody seems really sure as to what’s actually going to happen there. It seems they’re definitely going to do ‘something’ with it though.

If the powers that be in this town really want to keep the local community lively then surely the market’s an important part of that? I’d actually like to see more of them. On the days that the general market isn’t on, I’d like to see more guest markets. We had a French one visit a while back (a long while back) and there’s a Christmas market planned, but that’s it. And what’s more, the French one wasn’t where the market usually is and neither will the Christmas one be. We don't even have a monthly farmer's market - we have to go to Nantwich (the posh neighbour) for that.

One argument against the market has apparently been that a lot of the traders aren’t actually local (as in from the immediate Crewe area). Well that’s nothing new! Market traders have traditionally travelled from market to market, plying their goods, but they don’t exactly come from the other end of the country and they sure as heck don’t come from abroad (with the exception of visiting markets, of course). They’re still a darned sight more local than the owners of the chain shops that this town seems to be attracting more and more of.

I have fond memories of markets. As a kid I always went to Walthamstow market with mum every week. She knew exactly which fruit and veg stalls sold the best produce and we’d stop at the fish stall and buy kippers, winkles, cod fillets or whatever seafood Dad and I would be having for dinner that week (she wasn’t keen herself) and a plate of cockles for me to eat as we went along. She might look at the curtain material, buy some new linen, get herself a new pair of tights, buy me a pair of shoes or something else that I needed (getting a new winter coat was always the most exciting one) and during winter we’d stop at the sarsparilla stall for a mug of the steaming hot spicy brew.

When I lived in Norway I went to the fruit, veg & flower market on the square every week. I loved browsing the stalls, finding the best looking vegetables and juiciest fruit and a bunch of pretty flowers for the table. Then I’d sit at a pavement café and just watch the activity before getting the bus back home. Good times.

I shall be sad to see the market dispersed.

Sharon J

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Image Credit: Burge5000

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Halloween & Samhain

I quite like celebrating things that I feel are worthwhile but one thing I shan’t be celebrating this year is Halloween. At least, not in way it’s celebrated these days. I’ll light some candles in honour of those ancestors who have moved over to the spirit world - those who I loved and knew and those that I didn’t but who are each responsible for my own existence. That will be the extent of it though.

I really don’t like what Halloween has become. Sure, it’s fun with spooky stories and such like, it’s not that part of it I have a problem with, it’s the commercialism that’s developed around it that I hate.

These past couples of weeks the shops have been spilling over with tacky, cheap polyester costumes that probably won’t even last the night, let alone be brought back into use again next year, along with a plethora of plastic pumpkins, spiders, skulls, skeletons and lord knows what else. Pumpkins will be carved but few will actually be eaten and far too many won’t even bother to compost the flesh that’s removed. The impact on the environment thanks to this one night and the way we’ve accepted that it should be celebrated because that’s what the shops want us to do, has far too great an impact on the environment for my liking. Whatever happened to making costumes out of old sheets, recycled clothes and the likes and dressing the house with old twigs made to look like witches broomsticks, etc?

And then there’s those who will actually be scared on Halloween. Here on our estate we have flats and houses that are specifically earmarked for people with special needs. Some of those living in these properties were very frightened last year by kids who were banging at their doors in the dark, making strange noises outside their windows and generally larking around. Some understood what was going on but others didn’t and even some of those who did were still worried because, as we all know, kids can sometimes go too far, especially when they’re preying on the weak and vulnerable. Halloween can have the same effect on many older people.

This year the housing association have arranged a ‘walk about’ around the estate with the kids. Hopefully this will ensure that those who are vulnerable won’t be visited and the whole trick or treating process will go smoothly. There will also be games and prizes, the main one being for best ‘home made‘ costume. Hopefully it’ll be a success and parents will put themselves out to make their own costumes instead of nipping down to Asda for a witches dress or skeleton outfit and the plastic rubbish will stay on the shelves because there won’t be a need to decorate the house. And of course, the special needs people won’t be bothered by it. Unfortunately it won’t lessen the impact in the greater scheme of things but as they say, every little helps.

But up in all this mayhem, I wonder how many actually know what Halloween really is? Well originally, in the Christian sense, it was All Hallows Eve - the night before All Hallows Day, the day that Christians honour the saints. But it was around long before that. Samhain is the night before the Pagan new year, so you could call it their new year’s eve. It was, and still is, considered to be the night when the veil between this life and the after life is at its thinnest. The old Celts believed that the spirits of the dead could possess their bodies so they turned out the lights in the hope that the spirits wouldn’t find them but also dressed up as ghouls just in case they were found but would hopefully be able to scare them away again. Nowadays it’s more a celebration of the lives that have gone before and to remember with blessing the year that’s passed.

The catholic church didn’t much like pagan traditions though, so in an attempt to stop all the ‘afterlife’ malarkey they decided to turn Samhain into All Hallows Eve instead. What emerged, however, was Halloween as we generally know it today - a blend of the two. We no longer believe that the dead will come back tonight, but still we hang on to the pagan traditions by telling ghost stories and dressing up in scary costumes. And then the fat cats got on the bandwagon and everything went tits up for the environment!

And yes, I’ll hold up my hand and admit I’ve also dressed up in tacky costumes and bought plastic pumpkins and other such rubbish. I did it when the kids were younger and I wasn’t giving a whole lot of thought to the environment, but then again we didn’t know then what we know today so although I wouldn’t proclaim my innocence entirely, I’d still say I wasn’t being less caring towards the environment than I am now because everything’s relative to your knowledge. I wouldn’t do it now though. No way.

Sharon J

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Image Credit: Darin

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Diwali

Today is the start of Diwali, the Indian festival of light.

Now I’m not Indian, nor do I have any Indian connections, but I do feel that to become a truly diverse but unified society (and in my opinion unification is important - separation just doesn’t do society any good) we should all not only respect one another’s traditions but actually participate in them, to a greater or lesser degree, depending on our spiritual beliefs (some will clash just too much to expect mutual participation) and personal circumstances.

Of course, nobody can be expected to celebrate every event in the calendar of such as diverse society as the UK - we’d probably end up having some kind of celebration every week - but Diwali’s a big one so to mark the occasion, we’re having a candlelit curry tonight.

I'm having a couple of friends over for the evening and LM will be home. I'll be lighting lots of tea lights around the living room, the big candles on the table, and cooking a chicken tikka masala. Yes, before you start shouting about tikka not really being Indian, I know all that but it’s the only curry LM will eat so tikka it will be. Well, that and colonial beef curry, and that’s certainly not authentic Indian either. We’ll have it with rice and naan bread and garnished with fresh coriander (sadly not from my garden - it died) and we'll have a laugh as well as talk about what Diwali is - a celebration of good over evil in humans.

Sometimes it’s difficult to believe that good can and actually does win over evil - what with the papers and telly news being full of stories of murder, rape, bullying and the rest - but there are actually far more good people in this world than bad.

The light that’s celebrated isn’t light as we generally think of it, but the spiritual light within each of us and thus Diwali is a kind of celebration of our spiritual birth as human beings so it’s a time when we should try to learn ways of being more benevolent ourselves in order to being more good into the world and make it a better place for everybody. If that isn’t something worth doing then I don’t know what is.

I’m quite looking forward to it :)

Sharon J

PS: I bet Emma will be having a whale of a time during Diwali and posting some fab photos :)

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Swedish Meatballs

Image: roboppy

Most of you no doubt know that I spent 18 years in Norway and as the only difference between Norwegian and Swedish meatballs is the size (Norwegian ones are much bigger), meatballs quickly became a staple in our house. We still have them at least once a month - you have to hang on to some things from ‘home’ and they’re one of my youngest’s favourite meals and as most supermarkets sell them, they’re obviously popular here.

What I’ve noticed though is that people buy what’s called Swedish Meatball Sauce. It comes in packets and is made by Coleman’s. Whether or not there are any other brands I couldn’t tell you but the fact that meatball sauce is VERY easy to make, buying a packet mix is a complete waste of money.

Rather than buy ready made meatballs and sauce, you might just as well make your own. Here’s how:

Meatballs

250g minced beef
250g minced pork (double the beef if you don't have pork mince - or vice versa)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried (optional)
1 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
2 tbsp cornflour
300-400 ml milk (or use water if you don’t use dairy)
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter or margarine for frying

1. Mix the minced meat and salt together until it’s a sticky mess then mix the cornflour, parsley, nutmeg and pepper in.
2. Gradually add the milk or water while still mixing then mix in the onions. Form into whatever sized balls you like.
3. Brown the fat in a frying pan then add the meatballs (in batches if necessary). Shake the pan now and then to ensure that they’re fried on all sides. Once they’re nice and brown, leave them to fry over a gentle heat for 3-5 minutes, depending on their size.

Meatball Sauce

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
500 ml beef stock
A little vinegar taken from a jar of gherkins (optional)
A few drops of soy sauce or gravy browning (optional)
A little milk (sorry, but water just won’t cut it but you could use a milk alternative I guess)
Ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix in the flour to form a paste (or roux, which is the proper word for it).
2. Add the stock and simmer very gently for about 5 minutes so that the flour taste disappears.
3. Add the soy sauce/gravy browning, vinegar, a little milk and pepper to taste. Simmer for another minute.
4. Taste - add more pepper if needed.

Y’see, the sauce really is easy and sooooo quick. And let’s face it, who doesn’t have butter, flour, some form of beef stock (unless you're a vegetarian of course, but then none of this would interest you anyway) and black pepper in the house? The other stuff’s just an added bonus if you happen to have it.

The meatballs aren’t difficult either and home-made ones are not only more authentic, they taste a whole lot better too. And as with all made-from-scratch food, you know exactly what you’re getting.

Traditionally, along with the above sauce, Swedish meatballs are served with boiled potatoes (in their skins) and lingonberry sauce, only I haven't been able to find either lingonberries or ready made sauce anywhere. Ikea probably do it but I'm not going all the way there just to find out. I must remember to look out for it next time I go though (I always get their weinerpølser - hot dog sausages - there's nothing in this country quite like them!)

And a meatball meal in the cafe is a must too :)

Sharon J

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Ding Dong - The Bells are Ringing

Photo: Scarlatti2004

It’s 28 years today since my one and only wedding. The marriage hasn’t lasted all those years but we’re still friends and I don’t regret having married him.

Although wedding back in the 70s weren’t anywhere near as expensive or lavish as they are these days, they were still big events where the bride’s parents were expected put on a good show. I, however, wanted to keep mine simple.

I laugh when I think about it now. It wasn’t simple in the way I’d consider a simple wedding to be these days, but we didn’t know much about environmental issues and the likes back then so in comparison with most other weddings I’d been to, it was actually very simple. Not registry office simple as in sign the book and nip down the pub for a swift pint and a G&T but as far as church weddings with the full works afterwards goes, it was.

I found the cheapest wedding dress I could. Mum and I went shopping for the dress and an Edwardian style dress and hat were chosen over the more tradition veil and train get up and whereas cousins and other family members who’d married before me had had half a dozen bridesmaids, I had just one. A close friend who would do the job of holding the bouquet and what have you. No little ‘uns who’d cry during the service and no stroppy pre-teens who’d refuse to wear their dress. My groom wore a regular suit and everybody was told to come dressed in whatever they felt comfortable with. One guest arrived in jeans and a leather biker’s jacket.

We didn’t decorate the church with loads of flowers and we didn’t have a choir. Dad wanted me to get married in the big church in town (where my cousins had got married) but I insisted on a small Baptist church. Much more my thing. I’d already agreed to drop the registry office because he’d dreamt of walking me down the aisle but a compromise was needed.

The ‘do’ afterwards was out of my control, though. Dad insisted that as long as he was paying, he’d do it his way. 120 guests arrived (yes, that was pretty small compared to most East End weddings), a sit down meal was enjoyed, the bar flowed freely, a DJ had everybody up dancing, the buffet included traditional jellied eels and a good time was had by all. Except that I didn’t even know half the guests - they were all Dad’s mates.

I’m not sure what I’d do if I were doing it today but I do know I wouldn’t spend huge amounts of money on one day. I can’t think of any reason why people would spend thousands on a dress, hundreds on a cake, hold the reception in some posh place they can’t really afford etc etc etc other than that they want to impress their guests. Why is that? Isn’t it supposed to be about making a commitment? And isn’t being sensible with money part of that commitment?

Weddings are big business but no amount of luxury on the big day will make a marriage any stronger and, try as we might to impress others, the wedding will soon be forgotten by most.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to make a wedding day special, but at the expense of what?

Sharon J x

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Mothering Sunday

Today is Mothering Sunday, or Mother’s Day as it’s more commonly known these days, and the sun is shining from a clear blue sky.

Always celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent since the 16^th century, Mothering Sunday has long been the day where we give thanks to our mothers for everything they’ve done for us during the year.

Back in the days of big houses with servants, the lady of the house would often allow the maids to take a cake, a basket of eggs or a bunch of flowers from the garden home to their mothers. Eventually, flowers became the traditional gift to give on Mother’s Day. Daffodils were the favourites because even when Mother’s Day came earlier, as it has this year, there was still a good chance they’d be in bloom. It was also customary to bake a Simnel Cake although these have become more associated with Easter nowadays.

My mum was sent her annual bunch of Daffs for delivery this morning – a big bunch of 50 golden blooms that I know will have brought a huge smile to her face. No doubt they'll be in vases all around the living room. Daffs and Gladioli are her favourites. She's a wonderful woman who taught me lots about values, budgeting, and how important it is to be true to yourself. Even today she's the first person I turn to for advice.

I remember when I was little, our local church used to give the children a little bunch of flowers to take home to their mothers. Whether or not they still do that I don’t know. It was a lovely tradition though.

But, like everything else, consumerism eventually took over and now the shops are bursting with cards that sing, are two foot tall, and that pop up and jump out at you. We’re expected to buy boxes of chocolates, expensive bouquets, teddy bears, jewellery, perfume and anything else that could possibly be marketed as being something mum would love. Then once we’ve bought the card and present we’re told that we should take her out to dinner or at least buy her a bottle of wine and make a nice dinner at home. Phew! Whatever happened to that simple bunch of Daffodils?

I haven't been downstairs yet so I've no idea whether DD2 has done anything to mark mother's day. It would be nice if she'd cleaned downstairs but I shan't hold my breath. DD1 won't have remembered; Mother's Day falls later in the year in Norway. DS will be phoning later. He can't actually talk but as I know his 'sound expressions' well, we're able to have a short conversation of sorts. Mum will help 'translate'. DD3 (my surrogate daughter) was going to bring a card round but I'm too weak to an 18 month old baby here at the moment. It's a shame because I'd love to see him, but I have to think of my health. Breakfast in bed would be nice but I think DD2 has gone to work.

I neither need nor want fancy presents and expensive cards; I just want to know that I’ve been thought of. And should any of them forget, well that’s no big deal either. It’s the little things they do throughout the year that really tell me I’m loved and appreciated, not a card or present that they feel obliged to buy.

Sharon J xx

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