Christmas Continued

Last year I put half a punnet of unused cranberries out for the birds. 

Indigenous British birds obviously have no idea what a cranberry is. Either that or they're just plain fussy.

The cranberries remained, sad, alone and untouched, on the lawn, until they resembled little red bullets, only eventually disappearing when they met their demise in the form of the first mowing of spring. 

This year the wicked ungrateful birds got proper bird seed and I found a recipe on the BBC Good Food site for a Cranberry Apple Chutney.

Both the birds and the family seem much happier with this arrangement.

I also wanted to thank a few people for their Christmas gifts. I was particularly spoiled this year.

Thank you so much to Clare for the pretty diary and soap, to Karan for the lovely silk threads and to Barb for the adorable penguin cushion, (you can't tell in the daylight but it has little light up LEDs on it). 

Your kindness is much appreciated.

I also got a few splendidly geeky things from my family, who know me too well, including some chemistry themed kitchen stuff

A Game of Thrones coaster

An Alice fob watch

And this little box that Naomi burned for me. The elvish script reads "Christine"

Anyone interested in Naomi's creations can find them in her Folksy Shop "The Word on the Street"