Christmas Dinner aftermath

 

I got so behind on Christmas Day, that I didn't get the table set with all the sparkling Wedgwood dishes, Silver and Crystal until it was all coming together in the kitchen and I didn't have time to take pictures. Can you imagine? So, here are post dinner photos. The aftermath. It was beautiful and fun. I am definitely doing it just like this next year. Oh....and for the record, even the fussy eater at the table loved the Figgy Pudding!!!

 

 

"Now bring us some piggy pudding, Now bring us some piggy pudding..."

 

I must share the cutest Christmas story with you. This exchange happened about 25 years ago. My husband Allan can be the funniest person....

Allan hums and sings a lot. Every day. He has an affinity for Christmas Carols....year round. About 20 years ago he was in the kitchen singing the song We Wish you a Merry Christmas....."now bring us some piggy pudding, now bring us some piggy pudding" I stopped him and I could barely get out "did you say {snort ha ha snort gasp} Piggy Pudding?". He said "yes". I said, now I am getting that crazed kind of laughing where you can hardly speak..."it's actually Figgy Pudding" He just kind of looked at me for a minute and said "well, that's ridiculous, that doesn't even make sense". Honestly I was laughing so hard I was hysterical. Trying to recount the story for my co-workers the next day, I had to leave the room, I couldn't get the story out. Ahhhh, good times, good times.

So here is the actual song if you are so inclined. There are several versions of it.

This is the one I grew up with.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Chorus:

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Good tidings we bring

To you and your kin

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Now bring us some figgy pudding

Now bring us some figgy pudding

Now bring us some figgy pudding

And a cup of good cheer

We won’t go until we get some

We won’t go until we get some

We won’t go until we get some

So bring it right here

So bring us some figgy pudding

So bring us some figgy pudding

So bring us some figgy pudding

And bring it right here

Good tidings we bring

To you and your kin

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Repeat chorus three times

Gifts wrapped and silver polished

I cheated with the silver this year and used my mothers silver cleaning plate. I really enjoy cleaning silver, and like to leave tarnish in the grooves...a nice old patina. However, I am running out of time, so the plate it is. I must say, it sure looks clean!!

The flash created this gold shine. I love it. Let's all pretend that my old battered silver is actually gold!!

No flash...and the silver as it actually looks.

Another shelf done, most of the Wedgwood is clean and shiny

 This teapot, cream and sugar was a gift from Allan for Mother's Day...
one week after I had Noel.

All washed and polished to a shine

Two shelves of dishes done!!! One to go.

Wedgwood dishes are washed and put away!!

I took two hours tonight and washed my 73 year old Wedgwood Embossed Queensware dishes. I really took my time, even using my little Lee Valley nail brush to wash out all the blue grape and vine design around each dish.

Washing the dishes

Drying and stacking

Back in Great Grandma's china cabinet

The other side

Two shelves left to go

Crystal washed and sparkling for Christmas Dinner

 

Crystal washed and draining. I love washing and cleaning things. There is something therapeutic about it. I especially love it when I'm alone. I put on classical music...or old rock, depending on my mood. And I get completely in the zone. Again...very therapeutic.

 

All polished and shiny and ready to be put back in my great grandmothers China cabinet.

Everything but my Cordial Decanter is put away now. Tomorrow I am going to wash my old Wedgwood Dishes. They are lovely. The crystal is 38 years old (purchased for our wedding) and the Wedgwood dishes are 73 years old. I love things with history, and a story.

Christmas Tree decorating AND a snow day so rare on our island.

 

I took the day off to decorate the tree. It is done. I think it turned out really well.

 

 

 

I haven't decorated the house yet. I'll do that on the weekend.

But it is fun to have much of it all over the place waiting for me.

 

 

The cats love the tissue used to wrap the ornaments. At one point the calico, Cassie, was covered with about three feet of poofy tissue. I put my hand in the pile and it was so warm around her. She is old now and loves to be where it's warm.

 

 

I popped out to the greenhouse to make sure everything was okay. The cold wind showed us where there was a leak in the join between the two sections. So that is plugged up now. I bought a space heater yesterday as a backup source of heat for the citrus end of the greenhouse. The original greenhouse heater is pretty old now and we don't trust it 100%.

 

 

The back yard is just so pretty in the snow. Allan was outside before I even woke up and he saw deer foot prints in the snow. We have never seen a deer here in the 37 years we've lived here. I know they are destructive in gardens, but they sure are beautiful.

 

Well, I'll be darned...look what we bought!!

Another 8x12' greenhouse!!!! Allan, the 'usedvictoria' guru, found one for $400.00 with an exhaust fan and thermostat...everything but a heater. This BC Greenhouse new with the extras, would be about $6000.00. It'll need a bit of cleaning up, and three or four new glass panes, but that is all. Oh and a lot of sweat equity. Here it is during the dismantling.

 

Before, it was lined with white channeled plastic for insulation we assume. Maybe as a sun barrier?

 

 

 

 

 

You know that I think there is nothing sadder than a greenhouse not living up to its potential. Left empty, sad, or god forbid, used as storage....when all they need is to be emptied out, a good cleaning and filled with potted plants, citrus trees, lettuce and spinach to last all winter. Can't you just feel it breathing a sigh of relief when it was revealed in the last photo. It is now completely apart, stacked away for the winter and will go up in the spring.

 

For next year anyway, I think I will fill it with tomatoes and peppers. I LOVE tomatoes.

Welcome to Middlebrook Farm little glass house!