Gorgeous sky

As I left Waitrose at around 4.30pm yesterday, my spirits were lifted by the most stunning sky. Fortunately, I had my camera in my bag.

Knitting a poem

My Grumpy chum alerted me to this series which is on Radio 4 several days this week - really great and worth a listen.

Advent Sunday

Getting myself together having spent most of yesterday driving to and from London, taking Edward to his new home. It's an exciting time for him, starting out in the world with so many possibilities opening up and we are happy that he's sorted out such a comfortable place to live.

Today we've put out our Advent plate and will light the first candle later. No good for the willpower, because those lebkuchen, dominostein and other yummy sweeties are amongst my favourites. Shall have to balance the chocolate with a satsuma from time to time! 

Making our door wreath

"'Twas the month before Christmas and all through the house, all you could hear was the click of a mouse...'"

Except that today, there was the click of scissors as well, as I made our door wreath. I don't really like the primped, all-too-perfect ones on sale and prefer a looser, more natural wreath, made from cuttings from the garden and which will gradually dry and change character as the month progresses.

I start with some cuttings of ivy, cotoneaster and rosemary, which is still flowering in one corner of the garden and has an amazing scent. I choose long, spindly lengths, still very soft and pliable so that I can wind and wrap it around to make a circle.

I wind the lengths of ivy and cotoneaster around each other, twisting it in and out to keep it all together, not really worrying at this point whether it is looking ok and simply concentrating on getting a firm foundation.

Gradually, I add in more greenery, still twisting the long lengths around one another and gently pushing the circle into shape from time to time. Now, I'm trying to keep the leaves on one side in preference to the other, making a front and a back. Any little sprig that doesn't behave gets the chop!

Finally, I fill in any gaps with little bits of purple sage, twigs of rosehips and ivy berries - though the cultivated ivy in the garden doesn't have berries, the wild stuff in the lane is loaded. I poke the stems through and twist them in and amongst the other twisted stems as far as I can.

I make a hanging loop from a leftover piece of ivy stem and hang on the front door.