Posted on by wherethejourneytakesme

creating a simpler Christmas * day 5

Day 5 to 8 is all about creating simple enjoyment and Christmas traditions

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas and hoorah, the car is back – fully recovered and repaired and it has also had a good wash (it needed it too). It did cost us just short of £400 for the pleasure – and it probably did breakdown from having a spray of grit, from passing the grit spreader on the motorway, thrown up under the car and into the ball bearing that is part of the hydraulics that snapped – but we are mobile again and we can carry on with plan (A) today which is to drive up to North Yorkshire to collect my mum who is coming to stay for a few days on her annual Christmas shopping visit.

We do very little Christmas shopping these days as mum cannot walk as well as she could but she loves to go to the same places we have always been – they have become a tradition and are quite enjoyable if not a little tiring.

So it will be a trip down to town on Friday, then round to Sainsbury’s to check out their clothes and buy all the family a tin of biscuits each – something my dad started when he was alive; finishing with a fish and chip supper at Compo’s restaurant (broccoli bake for me) where my brother will join us.

Saturday will be a trip out to Derbyshire for lunch – we usually go to the little village of Tissington but as it gets quite busy there now I am wondering whether to reserve a table. Afterwards we will go down to Ashbourne or over to the Chatsworth farm shop or maybe even Bakewell to visit the pudding shop.

On Sunday we will have a leisurely drive back up North to take her home, possibly stopping in Thirsk to browse in the White Rose book shop and see what is on display outside the greengrocers where they sell very reasonable flowers and plants.

The next few days of meandering will form part of my creating Christmas after all it is not all about the ‘making’ but also about enjoying the festivities out there. I love to see all the villages and market towns in Derbyshire dressed and decorated for Christmas – it has that ‘olde worlde’ feeling that is so typically English.

And it is surprising what you can find over a garden wall.

The photos above are all from our previous Christmas trips but I am hoping I will get chance to take a few new photos….. but don’t hold your breath as just getting mum in and out of the car and on her feet and then keeping her there takes a lot of effort -trying to take pictures on top is almost impossible!

At least I hope there will not be any guitar players where we intend to go.

We were given an early Christmas present at the christening with instructions to open on 1st December; I promptly forgot but remembered this morning and what a lovely surprise – a Pukka Advent calendar (though not for DH he doesn’t drink tea – so they are all for me!) and I have a few days to catch up on.

I have no idea what the tea ‘tulsi clarity’ will taste like but no doubt all will become clear on the 7th. Today I have mint refresh – just right with a chocolate mint if I had one….do you think a packet of Maltesers a good substitute?

I hope to pop in over the next few days with tales of our meanderings and a few photos -but you know how it is! x

26 Replies to “creating a simpler Christmas * day 5”

  1. It sounds like you have a busy weekend ahead of you, I hope it all goes smoothly this time…..

    Ooooh a Pukka Advent calendar, how have I missed that one? I love their Tulsi tea I have been buying it for years, Tulsi is an Asian herb sometimes called Asian Basil, it is good for the brain/memory so I expect that is why it has been renamed Tulsi Clarity.

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  2. Now that’s what I call an advent calendar! One like that alongside a chocolate one would be just perfect each morning.
    The festive displays are beautiful. I especially like the Bakewell Pudding shop, as it looks so inviting.
    I hope all goes well for your mum’s upcoming visit and that you’ve seen the last of any unexpected bills for a while now. X

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  3. Here’s hoping for a good visit with Mum. Definitely no guitars allowed. And a scheduled rest period for you once you return her to her home.

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  4. What lovely Christmas meandering and such a great tradition. I would love to be adventuring in the cold and looking at the lights. I like the concept of the tea advent more than the reality as I am not into flavoured tea. Traditional black is my taste. But I could do one based on black teas – single source, blends, different countries. Now you’ve given me an idea for next year.

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          3. I think I fixed it. Re-posted. So please tell me your stories. Unless I am going to be jealous about private industry spending money that public agencies are not allowed to, except if they are for the politicians.

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  5. What a lovely few days you have ahead of you. Had to giggle at the mention of guitars. The tea advent is wonderful and very colourful. xx

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  6. You have a fab weekend planned! I hope you all enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful time. Also, I hope you have a quiet time scheduled afterwards 🙂

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  7. Hope all goes well on your excursions and the weather cooperates. Looking forward to photos and more of your lovely descriptions.

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  8. It sounds as though you are in for a wonderful weekend, though you may well need to fortify yourself with the ‘Revitalise’ tea. Elaine (Tales from Parsonage Cottage) WordPress does weird things to my id!

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