Conceeding defeat.

A splash of Christmas colour.

We try very hard to ignore Christmas, it's just too commercialised and an excuse to over indulge for many people, however this year we have decided that if we can't beat them we might as well join them, whoever 'them' might be.

The first of many.

Lots of mince pies have been made and eaten already,

         and we have even made a Christmas cake.
 The  turkey is ordered, although we nearly had second thoughts on this as the farm where it is coming from belongs to the same people that have the Organic butchers shop and café in Boyle, it was their Christmas fair that I did last week and nearly froze to death. At this weeks fair  they had some of their animals making an appearance, including two of the turkeys destined for dinner tables. We don't get sentimental about animals reared to feed people, but having once tried to rear our own turkeys for Christmas we have a very soft spot for them. They make the most delightful pets as we found out. Anyway, we were assured that neither of these turkeys were  earmarked for ourselves.
Any gifts that were to be given have reached their destination,

One finished Aran jumper.

and the jumper that I was knitting for the OH's Christmas present is now finished.

I made up a gift package for a friend containing home made goodies, I could only find a very ordinary  basket to put the jars in so decided that I could re-weave the chosen basket with ribbon, it took quite a lot of work but did look nice,

Zara did fit, just.

Zara, my silver Persian also thought it was a great basket and managed to fit herself very neatly in it. As if  there are not numerous baskets around the house especially made for the cats.

The label indicated that these lilies are Irish grown, I wonder?

It's hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it's so mild, December should be cold, not warm enough to go out without a coat, there is little difference between day and night time temperatures. Even the daffodil bulbs are well above the ground, there's even been reports of daffs. and primroses in bloom.
I have been puzzling for some time as to how supermarkets can sell jam and marmalade so cheaply, they can sell at a price less than it costs me to make and I use free fruit with the exception of oranges, so I have started looking at labels, (yes I know, sad that I have nothing better to do with my time.) Besides all the sugar and fructose that is used, there is pectin and gelling agent. Now anyone who makes their own jam knows that all you need to get a good set is fresh fruit and sugar, and possible in the case of Strawberry jam, lemons. When it comes to blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry and marmalade they all set well without the need to add anything else. Seeing the long list of ingredients on a commercial jam it strikes me that they are missing out the main ingredient, water. It's the only explanation as to how the jam is so cheap, water which is more or less free, plus the gelling agent and pectin and you could make anything look like jam, at a fraction of the cost of the real thing.

A better shot of the pattern.