It's almost Christmas already and I've not posted anything even vaguely festive this year.... apart from sharing that recipe for my now infamous booze-addled Christmas cake back in November. Perhaps I peaked too soon? With fortnightly rum top-ups, the cake is quite possibly a sitting fire hazard by now... perhaps best not to serve it with the flaming brandy pudding!
Then I suppose there was the rather silly behaviour at my office Christmas party this year ... you'd think I would know a lot better, especially since I wrote a whole post about the folly of those overindulging in alcoholic beverages in front of their work colleagues, round about this time last year....10 Reasons Not To Get Drunk At Your Office Christmas Party! How the mighty how fallen?! If there's one thing I hate, it's a hypocrite....
Another thing I detest? Satan's little green balls! They're everywhere at the moment, rather like some recurring, annoying little Christmas jingle. This witty (or perhaps rather shitty!) little ditty first appeared way back in 2009 on this somewhat odious (!) post here.....
Nat's Ode To Brussels Sprouts
How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways...
I loathe to spy thee lying on my plate
All small and green and round
I detest thee, soggy vegetable
I abhor thy sulphur scent
Boiled or roasted, steamed or fried
I hate thee for thou bitter taste
It makes me gag and twist my face
And later I hate thee even more
When two hours on, the air turns poor!
And sprouts are not the only things I hate about Christmas. Indeed, I made a whole list last year... only 5 Things I Hate About Christmas? Huh! I reckon my list grows yearly, as I become more crotchety and bah humbugish in my dotage. Mostly, I'm just fed up with the growing commercialisation of it all... the fact that it all seems to be less about spending time with your loved ones, and more about how much loot you can get! Mind you, there was a time when getting the latest "Baby Doll In A Rocking Cradle" was a very big thing for me...
Yes, back in the "olden days" when Christmas for me fell in the middle of a hot Southern hemisphere summer holiday... sun, sand and surf. A barbeque and the beach.... now I dream about a white Christmas, coz it looks pretty... for a while...but I really just can't be bothered with all that inevitable slush, ice and shovelling snow! Chances of snow are in fact very slim in the UK this Christmas, with temperatures set to soar to a tropical 11C later this week... Global Warming anyone?
Can you now see what I've managed to do here? Cobble together a whole post, pretty much from the posts of Christmases past. Needs must when a serious lack of inspiration and a heavy dosage of laziness sets in...and all that egg nog. Nothing wrong with a bit of recycling - the BBC do this all the time.... rerun the same old programmes at Christmas, year in, year out, with just the odd sprinkling of something new to trick viewers into thinking they're getting value for their licence fees.
So, I may not have wowed you all with my original seasonal prose today, but I'll leave you with a shot of my "fabulously festive" Christmas tree at least....
Happy Christmas everyone!




What a great post! Love how you incorporated previous post.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the cats made me smile. Bless em.
Great looking tree too.
X x
ps don't forget to enter my birthday blog give away!
Mwahahaha - that first pic is hilarious, made me laugh out loud! :-D
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! :-)
For a minute there Nat I thought I was watching 'grumpy old women' haha! love those shows, think I relate!! Maybe it's because I live in hot climes, predicted 30C for Christmas day could be much more, what do they know, but I just don't get the brussel sprout thing, why so full on at Chrissy with the brussel sprouts!!
ReplyDeleteI'll just by saying that I'm making your chocolate tart for dessert on X-mas day ;) Thank you! Growing up in Southern California I was so used to sunny Christmas's and now that I am in Portland OR where me have a winter it makes the holidays finally feel right!
ReplyDeleteI also made the yummiest brussel sprouts last night with diced honey baked ham and a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I hated these vegi's for ever but for some reason I really dig them now. :)
Have a Merry Christmas!!!
~
Krista
I must not be a brussel sprout person cause I never even heard of them being a Christmas thing..Nope they've never been served at my table!!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is lovely!!
Merry Christmas Nat!
Thank you and Merry Christmas to you also!
ReplyDeleteI'm left with thoughts of brussel sprouts... I will eat just about anything presented to me. BUT, I WILL NOT eat those vile green balls of yuck!
I do love a festive rant, Nat!
ReplyDeleteIt's weird being stuck here when I'm normally on a beach. I don't get all the fuss and shopping one bit but I am enjoying plonking myself in the window seat at a town pub and watch the shoppers ran around like headless chickens.
Did you see Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's sprout recipe in last weekend's Guardian? He reckons this will convert even the most fervent of sprout haters: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/16/christmas-lunch-recipes
Lovely tree.
Happy Xmas, love. xxx
Happy and peaceful Christmas to you and your family, with so much friendship and joy Elettra
ReplyDeleteHave a very Merry Christmas! I hope you and your loved ones are safe and spoiled :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great blog! Cheers to 2012 xxx
Much love, Bailey from Vanilla Blonde