The weather outside is frightful...

The view over the Thames and Kingston bridge from the roof terrace,

John Lewis Kingston

The UK has had usually extreme weather the last few weeks, so much so that the AA recommended only emergency journeys be undertaken, and appeals went out over local radio stations to farmers and those with 4x4 vehicles to help midwives and doctors get to their patients. Thousands of schools were shut, the railways and airports closed or disrupted. John Lewis only closed early for one day, but lots of people were allowed to go early to make sure they could travel home safely.

Liberty's of London, September

Working in retail means Christmas starts in September time, as we begin planning months before, Our napkins, crackers and table cloth had to be ordered by mid-October, then the various work Christmas dinners costed. I promised by myself that after the work Christmas dinners (for a total of almost 700) were out of the way, I could actually join in with the looking forward to the celebration of Jesus birthday.

There are also red bows around the bottom of the nets

that I added after I took the picture

I strung fairy lights up through the window in my room overlooking the our street. It just makes the house look more friendly, you know?

We have four Korean girls staying with us at the moment, one 16 and other two 15. Young hyun told them I had a little tree, and they were so excited I let them put that up before they went on holiday. They don't speak very much English, but excitement transcends language, doesn't it? Ellen and I decided we'd wait a little longer to put our nativity scene. We made a stable quite late one night from an old shoe box, some kraft paper, some wool, and a gift tag. Ellen's nativity set is beautiful. We've been edging the wise men closer day by day.

Joseph went missing for a bit, and the angel won't stay upright unless you balance him against the back wall. But at least we found the itinerant father before we had finished.

I emailed the Covent Garden Soup Company not long ago, to compliment them on their delicious home made goodness. The Covent Garden Soup Company were founded in the 80's by a man disappointed he couldn't buy soup like his Mum's in the shops. They very kindly sent me a £5 voucher as a thank you for emailing them a compliment, so I went out and bought 3 cartons of tomato and herb. This is no 'cream of vegetable fat, whey powder and sodium overload' in a can. Fresh tomatoes, onions, basil, a little sugar and nothing you wouldn't recognise from your own kitchen. On Friday morning before I left for Cardiff, I filled my thermos with boiling water to heat it up, heated some Covent tomato and basil soup, filled the flask and ate the remainder for breakfast. I ate it on the train with some yummy brown Genius bread.

The journey itself was without any disruption, though when I arrived in Cardiff everywhere was coated in a sheet of ice. It was a question of sliding by accident or using it to my advantage. It was so dangerously slippery I didn't even make it to church. Which was rather a shame, I really wanted to go.

An uncooked duck is very ugly

We had roast duck, roasted potatoes, carrots and parsnips, pigs in blankets, gravy and stuffing. All gluten and dairy free. The gingerbread stuffing took several tries, but it was worth the effort. When you have cooked a duck, the little wings look like those wire racks you put over radiators to dry towels on.

Thank you Bigger brother!

Delicious!