Category Archives: Christmas with the Crone

The Mystery of the Papal Package

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

You may have seen my recent letter to Doris Brazil, an elderly retailer in the South of England with whom I have a sort of 84 Charing Cross Road relationship. She sends me slow-moving items from her Ladies Wear store … Continue reading →

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Jumping Joseph: A Christmas Miracle?

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

Driving Gretel to work this morning at 7:45 I noticed that all was not well with the Holy Family who have set up their stall outside the Baptist church. Joseph had keeled over as though intoxicated and Mary wore a … Continue reading →

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Dark Intrigue Surrounds Doris Brazil

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

Dear Doris, Thanks for your thank-you note which arrived today. I am glad to see that the Appleton Marsh Post Office has finally got the hang of airmail. The note, and your recent blog post actually caused me some alarm … Continue reading →

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The Lesson of the Leftovers: A Reading for Christmas Week

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

Leftovers are a Christmas blessing. This morning I had a generous schmeer of the goat’s cheese from yesterday’s cheese board with a slice or two of Irish fruit bread someone gave me as a gift. Everyone knows it is virtuous … Continue reading →

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Really, it’s no trouble at all

Posted on December 26, 2011 by

I have friends coming for dinner later and am feeling defeated by the amount of potatoes I will need to peel. I rather dread the preparation of the sprouts. There are no plans to iron a tablecloth. There is no … Continue reading →

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Feasting for Beginners

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

Christmas dinner was held a couple of days early to accommodate Gretel’s work schedule–bakery counters are busy in the run up to the big day. Hansel’s ham was a triumph as were his pigs in blankets this morning. All agreed … Continue reading →

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Christmas Greetings from the Blarney Band

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

Quite my favorite Christmas card of the season was handmade by my Belfast aunt. She hand-stitched candles, holly leaves, berries and flames on to some beautiful rugged paper using glittering thread, and tiny beads. Inside, my Uncle hand wrote a … Continue reading →

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That Christmas Tree In Full

Posted on December 17, 2011 by
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Painted Ladies

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

The Cackler is going nude this Christmas whereas I plan to be sensuous, albeit fully clothed. I refer of course to two perfumes in the Estee Lauder range. She’s Nude in Yorkshire and I’m Sensuous in Itchy Ankle. On both … Continue reading →

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Our Death Defying Trip to The Shops

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

Neither Gretel nor I is an engineer. We don’t understand how bridges stand up and how blimps fly. We just have to trust that others do, and that they will have done their jobs well, keeping the rest of us … Continue reading →

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