My son Philip gave me a call last week.“Mother, will we collect the Christmas tree? We’re on the way out to Castletreasure now.”
Obviously one doesn’t refuse an offer like that even if it was only the last day of November! Castletreasure, Douglas, is where our good friend Pat Lehane lives and Pat has supplied us with a large Christmas tree for many years. So the Christmas tree arrived and lies horizontally by the front door for the moment.
With any bit of luck Philip will be back to put it up this weekend.
I can imagine Ricky putting up the baubles, hoisted high on Philip’s shoulders
He has made a date with his nephew Ricky and it will be lovely to see the little boy involved in the hauling in and decoration of the Christmas tree.
I can imagine Ricky putting up the baubles, hoisted high on Philip’s shoulders. He delights in being up high. It will also be fun to see how long Philip’s patience lasts!
Tough news
It’s time for me to pull out the boxes of Christmas stuff and get in the mood for the season. This past week has been tough for us as a society.
The news that new restrictions are necessary to curb the surge of COVID-19 and the devastating news of a new variant has been a hard pill to swallow. We now know that Omicron has been confirmed in one person in Ireland and that person travelled from one of the countries where Omicron infections are high.
I think the Government and NPHET continue to do an amazing job to keep us all safe
I know it’s disheartening and tough but we’ve got to stay with the programme. I think the Government and NPHET continue to do an amazing job to keep us all safe. We’re thrilled that our son Diarmuid got his booster shot this week.
There is no doubt that there is a mental load to all of this and maybe focusing on family and Christmas is just what we need to get through the next few weeks. We’d all love to be looking forward to some social occasions and friend meet-ups but it’s an unlikely reality.
Christmas preparation in school
Up to now, all my energy has been going into our activities in the cookery kitchen in school. We’ve made 45 Christmas cakes which will be iced next week. There will be mayhem in the kitchen but we’ll have lots of fun. We make them in loaf tins and the recipe is ideal for anyone who wants a simple and light Christmas cake with the children:.
Soften ½ block of margarine for 20 seconds in the microwave. Put it into a big bowl and beat with the wooden spoon. Add ¼ cup of brown sugar and mix. Add 3 eggs and 1 ½ cups of flour a little at a time alternating between egg and flour. Add 1 tbsp of brandy, ½ cup of grated cooking apple or ¼ cup tinned strawberries, 1 tsp of mixed spice and 2½ cups of mixed fruit. Put it into a lined loaf tin and bake at 130ºC for approximately 1 hour. I’m also making Darina Allen’s Christmas trees with the two senior classes. We will have to get the chocolate out of the way before the icing starts. These look lovely when assembled. I’ve stopped talking about healthy eating and having a treat just at weekends until January! Instead I’m talking about moderation and small portions. I need to listen to my own gospel.
The Christmas pageant is also nearing completion. My colleague Ray twisted my arm to take out the sewing machine to fashion some costumes of red and green. The theme is the Christmas Grinch. He’s in charge of taking the videos and editing the various pieces together for viewing by the pupils and families.
It is a time of year when all the teachers and staff display their creativity, bringing ideas together to make yet another special Christmas pageant
The pupils have been out in the yard with Santa’s sleigh and the reindeer doing various sketches. They’ve been to Ballincollig Shopping Centre to film their dance moves with their dance teacher, Jackie. It is a time of year when all the teachers and staff display their creativity, bringing ideas together to make yet another special Christmas pageant. It will be shown online and pupils will be able to watch it many times. They never tire of looking at themselves and their friends.
The COVID-19 situation means that there is a certain apprehension about Christmas. Yet we owe it to our families to remain grounded and practical, endeavouring to make Christmas 2021 enjoyable and restful.
My son Philip gave me a call last week.“Mother, will we collect the Christmas tree? We’re on the way out to Castletreasure now.”
Obviously one doesn’t refuse an offer like that even if it was only the last day of November! Castletreasure, Douglas, is where our good friend Pat Lehane lives and Pat has supplied us with a large Christmas tree for many years. So the Christmas tree arrived and lies horizontally by the front door for the moment.
With any bit of luck Philip will be back to put it up this weekend.
I can imagine Ricky putting up the baubles, hoisted high on Philip’s shoulders
He has made a date with his nephew Ricky and it will be lovely to see the little boy involved in the hauling in and decoration of the Christmas tree.
I can imagine Ricky putting up the baubles, hoisted high on Philip’s shoulders. He delights in being up high. It will also be fun to see how long Philip’s patience lasts!
Tough news
It’s time for me to pull out the boxes of Christmas stuff and get in the mood for the season. This past week has been tough for us as a society.
The news that new restrictions are necessary to curb the surge of COVID-19 and the devastating news of a new variant has been a hard pill to swallow. We now know that Omicron has been confirmed in one person in Ireland and that person travelled from one of the countries where Omicron infections are high.
I think the Government and NPHET continue to do an amazing job to keep us all safe
I know it’s disheartening and tough but we’ve got to stay with the programme. I think the Government and NPHET continue to do an amazing job to keep us all safe. We’re thrilled that our son Diarmuid got his booster shot this week.
There is no doubt that there is a mental load to all of this and maybe focusing on family and Christmas is just what we need to get through the next few weeks. We’d all love to be looking forward to some social occasions and friend meet-ups but it’s an unlikely reality.
Christmas preparation in school
Up to now, all my energy has been going into our activities in the cookery kitchen in school. We’ve made 45 Christmas cakes which will be iced next week. There will be mayhem in the kitchen but we’ll have lots of fun. We make them in loaf tins and the recipe is ideal for anyone who wants a simple and light Christmas cake with the children:.
Soften ½ block of margarine for 20 seconds in the microwave. Put it into a big bowl and beat with the wooden spoon. Add ¼ cup of brown sugar and mix. Add 3 eggs and 1 ½ cups of flour a little at a time alternating between egg and flour. Add 1 tbsp of brandy, ½ cup of grated cooking apple or ¼ cup tinned strawberries, 1 tsp of mixed spice and 2½ cups of mixed fruit. Put it into a lined loaf tin and bake at 130ºC for approximately 1 hour. I’m also making Darina Allen’s Christmas trees with the two senior classes. We will have to get the chocolate out of the way before the icing starts. These look lovely when assembled. I’ve stopped talking about healthy eating and having a treat just at weekends until January! Instead I’m talking about moderation and small portions. I need to listen to my own gospel.
The Christmas pageant is also nearing completion. My colleague Ray twisted my arm to take out the sewing machine to fashion some costumes of red and green. The theme is the Christmas Grinch. He’s in charge of taking the videos and editing the various pieces together for viewing by the pupils and families.
It is a time of year when all the teachers and staff display their creativity, bringing ideas together to make yet another special Christmas pageant
The pupils have been out in the yard with Santa’s sleigh and the reindeer doing various sketches. They’ve been to Ballincollig Shopping Centre to film their dance moves with their dance teacher, Jackie. It is a time of year when all the teachers and staff display their creativity, bringing ideas together to make yet another special Christmas pageant. It will be shown online and pupils will be able to watch it many times. They never tire of looking at themselves and their friends.
The COVID-19 situation means that there is a certain apprehension about Christmas. Yet we owe it to our families to remain grounded and practical, endeavouring to make Christmas 2021 enjoyable and restful.
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