one part cordial to ten parts water

It just seems to me that, since he's carrying a sheep in one hand and everything, this Santa character might know a thing or two about knitting. Anyway, in this picture he's modelling What You Need To Knit Socks. Look at that. Piddly little teeny thin needles. And there's FOUR of them. This is going to take me forever.

Speaking of knitting, have a look at www.yarnharlot.ca/blog
There's a very nice entry on the winter season with a nifty means of donating to medecins sans frontieres.

The very low sun shining directly on the screen so I can't see what I'm writing, reminds me that we are approaching Long Night (and the moment at which we can all start saying "the nights are drawing out now; soon be summer" except it won't, it'll still be minus 20 and snowy for three more months). It makes me miss the misty, moisty Midlands midwinter. (do you see what I did there?) Other English Christmas things that it's hard to be without: the double issue of the Radio Times; sparkly London looking its best; people knowing what mulled wine is; the proliferation of "European markets" in town centres selling hot caramel peanuts and vaguely Scandinavian-looking crafts; mud; the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Radio 4 even though you aren't religious; The Snowman on tv.

One English winter tradition that I HAVE managed to replicate here, and I am almost weeping with gratitude, is Warm Ribena. Unbelievably, our Canadian superstore has dusty bottles of Ribena on the shelves (who here would know what you do with it?) They come in at nearly ten bucks a pop, but ahhhhh...the joy of warm Ribena after three years is hard to beat.

It's the little things. On to the socks.