Photo diary: three weeks of December and a new year, Project 365

 I admire those people who start a new year with a swim outdoors, all the kudos to them! I'm in the lazy camp, when it comes to 1 January, getting up late (if possible), having a leisurely breakfast going on brunch, and then deciding whether to have a little walk outside. 

I was reminiscing on the phone with my Mum the other day, when she and I had a walk on a mild morning of the millennium. My husband was away in Italy, so it was just two of us. We walked around almost empty Oxford streets, and the helicopter was buzzing overheard like a giant angry bumblebee. It was the night when there was a heist at the Ashmolean Museum, and the Cezanne has been stolen. Mum says she remembers how she was astonished to see some roses still in bloom and pansies in baskets. 

It was also the last new year's day when my dearest Dad was still alive. Later that year he died of a heart attack.

Where did we have all the energy to party all night long, when we were young? This new year's eve I could hardly stay awake until midnight, and was moaning for the last hour of 2021 that I was so ready for bed. 

One of the craziest new year's eve parties was in Rome, ages ago, i.e. before we had children. A group of my husband's friends were visiting Rome from Ferrara, and of course, I tagged along, even if I hardly knew anyone. We went from one unhinged party to another, and at midnight the whole lot were climbing on the roof of the house to look at the fireworks. Goodness, how worried I was about my foolhardy husband who, of course, had to go up on the roof as well. I honestly thought he would fall off. He didn't, but I still haven't forgotten his foolishness.

December passed in a blur of frentic shopping, trying to find the right presents and have all the food bought for the Christmas party, as we had friends coming over. I had to cook for a party of meat eaters, vegetarians and a coeliac. Trying to take everything into account, I had to write down the plan of what to cook at what time and in which quantities.

Amidst December my lime tree, which in summer lives in the greenhouse, and indoors during the cold months, decided to start blooming. I love the scent, and the flowers are very pretty, but of course, there won't be any lime, as who's going to pollinate it?!

The town looked festive, with sparkling garlands of lights and Christmas window displays.

We set up our Christmas tree quite late, it was the 17th of December but we will keep it longer. The Russian Christmas is not until the 7th of January.

Our tree is eight years old, and though I love the smell of the freshly cut trees, the artificial is less messy.  We later added a garland of lights. As you can see, we don't keep up a colour scheme. I buy a few Christmas ornaments every year. I also have several Soviet toys from my childhood, so they are now totally vintage.

And yes, that's the photo of Spidey in the corner. 

Eddie's friend came over for a gaming session, and I opened a box of cake for them. It was a festive Percy Pig Igloo cake from M&S. My kid said it was very sweet, even for him, who has a sweet tooth.

This little glass squirrel is one of a few Christmas tree decorations from my childhood. My Mum brought several glass ornaments to me a few years ago, to remind me of the days long gone, when I believed in Grandfather Frost (that's how we call him in Russia).

I also have a legless bird, a little colourful drum and a red chilli pepper.

I enjoy entering advent competitions on social media. This year most of the comps I entered were on Instagram. There were hundreds every day. It was fun, but I didn't win a single one of them.

But... about mid-December I received an email, saying that I won a Fortnum & Mason hamper in a giveaway promotion of Carole Matthews' book. You had to pre-order her latest book to be entered in the draw. The hamper arrived before Christmas, and it was a delight to open a big basket and discover all the goodies, among the heaps of straw. 

Did you win any of the advents?

Eddie and his father braved going to the cinema to watch Spiderman No Way Home, and sent me a selfie from the cinema. I'll have to wait until it comes on a DVD. I don't feel confident enough to go and sit among the crowd for over two hours. 

They said it was thrilling, emotional but sad. I already know the spoilers as I've read the reviews online. 

I kept drawing sketches through the month, taking part in #penandinkchallenge on Instagram. It was fun taking part, and it gave me a chance to start sketching again.

These are three of the drawings based on the prompts - a bell, a cat in a hat and Christmas stockings.

One of the prompts was mistletoe. I chatted to my Mum on the phone and told her I did a drawing of a robin holding a mistletoe. She said it was not possible in real life. I replied that in the world of Santa and the flying reindeer, elves and gnomes, a robin carrying a mistletoe is a possibility.

It was ridiculous to see Easter chocolate eggs in Waitrose on the 24th, when many people were still frantically buying the last bits and bobs for Christmas.

I started cooking our Christmas meal two days in advance, as the homecured salmon takes about 36 + hours to get ready. The day before I prepped some of the veg, and cooked the ham in marmalade. And then the cooking marathon started in earnest on the morning of the 24th.

I made a few changes this year. I cooked roast potatoes with a polenta crust, as recommended by Nigella. They were tasty. I also followed Rachel Roddy's recipe for cooking carrots - though I had to substitute Marsala for sherry. I didn't want to buy a bottle of Marsala just for cooking, and sherry worked really well. 

As a starter we had gluten free potato blini, with salmon and soured cream. Everything was polished off. It was cured with the sea salt, sugar, spices and gin.

We had a turkey crown, with all the trimmings, as well as a vegetarian main and even vegetarian stuffing and "pigs in blankets", later followed by the traditional Christmas pudding. I wouldn't have bothered with it otherwise, but our friends brought their elderly Nana with them who's over 90, and I thought she might enjoy a traditional dessert. We also had a gluten free tiramisu, which was delicious.

The pudding was served, with a flame over rum, quite dramatic. It was actually pretty good, especially with a generous helping of the salted caramel and rum-flavoured cream (though my younger one said it was the vilest thing he has ever tasted). 

Our evening progressed into a long session of boarding games. We played You've got crabs (goodness, who on Earth thought it is a suitable title for a children's game?!), Cluedo and Articulate. You can guess, that by eleven I was not much into Articulating anything. I just wanted to change into my PJs and get under the duvet.

But Eddie said the next day that it was one of the best Christmases, and who am I to contradict him? It was a good day, we enjoyed the company of our friends, and the food was tasty and plentiful.

The next day I told my family that I was not cooking anything. If they were hungry, there was a lot of leftovers, or they could cook themselves. 

During the advents I have entered a giveaway run by Berczy. Didn't win it, but made use of the discount code they sent to all entrants. Their Winter Cola is a limited edition drink. It's certainly not what I expected, not like any usual coca cola or its variations. This is a non-sweet mildly alcoholic drink, quite nice after the sweet excesses of all the Christmas offerings. I think it would be even better in a cocktail with some added flavours.

Taste by Stanley Tucci was one of my Christmas gifts. I asked my hisband how did he know I wanted this book. Apparently Eddie told him when they were in the book shop together. I trained him well. 

Eddie knows I'm a fan of Tucci (especially in The Hunger Games). I only started reading it, and it's very enjoyable.

Fireworks was one of the themes of the pen and ink challenge. I used a technique of sprinkling sea salt over the wet ink (works with watercolours too), and creating a pattern, then drew over with gold pens.

The last day of the year was wet and windy.

We stayed up until midnight, but the evening was dragging for me. I wasn't sure I wanted to see the fireworks in London or just go to bed.

It doesn't help that the British TV is pretty rubbish on the new year's eve. We kept changing the channels, but everything was totally inane and so not funny. Why do we need to know that the woman who was being interviewed had no bra or knickers on? How does this add to the merriment? Yet the presenter (I think it was Graham Norton) laughed like it was the wittiest thing ever.

Earlier that evening I got in touch with my brother on Whatsapp. It's our little tradition, I call him, when it's midnight in Russia in their time zone, and he sets the phone to show me the TV at midnight. We toast each other with a glass of champagne. Typically my Mum would be with them, but for two years in a row she stayed at home. Last year it was against the rules, this year she was still not confident to go out to be in company. 

My brother visited my Mum earlier that day to wish her a happy new year in person. On the way, he snapped a few photos for me of my hometown in winter.

It was wonderful to see the festive decorations and all that snow, but also made me rather sad that I haven't visited Russia for about seventeen years. And who knows, if I'm ever able to travel there.

On the morning of the first of January I woke up to some lovely news. Taking part in the arty challenges won me one of the weekly prizes (a glamorous pen, and ink of my choice). I was thrilled to bits, and hope this is the positive symbol of things to come this year. Maybe, just maybe everything will be all right.

If you haven't fallen asleep reading my long ramblings, I salute you.

I wish you all a happy new year!

And if you haven't spotted it yet, I run my own book giveaway - you could win one of my top ten reads of 2021. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter