So my sister family visited yesterday and we had beef, new potatoes, roast veg again and leftover goose & gammon [image: 1766903806179-20251227_142400.jpg] Desert was brought, including a marscapone lemon delice which has a white chocolate biscuit base (top, Waitrose £18) that melts in the mouth as the huge lemon flavour overwhelms; also chocolate snowflakes and macarons. And of special note, a home-baked blueberry topped lemon cheescake. Gluten free, no vegetable oils, very nice complementary flavours and everyone could eat it. [image: 1766903846199-20251227_151702.jpg]

Addendum: I did bring out the oil-filled heater today for the room with the TV. It’s working well and the heat is so comfortable even on the low setting. It didn’t have much effect in the kitchen, which is draftier. It’s possible that the radiator isn’t getting hot enough because of air in the system. I should try bleeding it. [image: 1766893369546-img_2287-resized.jpeg]

His point seems to be things have changed over 60 years. A 25 to 30 year old doesn't share all the cultural touchstones of my generation. Go figure. Maybe he should play assisted living facilities.

@piano-dad Congrats to the family! For Christmas I love pulling out the china (my mom’s Noritake Oriental, bamboo motif) and her silverplate (service for 12; we have sterling for 8 from her uncle, but that’s not enough). It’s like playing dress up for the house. I don’t mind hand washing it all after guests go home. My kids stay and help with the clean up.

https://athenagaia.com/products/monastiraki-byzantine-pendant-18k-gold-sterling-silver-pendant I want to own this. The version with the red center stone and oxidized silver. I can imagine the character of Catherine dé Medici in the series I'm watching wearing it on a long chain in the scene where she walks around the banquet hall and slashes the throats of her enemies. The Renaissance, indeed. I'd never wear it. I'd keep it in a jewelry box and admire it in quiet moments.

FFS. Iran can't attack us. We have two vast oceans surrounding us, military bases around the world, a Navy, an Air Force, and nuclear weapons. Enough. The first Iraq war was more than enough. The second Iraq war starved and slaughtered millions. It was fought because of a lie about "weapons of mass destruction" that never existed. The Afghanistan war was a joke. We're attacking Venezuela. When does it end?

The 1st one: Looks very comfortable for its location. A few things I'm not keen on: The railing of the grand staircase. It makes me expect to see retail shops along the mezzanine, i.e. looks mall-like. And the kitchen is too professional for my tastes. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to live in such a location at certain times of the year!

In a nearby suburb, a critter does what it was born to do. https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-1acbbiqidajexr23

@Piano-Dad said in Who’s decorating for the holidays?: Not me. We're out in Las Vegas preparing to welcome granddaughter Raven on New Year's Eve! Ahem. Is there something you’d like to announce?

How excellent!

Cheers for Kimmel

BBC's list of 12 books to read in 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e6nw1w40o

What a lovely looking pan. We already had a couple of heavy cast iron griddle pans at about 25cm, so our skillet is 30cm... and no handle at that size. Petromax brand. Got to look after them though!

It will be like the cliche-- banned in Boston. Now everyone will make a point of watching it. I haven't because the pictures alone are upsetting. I guess the point is Trump is sending people to this prison with no due process. He's also sending people to foreign countries in Africa where they haven't been been since childhood and when they don't speak the language (and presumably arrive with nothing). It's mind boggling.

@ShiroKuro Agreed.

A singer-songwriter is refusing to perform at the Trump-Kennedy Center after the venue’s name changed. Kristy Lee announced Monday that she canceled her scheduled performance at the Washington, D.C., arts institution scheduled for Jan. 14, 2026. The move came days after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the former John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “I don’t have much power, and I don’t run with the big dogs who do. I’m just a folk singer from Alabama, slinging songs for a living,” Lee wrote on social media. “Hell, my songs are really just my own diary set to music. They’re not polished or hit songs, but they’re my truth and nobody can take that from me. I’m proud of that.” “I believe in the power of truth, and I believe in the power of people. And I’m gonna stand on that side forever. I won’t lie to you, canceling shows hurts. This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck,” she continued. “When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else’s ego, I can’t stand on that stage and sleep right at night. America didn’t get built by branding. It got built by people showing up and doing the work. And the folks who carry it don’t need their name on it, they just show up. That’s all I’m doing here. I’m showing up.” Her post went viral, generating hundreds of thousands of likes, shares and comments. She thanked fans for their support and said she plans to instead perform virtually at home on Jan. 14. https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2025/12/singer-cancels-kennedy-center-concert-after-trump-name-change.html Kristy Lee's statement. https://www.facebook.com/kristyleefans/posts/pfbid0w7d3eFTsc2vLJpMs2247qxGP7aGtLBBsAWJBHYfd7HTDCxoxSyuBkuCAR5za6tN5l?rdid=Z1VFv8Fv68WWgkLY# Samples of her music, and a donation link. https://www.kristyleemusic.com/

A lovely feel-good story for this Christmas.

I made a sweater just like mine for Mr wtg; we are sweater twins. A friend stopped by today when Mr wtg and I were wearing our sweaters and said we should have done a Christmas card with a photo of the two of us wearing them. We said we don't have any friends to send cards to, and she came up with the brilliant idea of simply sending Christmas cards with our sweater photo to random people. We got a good chuckle out of the thought that the recipients would be trying to figure out where they know these two oldsters from....