N is for Nutcrackers in November, Naturally! 1 of 2

Brian Berke has sent his pretty-much annual batch of Nutcracker shots, from the Big Apple, and not to be outdone I shot a bunch up at Longacres Garden Centre the other day, which I'll post later today, I also seem to have ended-up with a couple for the tree, which will be in a Charity-shop plunder-post!

 

Fun ones!

 

Edibles!

 

The red one's a bit sinister?

 

Not for me, but 75 inches? That's over six-feet!

 

Paint your own from Strawberry Kazoo with Advent calender!

 

I know gay marriage is legal, but this is the odd couple!

Liberace (No, Gran', he really is!) and his Pirate Beau!

 

Cake hat? Hat cake?

 

Many thanks to Brian, it's interesting to see how things are elsewhere in the world, or how trends come and go, I've noticed this year, a larger number of Mushrooms, blown glass, wood and paper-folds, in various designs, all the purveyors of tree-hangers have had them.

W is for What Was All the Fuss About?

I'm so pleased with my efforts yesterday I'm going to force you to look, but first the annual round-up of my edible Advent Calendar, which is the same every year, so rather than the figurals, you're getting all 25, and I think they've loaded in reading order, top left to bottom right, 1st - 25th!

 On the 8th we got a double-sized one which rather knackers the whole collaging matching squares thing! 

 

Look wot I done did!

 

I ran out of space on the big plate, so I quickly warmed a smaller one in the microwave for the meat, transferred the pigs and stuffing balls, and put the roasties (which I'd forgotten were in with the meat, when arranging all the other veg', with a small gap for the meat) on the 'veg' plate . . . how decadent was that! 11 veg', if you count the onions as different, and the roast beetroot was this year's experiment, and I can recommend. No Yorkshire pudding, because that's not decadent, that's apostate!

 

I didn't finish it! No point in forcing yourself to get those last lukewarm bits down, and I would have had to cut more meat! It all made a really nice Bubble & Squeak omelette this morning, though, and we go again, this evening!

 

I wore the purple hat for the meal, and 'got' the metal puzzle! All now suitably bagged, labelled (Sainsbury's small) and in the stash, with the ones we saw at the start of the month! Not impressed by the fake moustache, which is printed-card, and while I get the eco-sentiment, and it will enhance a future post on such things, it seems to have hygiene issues in my eyes?

 

And I've realised (maths was never my strong suit) that the month record should fall today or tomorrow, depending on how lazy I am, while the 'beat 2017' target is quite doable now! Onwards and upwards!

A is for Advent!

This year's figurals, I think they are the same as some I had a few years ago, but I shot them so they can go up!

Halfway through the period we got an extra-big or double one, Santa' and his sleigh! And there's a soldier!

D is for Disaster!

It's the annual Crimbo-chocolate post! Bit of a rant this year!

Lidl's have stopped shipping-in their lovely Favorina chocolate advent calendars of which there was always a choice of three, one girly kids one, one blokey kids one and one traditional one with a sort of 'cheap Christmas card' scene with Christmassy and/or religious overtones, which was the one I always got, each window (are they windows, or doors?) had a different chocolate shape, there were the correct 24 windows and the chocolate was lovely!

Last one from 2016

Last year they started sourcing them from within the UK (Kinnerton) and while the chocolate was OK, it was UK-okay if you know what I mean, not proper chocolate at all, and worse - all the boxes were younger kids TV or book/comic character tie-ins, so this year I paid an extra quid for a Thornton's one, hoping it would at least taste better.

No proper figurals this year

It's got 25 doors (are they doors, or windows?) which is sacrilege ('Bread & Circus' - "Give the proles an extra doorwindow!"), only six designs and the chocolate tastes like Cadbury's Dairy Milk which I've never liked, vegetable-fatty, sugar-gritty, shite.

I know it's frivolous, but there's a point - like housing, like prisons, like wages, like benefits, like the roads, military procurement, education (funding and policing) local governance, banking, tribunals, the toy trade, manufacturing, fishing, mental-health, pensions, policing - pretty-much any aspect of public life you care to mention; the crappifying of chocolate advent calendars is a symptom of something greater; that we are going backwards.

We are going downhill, we've ceased to improve, progress isn't and we've started to visibly, tangibly, actually degrade - as a nation, we are on the slide. 38-years of Thatcherite-Reganomic policy has left us divided, devoid of ideas and without a pot to piss in and pushing ahead with Trumpundbrexit won't do anything more than accelerate the regression. So endeth the message of hope for 2018!

Finishing on a lighter note, the one on the left is a penguin in a scarf - if you're wondering.

While the one on the right ended this way-up after I'd wrestled it from the tray and I momentarily thought - why have I got a whale-plane from the Wacky Races in my advent calendar?

A is for Advent!

Nearly through the calendar (20th at time of posting) and not many figural chockies this year (I'll add any additions before this publishes!), one duplicate already - the robin! I missed out on the excellent calendars you get from Lidl or Aldi so it was off to the Poundland for a local product; Kinnerton (part of a larger group with what looks like an Aussie arm?).

They have the same taste, but are much smaller than their Euro-counterparts (a bit like Britain now! Ooh - a Brexit dig on Crimbo-day Hugh; you do like controversy). Also there's an extra door for the 25th (with a mini-bar of chocolate) which just isn't tradition at all! Bah! Humbug!

Additions

Oh! Both duplicates, hey ho; they're here now!

Typically: the best one came on the 24th - A soldier! (or a soldier bear?), anyway; the drinks we were supposed to be going too got put back to this evening and I've made the library with minutes to spare! happy tomorrow, today everyone!

B is for Best Wishes

Happy Christmas and the best of wishes for 2014 to all who follow, comment or contribute

to the blog, or who wander through!

The contents of this years Lidl's Advent Calender...and I ate them all!

L is for Let's hear it for Lidl

Not quite as cool as jelly Daleks, but getting there, and they compensate by being tastier than any Dalek!! From the current Lidl's Advent calender, and to celebrate the news that Lidl and Aldi have moved ahead of M&S in food sales!

Santa Clause, Clown and Snowman, edible 'flats'...nuff said. More free advertising, I don't know whats wrong with me...must be something in the food!