In the nine years (this month) since she became a part of my life and ultimately, stole my heart
(Aww ! 😊😍) we have had had Victorian, Russian, Hawaiian, French Creole, Amish, Renaissance, German, and last year Depression Era Christmas which wasn't depressing at all and was actually fun !
A few months ago I was informed that it was not 2017, that it was, in fact, 1943 (she changed it to 1945 later) and that we are at war !!!😨 Not us.We're fine, but that our Christmas theme this year will be WWII. Of course, she got her idea from those BBC farm shows that she loves (especially Wartime Farm. I think she has a crush on Peter 😣.)
When I found out that business would keep me away from home for Christmas this year I expected tears, but Tess is adaptable and has learned over the years that plans may have to change without much notice. "Have slow cooker, will travel" is her credo. As you may know, we have been talking about selling the house and moving to a small farm and there are so many beautiful farms over here that I thought it might be a nice idea to find one where we could spend the holidays (who wants to spend Christmas in a hotel ?) and at the same time we could get a taste of farm life without actually moving. I'm not trying to talk her out of it ,I simply want to be sure about what we're getting ourselves into.
I wanted to surprise Tess, so I looked at a few farm stays websites and found one that sounded perfect, paid them a visit and made the arrangements. Tess thought we would be celebrating in the aforementioned hotel so when I told her to pack yesterday morning,she was surprised but she did it and we drove out of the city and into the country. Where are we going? , she asked once. You'll see, I told her, Because she trusts me, she didn't jump out of the speeding car and eventually I slowed down and turned into a hidden dirt road. I put the windows down and told her to inhale. Horses!,she smiled. A few moments later the horses appeared in a pasture in the distance. I tooted the horn and someone opened the gate so that we could drive through. We parked and got out and I introduced my better half to the owner. As everyone who is lucky enough to meet her is, he was charmed by her, which made me feel six and a half feet tall. He told us the cottage was all ready and to let them know if we needed anything. Tess looked at me. I told her I had rented a cottage for us for the holidays. She was speechless and when we drove past the barn and she saw it, she was thrilled. The cottage is small, (for me,not her.) but Tess thinks it is utterly charming and perfect. YAY !😁
After we unloaded the car, including Tess' two steamer trunks (I'm kidding ! She only has one) ,we settled in and Tess made tea from the welcome basket in the little kitchen, then we had a nap and later, took a walk around the farm, visited the horses, cows and........GEESE !!!
Our tree and the putz underneath it. No, the tree is not exploding, but three strands of twinkle lights on a two foot tree is apparently too much. It looks great in person !
The nativity is the smallest one I have ever seen. Tess thinks it is 1/12 scale but she can't remember.
The deer family is bigger than the holy family but she loves them "dearly".
and the spice cookie ornaments,
she has been collecting the gold bead and pearl garlands and glass ornaments since she was a child.
Me: Are you sure you don't want these ? Her: Yes. What are you going to do with them ?
Me: Secret. She only smiled indulgently. When I showed her later she thought they were adorable and had me put them on the table with the tree and wanted a picture. She would have made a great mother. She will be a great stepmother.
Today we went into the nearby village to pick up groceries for our Christmas dinner, Boxing Day, etc.
It is a pretty little village and Tess had great fun in the shops. She doesn't like supermarkets in the U.S. which is why she orders the groceries, but she enjoys food shopping here. She only rejoined me recently and I was really missing her home cooking after months of restaurants and take out. I've outgrown most of my clothes since she's been here, but I'm not complaining (and neither is she 😉.)
Here's the menu for our Christmas Dinner-
That doesn't seem fair.😞 Oh well, at least I'm not expected to do anything expect be a good sport. No shopping, no cooking, no heavy lifting. And tomorrow there will be a great dinner and presents (What the heck is that ? Did I ask for one of those? I'm kidding. She knows me like a book and always gives me exactly what I need or want because she remembers what I say all year long.) and music and shows and movies, sticking to the theme, although via her laptop. I know it will be fun and it pleases her to please me 😗. I've never had anyone go to the effort that she does to make life and especially holidays unique and enjoyable. And it isn't about how much money is spent. I had an ex who thought that's what mattered, and maybe back then I did too, but I'm a different person now. A happier, wiser, more relaxed and contented person with my values and priorities in order and My Tess deserves 90% of the credit for that. Although she was born with a silver spoon in her rosebud mouth she is the sweetest, most down to earth and genuinely good person that I have ever known. She's a homebody by nature, camera shy to a fault, is always a lady, has no artistic inclinations and thinks I hung the moon. I am truly blessed. My only complaint- I have to remind her to cash her paychecks and then she hands them back to me "for the farm". I see the household account and monthly bills and marvel at how my angel does so much while spending so little. (I think she should hold seminars or write a book. She always laughs when I say that.) She says that she was taught by the best. Nope, not her mother, who has more shoes than Imelda Marcos, but by her Nanny/Governess, Miss Belle. If we had been home for Christmas this year, Miss Belle was going to celebrate with us for the first time. She rarely leaves Louisiana, so Tess was very excited. (Tess' mother is spending the holidays in France with Tess' sister, so I'm VERY excited😉!) I feel bad that we had to cancel on Miss Belle, but we'll make it up to her somehow.
A former "friend" of mine never called Tess by her name, referring to her instead as "The Ginger Geisha"
I think that was the day that I fell in love with her. For the first time. 💕
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY ! WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR !(Here's our little Christmas video).
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The note in our welcome basket invited us to Christmas Eve service in the village church so we bundled up and went. Although neither of us is Episcopalian, we enjoyed the sermon and music in the charming little Victorian church built in 1872 .Back at the cottage we warmed up again with hot chocolate and cookies and then turned in. The cottage has feather beds (GEESE AGAIN !!!)
and it was like sleeping on a cloud. In the morning I woke up to the aroma of Tess' delicious coffee☕ and something baking in the oven. I got up and showered and dressed (still no uniform 😞) but my robe and slippers were laid over the chair by the fireplace and I put them on and went downstairs. Before I could even say "MERRY CHRISTMAs", I was handed a big mug of my beloved bean (how someone who doesn't drink coffee can make such great coffee, is beyond me) and a plate with a hot, flaky apple turnover (shaped like a bow tie for some reason)
Apparently, we will be expecting an addition to our family around April.
That's right, I've gone insane and ordered a Virgil Tracy doll for Tess from BIG CHIEF STUDIOS AND SIDESHOW TOYS. There is a waiting list and he will probably arrive around Easter but I couldn't resist giving her this card in one of her packages.
I'll probably live to regret it. I can see it now. Virgil sitting in my chair at the table (in a booster seat),
wearing clothes I've grown out of, taking afternoon naps with her and sitting on the kitchen counter playing his tiny white piano while she sings and cooks for HIM !!! OH, WHAT HAVE I DONE !!!😱 Calm down, maybe she'll get bored with him like kids do with their toys. I'll probably find him in a box in the garage with her other discarded childhood puppets. No, not My Tess, she'll love him even if his thick hair falls out and he loses his action figure physique and gets termites. It's alright, I'll order a Tin-Tin doll for me and the four of us can have dinner together and watch movies and...What am I saying ??? It's a doll ! Then again, so was CHUCKY ! I'd better watch my back. I wonder if they have a Hood doll.....
Tess' plans for the day included cooking and joining the owners to feed apples🍎🍬🍪, peppermints and gingerbread cookies to the horses. She was also hoping to procure an unfertilized goose egg for the custard for our cake (She did !)
Our hostess graciously let Tess take this photo to show me the difference between one of those and a chicken egg.
We're going to need some bigger cartons !!!😯
We didn't wake up until after nine (Darn Tryptofan !) but nothing was ruined and we sat down at Tess' very pretty and festively set table.
We listened to a Bob Hope Christmas radio show and 40's music while we ate.
GRATIN DAUPHINOIS (Au Gratin Potatoes)
Later, we slow danced under the kissing ball,😉to the Michael Buble C😖hristmas album.
Apparently we were celebrating Mery Cheestoes 145. (I'm kidding !!! She isn't laughing.)
We watched movies:
WHITE CHRISTMAS (1955) Because it starts at the end of WWII it met our viewing criteria.
The Bells of St.Mary's (1945)
(lucky for me !!!😅) when she found out that nuns weren't allowed to have ponies.
Christmas Dinner was delicious ,as you can see, but the next day we decided to postpone Boxing Day until New Year's Day (sacrilege, I know). It was a gastronomic overload so we took a break for a few days.
On New Year's Eve I had another social obligation and I asked Tess to come with me but she begged off and I went with friends. In her defense, she doesn't like crowds, loud music, and she doesn't drink ,so I wasn't surprised when she said no, but I always like to ask her anyway. I called her at Midnight and woke her to say Happy New Year. The sound of her sweet,sleepy voice made me wish I had stayed at the cottage with her. When I got home she was asleep but she had left a dish with 12 grapes for me (does anyone else do this ? She says her family always did. It's supposed to be lucky for the coming year.).Of course, I ate them and went to bed.
New Year's Day started late in the afternoon after several mugs of Tess' hangover cure (for me,
MR. BEAN
ARE YOU BEING SERVED ?
AND OF COURSE (though technically, not a Britcom) ,
WARTIME FARM
(I also received bars of soap and an orange, (among other very nice things.) two gifts highly prized at Christmas during WWII. My Tess loves history.)
Spending the holidays here was a great idea, if I do say so myself, Tess and I could see ourselves living here someday. We were invited for cocktails the day after New Year's (we both had ginger beer) and the owners happened to mention that they might be getting ready to sell the farm and move closer to their son and his family. They are both in their 70's and although it is only twenty acres, the place is too much for the two of them and a hired man to take care of.
I looked at Tess.
I'm not sure what will happen, but we've decided to take a few more days to think it over.
We'll keep you posted.😉
