#WinterSolstice + #Christmas + #NewYearsEve 2020 - Celebrating The Holidays In Lockdown Thanks To #Covid19 + Ending The Year With #Snow

Happy New Year! I hope yours is off to a great start so far, and that it only gets better from here on out. 

     

~ 

     

I wish I didn't have to mention this in a post about the holidays.  Unfortunately it's the reality of how things are/were, and can't be ignored.  So... 

     

The UK - at least, Wales and parts of England - went in to lockdown again right before the holidays, because of the situation with Covid-19.  Infection rates are high, not helped by a new mutation of the virus showing up. It was announced on the evening of December 19th 2020, in a last moment change of plans by the government, came in to effect at midnight on December 20th, and meant a bit of tweaking of plans for us.  Although, we were luckier than most, since at least we were able to see some of the family around the holidays, and had each other the whole time.  That's more than many people had/had, and I'm grateful we were among the lucky ones not spending the holidays completely alone.  My heart goes out to those less fortunate, as well as to those who were counting on last moment holiday shopping to get gifts for their children, but couldn't because one of the restrictions was the banning of sales of what the government considers, "Non-essential items," which includes toys, and - for some reason that makes no sense to me - clothing.

     

Anyway, I won't bother telling you what our original plans had been.  Things couldn't happen that way, so there's no point dwelling on it.  Instead I'll tell you what ended up happening for our lockdown WinterSolstice and Christmas celebrations. 

    

~ 

    

On December 20th, Mam took me to get a few bits of food shopping I'd need for over the holidays.  She needed a few things too, and since I physically couldn't take myself, we went together.  Neither of us needed much - just a few essentials, and a couple of the ingredients needed to make the things we planned to eat over the holidays - but between having to line up to get in to the supermarket and some other rules that had to be followed because of the pandemic, it took us three hours.  Although, I do admit that we could have shaved a bit of time off that if we hadn't grabbed a cocoa to go from Costa (who do vegan cocoa using plant milks on request).  But believe me when I say that didn't add much to the time we were out.  Besides, as is often the case in the UK at this time of year, it was cold and wet, and we needed something warm after lining up in the chilly drizzle to get our turn to go in to the supermarket.

    

~ 

    

December 21st was the Winter Solstice.  With not much in the way of spare money, and most of what had been available being used to buy gifts for family and friends (which is totally fine by us, so nobody we got anything for should feel guilty) Kelly and I just had a small gift to exchange with each other this year - just so we'd gotten each other something we could open on the Winter Solstice.

    

Of course, as I'm sure you already guessed, the petkids all got something too.  In fact, here I am giving Lilie and Logan the little squeaky Santa teddy dog toys that were their Yule gifts this year:

 

 

Artemis got some grapes, which she was apparently incredibly pleased with.

 

 

As for Mollie... When we moved we got her a new bigger cage.  We got her a new bed/house to go in it, but it turned out to be so big it wouldn't fit through the cage door.  We can only assume they meant it for a hutch type cage rather than the kind of cage Mollie has.  Anyway, we had her in the bottom of her pet carrier for the first few days...

But that's plastic, and she was trying to chew it, which is a bad idea for multiple reasons, so my Dad gave us a small box he'd cut a doorway in for her to use until we could get her one that did fit in her cage.  At least it won't hurt her to chew on that.  You may be able to see the box in this next photo, which was taken of her on the morning of the day of the Winter Solstice.  Then again, you might not... I don't remember what level of the cage Kelly said she was on.  Here's the photo anyhow:

Anyway, because of her house situation, we got Mollie a new little wooden house for her Yule gift, and let her have some of the grapes that were Artemis' gift too.  I think she likes the little house, but it's a bit too cramped in there for her for sleeping, so we're letting her keep her box for now, and have just called the new little house a playhouse for her, since she can - and does - go in and out of it, but can't settle comfortably to sleep in there.  Here's a video Kelly got of her tentatively checking it out when we first put it in her cage:

We've since moved it to one of the other levels, and put the box back in that spot for her to have as a bed.  Her new cage is plenty big enough for her to have extra play things anyhow, so we thought we might as well.  When we can, we'll try again for a bed for her.  Or maybe - since finding one the right size that isn't plastic is proving difficult - I'll just see if my Dad can do a bit of D.I.Y. work on the one that's too big and shrink it just enough that we can get it in the cage, while at the same time leaving it spacious enough for her to be able to sleep in it comfortably.  Whatever the case, I'll let you know when it's done, and try and get a photo or two as well.

    

~ 

    

We didn't have much else planned for our Yule celebrations, since we were looking forward to having it as a reasonably quiet day - something we were both in need of.  But the other thing we did for the Winter Solstice was to enjoy our holiday meal.  I made my first successful attempt at a vegan toad in the hole.  It's usually sausages in a batter made from milk, flour, and eggs, with the option of adding tomatoes and/or onions if desired.  My vegan version was mushrooms and tomatoes in a batter made from flour, soya milk, and arrowroot (the latter being the binding agent).  It worked really well.  I served it with a festive stuffing, which was a basic sage and onion stuffing with cranberries added to it, as well as some potatoes, carrots, and sprouts.  Next time I think the toad in the hole needs cooking a little more, but other than that I'm really happy with how it turned out.  For anyone who'd like to see, here's a photo of my vegan toad in the hole and my festive stuffing:

There was also a chocolate Yule log for Kelly, and a vegan Christmas pudding with some oat cream for me.  Or, we planned to have them on the Solstice, but ended up having them a few days later.  Neither of those was home made this year though, but were instead brought during my shopping trip with my Mam the day before, since I'd had neither the time nor energy to make them myself.

     

~ 

    

During the days from December 22nd to December 24th we alternated between making the things we needed to make ourselves for Christmas Day's planned buffet, trying to get a couple more boxes unpacked without making too much more mess and chaos in the house than there already was, and attempting to get some quiet rest time in.  The first two of those was more successful than the last of them, as I'm sure you're not surprised to hear.  Well, being totally honest, that second part wasn't as successful as planned either.  At least I got the cooking and baking done on time...

    

We generally prefer to make everything ourselves, but I didn't do much baking this year, since we'd brought some bits to make things easier on us (because of limitations on time and energy from the moving) and my parents were cooking and/or bringing a few things to contribute too.  But I wanted to make a vegan quiche, as well as some kind of biscuits and cake.  So I made a vegan cheese and onion quiche, savory apple tarts, some vegan carrot cake, gingerbread, cinnamon cookies, and nutmeg and raisin ones too.  I also made up some banana nog.  It's only the carrot cake I have a photo of though, but here you go: 

   

Between what we'd brought and made, and what my parents provided, we ended up with quite a spread for the buffet we were doing for ourselves and them for Christmas Day, with a mixture of vegan and non-vegan items available.  There were the things I mentioned having made, vegan cheese and cranberry scrolls, vegan lemon cake in the shape of a unicorn, non-vegan quiche, chicken and cranberry rolls, raspberry pavalova, and cheesecake, which were made or provided by my Mam (actually, she made all but the cheesecakes).  Sausage rolls, crackers, cheese, pineapple, pickled onions, and some dips we provided but didn't make ourselves.  Plus, Dad organized some veggies to have with the dips.  Like I said, quite a selection.  Especially when you consider it was only feeding four people.  Needless to say, there were leftovers for everyone to enjoy the following day (Mam and Dad each took some home, and Dad also took some to my brother, Wayne).  I don't have photos for most of it, but here's a photo of the vegan lemon unicorn cake my Mam made for me: 

   

As for drinks: we had the banana nog I'd made, two different kinds of pop (soda) and a variety of fruit juices, as well as the option of hot drinks like tea or coffee.  Even cocoa if anyone wanted it.  With dairy and non-dairy milk options.  No alcahol, since Kelly and I don't drink, and Mam and Dad were driving.

 

~     

     

With the new lockdown, Christmas Day was the only day people outside your household were allowed to spend time with you.  They did say about being careful with socializing outside of your bubble.  However, since we've had to have them helping - especially in the initial days, when I was in the new place and Kelly hadn't gotten here yet - we figured it was too late to consider my parents not part of our bubble, even with them technically being separate households, so invited them both over Christmas Day.  We did also invite my brother, Wayne, who my Dad is carer for, so had also had to be part of the bubble from day one, but he chose not to come. 

    

Anyway, my Mam came over on Christmas morning, and my Dad came over on Christmas evening. 

    

~ 

    

While Mam was here, we had the stuff that would have been in our stockings if we'd been able to locate them before deciding to give up and just put the stuff under the tree, and exchanged gifts with her.  We also had our gifts from my brother, Carl, who being in Norwich couldn't join us (the rule was that you could mix with another household on Christmas Day, but only if you could get there, have your visit, and get home again on that day... Norwich is too far for that to be possible, even if Carl had wanted to risk it).  We also made a start on the buffet food.  Later, when Dad was here, we exchanged gifts with him, and had more buffet food. 

 

    We did also just enjoy a bit of a visit, though neither of them stayed more than a couple of hours.  In Mam's case partially because of Izabel, who she decided not to bring with her this time, given that the holidays are a lot for dogs to deal with as it is, and Logan is still getting used to the idea of dogs besides Lilie going near him.  We were worried it would be too much for him.  It was also possible - in fact, quite probable - Lilie would get overly excited, which would possibly be a bit much for Izabel to deal with on top of everything, since Lilie's excitement is a bit much for a lot of people and dogs at times, especially when they aren't used to it.  So we thought it best for all the dogs if Izabel didn't come this time.  She got gifts and treats later with Mam.

    ~ 

    

Of course, the petkids got what they asked for from Santa Paws.  Lilie and Logan got teddies with squeakers in them, balls, and treats.  Mollie got a wooden dinosaur gnawing toy, some raisins and some oatmeal.  And Artemis got some raisins.  I didn't do much in the way of Christmas Day photos and such though, but here's a video of me giving the dogs one of their Christmas presents:

And here are a couple of photos of Lilie and Logan that were taken on Christmas morning:

~ 

 

    

Though we had a few small gifts to open - most of them edible - most people gave us money, which we haven't decided how we're spending yet.  And we got several cards.  In fact, here are our cards:

 

~ 

     

Thanks to everyone who sent us holiday greetings, sent us cards, sent us money, or gave us a present. 

     

~ 

    

 So, that was our Yule and Christmas for 2020.  We aren't doing anything for New Year's Eve.  How did you celebrate your holidays? Did things look very different for you in 2020? I'd love to know, so tell me about it in the comments.

    

~ 

    First though... 

    The weather watch things had been promising me snow since around the Winter Solstice.  Yesterday morning (so, New Year's Eve) we woke to a very frosty morning, and signs there was some snow up on the mountains, as you can see from these photos, which were taken looking out of our computer room window in the new house:

I figured that would be all we'd get, but then it started to snow...

So, I took Lilie and Logan outside to see it, since I love snow, so had to go see it anyhow.  Besides, it's Logan's first snowfall, since we didn't get any last Winter.  Anyway, I let them loose in the yard so they could check it out, and Kelly snapped these photos...

They don't quite share my enthusiasm for it, but they seem to quite like the snow.  Both dogs have a thing for attempting to catch and eat snowflakes as they fall for some reason though. 

    

Anyway, this is what it looked like a short time later...

As you may have guessed from the snow photos and video in this post, the computer room looks out over the street at the front of the house, and the yard is around the back.  You can only see in to the yard via either the kitchen window or the room we're going to be turning in to our craft room.  But I'll tell you about the house another time.  For now, I think this is plenty long enough, so I'm just going to once again say... 

    Happy New Year!

    

At least snow is a nice note to end the year on, especially since I love my snow, and there was enough snow for me to be happy without it being enough to cause problems for those who - despite the lockdown - actually had to be out in it for more than just to play with the snow. 

    At the time of writing this post, my snow is still there - I just checked.