Sharing

If you only have 5 minutes to spend on the internet today, spend it reading this true story. You won't be sorry you did. We read it together the night we put up the tree, and it really got us thinking about true sacrifice - important I think, at this time of year!

We are just loving having Stuart home for the holidays. Things got hard, as they always do, in the last week of school. We are breathing together again, enjoying family time, slower times, the tree, the lights, the Christmas planning and nibbles. And today I am having a haircut. :)

Several of my U.S. readers have asked about our Christmas Cake. I must admit this surprised me, I assumed it was an international tradition! I did a little reading, and I believe the traditional of a a fruitcake at Christmas began in the UK, but is also celebrated now in Australia, Japan and the Philippines (and probably some other places). It is basically a rich, moist fruit cake - sometimes iced and decorated, sometimes topped with nuts, sometimes eaten as is. My family recipe originated from my Mum's side - I know Nanna cooked it, maybe her Mum did too? It is made with rum, butter, sugar, golden syrup, eggs, flour, 1 and a half kilos of mixed dried fruit.... and perhaps some other things I can't think of just now. :) It's yummy, that's for sure!! The day it is baking is always wonderful - the smell is divine and it cooks slowly for several hours. I usually just top it with some plastic holly and sometimes dust it with icing sugar.