Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 634

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Here are this week's questions, which you should answer on your own blog and then pop over to Joyce's blog (click on the graphic for the link) Wednesday to add your link to the party.

  

1. Did you make resolutions or set goals for the year we're waving goodbye? How did that work out for you? Will you set any goals for this new year, new season, or new month? Share one or two if you'd like to share.

Mine are always eat less, move more, spend less.  And, by the second week of January, they go right out the window!  I'm hopeless.

I suppose I should add plan and take a big trip as a new goal every year.  This year was London.  I researched every detail and although my plans were bigger than the hours in the days, we still accomplished a lot and had a fabulous time.

2. When did you have the most fun this year? 

Without a doubt, our trip to London.  A close second would be Vic's birthday trip to Mount St. Helens.  The weather was glorious, and we had a lovely time learning all about the geography, topography, and the historic eruption of 1980.

3. What's a song or song lyric you'll associate with 2025? Tell us why.

Last Christmas by Wham - turns out it's Sophia's boyfriend's favorite Christmas song and one of mine too.  I flipped on the video on You Tube on Christmas morning for us all to enjoy it as we had breakfast and got ready to open presents.

4. Best (or a favorite) bite of something delicious you tasted this year? 

The patisserie layer of our afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason.  The Mandarin Mousse (the orange ornament) and the Chocolate and Cranberry Bavarois (the red apple) were to die for!

5. What do you want to do more of in the new year? Less of? 

Eat less, move more, spend less, lol.  Plan and take a big trip (already working on this one).

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The treat basket I left on a table at the front door was enjoyed by all of the delivery drivers who delivered packages this year, and there were a lot of packages that came to our house.  I found the PDF here, Making a Delivery Driver Snack Basket + Free Printable Signs - Holiday Magic Hub, and filled a decorated box with mini cans of Coke and Sprite, snack packs of chips and cookies, and movie boxes of M&Ms.  After every delivery, I could see that the driver enjoyed a drink and a snack.  It's such a small token for the drivers who work extra hard during the holiday season.

London 2025 - Day One

And we're off!  Airports being what they are these days, and especially any day around the holidays, we allowed plenty of time to catch the ferry and drive to the airport parking company's lot to drop the car and take the shuttle to the airport.  We checked in on the Delta app, dropped our bags, and went right through security with TSA Pre-Check.

We headed to The Club at SEA which just happened to be right across from our gate where we could get something to eat and drink and relax until it was time to head down to the gate.

I really wanted to splurge on First Class, but the prices were just prohibitive, so we opted for Premium Economy.  It was a good choice as we were in the front row and although there was no seat in front of us under which to place our bag, there was extra legroom.  The flight was packed and at the time I booked our tickets, these two seats, across the aisle from each other, were the closest we could get.  Shortly after reaching our cruising altitude, dinner was served and then the lights were dimmed for the overnight flight.

England!  If it wasn't for my bad knees, I would have knelt down and kissed the ground!

Our driver, Gavin, was waiting for us in the rain and he loaded the luggage, and we were off to the city!

We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed to the nearest Tube station.  Our destination was Covent Garden Market.  In hindsight, I wouldn't book a hotel south of the Thamas, it just made getting anywhere that much harder.  I didn't find the Tube as easy to navigate as I thought it would be as step-free access was often hard to find and it was still a long walk to get to the platforms.  I should have done more research on what stations we would be using.

We made it to Covent Garden Market, and the decorations were just beautiful.

Established in 1845, our bustling Market is located right in Downtown London and is open 6 days a week. With over 40 merchants, we offer an abundance of food, services, a weekly local farmers’ market and an array of cultural festivals and events! - From coventmarket.com

This old barrow was gorgeous.

The tree in the square made a great backdrop.

The decorations overhead were stunning.

And inside, the LEGO displays were amazing.

That's a lot of LEGO!

This was my quest - VyTA, the home of the Maritozzo.

I have to admit I was underwhelmed.  After all the hype on You Tube videos like "The Top Ten Things You Must Eat in London", it was disappointing.  The cream was lovely, but the pastry tasted stale.  Been there, done that.

Next stop was Choosing Keeping, an incredible stationery store with stationery of historical and cultural significance, as well as design and functionality.  The hyper-curated boutique began life in 2012 just as the digital age was opening up a nostalgic yearning for physical tangibility.

Beautiful journals, diaries, cards, writing instruments, decorative paper, art supplies, and more.

The last stop of the day was Rock & Sole Plaice, one of the top three fish and chip establishments in London.  It did not disappoint.

Life Last Week (December 22-28, 2025)

 

I haven't written a Life Last Week post since the end of November!  Our London trip has come and gone, as has Christmas and here we are, staring at 2026.

The weather for the week ahead:::

Chilly days ahead.  The mountain passes to the east have a lot of snow but there's nothing this low...yet.

On my reading pile:::

 

I'm re-reading Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' six-part series, War at Home.

This is Book One, Goodbye Piccadilly.

On my TV:::

After a visit to Selfridge's in London, I'm re-visiting the PBS series.

Checked off the list:::

• Vic headed off to the VA for an appointment on Monday, while I went for a manicure and pedicure.
• Sophia and her boyfriend Fayez arrived on Tuesday night so on Wednesday we went to the Norwegian Bakery for Christmas morning goodies and to Barnes and Noble for our annual shopping trip.  There was a long line at the bakery, so I waited while they explored some of the little shops on the main street.  It's such a cute town.
• Vic was scheduled for work on both newly proclaimed for 2025 federal holidays (December 24 and December 26) but it was very slow, so he was able to get off at 11:00am both days.
• After we got home from Barnes, we had a spirited game of Bingo and put together a small Harry Potter LEGO while I popped up and down prepping the Christmas Eve dinner that we would have after church.

Christmas Eve table set with the poinsettia centerpiece that Sophia made in preschool.  It's been on our table for 30+ years.  Dinner was buffet-style with ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry jelly, and assorted relishes.  The placemats and runner were from Marks & Spencer, a gift from our friend Janet.

I'm kicking myself for not buying Christmas crackers in London - the ones at World Market were lame and expensive but I managed to find two in my Christmas stash for Sophia and Fayez.  It's not Christmas with paper hats!

• Christmas Day was lovely - presents galore, lots of exclamations of joy, and a lot of wrapping paper chaos!

Christmas at Hogwarts pajamas and a little something from Holland Cooper for Sophia.

Slytherin and Hufflepuff for Sophia and Fayez and Ravenclaw for Vic - we had so much fun shopping at the Harry Potter Store in London.  I can't believe I didn't take more photos of Christmas morning!

• Sophia and Fayez left at lunchtime in order to be back in Bellingham for the Christmas Day celebration with his family.  I watched the Call the Midwife Holiday Special while Vic napped.  He's had such a busy schedule over the last week.
• Friday afternoon, we ran to exchange a few items and to the Scandinavian grocery store for all things lingonberry.  We're going to a Swedish pancake breakfast on New Year's Day so we needed to find something to take with us.
• Saturday morning, we headed over to the British Pantry for breakfast and a little shopping.

Crafts roundup:::

Vic bought me a Silhouette Cameo 5 die cutting machine for Christmas, so I have been busy figuring out how it works.  No instruction manual, it's all online now.

And in other news:::

London 2025 is coming - on Facebook, I put up one day at a time so as not to bombard everyone with all 290 photos!  I'm going to make it a Tuesday and Thursday feature for the next few weeks.  It was a magical trip - and not just because we visited Platform 9 3/4!  I hope you enjoy it.

A very Happy New Year to you all!

Boxing Day

 

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26 by the United Kingdom, its commonwealth countries, and some former colonies.  Throughout history, Boxing Day has been a time to give back or help those less fortunate.

Explanations for the origin of the name have varied.  Some have held that it came from the boxes of gifts given to employees on the day after Christmas.  According to this theory, because the work of servants was required for the Christmas Day celebrations of their employers, they were allowed the following day for their own observance of the holiday.  The lords and aristocrats would give their servants "Christmas boxes" filled with leftovers and small gifts after the parties, leading to the name Boxing Day.

Another popular theory is that the term Boxing Day arose from the alms boxes that were placed in churches during the Advent season for the collection of monetary donations from parishioners.  Clergy members distributed the contents of the boxes to the poor on December 26, which is also the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and a figure known for acts of charity.

The traditional Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" tells the story of one of the possible origins of Boxing Day.  The events of this carol take place on December 26th, the Feast of St. Stephen.  In the song, Wenceslas, a 10th century Duke of Bohemia, sees a poor man and decides to help him.  The duke enlists the help of his page in gathering food, wine, and firewood, boxing it all up so that they can take it to the poor man.  Then, Wenceslas and his page brave a blizzard to deliver the boxes of goods.

Hosting a Boxing Day party is also a great way to finish off some of the Christmas food that used to go in boxes for the servants.  Turkey is a traditional British Christmas meal and on Boxing Day, many enjoy a turkey curry (if you've watched the Bridget Jones movies, you'll remember her mother's turkey curry buffet).  Another classic Boxing Day dish is bubble and squeak which is fried leftover potatoes and greens (cabbage or Brussels sprouts) from the Christmas meal.

Although the practice of almsgiving on December 26 has faded with charity now being given in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Boxing Day name has endured.  These days, December 26 is a popular holiday in the United Kingdom and commonwealth countries.  Stores run shopping deals, similar to Black Friday, and fans cheer on sporting events such as soccer, cricket, rugby, horse racing, and hunting.

Written for the Christmas in July celebration on the Magical Holiday Home Forums, December 26, 2025

Happy Monday before Christmas

Very thankful for Slow Simple Seasonal.   They always have the perfect graphic.

Happy Friday

Hello December

 

Good morning!  White Rabbit!  Hello December!

I'm signing off for a couple of weeks - if you've been reading along, you'll know why.

Cheerio!