Three days ‘til Christmas and I swear there must be at least another week! The past days have been wonderfully (a 48-hour trip to Paris to celebrate one of my oldest friends’ birthday) and also exasperatingly (a wicked flu probably induced by a sleepless weekend) unproductive.
Christmas is coming like the short end of an accordion. Suddenly.
But I am in the kitchen, listening to a great Christmas playlist**, taking over the baton from my mother who arrived three days ago and like a kitchen fairy has already made boxes of cookies and prepared dozens more to dry. I’m with Eartha Kitt, baking in batches and icing cinnamon stars. It’s beginning to feel a lot like …
Tomorrow I will make Lebkuchen and Stollen, and begin wrapping presents, perhaps!
Music
I meant to create just such a list this year. A really good one, with the good songs, one to reconcile with the idea of a Christmas tune. Magically (and not that I would have found the time…), Mark Diacono shared one exactly like it a few days ago.
=» ** Mark Diacono’s excellent Merry Christmas playlist
Baking
There is still time to bake a batch or two! Cinnamon stars, Lebkuchen, Basler Brunsli, … Here is the link to all of our (heavily German-leaning) Christmas baking traditions (with recipes!).
=» Nettle & Quince Christmas baking page
Films
Those we watch every year
The Snowman
Charlie Brown Christmas
The Shop Around the Corner
Miracle on 34th Street
Die Hard
One, Two, Three — isn’t a Christmas film but it should be!
And the children, always, Elf and Nativity!
Now I will finish icing the cinnamon stars.
Wishing everyone a wonderful festive end of the year!