Your Royal Sweetness

I love British cakes.  I specially love the creamy ones which, though laden with stuff, are never overwhelmingly sweet.  At least not to the level of their sugar-packed American descendants.  The Christmas cakes are such interesting visual treats as well, to add to my delight.  A sampling from the local Sainbury’s for instance:

A “madeira cake” —

How cute is that? A sleeping polar bear, and note the little Christmas pudding beside it!

    A fruit cake:

Reindeer and sleigh....

A…. chocolate cake (I think)….

Rudolph, someone squished your red nose onto the packaging!

and an “iced cake” (fondant) with a small poinsettia decor —

Prettily decked with a little poinsettia....

Speaking of poinsettias (and other Christmas icons), we have no tree or Christmas decor in the house, on this my first Christmas in England.   According to the Hubster, his Christmas tree is probably the one we saw at his parents last weekend.  Since he had spent his last 5 Christmasses with me in the US or Canada, he left the tree to them instead.  So, 2 nights ago, when we stopped by the Co-Op, and I picked the reddest poinsettia on the last minute to brighten up our living room.   Well, hopefully it’s doing the trick best as it can:

Yes, that's an antique safe that we use as a side table in the living room.

I cannot believe that Christmas is but 6 days away– the calendar pages are just flying.  I have yet to catch the Holiday spirit.  We did our Christmas shopping for (his) family three days ago, …. in addition to the gifts I brought over from the States, at a huge mall called the Trafford Centre.  The hubby reminds me that I haven’t chosen yet what I want for a Christmas gift.  But truth is, I don’t know that I want anything.  At this point, I am just overwhelmed with the stuff I have yet to move across an ocean.  And, I honestly am alright without a fancy gift for Christmas.  It’s really not the material things, and I mean it.  Besides, I’m also thinking to myself… “man, don’t you get it that for a change I want to be surprised?”  I just don’t want to be bothered wracking my brains for something that he has to buy. 

Anyhoo, the hubby is (fingers crossed) done with his site consults next week, and we can spend more time together going around, enjoying Christmas without being hampered by work.  Maybe we can watch a good movie, or drive around, or watch a play or concert.  On my agenda of “to-do’s” in this life is a live experience of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College …. but realistically that will probably come a couple of years from now still.   I keep reminding myself I should stop feeling like England is a place I just visit.  It is in fact supposed to be “home” for the next couple of years, until we move to the US “in due course” (his words).  So I really want my first English Christmas to be Christmassy, and really memorable.  I want to be able to recall it in a flash and vividly.  Hopefully, we’re getting there, on our way to the holiday spirit, …. and counting. :)