10 days to go and I haven't even made our cake
but my fountain pen now has green ink in it and I have written one card!
Some friends are starting to adopt the slightly smug appearance of people who are ready for Christmas. Especially those leaving the Islands for the holidays and who have to have everything ready by now to get to their destinations before The Rush. And me? Well, I’m just starting to think about all the practicalities although the Christmas Letter is done and sent. COVID has ensured time and opportunity to do that.
One thing that has hitherto held up Christmas preparations was getting ready for Handel’s Messiah on 10th December. There were lots of extra rehearsals but the performance showed how worthwhile they were. Poor Nick. After three months of rehearsing he tested COVID positive three days before the performance and missed it. I hung on until three days afterwards. And yes, there was a sell-out audience but I caught that light on a pillar during the afternoon run-through. Singing had priority over card writing and baking. But the singing is over now.
St Magnus Cathedral is taking up a lot of my time at the moment - more time than blogging and writing. I am exploring a rôle in the lay ministry - there are so few new ministers coming into the church these days that all help is welcome. So we’ll see where that goes. Prayers are the new recipes for now….
I am always late to making our Christmas cake so there’s nothing really new about that this year. We much prefer a lighter, rubbed-in style of cake, not one dark with molasses and almost dripping with booze. I love a glass of sherry or whisky with my cake, but the fruit doesn’t need to ooze it. So tomorrow will be just fine to get the cake baked, so long as I then get it marzipanned about a week before Christmas. That’s time for the paste to dry out before it is iced. And I just use a lemon icing - a water icing made with lemon juice not water. It goes so well with the richness of the marzipan. And the decorating? Well, I was never much of a one for that. It’s the cake that matters. Above is last year’s spectacularly presented cake: it tasted fabulous. I am a woman and therefore I do like to change my mind about things. I might just set to and make a stollen instead of the usual cake as we never get through both in prime condition. And we still get marzipan, which is always homemade.
We will have a baked gammon for Christmas, but most of our feasting will be on Orkney’s amazing seafood. We are almost Scandinavian and so much of it will be smoked fish and shellfish, with sourdough, potato salads and pickles. And a good few glasses of the fabulous Orkney Avavit made by the Orkney Gin Company. The only akvavit made in Scotland, this delicious caraway infused spirit has been a favourite of mine since it was launched a few years ago - after my beloved whisky, of course - and is perfect with what we call ‘deli sups’. It was recently featured on James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen, a very popular UK TV show, and I am certain that the husband and wife team are flat out trying to get Christmas orders out. Luckily, our village shop has stock…
I think that I feel I must always write a long post to you but, of course, that isn’t the case. I’ll try to be better at keeping in touch in the coming months. For now, I’ll simply say good luck with your preparation for Christmas, if indeed it is a festival that you celebrate. And whatever you are up to and getting ready for, stay well.