Wedgie

Thought I was done for now, but then this post by Larry Williams on moulding planes caught my eye so I thought I'd draw attention to it. If you're even remotely interested in wooden planes then I'm sure it'll prove worth the reading. The more the breadth of my ignorance on the subject is brought to my attention like this, the more eager to get hold of those two DVDs by Messers Williams and McConnell I become...

Focus

It's all about focus. Focus, or rather lack of same, is why I haven't a proper completed project to my name this year. Let's face it, it's looking distinctly dodgy vis-a-vis finishing the saw till by the end of the month... But focus saw a successful raid on the local food emporium with only minor casualties this morning. A pincer movement launched at 8.30am (wince) swept up sprouts and mince pies before it with the minimum of foot-stamping and banging of head against nearest pillar. And that was just The Management... It was only when we returned home to the reward of a mince pie (purely to test the brandy butter of course - it's good, but by gum, you don't want to drive after eating any...), it was only then that we remembered all the things we'd forgotten. Heigh ho.

Anyway, for our final gamely distraction from the festive fever, the frankly bizarrely-named and darkly-animated Mr. MothBall 3, the snowy flakes. The music will drive you crackers (and totally spoiled my enjoyment of "Wombling Merry Christmas" that I had playing concurrently which is, naturally, hard to forgive...) but 'tis a nice simple premise requiring next to no investment of time from the fickle gamer. (Ooo, look, I've just seen you can turn the music off - that's better!)

And finally may I wish any readers still clinging on in the hopes of some woodworking content a Very Merry Festive Season and fingers crossed for some workshop-related blogging in 2008.

Undermined

Something of a tenuous Christmas connection to Goldminer's Holiday Haul really, but a a rather better example of the genre. My best advice is always buy the titanium rope and strength drink when offered - and purchase dynamite when it's cheap.

Gosh, advice like this could even help you in real life. If you were a goldminer. 

Other than that I am "mazed" by pulling the daughterly weight in helping with present wrapping, planning menus etc (we shall be nine in number on the 26th and there ain't no sparrow-like eaters in the Clan Alf, so knowing what food prep is needed for when is vital if all-out war is to be avoided). I'd give my right arm to nip down to the w'shop and have a refreshing view of The Saws, no chance of actually using them of course, but alas tomorrow brings the delights of The Big Shop. If you don't hear from me tomorrow you'll know I was bested in the Supermarket Trolley Demolition Derby...

Brandy Butter

Brandy butter, two batches, mince pies for the use of - done. Marzipan fruits? No chance. We were freezing our appendages off all yesterday,what with no heating and doors bracingly open for the ingress and egress of plumber, plumber's gophers and rubber hoses to facilitate the draining of the heating system. But amazingly it is all done and works, so huzzah.

In celebration let's save Christmas by athletically swinging from branch to branch of a large fir tree in order to fix the star at the top in Merlin's Christmas. And to think I find just making marzipan fruits too much effort - shame on me... Rather harder to accomplish than it may appear at first glance, and somewhat addictive. Groan as once more your plucky little elf lands head first in the snow, wince as the jaunty Jingle Bells music loop goes round yet again... Yes, probably best with the speakers turned off in fact.