Safe Christmas – Happy Christmas

Safe Christmas – Happy Christmas

Hi there.

Thanks for popping in. Happy Christmas! Been doing pottery most of today. It’s quite romantic really. You see, at one end of the garage I have my pottery studio, and at the other end Dave has his woodturning lathe. And so we spent the day together, he making sawdust, and I glazing pots.

Certainly different to Christmasses past. Quieter for sure! That’s okay too. Usually I’m chasing my tail, in full throttle. We’ve always got a full house; Mum, Dad and the kids are already here, and the others are due to arrive just about now. We celebrate Christmas Eve, German stylee here you see, my Mum being German, so the 24th is the BIG DAY for us.

And it still is. Even though we can’t celebrate together physically this year, we are certainly all together in our hearts. I’ve spent the day tinkering away, thinking about all the people I love, and actually quite enjoying myself, safe in the knowledge that they’re all ok. All healthy, and all safe. I shall call them all this evening, speak to them, and aren’t I lucky that I can.

We will still be eating the same meal as always: Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, with mashed potatoes and onion gravy. It’s the law! Gracie proudly showed me all her German ingredients on Facetime yesterday! She went all the way over to Astoria to find the right bratwursts. And even found teewurst – lucky girl!!!! My favourite!

Oma (my mum) told Grace it was important to carry on the tradition of Heiligabend (pronounced Hi-lick-ahhh-bend!) the 24th, and that these things which underpin our culture do, in the main, get carried from generation to generation by the daughters. And Grace being Grace, she took that very seriously, as do I.

I also want to share with you that we transferred the Christmas Jumper money this week too. Didn’t we do well ?!?!? Every little helps.

Before I go indoors, light a candle and begin the evening meal for Dave and myself, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a peaceful Christmas.

I shall leave you with a little arty Christmas message. It never gets old….

Don’t forget, 9am tomorrow morning, I shall be showing you some lovely stamps on HOCHANDA, and then at 10am, if you fancy a little company, join me in the SHAC-SHAC, with a cuppa and a mince pie! We’ll doodle something simple…..

Love, Peace and understanding,

Barb xxx

41 thoughts on “Safe Christmas – Happy Christmas

  1. Wishing you & your family and all the Clarity team a peaceful, happy Christmas. Thank you for all you have done for us this year. See you in the morning xx

  2. Merry Christmas to you and yours Barbara, unfortunately won’t be with you in the morning physically but will be there in spirit and will be catching up later! Enjoy your day and stay safe xx

  3. Merry Christmas Barbara. I’ve just finished work until the new year. I’m hoping for some Clarity goodies for Christmas so lots of time to play with them. Fingers crossed
    Karen x

  4. I bought some proper bratwurst recently from a company called the sausageman and me and mum had them with sauerkraut. Not with her on Heiligabend for the first time in my life – so sad but she’s very good at using her video pad so I watched her open her present and my grandchildren are just speaking with UhrOmi right now.

    Like you I usually have the whole family and cook a big pot full of Goulash which we eat with Semmel. Traditional which I will always carry on with my granddaughters having had 2 sons it kind of skipped a generation.

    Anyway take care Barbara enjoy your German meal. Thankyou again for just being there for us – you are a very special person and im pleased in a way you have time for you today!!! See you in the Shac Shack tomorrow and I’ll be watching Hochanda while peeling the spuds.

    Frohe Weihnachten 🎄

  5. Beautiful artwork and beautifully read by Grace. Merry Christmas to all and hoping for a 2021 that bring peace and joy to all x

  6. Wishing you all the best Christmas you can have in difficult circumstances. Grateful thanks Barbara for your time, encouragement and lovely sense of humour, we’ve all laughed and cried with you during this difficult year. The hours spent with you and fellow Shackers have helped a great deal and I’m sure we all look forward to many more!!
    Thanks Barbara and all the team at Clarity who have worked so hard this year. Jean x

  7. Merry Christmas to you and Dave. It will be a different one this year for sure. Let’s hope for a healthier and safer new year for everyone. Enjoy your evening and phone calls. Xxx

  8. Merry Christmas Barbara to you and Dave and all of your family, hoping you can still enjoy some festive fun, even if only on Facetime.
    And a special Festive greeting to all of the magnificent Team Clarity! Thank you so much for all you have done throughout the year to help all of us in the wider Clarity Family to Stay Happy and Create! Barbara you deserve much thanks and praise for giving us the wonderful present that is the SHAC shack! Thank you for making this strange year much more bearable.
    Stay Happy Around Clarity!

  9. Happiness, peace and healthiness to you and your family. Thank you for all you have done throughout these strange times. You can’t imagine how much it has meant to have a friend calming the waters . Hope to see you soon in 2021 xx

  10. Many thanks and All good wishes for Christmas and a better New Year . We are usually 13 around the table..not so this year. Just face time , and me .
    This too shall pass !! Xx

  11. Hi Barbara I hope that you have a lovely, peaceful and safe Christmas. Thank very much for all you have done this year. I can draw now and I am still sane. This will pass I don’t know what the other side will be like but we will get there. Take care. Hugs xxx

  12. A very down different Christmas here too but I hope lovely in its own way. We are safe and well and grateful for that. Wishing you all a safe and peaceful Christmas and all the very best for the coming year xx

  13. Merry Christmas to you all at clarity towers, and of course grace in the us.

    Stay safe and enjoy christmas, and happy new year from us in n.e. scotland xx

  14. Family traditions are important and great that Grace will carry them on…her reading of that beautiful piece with all the wonderful illustrations is so touching and gives us all a little bit of the Christmas spirit to keep in our hearts. Enjoy your Bratwurst and Sauerkraut Barbara…wishing you, Dave and the family a happy and peaceful Christmas and hopefully a better year to come. x

  15. Thank you so much Barbara to you and your team for all the amazing things you have done and continue to. Thank you for your unbelievable support, inspiration, encouragement, kindness, positivity, laughter, honesty and more. I am very appreciative of all your time and energy caring about the wellness of the crafty community. I personally am grateful for the positive difference you have made in my days and world- especially during COVID. Your daily blog is always read and your beautiful writing/words and projects motive me, make me stop and think, encourage me to pivot my mindset, make my laugh and inspire my creativity.
    Wishing you, Dave, your family and team a peaceful Christmas celebrating in a new way.
    I can’t forget all the amazing Clarity products. I am so very fortunate that lots of your outstanding products have made there way to my home in Canada for me to play with. Clarity products are my most used and loved. Take care!

  16. Wishing you all a lovely if quiet Christmas and to all your family xx will be there at 10am tomorrow after 9am Hochanda xx thank you for everything you do xx loved the elf hunt xx

  17. My very best wishes to you, wonderful lady, and to all your family, for a blessed and Happy Christmas. Have a lovely evening with Dave and enjoy all your FaceTime calls. See you in the morning; my sparkly jumper is ready and waiting. Sending much love, thanks and hugs. Annette XX

  18. Happy Christmas to you and your family and all the Clarity team, stay safe and hopefully next Christmas we will be able to do everything we usually do.
    Just here preparing veg for tomorrow, making leek and potato soup for those that don’t like crab and prawn cocktail and about to roast the turkey crown. My middle son and his wife and two little ones will be crossing the patio for their lunch with us ( their house is in what was our bottom garden). We count ourselves as a bubble because it would be very hard not to, so we are very lucky.
    Best wishes to all who read this blog for Christmas and a safe and healthy new year xx

  19. Happy Christmas to you and yours our Barbara. May you & your loved ones be happy, healthy & safe now and in future too. Thank you for all you are doing for us, big hugs 🤗 xx

  20. How lovely is that little video Grace has made about Christmas!!!
    Thank you Barbara for showing this!.
    A tradition with us is listen to the Carols from King’s at Christmas eve.
    Merry Christmas to you all!!
    Lots of love, Trijntje Huppel

  21. Sending love and cuddles to your lovely kitties, hope they have lots of fun too. Would love to see a Christmas photo of them…they are beautiful xx

  22. My husband his half German.We have lots of German food and traditions,but l won’t let him open his presents till Christmas morning.We are on our own without our children at Christmas.
    We live in Devon,l was bought up in a village called Nettlestead when l was young,lthink you lived at East Peckman next to my village.
    Have a lovely Christmas,l know l am getting a clarity voucher for Christmas and l know what l want.x

  23. Happy Christmas to you and yours, Barbara. Glazing sounds like a good day. I am astonished at how much you raised with the jumpers. That will change a few more lives for the better on top of what you have already achieved with the SHAC SHAC. Grace’s reading is just lovely, I’m glad it has joined the Clarity Christmas traditions. Stay safe.

  24. it’s been a quieter than usual Christmas Eve for us too. I’ve always been working previously (this is my first in retirement), and our church services are now online so no Nativity or Midnight Communion to head off for. I’m blessed that both my sons are currently living with me, so get to spend Christmas with them, and will be meeting up with the family online over the weekend. On the upside, I think I’ll have more time for crafting! 🙂

    Barbara and Dave, I hope you have a god rest and a chance to recharge your batteries after such a turbulent year. happy Christmas everyone – here’s to a brighter 2021!

  25. Hi Barb,
    Grace reads that so beautifully. It’s definitely a different Christmas this year and I’m wishing you, Dave, Grace, Mark, your Mum and Dad and everyone at Clarity a very happy Christmas and am hoping that we can all have a much better one next year. I also want to wish everyone on the blog a happy, safe Christmas as well. Love and hugs Alison xxx

  26. Merry Christmas Barbara, Dave and all at Clarity. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us all this year and keeping us all sane. Happy new year, let’s hope its better than this one. Stay safe and well x

  27. Hi Barbara
    Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy 2021 to you and your family.
    Hope Ragnar and Erik enjoy their first Christmas remember to keep an empty box hours of fun.

    Lots of love
    Ruth & Jackie x

  28. Dear Barb. wishing you , Dave and all your family a Very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. Thank you for all the time you have spent keeping our spirits up it is much appreciated Love Jan x

  29. I love listening to Grace read that story, like you she has a calming voice that one can listen to for hours.
    Your day spent with Dave sounds just what the doctor ordered – quiet & relaxed doing something you love. Hope you had a lovely evening following the Gray traditions, nice that Grace is doing the same & you could share it all on Facetime.
    Must go to bed now as our daughter & 2 granddaughters are coming for breakfast at 9 so I will catch up with everything later.
    Merry Christmas everyone x

  30. Hello Barb and Dave, belated Christmas wishes. May you and all your loved ones be filled with all the Peace and love of the season. Stay safe and take care. Bx

  31. Happy Christmas to you all. There has been a lot to be thankful for this year. Amazing amount raised for STC – well done xx

Leave a Reply to Mary Corin Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *