Chatiryworld

December 24th, 2007

Festive Fog, originally uploaded by Falling Sky.

Festival and seasonal greetings to you all, whatever you are celebrating, or not celebrating.  We used this photo that Jon took last christmas eve for our real cards, so I thought it would make an excellent final calendar post.

December 23rd, 2007

Been having a bit of a think about what to do with the advent calendar next year, because I've found it a bit dull this year and felt like I haven't put that much effort in.  I've got a few ideas up my sleeve for next year which should make it a bit more interesting than a bunch of links.  There may well be audience participation...

Speaking of links, here's today's, how to make a pretty winter mobile. via decor8.

December 22nd, 2007

Blithe Yule!  Today is the Winter Solstice.  We'll have to imagine there's a log on our living flame gas fire today.  Soulemama posted a gorgeous solstice poem the other day, and whilst finding out more about it I also discovered another beauty from Susan Cooper.

I posted about Maeshowe the other day, here's some more information about it and the solstice.  Hope you've been having a look at the webcam because there have been some great sunsets this week.

December 21st, 2007

Huddle round your computer to hear Mark E Smith read a Christmas story (apparently it is festive according to the email they sent me, can't tell from the title though).

Find some stories to read at the Children's Literature Web Guide.

December 20th, 2007

When going through the decorations the other day I discovered some cards I'd kept from last year to make these Martha Stewart ornaments.  Guess what?  I haven't made them!  Maybe next year.  I know there are several days to go but we have work and baking and visiting and tidying and stuff to do.

Big long list of more ornaments to make at whip up.

December 19th, 2007

Can't talk, just found Clothkits group on Facebook.  Here's some festive music, via BoingBoing.  Some may offend apparently.

Decmber 18th, 2007

Can't believe I haven't blogged this yet.  A recurring feature of the Chatiryworld advent calendars is a link to the Maeshowe Winter Solstice Webcam.  Keep checking it as you may get a good sunset in action, as I managed the other year.  Looks like yesterday might have been good.

What is Maeshowe?  Basically a Neolithic chambered cairn over 5,000 years old that was built so that when the sun sets on the winter and summer solstices it illuminates the entryway and hits the back wall.  My dad saw it in person many moons ago when he was still living on Orkney.  There are loads of good examples of it in action on the site as well.  You can also get some rather lovely calendars of Orkney, Shetland, Caithness and the Western Isles featuring photography by Charles Tait (who I believe used to take my school photos when I was a kid).  I have no need for another calendar but these are pretty good.

There's a bit more sciencey stuff here.  I like that Orcadian history and culture has elements of paganism in it (what doesn't though?), I relate to it more than the po-faced misery of some of the religious elements of the Western Isles and Skye.  Not that Orkney isn't without it's religious nutjobs (also known as holy rollers by my 'other' mum, MM), it's just less in your face and isn't part of the dominant culture.  Going by the continued state of the letters page in the West Highland Free Press maybe Jon and I should set up a 'school for kids who don't believe in god real good'.

December 17th, 2007

Gift tags!  Camilla Engman has some sweet ones for download, I used some of the ones she did last year.  Amy at Angry Chicken has done some honest tags, also available for download.

Knowing how to wrap a present in the first place might also be useful.  Via Lifehacker.  Need wrapping paper?  Download it from Blueprint.

December 16th, 2007

I know I said I'd try and make more of an effort at weekends but I had to work yesterday so more in the mood for knitting and reading the paper on the sofa.

Anyway, whip up have a post all about different gingerbread houses, I like the modern (which you can buy) and the Moomin ones!

Gingerbread house photos at Flickr.  Plus recipes from Martha Stewart.

December 15th, 2007

Capture some of that Christmas nostalgia with Old Radio Fun, who have loads of old-fashioned Christmas plays to listen to  - for free!  Via Boing Boing.