First Day of Christmas ~ and the Second Day of Christmas ~ St. Stephen's Day

We had our Christmas Dinner...

Tired from the traveling and hotel staying

(since our church is over 1 hour drive away

in good weather)

we had a wonderful washed salad, 

a nearly organic rotisserie chicken,

candied ginger and a small cup of 

hard raspberry apple cider for 

our Christmas family dinner!

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Mr. Husband said that our new homemade chai

would be perfect for today...

and it was! 

We had a second pot of it steeping for the

after Christmas dinner 

festivities! 

Over the Christmas holidays we just had,

Mr. Husband graciously took us for our first time

to Trader Joes, full of epicurean delights.

We now have plastic tins of chocolate with mint cream,

chocolate with orange and dark chocolate almond bits.

One deeply delicious piece of homemade chocolate

{a Christmas gift from a wonderful church friend}

ready on our plates!

Dutch speculass cookies with some

chocolate praline spiral wafers,

and some French salted camels,

all Christmas gifts. 

We had what Mr. Husband calls a very 

literate Christmas in terms of gift giving...

Our new stockings with a little something...

Mr. Husband found me this book by Chesterton in

an older edition... he was quite excited about it

as one of the characters is a Bulgarian Monk. :)

First American Edition of Letters to An American Lady by CS Lewis

was one of my gifts to Mr. Husband.

I also found him an early printing of 

Chesterton's Autobiography,

which he is quite interested in!

Mr. Husband kindly wrapped some of my presents

with a bow, as I admitted I would really like some of

my presents at least to be wrapped,

as opposed to gift bags... 

I have a very kind husband...

Our lampadas are now clear glass to add

to the celebration of Christmas.

Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen!

See here for more on St. Stephen...

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Yesterday the Master came to us as a man,

And today his servant departs from life.

Yesterday the King was born as a man,

And today His servant is stoned to death.

For the sake of Christ Holy Stephen became the first martyr.

~ Kontakion for St. Stephen

Christmas is a truly special ~ as in unique ~ time of year!

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We have lots of chicken on the horizon DV to eat,

cards to hang up still, 

a house to tidy after our travels and

baking to be done yet again!

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I am working on a scarf in terms of knitting at present,

have more reading on sock knitting to do 

and have been having a lively discussion on sock knitting

on FB as well...

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Much to look forward to and be thankful for!