Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[patsylabrador]

I've lost my Christmas book. I bought it in the 80s, so had it all through the kid's little Christmasses. It was great, full of information, games, crafts, baking, stories and even had a pantomime you could put on.Cinderella. It was well used, a bit grubby and falling apart where we had all used it. We put on the pantomime one year for OH so it was full of annotations where we had changed things a bit. It just disappeared a couple of years ago but I look for it every year at this time. I've finally given up hope and have been searching the internet for it. I've spent hours. The daft thing is that although I can picture it totally, the cover, lots of the inside and even where I wrote things, I can't remember what it was called or who wrote it.

It was very beautiful, no photographs at all, the illustrations were all done in a Victorian style. I do miss it, every year, almost like a much loved pet. I still hope it turns up one day.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Guest

[Olly]

Sorry, doesn't ring any bells with me - it sounds lovely though. When I read this, I thought immediately of the books my mother kept, usually old exercise books - every year she wrote in the presents she bought for people, extra food and drink that she bought and the prices as well as (when we were all young) presents received so that she could make sure thank-you letters were sent.

 

These were absolutely fascinating -and covered nearly 50 Christmases, showing changes in fashion, taste, income and prices as well as new family members being added. I think they probably started because she was on such a tight budget and to make sure she didn't give someone the same gift as last year (or recycle the gift they'd sent!) but she kept using them until her last Christmas. When we cleared my parents' house after their death and divided everything up, my eldest brother said that the only thing he wanted were these books.

 

I hope your book turns up - it sounds like a real heirloom.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

What a shame . It surely must be somewhere in the house so it's bound to turn up one day. I know how annoying it is, though, when you just can't find something that's special to you .

[Egluntyne]

Any more clues? Where did you buy it? What was the cover like?

[soapdragon]

It must, surely, be in the house somewhere........very much hope that it turns up (probably where and whenyou least expect it!)

 

Have you started another inthe interim? When the first one finally reveals itself you can copy the info across!

[patsylabrador]

What I've done is ordered a couple of books on Amazon from America. One might be the missing book and one is definitely not but they both look nice and as one is only 89p it's not too crazy.

I can't remember any important details which might help like author, title or where I bought it. As you've said, one year it will probably turn up. I hope so.

[Janepie33]

Hope you find it. I know how frustrating it is to loose something like that!

[sadietoo]

I don't suppose it got packed away with the Christmas Decorations?....I've found all sorts of things when the boxes come out...and if you're like us, you don't use the same decs every year... Amongst other things we have found a cat toy , an odd sock, a credit card...don't ask how that ended up in with the decorations....it's conceivable the other two were put in the box by the cat!

[patsylabrador]

So happy. One of the books I ordered is the same as the one I lost. I can't really believe it as I had so few details. Now I have it I realise it's not really beautiful but it feels magical. I think it's because of what it represents and all those memories. The book is so familiar to me that I feel like I was reading it yesterday, I'm very pleased.

YS wound up the musical Christmas biscuit barrel and said that when I opened the book it was as though he could hear Christmas music - fool. However, this book has a happy memory already because that made me laugh a lot.

I expect the original will turn up tomorrow!

[Looney]

Yay! So, tell us, what is it called and who is it by?!

[Janepie33]

Excellent! So glad it's the right book. Would love to know what it is called!

[patsylabrador]

Of course. It's A Celebration of Christmas - edited by Gillian Cooke and designed by David Fordham. Published in 1980. ISBN 0 362 00515 X

 

It's packed full of stories, facts, poems, carols, recipes, parlour games and more. It's quite old-fashioned.

[Chicken shack]

Sounds wounderfull. I want a copy now

[Goosey Lucy]

The next Omlet must have?

[ohcarolina]

It sounded so good I just bought one

[patsylabrador]

OhCarolina, I really hope you enjoy it too. The Christmas decoration ideas are particularly nice, I made the paperchain ones with tissue paper which took hours but they looked very pretty up and reminded me of decorations my mum and dad had back in the sixties.

Happy reading!

[Olly]

It looks lovely! I hope your original one still turns up though - as you say, it's almost guaranteed to, now you've replaced it.