First Class Tea Mug

 Okay, this is one of the very last time I will blog about Christmas until next year. And this may be my last post of the year too. I had to share another great present that my wife got from the online shop of the National Railway Museum in York. Not directly related to trains, but sort of. This tea mug. My new favourite tea mug and one I may say is very much me. I like to consider myself a first class tea maker. And, for the record, any use of milk with tea is improper milk usage.

Festin des Fêtes

 Ma mère m'a envoyé une photo prise dans la résidence de ma tante. C'est une représentation d'un festin des Fêtes, fait par des étudiants du secondaire, je crois. Vraiment bien. Ca me rappelle les repas de Noël, mais aussi et surtout du Jour de l'An (du côté de mon père). Le buffet que l'on servait au Jour de l'An ressemblait beaucoup à ça.

Gifts from the National Railway Museum

You may remember that I blogged about the stuff  the National Railway Museum in York sold for Christmas. Well, I got spoiled this year by Santa, or rather Mrs Claus (AKA my wife). This Christmas has been for me very much train themed. I mean, even more than usual, at least when it comes to presents: I got the NRM's Christmas jumper, Christmas scarf and Christmas socks, as well as some other train related but not Christmas related items, which I will blog about in the coming days. I have been wearing the jumper since the 25th and my only regret is that I will soon have to put it in a drawer until next December. But I finally have a proper Christmas jumper.

Analyser Mafalda

 Vous savez que je suis un fan de Mafalda. Je n'ai toujours pas les albums ici, hélas, mais j'ai reçu ceci pour Noël: un livre qui examine son histoire et son influence. Traduit de l'espagnol en anglais. Ce qui est assez ironique, puisqu'elle n'est pas si tant populaire dans le monde anglophone, en tout cas pas autant que dans les pays de langues latines. Mais enfin bref, ça me rappellera mes belles années d'universitaire. Et puis un livre sur Mafalda (ou de Mafalda) comme cadeau de Noël, c'est vraiment approprié, puisque je l'ai d'abord connue grâce à Ciné-cadeau.

Post-Christmas Blues (sort of)

 Well, it is this time of year, but it arrived a tad later this year and it is far less painful than usual, for some reason. I will dwell on it a bit more, but anyway, here it is: the post-Christmas blues. However, it isn't too bad this year. Because I still have a few days of holidays, for one, and because I am enjoying my time off doing very little except reading and watching television. I needed a long break and I can live without the excitement (and following exhaustion) that the days leading to Christmas bring. I am not a big fan of new year's celebrations, soI am happy living in limbo until then. Still, the big days of Christmas are over for me, I have stopped listening to Christmas music, so technically it is post-Christmas blues.

Neige

 Photo prise par mon père il y a quelques jours...

Action Man Freeze Force

Who likes Action Men? I do. I have been wanting to expand my collection (of one) and my wish has been answered. I got this Action Man Freeze Force among the presents I received for Christmas, from my wife and my son. And what better time to receive an action figure using ski and meant to operate in a wintery environment than Christmas? 'Tis the season to be playing, especially in the bleak midwinter. I love everything about it: the look, the equipment and the gaming possibilities.

Un arbre enneigé

Mon frère PJ a pris cette photo hier. Content de voir que décembre est hivernal quelque part dans le monde.

New Lego train station

For Christmas, Wolfie took to heart my love of everything trains related. He decided to give me a special present built by him: this train station made of Lego pieces. I don't know how my wife managed to wrap it and keep it in one piece, but it looks absolutely lovely andit might be the best present I had this year. Okay, so we might not have the fancy Christmas village and train set my parents have, but my son sure put his heart into it all the same. This is truly a labour of love.

La dinde du réveillon

 Mon frère PJ a partagé une photo de la dinde qu'ils ont mangée lors du réveillon (et qu'ils mangeront sans doute quelques jours, vu sa taille). Ma femme serait choquée si on y avait été, parce qu'elle est végétarienne. Mais ça a l'air bon...

Good King Wenceslas

Because it is Saint Stephen's Day today, I am sharing Good King Wencesla. It's a blog's tradition.

Le calme après Noël

 Bon, Noël est terminé, même si les Fêtes continuent. Je devrais me sentir mélancolique, mais je ne le suis pas encore. Je crois que je commence à apprécier à nouveau le temps juste après Noël, celui avant le Jour de l'An. Cette année, ce sera une période de calme. Je suis assez porté sur la mélancolie de nature, donc il m'arrive de l'apprécier. En fait, c'est le cas surtout quand je suis au Québec, j'aime bien la période post 25 décembre, quand je peux passer mes journées à lire et à regarder et sentir le sapin de Noël. Et à profiter de l'hiver, donc de la neige (pas ici, bien entendu). Après les excès et les réjouissances, ça fait du bien de passer du temps tranquille.

Christmas Night Train

 First: Merry Christmas everyone. I am sharing today a picture taken by my brother PJ of the family's Christmas at night, with the train running at night. It's just so magical. I promised Wolfie we will be there next year.

Noël Blanc

 Tout d'abord: joyeux Noël à tous et toutes. Je voulais aussi partager une des photos que mon père m'a envoyées hier. Ils ont un Noël blanc. Les chanceux.

Model Trains And Christmas (a brief history)

This YouTube video is about a year old, but I only found it yesterday. It is about the history of model trains and Christmas. It's a big part of my own family history and our LGB train (sadly LGB isn't mentioned in this video) is by far the greatest Christmas present my brothers and I ever received. We are now three generations of boys in it. I say boys, because when it comes to trains, we never really grew up. (And the outnumbered women in the family never really understood our fascination for it). Be that as it may, I found this video fascinating. Oh, and Lionel is often mentioned. That was my father's favourite brand when he was a kid.

Pain sandwich

 Ma mère a acheté ce pain sandwich pour le dîner d'hier chez nous. Ce qui n'a pas fait l'affaire de tout le monde: mon frère PJ déteste les pains sandwiches. Moi, ce n'est que la partie avec du jambon que je n'aime pas, alors j'en mange rarement quand il y en a de disponible. Mais c'est un classique de Noël, bien que ce soit un classique controversé. Et vous, pour ou contre le pain sandwich?

The family's Christmas Tree

 I shared it in a post in French yesterday, but here it is today, night time version. My parents' Christmas tree. With the train and the Christmas village at its foot. The greatest Christmas tree. Wolfie and I really want to go there next year.

"J'ai dans la tête un vieux sapin..."

Vous savez le reste de 23 Décembre de Beau Dommage. LA chanson québécoise de Noël et LA chanson de Noël nostalgique en ce qui me concerne. Je la partage à chaque année, bien entendu.

The end of Christmas movies?

 I recently read in The Independent an article titled What Killed the Christmas Movie?. About, well, the end of new quality and/or successful Christmas films. Apparently, there aren't so many, if any. It struck me that, yes, the Christmas movies I watch mostly date back from a few decades. The most recent ones must have been from 1999. Then again, most of the so-called Christmas films I watch usually only have the season as a backdrop. I don't really like romcoms in general, whatever the time and setting of them. But I digress. In any case, I was wondering what you thought about it. And one thing I would like to add, is that whileI don't watch "new" Christmas movies, I discovered and enjoyed plenty of "Christmas ceentered" tv series in the last few years. Maybe this is the new trend: Christmas dramas.

L'arbre de Noël, 2024

Mes frères et mes neveux sont chez nos parents (et leurs grand-parents) depuis hier. Le sapin familial est donc monté et je partage une photo ici. Wolfie et moi nous aimerions y être.