3 Christmas Gifts including Something Morris!

I got to have the family together for Christmas. Yes a gift in itself.  A redo of the Thanksgiving Dinner that wasn't. (You can read why I had to sadly cancel that dinner HERE). And this time I was a little afraid too that someone would be sick with all the colds and flus circulating but no, all were hale and healthy for the big day and it all got done.  I love playing games and the few we played worked well enough to give a few laughs and jokes.

  My next favourite time is in the kitchen cleaning up by myself after everyone is gone. I don't know if I'm the only weird person who likes to do this.  I like to play a little music, sip a little Merlot or a coffee, take my time with the good glasses, and generally unwind.  It's a great time for thinking and feeling some gratefulness for what I've managed to make from what life has handed me.
 This year Hubby felt badly leaving me alone so I was also accompanied by the sound of him snoring away on the sofa.  LOL

But enough about that, here are a few of my Christmas gifts this year.

I got the bread machine.

And we've already had a loaf much to Hubby's delight.  And I learned something about flours in the process.  I've always used all purpose flour in the past and never had a problem but this machine stated I needed bread flour.   I found out that Canadian flours have a higher percentage of protein by law in flour, much higher than that required in other countries and the higher the protein (gluten) the lighter the bread.  So I guess that is why I always had relative success with our own Robin Hood flour in bread machines.  Anyway, during the holidays all the flours were on special so I bought a big bag of bread flour and our loaf was wonderful.  Now that I've bored you completely to death...

Something more fun!
 My 'big' gift was a camera.  Hubby has been after me for months to buy the camera I want so he went ahead and bought it for me.  I am thrilled.
Of course, it is far more complex than my little " point and shoot" and has a lengthy booklet so there will be a learning curve.  I'm looking forward to improving my blogging photos in particular.  Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without instruction manuals of some sort to read and complain about. LOL

I wrote about a couple of my latest Morris inspired things Here so everyone knows I am smitten with anything Morris.  I couldn't believe this gift;  Sister sent me something I didn't even know existed-  The William Morris The Twelve Days of Christmas. I think the cover is stunning.

The book does not disappoint either. Beautiful illustrations with thick, thick pages...a treat for Morris lovers.  And she included a matching little wooden partridge for the tree.  I thought this a very sweet gift which I appreciate very much.

So I was very well gifted. These late years, I am receiving things that show the family are reading my posts so I must be careful what I'm writing I wish for!  I have two more gifts to show another  time that will further prove this theory.

So what about you...did you get a special gift, something surprising, something interesting?