Nappa soft leather Philippi Churchill wallet with cigar tube holder, cigar cutter and cognac heavy stainless steel tube flasks. Cigar inside the tube is a single ‘Christmas ready’ very mild Havana. Sir Winston Churchill style. Last Christmas cigar treat was a simple Café Crème. Cuban cigar choice is always far too much dosh! No smoking at all this year. My pipe still sits forlornly in the VeeDub (camper van) glove box. When the glove box gets opened to grab at the chamois window cloth an aromatic cherry tobacco odour and vanilla essential oil soaked into a felt cloth escapes. Even more for a Christmas treat? Fill the tubular ‘cognac’ flask. But with single malt whisky…… awaiting choice. 

Zippo brass lighter to start the aromatic cigar. And maybe the candle under the metal burner dish for housing Frankincense and Myrrh resins that impart their wonderful winter linked aromas into the Christmas joyful atmosphere. And the Trangia hikers’ spirit burner to light up too. 

Jack Daniels hip flask. Again awaiting alcohol inclusion. Haven’t touched alcohol all year so must be careful to take slowly at Christmas. Those four little tot drinking vessels means sharing. And the little funnel means no spilling on filling. 

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Rite in the Rain pad and pencil and Cammenga compass for a jaunt over the festive season. The backpack has been prepared for the small, hopefully, winter snow white hike. Inside the backpack is a Trangia burner and appropriate utensils. A simple strong coffee can be brewed in a well chosen spot. A few mince pies or slices of Christmas cake to share with family or friends present.  Or maybe a stranger well met too. Spirit of the Festive Season and all that!

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Various fountain pens, Visconti cartridges, bottle of Sheaffer black ink housed in a vintage Stephens 1930s ink glass bottle inside an aluminium Stephens Art Deco screw protection travel ink bottle container from the same 1930s period. Awaiting the Diamine cartridge choices to arrive in the post for more colour choice in Christmas card writing. Ancient Copper, Maroon, Chocolate Brown, and Majestic and Sapphire Blues sound colour perfect. Continue writing with the old Typhoo Tea fountain pen for a few weeks to bed it in. Make it feel at home with the others. It can’t take the Diamine cartridges, but may like a festive red and green Sheaffer ink from a bottle choice.

Ungaro and Khadi Paper small journals to grab and record the words that change Cold winter thoughts to Warm keepsake memories. 

Depose late 1800s/19^thcentury brass plated nickel medical folding magnifying glass. The glass is in great condition for it’s age. Used by French Physicians/Practitioners. As a staff nurse I simply wanted one because of the practitioner connections. Folding is also ideal for the musette man-bag. Kept protected in a soft leather case.

Booze and Baccy eau de cologne. A spice driven winter choice that shouts out bay rum, zesty orange and bergamot combined with luxurious base notes of honey fresh tobacco leaves, aromatic frankincense, maple-like benzoin and warm vanilla bean. These are layered with mid notes of fresh galbanum, white thyme and coriander. (The ingredients here are not from my ‘nose’ identifying them, but taken from the Captain Fawcett site). Splendid aromatic stuff to wake up the slumbering limbic senses. Makes you feel somehow special and all grown up too. 

MP3 player (currently housed in the VeeDub) playing a choice of Christmas songs with the type of headphones here for Bluetooth connection or wire plug in. Nice to keep the ears warm too. May go earbud RockJaw, but the warmer choice is thumbs up at present. They are also extending to go over a beanie. Talking of the beanie.

The Universal Works wonderful and splendid beanie, finally owned after years of wanting one. A 100% woollen treasure for the colder weather that now affects my thinner hair presence. My crown of head has gone all tonsure driven in the form of a monastic crown related to religious devotional style. My inner voice shouts out the reality though. ‘Told you so! This is what happens when you’ve lived with too much work related past stress!’ My inner thoughts often whisper in a logical voice that far outweighs my outer spoken dream driven one at times. 

Hey ho! This tip-tap-typed nonsense passed the past hour quite nicely. Hash tags typed in are overload on this one. They are worth the time though. Always there for my ease in finding posts of other WordPress bloggers with similar items in the future.

Now for some coffee…….