Home again.

We've had an excellent Christmas holiday in Denmark, with the family, eating, drinking, playing games with the boys......
We had a wonderful danish Christmas on 24 Dec with MK's family - duck with red cabbage & caramelised potatoes followed by the best rice pudding ever, containing lots of cream & chopped almonds along with a whole almond.
If you find the almond & are lucky enough not to have bitten it in two, you have to conceal it in your cheek until all of the pudding has been eaten, then claim the prize.
On 25 Dec W & Mk cooked a traditional English dinner a la Jamie Oliver.
Actually, the preparations started two days earlier, making herb butters of different varieties to put on vegetables, under the turkey skin & so on.
The result was delicious.
We went for a long walk on Boxing day, the boys on their bikes - DK has amazing stamina for such a little boy; we played Lego games, which G & I needed to master before taking on the rest of the family at home.
Lego Champion is really good - all visitors will be expected to play a game.

W took us to the airport this morning - CPH, that is, not the small white boxes that were given as Christmas presents that allow you yo control music in the home with your mobile phone (I think)
The flight was early, we visited JR on the way home & have spent a quiet evening  in front of the fire, watching some recorded TV.

Many thanks to the Danes for their wonderful hospitality.   

Glædelig Jul!

Guess!
It is far warmer than we had anticipated & we could have avoided having to remove 2kg from the case to check in, by not bringing so many fleeces & padded trousers.
G did the journey with one of my shoes in his pocket (not the pair I was wearing to travel in).
We spent a day with JR en route & W met us at the airport to save any hassle with ticket machines or getting lost.
We have eaten royally since arriving & it's not even Christmas yet.
W & MK are very busy preparing a feast for Sunday a la Jamie Oliver, we are celebrating with T,B & family tomorrow, after church in Soro.
It will all be wonderful & very relaxing.
I took the boys out this morning, to run off some energy, & G this afternoon.
He has spent much of the rest of the day fighting his computer.
Merry Christmas & A brilliant new year to you all - I may not be able to cope with this device again - the cursor jumps to another computer & W is scathing far too often.
If you are invited to our Austerity Lunch, please RSVP, if not, let us know if you would like to join us for a square meal!

Done & dusted.

A great day.
I had a glowing report from the dentist, in that all was well, my dentition actually owing as much to the skill of my dentist as it does to nature.
No repairs needed & gums to be proud of - one bit that doesn't get wrinkly!

I then had coffee & a teacake in M&S, by way of celebration, & in place of breakfast.
I spent the rest of the day shopping in Solihull, my first dedicated Christmas shop.
It was a great success, despite having a couple of "googlies" to cope with.
I did need to eat a £1 bag of Thorntons chocolates to keep me going.
G had a "catch up" day, still feeling the cold.

We have eaten an M&S Indian meal, followed by nougat.
Pretty good, though too much really.

Watching Frank Skinner - good video of a passenger manhandling a youth off a train, in Scotland, who didn't have a ticket & refused to leave.
"More pandas in Scotland than Tory MPs!"

Eerie!

G went to the hospital for his leg check & was found to be "magnificent!"
I've done the washing - the clean bed smelt like  a Vietnamese sweat house after one night of G exuding spices through every pore - washed everything removable , line dry & hope for the best.
Last cards delivered & the wrapping started.
I had a quick clean at church & turned the Christmas tree lights on, ready for the school carol service this evening, on the way round with the cards.
A few responses to the New Year's day - year of austerity, invitations, so we wont be alone.

The family are coming to lunch on Sunday, food to think about.
Dentist in the morning, then a bit of shopping to finish - all good fun, I hope, & no cavities!

Watching "The Frozen Planet" - recorded to watch with G.
Amazing.

The eagle has landed.

George is home, not well-tanned & leaner, as anticipated, but about the same colour, a pound or two heavier, smelling Vietnamese & asleep in the chair, computer on his lap.
It's good to have him home & a relief to have those big decisions about driving taken away.
He has had a good time & plans a return.

We went to church this morning & turned all of the Christmas tree lights on - he was impressed.
We came home & changed & went to The Probus lunch at Maxstoke Golf Club, guest of the deputy chairman (Maurice)
Lots of locals,retired & elderly.
We were like Peter Pans!
Home at tea-time & have since chilled, in front of a good fire.
Time for bed - better wake G up.

Mid Advent.

Church, church, church.
Another day from 9.00am until3.00pm, chatting & serving teas & cake.
Not as good a turnout as hoped for, but a lot of good contacts made/remade & more people expected tomorrow, tree decorators & families.
Eventually ate yesterday's dinner at tea time, had a nap & have just finished tomorrow's sermon.
Does anyone know the postage to USA, Australia & Sri Lanka.
I have stamps (86p???), but don't know if anything has changed.
On line is useless, or I am.
I can't find out & missed the PO.
Wrapping & cards to do.

Is David Cameron a hero?

Perhaps I need chocolate.

Lit up.

I thought you would find my days lacking in excitement, so fear to blog.
Anyway, a quick resume of the last two days - mornings catching up , preparing notes for Sunday's sermon, e mails, post, etc.
I have spent both afternoons from noon until 7.30pm, at church, so that those who have paid for a Christmas tree, can come & decorate them.
This has been a great success, people there most of the day, helping, sharing, drinking coffee & clearing up.
The church is now lit by18 trees, 17 beautifully decorated, plus the one I did, on a high window sill - I'm really pleased with the result.
Yesterday was very cold, today a degree warmer - I wore a lot of clothes!
One large tree left to be potted & decorated, then we're open all weekend, serving teas & Christmas cakes - fruit, pannetone, pandoro, stollen chocolate logs & mini rolls for the kids.

Lady Dugdale popped in for coffee this morning, for an hour, as she had been not been able to attend the "Coffee & Cakes" morning. She is charming - her son was at school with W.
Not fallen asleep yet - no milky drink as I left the milk at church.
Bother.

Tuesday already.

Never start to watch a film after the news or you end up staying up half the night to watch the end.
I really wish that I was in bed, asleep, not watching "Cracker".
A busy day - played tennis in gloves, 4 degrees!
I have never played in gloves before; it's better than freezing hands.
On to church for delivery of the Christmas trees, Maurice & I put them in & I put cables around for the lights, as far as I could - more needed. Maurice is making stands for them, so on hold now until done.
I've just had a go at the 2011 missive.
I really don't like them at all.
Should I copy/send it or not bother?
I can have a lie-in tomorrow, today.
Great.  

PS. I've been filling in dates on 2012 calendar, amazingly, most of the family birthdays fall on weekends - my generation - all of us - G, M, AJ & me, that's 4/4
                   children/spouses - B, E,   that's 2/8
                   grandchildren - KP, T, Th, H&S, J, O.  that's 7/9.
All of the B&E family, all of J&G's children & all of my generation.
Total of 13/21, statistically, surely this should be 2/7, ie 6/21.
Just an observation

Partying.

I settled for roast pork & laying tables in the dining room & kitchen, 22 in all.
I've just had another "booking", so have to find somewhere for another seat, not to mention finding another chair.
Tables are laid, apple sauce & stuffing balls made so the rest is almost plain sailing - I have to take the 11.00am service at NW.
Thankfully, aj's here & a whizz-kid with a vegetable knife.
We went to the Pear's party this pm - very good, chatted to friends & met some new folk.
I went to the hairdressers first thing & glammed up a bit.

I'm watching some rubbish Tv as there's a big Christmas cake in the oven, which won't be cooked until after midnight - I'll have a look in a minute & make a trifle.

Cold this evening - I've put the geraniums in the factory whilst looking for chairs.
I found four - two with saggy bottoms, two with damp bottoms - sounds like a Mothers' Union!!

White Rabbits!

Have you eaten your first Advent calendar chocolate yet?
I haven't.
I haven't got one - no change there.
G once bought me a Hotel Chocolat one, I recall.

I returned from Bicester this afternoon, having had an excellent couple of days.
T, KP & I went to The Theatre, Chipping Norton on Wed. to see Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves.
It was brilliant, the theatre was beautifully decorated with Arabian style hangings & lamps; a funny, colourful traditional pantomime.
We read the story on-line the previous evening, T & KP were engrossed.
We had a light lunch in CN, then went to Bicester Garden Centre - their forest of Christmas trees is lovely - then Tesco, to choose tea, then home to tea before taking T to Beavers.
KP talked non-stop about Ali Baba & Cassim for the entire hour that T was out.
Today  I went to Bicester Village, mainly to see the new Lalique shop, then picked Gina up & had a lovely lunch with two daughters- in- law at a great new Italian restaurant in Bicester.
When I took G home, J gave me a consultation on my sore thumb, then I dashed home, to go to Costco with Jan.
Unfortunately, she couldn't make it & I'd not picked up the e-mail.
Never mind.
I have lots to do before Sunday, when there are 22 people coming for a fund-raising lunch.
I was intending to do roast pork & lay up tables, but I think that the limit for seating is 18.
Rethink!

Gym , then J & Th pick up tomorrow, then a fashion Show in NW.
Hairdressers on Sat am, early, cooking for Sunday, then a party at the Pears at 2.00pm.
Hopefully, aj is coming.
Christmas trees arriving at church on Mon am, 17 , to be potted/stood up, somehow, & positioned, with Maurice's help.

Weather has been mild & sunny, but a change is threatened tonight.
Better fill the hotty!

Why has this strange machine added  "amp" after every "&" in this blog?
Another of life's little mysteries.