Happy New Year.

Well organised for 2014 already, having partly prepared the food for tomorrow's lunch for friends, and finished the ironing.
What better way to end the year?
I wish that I'd remembered to buy the firelighters before Coleshill ran out of them, but I've managed without, and even have an overflow log box in the porch to keep the home fires burning tomorrow, with minimum effort.
I'm entirely confident that 2014 will be infinitely better for me than was 2013.
However good last year was for you, I hope that next year is even better.

 

Home Alone.

B et al travelled North on Saturday afternoon, Wet al left for Stansted on Sunday afternoon, after the boys had scooted to the playground, done the assault course 30 times then befriended a springer spaniel who took delight in fetching J's Frisbee, many many times.
I hope they slept on the plane.
We had a fantastic Christmas together - great food that just appeared when required and everyone on good form. 
To keep busy after they all left, I had a bonfire to dispose of boxes, now all glued into Grand Designs and decorated with glitter glue, along with wrapping paper and packaging.
By the time I'd finished Linda, an old friend who now lives in Scotland, had arrived for tea and a chat.
A couple of hours later I returned Linda to her son Chris's farm, in Fillongly, where he fattens pigs for Waitrose, amongst other things, and lives in a fantastic log cabin.
I then came home and did the did some more washing - six loads to date and all of the bed linen and towels now done, not all ironed.

This morning I was up early and in M&S in Solihull by 9.00am, almost alone.
The sale was disappointing, but I went on to JS to buy the food to cook for the lunch party on New Year's Day, along with some post-Christmas bargains.
I met Jan for coffee at Pre.
Three coffees later (no breakfast), we hit the sales again - Jan bought clothes and linen, I bought a small Victorian silver toast rack made by Nathan & Hayes in B'ham, hallmarked in Chester, 1894, because it was beautiful and the dresser needed one.
I didn't get home until after 7.00pm - max payment in the car park, minus the JS contribution.
I had scrambled eggs and finished the smoked salmon, for dinner, followed by the nut strewn top of the panetone that I bought to make a bread and butter pudding, on Wednesday.

Tomorrow, a check on the cleaning at church, ready for a wedding on Tuesday, then cooking.
An ironing mountain, for light relief, so that we can get to the booze fridge on Wednesday. 

Santa's been and gone......

Relaxing after supper, watching "Harry Potter", the children all safely tucked up in bed and the rest of us to follow shortly.
We've had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas.
The children have all been delightful, the food wonderful and the chores all done together.
I put masses of silver stars on the dining table, which have been played with and are now everywhere and will be a happy reminder for weeks to come.

Yesterday morning we all went to NW to the Family Service to celebrate and sing a few carols.
I took the service and the boys helped with the lighting of the Advent candles - all 5 on Christmas day - along with the other half dozen children in the congregation.
A good turn out and lots of positive comments afterwards - remember JC all year, don't just send a card on his birthday!
The rest of the day was normal - eat and drink, games and chat.

This morning we all went for a walk around the reservoir then back for lunch - guess!
Di, Steve and Chloe came for tea with great outdoor clothing for the children, all in their favourite colours - they had to do a turn around the garden to test them out!

Sadly, Primrose, the last of a long line of Steve's golden Guernsey goat, died on Sunday night - the end of an era as Steve has kept goats here for the last 21 years.
I shall miss her to talk to en route to the chickens and whilst working in the garden.

It's very windy this evening, hopefully it will calm down by the morning  so that we can run off some energy before going to the panto in Chipping Norton - "Jack and the Beanstalk" - followed by an Indian meal.
    

Only two more sleeps.........

although it will be a late night / short sleep tomorrow for those attending Midnight Mass.
As attendance is usually good it seems to me that it may be a good idea to have services throughout the year, in the middle of the night instead of mid morning on a Sunday, competing with shopping and the gym.

Life is pretty good - I've had my hair done, have two new pairs of jeans, size twelve, a new dress and the family here for the week.
I even have the lounge curtains hung properly
I collected  a fine turkey, minus wish-bone, for ease of carving, from the farm shop this morning, along with a large pork pie - traditional Christmas day breakfast in the family - I think it was just that Mum liked pork pie and it saved cooking.
Everything's done, so no need to go out tomorrow.

One sad note - Primrose, the last remaining goat, died last night, aged 13 years - a good age for a goat.
I shall just have to talk to the chickens a little longer in the mornings - I'm not sure that they understand me!

 

O Come all ye faithfull...............

And they did!
Shustoke carol service this evening by candlelight and Christmas tree lights - magical.
The church was packed, with chairs at the back for overflow and the choir was very good - a really good start to Christmas.
Obviously the congregation opted for the carol service rather than Morning Prayer as there were only six of us this morning.
I made up for the disappointment by going to Ventura Park to complete the food shopping for Christmas, thinking that it may be quieter than tomorrow.
The shops weren't that busy, M&S had the excess vegetables piled up like a market stall, which is much nicer than Solihull, where they leave them on wire trolleys.
Just the turkey, pork pie and meat to collect from the farm, then that's it - done, dusted and ready to cook.
The third off all clothes Saturday sale was extended by a day, so it took quite a while to "food shop".
I tried to buy more curtain fittings - dangly bits off the rail - with no luck.
I can't remember the make, which doesn't help.

Good films on TV tonight - I'm not spoiling myself by watching one - recording a couple for the grandchildren over Christmas.
 

Wet and windy.

Winter arrived today - 2 degrees when I released the chickens first thing - they're laying an egg each a day despite the time of year - and the car covered in thickish ice at 9.00am.
I had the Church Christmas Service times cards to go to all the houses in the village, which took three hours, including a dash to Coleshill to post the last of the parcels.
It was very cold and about 70% of letter boxes are rubbish - very difficult to push the letter through and/or try to take your finger off.
I came home for lunch then decided that it would be good to get the shopping done today - a sizeable list of Christmas Day requirements from W & MK - leaving only the vegetables and dairy to buy and the turkey to collect, next week.
I went to Solihull and even managed to buy curtains for the dining room (returnable if not the right colour), and two pairs of Per Uno jeans for me - indigo and black velvet - 30% off all Per Uno today.
30% off everything at M&S tomorrow!
I arrived home about 8.30pm, put the food away and then vacuumed through downstairs and, at last, mopped the floors.
Everywhere gleaming, just have to finish the decorating and wrapping now, or tomorrow morning - hairdresser at 3.00pm, then on to a party.

Just had a ......e mail re my take on the School Carol Concert.
Whew!
What on earth am I doing still up at 1.25am in a freezing house with a gale blowing? 

Nothing to blog yesterday - lazy day and frustration.
I visited Sh church in the morning and found the school rehearsing for their service that evening - delightful singing, despite the cold.
I volunteered to go back at 5.45pm to turn the tree lights on for the 6.30pm service.
After lunch I visited M & M, then Jan then back to church - cold, dark, wet and windy with people waiting outside.
By the time I left at 6.15pm there was chaos as cars went down to the car park, which was full, then found difficulty reversing up a narrow track in the awful conditions - Hawkins opened their drive to help out, on request.

Of note today - collected yesterday's parcel - it was for me!!!
A new water tank for the Nespresso - some design problem causing rust in the bottom.
had coffee with Jan.
Collected all of the wood that had blown down in the storm and burnt it on a bonfire with the recycling and waste from the bin, which was full.
Cleaned out the chickens - they are laying two eggs a day - amazing!

My wasted days will catch up with me as I still have to clean the floors, dust and put the decorations up, ice the cake, wrap the presents, deliver a church Xmas card to every house in the village and do the food shopping - that can be on Monday morning.
I only remembered the cards for the village tonight..
I'll start something right now.
What??
 

Pure indulgence.

I know that I am a bit of a slave driver - personally.
I always set myself a challenging agenda for the day and then chastise myself at the end of the day as I tick things of the list and prepare tomorrow's agenda.
Cleaning the floors - with the steam cleaner was high on yesterday's agenda, not having been done since the decorator left and probably not for some time before then.
Waking up early is usually a plus, as I can start early.

Yesterday's agenda still had chores from Monday as everything ran late.
went down early, started to vacuum under the Christmas tree, then realised that it was a waste of time as I hadn't decorated the tree and needed to remove the 80 x red lights, replace with the new 160 x white lights.
Three hours later the tree was looking pretty good, I'd vacuumed through and was feeling pleased with the day.
Too late to wash floors, so dressed properly to go to Coleshill to collect W's daily undelivered parcel, and finish Monday's jobs, then come home to sweep up leaves, as the sun was shining, then wash floors.

As I left I had a strange conversation with the driver of a large red van parked at the bottom of the drive - I thought he was the postman, as I had the sun in my eyes, so telling me that he'd just painted the fire hydrant and metal covers and not to drive over them did not equate!
Anyway, as he drove away, he commented "What a lovely house, it must be wonderful living here".
I agreed - I think he'd understood my confusion, either that or that I was an escaping inmate!

Anyway, after the Coleshill chores I revolted against myself and went to Knowle, then Solihull, had TWO coffees and a mince pie in Pret and bought TWO pairs of shoes in Gordon Scott's sale - not even sensible one to wear with jeans.

Home to shower and change, then carol Concert at NW followed by dinner at LM Hotel with a friend.
Sun's shining, I should clear the leaves from the yard after tennis - see how it goes - I may be revolting again!.

I feel like the white rabbit...

The one in Alice in Wonderland who was late.
I did remember to put my watch on today, which was a good start.
As it wasn't light until after 9.00am, by which time it was raining, tennis was cancelled.
I ran a bath, forgetting to put the plug in, but there was sufficient hot water to run it again, with the plug in and then slow poach for half an hour, chatting to aj, then PH on the phone.
I girded my loins and went to Coleshill - no parking places, so was a few minutes late for a meeting at the bank, having parked in the Solicitor's car park - no comeback, not sued!
On to Dorridge for a facial, then to Solihull to collect J & Th from school.
I cooked a great tea, chatted to a, who was home early, then did late night Christmas shopping for a couple of hours, in Solihull on the way home.
Not many people about, so  pretty good.
I think that I have all of the presents  - all scattered over the study floor in "people piles".
I bought a set of 160 white Xmas tree lights - I have 80 red on the tree, but no more red available, which is a shame as they look good.
I can't decorate the tree until they're on  - the red can go elsewhere - I was going to do it tonight, but was late home as a car has gone off the road in castle Lane, where a motorcyclist died a while ago.
The police and breakdown truck were blocking the road, so I had a long detour, just when I thought I'd arrived.
The truck driver said no-one was hurt - hope so.

Shop, shop, shop....

I was up early, ironing done and in JS by 8.30am as I have friends coming to lunch tomorrow and was in dire need of food and this was said to be the busiest shopping day so far - what do they know?
It just wasn't that busy.
I had the car washed whilst in JS, then went to M&S and parked with no problem, then on to Florascape - a rather strange garden centre, to meet Judith for coffee.
I then went on a search for red Christmas tree decorations, having taken all but my posh ones to church..
JL and JS had none in red so I finished up at Asda - not at all nice, but they did have red baubles.
that was offset by the fact that the poinsettia all but fell to pieces when I took the wrapping paper off.
I delivered the remainder of my Christmas cards on the way home, stopping for tea twice, so not home until dark.

House is now pretty neat and tidy, dining room decorated and Christmas tree in, with lights.
I have red lights - they look good, but not enough - 80, and it's a big tree - up to the roof.
A change from the 40+ sets of white lights on the trees at church.
I do have a set of blue lights, donated by B & E, but fear that it may look a bit UKIP with them as well!

I bought a 3 pack of Christmas music CDs - just need T  to change them!
Christmas can begin in earnest tomorrow, a little earlier than usual.

Come Dine with me.

Now a possibility, having spent about 6 hours carrying furniture and pictures downstairs, polishing and rearranging.
I think it looks wonderful.
Now, what to do with the things that I don't want to put back?
A bit more vacuuming to do and clean the floors and it'll be fit for inspection - friends coming for lunch on Sunday, but it has been a week since PtheP finished.

I was awake early, so finished the Christmas cards, posted 40, collected  a parcel from the PO, then delivered  a further 20 cards by hand, declining coffees en route.
I put the tree in its stand, ready to lift into the conservatory.....later.
No point until I have time/inclination to decorate it - might be tomorrow.
I didn't start the dining room until 3.00pm, by which time it was nearly dark, hence I finished late, too late to bother to cook.
I might just have to put the Father Christmases on the sideboard first.

Lots of leaves to clear up from the yard - next week now.
Going shopping early, Ventura Park, for Sunday lunch - everyone has pork on offer - then meeting Judith for coffee at a garden centre near by - Flora.....
Hope I can find it!

Mary, Mary quite contrary.....

Home again after an enjoyable stay in Bicester, being Mary Poppins, again.
Did MP watch daytime TV?
You can only do it if you are doing something worthwhile at the same time, hence the attraction of ironing - order out of chaos, removing the creases, with "Bargain Hunt" thrown in for good measure!
What more could you want?
B came home at lunch time to work from home, S & J arrived shortly afterwards and they all went to see KP do her "Mary" again, all home later for tea and chocolate cake.
I did a quick, successful visit to Bicester village then a slow journey home - heavy traffic on the M40 and M42.
A warm day - still 9 degrees when I arrived home at 7.00pm.
Welsh rarebit on sliced tomatoes and basil leaves for supper.
Delicious!

Christmas cards to finish then post/deliver tomorrow, alongside cleaning and putting the dining room back together.
Should be fun.
Friends for lunch on Sunday, so no more procrastination.

T has designed and printed invitations for New Year's Day for me - they are brill!

I have yet to even open the December Good Housekeeping which I was so pleased to buy last week. 

O Come all ye faithfull...........

I've been to my first carol concert this year - the Scout/Cubs/Beavers at St Egburg's in Bicester - nice carols and a particularly weird activity - laying a table for dinner in the aisle to a rather illiterate poem about Christmas.
A brave minister asked questions around the "What season is this?"
Answer "Easter"
              "Winter"
              "Chocolate"
T answered correctly - well done T.

A double first as I went to the first Nativity play of the year  - KP was Mary so it had to be good.

This morning I made a stew and chocolate before playing tennis, home to fill the cake, pack a bag and off to Bicester.
Tomorrow I shall do the MP* bit - great fun - then shop in town and the Village before setting off for home - only housework on the agenda - must put the decorated rooms back together on Friday - enough of this gallivanting!
* W referred to me as "Mary Poppins" for carrying out the au pair activities,
I quite like it.

So who is St Egburg - sounds Scandanavian.

 

Ding dong.....

I've just returned from bell ringing.
My second session went really well.
My first session started well and then I lost it completely, possibly because I wasn't standing in exactly the right place and certainly because I lost my concentration.
I think that it's like driving - full concentration until you are  proficient and then it just happens.
One day - hopefully not too far away.......

I went to Warwick this morning to meet a friend for coffee, we were still talking, so stayed for lunch as well.
I stopped in Solihull on the way home and bought towels - cloakroom and kitchen, to match the decor and bath towels so that the family are still impressed by the fluffiness.
Beatties had a linens sale on, I bought the kitchen towel in JL, designer, as it was the right colour and ridiculously expensive.
It will last a long time and I'm pleased with it.

I somehow forgot to have dinner, so was very cold at church - I've just had cocoa to make up and then to a nice warm bed.
Tomorrow, tennis - a sunny day is promised.

I've just done an on line order from M&S - free home delivery if you opt to collect from store as, I guess, they can't cope - will save queueing in store - try it if you're ordering 

Don't have the bronze!

I had a manicure today, to repair the damage of a week in the cold handling fir trees.
This is a rare event.
It is even rarer for me to have nail varnish as it doesn't look right, somehow and I damage it within the day anyway.
Today I was persuaded to have bronze - a mistake!
I have removed it and had a bath to soak off any remains.
Unfortunately, I put the remover pads on the white bath mat, which now has a bronze patch, so I may have an eternal reminder of my mistake.

I played tennis this morning, manicure, then off to Solihull for an hour before collecting J and Th from school.
Salsacise tonight, so well exercised, but the house is still upside down from the decorating - pencilled in to start putting things back on Friday.
No rush, but friends here for lunch on Sunday.

There was a tragic motor accident in Kingsbury on Saturday.
Three people from KS died - a Mum, her son and his friend.
The Mum was a technician at the school.
I taught her, many years ago - a real character, she later joined the cleaning staff and cleaned the
labs. As I worked late, we talked most nights and I hope that she regarded me as a friend.
She was such fun, she will be sorely missed.
It will be a very sad end to the term. 

Magic and Sparkle!

The show continues until twelth night, we may keep the church open for a while next weekend - see how the mood and need for a social life impede.
We've had lots of visitors, served lots of tea and coffee and all of my Christmas cakes had gone by 2.00pm, forcing me to go to Coleshill to buy more from Morrisons as my remaining cake wasn't iced.
it still isn't but no rush, now.
Family Service went well, finishing with the children racing remote control cars around the church during the final hymn - they had been watching the cars, lined up in the aisle and waiting for the moment to get hold of them throughout the service and hoping that it wouldn't be too long - the themes of Advent: "Watching and Waiting" and "Hope".
I have a wonderful quote from Desmond Tutu on Advent:
"We are an Advent people................together we can make the desert bloom"

I eventually came home at 5.45pm, church all cleared up and tidy.
Dinner - I've eaten cod all week as it's quick to cook - only one more portion left.
This was saved instead of published - tired and hit the wrong button, I guess.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

Tinselled out!

Some finality today:

PtheP has finished the decorating, unfortunately he left a little earlier than I'd anticipated, so the wine  delivery didn't happen - I'll arrange another time tomorrow.

Both the dining room and the downstairs toilet look fantastic - even better than I had anticipated.
I've promised to leave the rooms to dry out for a week - a week off housework as well, what a bonus!

The 30 Christmas trees in church are all decorated and look stunning, especially in the twilight/dark.
Another tree - a fine specimen - was delivered as a gift at the 11th hour, which still has to be decorated.
Everyone "mucked in" with the clearing up - quite a task with all of those trees being moved around, so I was home by 6.30pm - earlier than I'd feared.
Lots of goodwill and fun.
If you are in the vicinity of Shustoke at the weekend, you must come in to see them - tea and  various Christmas cakes available.

Life gets even better - aj has won a 17 night P and O cruise around the Med on Oriana - who else would you want to take on this epic voyage than your twin sister!
Well done aj - it sounds brilliant.

I have Christmas cakes to ice before bedtime so that they will be ready for tomorrow - I think that I'll just do the one needed tomorrow - I'm tired.

Up early tomorrow to put the finishing touches and organise refreshments, then finish preparing Sunday's services.
Next week I shall relax.
I

Compatable!

Chatting to P the P yesterday morning - he's a marathon runner - I noted that I was really lucky as I had no aches and pains and still "felt like a 30 year old"
As I drove up to church I realised that it was yet  another thing that G and I had in common.

I'm becoming more debauched (that may be the wrong word!) by the day - I went down early to clear up the debris from last night's party, before PtheP arrived, made him a cup of tea and came back to have breakfast in bed - scrambled egg (today's) with smoked salmon and hors deuves left overs.
That's a first - I'm a  purist about eating in bed or perhaps I just used to be - it's 4 degrees and windy outside. I have let the chickens out and have a long day at church ahead - will be sociable, but little chance of food or comfort so I'm stocking up!
The party was great fun - about twenty ladies, all bearing food and/or bottles, chatting twenty to the dozen in a way that doesn't happen when the men are there - three glasses down, which must be a measure of something.
The dining room looks absolutely fabulous - I'm so pleased with the colour - eau-de-nil - and pattern.
Laura Ashley is now my designer of choice!
Curtains are at the cleaners - I just need a tall, guy with good manipulative skills and clean hands to put the finishing touches next week.
Must get round to finding curtains for my bedroom - curtain pole in situ, but still vertical!

The fields opposite have been ploughed now and it's beginning to look wintry, just some green in the far fields/meadows.
There are heaps of lovely dry crunchy leaves everywhere, I doubt that many will survive today.

(hors deuves doesn't look right - I'm sure I'll be put right!)

Thawing out.

Another cold day but I had to leave my warm bed at an early hour - OK, it was 7.40am, so not the crack of dawn, to be up before P the P arrived.
The socket must have dried out as the fuse went back and the boiler lit!
Brilliant!
The house was very cold, apart from my bed, so I've had the heating on to help dry the paintwork in the dining room - I am wearing 4 layers - vest, thermal thing, thin fleece, fleece jacket - I'm pretty warm, to be honest.
The painting and lining paper all done, but still no sign of a plasterer.

I had a double scrambled egg with a tomato for breakfast then went out to put up posters about the Christmas Tree Festival around the village and in Coleshill - still some more needed but mine were printing with a border only page between each - may be useful one day!
A little light shopping , including a Christmas Good Housekeeping" - my treat of the season, then home for lunch - salmon and tomato salad.
I think I may be in a bit of a tomato rut, but Morrisons' on the vine are delicious, especially with bay leaves, olive oil and black pepper.
So sustained, I made another couple of Christmas cakes, which are in the oven and smell wonderful.
Catching up on e mails before bell ringing.
I bought 2nd class stamps today as the PO was empty - never miss a chance!
Awaiting a New Year's day lunch Invitation draft from T before I get around to cards.
I hope that W has noted my diet  - fit for a Neanderthal!

I'd never heard of Juan Carlos.
Is one's 180th b'day significant nowadays  - I thought that important anniversaries were
divisible by 50.

The big freeze!

Up early as Peter the Painter started today, decorating the dining room and downstairs toilet as he only has a week, but he'll be back in the New Year to finish the rest.
He always starts before 8.30am and works flat out until 4.oopm - he's stripped the walls and done one coat of paint already
Unfortunately, he got some water in a socket, which blew the fuse - I didn't give it a second thought until this evening when I returned from salsacise at about 9.30pm, to a freezing house.
With a little help from B the problem was found - the laundry (boiler) and my bedroom are on the same circuit as the wet socket.
I've put extension cables from the landing to run my electric blanket, radio and lamp, so will have some comfort.
It took a while to get the TV working again, but too cold to sit and watch for long, even with the fan heater going.

Lots of phone calls this morning, even a visitor, then a visit to church , where Maurice was erecting trees and the estate guy had promised to deliver the big tree, so I didn't get off to Solihull as early as I'd hoped, little time to shop.
I collected J and Th from school and cooked tea, then watched Flog It - did a deal with Th - he could use the wifi!
It was the sale at Bigwoods that G and I went to about three years ago, because some of our stuff was in the sale.
I didn't notice us, but J did and hovered over the offending images - quite a lot of them as it's a small saleroom.
Strange seeing G smiling and chatting away at/to me.

Off to a ice warm bed - blanket on overnight I think.         

A new beginning?

Relaxing by the fire after a hectic weekend - had to fill the log basket first, in the dark - bad planning!
A lovely evening with J and Th on Friday and a lie in until 8.00am.
Such a lovely, bright morning that we walked to the playground for a scamp around, taking in the village shop on the way, to buy eggs for the Christmas cakes for church - too tall an order for just two chickens to cope with!
We were cake making when P arrived, so I had to finish them off - turned out well.
I chased up the remainder of my Xmas tree sponsors then visited the Wedding Venue to explain that they had been overlooked, but needed a tree as all of the local hostelries were represented - I was well supported by the staff, many of whom I had taught.
Success!
A cup of tea with Jan and Chris then home to put my sermon on paper - that went well as well, just needed a little tweeking first thing this morning.

Day spent largely in one church or another - Communion at Sh, then on to take the service at NW, home to make scones then back to Sh to test the Xmas tree lights whilst K, M and Steve erected the trees - ten down, 16 to go.
They are beautiful trees, from Denmark, for some reason - the church looks and smells like a forest.
Fairy lustre to be added by the decorators later in the week.
I shall pop in tomorrow, but unable to do much until all of the trees are up, then busy manning the church for the decorators - cold up there.
I'm hoping to have a lazy few hours shopping - bells to decorate the Bellringers' tree, marzipan for the cakes......
Peter the Painter arrives at 8.30am - I 've almost cleared the dining room, carried family silver, etc into the lounge, most movable furniture upstairs and lived to tell the tale!
K will get the plastering done when it's stripped - it'll all work out, I'm sure.

Most exciting purchase of last week - a pair of Gabor, knee-length leather boots with heels - my first long boots since I was 19, to go with my maxi coat.
I need updating!
Any further suggestions?