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.