Clickety click!

W senior has reached that ripe old age today, living in USA with wife 3 and their 4 year old daughter and a third career to occupy him - congratulations.
This makes me seem very staid, still living in the family home with chickens for company and enjoying life as a granny.
I spent today buying a new double bed to complete the transformation of the study into my "winter quarters" - decorated, carpeted and complete when the bed is delivered on 21 Jan.
I have to buy a white valance before then and will disappoint T and KP, as I promised that they could sleep in the new bed tonight, not realising they were made to order.
It's a "Sealy".
The salesman at Dreams assured me that Barak Obama slept in one - possibly a higher spec!

Today has been cold but bright and sunny all day - the frost remained here all day.
I went into town - the first time in at least a couple of years - parked at Lee Longlands and enjoyed walking into town and along the canal and drinking coffee.
No purchases made.
 

Boxing Day +1

Three relaxing days with the family and Sunday still to come.
Brilliant!
Christmas Day with P, A, J and Th - champagne, lovely presents, a traditional lunch and games at the table until tea-time.
Yesterday I went to Bicester to see "Cinderella" at Aylesbury, with B, E  and extended family - a sparkling performance, slightly let down by Russell Grant.
Back to Bicester for dinner and a sleepover then  a day with the family before returning home this evening, in case of snow tonight.
Today, I ate too much!
Sitting here watching a recording of Sherlock Holmes and having checked my lottery tickets (useless) I begin to wish that I'd agreed to stay for another night in Bicester

Nearly there.

That magical moment when you know that you have Christmas in the bag and can relax, came yesterday afternoon.
I'm now into enjoying Christmas
I went to Bicester on Tuesday to see the family and take the presents - wonderful.
After a sleepover, I came back yesterday lunchtime, stopping off in Solihull to buy the Christmas lunch and a few odds and ends.
A successful mission - let M&S take the strain!
J and C came to dinner to share a Waitrose "Indian", which was delicious, but gave rise to a disturbed night of indigestion, during which I spent a couple of hours catching up on e mails.
Today I've been on a long walk, including visiting friends to deliver cards and presents in Shustoke and Whitacre.
I've finished wrapping the presents, put more baubles on the tree and laid the table for Christmas lunch. I have to ice the cake whilst cooking fish for dinner then stay awake  for Midnight Communion at 11.30pm.
I shall come home and open a couple of presents before bed.

I wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Christmas Trees over and out!

Having spent the last three Sundays, and one Saturday, at church, welcoming and serving teas to visitors to the Christmas Tree Festival,, we finished this afternoon, packed up the remaining cakes and mince pies and came home, leaving the trees lit up, ready for the carol Service at 6.30pm.
I decided that I'd spent sufficient time at Shustoke church and went to Lichfield Cathedral to the service of 9 lessons and carols.
It was brilliant, wonderful choir and readers and shook hands with the Dean and the Bishop on the way out.
Beat that.

Yesterday I had a day out with Jan - we went to Studley, Alcester and Warwick, visiting the charity and antique shops and drinking coffee - great fun, lots of chatting and laughing, which did us the world of good.
I got home at about 6.00pm, then went into work mode, vacuuming everywhere, starting with the new carpet that was laid in the back bedroom that morning - looks great.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Is there a Valuer out there?

It would appear that there are three main elements for a successful valuation Day:
a valuer
a venue
punters with objects to be valued.
Unfortunately, we fell at the first hurdle today, as Charles Hanson phoned early this morning to say that he was unwell - he had a bad cold and little voice -  and would I mind if he sent a colleague in his place.
An hour later he phoned to say that they were all ill and no-one was available - we visited the auction on Friday and two of the auctioneers were sorely afflicted with colds and voice problems.
The two of us who were running it spent the next hour standing in the cold by the Hall gateway, apologising to visitors and visiting locals who we knew were intending to come.
one friend e mailed  my events list (70 people) and another put the cancellation on Facebook.
Outcome: no aggravation and not too many visitors.
Charles promises an extravaganza in the spring.

Anyway, with the little time freed up, I now have the outdoor lights up, the conservatory cleaned and the tree up, awaiting decoration and some housework and ironing done.
I went to Solihull late night shopping with a friend and had dinner in Jimmy Spices - happy hour or two until 7.00pm, meals £11.99.
Where else can you get that many calories in such variety for that much?
What am I doing up at this ridiculous hour when I have clean 420tc sheets on a hot bed waiting?
 

The many delights of Laura Ashley!

Having had a great response to my last blog, I decided that the title was a good one, so have used it again, with minor changes, to reflect today's activities.
Today was the last J and Th pick up day before Xmas, just J actually, as Th went home with a friend then back to football practice.
I left home early to visit Dorridge for a facial - a rare treat - my first visit since the new JS opened.
This replaces the sad old shopping precinct, has a roof car park and underground shop with a rather strange smell.
The car park's good and even has an attendant to direct you to a space.
I seemed to have lost the plot after that as I wandered around Solihull for a couple of hours, failing to buy anything off my list.
I was saved by Laura Ashley in Homebase at Monkspath  on the way home - I stopped off to buy some Xmas tree baubles, having used all of mine on the trees at church.
I bought wonderful baubles along with lots of other brilliant things that I wouldn't have thought of.

Charles Hanson returns tomorrow for a Valuation day in the Parish Hall - tea, coffee and biscuits bought, raffle prizes ready, just the tables and chairs to put out, in the morning and hope that the punters turn up. 

The many delights of Llandrindrod Wells.

I've just spent a great couple of days in Powys with  a friend, courtesy of a Travelzoo deal at The Hotel Metropole in Llandrindod Wells.
The hotel was first class - big beautiful room with supersized bed, en suite with bath and shower, lovely swimming pool and gym, big airy lounge and bright dining room with good acoustics and couples away from Xmas parties.
We had an excellent 6 course taster meal which included a fillet steak, local produce, including some grown in the grounds, and a glass of bubbly.
Breakfast was equally good and the staff were really good.

We stopped in Leominster on the way down and pottered around the antique shops before coffee and cake, then on to LW and a swim before dinner.
Yesterday we had an early morning swim before breakfast, then pottered around the town, visited Holy Trinity church - the largest church in Wales, warm and fascinating before going on to Builth Wells for coffee, then on to Ludlow for afternoon tea before driving home.
One highlight on Wed was finding the place where we used to holiday when we were teenagers and older - Llanavon Fawr, near Newbridge.
The last time we were there, B was a baby, aj and family visited in Dad's motorhome - hot weather and we picnicked by a nearby stream with the children - aj expecting T?
The little cottage has been replaced by a modern house, the road has been straightened and widened, but the old farm remains at the top of thee hill
In the evening it would open the front room as the local pub - The Red Lion - we would sit on the wall and drink cider or play darts inside.
Now it is a proper, full time pub - "The oldest in Powys"
We would have loved to have dinner - Wed is steak night - but decided that the drive home would be too arduous after dinner.

I wrapped the first Xmas presents before I left - parcel dispatched to Denmark on time.

I'm listening to Woman's Hour - a Danish Xmas - amazement that Danes sing carols around the Xmas tree on Xmas Eve - all recipes on the WH website.