Christmas Lunch

Today we are having our Christmas Lunch at work. It is blowing a gale outside and really terrible weather...and I want to wear a dress!!! Oh, wait, now I have boots so its ok!! Yey!
Luckily I have waterproofed them already.
The last presents are being wrapped and decisions made as to who will get what.  I don't usually have any problems deciding what to give people, but this year I was really happy to discover so many lovely things. I spent an hour yesterday going through all the site names that I had jotted down from the magazines, deciding which to keep and which to pass ( the expensive ones got ignored!) and am pleased with my select few. I especially love the 'notonthehighstreet' and 'dotcomgiftshop' sites! Fabulous, darling! Next year................well, I have more places to browse now shall we say?

One of the most important little tasks in December is always the transfer of information from one diary to another. I don't have anything other than a diary for my handbag and one for by the computer, but they are my' hard drive storage' and I would be lost with out them. Nothing electrical or fancy - but I do like to have the same one every year qua format, just with different pictures!! Tim gave me one for my handbag so it is a change from the usual but it is a nice one too. A 'keep calm & carry on' one! Was he hinting at something?!
Sue xx

Making Winter blog hop

I took part in the November one so here I am again! This time with the December Daily post as this is my current activity. About to feed the cake with more Whiskey and get some more Mince Pies made!
Continue with my current album, write and post and pack cards and presents, and all in an incredibly stress-free mood ( now!! ;-) ). Happy hopping!!
Sue xx

December Daily 2011

2010

2009

2011

Here are my photos of my december daily albums. It's an activity that many, many people take part in, initiated by the inimitable Ali Edwards a few years ago to scrapbook and record her December with her young family. Mine are nowhere on the same scale as hers but I still get as much pleasure out of creating them each year. Same as I love seeing Tim Holtz's 12 Tags each time and attempting to create some for myself. The ones  I made last year form the basis of my album as I included them in it once Christmas was over and I took them down with the other decorations. Take a look at their blogs, folks and see what you think!

Sue xx

Strictly speaking...

we are pleased with the semi-final results last night, and happy that Chelsee, Harry and Jason are through to the final this coming Saturday. I am off to Ann's to watch it there, and make a nice evening of it. I want Harry to win. Or Chelsee if he doesn't, and Jason as third. Simple. These are my choices!!
We are getting off to a slow start this morning. Tim seems reluctant to go to school (what's new?) and I am up because his clothes needed ironing for baking. Otherwise I was still sound asleep. This week is always the one where you feel that time is running away with you and the cards and presents need to be in the post already and the menu planning well underway if not decided, and the last minute wrapping under control etc. I am not quite there! The ones to the UK and other far-flungcorners MUST go this week. So I have to make decisions and get off to the post office this afternoon really . . . . . tomorrow I am at the centre's Christmas Lunch and Wednesday at my friend Ineke's, so two days away. C'mon Suzanne! Get on with it!
I am also going to diet strictly up until Christmas Eve, since being in England for even a few days hit my waistline quite hard!!

I was rummaging around in my cupboard yesterday and sought out my previous December Daily albums. I like to have them in the room downstairs during the run-up. I am busy with this years but won't be adding the photos until I have taken them all - and Father Christmas has delivered!! There might be something really useful in his sack this year!! I don't do the whole month, like Ali Edwards, however I do like to keep a record of how we do things here every year. There will be some photos that capture the same activities year in year out, and then there are others which are new. All in all, it is a lovely reminder in the end, of another years ending. I will add them to my post later on.
Sue xx

Back home again.

Its good to be home again but I thoroughly enjoyed my brief visit to my daughter and her partner in Stafford. The weather was not nice- pretty much the same as here really - but it was not snowing and not freezing and there were no problems apart from when I arrived at the airport. Becci was trying frantically to get in touch with me to say that there were no trains to Stafford so she was not there to meet me. She was trying to take the bus to Lichfield so I caught two trains to there, and eventually we did meet one another at the bus station, both even arriving at the same time! It was a long day travelling, but in the afternoon we popped into Stafford and the shopping spree started!! I have to say that we were both really good at sticking to our budgets (Ric) and only bought what we couldn't live without! And guess what; I even found a pair of fantastic boots in the sale at Trentham Gardens Moshulu outlet THAT FIT !!!! I am delighted and since it is the first time in roughly 25 years since I have bought a pair, I think I can safely say it is a proper treat for myself this time. They are so comfortable I don't want to take them off! I managed to do all the request shopping for friends back here as well, so when it came to packing my suitcases again - I was very unsure about the weight of them. I squeezed in with 1 kilo to spare! Thank goodness KLM has a generous baggage allowance. Means they win hands down over BMI baby every time!
Here are some of my photos:

Becci & Ric at the airport when I was leaving.

Me & my girl.

Miss Indianna Jones ( Indie)

Master Heathcliff Arthur Foster (Heathcliff)

Sitting in my suitcase...

Becci wearing my camp blanket, now hers of course!

Ric, Becci, Janette & Stephen.

I do like to collect the Christmas magazines each year, and this time I had a surprise when I was walking round Sainsburys - a Prima Christmas edition! Reading the editors blurb I realised that the last time they had printed their special edition was over 10 years ago - and she wrote that she thought many readers would still have that copy..................yes I do!!!

Absolutely delighted still by the 1998 one, and use so many of its recipes each year for our Christmas dinner, and the crafts and ideas in this years edition are equally as useful and great to have for the future.

I've just been sitting downstairs with my coffee selecting ones that I'd like Tim to look at and decide with me just which ones we actually can agree on. It's more a case of us wanting to do too many, and struggling to make a choice than that we are miles apart in our choices. Anyway, I had a wonderful time and am so happy I decided it would be good for me to go. Next year they are coming here!!!

Sue xx

All set!!

Hard to sleep last night with the anticipation of my early start this morning and flight to England!! And once I heard Tim's alarm blaring out at 4am there was not more shuteye for me! So I lay there a while before getting up and into the routine of morning. Cats seem to know I am disappearing for a few days. Finka was also awake and meowing to get my attention long before she normally surfaces. They are sitting on the bed wondering what happens now . . .

The weather both here and in the UK feels as though it is turning into winter and I can hear a strong wind blowing around the house. But it is dry at least! I tried both coats on to see which felt the warmest; selected my scarf; threw out the heavy jumper from my suitcase and was happy with the 16k load I am about to haul off to the airport! In less than half an hour my ride will be here, and I will head out into the blackness of the night - and the train station, along with all the other poor commuters!! I couldn't do this for a living that's for sure!!!!

Well, enjoy the week, be warm and happy. See you back here soon.
Sue xx

confusion reigns!!

Sometimes it would be so nice to feel in control and to understand all the messages that pass between one's son and school regarding important information! I am trying to arrange his placement in Sweden and there are forms to complete, things to change in his study and flights to book etc. I like to do things when they arise, and not feel the stress of last minute annie and risk missing out on the financial side of this part of his study! But does he want to co-operate? Do I understand what we have to do and what school sets in motion? What changes need to be made to his insurances given that they all change on 1st January? Confusing and frustrating to say the least!! With going away for a few days, and Christmas almost on our doorstep, you understand my concern. So far, flights booked, now hoping that the other student books herself onto the same flights!! Arranged the cancellation insurance 'cos you never know . . . .but still have to change the health insurance and all kinds of stuff in the study/OV sites; I suppose my fear is that  I will do it wrongly; but so far Tim is happily moving forward in his oblivion not helping me to de-stress and relax about this at all.

Added to all this is the news that it is snowing in England! Of all days to start! I heard on the radio this morning that the passes were affected in Yorkshire, exactly where we used to live - so if we were still there we would be seeing the white stuff everywhere! I've checked and Birmingham ought to be snow-free all week...and so I am finally all packed and ready to go! What isn't in now, isn't going with me! I'm looking forward to soaking up a little Christmas atmosphere and getting in the mood. You too?
Sue xx

Let the Christmas traditions roll!!

In our house it is traditional to drink a glass of sherry and eat a mince pie during the putting up and decorating of our Christmas Tree whilst listening to my Christmas Carol CD. Tim wanted to do it before I go away so this morning we got it all down from the attic and went through the boxes. First: check the lights. Failed!! Too many were broken so it was a quick trip to the garden centre for 200 more tree lights! Unravelling these is a nightmare each year. I really don't have an easy way to do it, so they were strung up over my shoulders and all over the floor as I wound then around the tree. The deal is Tim puts the tree together and I decorate:-

Harvey's Bristol Cream, what else?!!

TIm made fantastic pastry and his pies were better than mine.

He hates having his photo taken so it is always a gamble how it will turn out!

Looking a little better...where are the lights?!!!

At this point we sped off to Intratuin and bought the necessary along with many, many other shoppers who obviously had had the same idea as us!
The lights went in eventually and I added all our silver and red decorations. We agreed that we don't have enough red in the tree but that's because a lot broke last year unfortunately. But hey, where am I going on 14th December????! Maybe there will be small purchases necessary, you never know......
Tim took on the task of making this batch of mince pies and I have to say that they were delicious. He used my secret pastry recipe and although he said it was different to anything he does in the bakery, I think he agreed that the taste is sublime. We only made 12.............not many left I noticed when I went back into the kitchen, chef?
Anyway, the tree is in situ and the cats have run away upstairs to hide under the bedclothes as Finka is not impressed at all!! Same as anything new, she is afraid of it for a while and then accepts that it is here to stay so gets used to it gradually; we hope. Here's the decorated tree:

I promised a picture of the bookcases too:

I added some stuff on top of them so that  I could get a better idea of what it needed but I think it is coming along just fine! Now I'm thinking about our new project for 2012................
Sue xx

Finally...

we have made a start on the bookshelf unit around the doorway into the kitchen from the living room. I've been so patient for so long, and at last it is starting to look how I imagined it would! It was not as easy as we had thought, but we had a whole day to do it, and all I have left to do is sand, fill and paint! Couldn't resist getting some treasures up and out on top first however! I am delighted we decided to do it like this, don't want to even think about ever moving it, and am happy to see us making another step in the right direction as we build on our interior decorating plans. Still some way to go before downstairs is completely done, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Sunday has been designated Christmas Decorating Day by Tim. I think he wants to do it before I go away so that it looks christmassy for him and the cats in my absence. This means finding everything and the annual trauma of getting the tree lights out on the floor and testing them only to find one doesn't work.......and needing to buy a whole new set when the spare bulbs let us down as well!! I have decided to do the tiny bannister rail on the stairs this year too. I think it will be nice and welcoming when we enter the house even though it really is an insignificant length to decorate. We do have plenty of items to string up there so that is not the problem.  Just fixing it so that a certain small, furry lady doesn't think it is her personal entertainment centre!!!! All I need to do now is browse a little for some inspiration - which will include looking at Mr Holtz's 12 TAGS OF CHRISTMAS!!!!
Sue xx