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I don't know how it's happened but, Christmas is over!  Done.  Gone for 2010.  All that's left now is the overfull fridge, some snow with lots of ice covering the ground, and the memories.

We did have a lovely time - full of noise, wrapping paper, a bit more noise, family, food, fun, photos, yet more food, visits and leaving.

As my lovely son and his family left on Tuesday morning, only he ventured into my darkened bedroom to kiss me farewell due to the rampant germs swirling about the place.  I had contracted gastric-enteritis on Monday, ugh!  As I had done/eaten/been nothing or nowhere different to my husband, except visiting a cafe loo, it must have been something I picked up by hand, at that place.  My constitution is rubbish (I would have said 'shit' but that is a pun just too far) and I catch this kind of thing so easily.

Lately, I have found that I can no longer take coffee, butter, more than one or two pieces of chocolate or anything too fatty, at all.  I put it down to either the 'old age and poverty' my ma-in-law has always quoted, or possibly the amount of medication I still have to throw down my neck several times each day.  Lord, just never let it be tea, or I will slit my throat.

Anyways, back to those lovely children of mine (who, by the way, I still blame for the baby fat I carry around.)  They give me such pleasure at the way they are.  I was going to elaborate.  To tell of the way they parent their beautiful children; the way they make the effort to travel to see us; the way they care about how we are, make sure we're not over-doing it.  But, you'll realise I don't even need to put it into words.

Don't get me wrong - they are not perfect, by any means, they are human, as we all are.  And, this has never been a space where I just write the sugar-coated stuff, that is the stuff of those 'round-robin' Christmas letters!

But, we've just spent some time together, all cloistered in our too-small home, some on z or camp beds; some who will only eat 'nanny's soup' believing it is just made of tomatoes, when in fact it has bacon, lentils and good-for-you vegetables, whizzed up and hidden in it (this said person does eat meat, including pork); all the 'adults' go outside for a fag (cigarette) in the snowy, foggy weather, despite my admonitions about the filthy habit, that will surely kill them off yet none of us drink alcohol, and all eat too much chocolate (except me now, bah). 

I am enjoying this break between Christmas and New Year, if only to catch up.  As ever, I have knitting and sewing to do, and ideas to get down on paper for my course, a dreaded tax return, some reports to complete, as well as professional registration and checks I have to do every three years.  So, I shall be stuck to my desk for a few of those days, at least!

Ah, there is also the necessity for a hairdressers appointment for a three year old who, left in dad's care today, found the baby nail scissors and cut off some of her hair!

xx HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU xx



Preps

Nearly there!  Only a couple of hours 'til the day arrives.

We've had the visit to Santa ...

... and, our son and his family arrived safely from England-shire, together with our baby grandson ...

... who loves to play with nanny's magazines!

Yesterday, our two eldest grand-daughters decorated our Christmas cake, and  all six of us girls went to the panto at the Festival Theatre at Pitlochry, to see Cinderella.  It was the first time they had put on a panto, and what a great job they did of it!  From the youngest (aged 3) to the coolest two (aged 13) their mums, and me, their nan, we all thoroughly enjoyed it, and if they do it again next year, they've already sold six tickets.

Yes, I already have my Christmas here, with my lovely family around me.  I don't need anything else - what bliss!

Here's wishing you all you wish yourself, this Christmas

with loads of love from the tea house

The Cake

Made by Maura (and brought up to Scotland from Cambridgeshire!)

Decorated by Ash and Coo

xx

marmalade attack

Mr T has nagged me for ages to clear some of the [bloody!] oranges out of the freezer. 

As I ran out of Seville oranges last year, I bought a whole box of them in January this year - 19 kg of the lovelies.  But, obviously, I didn't get to use them all.  All right, I did a couple of batches throughout the year.

It's Christmas this week (in case you hadn't guessed, that is) and we have our family arriving for said holiday this Thursday. I therefore decided to bugger all the other stuff I still have to do, and make some marmalade. 

Talk about a marmalade attack!

But, look at the result! and, yes, that is a bottle of 12 year old, single malt, Highland Park in the background, that just happened to be in the cupboard. Well, Mr T did say to just open whatever was there!

I was going to get on and give the mess a scrub, but as Mr T was bored, he scooted me off to visit a friend.

Sometimes the snow has it advantages, especially when Mr T can't get out to do anything in the garden!



Cheesus

Awe!  We met nanny's lolly-dolly-pop and her mum on they way to nursery, this morning.  Where we were informed

           'Nanny, we're having a school play!'

Off we skidded across the slushy snow of the school playground, where grandad and I were led into the depths of the overheated school to the hall.  We sat down as close to the front as we could.  I say sat down, but ye gods those wee chairs are only suited to the children's sized bums!  Rather, we perched and saved a seat for mum to join us after getting our 'star' settled in her costume.

Once we were all in with coats off and babies grizzling, or noisily eating grapes, we waited with bated breath, with cameras and videos poised - it started.  Humph the Camel was performed, except the bits that were forgotten; especially by the main star who cried and wanted her mammy.

I, alongside most of the other audience attendees, took many photos and some video, but, luckily this one is blurred and, as such the children cannot be recognised - so I can share it here!  However, if you do think you can identify any of the children, please do let me know and I shall delete it.

We did shed a tear or two, as they were all soooo sweet!  Their teachers did so well to have gotten all the children so well organised, together with songs, costumes and words.  Bravo! to them.

Afterwards, we were all invited to have a cuppa and mince pie, and our star was adamant she would only drink her red juice from a cup, with a saucer.  Hmm.  Meanwhile, we chatted about the school play, and I asked her about the special baby. 

To which she replied

     'Oh, yes, the baby Cheesus!'

I think Christmas has now officially started. xx

      

My Happy List

I've just seen this idea over on Curly Pops' blog, and liked the idea.  Especially, on a day like today.  The snow is melting, leaving everywhere appearing a bit grey and dismal.  And, after a week of some people being both rude and spiteful, the shocking death of our lolly-dolly-pop's previous child-minder ....

So,

the red bucket in our landing window is collecting water

from the melting gutter ice, that is coming through the window frame - eek

1.  We are here, no more heart attacks in this house, thank you

me and ash off to see some animals . . . .

 

. . . . . including her all time fave, the 'polo' bear
which we saw at the HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK

2.  We have healthy children and grand-children

. . . . who, despite the 'face' love to help nanny at her work



3.  By the gift of our childdren we have lots of contact with them, and our grand-children - and, lately via that wonderful invention Skype

4.  We are happy together, and love travelling

the ship we boarded in Venice, to go around the Mediterranean this year

 5.  We're lucky enough to be working, so that we have a comfortable way of life, and can afford those 'extras' which includes travel

6.  It's Christmas in two weeks from today, and we'll have our family with us.

I could stop there, but I am so grateful to have all of this, that I don't have to be spiteful or rude to people - and I haven't lost anyone of mine.  Thanks be.

A Happy and Peaceful Christmas to you

xxxx



living in an igloo

Well, this is what our igloo looks like from outside and up the hill.  Sorry for the gratuitous 'snow' picture, but I thought this one, that Mr T took with our new SLR camera, the other day was superb.  Isn't it?  The snow is actually another foot deeper now.  But, I've just checked the storecupboard and found another six packets of tea - so, we're not running out of supplies just yet.

We have been stuck indoors for a couple of days now, and are really enjoying it.  Seems like a holiday at home to us.  I've got all the hoovering and ironing done.  Loads of knitting and will get set to and do some sewing tomorrow.  Then, I've got some stuff to catch up on for college - mainly getting my scrapbook up to date, and starting on my project.  It is on - guess what? - kintting! I've to gather images, samples, ideas and some knitting designers and put them into a sketchbook.  Fun, eh?

Yet again, gah

Yes, yet again I have a stinker of a cold.  I have had to cancel three meetings - yes, three! - for today, again.  And, with this 'cold' I have not been sleeping, just a couple of hours a night.  This will just not do.

I am due to be going to Harrogate tomorrow, to the Knitting and Stitching Show which I am really excited about.  Several friends have been going for years, and one in particular - I shall call her Jean, as that is her name - sends me a copy of the leaflet each year.  And, this time another crafter and I are palling up to go there.  We went through the Twisted Thread site and found a great deal on the hotel and travel.  Let's hope it all goes smoothly ..... After attending the Pain Clinic I bought a folding chair thingy, that I'll be able to take and use in the exhibitions, etc.  Usually, I am unable to go to exhibitions due to the pain of walking and then standing about on hard floors.  I let you know how I get on - I know you are gagging for information, haha!

My family are all well at the moment, except for nanny's lolly-dolly-pop, who very generously gave this current cold to me.  She loves being called nanny's lolly-dolly-pop

              ** we interrupt this broadcast to let you know it is SNOWING! here in mid-
                    Scotland, yay! **  (deffo worth staying home and knitting socks by the fire, eh? )

and we have movement on the childminding stakes. We had the sad news, recently, that nldp's childminder, S, is very sick.  Her cancer has returned.  So, there was a mad rush to find a good next one, and in the meantime, granddad and I stepped in to help.  A new childminder has been found, vetted, and given the approval of nldp, but is more expensive.  The solution we came to was for granddad and I to have her on one day each week, so bonus for me!  Daughter and nldp have been to visit S, and taken her a 'birthday' (according to nldp) card, that is a Get Well Soon one.  Our thoughts are with S, who is bearing up but very scared.  Kind of puts any cold a person may be suffering from into perspective, doesn't it?

As I leave you today, little tiny flakes of snow are wending their way down from the sky, to join up with the hard frost to be found covering everything.