Post Christmas Tidy Up

All washing is now done although more will be around at the weekend after the bed change.

Christmas card list has been updated and fronts cut off any suitable cards to make gift tags for next year.

DB has just come back from walking Ruby and our next job is to take down all the decorations (plus tree). Each room will then, over a few days, be hoovered and dusted. 

We did our weekly shop yesterday and although it wasn't on special offer, I bought us a nice smoked ham joint to cook over the New Year. Any we don't eat, and there will be loads, will be sliced and frozen in meal sized portions.

Just finished filling in with kitchen waste, another trench in our raised beds. 3 more to go in this particular bed then just one more raised bed to do. The soil is so wet and heavy that I might have to get DB to dig the next trench.

The dining room light, which we have wanted to change for ages, has blown two bulbs. They are so expensive to replace so we shall now get on with changing the whole light fitting. Hopefully we can find one relatively cheap one (function over fashion in this house), that doesn't have expensive bulbs!

 

Here we go again

We had a delightful few days with DS and family. It was our first Christmas with grand-daughter and she was in fine spirits. Within a few minutes of arriving, she found the wind up santa and settled in with us to play with it whilst her mum and dad unpacked the car. 

There was a lot of unpacking to do, 4 dogs worth of stuff, hers and their stuff plus Christmas presents for them and us.

The house was pretty well stuffed itself by this time but we got by.

We managed each night to play on the PS4, silly games such as Overcooked and the house removal version by the same company. Much laughter and emergency trips (by me) to the loo ensued, a few grumbles (from me) as per usual but once I got to grips with it I settled in.

We had hoped to finish our pandemic game which has been ongoing for more than 3 years but didn't get around to it. Unfortunately the spare bedroom comes from the dining room and the door needed to be open so she could hear us.

DGD still had a bit of a chesty cough, DDiL still had a bit of a cough and DS was in the throws of a cold. He did test himself 3 times whilst here for Covid but was negative. 

They will do it all again when they travel down to her parents to meet up with family so hope they all feel better by then. Hope they can fit everything in for when they come back as it was a bit close leaving from us.

At least Christmas and New Year meet ups can take place. We will probably pay for it later on, but time will tell. I wish I believed that 2022 will be better but to be honest, I don't think it will.

 Onwards and upwards and time for us all to put on a new pair of big girls knickers!

Postal Christmas Gifts

Hopefully, this will post on Boxing Day here in the UK or 26th December to the rest of you!

These are what I made for my postal gifts to family and friends:

I normally try to make the whole thing but didn't this year. Instead I bought 6 beeswax tea lights and 12 beeswax small candles. I rootled around in my craft paper drawer and selected paper. 

2 cm strips were attached using double sided tape to the taller candles, hope they stay stuck down as they are now wrapped:(.

1cm strips were attached using tape to each tea light. 

It is just a little something to let everyone know I am thinking about them.

How lovely

 It’s nice to know kind acts are still around. I was in a small shop the other day, my bill would have been £16.98. I only had £16.50. Going to put one thing back, the lady told me to wait a minute to see if she could offer a discount. She read up something, swiped a card and gave me a 10% discount. How lovely was that.

I thanked her for her kind act and she replied, ‘well, it’s been a heck of a year and it’s Christmas, we all deserve a bit of kindness’. I think she may have used her staff discount card and I was the only one in there!

RIP Carlos Marin

Who says you. He was the baritone singer with Il Divo, see https://ildivo.com/music

A fantastic pair of lungs on him and vaccinated, but he still couldn’t be saved. Such a cruel disease and there are still idiots who don’t believe.

Moving along

 Time that is! Although we aren’t doing much each day, the days seem to be whizzing by. Yet another Christmas is in danger of heading south. I shall be right cheesed off if that happens again.

Made a batch of orange and orange and ginger marmalade this morning. What was left of our last lot has now been given away.

Visited my sister on Thursday to hand over cards and a little present. She is doing well but having more mobility problems and resulting pain. I think she needs a scan of her back to see what is amiss as something clearly is.

DGD seems to be finally on the mend, how long for, who knows with so much illness floating around. DS is having his booster jab on Monday. DDiL who still has her cough after contacting Covid, will have hers in the New Year, just in case DS has any reaction to it.

This dull cold weather is depressing isn’t it? Not worth hanging any washing out as it doesn’t stand a chance of drying.

Other than that, we are tickerty boo!

A busy day...

 Shopping first thing. Quick cup of tea after putting it away then both off for chiropractic treatment. Much better. Drove to Dunelm (shop) where we had a coffee and bowl of lovely pea and ham soup.

Stayed there to buy light bulbs, new sets of towels, our annual amount of tea towels plus 6 x 1.5 litre storage jars. Quick walk to Wickes for spray paint and masking tape before coming home, phew!

A bit blurred...

 But you get the gist:

3 foil balls on the ceiling above the fireplace, mantlepiece decorated, ceiling decorations in the dining room plus a glass vase full of tree lights. That will do us for this year. Hopefully, Granddaughter will enjoy them if no more restrictions take place.

Final dog bed cover adjusted

 A different piece of material from the attic this time:

Expanding to fit

 We recently bought Ruby a new bed as her other one was as flat as a pancake. This one is relatively firm with a bit of squish and about 4" deep. The old but still usable covers didn't fit. Here it is laying on top of the bed:

Cut in half lengthways and a new strip added - now the new bed is inside this cover:

Took an age to work out how to join it back together so the bicycles were in the same direction. One more to do tomorrow using an old bit of red fabric then both will be done. The new bed has a furry, zippable, washable cover on it but I like to add another cover, just in case!

How come...

When I look at myself in the mirror to brush my hair, I don't look too shabby. 

Photographs are another story entirely. I look so old and tired. Not just me I know but - I don't like it!

Sausage rolls in the oven today. Cheese and sausage ones and regular. Once cold, they will be frozen. Mince pies another day.

More ticks off my to do list

 8 mini orange sponge and chocolate drop puddings in the freezer.

Sausages and puff pastry bought for sausage rolls.

Christmas Eve £1 presents bought.

Presents for DS, DDiL, DGD bought.

Birthday presents for DS and DGD bought and taken up last week.

Presents bought for DB bar one small one. I was quite annoyed on one present which had a discount on it only to find another shop had a greater discount on it, ah well.

Christmas cards and postal presents posted today.

Onwards and upwards!