Friday 22 October 2010

Working my way back....

Last Night was Daniel's first school Disco... A "Halloween" disco and the first school event I have been able to drop a child at and leave... as I usually have helped out or organised or been involved in doing some aspect... it was wonderful to just be    "a parent!" and as I walked away I hoped Daniel would enjoy himself and I headed for the pub across the road for an hour and 15 minutes drinking time with Mr P.... what a strange experience... being "a normal parent" and not a PTA Parent...do you know what...? I LIKED IT! lol 
I am going to stick to my guns and not get involved this year and have a break from it all... they have a "new team" of energy filled mums and I am sure they will have as much fun doing it as I did... read into that what you will.... ;D

 I won a giveaway over at Contented and Rachel posted me this lovely hand made mug mat and a scrummy bar of chocolate and a little notebook... which the last time I saw it was firmly grasped in Daniels little hand.. probably never to be seen again as he does love to squirrel things away... can't think who he takes after! ;D

 

Isn't it lovely... ?

I have made my art deco writing bureau into a laptop desk and it sits lovely on top with my cuppa.... I am stunned that I haven't tucked into the chocolate yet... but its early days... it only the first day of the half term holidays ! lol
thank you sooooo much Rachel... you're one very clever and lovely lady!
 
Last Sunday Mr P and I woke early to a lovely frost and as the children were staying at nanny's (they went to watch Yeovil play football on the Saturday... Daniel curled up on the seat next to nanny and went to sleep... he finds football a little boring! lol)  anyway I digress ... Mr P and I went foraging for Sloes... we found a few and returned to make Sloe gin...


Over the past few weeks I have been a real martyr and I have been drinking local cider to get the empty bottles... (wink, wink.... hiccup!)


 So after half filling with gin... I started pricking the sloes and popping them in the bottle when the gin neared the top of the bottle we added 150g of sugar... popped the lid on and gave it a shake... trouble was we ran out of sloes... so we headed out again and found a ton of Blackthorn bushes and returned to carry on the manufacturing of Christmas yumyness.... the next problem arose when we ran out of gin... so as I was going to pick up the children anyway I popped in a few shops and tracked down some gin that I didn't need a second mortgage to buy... (so expensive!)
anyway once I arrived home with 2 tired children and bags of gin... (I have no clue what the neighbours must have thought!) and the production continued... Daniel helped weigh and add sugar Jamie helped liding and shaking bottles and now we have enough sloe gin to fill 12 pint bottles.... y-u-u-mmy! 


 I had to clear 2 shelves to store it till Christmas...

 


 This was a sunrise I captured from Jamie's bedroom window... I do love these crisp mornings and now we have the fire lit and the colours of Autumn are in flow I am in my element... I am not a summer person... being a Leo I love the colours of Autumn... 

 A quick update on Jamie and the bus situation... I can't remember if I mentioned it but I sent an email to our MP last month regarding my feelings and findings regarding the treatment I received with the school bus... I made clear to Mr Laws that I didn't expect him to get anything sorted just that he might like to know what happens in the day to day lives of his constituents and the bureaucratic hoops we have to jump through and stomach... well last Monday I received a letter from the House of Commons... from Mr Laws and he stated that he had passed my comment onto Somerset County Council... that afternoon I received a phone call from SCC and long story short I was offered a seat on the bus.... just goes to prove that complaining to a person in a position to do something who actually makes the effort to use their powers for good... can make a difference! ... I have to giggle but today I phoned back SCC and turned down the place as Jamie is loving the trip to school on the Service bus... she has made a friend too... a girl that lives in Yeovil goes to a private school in the next Village on from Castle Cary and her mum and dad now drop her at the same stop as Jamie... So I have to admit that from this experience I have learnt to trust my daughter and that everything happens for a reason... Jamie has become a little less annoying ... and a little more loving... and a little more responsible for herself... I am now trying to teach her some street smarts and hopefully all will be good... for a little while anyway...lol
Well I will try to keep it a little shorter between posts... but I have been busy crocheting and loving my full days to myself.. Daniel started school full time this week... its lovely!

Have a fabulous weekend 
take care
Alex
x

12 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

Glad you got the bus situation sorted to everyone's satisfaction. Proves that Mr Laws does actually read and deal with any correspondence doesn't it?! Hoep the sloe gin is worth the effort! Tae care

Jane

Sarah said...

Em, sloe gin! I 'think' we have sloes in our garden, but I was too worried to pick them just incase! Glad the bus situation has resolved itself, there's nothing worse than unnecessary grief!
Have a great wkend.
x

lisa ridgeon said...

Rachel is such a whizz at patchwork, you're so lucky to have one of her creations, and Green and Blacks milk chocolate is my favorite so you are double lucky.

X X

Joanne said...

Wow Danny looks fantastic in these photo's.
I'm keeping an eye on you so you don't slip back into the PTA thing.
Thank you for popping across to my new blog.
Have a great weekend.x

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Oohhh Sarah you should definitely make some... I don't much like the flavour of gin... but the sloes make it warm and sweet and just right for Christmas time... very yummy indeed and very expensive in the shops...x

A Bun Can Dance said...

Hey Alex, It's all happening for you! So great to hear you've got time to do what you want to do, and that you are avoiding the trap of helping with PTA etc, - keep plenty of time for yourself and the crochet hook!!
Happy weekend,
Denise x

Jacey said...

So cute in his skeleton outfit, I am glad you have got the bus situation sorted and very jealous that you now have some me time to crochet,I could just do with a few extra hours in the day. x

carole johnston said...

Hi Alex, when I was staying in the Uk 2 years ago they made sloe gin ready for Christmas but I never did get to try it lol mabe on my next visit one of these days.Glad the bus thingo is working out.Have a lovely weekend Carole xx

menopausalmusing said...

Oh Alex! Well done you re getting a bus seat even though it now is not needed, it proves it can be done! LOVE your cider bottles for the sloe gin. So pretty. My other half has been making it too and he gets the gin from Lidls (a store a lot of people look down their noses at, but which has some amazing bargains! :O))

Anonymous said...

I could almost smell the gin.... it really brought back memories! And what an absolute martyr you are, consuming all that cider just so there would be bottles for the sloe gin. The things we women have to do eh?

Rose H (UK) said...

Great to hear you're so upbeat Alex! It's wonderful that things are working out so well with the children..and all that gin looks super, hic!
Best wishes
Rose H

Just gone to put in 'word verification' - it's oogin
!

Clare said...

I love the sound of Sloe Gin but have never actually tried it! Must rectify that soon. So glad to hear the bus situation has remedied itself - as you say these things happen for a reason (just stressful when you are in the thick of it)
Take Care
C
xx