2011..... What's the new year going to bring you?

I have no plans for this evening... 

I spent most of my informative years babysitting for neighbours so that they could go out

and celebrate New Years Eve... and the few parties I attended were sometimes fun and sometimes not.... 

Since being with Les I have no memory of going out on New Years Eve... apart from the first year I knew him and we went to a beach party at his local pub... which has now been turned into an up market restaurant... :(

Les is unwell at the moment so I dare say he'll be in bed before midnight and I might stay up and watch the fireworks.... but that will be about it... I have never really understood the need to celebrate the start of a new year... and I am not sure why? I've never been one for gatherings of people all jostling for the bar and getting toes trodden on while wearing something uncomfortable and to be honest not very warm and cosy... I think perhaps I have been old fashioned all my life... lol

Don't get me wrong I have partied in my day and I have been as hung over as the best of them.. these days it just doesn't appeal....

     I have started writing a journal after my friend Joanne gave me a beautiful notebook for Christmas... its almost like a mini blog post every day... and in the New Year I have to pay more attention to my blog...  I promise...!

     I also want to get caught up with commitments and clear all the tangled seaweed of jobs that seem to have entwined themselves around my legs... I am feeling a little lost at sea at the moment but I need to stop spinning around and calm the maelstrom around me... take a deep breath and set a steady course....

     I have never been good at facing my fears or dealing with tricky situations and running away has always been my chosen defence... but I think... no.. I know that this is not going to work anymore... I have to stand tall and deal with all the debris that may knock me clean off my feet... this is the year where I will test the theory "that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

     Christmas was good... nothing out of the ordinary... but good.... I think I have finally stopped trying to feel the child like thrill that Christmas use to hold and have realised that the excitement and joy of Christmas was not delivered by it being Christmas it was delivered by my Mum.... She worked hard to try and get me the gifts I coveted... well the affordable ones! ;D
     Mum fed us, cleaned up after us, worked hard to organise parties and family visits.... and I thank her for it... but now is the time for me to deliver these things to my children... Now all I have to do is take all the decorations down and transfer them into storage in my mum and dads garage again... I don't like lofts and the sheds are not water tight or critter proof so mum's garage is perfect! ;D


      This year we stayed home for Christmas dinner and I spent the morning watching a film (The Last Airbender) with the children while Les did the Christmas dinner... and he did a fantastic job too... I helped with prepping the turkey crown and Les sorted the sprouts, roast parsnips, Leeks in butter, roast spuds, carrots and pigs in blankets... after dinner was devoured we cleared up and once I had gotten the girls into the coop we headed for my Mum and Dads with a basket of crochet to relax with... the children enjoyed spending time with their visiting cousins and I enjoyed some quality crochet time... I watched Poirot... and even though my youngest brother blurted out the ending it was still an enjoyable evening... lol

      I received some wonderful gifts from family and friends... My mum bought me these 2 signs but my youngest brother told her they were rude and that she couldn't give them to me... I love them... so it just shows how little my brothers understand me ... lol

     They were 2 separate signs but I am quickly running out of wall space so I have altered them to hang together... and are in full view of anyone entering through the back door...! ;D



 My Dear bloggy friend Lisa Ridgeon sent me a surprise parcel of Christmas decorations that she made... the 2 hanging origami creations are amazing... and the felt ginger bread man, Christmas pudding and snowman are wonderful... and the 2 origami birds will be on display all year around with a couple others that Lisa made me... I will take better photo's when we get any sunshine... its so dull and dreary at the moment... and also I need to photograph and show off a beautiful stitchery that Suzie sent me... I am going to get it framed... and it has inspired me to start a little stitching of my own! ;D


 I bought a Christmas cake from Emily Waters at our village cafe... and its beautifully gorgeously scrummy... Daniel of course loves the icing and I love the fruit cake so all in all we are enjoying the partnership! lol

The chickens are all doing well... Daisy is still laying an egg nearly every day... and Hettie has regrown her tail feathers and seems even more bossy now... and Amber is just trying to keep out of the grumpy Hettie's way... I think as Amber is maturing a little power struggle is emerging... and Amber is standing up for herself a little more often than running away... lol I gave 6 eggs to Les's mum on Boxing Day and she was over the moon...

I hope this New Year ahead of us brings you all as much joy and happiness as can be afforded and that the darker moments are short and unable to cause upset or harm to you and your loved ones...

May days of sunshine and joy visit you all.... love and hugs Alex x