Meet Dot and Doris!!

I thought you would like to meet my friends chickens, Dot & Doris



I'm looking after them at the moment.
Now I know you thought I had a big garden, but look at the size of Dot & Doris's



Now we go down and through the gate to where the chickens are....



Squeeze through the bushes..
this is the chickens area.......



Now down here throught the gate between the greenhouse and the fruit cage.....



across the vegetable area and over to the shed....



In the distance you can see a gate and that is the boundary of the farmers field.

Now I will show you what should really be ours, but when we moved into our house back in '88' unbeknown to us, the bottom plot, which I will show you now, had been sold to No 2!!!
So looking across from Dot & Doris's vegetable garden you can see through to my greenhouse...


the stables......



and then further down the garden....



All of this could have been ours. Sadly it was in the days when we had very little money so where unable to go after both the solicitor and the estate agent.

The house is tidy all I need to do is hoover. The ham is in soak. The chickens cleaned out. The girls have both got there heads down doing course work and essays. The 2nd load of washing is just spinning and I have a couple of shirts to iron.
I think I might take myself off and have a hot soak in the bath as a treat!!
Cathc you all later!!!

Shopping, Haircuts, Builders and Surprises!!

Kathryn was out on the razz!! last night with her old friends from Chippenham College, they all went off to a nightclub in Bristol!! She didn't get back in until 4am. Then I had to wake her at 8am because we had hair appointments at 9.15am. Bless her, she was up bright and chatty! Meanwhile Mark had left for Winchester Family Records Office at 8am he had to find some descendants!!!!
After are haircuts, we did a bit more clothes shopping then we had to shoot through to Calne and deliver cards and presents before being back home for the builders at mid-day.
The builders went up on the roof to see where are leak was, and they found it, so have made good for now but will be back in the New Year to do a proper job!!!
I got a lovely phone call from my Mum. she was made up with the hamper we gave her, she just wanted to know why we hadn't bought her a cupboard to put it all in!!! I think it was a hit!!!
Then I had a surprise a parcel addressed to me, and me alone!!! So as it didn't say do not open till Christmas I opened it and it was full of........



lots and lots of goodies! It was from Mrs Nesbit, I was her 7000th person on her blog! Well I know what I'm doing with some of the material and when I've done it I will post a pic!!! She very kindly made me and my family a beautiful Christmas card. Now Lottie and I have enjoyed making some of our cards for Christmas but when you see Mrs Nesbit's you understand why she runs a very good card business....



As usual Mrs Nesbit your card is absolutely gorgeous thank you very, much, it is greatly appreciated!

After I blitzed our bedroom, Tori was working hard on some Science Course work and Kathryn had fallen asleep, curled up on the chair. I decided I would pop into the shops and see how busy it was as I had some last bits to do!! When I got there the car park was practically empty, and all the tills where open but not very busy, so in I went, round I whizzed with my list and trolley, filling it up with all the bits and pieces and then straight to a till, where as I unloaded onto the conveyor belt, it went past the checkout lady and was all nicely packed in my 'green' shopping bags by another lady, then I paid and left!!! Gob smacking I dont think I have ever gone round the shop so quick!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So that is it all done, dusted (well I will do that tomorrow!)presents wrapped, and under the tree and ready! The ham will go in soak tomorrow, the turkey and pork will be taken out of the freezer as well.
I'm getting excited now!!!!!!!!

Look what I got!!!!

I received this in the post today! It is absolutely gorgeous, if you put it so a light shines through it looks like someone is home!!!!
My new internet friend Lottie, made it for me.
Thank you so much Lottie, it is really lovely. XXXXXX

Tis! The season to be Jolly! fa la la la laaa la la la laaa!!!

What is nearly as good as a White Christmas??

A Frosty One!!!!!!! How cool (excuse the pun!) would it be if these really hard frosts stayed over Christmas Day!! I know its not as good as snow but it will be close!

Now these pics where taken this morning by my hubby..............









Now can you see one of Santa's Reindeer or is it something else??



We have actually had a busy day, and satrted early so we could get to Devizes Market, and boy was it cold! I dragged everyone along and we had a great time, I'm sorry I didn't get any photos, but my hands where full!!!!

When I came back having unpacked I then iced the Christmas cake, with Tori's help.



I also made some of Lotties Mincemeat Crunch, which has had to be 'means' tested by the family (a number of times!!!)

I do feel sorry for all those people being held up at the airports by fog and do hope they make it home, in time for Christmas. My mum and her partner Bruce are due to fly to Guernsey. So we will have to see, if they don't make it I will ask them, if they don't mind the drive, to join us!

What next???

So now we are all organised for Christmas what are we going to do next??????? I didn't post yesterday because I had nothing much to write about!!!! I know I still have the cake to ice and the mince pies to make and the fresh shopping to do but nearly everything else is, as I said earlier, done!!!

So here are some pics.............

Sassy is happy now Kathryn is home



Frosty Days....







The fog and frost are due to stay with us for the next few days, so I will take my camera with me when I go out!!!!

As you might have gathered I'm abit short of things to do...........

so I 'Googled' Christmas News and the year of my birth and look what I found

The Illustrated London News 1959
Events of this year in the Illustrated London News


January 1st - The then President, General Fulgencio Batista, fled Cuba as Dr. Fidel Castro took power
February 3rd - Buddy Holly, 22, was killed in an air crash at Iowa, USA
April 19th - The Dalai Lama found sanctuary in India from Chinese aggressors
July - Billie Holiday, 44, considered one of the greatest Jazz singers died
June 17th - Eamon de Valera was elected President of Eire
August 25th - BMC (British Motor Corporation) introduced the Austin Seven Mini and the Morris Minor Mini (same car except for their grill and badge) it will do 50 to 60 Miles Per Gallon and can be parked in a space of only 11 ft 6 inches. It was designed by Alec Issigonis and it was priced around £500.
October 8th - A Conservative government was elected for the third time in Britain with Harold macmillan as Prime Minister still with the message "You've never had it so good"!
November - The London to Birmingham Motorway was opened and the first fatal accident was four days later
December 14th - Archbishop Makarios was elected president of the new Republic of Cyprus
There was a lot of talk about station and line closures on British Rail and massive investment into Britains roads
Cliff Richard and Room at the Top were part of the social scene along with Espresso coffee and Wimpey bars. Stereo music players were being intorduced to the home and Penicillin was about to become the wonder drug
The USSR Lunik reaches the moon
Pope John XXIII summons the Vatican Council
Louis Leakey discovers the skull of 600,000 year old Nutcracker man

how cool hey!!!!!

Now you have a go and let me know what happened in your year!!!!!!

Nearly done! I think!!!

Thats right I think I'm nearly done for Christmas!!!!! Apart from the fresh food shopping and Icing the Christmas cake!! Whats left??? I wrapped the presents this morning, gave the kitchen a good clean. I must admit I'm worried!!!! I'm never this organised, I even checked to see when I need to take the turkey out of the freezer?!?! I think to be totally sure I will write menus for the week end just to make sure I have all the necessary.

The girls decorated the tree yesterday. We where fortunate enough to find a pot grown christmas tree in 'Focus' last week, only cost £20! Its quite a bit smaller than we usually have but it will grow! I will be checking with Lottie on how she looks after hers!!!!



Can you see the Christmas Robin?



he is very old now, but has always had a place on our tree since I read the story to the girls when they where quite small about the 'Christmas Robin'. Mrs Robin, loved the shiny tinsel and wanted some for her nest, so brave Mr Robin flew in the window to try and get some, unfortunately as he landed on the tree the family walked in and the children where allowed to choose something from the tree. The little boy chose a toy soldier but the little girl chose the Robin, who jumped to the top branch of the tree and sang his little heart out. Everybody clapped and cheered and then they opened the window to let him out. So he flew off home to Mrs Robin to tell her about his adventure!! In the New Year, when the tree was put out there was some tinsel still left on it, so Mrs Robin got her shiny tinsel after all!!!!
Tori adored this story the first year I read it and I had to read it, and read it and read it over and over again. I searched high and low all the following year and eventually found a Robin who has had pride of place ever since!!!!!!

Cross Stitch and Beaded Cards, now my friends have recieved them I can post pics. I made 3 for some very 'crafty friends'!!! I am hopeless with glueing and sticking because I can never get the colours right, but give me a needle and thread and I can do just about anything!!!!!

This one went to my neighbour



this to Mrs N



and this one to Lottie



Thats it for now, I'm off out but will be back tomorrow!!!

Travelling Friday and Saturday!!!!!

Such alot has happened since my last post!!!
On Friday Kathryn phoned and said 'I want to come visiting too, can you come and get me please?' I laughed and laughed, this is sooooooooo Kathryn. We where due to go and get her next Tuesday or Wednesday!!! So off Mark went, he left about 2pm-ish and it took longer than usual but it helps when Kathryn does the driving on the way back!!
I collected Tori from school and she asked where the other car was when we got back, I said that 'Mark had gone Christmas shopping and I left the space by the cottage for him as I was hoping for a large present!!!' (I should be struck down by lightning!!)
Kathryn and Mark got back at about 6pm -ish! Kathryn crept up the stairs knocked on Tori's door and marched in.............. Tori's face was a picture!! She exclaimed 'why am I always the last to know?' Well sweetheart you wouldn't get such a surprise if you did know!!!!!!!

Up at 6am Saturday morning, left at 7am off for the grand tour! My sister and family in Eridge, East Sussex, Marks good friends and Kathryns Godparents, Phil & Anne in Addlestone, Surrey then on to my friends and Toris Godparents in Sutton, Surrey!

Now my sister can pick a Christmas Tree, every year she does it, they are always perfect, I don't know how she does it, because I can never find that beautiful pyramid shape that she gets, so i haven't told her but I took a picture just to show the world!!



Now her daughter did say that this year they found it in the first place they went too! Apparently they have been known to visit '8' yes 'EIGHT' garden centres!!! I think that explains why mine are always a bit odd in shape!!!!!!!

Now here are the girls


Danielle on the left, my sisters youngest daughter, she is just 3 weeks older than Kathryn and they are the best of friends! They didn't really have any chance not to be, because Cal and I used to buy 2 of everything and dress them identically!!! In those days we spent alot of time together!! Tori in the middle and Kathryn on the right. Lieing across them is Jays daughter Emily a right tinker!!!!

Meet her cats.......
this is Garfield



and yes he does live up to his name! He is a big cat and eats anything, but is soooo laid back, such a character!

His sister Roxy a real live wire


and Fliss


Cal was saying that you often find Fliss and Garfield kissing, but should anyone walk in Fliss gives Garfield a cuff round the head, and poor old Garfield has no idea waht he's done wrong and sits there looking extremely puzzled!!!!!

Anyway after an extremely enjoyable day with them all, we left to visit everyone else! It was great, a thoroughly enjoyable and extremely tiring day, but so nice to catch up with everyone.

We got home about 20mins past midnight! So I expect it will be a very lazy day today!!