Back to work -JYC 28 - 1st Jan

Up at the crack of dawn to go to work (should have stayed in bed but then someone else would have to have got up!!)  This afternoon was the family get together that normally takes place on Boxing Day, it was at Mick's brother's this year - I decided that it wasn't a good idea for me to go out again, so curled up on the settee again and stayed there til the family came home - with doggy bag for me.  One home made pasty and steam pudding and custard for desert.  Certainly was good.

Photo of the second pair of bed socks, really enjoying knitting socks, (four needles as well!!)

I find I am running out of steam with this now so shall combine the last few days together to get through it.
Dec 29th - why did I start this Christmas Journal in the first place?  Well have seen lots of beautiful books created around this idea and like them.  I so want to do one, but know it isn't going to happen so decided to blog it instead.  Am I glad I did?  Yes definitely.  It has certainly made me think more about it all and reflect.  Will I print if off as originally planned?  Yes.

Dec 30th - what happened in 2011 a brief account - in no particular order.

• Changed jobs,
• Bernadette off to uni,
• Amanda off to college,
• Bernadette passed her driving test and turned 18,
• Went on our first cruise,
• Met up with cousin and his new partner twice,
• Lost Uncle Lew, (the last Uncle),
• Lost Sammy,
• Nephew got engaged, (a wedding is well over due in this family!)
• Done a lot of photography,
• Did a 100ft abseil,
• Signed up to do a 10K charity run,
• Climbed one of the Brecon Beacons (sugar mountian, I believe!),
• Met Louise from Boys, Bugs and Beautiful Buttons  and her gorgeous boys,
• Cemented some good friendships,
• Grown in myself.

So all in all a pretty good year :)

Dec 31st

Pretty unadventful.  Mick decided yesterday after five years of asking to decorate the spare room!!  So that was today.  The less said the better really. 

Jan 1st 2012  already posted about resolutions here

  The sky today at lunch time

The sky early evening!!

The photos have nothing to do with the Journal your Christmas but they are from my 366 project that I started on the 12th Dec and were taken on the said days.  They also link in to the 26wk challenge of using a set lens oh apart from the perfume bottle (I did change there tut tut I know - hanging head in shame)

Boxing Day - JYC 26/27

Not much I can say about today other than I got up sat on the settee and there I stayed til I crawled up to bed.  I felt like I had been run over by a steam roller and hung out to dry in the rain!!!  Not good, though by being on the settee I did get to see 'Singin in the Rain' on TV - which lifted my heart no end.  It was wonderful :)  Mick and the girls went for a walk round Mevagissey and said it was lovely.
No photos to show (just as well there are 366 days in my 365 project!!)  so I thought I would share this with you instead 'What is Boxing Day'  http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/boxingday.html

Decided to add the 27th into this post as well as it was pretty much the same as Boxing Day for me, alittle more life in me than yesterday but not much so settee it was for me again.  Though I did manage a photo :)  so must be getting better.  Another Christmas decoration.

Christmas Day - JYC 25

Gone are the days when the girls are up before the crack of dawn, nowadys I'm the first one up (normal) and I potter around enjoying the peace.  Today I was active, a quick surf whilst I had my morning cuppa, then on with the sausage rolls, as I know once Mick's dad arrives they will be gone in a flash.  The rest of the morning is chilled, pressies opened, granny and grandad arrive (Mick's mum and dad), lunch is cooked, eaten then major chill.  We didn't get out for a walk.  Instead we sat and watched Lee Evans's dvd of his Road Runner tour.  The one I bought tickets for Mick last Christmas just to find the ticket company was  a scam and I was out of pocket for four tickets and over night accommodation for four!!!  It was such a good show as well :( 

So not a very exciting day but a relaxed one, the bonus was I didn't get called out to work as expected so that was nice.  Sausage roll anyone?

Stockings or sacks? - JYC- 23

When I was a child Santa delivered our presents in a pillowcase that he borrowed for the evening and one of dad's socks (clean I hasten to add!!).  In the sock would be an orange,an apple, a couple of nuts and four or five chocs, I remember this being really special to me as that was the only time we any of those items.  I tried doing it for my two a few years back and I was greeted with "what's all this about?"  It just didn't have the same magic/meaning :(  shame.  Nowadays Santa delivers his gifts in a fabric sack that a family friend made for the girls years ago and a fabric stocking that I made for them when they were little and I did such things as sewing!!  Do I have a photo of these items ....no, so here is one of my wreath holding pride of place on the gate, (couldn't get a hook to attach it to the door!)  this is a new tradition that I have started this year, so enjoyed making this - really don't want to take it down, it may have to take up residence in the green house!!

Annual trip to Mousehole - JYC 22

Today we went down to Mousehole (normally Christmas Eve, but I am working this year so we brought it forward). We had a walk around Mousehole, then went back to Newlyn for fish and chips - and they were amazing the best I have tasted in a very long time, yummy (Lewis if eve in Newlyn and looking for chips!)  So we had a stroll around the harbour whilst we ate them.  On the way home we did a quick diversion to Angarrack to see the lights.  (I must go back before they come down - amazing)  So here are some photos from the evening.

Mousehole harbour

 Happy New Year in Cornish

 Fishing trawler in Newlyn harbour. (love this one)

Angarrack lights.

All images taken with my new compact.  I collect £2 coins and once a year (or just over) I see how much I have, this year I bought myself a compact to go in my handbag :)  so I thought I would give it an outing.

Left to do - JYC 21

List of things left to do :- 

1. Wrap the last of the presents (yes I forgot some derrr!!),
2. Do some baking ( though my waist line says otherwise),
3. Put the hoover around (sounds good!),
4. Photograph something (why did I start a 365 project NOW!!),
5. Buy some more pringles (have eaten the one's I bought for Christmas),
6. Go for a run (so I can eat some more pringles!),
7. Go through the radio time to see what is on ( a big zero no doubt),
8. Give up because if it isn't done now it is not going to happen :)
   
   
   

An unexpected surprise -JYC - 20

On Thursday Mick and I popped in to see his brother and wife to drop off presents and for me to raid Margaret's knitting pattern collection and photograph her tree.  Margaret always has a larger than life Christmas tree and I wanted to photograph it for this journal.  Well you could have knocked me down with a feather when I discovered there was no Christmas Tree, still in shock actually.  The children weren't bothered, neither was Dave (brother) so Margaret didn't bother!!!!!!  NO CHRISTMAS TREE........what!!!! 

So here is a photo of some good British Christmas weather instead ...

 Taken through the car windscreen, whilst I plucked up the courage to go out into it to go to my first call of the morning.

Dear Santa - JYC 19

Dear Santa,

What I would really like for Christmas is to wake up to the sound of silence due to snow falling steadily all night and turning our world into a white winter wonderland.  I would like to have all my family around me. I would like to turn the tv on and not be bombarded with extended episodes of one soap or another with characters shouting at each other, just some good old romantic comedy films that you could loose yourself in will do. I would like to be able to walk down the street and to hear everyone saying "Merry Christmas" to each other not how a fight nearly broke out in a well known supermarket between two grown men over a TRIFLE!!!!  hello..... what is all that about, it is a trifle for goodness sake???? 

But for my sins I live in the real world and I know the above is just a dream, so maybe I shall just ask for everyone to have as good a Christmas as possible and to hear of no more tragedies over this once special time.

Merry Christmas Santa,

Love Karen xx

PS - I still have copies of all the letters the girls have sent you! x

Food Glorious Food -JYC 18

For those of you who don't know me well, as far as food is concerned I love it so long as I don't have to cook it, cooking and I have never really gelled if you know what I mean, it is something I do out of neccessity not pleasure.  Though I do enjoy baking and thankfully I do enjoy doing a good old Sunday roast, so Christmas Day is one day I am happy to don the apron and go for it!!  We use to have traditional, then one year one of the girls said "do we have to have turkey?"  and the answer was "no, what would you like?"  and it has been that way ever since. So around Nov time we have a chat as to what we would like and a decision is made.  This year we are having a lovely bit of brisket, cooked very slowly in the rayburn, yorkshire puds, roast veggies, sausagemeat stuffing with nuts, cranberries and onions and a good serving of gravy.  If there is any room left Christmas pud.  Amanda's quiches (to die for) for tea and that will be us done - oh and all the sausage rolls, crisps, and chocs, thrown in for good measure.  Will I be able to move to go to work in the evening?....... I doubt it very much. :) I forgot to say bacon butties for breakfast - I really do have some bad childhood eating habits, (prefer my veg raw as well!!!)

Stuffing in the making.

 Stuffing ready for the oven :)

 Mince pies ready for eating:)

Christmas Shopping JYC 17

I heard on the radio that is was said that "Christmas would not happen in households if it wasn't for the women?"  Well that is certainly true in this household.  I nag for ideas for people if I am struggling with someone, I do the gift shopping (including my own gifts!!), though Mick has been known to ask the girls to do some bits for him for the last couple of year, both in the high street and on line, I write the Christmas cards, post the Christmas cards, I do the food shopping (mostly), Mick sorts the meat out. The girls help me wrap presents, I get the decorations out, the girls help put them up, (I take them down and pack them away for another year), the girls and I do the baking, I drag Mick out to various Christmas do's (which he enjoys in the end). 

I do enjoy the act of buying gifts for people, but I am finding it more and more difficult these days, as most of us have so much and if we want something during the year we tend to get it, so come Christmas there is nothing left to get.  I hate getting a gift for someone just for the sake of giving a gift. I like to thing the gift will be something they want or will like at least.  If I really can't think of something I will give vouchers or money which I hate, but at least the recipient can choose then.
This post makes it sounds like Mick just sits back and lets it all happen around him, well .... he does "laughs" he just doesn't do hussle, bussle times.  We do joke in the house and the girls go round singing "here comes Mr Humbug, here comes Mr Scrooge" from the Muppets Christmas Carol film (one of Mick's favourites) lol  BUT  having said all of that if I asked Mick to get something or do something he does it for me and more importantly I don't think I would have it any other way - though I am open to offers!!

A time for sharing, chocs that Mick's mum & dad gave us yesterday.  A tub of Celebrations.

The giving of presents -JYC 14

The tree is up and dressed (apart from some twinkling due to lights failing!!)  and presents are starting to appear under the tree as if by magic.  These presents are the girls gifts to each other and to us, then family presents.  Come the day, the girls tend to take it in turns to hand out the pressie from under the tree as they usually know by then whose is whose without even looking at the label.  The girls spend a lot of time discussing what they are going to buy each of us and planning everything for the day, they still get excited over the whole day, which is lovely.  What is really nice is the amount of thought that goes into what they buy each other and Mick and I and how excited they get waiting to see our faces when we open our presents from them.  They always reduce me to tears with their generousity and thoughtfulness - I'm just a big softee really.

Christmas music - JYC 13

I love to hear Christmas music playing in the shops but I do object to it all starting so early.  December 1st is earlier enough for anyone, that is the time I drag out the Christmas favourite double disc and play endlessly in the car or house, this year Michael Buble's Christmas album has join my collection and is very enjoyable, but what I do lack as far as music is concerned is a good selection of traditional Christmas carols - must look for one as I don't think you can beat a good choir singing carols.  But I guess the song that does it for me has to be Bing Crosby and White Christmas.  As I write this the hail has started to fall!!!  Where's the snow that is what I want to know :)
Another thing I love to see is the Salvation Army band playing in town, hmmm, as for carol singers they are a very distant childhood memory of the past and now only seen in films.

image copied from google images.

image copied from google images.

 

It will be different this year - JYC 12

I shan't dwell on this bit too much for obvious reasons (some of you may understand others may not - so be it).  I think I have already mentioned that this will be our first year without our handsome hound (as we called him) Sammy.  He will be greatly missed, we shall smile and laugh about the way he just so wanted to be involved in the whole christmas day thing, from opening presents to helping cook lunch!!!  How he never broke my neck I don't know :).
Mick and I shall always smile though thinking about the first Christmas we had with him.  Bernadette was 4yrs and Amanda 2yrs.  Brenadette had worn us down re a dog, Mick had always wanted an English Bull Terrier so we hunted high and lo for one and found one in Exeter.  Mick and I went to see them without the girls then nearer the time when he was ready to be collected, our neighbour wrote a letter to Bernadette asking her to take her mum, dad and Amanda to an address in Exeter where an extra special christmas present was waiting for her, she needed to take a large cardboard box and a blanket, then signed it father christmas.  So off we all set, we asked Bernadette on the way there if she had any idea what it might be and she said "a barbie horse"  (typical -would have been so much cheaper!!)  We arrived at the house went in and when we were in the lounge the owners let the puppies in six of them came running in and were all over us, Amanda giggling her head off and Bernadette stood there in silence, eyes wide open.  Then we heard a little welp looked at the kitchen door and this bundle fell though the door way, got up and went over to Bernadette!  She couldn't believe it when we told her one was coming home and that is how Sammy arrived.
I guess our other memorable Christmas was 1994, Amanda was due on the 28th Dec, as Mick says it was the driest Christmas he has ever had "laughs"  - she kept him dry until the 4th January, well worth the wait though.  Now she towers over me and can almost look Mick in the eye in bare feet (he is 6'2")!!! 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...JYC 11

....don't know any more words!!

I had to smile to myself this morning driving back from Asda, the car in front had a christmas tree in the back with it's branches boucning around as it went over the speed humps in the road.  All we needed was some snow falling and it would have been magical!!  It made me think about when I was a child and we always had a real one.  Off we would go to where ever we got them from then and choose the one we liked best whilst dad grumbled about getting it on the roof rack and having to put it in a bucket once home so we could decorate it.  I didn't realise then that there was any other kind!! 

For years we have had an artificial tree, purely for ease, as everytime Sammy went near it he would be showered in pine needles!!!  I shall be fishing the tree and it's decorations out later for the girls to put up tomorrow when Bernadette gets home :). I love to see the colour co-ordinated trees with just the right amount of decs on but surprise surprise that is not our tree at all. The decorations consist of one's that my gran had, my mum had, one's I bought when first married and the ones we have bought for the girls each year. This year I have made them one :). There is no colour scheme it is covered in well loved decorations ranging from a blown egg shell my granny did (and she died in 1968!!) to modern day plastic snowflakes, paper one's the girls made at school, glass baubles, you name it it is there!! Then right on the top sits the fairy who I grew up with, she use to have a lovely white net dress but something happened to it so I remember mum and I making her a new one out of crape paper and she still wears it. Here she is from last year.

She does have a habit of slipping off her perch at the top and landing half way down.

Here it is looking good naked!!

Fully dressed and in it's place for the next two weeks.

 

It's a wrap - JYC 10

Pressie's all bought so that means it is time to wrap them up.  So much choice of paper to choose from where do I begin.  Well to be honest price does play a big part in it for me, at the end of the day it is only going into land fill!!  I don't buy the really thin cheapy stuff but then I don't go for the most expensive either.  No more than £2 a roll for me, usually less.  If you shop around you can get some very nice papers and I have noticed that this year all mine having cutting lines on the back which makes it great for a girl like me, who cannot cut a straight line to save her life.  So I have spent the last couple of hours happily sat wrapping pressies for the girls and Mick whilst I am home alone.

All are safely hidden away now away from prying eyes!!!

More traditions - JYC 9

Once the girls arrived I soon realised I do like to have some form of routine in the house and we are a family of habits. They were always in bed early by 7pm when small and still by 9pm when at secondary.  Tea was always on the table at 5pm now 5.30pm due to college buses.  Etc etc.  Christmas Eve & Day is similar.  The presents are put out in the girls stockings that I made for them when they were tiny, nowadays they are placed with the tree - when they were small they use to appear at the bottom of their beds whilst they slept peacefully.  I can't remember when it started but Christmas Eve is the one night they share a room as well, their choice - wonder if they will do it this year?  Then in the morning we open our presents first, then have a breakfast one which we have all agreed upon before hand, sometimes a bacon butty, sometimes salmon bagels, whateve takes our fancy.  The rest of the day we chill and relax. Each year I try to persuade them to go for a walk and fail, though Bernadette did ask if we could go for one this year ..... so maybe ... who knows. Every other year we are joined by Mick's mum and dad for Christmas Day (this year) and we join the rest of his family on Boxing Day.  Think this is going to be another picture less post.

The World is changing... JYC -8

.... for a few weeks anyway.  Over the last few weekends there has been a group of men busy climbing ladders, checking bulbs and erecting signs around the village.  House owners have been out as well adorning their property's with festive lights.  Truro city even twinkles once the night sky takes over.  The roads have shrunk over night as have the car parks or have they just removed some!!  The shops are filled with 'the perfect gift' items (hope no one thinks they are the perfect gift for me!!!!)  My usual CD's in the car have been replaced with Christmas tunes and a new one to the selection is the Michael Buble Christmas album - it is delicious.  When the rain stops pouring and the wind stops blowing I shall venture out and take some pics of the lights to add to this post but until then it shall remind a pictureless post.

Lists and lists and more lists - JYC 7

I am a self confessed list addict, I have a list for everything, I often duplicate the lists as well because I either can't find the original or have forgotten that I have done one!!!

I do a weekly lists of things I must do and want to do and the standard shopping list on a very regular basis. This time of year is worse as I now have the who to buy for list, what to buy for whom list, to make for list, the what to make list, the postal card list, the hand delivered list, the bought card list, the hand made card list, cards not written yet list, the to buy food list, the got food list, the to bake food list.
Though each year  the two most important lists live in my purse and they are the girls christmas lists (yes they still write them for me) and I was surprised at how many shop assistants this year (men and women) commented on how organised I was and what a good idea when they saw me checking my lists with my full basket.  (personally I think they were just humouring me - but who cares!!) if only they knew how unorganised I really am :)

Below is a combination of the lists outstanding

Door stop granny,
Something for Margaret and David,
Something, anything for granny and grandad,
Awaiting last few postal deliveries,
B's bf ????
Biscuits Aunty Do and Uncle John,
Christmas cake,
Order/buy meat,
Order vegetables,
Wrap presents,
Deliver cousins presents,

They will all get done and those that don't will go on to the new Jan 2012 list - as it isn't worth stressing about.

Traditions JYC 5

Normally I would say we don't have any traditions with regard to Christmas or any other time of year, but it suddenly dawned on me that over the last few years we have started one.  On Christmas Eve in the afternoon we drive down to Newlyn and have a look at the fishing boats - one of the few days in the year when we can guarantee they will all be in. Then we go onto Mousehole (have to go early to be able to park the car)  have a mooch around the little galleries.  Once dark we have a walk along the harbour to see the lights that attract thousands of visitors every year to this small but very famous fishing village.  We remember those that lost their lives in the Penlee Boat disaster all those years ago and those that continue to risk their own to save others.
Naturally I have to take photos - so the family stand and freeze whilst I loose myself in my camera.  Then when the icicles start to appear on their noses (and mine) I agree to move on.  We then head off to KFC in Penzance (yes we have two down here, one is 19 miles away and the other nearly 22!!) for our Christmas treat - a KFC bucket and a warm up.  We then head home and settle down to a movie night and nibbles.  

Not sure how we are going to do it this year as I shall be working the evening - so it may have to take place on the 23rd instead.

 Mousehole cottages on the harbour front.

Harbour Lights.

Not the greatest shots, my excuse was it was bitterly cold last year and blowing a hooly down there. 

Christmas cards - JYC 3

The choice is overwhelming in the shops, every shape and size you can imagine, glittery ones, cute ones, religious, photographs, sketches, snow, food, animals - the list is endless. The prices range from cheap to complete rip off.  Personally I love receiving cards, I still get excited when I see a pile of post on the door mat wondering who has thought of us at this time of year - hoping I haven't forgotten them!!  I love the huge selection that will adorn our room over the festive period, which become a  major part of our Christmas decorations and I love each and every one of them. 

What do I send though..... years ago I use to set about and make them all, I seemed to have more time then!  Nowadays I send a mixture of bought cards and ones I make using my photos,

 such as this handsome little chap, one of the school's Shetlands

They all go off in the post second class because I resent paying the extra postage.  My bit of meaness at this time of year :) and the last batch will be in the post this evening (the 4th) this year I have even managed to type out a letter to put in most of them to fill everyone in on our news over the last twelve months.  Normally I start off writing a note in each but soon loose heart after repeating myself for the 30th time - bad I know, but honest.