Nothing is set in stone....

Life's been very changeable recently with plans made and changed or cancelled because of illnesses or other things.

Daughter had tickets on Friday for the opera in London for her and the girls but E wasn't well enough to go and R then said she didn't want to go and not worth spending the train fare to even try to persuade her, so I received an early text to say I wasn't having O for the day as planned. Friday had already changed for us as we had been invited out to dinner, so the end of my day with O would have been tight timing, hoping his dad would be back in time as Daughter wouldn't be. Our dinner date was then cancelled as our hosts sadly had a family funeral. We will rearrange of course but for now we were relieved that it made our day a little more relaxed. Then ironically we weren't having O anyway. 

 Then followed a whole text conversation because O was upset not to be spending the day with me even though Daughter changed her day to go to the home ed group instead so they came here for lunch and Daughter and R went out soon after. E stayed here doing quiet things and O and I made biscuits with his dinosaur 3D cutters.

E was spending the weekend with her dad and as R had a really busy Saturday Hubby had offered to drive E to the meeting place and as he had the bowling travelling league on Sunday at Heathrow Airport Bowl they had all arranged for him to collect E there Sunday night too. 

We checked with E Friday that she felt well enough to still go, but another early morning text told us that E's dad wasn't well enough to have her,  so that trip was off. However,  E didn't feel well enough to hang around with Daughter while R did her activities so she came to stay here with me. .... and if E was coming here then O wasn't going anywhere but here either. 

Are you keeping up with all this? Well would you believe it, the Sunday bowling was cancelled due to the team captain not being able to gather together a full team..... Thank goodness Hubby now wasn't collecting E!

On a much less confusing subject, and far more exciting, after many barren years one of our orchids has flowered 😆

Annual mother/daughter day.....

Yesterday was Daughter's birthday and we had our traditional day together in town at the sales, mostly for her to buy clothes as her birthday present from us but also for extended lunch and coffee shop conversations, a very special time together helped by M having all four children at his home and Hubby cooking us a full roast dinner to come back to at our home.

I collected her from home at 10:30am and we shopped between lunching at our usual place quite early and wallowing in comfy chairs in the coffee shop late afternoon until we had to rush out to get to the car before the parking expired. Daughter's clothes buys came to about 9 items and I bought a couple of things too including a top which is a possible towards an outfit for my nieces wedding in June,  that was a real bargain as priced at £17.99 reduced to £11.49 on the ticket but rang up at just £5 at the till 😊

Another amazing bargain of mine was in Primark for a king size fitted sheet which although probably of very poor quality I was chancing as reduced to just £5 but when that came up at an unbelievable £1 on the till I sent Daughter back to grab another one. We both bought some better bedding in the BHS sale too and picked up a little black shrug for E to go with her concert clothes and both saw the most adorable "snowman" zip up jumper that had to come home with us for R.

I dropped Daughter at home to collect all the others, then we all meet back at mine for roast lamb that just fell off the bone, plus veg of course, plus vegetarian alternative. Followed by cheesecakes x2, water melon and squirty cream which always seems to cause great hilarity at the table, and then that was followed by birthday cake with candles (they took most of that home as we were all so full).

Silly me forgot to take any photos 😕
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Where did that year go?.....

...We say it every 31st December as it ticks towards 1st January and last night was no different.

I've said Happy New Year thousands of times on Facebook, Twitter, emails, text, WhatsApp, messenger and in person but in case you missed it

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

and wishes for a healthy and happy 2015.

We spent the evening as we've done for the last four or five years with our friends-next-door P&A and a Chinese takeaway.  The only problem was the 2.5 hours it took for the food to arrive,  I think they'd forgotten our order as it arrived 20 mins after Hubby chased them! But it didn't really matter as we had plenty of nibbles, drink and flowing conversation.

Don't read on further expecting new year's resolutions because I can't see the point of making the same promises each year that I'm unlikely to keep and inevitably then get very cross with myself for being so weak willed,  yes that has happened often enough for me to learn not to bother in the first place,  but that being said I will be pleased when the delicious but totally unnecessary heap of goodies are all gone and we can get back to a healthier eating regime.  And I need to work out a way of keeping my blog written along with writing in the beautiful hand bound journal I unwrapped from a friend (aiming for it to carry more personal stuff than I choose to put here) and read what is written by all the blog-friends I like to keep tabs on, plus play all the WordsWithFriends games I need to keep my brain active,  while not sitting on the sofa all day as my body definitely would benefit from a bit more activity. So let's see if there are any improvements by this time next year,  although no promises and no recriminations,  I'm far to oldsensible to waste time in feeling bad with myself.
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Chef-ing the leftovers.....

Like almost everyone else at Christmas we buy far too much food and cook far too much food just in case friends and neighbours drop in and the Christmas dinner would just be a roast without all the trimmings and extra courses.

So what about afterwards? We wouldn't actually mind eating leftovers for days on end but I have a large family and we have a family day here each year a few days after main event where everyone contributes to the buffet table and that's a lot of leftovers. This year Christmas day dinner was for seven and although family day saw the fewest number (for various reasons) so just 27 people and although some are children there were 9 families or couples all bringing food. I tried to get them to take lots of leftovers home but we were still left with lots.

So now the fridge and cake tins are full but so is the freezer.

Boxing day was the best ever bubble and squeak patties with cold turkey for our dinner.

I stripped the turkey carcass into two boxes of white meat sliced to thaw for sandwiches and made up four boxes of diced up turkey with the remains of the stuffing, carrots and sprouts (my boxes are mainly Chinese takeaway size). These boxes are labelled "thaw, mix, add gravy and top with mash" so I don't forget,  each one plenty to make a meal for two.

The last of the vegetable soup,  which had been our starter, is frozen into two single portions although the home made croutons that went with it was a breakfast for the birds.

Christmas eve I'd cooked a ham joint for that night and two bean loaves for the veggy option.  Now the ham is sliced, boxed and frozen and the rest of the bean loaves cut into portions, individually wrapped and frozen.

I'd boiled up all the giblets for gravy stock and afterwards the liver, heart, meat from the neck and all the onions were blitzed to make a pate (but it definitely isn't thick enough so if you know how I should improve the consistency please let me know).

Two large fresh French sticks are now a dozen small garlic and herb slices frozen and about 16 individual pizza style things topped with the leftover onion and tomatoes salad I'd made covered with cheese, wrapped and frozen too.

E had made us a tray of brownies, as our Christmas present, that are really yummy, but with so much cake brought for the buffet I didn't want the brownies to be forgotten or not truly appreciated so I've frozen half the trayfull for when we are cakeless.

The fridge is still full, and we have a big fridge, but I'm sure we'll get through it without too much wasted. Tonight we'll use up the last of the pigs in blankets and cocktail sausages with eggs, beans and other stuff to make a bit of an all day breakfast (hubby's favourite sort of dinner).

And you'll be pleased to know that the mountain of chocolate bought for us is out of sight and should last us a very long time if we keep forgetting about it.

As yet uneaten and proudly on display is my "ginger bread ruin" that O made as my present.

So for now I'll happily avoid the kitchen and new years eve is already decided as sharing Chinese takeaway with friendsP&A next door.
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Part of my Advent.....

2014 reading......

The 3 Mistakes Of My Life by Chetan Bhagat
eBook. Free download as pdf on the Playbook.
Started 1/1/2014 - finished 31/1/2014
This is all about cricket and even though that has no interest for me the story that weaves round it held me. The opening was amazing and intriguing and the rest highlights Indian culture, religious differences and conflicts and relationships between young and old and the young with each other. I found it an excellent read.

 

Frugal Stuff That Works by Elaine Collins
eBook. Free download to Kindle reader on the Playbook.
Started January 2014  - unfinished
An ongoing dip-into book of hints and tips on saving and not wasting money.
Can't really comment on this as I keep forgetting to go back to it, oops!

 

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Paperback. Has been on the shelf with the children's books for ever and I realised I'd never read it, tut tut.
Started 4/3/2014 - finished 11/5/2014
A really easy and quick read (yes quick, I had lots of interruptions including a holiday). Lovely details creating the images of their lives and relationships. Children's books are definitely not just for children hahaha. Got R to read it too and she enjoyed it.

 

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Paperback. Lent to me by Daughter after her and R both read it.
Started 21/3/2014  - finished 23/3/2014
Just a year in the life of a 10 year old girl from normal to post war refugee. Written through her eyes in freeform poetry I found it very emotional.

 

The Italian Job by Nick Earls
eBook. Free download to Kindle reader on the Playbook.
Started 12/4/2014 and finished an hour(ish) later on the flight to Rome.
Not the best written work but an unusual amusing story line, about a hired driver called Mal (old man) and his PR passenger (young woman) driving between publicity events, which made it a fun short story.

 

Shut Up and Kiss Me by Christie Craig
eBook. Free download to Kindle reader on the Playbook.
Started 17/4/2014  - finished 23/4/2014
Just about OK as a very light holiday read but far too corny, so many unbelievable events all happening at the same time to the same people and ending with a totally predictable happy ever after to all three couples.....don't think me saying that spoils any surprises!

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Paperback that's been on my "to read" shelf for ever.
Started 24/6/14 (while R had her drumming lesson) - never finished, gave up 6/12/14.

I can't remember the last book I ever gave up on, I'm always of the opinion that it may get better on the next page, but I've tried so hard with this one and it just got worse! Bizarre religious extremes imposed on a child making her a total freak within her own community just ain't my thing.

 

Have to say I'm not reading books very much at the moment, I seem to relax reading other people's blogs and playing Words-With-Friends online as I'm trying to sit less and move more (not working yet). So as I'm not going to start another book this year I'll post this now.

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Christmas, crafting and eating.......

Another Christmas craft I've started but sort of abandoned is this...

 

No proper tutorial to link to for this as it was shown to me by a friend. Start with card cut to any size with a ratio of 3:1 then score in thirds and zig-zag diagonal (as you can just about see from this photo). Secure beads onto the corners to stop the threads slipping off and fold into the hexahedron shape and secure with tape then wind with embroidery thread securing with pva glue. And what you see above is as far as I've got, but they will hopefully hang on the tree next year ;o)

 

Art/Craft wise I've also been painting t-shirts. These are very old plain tops that have long been splashed with cooking grease etc so with some very old (35+ years) fabric paints that I was amazed still worked I'm giving them a makeover. Pink one is done (needs ironing) and the yellow one in progress!

 

 

 

 

The Christmas cards are all done and the presents are half way, as I needed to get a bit ahead of myself due to a day in hospital yesterday for a minor op and a slow day today which was recommended but actually apart from an uncomfortable throat I'm feeling fine :o)

Glad it's over with and I wouldn't have changed the date, however, my biggest disappointment was that I had to miss E's end of term concert yesterday and R's Christmas drama performance this morning.

 

And the Christmas dinners of course.....been booking and organising one for my old work mates on 22nd, pre-ordering and paying for another with the usual gang on 17th, lunch on the 9th with old college friends, had the first one last Thursday with friends and one other lunch in the diary too for 12th, but unfortunately should have had one tonight which we've cancelled as that friend is unwell.

 

Hubby has also now booked his Sainsbury's delivery slot for 22nd so I'd better get on with sorting out the shopping list. Ho ho ho!

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Christmas craft upcycle......

Had to confess to some procrastination today when I should have been doing some ironing!

Found this on Pinterest and couldn't resist having a go.

Plastic icicles links to the original tutorial I followed.

I did make a batch of chutney at the same time so quite a fun productive day with minimal ironing. 

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Not really filling the gap....

Long gaps between posts isn't good or what I intend to happen but rest assured life is plodding along here as usual although sometimes I guess I just can't be bothered to write it down. ;-)

Spooky and scary....

Halloween was the spooky. Midweek they were here pumpkin carving and the seeds got roasted, some savoury and some sweet.

Then they actually had their own party on Friday night but came here for "Halloween the sequel" on Saturday. No photos I'm afraid but we ate swamp stew, followed by gravestones in slime washed down with magic potion then out to the garden as we'd noticed some of the witches must have had a sleepover and were on their way home with broomsticks overloaded with goodies that they kept dropping!

O is going through that phase of questioning the reality of many things, but running round the garden with his torch shouted out excitedly "I knew witches were real".

Needing the hospital again was the scary! I've had a problem since just before the pre-booked CT Scan which worried me but thankfully the scan came back clear so the thought that the cancer had returned was eliminated with great relief. However tests and explorations have shown there is a polyp in my cervix which needs removal. Just had the date through for 5th December as a day patient. I had this procedure three years ago and seriously hoping it's not going to be a regular thing! Anyway, nothing sinister just another of life's hiccups.

Any my favourite de-stresser just now is to make another bag...