Christmas Is Finally Packed Away!

 

This morning started very early and not very bright!

For some reason I woke at 4.30am and could not get back to sleep...so when hubby's alarm went off and I heard Teen Two getting up, I decided to give up and get up too!

The rain has been relentless for weeks now...and when it rains...it really rains!

This morning was no different, but when the clouds passed over...for the first time in ages...we had sun streaming into the front room...it was a real pick me up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From time to time I take part in Market Research and this morning my new product was being delivered...washing up liquid!

 It all started when Teen One was a baby and I trialled disposable nappies...since then I have trialled various cleaning products ( including the brilliant Magic Erasers) food products and personal hygiene products.

There is always a certain amount of paperwork involved...and sometimes I actually get paid for it...this time I get a whole £5! For a housewife unused to a wage packet nowadays...the thrill of earning a fiver is beyond words!!

 

 

Grandma had a hospital appointment, so I picked her up at 9.30 and it was almost 1pm before we got home! We were both hungry and in need of a cuppa.

I have to say though, the time passed very quickly. Largely due to the large digital display screen showing a stunning display of local photos.

I asked the receptionist who had taken them and she said one of the consultants.

He has an excellent eye for taking photos and I thought it was a brilliant idea.

I asked that our appreciation for his art work and thoughtfulness be passed on...she said he was always delighted when patients actually noticed them!

As we were at the hospital, we decided to make a quick trip to our friend who broke her ankle at the weekend.

It wasn't official visiting times, so we tried to be discrete and thankfully the nurses turned a blind eye as we caught up on her calamity.

Poor thing is going to be dependant on a lot of people for a while and worse still...not be able to go to work...no work...no money!

 

 

 

Once home and with some leftover soup inside me, I felt revived enough to go and tackle the Christmas decorations.

Since I took them down, they have sat, in chaos, upstairs in the attic bedroom.

Out of sight has been out of mind...but today I thought I really need to get the job done.

So now it is all stashed away in my only real storage space ( if you discount under beds and behind sofas!)

 

 

 

 

All hidden behind a makeshift curtain I made a while back.

We keep talking about making some proper doors....but that is way down the "to do" list..and besides...they will take away a little bit of room and I need all the space in that tiny gap I can get!

 

 

Dinner tonight is "pimped up" leftovers.

There were 3 or three slices of beef left over from yesterday's roast.

I blitzed them to make "mince"....added some green lentils (boiled til soft)...which has doubled the amount of "meat" and then with a small scotch bonnet chopped and added...have stuffed the remaining large red peppers I bought at Lidl's the other week.

I will serve them with rice or noodles...not made my mind up yet!

 

 

Finally....whilst Christmas had finally been stashed away.....Teen One's Christmas present has finally arrived!

Just as I was trying to park after the hospital visit...a courier was knocking at my door...phew! That was good timing!

So she is now able to play with her new toy....like anything techy, its taking a while to get used to, but hopefully she will enjoy being in the 21st Century at last!

 

 

Monday January 11, 2016

Today's Promise:
   For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20 / KJV
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Fun With Scrabble!

 

No prizes for guessing how our day panned out today.

Church, roast beef....then Scrabble with Grandma!

 

 

The session started off with a laugh....Grandma and I kept pulling out the same tile when sorting out who was starting!

 

 

 

I had a pretty miserable set of letters for  most of the game, and was relieved to get rid of the "z" early on.....but we knew we had no hope when Grandma got her "Q" and my "Z" on the triple word score!

 

 

The Teens have yet to do their Thank You letters from Christmas.

We like to ring the changes each year, so inspired by today's game, Teen One came up with this simple design, which we hope will bring a smile to the recipient faces.

 

 

Sunday January 10, 2016

Today's Promise:
   Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Mark 9:23, 10:27 / KJV
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Let Them Eat Cake!

 

Let's start with last night!

Hubby and Teen One went over to a Young People's Bible study in Winchester, a regular Friday night treat...followed by pizza.

Last night there were extra treats on offer!

Another Gospel Hall nearby have started opening up their church hall once a week to the homeless.

One of the congregation manages to get free food coming up to the sell by date.

It seems they had more than they could use over Christmas, so the left overs were taken for the young people to hoover up!

But even they couldn't eat it all...so unopened boxes were left for anyone to take home.

 

 

We are not sure if there was a printing error...since the cake most definitely tastes of earl grey (which hubby is rather partial to!)I am so glad he chose this over the chocolate cake!

 

 

When I opened the box I was not expecting it to be so big!

I had already had a taste of the it last night...hubby brought me up a slice in bed...what a treat!

I don't know how we are going to get through it all, but it did save me making one for tea tomorrow!

Whether Marie Antoinette actually said "Let them eat cake" or not, it was the perfect words to accompany our midnight treat...and it wasn't far off midnight either!

 

 

Yesterday when having a coffee at The Range, my friend's daughter ( who was with us) said she needed to get some mittens for her six month old, now she was so active, her little hands were getting cold in the pushchair.

She was wondering where to buy them, to which I replied...buy them....I can make them in an afternoon!

So, after a slow start to the morning (don't you love free Saturday's!) a leisurely bath, it was time for brekky....but it was much later than usual...so I thought...lets skip breakfast and go straight to the cake!

I had hoped to shed the post Christmas pounds, but that will have to wait a little longer!

What a treat to sit down with a vintage knitting book, in search of a mitten pattern, enjoy a lovely cuppa and that delicious cake!

 

 

They don't take long at all...and I would have had a pair made had it not been for the fact I misread the pattern and had to  rip it all out!

I hope to make a few pairs in different colours for her.

Whilst I sat enjoying the slow start and unexpected knitting project, I had no idea my friend had fallen at home and broken her ankle!

She is in hospital for the next few days and will be out of action for some time to come.

 

 

After "brekky" I nipped out to The Range to see what other 75% bargains I could find....I did VERY well and have lots of RED pressies ( some of you will know what that means!)

On my return it was time to make soup for lunch.

Roasted red pepper, butternut squash and lentil...everyone agreed it was very tasty, and very nutritious.

 

 

Teen One was meeting some friends for a game of bowling, so we decided to take the opportunity of being down there and give Teen Two a game.

It was rather busy, and whilst Teen One was waiting for her friends, we went ahead and booked our lane.

A game or two of air hockey filled in the time till the lane was free, Teen Two loves this game.

 

Before long we got the call to go to our lane....

 

 

...and both boys enjoyed the game....

 

 

 

...I was player number three...as you can see the boys are pretty evenly matched...but my bowls end up in the gully mostly!

 

 

When we came home the rain was lashing down.....and very soon a very peculiar colour filled the sky...

 

 

 

...and the whole house turned a very strange shade of orange!

We expected a storm, but so far all is still.

We are now settling down for a quiet evening and for me of course, some knitting.

 

Saturday January 9, 2016

Today's Verse:
   For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 / KJV
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Friday Club Meets The Chase!

 

 

Starting with last night, hubby came home with some Slovenian treats from a work colleague...and very yummy it was too!

 

 

After  an early start this morning and spending a couple of hours doing housework, I arranged to meet a friend in The Range to see if there were any bargains, then a quick trip to Lidls.

We both did well in The Range, having chosen several things with 25% off labels...when we went to pay, they were down 75%! I think I will nip back tomorrow for another look!

Lidl's also had some bargains....cherry plum tomatoes for 29p...

 

 

 

...large red peppers 29p...

 

 

...large ready to eat mangoes 29p

 

The tomatoes made tasty mini kebabs to go with our lasagne,

the red peppers I roasted whilst the lasagne was cooking and will be turned into soup with some lentils tomorrow, and the mangoes will be a juicy treat for Teen One and I over the weekend.

 

 

 

Our Bible story at Friday Club tonight was Balaam's ass...which of course spoke to Balaam after receiving an undeserved beating.

For the craft we  made  "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" using some print offs of Eeyore and Donkey (from Shrek)

It wasn't until we had printed them off that Teen One said "oh that's funny....they are talking donkey's too!"

The kids really enjoyed this simple craft. We cut out tails from card and added some blue tack on the back...the kids played it over and over and were eager to get home and see how well their mums and dads did!

I guess the old games are the best!

When we get home...our usual routine is to have a cuppa...share some choccie (Friday night is chocolate night in our house!) and then watch "The Chase" on catch up.

Tonight was no exception, but imagine my surprise when Bradley said "In the Bible, what animal spoke to Balaam?!"

 

 

Friday January 8, 2016

Today's Proverb:
   Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Proverbs 3:27 / KJV
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An Old Friend!

 

Today was definitely a "back to normal day!"

It started with the return of our Mother and Toddler group.

It's always good to see the familiar faces return and the tots always seem to grow so much in just a few weeks!

We have a large percentage of boys at the moment, and boy can they make a mess!

 

 

Our 87yr old helper made these adorable owls with the tots.

She makes a lot of the crafts herself, but this week she used kits she had bought from Baker Ross

Seeing the owls, reminded me of something I learned from Autumn Watch last year...and owl doesn't say "twit...twooo" ...that familiar sound we hear is infact two owls...one say "twit" and the other responding "twooo!"

 

 

After the big clear up, it was time to drop the ladies home, then grab a quick bite to eat  and relax before going next door to clean.

Over the years, I have always been the recipient of "The People's Friend" magazine.

In my childhood my grandmother used to have it delivered every week and I used to skim through the pages.

When she passed away I didn't see the magazine for a while, but then

in my twenties an old lady from church used to pass it on to me and in those days, with no internet, any visual aids needed for children's stories at church, had to be hand made.

So, the many pictures from the stories this magazine is famous for, used to come in handy.

It's amazing how a sad lady from the story could become a Hannah weeping over being childless, or a little boy could turn into a young Samuel!

That dear lady  also eventually passed away, but I then started to receive the magazine each week from my other grandmother.

By this time I was into knitting and baking more than I had been previously, so it came in handy for ideas and patterns.

She too eventually passed away and I was once again without the magazine for a while.

In my thirties and forties my dear neighbour next door started to pass them on to me.

With the Teens then much smaller, I didn't really have time to do more than read a page or two, but discovered that some retired friends in America rather liked the magazine...so I used to save them up and then whenever friends were over, I would give them a bundle to take back!

Over a year ago  my dear neighbour too passed away, so for a short time I was without The Friend....but.....a couple of months ago, our 87yr old lady from church asked me if I was interested in the magazine, before she threw them away.

Well...I couldn't say no!

So, once again, The Friend is back in my life!

I must confess, I have always felt a little too young for most of it's features...

 

 

...the ads are most definitely geared to another generation....

 

 

...as is the fashion...

 

 

 

...and I am definitely not in the market for these just yet!

 

 

 

But I do enjoy the various advice/self help pages, and of course the quiz page has been a welcome addition over the years...but something I have never worked out is....

 

 

 

....why their recipes are so, seemingly out of step with my perception of what the older generation eat!

I know for a fact none of the dear ladies I have received this magazine from would ever attempt anything like goats cheese and raspberry truffles...

 

 

...or know where to find halloumi in the supermarket....

 

 

 

...or  avocado!

As for Quinoa and Shakshuka...well they would never be able to pronounce it, let alone dare to try and eat it!

It really has been a mystery to me over the years!

For the time being, I  am happy having this faithful old friend in the house again, I guess it reminds me of dear old souls who have  taken me to their hearts and homes, and its gentle pace is reminiscent of a time gone by.

I can see in the not too distant future I will be buying it for myself....and maybe those ads will  be a little more interesting!

 

Having said that...with the wonder of the internet, The People's Friend is now available online....parts of it anyway!

 

I thought maybe FQ2FF might be interested in submitting something to their story section...I think she has a challenge to have a short story published this year!

 

 

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Thursday January 7, 2016 Today's Promise:    I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2b,3 / KJV Put this Promise on your site

 

 

 

There's Always Tomorrow!

 

Things are slowly getting back to routine this week, although the Christmas clear up continues!

The morning started with tackling a pile of ironing....this is usually a weekly task, but I didn't do ANY over the holidays...so you can imagine the pile I had today!

Having said that, holiday clothes are more carefree, joggers and sweatshirts etc so it  could have been worse I guess.

 

 

Today I decided I really had to clear the surfaces, there were piles of various Christmas related items in almost every room.

The remainder of the box of cards in one corner, gifts which hadn't been found a new home in another, the Christmas cake in the dining room....with only a small chunk left.
I decided it was too small to warrant being on the big plate, taking up a lot of room, so wrapped up the remaining chunk and  gave the decorations their annual bath, to dissolve the sugar, ready for use next Christmas.

I am always glad to get the decorations down, but always feel a little sad seeing these ones go away.

 

 

 

 

My friend came for lunch in her break and we enjoyed a steaming bowl of soup together whilst catching up with each other's news.

 

 

 

 

Part way through our chit chat my mother in law popped in, on her way back from the cemetery.

It will soon be the anniversary of my father in law's death so I wonder if maybe she just wanted some company.

She copes very well day to day on her own, but there must be days when she feels more lonely than others.

Having had her four children and her five grandchildren round over Christmas, then meeting up with the extended family at the weekend, maybe the loss was felt more keenly this week with life returning to normal.

 

 

 

 

When the visitors had gone their separate ways, it was back to clearing the corners for me.

I found this lovely Kilner set I had been given for Christmas.

When I next make some preserves it will be ideal for showing them off... in the mean time they make excellent storage jars for my dried fruit.

 

 

 

Another discovery I made, was these two bags I had bought in The Works for £1.

They are a good size and look very sturdy.

With the charge on carrier bags now, I am always looking out for good sized bags for food items that are large but not heavy...cereal, bread, rolls and the like.

The macaroons remind me of our holiday in France a few years ago, we passed some delicious macaroon shops and of course they have become very popular over here in the UK in recent years.

The second bag has a Cath Kidstone look about it, very "twee and English."

 

 

And whenever I anything new out....one of the cats HAS to come and investigate!

 

 

After spending most of the day on my feet, up and down stairs, feeling rather pleased with myself that downstairs was now Christmas free (albeit what was downstairs is now upstairs waiting to be put away!) clean, and everything back in its place...I sat down to enjoy a cuppa and update the blog, when out of the corner of my eye I saw our little collection of vintage Observer books...to the right of where they ought to be!

They are usually in the centre of the shelf...above my cross stitch picture, but I move them every year to put wooden decorations up (Love/Peace/Joy)

Oh well...after a sigh and a sip I thought to myself  "there is always tomorrow!"

 

 

 

Wednesday January 6, 2016

Today's Promise:
   And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 / KJV
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What's In A Name?

 

Today has been all about sorting out the presents and finding new homes for them.

Along the way I made a happy discovery...finding some preserves I had forgotten all about!

FQ2FF had been challenged to make jam out of vegetables...having sampled her two makes today, I can confirm they are absolutely delicious!

Carrot jam tastes remarkably like apricot jam!

Courgette and lemon jam is to die for!

I must get her to share the recipes with us!

 

 

Another discovery was this Challenge box!

This time  FQ2FF was setting the challenge.

 

 

Family members have until March to create something out of all these bits and bobs and a prize will be given to the best creation....judged by FQ2FF's crafting friends.

 

 

 

Another find, was this delightful Orla Kiely gift bag.

My family obviously know my passions...and last year began my little collection of Orla Kiely designs....courtesy of the Douwe Egbert  coffee jars!

On recent visits to Tesco, a shopping bag kept catching my eye.....several times I picked it up and considered buying it....but at £4.50 it seemed rather pricey for "just a Tesco bag."

BUT....when I received this little gift bag ( with some posh mincemeat inside!) I thought "that pattern looks familiar!"

 

 

 

 

So on a quick trip to Tesco today I took another look at the bag...and sure enough..."Orla Kiely" designed!

Suddenly £4.50 didn't seem too bad a price!

The design isn't exactly the same, but it shows her look is very distinctive and I am unconsciously attracted to them!

As I walked out of the store...feeling very proud of my new purchase, I pondered how fickle I had been a few weeks back...attracted to the bag, but not prepared to pay out for a Tesco label...but when I discover its an Orla Kiely design....it suddenly becomes ok to pay out for it...one has to ask oneself...just what is in a name!