My word for the new year

Inspired by this post http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2009/12/one-little-word-2010.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+aliedwards+%28%7B+A+%7D%29
I have decided my word for 2010 is PATIENCE, something that doesn’t come naturally to me.
The year is nearly over and looking back it has not been a bad one for me although my children have not had it so easy.
1. I have lost a little weight.
2. We had a nice holiday with all the family.
3. I’m getting better at bowls.
4. Ian and I have been out more.
5. I’ve been to the library more and tried some new authors.
6. We finally decorated our bedroom.
7. I’ve started to do digi scrapping.
8. I’ve completed several classes.
9. I’ve taught Jenny to knit at last!
10. I’ve survived another year.
11. I’ve not killed Andrew yet but the year is not over!!!
Happy New Year!

Fun over Christmas

  Jamie won the football cup.
The boys enjoyed learning some Beatles songs.
Jenny equalled Ringo for talent.
Peter is in a class of his own.
David surprised me he could actually play a bit.
    I would have liked a go but Jamie was always on the drums!
Rebecca’s rendition of Yellow Submarine will haunt my dreams forever. Only equalled by Ian’s participation.
An afternoon at Jenny’s enjoyed by all.

Something for the new year

In the new year I hope to be taking part in this year long project by scrapdolly, you can find it here http://dollysdreamings.typepad.com/dollys_dreamings/2009/12/exciting-news-and-usual-free-class.html#comments

It looks like a lot of work has gone into preparing this and I can’t wait to get started.

Today!

I’m so organised I’ve surprised myself, something is bound to go horribly wrong!

Snow

Like a lot of the country we have had several days of this white stuff. I have hardly left the house so can enjoy it from the warmth of my lounge.
Winnie has been the same, hardly left the house and the warmth of the fire.
I’ve been busy today with more cooking, have made a pavlova and a tunis cake, just need to ice it. I’m not sure what it will taste like but I’m glad I had a go.

Dear Father Christmas

 
My letter to Santa, I bet my family can guess what I’d like the most!!

Tunis Cake

My sister Judy and I feel very strongly about this cake, I have even joined a group to bring it back on Facebook!! The McVities  tunis cake, a highlight of our childhood Christmas. That thick layer of chocolate, yummy. You could keep the rich fruit cakes, this one was the winner. Having researched it, yes I am that sad, McVities stopped making it in the eighties. Since then we have tried lots of different ones, but they are not worthy of the name.  We have now given up buying it, but to Judy and I, Christmas will never be the same.
Perhaps this year I will attempt to make my own one, you never know, it might be even better.

Andrew and the Ghostbuster popper gun

Memories, how we must bore our friends and children each year and yet they are so precious to us. I’ve told this story so many times and yes I will go on telling it!
It started with a visit to Father Christmas who asked Andrew what he wanted him to bring on Christmas Eve. “A ghostbuster popper gun” said Andrew “As you have been such a good boy I will make sure you get one” said Santa. BIG MISTAKE!!!  The tears and tantrums that year, not from Andrew but from me as we searched and searched for that wretched toy! Friends and relatives searched all over the country and I even braved the London shops, all to no avail. Just as I had given up hope and was trying to warn Andrew Father Christmas might forget, I walked into a little shop and there it was. I think the whole shop heard my screams of delight and relief, it was two days before Christmas.
Christmas morning Andrew opened that present and turning to me with a big smile on his face said “See, I knew Father Christmas would get it for me”

Snow

So much to do and so little time but like a child I can still get excited at snow falling! Will we have a white Christmas? I love the idea of it but dread the thought it might keep loved ones away.

I know I have journalled about the weather before but we have snow so rarely I wanted to do another page. Since I gave up work and moved here I am constantly thankful that I don’t have to get up in the morning and trudge into work. On days like today and with the prospect of even more snow on the way I realise again just how lucky I am.

Visitors

Today is a busy day, a day for someone else, someone who has a special birthday. I can’t believe I’m married to such an old man!
We have been busy with presents and putting up the tree and this evening we are all going out for a meal so my page for today has been super quick using the template Shimelle provided.

Sometimes you get it right!

A sudden panic on Christmas Eve, have I got enough pressies for my beloved? That was Ian last year, although I’m happy with whatever I get, I assure you!
The unexplained absence while I was busy doing the hundred and one things that needed doing, paid off, as this present was the surprise success of Christmas 2008. Mum, Jenny, Zen, Rebecca all watched it with me on several occasions, a real feel good movie. The men, however, disappeared into Andrew’s room and played silly football games, bless them!

I used a winter holiday template .

Music

 

I love everything Christmassy including the music. My cd’s appear towards the end of November, usually when I am getting prepared by making the puddings etc. It’s not long before the comments start “bit early for that” from Ian and “Oh no, it’s not that time again” from Andrew. I don’t care, White Christmas can still bring a tear to my eye and I will sing “you maggot” lustily to Fairytale of New York!

I also love Christmas carols, Joy to the world being my favourite.
When I was a Sunday School teacher I always enjoyed the nativity play. One year my grandson was a shepherd and had been instructed to walk slowly down the aisle to the stable. The family still laugh at the picture of him running, with me in hot pursuit to get to the stable in record time! But that is what Christmas is all about, family memories, usually embarrassing ones, that resurface every year and never fail to bring a smile to the face.

The year of the egg!

Looking back again over my childhood the year of the egg comes to mind. Dad could be quite awkward at times, especially at Christmas. He always complained about the turkey etc not being cooked properly, we always erred on the cautious side and made sure it was well cooked. All he really wanted was a boiled egg. This happened every year until one day sister Judy served him up one. I wish I’d had a camera then!!
I used a template from the winter holiday collection.

catching up again!

I was too busy visiting mum on Wednesday to do my page so I’ve just finished it now. The prompt was about traditions and although we try not to have too many it has become a regular thing to meet up and exchange presents with Maureen and John at a halfway point each year. This usually means Bluewater or Lakeside so we can do some Christmas shopping too. This year Jenny and Rebecca came with us.

The Tree

Ian and I have disagreed over the years about the tree. I love real ones he finds them expensive and messy. When the children were small we always had an artificial one which was sensible. As they grew up he gave in and we had a real one. When we moved I let him have his way  and we had a fibre optic one, but last year I got my tree again!!
Will I get my way again? I’m still working on it!!
I used a Jessica Sprague template and  Lindsay Jane Christmas Traditions kit

Mum

Yesterday was a busy day travelling over to see mum. We had hospital visits, shopping and most importantly presents for friends and helpers to wrap up and cards to address and send. It was a good day though and hopefully mum is now organised for Christmas, she only has to make sure her three daughters and son-in laws, 10 grandchildren and husbands and 17 great-grandchildren have got their presents, piece of cake mum!!!

So busy!

Sometimes when life is so busy and you feel you can’t cope with anything else, It’s ok to take the easy option.
Today’s prompt from Shimelle was to take photos of things around you today and that is what I’ve done. Christmassy things like my first card, ornaments and my recipe box which I made last year from a kit by Shimelle, yes I do love her style! Unfortunately I’ve been so busy and now have a splitting headache so I’ve used a ready made template from the winter holiday collection and I’m not going to worry about it!

Time out!

Sometimes it’s nice to forget about the cooking, cleaning, presents etc that fill our minds at this time and enjoy an unexpected visit.
Becca was not feeling well today so came to play with me while Jenny did her shopping.

the Christmas bags!

More childhood memories, this time I’m the bad one. The journalling reads
How well I remember as a child creeping into my parents bedroom to peep at the wrapped presents in the wardrobe. One year I loved my sister’s bag so much I swapped the tags over. She was very surprised when she received a glittery child’s bag and I had a lovely grown-up one.
I used a shimelle template and a free kit from shabby princess plus elements from LindsayJane and Jessica Sprague.

Delia’s sausage rolls

Bing Crosby and I have been singing away today, I’ve even let Frank Sinatra join in occasionally, Andrew’s door has been firmly shut! The reason for this is I’ve been making some sausage rolls to put in the freezer until the great day, Andrew did surface when I said I’d got a few to sample though!
This page was made with a template from Shimelle's class, winter holiday papers and the rest by Jessica Sprague.

catching up already!

Two pages today as I didn’t get round to doing my blog yesterday. The first page is about Christmas cards. I like to try and make some although I find them hard as life is so busy. This year I have fallen in love with digi stamps and promarkers so I have enjoyed making my cards.
As this is the third year I have been doing Shimelle’s class I feel I can stray from the prompts occasionally. I have been thinking about my childhood Christmas’ a lot lately and this story came to mind, the journalling reads
Looking back over my childhood memories of Christmas, one thing comes to mind, the cunning craftiness of Big Sis!
For several years mum and dad bought us a tin of lucky numbers, they were delicious, I loved them. That is, I loved everyone except number 21, Sue had told me that was a coffee cream, yuk!!!
It was years later that she confessed, number 21 was really FUDGE, her favourite and one of mine.
Although I look back with regret to not tasting that delight I have to admire her resourcefulness, wish I had thought of it first!

Day 2

Christmas and snow seem to go together, just look at our Christmas Cards. I love the snow especially as we get it so rarely. I’ve picked two very old photos of Jenny and Andrew for my layout, how I wish we had digital cameras back then!
Jen Martakis template and a LindsayJane kit called Jinglebells.

manifesto

A quick digi page for Shimelle’s Christmas class, journalling my intentions to scrap my Christmas. I used a template and papers from Jessica Sprague, the tree from LindsayJane and an NLD bear.

Christmas is coming!

It’s the first of December and I’m looking forward to Christmas.
The first prompt from Jessica Sprague was to journal your earliest Christmas memory.
Looking back over 50 years I have many happy memories and a few not so happy ones. The one thing that does stick out in my memory was my Talkative Jane doll. One September I saw this doll in the newspaper, a doll that could talk, it seemed like magic to me. I can remember thinking of it often over the next few months, I so wanted it. Christmas Eve arrived and I went to bed early with my pillowcase at the end of my bed. I can remember listening out for sleigh bells, a sure sign Father Christmas was on his way, would I get my doll?
Very early the next morning I awoke to a bulging pillowcase and yes, amongst my presents was Talkative Jane, bliss!!


Ian and I went for an early morning walk today and I took these photos, the sea was very wild. We love our walks even in the winter. Each season is special, I love the fact that we can wrap up warm and enjoy the beach and then come home to a cup of coffee and perhaps, if I’m feeling naughty, a chocolate!
I hope anyone looking at my blog has good memories to think about today.