Relaxing

 Relaxing now after a busy weekend!  Hubby had day off work on Friday for our Annual Christmas Shopping Spree.  Lists have been received rather on the late side this year, but I'm sure Father Christmas can sort things out in time!





 
Dan has been home from Uni, but we have not seen much of him as he has been at various 'Do's' with his girlfriend.  He has gone back to Uni now, where he is going to another 'Do' with his Uni pals!  We did have a nice evening on Friday though, sharing a very tasty Chinese meal.                                                        

Yesterday I spent some time wrapping presents, and today I have written Christmas cards so hopefully we are well on track. Bit unimpressed with the new tags we bought recently - I like to keep the tin nicely stocked up with a variety of gift tags... but these new ones open the wrong way!!  My peeps say it doesn't matter and I suppose it doesn't.  😐

Also yesterday I painted the roses on the table. Doing another coat tomorrow.

 

Regarding Hillary's letter, I decided to call her and ask for her email.  I'm sure you wondered why I didn't do that in the first place, but that's not what we've done in the past.  Anyway -  that's all sorted and I can take my "Letter for Hillary" to-do note off the front of my organiser.  Finally!!  It has been there all year.  😌 

Suzie has been working on her personal statement for Uni, and has had a couple of mock exams.

Don't see much of Barbara any more, I miss the laughs and wondering whether my new shoes will look good on her patio.

Hope Dan enjoys his evening.

 

Red Roses

Finally I have completed both of the bistro chairs and now I can focus on the table.  In between the rain showers today, I used the wire brush to get rid of the loose paint and I threw a couple of watering can fulls of warm water over it.  Then I brought it inside to dry it off and set about painting the 1st coat. 

Looks like it had been blue at some time or other, you can just see bits of blue paint underneath

Definitely going to paint the roses red, but do I leave some of this darker green showing through for the leaves??  Hmmm, might be a bit too fiddly.  I'll have a think before doing the second coat tomorrow.

Write Soon!

Have spent all day writing a letter to an ex-work colleague, Hillary.  She sends a letter with her Christmas card every year.  I try to do the same, but last year I just ran out of time and had to get her card in the post without having written a letter.  I did however make a rash promise that I would write 'soon'.  Big mistake!

Here we are 12 months later and I am desperately trying to put a letter together before I receive this year's card with yet another letter!

I have typed it, as once I started I seemed to have quite a lot to tell her and I wanted to add photos to make up for it being this late!  But adding the photos has been a right old struggle - kept knocking the text out of sync.  Nightmare.  Anyway I have done it now - but have we got any ink?? No!!  So Hubby will have to print it out at work for me and then I need to get to a post office because I want to send it recorded delivery. ( After having waited 2 months for Dan's original birth certificate to make its way back to us, I am more than a little nervous using the postal service.)   I'll let you know if I manage to send my letter before I receive mail from Hillary!  The race is on..!!

They're up!!

The decs are up!!  Had a really lovely day, all has gone smoothly!  Suzie has been playing her Christmas playlist for us to create a festive mood..  Dan and his girlfriend were here in plenty of time, for him to do his washing(!), construct the tree with Hubby and decorate it with Suzie.  I have been unsure of what to expect regarding this year's Christmas preparations - with Dan in University.  We would have understood if things couldn't be done in the usual way, but it would have been rather sad.   It did feel a little different as Dan's girlfriend was helping this year, but it felt right and it was a lovely sight to see the three of them dressing the tree.  Dan and Suzie also have their own little trees which they sorted, and the stair bannisters are always adorned with tinsel right to the top of the house!  Hubby was busy sorting the outside lights - he likes to have lights in the bush along the path to the front door. He'd have them there all year round if I'd agree to it!   The main living room window lights needed more attention this year.  I don't mind a mass of colour, but for the window it has to be a tidy mass of colour, so we have pulled the netting slightly tighter to keep the lights more in line!   

Yes, it has been a lovely day.  However, something is missing - where are those Christmas lists that I said needed to be in by the end of today??! 

Advent

Yummy December 1st at last!!  Been waiting to open my Advent Calendar! 

Yum!

Dan arrived home from Uni this morning.. his lectures had gone on too late yesterday to drive home - he was hungry and tired.  This morning however he seemed refreshed and we managed to have a chat before he was swept away by his girlfriend to meet her newly acquired puppy.  I'm sure she will bring him back tomorrow in time to assist with Christmas decorations, before he needs to travel back to Uni.  We miss him.


Suzie has been to singing and drama today, hubby has taken his car through the car wash.

I have been pottering.  Have put my wildlife camera out by the mousehole.  I have read that they leave a trail of leaves so that they can find their way back home quickly and safely.  It has been amusing over the last couple of days to see a small pile of leaves on the ground right outside their 'front door', possibly creating a barrier against this cold weather.  It was decidedly colder this morning and there was one leaf slapped right against the wall over the mousehole.  So funny, would love to have seen them placing it there.  So anyway, maybe I'll get some pics if they venture out when it gets dark.

Yes you can just make out a little nose poking out from behind the leaf!! 

Here he is a on his way back home after a midnight outing!