The best days of 2017

Every year I look back on the best days of the year. Sometimes, a month will go by without anything happening that can be truly described as "great" so I cheat a little and substitute other days from different months. 2017 has not been the best of years and our health problems have dogged us throughout the year. I think I have cried more this year than any other year I can remember, what with job worries and health scares. I sincerely hope that 2018 will be a great year for us all and a let up in the niggly little anxieties we've all endured over the past twelve months. Our holiday in Florida was the highlight of the year - thank goodness for that!

Here are the winners from 2017:

January:

Sunday 15th January - my birthday and a rain-sodden trip down to London. The weather didn't spoil things, though, and a celebrity sighting in the pub later in the day was the icing on the cake!

February:

Thursday 2nd February - Keith and I had our belated "Christmas do" at the pub and returned later in the day for a meal with Mike.

March:

See August.

April:

Wednesday 5th April - Sophie's 21st birthday and another trip to London. A picnic in the park, a wander around the National Portrait Gallery and dinner at a pub in Chiswick. With gorgeous weather, it was a perfect day!

May:

Sunday 28th May - a beautiful day, a lovely walk and a visit to the alpacas, followed by a lazy afternoon in our sunny garden.


June:

Sunday 25th June - a day off for us all and Sophie and I enjoyed a lovely treat at Beckworth in the afternoon. Bliss!

July:

Wednesday 26th July - a really sociable, lovely day as we met Gill for coffee in town and then had a cocktail at the bar in Derngate afterwards. In the evening we shared a bottle of wine or two with Sue and Michelle. We had a great natter and it went on for far longer than any of us anticipated!


August:

Friday 11th August - we find Naples Pier, have a lovely coffee at Tony's Off Third and return in the evening for a delicious meal at The Old Naples Pub. With sunbathing and swimming, it was a lovely day!

Monday 21st August - we drive over to Sanibel and Captiva Islands, taking in beautiful Bonita Beach on the way. Lunch was at The Green Flash restaurant on Captiva and it was wonderful. With the solar eclipse taking place, and dinner in the evening at The Cheesecake Factory, it was one of the best days of the holiday!

September:

Sunday 17th September - A perfect Autumn day. We visited The Yards in Kettering and then had a lovely cup of tea at The Retro Union Bar. A really enjoyable day!

October:

Sunday 8th October - A beautiful day (warm and sunny) and a visit to Althorp for the Literary Festival. We see a magnificent Bald Eagle and enjoy an ice-cream sundae afterwards!


November:

Sunday 12th November - A cold and sunny trip to Woburn for afternoon tea to celebrate Mum's birthday. We had a lovely mooch around the shops and a great time enjoying cakes and sandwiches!


 December:

Sunday 17th December - A day trip to France, the Christmas market at Arras and then wine buying at Carrefour in Cite Europe. The highlight was beer and pommes frites at a cafe before we returned home!

Cheers!

The end of another year!

This morning dawned grey and rainy but it has been very mild lately. The snow has definitely all gone!

We popped to see Mum and Dad this morning as they are out at a New Year's party this evening and are dressing up in a 20s style. My Mum had bought a wig and a sparkly hair band and wanted our opinion. We all thought she looked great!

We had a coffee and then headed home where I hoovered out Jim as we were taking him to the Hyundai dealership in Milton Keynes to see if we could part exchange him for a lovely little black i10 that Sophie had seen. We took Mike to work, put Jim through the carwash and headed out on the A508. The dealership is situated on the A5 roundabout so it was very easy to find.

The little back i10 was already waiting for us and the salesman suggested a test drive but we wanted to find out about finance first and how much we could get for the Honda. It was a long drawn out process but in the end we now have a new addition to the family! We are hoping that all the finance will be in Sophie's name but if not, Keith will act as guarantor. She was very pleased and we went out for a short drive and I was impressed. It drives very well and felt very solid which I liked. We have to wait a little while to pick it up but very soon, Sophie will have the car she really wanted in the colour she wanted, so she's very happy.

From the dealership we drove to Milton Keynes and parked in the multi storey. We were all hungry and dying for a cup of tea so we went to M&S and Sophie and I enjoyed a celebratory toasted sandwich while Keith had a scone. We then popped to River Island and Sophie bought a lovely jacket with all of her Christmas money.

We decided to head home and on the A5 roundabout I made a mistake and we ended up on the A5 towards Towcester. As I've used this road numerous times I can't understand why I did it! However, I was glad I did as, after we'd been home a short while, I saw a post on Facebook about a serious accident on the A508 near Roade...and we would have been in the area at the time in happened...someone is obviously looking after us!

We are now at home relaxing and looking forward to paella for dinner and a visit to Sue and Paul's later in the evening to see in the New Year. I'd like to wish all my readers a wonderful 2018 and I hope you stay with me for another year!

A lunchtime mooch!

As both Sophie and Mike were at work today, Keith and I decided to go for a lunchtime mooch to a couple of pubs.

We dropped Mike off and drove to The Fox and Hounds in Kingsthorpe. The last time we were here we weren't that impressed, but the pub has been modernised and freshened up (although I could still detect an odour of stale urine) and shortly after we arrived a group of ramblers came in, which livened up the atmosphere a bit.

Keith had one pint and we moved onto The Queen Adelaide in Kingsthorpe village. I delivered wine here in the summer and it's supposed to be very good for real ales, but the pint of Adnams Broadside that Keith ordered wasn't as good as his previous one in The Fox and Hounds. We sat at a tall table by the window and chatted but it didn't feel that friendly and I doubt whether we'll ever venture back.

Our next choice was The Griffin at Pitsford and I understand this has changed hands recently as the last time we went it appeared to be on its last legs and they weren't doing any food. I now get regular updates from them on Facebook and we were impressed with the beer and the chattiness of the man behind the bar. There was a smell of disinfectant when we came in but I think I prefer that to the whiff of pee!

Our last stop was our regular, The Royal Oak, and we chatted to several locals including Keith's drinking mate, Dave. Keith popped behind the bar and reserved a table for tonight as a treat - I can't remember the last time we ate here, it must be a few years ago!

Back home we relaxed before going to get Mike from work. We dropped him off at home and then went to fetch Sophie and as she wasn't quite ready, we went in and chatted to Maureen and Polly. Sophie wasn't that happy about going out, which was disappointing. However, she had over an hour to get ready and at 8pm we were all sitting around a table by the fire and perusing the menu. Keith went for his favourite, fish and chips, I had scampi and both Soph and Mike chose beefburgers. The food was lovely and very tasty but we didn't have room for dessert (and we had a trifle at home anyway). With drinks the bill came to a reasonable £80 and after paying we headed home to don our pyjamas and relax in front of the television!

Phew! It's Friday!

I really didn't want to get up this morning and go out into the horrible, rainy morning! However, it was my last day until next Thursday so I couldn't complain!

Keith dropped me off again and the hours passed quickly enough. We had a fire alarm go off at around midday which meant we all had to stand outside in the cold for about ten minutes. The children who were in the holiday playscheme were wrapped up in foil to keep them warm!

Keith came to pick me up at 2pm and we headed home where I had a couple of hours to relax. I prepared our dinner of Beef Tacos as I knew that when Sophie finished work at 6.30pm she wouldn't fancy coming home and cooking as we'd planned. She'd been called into work today as they were short-staffed so after I dropped Keith off at the pub I went to get her. We had just enough time at home to do some more preparation and then go and get Keith.

Dinner was lovely and after we'd eaten we watched the last episode of The Miniaturist. It was OK but a little sad at the end and we did wonder what role the Miniaturist had in the whole drama!

Back to work...

I was back at work this morning and overnight all the slush had frozen hard making the roads treacherous. Keith took me into work and we went another way as the traffic was much lighter than normal. I wish it was like this every day!

Work passed pleasantly enough - there was only three of us in the office so it was very quiet. At the end of the day I found I was 80p down which annoyed me! I must have made the wrong calculation somewhere along the line!

Sophie and Keith picked me up and we went to do our shopping in Kettering. Today has been lovely and sunny but cold - just how I like the winter to be! We were home by 4pm and the sunset was beautiful this evening. I wished I'd had my camera with me to capture the bare trees against the indigo sky.

Mike was in Brixworth so we went to collect him at 6pm and the roads were still slushy and icy. More snow is forecast for tomorrow but I'm not sure we'll get any. By the time it gets to us it will have turned to rain.

We had a delicious curry for dinner and afterwards Sophie and I watched the first of a two part series called The Miniaturist, set in 17th century Amsterdam. It was good, if a little spooky!

More snow!

Last night it started to rain heavily and the forecast said it could well turn to snow in the early hours of the morning. When I got up at 7am we did indeed have a covering of the white stuff!

It was a good job I didn't have to go into work today but Mike was doing an afternoon shift and we really didn't know whether he would be needed or not. It was our bin day and the task of putting out our recycling boxes (full to the brim) was made much harder by the snow and the cold wind. It was not very pleasant! I did wonder whether the refuse collection would take place but the roads were more slushy than anything and the snow was very wet.

I put out some more food for our hungry birds and decided to hoover downstairs until Mike went to work. He didn't hear anything so we took him in at midday and then went off to Tesco as we needed quite a few things, and especially dinner for tonight. The roads were wet and slushy but certainly passable with care.

We had no turkey left over (well, not enough to make a curry anyway) so we bought some chicken breasts and some fish for tonight. I've had enough of very rich food for the time being! The store wasn't as busy as I thought it would be - perhaps the snow had put people off going out!

In the afternoon the snow and sleet cleared and the sun came out, accompanied by blue skies. I carried on with some housework while Sophie worked hard on an assignment in the conservatory.

We returned to pick Mike up at 5pm and the temperatures had dropped to about 1c. The slush had turned to ice and the road was very dicey indeed!

Boxing Day relaxation!

We've had a very lazy day today with plenty of lounging about and doing not much at all! Mike was working today so we dropped him off at midday and went home to have a late breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast.

I'm quite pleased that we haven't thrown that much food away this Christmas. All of the vegetables from yesterday's meal will be turned into bubble and squeak tonight and we've saved the leftover chipolata sausages and Yorkshire puddings. All I threw away (or put into our food caddy) was scrapings off the plates of uneaten veggies. The uneaten scrapings of potatoes, stuffing and parsnips went into the garden for the birds who certainly appreciated the feast!

At about 3.30pm Sophie and I went for a walk with Monty to see the horses, only they were nowhere in sight, so it was a good job we didn't take any carrots for them! We met a neighbour with his dog and had a chat before walking around the estate to see what was going on...not a lot to be honest!

Mike was ready to be picked up at about 5pm so it was home to relax with a drink and my Kindle while Sophie watched Jurassic World. Dinner tonight was cold turkey and bubble and squeak accompanied by the warmed-through sausages and puddings. Delicious!

The Big Day!

Christmas Day dawned cloudy and cool with grey skies, although we did see some blue sky and sun during the morning, which was a bonus!

We were all up and opening presents at 9am and I think we all did very well! I was especially pleased with a forthcoming trip to The Shard in January! What a great surprise!

We all enjoyed a glass of Champagne while we opened our presents and then it was time to knuckle down and prepare dinner. I set the table and tidied the conservatory while Sophie hoovered. By midday we were all set as Keith had prepared all the vegetables and the house was looking very festive. I'd even found a youtube video to play while we were eating Christmas dinner!

Keith and Mike went to the pub at lunchtime while Sophie and I had showers. I took our turkey out of the fridge at 12.30pm and then went to collect the boys. The pub was full of people drinking before lunch so there was a great atmosphere but I wasn't enticed into having a drink as I had a glass of sherry waiting for me at home!

At 2pm my parents arrived and we opened loads more presents - they had really gone to town! Sophie and I received a Spa Retreat Day which was wonderful and I was also given a lovely soft dressing gown which was perfect. With Sophie's blue pyjamas she bought me, I should look lovely at bedtime!

While we opened our presents we had It's A Wonderful Life on the television and at 3pm we had our starter of prawn cocktail, which was delicious. Keith then prepared the rest of the meal, helped by Sophie and I, and by 4.30pm we were sitting down to roast turkey and all the trimmings. We put the food out onto a table in the study as there was no way we could fit all the dishes onto the dining room table!

The food was delicious and the Chablis I'd ordered from Sainsbury's was beautiful and went really well with the turkey. After helping Sophie and Mike clear away we all retreated into the living room to watch Morecambe and Wise and relax. Sophie, my Dad and Keith all fell asleep!

We enjoyed Christmas pudding and chocolate sponge for dessert with glasses of Sauternes and settled down to watch Skyfall. My parents left at about 9pm and said they'd thoroughly enjoyed their day with us so that was great.

It's been a lovely day but I'm glad it's all over and we can look forward to a day of relaxation tomorrow!

Merry Christmas to all my followers on here!

I hope 2018 will be a great year for us all!

Even more last minute shopping!

It was great to have a lazy start to the day but I didn't wake up until 9.30am...much later than I wanted to!

After dropping Mike off at work, Sophie and I drove to Kettering and popped into M&S as we needed some potatoes and veg. They didn't have any broccoli, but I managed to grab two bags of spuds, a lovely cauli and a Christmas cake for Keith, as well as an extra pud for the big day.

From there we visited The Yards and we picked out a great 90s sweatshirt for Mike from the vintage clothes section. Sophie also found a lovely sweatshirt as well. On the way back to the car I called into a the beer shop opposite and bought Mike two bottles of rather strong ale for his stocking.

We had planned on having lunch at Beckworth and on the way we called into a Co-op and I finally found some broccoli! We are all set now! There's always last minute items that we need to get!

Beckworth wasn't too busy and we didn't have to wait long for a table. I fancied the turkey, cranberry and brie muffini and Sophie went for a pulled pork panini. Washed down with a delicious glass of wine it was a real treat! It was lovely to sit and chat and as it wasn't too busy, that was a bonus.

We had a wander around afterwards and I bought my parents a voucher for afternoon tea. I am now finally finished! Hooray!

We drove home and soon afterwards, Mike called us to pick him up from work. It was just after 5pm so great to be home earlier than normal. I watched Five Go In Search of Santa and wished that we had abundant snow or that we lived in Scandinavia. Sophie has a uni friend from Finland and they were exchanging messages and he was sending photos of the snow and how dark it was in the early afternoon!

We had a late dinner of beef pie (Sophie and I were still a bit full from lunch) and then it was time to watch a couple of Christmas specials on the TV and look forward to the big day tomorrow!

A spot of last minute shopping!

I did not think for one minute that I'd be going shopping today (same as last year) but after dropping Sophie off at work, Keith and I headed down to Homesense as I needed to get some stocking fillers for the children.

Luckily, as we were early, the place wasn't too packed but when we left half an hour later, it was starting to get busy. I didn't have much luck in Homesense, but I did find a couple of nice things for Sophie and some chocolates for Mike.

We then had no option but to go into town...on the Saturday before Christmas...arghhhh!

We parked in the Mayorhold and ended up on the fourth floor, previously alien territory for me! We took the lift down and stood with a woman and her two daughters who was as nervous as me. It was a tiny lift! We emerged and followed the signs to the Grosvenor Centre and Market Square and I was shocked by the state of the path leading to the town. If anyone had visited Northampton for the first time, their impression would be a terrible one! The surroundings were dingy, full of litter and graffiti and had a real air of menace about them. I dread to think what the place is like at night!

We went into Boots and I bought a couple of stocking fillers and then we made our way to HMV where we bought Mike three posters for his bedroom wall. I also bought some more tags (someone had helped themselves to the ones I'd bought earlier!) and we fled home! I suppose we got off a bit lightly!

Back home it was time for a Danish pastry and a cup of coffee before I caught up with little jobs around the house that I'd neglected since Wednesday. The weather today has been mild, grey and breezy but I think the sun did try and poke its heads through the clouds at one point.

Keith went to the football in the afternoon while I prepared a Chicken Chasseur dish and peeled all the vegetables. We will need to go out tomorrow and get more broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes!

I picked Sophie up from work at 6pm and it was home to try a new wine (from Duncan's) and enjoy our chicken dinner!

Last day!

I slept for almost nine hours last night and the alarm woke me at 6.30am this morning. Keith took me into work again and it was a murky, misty morning. We are not going to get a white Christmas this year which is a real shame. If only that snow had come two weeks later!

There were two of us manning the phones today and we were a bit quieter, which was a bonus after yesterday! By 1.30pm most of the other staff had gone home and I was relieved at 2pm by another woman who would be there until 8pm...on her own!

Keith and Sophie picked me up and had already given Mike a lift into town. They said the roads were gridlocked as people probably finished work early and went to do some last minute shopping. We drove to Tesco, which was heaving, and I bought a present for Keith and a bottle of Sherry for myself. I do love a glass of Sherry on Christmas Day!

I suppose it wasn't too bad and we met my Mum and Dad in Tesco who were just about to start their shopping, mad things! It was great to get home, have a little walk around the estate to deliver a couple of cards and jump into the bath, where I fell asleep again!

A knock on the door woke me up and it was Lynda who had arrived to bring the children's presents. We chatted for half an hour and then Sophie and I went to collect Mike from Brixworth. We sped home and my daughter and I prepared fish pie for dinner...not my favourite meal!

It was great to relax after we'd eaten and know I didn't have to get up too early in the morning!

A horrible start to my day!

It was horrible to have to get up early this morning and we had a bad start to the day as we were woken by Mike blundering about in our bedroom at 3am looking for the loo...

I also hate getting straight up and showering rather than going downstairs and easing myself into the day like I normally do, even if it's only for half an hour. I was grumpy and irritable! Keith drove me into work and we met Lynda in the car park. She must be keen!

Cacklehead appeared this morning and started shouting and swearing about the state of the office. As I was really busy answering calls due to the online booking system being down, it was very annoying! It was non-stop until I left and it was great to not have to go to school at 3pm. We drove over to Mum and Dad's house in the grey gloom. The sun has not appeared all day, so it's been very dull and dismal.

We enjoyed a cup of tea at Mum's and chatted about Christmas. Keith had been shopping this morning and had picked up our turkey and it was a bit smaller than we were expecting. It will certainly feed all six of us on Christmas Day but there might not be that much left over for a cold supper on Boxing Day and a curry the day after!

Back home we awaited a call from Mike who was working, and as soon as we'd picked him up and returned home, I had a bath and fell asleep in it! I was totally shattered! So much so that I was in bed at 9.15pm! Roll on tomorrow when I finish at 2pm!

Running errands.

We were all up and out by 9.15am this morning and our first port of call was an iPod repair business in Kettering. Mike's iPod hasn't worked for ages and we said we'd try and get it fixed before Christmas. The company promised to look at it for us so we left it with them, dropped Mike off at the barber's so he could get a Christmas haircut and Sophie, Keith and I went to Tesco.

After we'd finished doing a little bit of shopping, we waited for Mike in McDonald's and had breakfast. I always make the mistake of having one of the breakfasts and then instantly regretting it and that was the case this morning!

We dropped Mike off at home and I picked up my £30 Majestic voucher. We quickly called into Aldi in St James (never again) to get some beer for Mike as both him and Sophie are off to a party tonight in town.

At Majestic, it was really busy and I struggled to get a parking space! How different from the summer! Unfortunately, even though James told me there were seven bottles of the Ned Pinot Gris available, we couldn't find them! Instead we chose another couple of bottles of New Zealand Pinot Gris and some Californian red to take home. Our wine rack is now back to full capacity!

On the way home we called into Jones's to get a few last minute bits but I still have a fair bit of shopping to do and I'm starting to panic slightly!

It was our last afternoon at the school and it was quite a subdued little affair. We put out some party food, but one of the older girls went to a friend's house straight afterwards and the other children were quite content to play by themselves. We left at just before 6pm and I discovered that Mike had already left to go to his party as he was going with a friend who lives in the village.

We took Sophie into town at 7pm and on the way home called to get fish and chips as it was far too late to cook. I felt tired in the evening and had a nap on the sofa while Keith watched The Hatton Garden Job. We were back out at 11pm and picked both Sophie and Mike up from St Giles Street.

We were home by midnight, thank goodness, and I set the alarm to go off at 7am. Work tomorrow!

Laughter and tears...

Sophie and I went to meet my friend Gill for coffee this morning at Costa in Weston Favell. As usual the place was busy so we grabbed an empty table and waited for her to arrive. I treated her to a pot of tea and ordered coffees and muffins for Sophie and I.

We had a general chat and then she hit us with a bombshell...she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and there's very little they can do for her. I'd known she was having investigations but I honestly thought she was going to be OK, so it was a huge shock. Both Sophie and I were very upset but Gill was marvellous. She has a very positive attitude and told us about her lovely weekend when she'd gone to the pantomime with her daughters and grandchildren and had come home in a limousine.

I felt so sad that she was facing this horrible disease but I just pray that she's still here for many years to come. The mother of one of Sophie's friends was given six months to live over two years ago and she's still here and enjoying life so I hope that the same goes for Gill.

We had a laugh despite her news and arranged to meet up again at Easter. After we said goodbye Sophie and I went into Tesco and picked out dinner for tonight and tomorrow. I also popped into Wilco's and bought two frames for Mike's posters that we've ordered for Christmas.

Back home we had lunch and then it was time to go to the school. We only had seven children in this evening and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Tomorrow is our last day! I was overjoyed to get some presents from parents tonight, which I was not expecting!

A shorter working day!

I woke up at 6.30am this morning, and then promptly fell asleep again until almost 9am. I must have been tired!

I was at work at 11am this morning and Keith took me in as I was worried about finding a parking space. The three hours flew by and very soon it was time for me to meet Keith again and go and get some diesel for my car. I also put it through the carwash as it was filthy and encrusted with salt from the roads.

I was back out at 3pm to after school club and we managed to get the children into the playground for some fresh air and exercise. The weather today has been cold and clear so it was great to get out for a little while.

When I'd finished at 6pm I picked up Sophie and we went to collect Mike from Brixworth. It was then lovely to go home, get warm and enjoy one of Keith's hot curries!

A day in France

We were all up and awake by 4.45am and ready to go by 5.45am. Outside it was cold and foggy - not ideal for driving down to the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone!

However despite the weather we made really good time and arrived in Folkestone at about 8.15am. We'd had much colder temperatures in Kent and freezing fog, and it was quite pretty seeing the wisps of mist hanging over the trees.

The children stayed in the car while Keith and I went into the terminal and I managed to buy another present for Sophie. There were some reindeer in a pen in the middle of the shopping area and it was all feeling really festive!

It wasn't long before we were called to board the train but we had to wait for ages, with our departure time coming and going. It was very busy indeed and this accounted for the hold-ups. We eventually got going but the driver in front nearly hit me as he rolled back! When we got onto the train his right hand side wheels were up on the pedestrian walkway! I just hope he fared better driving in France!

The journey was short and efficient and very soon we were emerging into the sunshine in Calais. It was about 5c and the fields and woods looked very cold and frosty, but the sun was a definite bonus! We took the A26 towards Paris and after an hour we'd reached Arras. The motorway was almost empty and we paid just under 8 euros to use the road.

We drove towards the town centre and parked in a large area not far from the main market square. It looked very busy and people were streaming towards the town all headed for the Christmas market. Security was very tight and there was no vehicular access near the market itself. When we walked in we were frisked and our bags searched, which was very reassuring.

We had a look at all the different cabins and then spotted a Winter Bar where they were serving Gluhwein in glass mugs, very similar to the ones we use at the Berlin Christmas markets. Sophie and I had one each and we bought a beer for Mike.

We wanted to get a decoration for each of our Christmas trees today and Sophie wanted a new ring, but sadly we didn't see anything we liked. We had a good look at all the cabins but they didn't have the quality that we saw in Berlin or the choice of things to buy.

After enjoying a hot dog with rather too much vinegary choucroute added, we walked back to the car to return back to Calais. However we had a shock when my car wouldn't open! Keith tried the old trick of holding the key to his head and opening his mouth but that didn't work! Luckily, just as we were starting to panic Keith directed the key fob at the driver's door and it opened! We've never got into the car so fast!

Driving back to Calais was easy and the motorway was even emptier. We followed signs for Cite Europe but by now it had started to rain and the place was heaving. Finding a space was very difficult! After driving around and around we finally found one and walked into the shopping centre, calling into the loos before heading for Carrefour. I'd never seen the place so busy, not even on previous Christmas shopping trips but the supermarket was bearable. We bought quite a few bottles of wine, some beer and chocolates and then took everything back to the car before having a beer and some pommes frites at a bar called La Parisienne. This, for me, was the highlight of the day and the food and drink were delicious!

We still had euros left and there was no way I was taking them home with me so we had another browse around a couple of shops but decided to spend them in the Duty Free at the terminal. I bought a bottle of whisky and some wine while Sophie bought a gift for my Mum. As we were queuing up to pay they called our letter so we dashed back to the car and joined the queue to board. This time we didn't have to wait so long and we were put into a huge carriage that obviously accommodated coaches and high vehicles. I slept for about twenty minutes and all too soon we were back in the UK.

The journey home was fast and furious and all three motorways were busy. We arrived home at about 9.30am, packed everything away and collapsed on the sofa with a drink. It had been a very long, but very enjoyable day!

Saturday working...

I was awake at 6am this morning and enjoyed a coffee with a recorded programme of Love, Lies and Records. Monty fell asleep on me as I watched the show!

I was not pleased with myself for having to work today. I should have gone in on Monday despite the snowy, icy roads! Never mind. I was in at work with Sue, which was a bonus and we were very quiet so I was able to make lists of things I needed to do as tomorrow we are off to France for the day.

As soon as 4pm came I logged off, cashed up and drove to the Weston Favell Centre. Outside it was dark, cold and rainy and the shopping centre was heaving with people. I changed £50 into euros and bought another bottle of the Jam Shed wine for tonight as we're having beef casserole for dinner.

From there I drove the short distance to Riverside and picked up two of Sophie's presents which I'd ordered. I also walked along to Halfords and bought a single use breathalyser kit (needed by law apparently) and some headlight convertors.

Keith was at home waiting for my Sainsbury's delivery and he rang to say it had been delivered and he was going to pick Mike up from work as he'd swapped shifts. I drove to collect Sophie from work and while I waited I enjoyed a cup of tea and chatted to Polly.

By 6.15pm Sophie was finished so it was home to pay online in advance for our Dartford toll crossing tomorrow and enjoy some dinner and a glass of wine. We have to be up at about 4.30am in the morning so it was an early night for all of us!

A somewhat trying day!

My alarm woke me at 6.30am this morning - never a good sign! It was a very cold and frosty start to the day and we had a quiet session at work, so it was a tad boring. We did have some busy patches with complicated queries and I just hope I don't get anything too difficult tomorrow!

The weather has been dry, sunny and cold but no more snow has been forecast for a while. Perhaps it's a good thing! I dashed home at 2pm, enjoyed a mince pie and a cup of tea and went to after school club for our last film night of the year. We were going to be watching Scooby Doo and the The Wonder Dog and I was quite looking forward to it!

Lisa had set the room up but the projector wouldn't work. She asked one of the dads who's very technical to come and look at it and he said the bulb needed replacing. I took the children out into the playground for half an hour and then we tried to watch the film on a television with an in-built DVD but it wouldn't work.

We had no option but to go ahead with the usual toys and games and we took some Lego out for the children to play with. By about 5.30pm we were all done and just about to set the alarm when the automatic door wouldn't close properly... it kept closing but bouncing back. Lisa called the caretaker who fiddled about with it for ages but eventually we managed to set the alarm and go. It was now past 6pm so I sped home for a bath, as tonight I was out for dinner with Lynda, Andrea and Fiona.

Sophie did my hair and I went to pick Keith up from the pub before leaving for the Whyte Melville in Boughton. I met Andrea and Fiona in the car park and we had a hug as I hadn't seen Andrea since July. Inside, we were shown to our table and we chatted as we waited for Lynda. I confessed to having to go to work in the morning which was why I was driving and not enjoying a glass of wine tonight.

Lynda arrived and looked very glamorous! There was a flurry of greetings and then we settled down to look at the menu. I chose the creamy mushrooms on toast followed by the Cajun chicken. We had a good night and Lynda showed us some photos of her men friends. I think Andrea was a little shocked by some of her tales but we were all glad she's having a good time in her sixties!

We finished the meal with desserts and cheese and biscuits and then at 11pm we went home. The bill had come to a whopping £155 (with only one bottle of wine) but I paid £35 as I hadn't imbibed! To be fair Andrea and Fiona had enjoyed Gin and tonics when they first arrived and a glass of Port each with dessert so I suppose it wasn't bad!

Lynda had also driven so she gave Andrea and Fiona a lift home and I said goodbye and wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Back home I sat and relaxed with Sophie and Keith and then went to bed, not looking forward to getting up in the morning!

Wine with friends

Today was a bit hectic at work as some of the staff were moving desks about to accommodate a new person in the office. I learnt that "Cacklehead" was going into her own office (she would) and that was good news, as someone said, "At least we can shut the door on her when she gets too loud!" so it's not just me!

The new woman was, unfortunately, grumpy and smelt strongly of cigarette smoke, so I'm not sure it's a good idea, really! Never mind! Despite all the moving about, there was a nice atmosphere today and I like working with Sue on a Thursday. We had a riveting conversation about her family!

At 2pm I left to pick Sophie up and we called into the shop in Moulton on the way home to pick up some chocolates as we are off to Michelle's house tonight. This meant I barely had ten minutes at home before I was off to after-school club at 3pm!

Tonight was a lot better. I'm not sure whether Lisa had picked up on my mood but we took the children out for half an hour and when we went back in she had set up the room, which was a bonus! We were finished by 5.15pm and then I sped home for a bath before Sophie and I walked to Michelle's house. Keith and Mike went to the pub for a drink and ordered a Chinese takeaway for their dinner.

We had a lovely evening and Michelle's house looked beautiful with gorgeous Christmas decorations and little twinkly lights and candles everywhere. Her two cats made an appearance and we chatted over cheese and biscuits, a bottle of Prosecco, the Jam Shed Shiraz I'd bought in Tesco and a Merlot. Sophie and I left at 10.30am and walking home it felt very cold indeed!

We go food shopping!

I had missed going shopping with Keith so today we decided to bring the weekly shop forward by a day. All this week I've been mistaking the days so I knew that today would feel like a Thursday!

We dropped Sophie off at uni and called to see Mum and Dad before we went shopping. I took her the Vans so she could wrap them and they were really happy that their kitchen was back to normal and the leak in the pipe had been fixed.

Today the weather has been dreadful and the snow has turned to rain, making the surfaces of the roads and paths very dangerous indeed. I actually lost control of my car on the corner before we got to Mum's house and nearly ended up in someone's garden!

Shopping was a bit hectic and I did wonder why I'd actually missed the experience! Aldi was busy and so was Tesco...where are all these people normally? We managed to get through it and headed home in the gloom to put it all away before having a quick lunch. Sophie had asked us to pick her up at 1.30pm so we hastily ate a sandwich and then drove to get her.

Back home the rain started in earnest and it went really dark. Those hot summer days in Florida seem a very distant memory!

After school club was quite busy and the children were excited as the first of the two school plays was being put on this evening in the church. We had one little girl with us right up to the dot of 6pm which didn't please Lisa as she was itching to get off and see her own children in the production.

I walked back to my car very gingerly as the path was like a skating rink and it was great to get home and relax after my busy day!

A spot of shopping.

My Mum called me at 7.30am this morning to say that her kitchen had been flooded from a burst water pipe so she wouldn't be able to come shopping with us. We'd abandoned the idea of going to Milton Keynes because of the time constraints and had chosen, instead, to go to Rushden Lakes as there's an M&S there, as well as Next, New Look and House of Fraser.

She asked if we could pop in on our way over as she wanted to give Sophie the money to buy some Vans. We left home at 8.45am and scraped the ice off the car as it was a freezing cold morning with the snow hardened with the frost. Last night we'd gone for a walk around the estate after dinner and it was like walking through meringues! (It was lovely, though, as we came home and watched Nigella's Christmas table!).

I decided, wrongly, to drive through the village and of course, got caught up in the school run. It was total chaos as parents were dropping their children off and as the roads were icy and still covered in snow that had hardened, it was very hazardous driving. It had turned into a gridlock situation but luckily I managed to get out before the bus arrived!

The A43 was almost at a standstill but I wasn't going to risk the country roads so I steeled myself for a hold-up on the way to Rushden. Mum and Dad were OK and had mopped up all the water but they looked slightly shocked at how much liquid had burst from the pipe. It looked like their outside tap was to blame and they were waiting for a plumber to arrive.

We nearly didn't go shopping as my car refused to lock for some reason! I was on the point of returning home when it started to work. It could have been down to the temperature this morning - it was -5c but I've known it to be far colder than that!

We left Mum and Dad's and joined the nose-to-tail traffic on the A43. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the Round Spinney roundabout and then we had a good journey for the rest of the way. We arrived at Rushden Lakes at just after 10am and headed straight for Bill's restaurant which was serving breakfast.

Although it was freezing cold the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning. We enjoyed a full English and the food was very good indeed. We ate sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes with lovely toast washed down with coffee and frothed milk. It was delicious!

After we'd eaten we went to Schuh where Sophie bought a gorgeous pair of black velvet Vans. We then had a mooch around L'Occitane (very expensive) and Fat Face (also expensive) before venturing into M&S where I bought several gifts. We also went into Next and River Island and spent a fair amount of time in House of Fraser testing the Chanel perfumes. Sophie bought two tops in New Look for a Christmas meal she's going to next week and then we decided to call it a day.

Before going home we called into Tesco in Kettering and Sophie bought another couple of gifts. They were alcoholic and she wasn't asked for ID! It had been a lovely morning but I still had a fair bit of shopping to do!

An unexpected day off!

My manager at work, Sara, had texted me yesterday to say that I wasn't to worry about coming in today if the weather was still bad. Although we didn't get any more significant snow overnight it was freezing this morning and I didn't see that many cars venture out of our estate to go to work!

I was up at 6am and I really didn't fancy asking Keith to drive me in and then come all the way home, only to go back out again later. Mike's college was closed, as was Sophie's uni and the school I work in was also shut for the day so none of us had to go anywhere.

I did feel a bit guilty but the news was full of the weather conditions and how bad the roads were. We did go out to take Mike to Brixworth and I was surprised at how slushy and icy the roads were on the way and in the village itself.

I did manage to get some washing done and I hoovered so I didn't feel completely lazy! At 3pm the skies cleared and the sun came out so we decided to try and re-create a photo I'd taken in 2005 of Keith and the children at Pitsford...

Mike was 5 years old and Sophie was 9 so they've changed an awful lot since then. We couldn't actually get to this part of Pitsford at the country park was closed (everything was fine back in 2005!) so we parked some way from the Holcot car park and I took a photo...

It was a beautiful late afternoon but I could feel the cold seeping through my clothes. It's set to be about -6 here tonight!

It was great to get home and jump into a hot bath!

A snowy walk!

Although snow had been forecast, it was still a shock to be woken by Sophie this morning and to be told we had some of the white stuff!

All plans to collect my Mum at 9am and go to Milton Keynes were cancelled as there was no way I was going to venture out onto the roads! We had a very lazy morning and I called my Mum to suggest we go on Tuesday instead. It meant that we wouldn't have as much time as I'd need to get back for work at 3pm but that was all we could do.

The roof of our conservatory covered in thick snow.

At lunchtime we all walked down to the pub in Walgrave and had a few drinks. A number of locals were there as well and there was a lovely atmosphere. All the while we were there it continued to snow outside even though it had turned a bit more sleety. It was still very cold!

We walked back home slowly and wrapped up warm in the afternoon. I felt very sleepy so I had a nap on our bed while watching Jamie Oliver and then I fell asleep downstairs again! I also couldn't get warm so I think today is the worst day of my horrible cold!

Keith had slow cooked a brisket of beef for dinner but I couldn't taste a thing. No wine for me tonight, then!

Snow! And this time it really is!

Met Office Warnings Issued For:

Northamptonshire

1. Yellow warning of snow

   From:

   0400 on Sun 10 December

   To:

   2355 on Sun 10 December

   Updated 9 December at 23:10 Active
   A spell of heavy snow is possible over parts of England and Wales during Sunday.
   
   The snow could lead to road, rail and air travel delays, with the potential for vehicles to become stranded or public transport to be cancelled. Rural communities with limited access routes could become cut off.

2. Amber warning of snow

   From:

   0810 on Sun 10 December

   To:

   1800 on Sun 10 December

   Updated 1 hour ago Active
   A spell of heavy snow is likely over parts of Wales, the Midlands and parts of Northern and Eastern England on Sunday.
   
   Road, rail and air travel delays are likely, as well as stranding of vehicles and public transport cancellations. There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off.

Christmas shopping...online!

We dropped Sophie off at work this morning and then I came home to try and do some Christmas shopping online. The weather forecast for tomorrow is now saying we are going to get a significant snowfall so our plans to go to Milton Keynes will be cancelled.

I ordered two presents for Sophie to be collected next Tuesday and some gifts for Mike to be delivered by Amazon. I also used some of the Nectar points I'd been collecting with the Daily Mail to get a Christmas pudding and cream and some luxury biscuits from Sainsbury's, which will be delivered next Saturday. For Christmas Day's dinner I ordered a bottle of Chablis which I hope will go well with the turkey. We also have a bottle of St Emilion for my Dad who prefers a red.

Keith went to the football in the afternoon and I had a long hot bath as my cold is now horrible. I'm completely stuffed up and constantly sneezing so all I really wanted to do was curl up on the sofa with a good film...and it had to be It's A Wonderful Life! However, I did fall asleep through a bit of it which just shows how horrible I felt!

Keith returned from watching Sileby and was freezing cold! It really has been a cold, but sunny day so we'll see what tomorrow brings! After picking Sophie up from work we prepared a dinner of chicken and sausage traybake and then I noticed that we've now got an Amber warning for snow tomorrow. I can't ever recall getting an Amber warning before so it looks like our trip to Milton Keynes will definitely be off!

After dinner we watched an old 1980s compilation of Christmas hits and very good it was too!

Naughty children!

Well, we didn't awake to any snow this morning, despite the weather warnings, but we're now forecast to get it quite badly on Sunday, the day I had planned to go shopping in Milton Keynes!

Work was quieter today but I have the beginnings of a cold so my voice was a bit hoarse! Not ideal for the job I do!

I sped home at 2pm, had something to eat and then was back out again. This afternoon, members of the school PTA were in the library creating a grotto for tomorrow's Christmas Bazaar and there were two tables laden with an assortment of jam jars that contained sweets and toys by the screen where we watch our films. Lisa was decorating the Christmas tree and had asked me to set up the room. She also said she was going to help with decorating the grotto and would I mind looking after the children on my own as we only had eight...

One of the teachers lowered the screen for me and I set the DVD player up before the children came in. Predictably, they were all completely hyper and I gained another two who wanted to stay so I now had ten very excitable children whizzing around and refusing to sit still!

Unfortunately, the children were very naughty this afternoon with constant requests to go to the loo, or wash their hands or when were they going to have their hot dogs? Lisa came in and I told her that they'd been naughty so she threatened them with turning the film off (as I had done) before going out to prepare the hot dogs.

After they'd eaten she went off to finish decorating the tree but didn't help the PTA as they had more than enough parents (and children) giving their assistance. Most of the children were picked up by 5.30pm tonight but we still had two at 6pm (who should have gone at 5.30pm like the others). I dashed off to collect Sophie from work and then it was home to prepare dinner and have a glass of wine. It's the weekend tomorrow!

Storm Caroline!

I had a very wet and windy drive into work this morning as Storm Caroline is currently affecting the UK.

Work was quite busy so the time passed quickly. I picked up Sophie at 2pm and we drove home where I had a quick bite to eat before I was back out to after-school club. We managed to get the children out for half an hour again and the weather had changed quite dramatically. The rain and cloud had gone to be replaced with clear skies and a biting north wind. The forecasts are full of possible snow over the weekend so we'll see what happens!

I drove home, jumped into a hot bath that my lovely husband had run for me and enjoyed a whisky and ginger wine with a bowl of popcorn. Absolute bliss! My needs are simple!

It's fixed!

We had a very lazy start to the day and I took Sophie to uni at about 10am. The weather has been lovely with lots of sunshine and blue skies.

The washing machine repair man was due to visit today and he arrived at noon, just after Keith had put our lunch in the oven - the beef pie we enjoyed last night. Luckily, within half an hour the washer had been fixed and we able to get the first of many washes on. Bliss! I hate having a full and smelly laundry bin!

I ordered a Christmas card for my friend Lynda online as I've been unable to find a Godmother card in the shops. While I was looking I couldn't resist ordering a card from Monty for Sophie - I hope she'll be pleased!

I picked Sophie up from uni at 2pm and when we got back I showed her a vintage Ralph Lauren shirt I'd seen online on ebay. The seller wanted $25 for it, a bit different to the $5 we paid for a similar shirt in the thrift store in Naples! I put in an offer but with carriage and import duty it still would have been expensive!

At after-school club we managed to get out with the children for half an hour but there was a bitterly cold wind blowing. We were there right up until the dot of 6pm so it was great to get home and relax!

Christmas errands.

I was awake at about 6am this morning and spent a very pleasant couple of hours watching a cheesy Christmas film while my family slept on. I put the tree lights on and it was lovely, very cosy and so Christmassy!

After dropping Mike off at college we went to the Weston Favell Centre and I posted all of my Christmas cards, including one to my friend Julia who lives in the US. We shopped for Tuesday and Wednesday's meals and I bought a beautiful Poinsettia for the living room.

From the Weston Favell Centre we drove to Riverside and had a mooch about in Boots where I bought some new make-up. Sophie treated us to a coffee in the Costa in Next and we looked at wallets for Keith. I struck up a conversation with a strange man, much to Sophie's despair, and very soon I had learnt all about his son who had lost 45 pounds in weight and now looked ten years younger!

Returning home, I ate the second half of the sandwich from yesterday and went to work at 3pm as normal. Sophie was off to uni to meet her friends and enjoy a pizza in the library whilst "studying". She really didn't want to go and would have preferred to have stayed at home and eaten with us, even though we were having beef pie with shortcrust pastry for dinner...not her favourite!

Work was OK and we had a little hair salon going with one of the older girls plaiting hair while the boys played a rough game where they acted like monkeys! We were there until 6pm and after our lovely dinner I went to get Sophie from uni at 9pm. She was in a bad mood but keen to get home and hang out in bed with me while we watched Love Actually. A great end to a busy day!

Monday gloom...

I was up and out early this morning in the pre-sunrise gloom - not the best of feelings but I'm certainly not alone on the road at this time of the day! It's so busy!

Unfortunately, "cackle-head" was in today (my nickname for one of the managers) and she arrived in a flurry of coughing and sniffing as always, exclaiming about a bad accident on a nearby major road. She assumed that the poor person in the accident had died (they hadn't) and must have mentioned it about four or five times, with a sense of almost glee...certainly not necessary in my opinion.

It was a busy morning and the time did pass very quickly, which was a bonus. I sped off at 2pm and ate half a sandwich that Keith had made me from my homemade bread. I literally couldn't manage the second half!

The after-school club was good and we were gone again by about 5.15, even though we had a child in whose mother had failed to arrive on time at 3.15pm. Lisa and I were anticipating a long night but mum came at just after 5pm so we were able to get away early. She gave us no explanation as to why she was so late or why the school couldn't get hold of her...very strange!

Keith and I went to get Sophie at 6pm and then it was home for dinner...and no wine! We are off it this week!

Christmas decorations!

We've had an extremely busy day today and I managed to achieve everything I wanted to do. Keith made me poached eggs on toast for breakfast and then I gave the living room a good clean while Sophie put up and decorated the silver tree. We moved one of the armchairs into the window to make way for the tree and it looked lovely when we'd finished.

Mike wasn't wanted at work today, which he was annoyed about, but it did save us a journey to and from Brixworth. We went to Broughton to get the Sunday newspapers and I bought some more squirty cream, some marshmallows and a bottle of Mulled wine as my parents were coming around later in the day. and I was going to offer them either tea, wine or hot chocolate.

While we were gone Sophie had decorated our Scandi tree in the conservatory and we put up our icicle lights intertwined with our hearts. I gave the conservatory a good clean and then Keith made a banana and walnut loaf. I also made a loaf of bread and had a shower just before my parents arrived.

They chose the Mulled wine and we had a slice of Keith's cake which was delicious. We had a good chat and talked about the turkey for Christmas Day. We've decided on a Tesco Finest Turkey Crown which Keith and I will order next week.

After my parents had gone Sophie and I walked around the estate and delivered Christmas cards to our friends and neighbours. It was a cloudy evening but it was certainly milder than of late. That biting north wind has disappeared so no chance of snow in the next few days!

Feeding crows

I was at work at 8.30am this morning and facing almost a full day. I worked with a lady called Sue and the morning was quite busy. She left at midday so I was on my own for four hours and after a flurry of early afternoon calls, it did go very quiet after about 2pm.

I amused myself by throwing some sausages I'd bought with me out of the window, as I could see a pair of crows nearby. As they are such intelligent birds they noticed the food straight away and when I went back over to the window the sausages had gone!

In a way I didn't mind being at work as the weather was horrible and grey. When Keith came to pick me up at 4pm (and what a relief that was!) it had turned misty and drizzly.

I went to collect Sophie as Keith was watching the football and it was utter bliss to go home, have a lovely drink and look forward to dinner and a film afterwards. We watched an old film - Dead Calm - starring a very young Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane and Sam Neill. We even stayed up later than our usual bedtime of 10pm!

No snow...

Well, we didn't awake to snow, unfortunately, although some parts of the country did!

Keith took me into work for 8am and then returned home to get Sophie. She called me in a panic to say that the electrics had tripped again and hadn't realised that Keith was driving me in. I had a busy morning doing some jobs for Sara and the time flew by, which was a bonus! Keith and Sophie picked me up at 2pm to say that the washing machine was responsible for the electrical problem as it was leaking water. We had only bought it in June so we were a bit shocked! At home I warmed up a couple of mince pies and enjoyed them with some squirty cream. Delicious! I'd been looking forward to them all day!

Mike was in Hunsbury visiting a friend and Keith was going to go back and pick him up at 4.30pm but I volunteered to go instead when I finished work at 6pm. He managed to contact an engineer to come out and look at the washing machine next Wednesday. Heaven knows what we'll do for laundry until then!

We watched The Polar Express at the after school club (quite apt) and the children were all well-behaved for a change. Perhaps it was the half hour they had in the playground beforehand that helped!

Keith and Sophie picked me up from school and I dropped hubby off at the pub before driving over to East Hunsbury, right across town. The traffic was horrendous! We collected Mike and then drove home where I finished off the dinner and turned on our Christmas lights in the tree outside. They looked lovely! I was so glad they'd survived the year!

Tonight was a bit subdued as I'm at work at 8.30am in the morning. Never mind!