What? You mean, TODAY!

And so, from calling in on the way back from walking the dogs to make an appointment, to being relived of 12 inches of hair, 45 minutes! They had a free slot.

Too late to take some thinking time then?

A free day.

I feel as if I have been given a free day.

I have no Christmas plans to fulfill today.

I have no travelling or visiting planned today.

And finally, the golf courses have re-opened after the snows of December 1st and my husband is out for the day with his golfing buddies.

And so, what to do with my few hours of freedom?

I may wander in to town to sort out a hair appointment as I have yet to find a hairdresser since coming back from Spain. Apart from taking the scissors to my fringe every 6 weeks, my hair has not had attention since June and is in desperate need of something........anything!

I may take the dogs for a long walk to see if the canal has thawed with the above zero temperatures we have been experiencing over the last few days.

I should get into my study and give it a really good sorting out as it has become something of a dumping ground in the run up to Christmas and is not particularly conducive to positive work.

I may just chill with my new DS game which I an thoroughly enjoying - the latest Professor Layton - back to a par with the first, after a disappointing second game.

I may take my old DS games and trade them in for something totally new.

Oh, decisions, decisions.


Decision 1 made - dog walk along the canal. Cappuccino at the turn around and half an hour cleaning the mud off them when I get back.

Computers - a plus and a minus

My last laptop began to have serious problems with the display when we were still in Spain. The screen was often unreadable due to crazy lines all over it. It became totally unusable and Neil bought me a new one when we got back to the UK.

Since then the poorly laptop has remained stored away, waiting for a visit from my brother who was going to try and retrieve all my photos which I had stored on there.

This Christmas he's visited, and all my photos are now safely transferred onto this laptop and I have set myself a task for 2011. To sort them, file them, store them and not be at risk of losing them all again. I have hundreds and hundreds to go through, the downside of using a digital camera - they all download and I don't always delete the rubbish ones, or where I have taken several to get the best shot - I use the best shot as required but retain all the others as well - just incase!

And, the plus - the laptop is working perfectly when the battery is removed and used on mains power - a problem with Acer's apparently, battery problems have a strange effect on the computer! And so I have my large screen old laptop available to use again.

However, all this good news was balanced by the minus this Christmas - and all over a photo I tried to download to use on this blog. Along with the photo, I downloaded a virus. Suddenly there was lots of red warnings all over my screen and it took several hours to clean up my laptop, and I dread to think how long it would have taken if my brother had not been here to sort it for me.

I haven't had such a problem with a virus for about 3 years, but I do remember it would take me hours and hours trawling the internet looking for solutions and guidance.

And the really annoying thing is, I was downloading a photo I could so easily have taken myself!

A lesson to be learned!

Who else eats Christmas Cake and Cheese?

I have always eaten my fruit cake with cheese, and I assumed that it was something I started doing when a youngster, at home with my mum, dad and 2 older brothers.

So, imagine my surprise when my oldest brother, who is spending Christmas with us, expressed extreme amazement at such a combination this evening.

Where has he been?

So, do you eat cheese with your Christmas cake - or are we really weird 'up north?'

Happy Christmas.

Brandy has had a Happy Christmas, hope you have too!

A Christmas Past

My memory is not good. I have forgotten so much and other memories are very distorted but I have vague and fond memories of childhood Christmas's. Whether the memories are all from the same Christmas or a collage of many, I don't know, maybe my brother will correct me.

I remember 3 Christmas presents that were such mega-presents for me.

I know in 1968 I got my first record player - I know this because one of the singles I got with it was Herman Hermits' "Something is Happening", released that year. I also got the LP Sound Track to the "Sound of Music"

When I was young, there was a Christmas routine. We didn't go downstairs until Dad had lit the coal fire in the lounge, no such luxuries of central heating in those days. If it was cold enough outside there would be ice on the inside of my bedroom window and I would have to breath on the window to make a clear spot to see if it had snowed.

When we finally went downstairs, my brothers and I would each have a pile of presents on the large settee. One year I didn't have many, but outside there was a new bike for me. That was a Christmas I didn't want it to snow, otherwise I wouldn't be able to practice riding my new grown up Raleigh bike, in green. I wasn't allowed a bike until I was old and big enough to have a grown up one - it was to last me until I left home, so I must have been about 10 or 11. I was so thrilled that year.

Another year, we all went to stay with my Grandma in Middlesborough. I loved my Grandma's house and have wonderful memories of being there. We may have only gone the one Christmas, but I remember it as being many more.

This one Christmas I do remember I got my first watch. I felt so grown up. We had a big family Christmas dinner where all the grown-ups sat around the huge circular table and all the kids sat at card tables around the room.

These memories are precious to me and because I know there is so much I don't remember, I know these times must have been so special, even if the details have blurred somewhat over the years.

Last Working Day before Christmas

In a few hours I will be defrosting my car for the 5 minute drive to work for the last time before Christmas.

I had been expecting to work tomorrow too, but it seems the 3 people I work for are all finishing tonight for the holidays, so they suggested there would be no reason for me to work tomorrow either. Today will be my last day until the 4th January!

So, my Christmas holidays are starting a little earlier than planned. It gives me a few extra hours to chill out (and in -8c temperatures, there is little else we can do!) and open the mince pies early.

I have now had my contract extended until the 21st January, so I'm not into panic mode to find a new assignment just yet. That can wait until the New Year. I can't believe I've been there almost 6 months. When I signed on to do Temporary Contracts I thought I would be moving about from Company to Company covering holidays and illness, but this was my first assignment and I'm still there.

I do know that this year has seemed particularly bad for temping work. The agencies have been telling me that they've stuggled to keep their long term temps in back to back contracts for the first time in many years, so I do consider myself to be fortunate to have landed one that's been extended so much, but I do quite fancy a change now - just because I had been quite looking forward to new challenges. After being in my last job for 22 years, I did sometimes wonder what else was out there and thought temping would be a way of finding out - maybe the New Year will bring some variety.

Hey Ho.

Incase I don't get on here again for a few days, I wish you all

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS & A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

It's official, I am ready for Christmas.

I was all geared up at the end of November for an organised Christmas. My cards were bought and written, my annual letter to distant relatives was written and my present list was prepared ready to go shopping.

Then it snowed, and snowed and snowed and the entire area ground to a halt. The post didn't get collected or delivered, shopping was only possible on foot so we could only carry basic groceries and gift shopping had to wait.

After a week of snow life started to move again, I was back at work but we were challenged with a 4 inch slab of ice everywhere.

After a few more days the sun came out, the thermometer finally climbed above zero and the ice finally cleared.

The I came down with a flu bug. It settled on my chest and triggered my asthma because I had forgotten to get my flu jab. I had barely enough energy to get through the day let alone go shopping.

And every day Christmas got closer. My well intentioned 'I'll get everything ready early' had sadly slipped away.

In the background Neil was getting bits towards the Christmas dinner. We talked Turkey one day and the next, we had a Turkey Crown in the freezer big enough to feed 8-11 people. I foresee lots of Turkey curry after Christmas, there are only 3 of us for dinner.

We talked Christmas cake and one appeared, and so it continued. Wrapping paper and shiny ribbon magically appeared searching for presents to be wrapped around.

And still Christmas got closer.

Then Saturday arrived. I felt energised. I felt in the mood to shop. And off I went. We live 5 minutes walk from town, so I left the car at home so as to have to battle for a parking space, not to have to sit in traffic queues and not to have to pay the premium parking fees that have been in place for the last month to take advantage of the Christmas shoppers.

Neil stayed at home so I could wander and browse without feeling his impatience rising. I had such fun. I got everything and, as I'd been clever and bought light-weight presents, I walked home. I didn't even have to wait for Neil to battle the traffic to come and pick me up.

Saturday night saw the tree up and lit, the presents wrapped and labelled and me chilling infront of the tv with a glass of wine, finally feeling that officially, I was ready for Christmas.

It means I can enjoy this week. I have no urgent errands to run, I do not have to battle with shoppers. We collect our fresh veg from the local Farm shop on Thursday and I finish work Thursday evening not to return until Jan 4th.

I cannot remember feeling so relaxed about Christmas for many years.

I feel smug!

Me, Him and the Boys

Our Family Portrait

I have thousands of photos of the boys.

I have a fair amount of Neil

Apart from our wedding photos, we have very few of Neil & I together.

Usually one of us is behind the camera

So we thought it would be nice to have a proper photo of us all

I think it turned out quite nice.

Don't you?

Time to Open the Box

A few years ago my brother bought me a music box for Christmas. For 10 months of the year it sits on my sideboard, it's lid firmly shut and a decorative plate stands on top.

But, on December 1st the plate is moved elsewhere so that I can enjoy the wonderful scene inside.

And now, the scene is replicated outside our window - Christmas seems very close, I really must get around to doing some preparation for Christmas or it will be too late.

Hope you are all well ahead with your Christmas plans.

Total chaos for 3 days.

How do places like Canada and Sweden manage to function when snow falls? A few years ago, we went to Calgary in early February - the reason is not important today, but the scene when we landed was very similar to what we have experienced in the last few days - deep, deep snow. Their airport was open, their malls were open, traffic was moving, people went out.

It was apparent by 8am on Wednesday that large areas of the UK had already ground to a halt because of the snow. I was in one of those places. My car wasn't going anywhere, but I live close enough to walk to work in about 45 mins in deep snow. Before setting off, I rang to make sure I was needed in the office as, when we had left the day before, I knew it wouldn't take much more snow for the local key-holder not to be able to make it to work.

I'm glad I rang as the office was closed for the day.

I had a day off. If I don't work, I don't get paid - 3 weeks before Christmas is probably not the best time to find zero pay going into the bank, buy hey ho, 1 day won't hurt too much.

I hung up the phone and got changed for a 'stay at home day'. Our first challenge was to dig an area at the back of the house so the dogs could go out for a wee. The snow was already up to their stomachs and they were struggling to walk/jump through it.

And it was still snowing.

By mid-morning it was obvious this was not a normal snow-fall. We had the deepest snow seen in the UK for 30 years.

It was so beautiful and so crisp. The branches on the tall trees were weighed down by the amount of snow clinging to them, it was impossible to see where the road ended and the pavement began and cars were being abandoned all over the place. The local news began detailing all the schools that were closed, the buses that weren't running and the roads that were impassable. The area was seriously affected.

We decided we would take a walk with the dogs to see how it was to get around. Unlike last year in the Spanish mountains, we were close enough to shops to walk to them. We would not be snowed in like in Spain. Some of the neighbours with 4x4's had managed to get down the road and we could walk in their tracks - but getting from the house was a major achievement for the dogs, by now they could barely kangaroo jump through the snow, it wasl level with the tops of their backs. 

We managed to walk into town without too much problem. There were loads of people about, kids being pulled on sledges by thei- Mum's, shopping being pulled on sledges by shoppers, and everyone so much friendlier than normal. The adverse weather always seems to have this effect on us Brits.

By the time we got back home the dogs were shattered, it had taken a lot of effort for us to walk through some of the drifts, for them it was like us battling through 5ft of snow. Once de-snowballed, they slept for the rest of the day.

By night time we were seeing reports of the A57 road being closed a couple of miles from us. HGV's could not get up a hill and it was now clogged with wagon after wagon after wagon. It was to be closed for 3 days as abandoned vehicles hindered attempts to get the snow cleared. The A57 is a major road from the motorway to Worksop - closure would cause chaos.

Every news bulletin reminded us that we should not venture out in our cars unless it was vital. I even had text messages from our insurance company advising us ton take care in the snow. Our cars were going no-where. We had nowhere we needed to be. We were already at home, fortunate not to be one of the many stranded away from home because of cancelled trains and buses, and abandoned vehicles.

We awoke to more snow on Thursday morning. Our road was now a 3 inch thick slab of ice with 2 feet of snow along the pavements and I had another 'home day' as our office remained closed for a 2nd day. We spent the day digging out my car incase we needed to get anywhere. We walked to the shops to replenish our bread and milk supplies. We walked the dogs. And we stayed in. I took the opportunity to start writing my Christmas Cards, normally a job a put off until the last week before Christmas. The country remained at standstill.

Overnight, there had been no more snow. Friday saw things start to move again. The wagons on the A57 were finally freed and we had a snow plough down the road - which did nothing but smooth over the top of our 3 inch slab of ice. Friday was a 3rd 'home day' for me.

And so, today we have been out in the car for the first time. We have seen so many vehicles still abandoned, still hemmed in by 2 feet of snow. We have seen our grand daughter and got stuck in McDonald's carpark. Fortunately, there were 3 very helpful guys who pushed us clear. We have seen queues into the supermarket carpark only normally seen on Christmas Eve, we have seen the result of 3 days of chaos.

But, we are home now, we are settled in our cosy lounge with a nice hot cup of coffee from our coffee maker, the dogs snuggled up beside us.

And what film is on the TV?

Ice Age.....

I kid you not!

I don't want this to become a weather blog....

....but this is what we have this morning........

and it's still snowing.

Brandy woke me at 3am asking to go out. When I opened the door to the garden I had to break through a barrier of snow that came halfway up the door. Then I had to pick Brandy up and place him outside as he couldn't see where the doorstep was and seemed confused over what he could step onto.

He sank into snow that came level with the top of his back. Poor thing, he managed to find himself a spot to pee and then came straight back in.

It's good snowball snow, it sticks together really well, and so in the few minutes it had taken for Brandy to pee, he had managed to get covered in little snowballs all clinging to his fur. At 3.05am I was thawing him out with the hairdryer so he could to back to bed.

I think Neil has some serious digging out to do today.

I'm due in at work at 9am. Now that's going to be interesting!