It's beginning to look a lot like Shed-mas...

Hello Lovelies!

I missed posting yesterday as we had a bit of a manic day.   We set out early to meet my partner's family in town for breakfast.  We were entertained by our 18 month old granddaughter - she's so funny! Adorable little creature she is.  She was very pleased with her biker jacket which looks just like Grandad's.  Its never too early to encourage rock chick-ness!!  She loved her new Disney Princess Belle 'baby' too and gave it lots of cuddles.  It was lovely to see them - we only meet up a few times each year and I do worry about them not seeing enough  of each other.

After saying our goodbyes we then went to do some last bits of shopping, including the food shop.  Half way around town, we bumped into a good friend of mine and so adjourned for coffee and a gossipy catch up for half an hour or so.

Today was supposed to be House Clean-up Day, however after coffee and croissants in bed, Lovely Man left me to complete the wrapping up of gifts whilst he went out to erect my shed, taking advantage of a rare dry day.  I had the beginnings of a cold yesterday and this morning it started taking hold.  I sat upstairs on our bed wrapping presents, sniffling a lot,  drinking coffee and listening to the inanities of Create and Craft in the background.  Still - it was a job that needed doing and at least this has been completed now.  My daughter will get a couple of last minute bits for me tomorrow and that will be it.  All done!

When I finally ventured downstairs, it appeared that Operation Shed-mas was well under way.  I had to take a couple of photos (of course) in the interests of quality control and for prosperity!

Note KTT (Kevin the Teenager) being extremely helpful with the one handed support system! Ahem.

I had to laugh when I looked out a few minutes later though.....  Charlie cat appeared to be getting in on the action too!

Ahh - not helping it seems - just hitching a ride!!

No seriously - you NEED a cat scarf.  It's the new big thing!

Nope.  I love you.  I am not getting down.  

Daft cat.  He refused to get off KTT's shoulder for about twenty minutes!! 

He even went for a walk up the garden with him!

Barmy animal!

Shed update - light faded fast - but only the door and windows to be added now! YEEHAH!!! 

I feel some red gingham curtains coming on! 

See you soon! 

Solstice Blessings

In the Green Wood (from Mother Goose)

Oak-logs will warm you well,
That are old and dry;
Logs of pine will sweetly smell
But the sparks will fly.
Birch-logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all;
Hawthorn-logs are good to last -
Catch them in the fall.
Holly-logs will burn like wax,
You may burn them green;
Elm-logs like to smoldering flax,
No flame to be seen.
Beech-logs for winter time,
Yew-logs as well;
Green elder-logs it is a crime
For any man to sell.
Pear-logs and apple-logs,
They will scent your room,
Cherry-logs across the dogs
Smell like flower of the broom.
Ash-logs, smooth and grey,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come your way -
Worth their weight in gold.

My darling readers - Solstice Blessings upon you and yours - from me and mine.  May your yule logs burn brightly. xxx

p.s. - No work for 11 whole blissful days - I am one very happy lady!  

Thursday - nearly there!

Hey guess what?!

There's only ......ONE MORE GET UP!!!!!

Oops sorry.  Got a little bit excited then didn't I?!

The closer it gets to the big day, however, the busier it gets at work.  I guess working in a probate department there's always going to be that whiff of cold hard cash to be chased right down to the last possible hour of the working day!

It was our departmental lunch this afternoon and all 30 of us adjourned to a ridiculously overrated and up it's own arse fashionably and achingly hip hostelry for some festive food.  I always feel out of place in these sort of places where the beautiful people hang out and you need to take a mortgage out to buy a bottle of wine, but hey ho - I had no say in the matter, and it was paid for!  

My chosen starter was very disappointing.  This was:-

Black pudding stacked between puff pastry with apple & vanilla puree and sherry vinaigrette  Well - there was a slice of black pudding sat on top of a - well - I couldn't make out whether it was simply undercooked or not cooked at all circle of puff pastry   There was no puff in it at all.  Bleurgh! Quite frankly.   The apple and vanilla puree was a splodge of airy nothingness and as for the sherry vinaigrette - well I'm afraid I've never seen green sherry and the arty drizzle around the edge of the plate was more akin to olive oil than sherry vinaigrette. Methinks a nil point was scored for this particular starter.  

My main of Braised beef in red wine with creamy parsley mash and horseradish crème fraiche topped with crispy onions fared much better.  A hunk of melting, tender beef was the star of the plate.  This was beautifully cooked and fell apart at the touch of a fork.  The mash was indeed creamy and the creme fraiche was tangy with just the right amount of horseradish for a little kick to cut through the richness of the beef.  This was served with crushed root vegetables with rosemary and simply presented brussels.

Pud was a very decadent Italian chocolate Torta Macao with crème fraiche - or chocolate tart to you and me.  Dense and chocolatey and teeth dissolvingly rich - it did what it was supposed to and had the obligatory slice of strawberry to boot.  Natch. 

£24.99 for what was essentially an inch of black pudding, a bit of shin of beef and some veg and a sliver of choccie tart.  Money for old rope really innit?!  

When I got home this evening the house had been christmassified!  Some of you will remember my post about our rock an' roll tree from last year.  This year its much the same - but instead of Sid on top of the tree, my Green Santa is back in pride of place.  Here's a few photos! 

Changing the subject completely - have any of your been following the Last Tango in Halifax series?  Oh my word what wonderful acting.  I loved every minute of it right up until the last ten minutes last night which I watched through my fingers with tears dripping off my nose.  If you haven't seen it I'm sure you can find it on Iplayer or something similar. Here's the link  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p1q6x

See you soon!! 

xxx

Wednesday Whitterings

Hello there my little mince pies!

Only two more 'get ups' for me!  Ah the joy!!

I'm beginning to feel 'slightly' more festive I think!  I've been wrapping gifts and writing cards for the last couple of evenings and that accompanied by some festive foodie progs on t'tellybox, (not least the rather swoonsome Paul Hollywood) is helping me to get into the spirit of things!

The decorating is all but done.  Just a very few bits to do not but as this involves stripping and sanding doors then this may be left until after Xmas.  The tree and decs have made it down from the loft - although everyone was just too shattered tonight to attempt to actually put it up!

The firm I work for has kindly given to us all our choice of either a food hamper or 12 bottles of wine, to the value of £100 each.  I went for the food hamper as neither of us are big wine drinkers.  There are, in fact, three bottles (one red, one white and one sparkling white) in the food hamper anyway so this will be more than enough for over the holidays when we go out and about visiting.

The hamper itself is lovely and a big improvement on last year which was full of expensive .... well, rubbish really!

The foodstuff was presented in a lovely wicker log basket 

Wine, crackers, fruit cake, tea, chocolate meringues, honeycomb chocolate

Chocolate (those are MINE!), napkins (the kids can have them!) and some raspberry jam!

Biscuits, cookies, nuts, cheese bickies, chocolate sauce, Christmas chutney and a divinely scented jasmine candle!

As much as I moan about my job, we can't fault our employers for their generosity this year in such financially trying times.

And now for a gratuitous shot of my new wallpaper. 

Tadahhhh!! 

I thank you!

Christmas lunch tomorrow for our Department at a local hostelry.... a whole two and a half hours away from the office!  Bring it on!! 

Ponderings ....

My children never cease to amaze me.

My son came home from school this afternoon and the whole street had been knocked out in a power cut.  Having been told that there was a power cut going on and he therefore wouldn't be able to use anything electrical, his response was a very concerned:  "Will the toilet still work?"

My daughter, pondering about life, the universe and everything earlier this week said "Mum, y'know limes right... well..... are they just green lemons?".


You gotta laugh!

Observations of a Reluctant Shopper

Just a few daft observations of my late night shopping trip and general ponderisations! (yes I made that one up!)

Common courtesy appears to have vanished.  This evening I held open the door of a shop whilst a total of 8 people trooped through.  Not one of the buggers even acknowledged me, never mind offered a thank you.  This could be due to several mitigating factors.  a) I had forgotten to take off my cloak of invisibility prior to going shopping  b) I am not big enough to see or c) I look like a door-person.   A loudly muttered "Oh THA-ANKS" as the last person barged past went unheeded.  Rude gits. 

Over Friendly Cashier of the Evening Award goes to...... The 12 year old who served me in Primark who asked me whether I had been shopping all day, where I worked, what I did, whether it was difficult, whether I liked i it, how much more shopping I needed to do and what time I was going home this evening.  Erm.  Bless your cheerful, pink-cheeked smiley little face but shh now and get on with it cos I want to go home! 

Primark clothes are nothing more than jumble sale garments with tags on. 

Number of renditions of Shakin' Stevens 'Merry Christmas, Everyone' heard:  3.5  

There appears to be a preponderance of nasty acrylic jumpers and cardigans on sale, the likes of which were worn by me Nan circa 1987 however appear to currently be the height of fashion.  Why?  

If you require a specific item from a specific shop there is a written guarantee somewhere out there that there will be a gap on the shelf  where your specific item once resided and will remain so for the duration of your shopping trip.  All other goods either side of the gap where your specific item once resided will, of course, be in plentiful supply. 

We are apparently on the brink of a triple dip recession however at 8pm this evening the amount of shoppers at our local shopping centre could have rivalled the crowds there on Saturday afternoon.  The shops are all open until 12 midnight for the whole of this week.  The world has has gorn mad.

I haven't a clue what presents I have got left to get.   Methinks next year a different plan of attack is required.   Beginning with something sensible.  Like a list.  Maybe. 

Number of pairs of insane novelty slippers purchased in last week:  4     Number of pairs of insane novelty slippers left to purchase: 3.  (There is a method in my madness in the purchase of said insane novelty slippers which shall be revealed post C-word day).

Note to self.  Do not go late night shopping again prior to C-word as you know that you would rather eat your own elbows. 

Fin.  

But its not like Christmas at all!

Hello lovely readers

I've been looking at lots of every so prettyfull blogs this evening all full of sparkle and tinsel.  I'm ashamed.  There is nary a bauble to be seen in this house as yet and there is unlikely to be for at least another week.   The wallpaper is up and looks beautiful,the ceiling is painted and most of the woodwork is done.  We were supposed to rise early and tackle the rest of the emulsioning today.  Man has been doing major battle with a new ceiling rose however which has taken most of the bliddy afternoon!!  He had to take the light down and has had the devil's job to put it back up thanks to Dudley Council's bloody rubbish workmanship in the first place which has left the wiring almost inaccessible. SOOO frustrating. Talk about the best laid plans!!  To his credit, however, he refuses to be beaten and although it was touch and go as to whether we'd have a light this evening, it's done now - ceiling rose is still hanging off though and will be another job for tomorrow.  We've managed to put the first coat of emulsion on this evening but again with low light levels, this will need going over again tomorrow.

Lovely Mum came up to rescue me from my despair early this afternoon as I was battling a huge dose of "ARRRGH I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO STARTs"!  She's a marvel and had soon taken control of the situation.  With some hard work we've put away all of my crafting stuff which was beginning to take over the complete house.  All of this will, of course be transplanted (!) into my shed, however as this is lying supine on the patio under a large tarpaulin at the moment until project "decorate the lounge at the most stressful time of the year" is finalised, it's all gone back into the cupboard of doom underneath the stairs!

This week will be spent working, then shopping after work, wrapping, stressing, attending two work's functions  and, I guess, at some point I need to write a card or two.

Meh.

Hope your week is a little less stressy than mine is shaping up to be!

Lots of love from The Grinch!

Dear Santa ........

Define Good .......... 

N.B.

I've had to enable moderation of comments I'm afraid lovely people, as some far less lovely people than you are trying to utilise my little blog for yuksome advertising and I shall not stand for it.   

Be gone... vile people.  

Don't make me drop a house on you!

No words .....

Just a heavy heart for the families affected by today's atrocities in Newtown, Connecticut. 

Hold your loved ones close. 

Love and Light.

Bad Timing?

So.  Who in their right mind starts decorating two weeks before Christmas then?

Oh.  That'll be us!

Never mind though - only the skirting boards to gloss, the cupboard to strip and sand and varnish,  the door to strip and sand and varnish, the wallpaper to be put up on one full wall, the emulsioning to be done on the other three walls, new curtains to hang, everything to be put back in place and a light fitting to replace.

And the kids want to put the tree up.

I may emigrate.

Never mind - I can open the first of my advent gift swappy gifts tomorrow! Something to look forward to at least!

Deejays Day - 12.12.12 (!)

Did you get it?  One Two, One Two, One Two!  tee hee.  Sorry.

A bit of a momentous day today.  The last repetitive date we shall see.  It was a friend's birthday too - and she had actually been born at 12 minutes past 12, 27 years ago today!

I sent a text to my loved ones at 12.12pm to say that I loved 'em.  Seemed fitting really!

Enough of the date malarkey.  It was the first of two c-word meals out from work this evening.  We went to a local Italian Restaurant. As we went straight from work it did lack a little atmosphere as there was no-one else in the place apart from us!  The staff also seemed to be quite brusque, so to begin with the evening was a little flat.  Once the food was served, however, the staff seemed to become more friendly and were very attentive.  My choices were goats cheese bruschetta with roasted pear and pine nuts for my starter.  This was very tasty but was a big hunk of cheese on a single round of bread.  Very filling!   This was followed by rack of lamb with mash and roasted veg, which consisted of three tiny succulent cutlets arranged over a spoon of mash, surrounded by a very tasty rosemary 'jus' (rolls eyes!) and roasted root veg.  Pud was a classic tiramisu.  I'm always disappointed in puddings - they always seem to sound nice but when they arrive fail to live up to expectations.  This was no exception!  Relatively bland and nothing to write home about.   On the whole though the meal was ok.  We didn't have to pay for it so that made it even better!

One thing that made me laugh (cos I am 12 years old!) was the fact that I was sitting in direct eye line of a lovely (ahem) mural of some naked bloke reclining on a bed of acorns.  The waiter took great delight in pointing out that he was a "real Italian man" accompanied by much suggestive wiggling of eyebrows.

I'm just glad that sausage wasn't on the menu.   It would have put me right off!