Good morning Mick and all GN's on a very dark, still morning in North Yorkshire. I am very weary today, feel exhausted before I even start, but it has been a hard week all told.
Today I am hoping to have a quieter day, and the plan is to just try and catch up with bits and pieces and last cards etc to post.
Yesterday went quite well but very busy and there seemed very little time to have any sort of a rest. The weather was not kind, endless raining, grey and miserable. I got all the bedding washed but not even half an hour outside, so draped round on clothes horses was the best I could manage, I was creaking around but did manage to finally get showered and hair washed and dressed and got to the meeting about 11am, instead of the planned 1030. Anyway it was all very nice. Many people had on special christmas jumpers, I dont have one, but wore my red trousers from summer but with my polar long johns on underneath with a red and white top and a green jumper , and said that I was being a holly berry for christmas! It was good to see one or two who have not been coming for various reasons lately, and we had quite a nice little assorted sandwiches and so forth laid out, including some small choux pastry with cream in and either chocolate or coffee icing buns, so I treated myself to one coffee one which I enjoyed.
People were coming in and out but at one point both Hetty, who is in overall charge of the meetings and all the helpers were in the room so I was able to get everyones attention and offer a vote of thanks for all there efforts over the year, and say how much we appreciated their efforts and looked forward to next year. Hetty comes from Nigeria and last week we had sung our Yorkshire carol - while shepherds watched to the tune of ilkley moor, and asked her to sing us a carol from nigeria. Her sister who is a senior nurse nearby was able to drop in and they sang us a carol and I learnt the tune and can now say happy christmas in another language. (over the years it has been my little habit to try and collect many ways of saying happy christmas in other languages.)
Then I had to get going as I knew the cleaning ladies would be coming and got home and they were already here, working their magic, as they had had to change their order of work, So the flat already was looking much brighter, but with plenty of things for me to deal with later. They gave me a very nice christmas card and a bottle of wine and I had paid them their normal money and added a tip to each to have a drink with me and off they went.
I wanted to just sit and rest but knew that I needed to get fuel etc for saturday and so went off to Thirsk for fuel and a few bits and then called in for a very much needed coffee at cafe nero. It was still pouring down so back home and shopping unpacked and very little else done, so today much packing up of presents, catching up with bits and pieces and getting the car ready and sorted for tomorrow to make an early start to meet the family. At least the worst the weather will be throwing at us should be rain again, or maybe a bit drier, but hopefully no ice or snow which is more usual at this time of year. I think I have bought all the bits I need to take with me and as I am not making christmas dinner this year, and not expecting many callers here, I have avoided buying in loads of food, but did get some various vegetables at the cheap prices at the moment, with a plan to get some casserole and soup made and ready for after the holiday period. So a slow and steady sorting day with the local paper to catch up on any news that affects me. Hopefully I will feel refreshed and ready for the drive tomorrow and with little or no floods to contend with.
Good to know your tablets are working for you Mick and hope you have a good trip today and meet some friends. My goodness grandMattie, you will be being charged business rates on your home with the amount of baking you do!! The gingerbread houses sound nice. will you put us a picture of them on your post when you have finished them? I havent even made a single mince pie this year, but actually being diabetic, I have deliberately not made any cakes or mince pies here, so that I have allowed myself the odd cake or pie when out at a meeting or something, knowing that I cant give way to temptation at home, and hope that this will keep me somewhat on the right lines so the next diabetic check wont earn me scoldings and head shakings. Well amongst many other things making more of an effort to stick to the rules will be one of my new years resolutions.
Hoping everyone has a good day, with a chance to meet friends and relations and have a happy time
try again Gaga!