Heralding 2011...... and a look back on 2010

I'll be early and wish you all a happy new year, not that I plan to have heavy evening you understand.  Just a quiet steak dinner with hubby, a few drinks maybe.....

We have enjoyed spending time with Rufus this last week, he been back and forth and I got to spend the afternoon with him yesterday whilst his mummy went out for lunch and to see Harry Potter with her daddy.  We had a good time sleeping/walking/dancing, we made eggy bread for tea and had fun at bath time, though I was glad to have Rachel around for the tea/bathtime, you really do forget how to do things one handed, especially with a wriggly little boy.

2010 has been a good year for us - mainly due to the appearance of Rufus in June, I just can't imagine life without him now.  We've had a busy year, lots of concerts, 4 good holidays, several weekend breaks.  A few ups and downs healthwise within the extended family, but everyone seems to be ending the year on a high, fingers crossed.

I am thankful to the new friends I have made on Ravelry and so pleased to have had the opportunity to meet Susan whilst we were in Chicago at the end of June.  I hope that I will have the chance to meet up with some of the others at some point, so ladies if you find yourselves in the UK please let me know, the door is always open for a visit. I must also mention the ladies at the Medway Craft Group in Huntingdon, see you all on Thursday.

I have achieved a fair amount knitting wise - 60 items knitted from my non-decreasing stash plus a number of other garments that I have bought yarn for.  I plan to try and stash bust again this year but pretty yarn is just sooooo tempting.  I had some new toys for christmas - circular/rectangular knitting looms, when I've finished my current project - something for me for a change, I will have a play and see what I can create.

Our garden is looking very neglected, so many leaves still to clear up but the garden has either been too wet or too frozen.  I still have a sack of daffodil bulbs to plant, bit to late now, though I guess I could plant them up and try them indoors.

However you plan to spend your new year's eve, I hope you have a good safe time and wish you all a healthy 2011.

Didn't they do well...........

In fact so well they can do it again next year, thanks to you both, it was a real treat just to sit and knit and chat.......

Busy baking day......

I'm done!

I love a list and today I ticked off the final item.........

Cards written, posted and delivered
Presents bought, wrapped and delivered where necessary
Food shopping done, apart from a few last bits

All thats left to do are the fun bits ..........
Get some flowers and make a display
Baking ...............
.............. finish a bit of knitting

Work will finish tomorrow and then holiday until 4 January, can't wait.  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that the weather doesn't hamper your plans too much.

Simply farewell..................

Saturday 18th December, 2010 was the last time we were to see Simply Red in concert, their farewell tour was winding to an end.  So imagine our horror when getting up yesterday we find that inches+ of snow had been dumped on the London area, with it continuing all through the morning, we had nothing more than a light dusting.

We had Radio London playing and listened to each of the 15 minute updates, we watched live feed from the M11 motorway cameras, we had lunch - not the meal we had planned in Green Lanes!!  We listened, we watched, we called the O2, show still going ahead dispite the weather.  What to do, we looked at Peter, it had to be his decision, he would be driving and being responsible for our welfare.  Beck had already backed out a few weeks back (sensible girl) so we were taking Rachel's friend Claire with us.  By 3:15 the cameras at the lower end of the M11 showed traffic moving well and the roads looking not to bad so we decided GO. 

15 miles from home we met the snow coming up the M11, queue neck tension....  we continued on, roads were constantly being salted and ploughed so whilst slow it wasn't too bad.  A close encounter with the side of a truck, wheel studs are quite large close up!!  Some idiot driving fast in the outside lane showered us with slush which left us visionless for a few moments, but once we hit the bottom end of the M11 the roads in and around London were amazingly quiet and clear, in fact we did the stretch to and through the Blackwall Tunnel in 10 minutes rather than the usual 50+.  To say we all sighed with relief on reaching the O2 car park would be an understatement.

The girls treated us to dinner at TGI Fridays which was good, though it was obvious from having been to the O2 on numerous occasions that the numbers were down, only a 25 minute wait for a table.  Once inside the arena, the atmosphere was very subdued, huge gaps in the seating told a story and by the time Macy Gray (support) came on it was under half full. By 8:45 when she went off it had filled up a bit, but I would say by the time Simply Red finally came on it was maybe 2/3rd full, the O2 sits 23,000 and this show was sold out. As I said the atmosphere was very subdued, I expect like me most people were worrying about their journey home, especially as we had had 2 text messages to say that it was still snowing in lower Cambridgeshire at 8pm.  After the 3rd song Mick finally thanked us all for turning out and made some comment about people complaining on the internet that he should have cancelled the show, but he said what would we all have done, well Mick stayed at home, in this day and age its possible to cancel an event and people get to know about it long before they turn out!   It wasn't until over half way through that the usual buzz finally kicked in and people started to relax.  They took far too long to come back on stage for the final encore. On reflection, not the best Simply Red concert I've ever been too, the band seemed tired and looked like they were just going through the motions, but made up for it by ending the show with Holding Back the Years, a few tears were shed.....

And now for the drive home..... again in and around the London area was clear, but once we hit the M11 the fun started. From Harlow up the motorway had only one lane that was passable, so it was a slow and scary ride.  We watched the temperature drop to -12.5C, the likes I've never seen, the water in the window washers froze. We finally arrived home at 1:15am to just the same dusting of snow.

So Mick, do you know who the real star of the evening was? My wonderful husband Peter, who got us safely too and from the concert so that we (me in particular) wouldn't be disappointed. Thank you, I love you xxxx...

Craft central

A couple of weeks back Rachel and I spotted some fabric trees in town, which we considered vastly over priced and decided that we could make some if we put our minds to it, see the chaos that was my lounge a few days later.........

We still have a couple left to decorate, but two went off to their new home yesterday (and looked very good in-situ) and I wanted a picture of them all together, I have since removed the bows from one pair as I considered that less was more.  I think they look pretty good if I say so myself, they cost us nothing as I had the fabric and wadding already. Peter made the bases for us from wood he had by him - can you spot Audrey helping?

These are a couple of Christmas hats I made for Rufus, I've seen him in the Santa hat..... beyond cute, I only have a picture on my phone and have mislaid the lead so can't download the pictures

Half Birthday

Rufus is 6 months old, can you believe that he has grown so quickly. It has been a wonderful half year getting to know this little man, watching him change from week to week, watching his parents grow in confidence and become a real family. I feel priviledged to be able to spend what time I have with him and I know that the best is yet to come, as I just love the 6-18 months stage

Lunch time - the only time he cried yesterday was clean up time.  The solids are obviously doing him some good as he gained 1lb 6oz in the last 3 weeks, though baby led weaning is messy


Happy again - chatty man, he has found his voice and jabbers away 19 to the dozen.

Brussels in pictures

Christmas shop windows

Christmas Market

Street Art

Street Views

We had a great time, walked miles, ate lots of waffles, drank lots of mulled wine (vin chaud, gluhwein) and hot chocolate. It was cold, very cold.  Now its time to get on with Christmas, I came home and panicked a bit, but I'm now in control of myself, I have made lots of lists and am slowly ticking off the things I need to do, so I best get off here and get on with them!

Are you finding it cold?

Its a bit chilly around here these days -7.5C this morning when I went to work, -2C when I came home, -4C right now.  Just checking through some photographs and see we had snow on the 17th December last year,  which was in its self unusual for us, I'm just thankful that we have missed most of the snow and that we don't live in the north of the UK, I feel so sorry for those trapped in their cars and homes.  Spare a thought for all the emergency services out there, and a special thanks to our local council for keeping the roads gritted so I don't slide to work. I have a feeling its going to be a long winter. However, we are nice and cosy, the wood burner is fired up and I'm just about to make hot chocolate with a dash of Bailey's of course.

Proof of the pudding

I forgot to post pictures of my cooked Christmas puddings, so here we go, they are all repackaged and stored away for now, but believe me they smelt so good

These are a couple of knits that I've completed for Rufus, I really must stop taking the pictures at night as they really don't photograph well, hopefully I can post some more of him modelling them in a better light

The hoodie I finished this evening.  I need to decide what to knit next.  I think Rufus has enough to be going on with for now, so maybe a throw or something to try and use up some of my stash which just never seems to diminsh! But then I do have a small forest of fabric Christmas trees that need decorating so maybe I should get those done first, time is running out only 3 weeks til Christmas.  Have you got your shopping done yet?

4:30 is just too early

this morning I woke early, no reason that I know of, just thought it was time to get up.  So frustrating as I didn't manage to get back to sleep, just lay there listening to Peter breathing. Sounds like he is getting my cold btw!

Looks like we are in for another cold day, I hate this weather but at least we didn't get anymore snow overnight.  When I say I hate this weather what I really mean is driving in it, if I got to stay home and enjoy it that would be fine but getting from A to B with others then thats a different ball game.  This weather is far to early, we usually get snow in February if at all, so I guess its going to be a long winter.

1st December today, how is the Christmas shopping going?  I'm getting there slowly, oh well best go and get ready for work )-: 

Have fun, keep safe x