Happy New Year

That's all! Have a wonderful 2010/2011 weekend, then its back to the daily grind. Enjoy. X

Ugly Christmas outfits cause a stir!!!

Christmas tea at my brother's house was the first outing for our own Ugly Outfits. Then, on the 27th 50 guests gathered at the farm wearing their own creations! What a success! So proud of all the guests for making so much effort. They look so fine. Regret, not a single photo of me in mine! How could that happen? Saving it for next year. Wishing one and all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. Big boy shooting today, youngest muscling up at the gym. Farmer having a couple of hours nap after exertions preparing and clearing party, and I am battling a migraine (result of too much wine and not enough sleep so only self to blame).

troublous times!

The farmer and I slid a vehicle over to Leicester to collect the youngest and all his belongings from University for his Christmas break on Friday morning. AFter a long night out in his home town on Friday he has simply slept. There have been brief periods of wakefulness during which he has taken in calories and conspired with the in-house plumbing, but otherwise he has just stacked up the Zzzzzs. It would seem that he was a tiny bit short of rest, and burning the candle at both ends does mean that eventually the wick meets itself in the middle and the flame puffs out! Am hoping that another day or two of sleep will rid him of his horrible chesty cough and allow him to function for an entire day!

Big boy drove down (up?) from Scotland yesterday, stopping at his Aunt's for food and succour before he got home! This almost makes her a child stealer!!! We were at a formal dinner, which we left when he arrived home. He is full of flu, and really unwell, so I am nursing him kindly, and delighted to have the opportunity to do so. hopefully the next 48 hrs will bring some improvement for him too.

So, boys home and needing as much care as when they were small. Lovely! Bring on the beef tea. The farmer has been flat out working which is quite an unusual state of affairs. What a challenge. We are short of heating oil, but owing to the enormously inflated cost of this necessity just now, we have turned down the heating to minimum and enjoying plenty of sitting room fires instead.

Looking forward to a family Christmas complete with ugly sweaters, bring on the healthy children!!!!!

wine flu

My brother in law has explained the condition'wine flu' to me, and I was so amazed I am taking the opportunity to share the description of this debilitating condition with you too.

Wine Flu: the condition shows itself after a variable period of alcoholic sampling. Some of the symptoms might be: the room becoming unstable, a queasy feeling in the digestive area, an undeniable urge to make a complete fool of yourself, the necessity to sprint to the loo to re-inspect the contents of your stomach and an inability to arrive home with any kind of dignity. If you suffer any of these symptoms I can pretty certainly diagnose that you are suffering from wine flu, which is prevalent during the festive season, and other celebratory occasions.

The flu may sometimes last throughout the following day, necessitating much holding of the head, and horizontal moaning. Do not despair. The symptoms will pass, given time, and possibly a 'hair of the dog'.

The spread of the disease is still being researched,there seems to be no single infecting agent, so keep your eyes peeled. Pretty sure that drinking Christmas spirits will keep the bug at bay. worth a try anyway. Have a Merry One!

from the depths of ICE WORLD - Merry Christmas!

wicked Grandchildren


Glittering party guests


Da boyz in Budapest


hands full of trouble!


Fun and games at the wild 18th!


My Dad and me at the 50th PARTAAAYYY!

And so, another year has almost slipped by. 2010 has seen the eldest working hard, in a large local factory and as an assistant Chartered Surveyor. He has accepted a place at Harper Adams to study Rural Chartered Surveying in 2011, and headed off quite happily in August 2010 for a one year HNC Fish Farm Management course in Scotland. He is enjoying freezing his ass off on fish farms north of the border so much that completing a degree in Aquaculture at Stirling University (which will take 2 further years of study) is now also an option. He is flying off to New Zealand to do the Work Experience portion of his HNC next summer, and there is also a chance that he might stay there. He has been warned that his mother will be joining him if he even hints at staying so far away from home long term!! He has celebrated his 19th birthday and seems to be thriving in the freezing climate that is Scotland this winter. I am looking forward to his return for the Christmas holiday. Very much.

The youngest celebrated his 18th birthday in hilarious style in the heat of the summer, surrounded by friends and family in the garden. Hardly a sober person on the premises, and egg and spoon racing, water fights and 'horsey, horsey' were the order of the day (and night). He went on to celebrate the end of his A levels with a 'boys only' holiday to Budapest. This was their first foray into parentless travelling, and they all survived, indeed enjoyed themselves very much. He worked all summer for a large holiday provider locally and celebrated yet again when his A level results came through. Two 'A' grades in Maths and History, and a 'B' in Biology. Off he went to the University of Leicester in September to read History where he is having a fine old time. We have only been graced with his presence for one night since his departure. He was kind enough to drag himself away from the high life of an Undergraduate to help me celebrate my 50th birthday. I am looking forward to gathering him home for Christmas too. He is rowing for Leicester University, which has proved to be a chilly pass-time during the cold snap the country is enduring.

We had a litter of 4 pups from one of our cocker bitches. All have moved on to fine homes and we are delighted to receive periodic updates.

I celebrated my 50th. As we awaited the arrival of some of our smartest friends prior to the event one of my sons (who shall remain anonymous for his own protection) set the sitting room chimney alight. There followed ten minutes of utter panic as he endeavoured to safely extinguish both the grate fire, and the inferno halfway up the chimney. A large fall of soot ensued. I left to greet my first guests at the party venue closing the door on a scene of chaos. Some sort of fairy must have descended, because when we all returned home at 2am every sign of the catastrophe had been expunged from hearth and home. Thank goodness. A jolly time seemed to be had by all at the party, and £921 was raised for Macmillan Nurses in the process. I am closing my year without my usual bob hairstyle, and have chosen instead to have all my hair cut off short. Its a change!

The farmer has taken up ploughing and is perfecting his 'straight furrow' technique. His wheat cropped very well, and he is settling into life as a professional arable farmer with enthusiasm. It seems to mostly involve a morning lie in, plenty of tea during the day, and much tinkering with farm machinery.

We have only managed a few days in the North of England with friends as our holiday this year, the cost of two sons in Higher Education meaning that our button collection is under pressure. We hope to save enough for a holiday to celebrate the farmer's 50th in the New Year. Fingers crossed.

Its been a hard year, with all the usual ups and downs, but hope springs eternal for 2011! We shall become accustomed to our empty nest and continue to look for new challenges to keep us busy.