ugly christmas sweaters

Here's my family Christmas Day, blessedly missing my own fashionable and highly desirable UGLY Christmas sweater. There were 20 of us for tea at my brother's house, and we all wore these magnificent, pre-owned and home-made garments. It was just hilarious. An arguementative and shouting time was had by all. We followed up with our own party on Sunday night, I don't believe there is a photographic record, for which I am grateful. We pushed out the final drunken relatives and guests at midnight, who had sunk to random salad item throwing, and loud, good humoured disputing.

We have had a full family Christmas week, and look forward to a slightly quieter New Year Celebration with a bottle of bubbly and the TV. Big boy working New Years Eve at pub, and youngest hitting town in team fancy dress. Only expecting about 6 teenage sleepers after hours. Buckets will be at the ready. Can't wait.

Happy, happy New Year.

snow, snow and more snow

Can't resist posting these photos, us two glad ragged up for a dinner last week some trace of suntan still discernable, and also some fat bellies, and the first snow. Today the wicked small dogs ran away for an hour and I was ready to call the police. They came back, cheerful as you like, having been rabbiting in the snow to their hearts' content, covered in balls of ice from head to toe. More walking on the lead, I had begun to trust them to be off the lead across the farm, but any distraction and they are away like greyhounds into the wide blue yonder. The snow is half way up my wellies now, and difficult to get about, either on legs or in a vehicle. Ice below the snow making roads deadly. The outflow on the upstairs hand basin and bath now frozen solid, so full bath will remain in the tub until the sun melts the pipes tomorrow. Luckily downstairs shower-room, though cold as a freezer, has underground in and out for water, so maintaining functionality so far. Coal and log fires in both sitting rooms downstairs (damn the expense) just taking the chill off the living areas. Dear God its a cold house at the best of times, but we are wearing A LOT of clothes this week! I have taken to wearing not only a thick flanelette gent's night-shirt at bed time, but also socks and a zipped up quilted fleece. Despite looking like a monster I am warm and snug throughout the night, so worth the embarrassment! Boy do I look a fright every morning....

just want to also say THANK YOU to Janet for the marvellous e-card. Must be Spot in the cartoon?

And Mr B - WICKED photos, great blogging, awards? Let's have a look then

xmas newletter and annual roundup

Lanzarote - November 2009

Alec - June 2009

John, his Grandad (my Dad), Jack (Elizabeth's youngest), and me February 2009

Lanzarote landscape (volcanoscape) - November 2009

Treacle and Fudge wishing you a merry christmas

Strange Skipper Reindeer creature celebrating Christmas.

Hello campers! And wishing you a Merry Christmas for 2009 and a great New Year for 2010. We are hoping for New Year cheer for 2010. In February John had a huge 18th celebration in Friskney Village Hall, photo shows me, Dad, John and Elizabeth's son Jack at the party. Good time had by all. Photo of Alec taken by a friend during the summer. Photo of Hugh in Lanzarote last week enjoying 80 degree sunshine. Black landscape was also Lanzarote which turned out to be entirely comprised of volcanic ash and rock - a tiny bit difficult to stray off the beaten track, your shoes would be torn to pieces! Yellow horse sporting thick winter coat, mud up to his eyeballs, and strange pair of red antlers especially for Christmas. Small dogs modelling bespoke santa hats, which didn't impress them much, but provided a photo opportunity for Christmas cards this year.

Its been a funny year, up and down with family health, and John dropping out of University. He's now living at home, hoping to find part time work (bar work or similar) and have another go at Higher Education in 2010, same year as Alec. Hopefully he will find a course more suited to his character than Mathematics. Perhaps Agricultural College? Who knows. He's busy choosing even as I type. Alec has chosen History for his degree, and has a few offers of places in hand. I think two further offers will come in during January 2010 then he must make a shortlist of 2 and do his best for his A levels. John was pleased to get a double distinction in his business studies at A level, and a B in his Maths A level. Quite a relief on the day they came through, a sleepless night was had by all of us the night before results! He liked East Anglia University but found degree level maths terribly dull and knew almost immediately he had made a mistake. So here he is at home again keeping us all entertained!

Much camping was done by endless teenagers during the summer months, out in the field with the fire pit, and all behaviour creditable. Sadly, the fire pit has now gone (for sheep to graze the area) so I don't know if we can offer the facility next summer. We shall have to see.

Horrible black dog has gone to a better place. Her heart gave out during the hot summer months, so she didn't suffer and surprised us with her passing. She was quickly replaced by the two cocker spaniel pups photographed - which are turning out to be a lot of work! We easily forget how much attention pups need to grow into balanced canines (these two probably won't make the grade...). They are bought to breed with, so hoping for puppies next year.

After much dithering I am keeping Skipper the yellow horse. During the Spring and Summer he got a bit lively on the spring grass, and a friend had to come and help me be a braver rider. He has returned to his usual quiet character with the disappearance of the lush spring grazing. After two years of owning him we are becoming accustomed to his foibles and I could sell him and buy another horse with much worse problems. So, he's staying. He has learned to live out in the field day and night. And to grow a thick winter coat. And to enjoy mud. Right at home then.

Alec still playing hockey for Boston Men's, and football for UVI school team. He fills the house with friends almost every weekend, which means lots of bacon roll consumption on Sunday mornings. It could be much worse!

Hugh and I have just come back from a week of R&R in Lanzarote. Gorgeous weather, but bit short on landscape (unless you like volcanic rock). Much of interest, but probably don't need to go back again. We came home wider than we went, hotel deal was 'all in' including wine and beer. Sadly making the most of this offer has meant that we cast quite large shadows in the winter sunshine.. ...

Its been a difficult year for visiting and travelling, there has been much to keep us occupied around work and home, but hoping for a bit more flexibility next year. With both boys now driving themselves and no longer needing one of us to pilot them around it might mean we can give ourselves a bit more time for friends.

As ever, kettle on, and new teapot always full in kitchen. Call in anytime!

Cheers.

skipper's new coat

As promised, a photo of the new coat, which includes neck coverage for extra comfort! I like this fabric so much I have ordered a matching sweatshirt for me! Everyone else thinks the horse ensemble is absolutely appalling, and seriously unmacho, but I LOVE it! Poor Skipper.

Big boy returns from Uni

Eldest boy has given up his Uni place and come home. Has had doubts about the maths from week 2 of the course. Has not enjoyed pure maths, nor found it as interesting as he had hoped. He tried to change to another course, or add another subject to the maths, but it wasn't possible at UEA. So, was collected with all his goods and chattels last night, and is 'considering his options'. Hopefully cost of leaving won't be too bad (rent, tuition fees etc) and he is going to look for a different course to begin in September again, or find a job, whichever happens first. Every cloud has a silver lining though, and this does mean that the old man and I can go away for a bit of a holiday leaving big boy in charge of dogs, horse, house and brother....

Horse ready for new shoes, had his first outing accompanied by pups on Wednesday. Brown dog kept swinging on horse's tail, but apart from that it all went relatively well, with the dogs not straying too far from the horse, and Skipper being pack leader - now there's an alien position for him

salt mines closing today...

At last, end of season has arrived. Salt mines closing at 2pm. Still have guests in brick buildings (cottages, apartments etc) but all caravan dwellers making their merry way back to their winter homes in distant counties.

Youngest has passed his driving test (I am shuddering with fear even as I type) and obviously knows everything. Eldest seems to have forgotten how to use a telephone so can only assume University is going just fine.

Small dogs are eating the spines off all my books on the shelf they can reach, they will have reference libraries of knowledge within them if they carry on at this rate. A shed is being prepared for them outside, until we get through this toothsome, nibbly stage.

Skipper the Wonderhorse standing idle in field and chillin' as I seem to have been flat out with other stuff and haven't ridden him for 2 weeks! What a long holiday for him.... hoping next week will bring me a little spare time to devote to him. I have found time however to buy him a new field rug, pink spots on a cappuchino brown background! Everyone else truly appalled at this girly outfit, but I think its marvellous. Photo to follows.

Wot a Weekend!

Big boy collected from train station at 10.30pm Friday night. So lovely to see him. AFter work on Saturday boys prepared for Young Farmer's ball and we donned our glad rags for Round Table Area Ball at Kenwick Park. I offered to collect my boys from their event, so that they could have a beer without worrying. At 11pm our boys texted to ask if we were nearly ready. Shortly after another text asking for us to come ASAP. Thought it was a bit funny. Turned out that big boy was absolutely paralytic. Had said 'yes' to every drink he had been bought. He was 'launched' into my car by a group of burly farmers who thought it was absolutely hysterical. He got jammed between the back seat and the front seats. Within one mile he was sick everywhere. He fell out of the car onto the road whilst we tried to clean him up. On arrival at home he couldn't walk at all. He finally collapsed onto the stone kitchen floor at midnight, in an unresponsive, clammy and comatose condition. We rang an ambulance. He was admitted to our local cottage hospital, and made a good recovery by 4am. By this time he was just drunk, not comatose. Frightened me almost to death, and his younger brother, who found it all very distressing. No sleep at all. Sunday we had a big family lunch planned, and I was baking and roasting all morning. Drunkard managed half a plate-ful, disappeared to speak to the great white telephone, returned to the table looking a bit less green, and ate a few more mouthfuls before giving up. His Grandmother thought he looked very peaky and perhaps he wasn't eating well at University? We didn't grass him up, though the temptation was almost irresistable. There are some photos, which I took to be unkind, and to remind him of his condition, but he doesn't want them posted for public entertainment. He is mortified. He has never previously done such a stupid thing, and it has shocked him very much.

AFter lunch his brother drove us all to University to drop off the drunkard, and we made our weary way back home to complete our weekend finally putting our feet up at 8.30pm. Dogs not impressed, particularly as they were not allowed to lick the drunkard whilst he was prostrate, nor were they allowed to greet the ambulance service-men as they deserved.

The vomit, incidentally, covered the entire rear area of my car, a new dinner suit, a new dinner shirt, a blanket I keep in the car, my own ball gown and the kitchen floor. Sadly the drunkard was too unwell to be able to clean it all up himself, and it fell to me to wield the scrubbing brush and the bin bag.

Delighted to be back at work, and beginning to see the funny side, though I am extra-ordinarily grateful to the very kind ambulance men, and the staff at our local cottage hospital. Unbelievably my son was the only A&E customer in the early hours of Sunday morning, and he was treated with far more kindness and consideration than his condition deserved. He thanked everyone, and apologised profusely for the duration of his occupation of a hospital trolley!

Hoping day off tomorrow can be spent relaxing and 'putting it all behind me'.

Big boy has just texted to say he's still far from well. Serves him right. I thank all gods listening that it is a funny story and not a tragedy. The plonker.