How was yours?

Honestly what a name for a establishment....originally est 1839...this building is down a cobbled street...0ld tenament buildings.

This beautiful staircase is in the middle of the hotel...when the hotel was refurbished it had to be kept Grade II listed...at the very top is a beautiful domned window.

Me and hubby having a quick cuddle whilst waiter took piccy....ahhh!

We went for a walk around and about....these beautiful houses take your breath away...lots of them are flats but a few are still full houses. Luckily people had their curtains open and lights on so we could have a good ol' nosey hehe!!! everything looked so festive inside. The ceilings on these properties must be 12' odd....and the mouldings and original cornices etc were gorgeous.

Hello...hope all had a good Christmas

Mine with my darling hubby was a quiet one....usually I do all the cooking and running around but this year my youngest daughter went to her In-laws....my eldest DD we don't see...this is by her choice. Anyway me and hubby thought okeydokee lets take ourselves away...so we did up to wonderful beautiful Edinburgh...we stayed for 3 nights at the Roxburgh Hotel in Charlotte Square....the hotel if I am correct is made up of several georgian town houses knocked together.

The food was superb....champagne and canapes......poached pears with stilton......full turkey dinner..oh every concieveable delicious morsel of food was had. On Boxing Day we went to the pantomine, well I haven't been for 20 odd years, we saw Aladdin with Alan Stewart as Widow Twanky...I tell you there may have been lots of children but I haven't split my sides laughing so much in ages...especially some of the innuendo jokes that go straight over the childrens heads...a lovely treat all in all.

Came across this poem and made me smile

Its the day before Christmas and all through the house

The puppies are squeaking an old rubber mouse



The wreath which had merrily hung on the door

Is scattered in pieces all over the floor



The stockings that hung in a neat little row

Now boast a hole in each one of the toes



The tree was subjected to bright-eyed whims

and now although splendid, its missing some limbs



I catch them and hold them "be good" I insist

They lick me, then run off to see what they've missed



And now as I watch them the thought comes to me

That theirs is the spirit that Christmas should be



Should children and puppies yet show us the way

and teach us the joy that should come with this day



Could they bring the message thats written above

And tell us that most of all Christmas is LOVE


Me and my darling hubby went to Horsham in Sussex....just to browse around. Along one street they had 3 snow makers blowing...the scene was entrancing....Christmas music playing...people walking through and getting "snowed on". But what stopped me in my tracks
were the children all standing/jumping/skipping around their faces full of laughter...so young so sweet. A young man was entertaining them and shouting "Who loves Christmas"...and the children responded with such raised voices. Me and hubby stood watching for a while I was starting to choke up........how I wish that time did not rush by soooo quick and I could enjoy the time all over again with my children........but there again...........I will and I can....with our Grandchildren, how wonderful is that. Honestly the sentimentality at this time of year now that I'm a tad older......(or like a matured red wine, mellow and warm without a tang!!! he he.)...is so silly, now where did I put that box of tissues.......x

Nigella Lawson......

I treated myself today...if whether you love her or hate her...this book is a definite must have for Christmas.....maybe a great gift....actually I'm wondering if my daughter might have purchased this for me ops! Best of all its at Waterstones for £8.99 woohoo bargain.
The glossy pages just inspire you to cook...well it works for me.....I'm loving
the Spruced Up Vanilla Cake what a wonderful alternative to Christmas cake, have defnitely got to track down one of those cake tins for it. Also fantastic recipe for Chocolate Pudding...oh and for those not keen on the proverbial MR. TURKEY....then the recipe for stuffed pumpkin looks pretty good.

What I love about this lady is "SHE LOVES TO EAT"....honestly I sit their giggling to myself when after the end credits of the programme...she sneaks downstairs for the midnight bite. The lashings of cream that went on that mince pie.....indecent. I was listening to our Terry Wogan on radio 2 the other day......seems quite a few of the men love her two...hmmm! wonder why? Could it be the way the camera lingers on her mouth as she eats..I don't think its the food.

Theres also something else I am inspired to do....I lurrrvvveee her kitchen it is so homely. I love the way everything sugar/flour/dried fruit etc are all to hand and within easy reach. So after Christmas I'm off to Ikea to purchase glass jars and sort out my larder...then I won't have flour/sugar spilling over the place when I unroll the bags etc. Yep I think that will be one of my New Year resolutions....get organized.

OK own up whos finished their Chrissy shopping?

ME.....TA DA!!!!

I'm going to sit with a Christmas film on this afternoon and do my wrapping....of course with a cuppa and choccy bickies oh and....read my new Nigella Cookery book....

Have a wonderful weekend...xxxxxxxx

Thank you....

http://www.bigfoto.com/sites/galery/flowers1/flower-rose_5xv.jpg




Just a virtual thank you for the lovely kind words such lovely ladies have left on last posting.


XXXXX

Update on my darling Mum

Some of the lovely people that visit my blog and I thank all of you that do...know that my darling Mum has end stage vascular senile dementia....I find that putting my thoughts to print has helped greatly.
So I thought I would update the current situation. Well as of last posting re Mum....she was sent home from hospital...her stomach continues to blow up like a huge balloon and when I say huge...well the only way to describe it...is well like when ones 9 months pregnant...I apologise for the comparison but was only way I could think of describing as to how big. The swelling is due to the fact that her body can no longer pass gases so it all ferments. I could hardly believe it when my darling Dad said that the doctor was contacting the hospital with a view to them putting a tube into the side of her stomach with a valve....apparently to release the gases. I suppose this is to make her more comfortable but whether she would survive such? Anyways this is booked for January.
I have described my darling Mum before but will do so again....she is doubly incontinent...weighs about 4half/5 stone...cannot talk/feed/move at all by herself...her bones of her entire body are now fused all together and when I say entire I mean entire....she cannot even turn her head.....she is stuck at right angles like a Z. She has so many sores over her body it is heartbreaking...she doesn't know me at all and hasn't done so for the past 2/3 years....even though at times I do get a lovely oh so sweet smile when I first walk in and she manages to open her eyes but it is flickering....when this smile does happen my stomach trips and I choke up and believe me I cherish that smile with all my being.
My Dad looks after her with 2 carers coming in 3 times a day to change and clean her and a daily nurse to see to her sores...there is a terrible one on the base of her spine, so now they have given Dad a special bed where the back raises up...and have said that it is better for her to stay there until after lunch. The bed is in the lounge where Dad sits as well....he is not at all happy with her being in bed as he likes her in the chair...but now she constantly slips down...they have been married 56 years and in her chair is where he likes her. I gently talk to him that it is best for Mum and more comfortable...I think for now he is agreeing. He is in denial and has been for a long time....on Monday he was talking about colouring her hair as he dones't like seeing it grey!!!! eeek....what hair....what my darling Mum has is hearly lost and so so thin....to describe her as skeletal is nearer.
To describe more.....she has now been having TIA's...transiant ischaemic attacks...mini strokes...over the last week about 5/6 I know these are a prelude to something bigger. I have said "goodbye " to her so many times over the last two years when she has been hospitalized due to problems....usually taken into a side room...but bless her she has rallied.
Everytime I see her now I mentally say the words and also whisper in her hear that "I love you" and thank her for being my Mummy. I have been dreading that she will depart this world before Christmas.....but the TIA's seem to have settled down.
I don't know how my darling Dad will be...he says to me..."he lost his wife a few years ago"....he is such a trooper and the care, compassion, patience and dedication and total love along with his strength have astounded me....lesser mortals would have buckled....but it has been at a cost to his own health.....he never complains just recites his marriage vows to me.."for richer for poorer...in sickness and in health and desrcibes it as the "rich tapestry of life"....so lovely people thats where we are as of the 17th December...Mum is 85 and Dad 82...if you have read thus far I thank you so much for staying with it....I understand and I apologise that at times it can make uncomfortable reading.....but anyways for now take care hugs ....x

Christmas past......

Hi...thought would show you some piccys of where we went for Christmas 2006......we decided hubby and I to go down to Somerset and stayed in a beautiful mullion stoned lodge.....this lodge was on the entrance to a most beautiful entracing mansion....(privately owned)...unfortunately I never got to step a foot inside to view. But anyway the lodge was so charming for Christmas...although not richly decorated it was very warm and very welcoming. It had a perfect but small workable kitchen....off that a very pretty dining room which had a log burner in an inglenook.... The lounge as you can see was not heavily decorated but the whole lodge had a wonderful ambience of spirit of Christmas...it seemed to wrap itself around you and comfort you and say "welcome".....The side stone mullion window behind the TV looked straight down the drive so that in the "olden" days...the gatekeeper could see who was coming and inform the Master/mistress of the Manor.

Me and Megs by the fire and then my lovely sil by the car in the beautiful shrouded icy mist of a winters morning. Its strange how when one looks back on past holiday photos....does one realize what a wonderful time was had.....will definitely visit back here again. Take care...xx

These were only part of the grounds....which we were allowed to walk around.

The Aaaahhhh factor!

Thougt I would show you photo of my two beautiful twin Grandchildren.....both a year old when this photo was taken in October. They were born 9 weeks premature and weighed the
little boy weighed 3lb and dropped to about 2lb 9oz afterwards and the little girl weighed 4lb and managed to keep her birth weight pretty well....now as you can see they are doing great. Took this piccy adhock and made me smile when I looked at it...the page they are looking at says "Little Treasures"......oh how true...if anybody had told me I would be so so head over heels and totally besotted I would not have believed them. They just make my heart smile.....


Thought I would show you another photo of this little poppet...shes my Cavalier called Megan...and yes she is as sweet/soppy/daft as she looks...she has a very lovely nature...always ready for a lap and snooze.....I used to have another called Lady, she lasted for 13 years which is very good for this breed...in fact Megan was brought as her companion....but Lady never wanted to know Megan...would turn away and put her nose in the air when Megan went near her. Actually thinking about it Megs quite a "tart" hehe!!! she goe to anybody for a biscuit........shhhhhh!!! don't say it out loud.....sometimes I have spelt it out and she still knows what I'm talking about. Oh the other day DH went out for a couple of hours and Megan got up ran to the front door and laid there...I thought somebody had rung the doorbell....went to check noone there....then about 2 mins later I hear our car coming up the road and yes it was hubby returning. How on earth do dogs detect this......dodododododododo......chat laters hugs me xxxxxx

A rose by any other name..

Such a pretty glass crystal cream amd sugar set.

I just adore this table runner.

Hello and welcome to my very first Tablescape Tuesday....I came across this here...http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/.....what a wonderful inspirational idea....along with all the other beautiful blogs with wonderful houses and tables. Anyway hope you enjoy my table setting. The table is set with Villeroy & Boch white porcelain china in Wave Design....I wasn't quite sure when I first purchased this dinner service as to rectangular plates...but they are wonderful to use....everything interchanges with each other....the small plates underneath the soup bowls are used with the coffee cups (not shown)....the side plates used as dessert plates as well.

Ops sorry for the shaky piccy.

My cutlery has a pitted bark effect on it. The so pretty etched wine glasses come from one of my very very favourite shops Laura Ashley. On the left is a cruet set which I purchased in a local collectables shop.

Just love this cutesy sleigh....it comes from TK Maxx....this shop fascinates me you never know what you are going to find from visit to visit. The other day popped in there and they had Spode Woodland coffee mugs eeekkk!!....I would have purchased them but there was nothing else to go with them...oh well.

Anyway back to here....put lots of lovely apple/cone thingys to make everything festive and pretty.

MERRY
CHRISTMAS

XXX

A few Christmas bits and bobs.

Picture heavy post.....hey Mr. Turkey are you ready....???

Just a few prettys on my side cabinet...hmmm!!! now looking at this picture think it maybe needs a tad more flowery bits...yes?

Hey Santa.....you'll be real busy soon.

Don't you just love the cutesy set on the first picture...purchased from good ol' TK Maxx....sugar bowl/cream milk jug and the lovely jam/butter dish with the sleigh mini knife...lurrrvveee it...and of course there was my 2nd bargain again TK Maxx.

Then my 2nd bargain yet again TK Maxx 3 beautiful large Baubles which are by Waterford...a bargain at about £3/£4 each...went into my local department store and couldn't believe my eyes, they were for sale there at £20 eeeekkk!! so very pleased. Have displayed them in a red glass bowl with tiny lights around them.

Ok I know TK Maxx again....did I tell you about my bargains...couldn't resist (oh and I tried soooo hard) these cutesy four plates and large plate.....perfect for those mince pies....scrummy.

and for now my mirror done up in its glory....with another Waterford bauble that has Seasons Greetings on it.

and how could I forget these so funny snowmen....in stages of meltdown....did make me giggle...the message on the melted snowman says..."see you next year".....oh yes the 3 small threes come from Sainsburys.....a great little find.