Last Post in 2010

So here it is, the last day in 2010, I'll be honest ... I'll be so glad to see the back of it ...

so many sad things happened this year, not just to us but to friends of ours too.

It hasn't been good!

Here's to a bright new future in 2011!

I'm not making any resolutions or grand plans for the year like I usually do ...  

I'll just see what happens!

When I asked the lovely Mr. B.what his plans were,

he simply said ' Just to enjoy ourselves!'

So, I'm sending out good wishes to all my lovely blog friends ...

I hope you can all join us in a very enjoyable New Year too!

My 2010

January's cold winter sun heralds the New Year.

Little did we know what a momentous year 2010 would prove to be for our family ...

We spent February half term in Italy ... Here is Mr. B. stepping out in Pompeii.

The coldest spring in years meant that there were no daffodils in our garden at the end of March.

The weather had much improved by the Easter holidays,

and we spent a glorious few days in the Lake District.

I had a lovely weekend in May with our daughter in the North East ....

then just days later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer ...

In June our house resembled a florists ...

so many wonderful good wishes sent after my operation.

At the end of July we were able to manage a short break in the Lakes before the radiotherapy started over the summer.

Five long hard weeks of radiotherapy took its toll on us all, but we tried to make the best of things and on good days we got out and about ... like this day in Portmerion in North Wales.

I spent most of September asleep, I think ... it just passed me by in a blur.

We did have a weekend away in the caravan, but I remember being desperately tired.

By October I was recovered enough to enjoy a week in Turkey with my daughter ...

 a lovely week of rest and recuperation, warm sunshine and good company.

At the end of November I had started a few sessions back at work ...

and we had a weekend at the Christmas Market in Bath.

Time is a great healer ...

on Christmas Eve I was able to complete a short walk in the mountains ... very slowly ... but I did it!

The year has been dominated by my illness ... it was hugely emotional at times ~ but it hasn't been all bad.
It's given me time to think ... time to take stock of my life so far...

In 2010 I learned a lot about myself ...
I learned that our family was strong enough to cope with what was thrown at us and we became much closer as a result ... we've learned to make more time for each other.
I learned that you can be truly happy in the most awful times if you are surrounded by the people who love you.
I learned that it is the people in your life matter more than anything else .... things aren't important
I also learned that there are some people who, sadly, will let you down ... they are the people you don't need in your new life.
I learned that things I used to stress about don't matter at all ... particularly my job.
I learned that I need to pace myself. I don't go rushing around like I did before ... slow and steady wins the day! If I'm tired I will take a rest!
I learned that it will take a long time to get over my illness ... physically I am fine now ... but I'm not fully recovered emotionally ... I  still have wobbly days ...tears can flow easily... but that's O.K... we're getting used to it!!! (These days it's usually happy things that set me off!)
I learned that no matter how bad things are, there is always someone worse off than you ... remembering this makes you more positive about your own situation.

Above all, I've learned that you only get one go at this life and you have to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. And if an opportunity doesn't just pop up? Then make one!!!

You think you know these things already ... but it takes something drastic to make you really see things clearly.

Roll on 2011! A new year, a second chance at life ... no plans ~ we'll just take it as it comes!

Secret Santa

My Secret Santa parcel arrived weeks ago ... but I restrained myself from ripping off the wrappers of the very tempting packages until Christmas morning.
I have been thoroughly spoiled by Chloe from Clobelle .Would you like to see all the lovely things she sent me?

Some fat quarters in blue and red

a lovely skein of hand dyed sock yarn

a cross stitch kit  ... I haven't done cross stitch for years but this is so portable it's coming along on our next caravan trip

I love notebooks and always have one next to my laptop for jotting down ideas

This patchwork book is totally beyond my stitching capabilities but it's lovely to look at the pictures and dream ... maybe one day!

Not one, but two pots of buttons!

This little treasure opens out to make a handy shopping bag ....

and my favourite perfume for daytime ... I honestly spray this on every morning!

And a cuddly snowman doggy toy for Inca .... she has carried this round the house since Christmas morning ever so carefully, and hasn't even tried to kill it once!!!!

Thank you so, so much Chloe! I love everything. I cannot believe how generous you have been with your gifts! I do hope your Secret Santa sent you something lovely too!

(My Secret Santa parcel went off to New Zealand)

And it was all going so well ...

We had a lovely Christmas Day ... just the four of us together ... both sets of elderly parents didn't want to venture out in the heavy snow.
Wonderful presents were exchanged ... I was surprised by a very pretty sparkling gift from my husband which made me cry again ... (I am still crying every time the poor man does something nice for me) ... I never used to cry like this...
Food was consumed on an enormous scale... and we declared that Christmas this year had been very special. 

Little did we know that all that was to change on Boxing Day. The lovely Mr B. bent down to pick something up and pulled his back. He is in agony! He has a long standing back problem and has been having weekly sessions at the osteopath in the run up to Christmas. (I'm writing this after I've just watched him crawl across the floor, unable to stand up.) There's nothing anyone can do to help him .... except fetch and carry!!!
He is a very miserable patient!

Traditionally we visit the grandparents on Boxing Day ... lunch at the in-laws and tea at my Mum and Dad's where we meet up with my brother and his family. Dad phoned to say my Mum had been ill through the night, so that was cancelled. Poor Mum ... her role in life is to feed everyone. She seems to have caught this dreadful sickness bug that's going round. Fingers crossed she'll be better soon and we can all catch up later in the week.

So I took the children to visit my husband's parents without him and we didn't see my parents at all.

Ho! Ho! Ho! .... and it had all been going so well!

On Christmas Eve ...

When our children were little we always drove into North Wales on Christmas Eve. It was a good ploy to get them out out of the house to contain the mounting excitement. We usually did a walk up to Cwm Idwal in the Nant Ffrancon valley. If we were lucky we might be rewarded with a sprinkling of snow!

We were delighted this year when our grown up children asked to go there again....

Of course, we were expecting snow but we were staggered to see just how much there was. It was positively Alpine ... thankfully we were all suitably dressed for the conditions.

The tables have been turned as our son led the way and had to wait for us to catch up ... when he was small he was the world's worst walker and could never keep up with his sister.

But this time he did have some extra help.... Inca pulled him all the way up!

Inca had a wonderful time, leaping around in the deep snow ... pure joy!

On our way home we dropped into Betwys-y-Coed ...

It was just stunning .... we have never seen conditions like this in all the years we've been going there.

Later, hot chocolates were eagerly consumed in this ice covered hotel.

It's not often the four of us get a chance to spend a whole day together ...

It was a perfect way to celebrate Christmas ... better than the presents, better than the food and drink,

just time with our family!

Wishing You All a Wonderful Christmas!

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world and behold everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas starts here...

Our daughter has arrived home safely for Christmas ... so now we can relax and start to enjoy ourselves.

Christmas for us is just a lovely time when we can all be together... Inca is delighted because she has the whole pack around her ... with an extra person in the house to make a fuss of her!

Later we're going into Chester.

We don't need any shopping ...

so we're going to see the Winter Wonderland and then we'll have a nice lunch somewhere.

Simple pleasures!

Sainsbury's Brings the Perfect Christmas to the Winning Street!

As promised, here's the footage from our 'Perfect Christmas'.
It's very short, and barely does justice to the event ...
but it does give a little flavour of the magical evening we had on Saturday.

(if you click on 'Youtube' in the corner it makes if full size!)

Too cool for school!!!

I know the rest of the country seems to have broken up for Christmas, but today we were still facing two more days of school ...

This was the temperature at 8.15 as we drove into Liverpool from the Wirral.
Luckily, although freezing and a little snowy, the roads near us were surprisingly clear and we got there with no problems..... unlike many staff in Liverpool who live much closer to school than we do, and had had to negotiate deep snow and dreadful driving conditions ... they had recorded temperatures of -17 C overnight in some areas! They had a terrible struggle into work and most were very distressed by the whole experience.
Lots of children were missing as parents wisely chose to keep them at home.
In the end it was decided that it would be safer for staff, pupils and parents to close the school one day early!

Hurray!!! What a wonderful Christmas present!

A Perfect Christmas for Mia

Two years ago Mia was like any other 20 year old girl ... beautiful, fun loving and busy, with lots and lots of friends ...her whole life ahead of her. Then she was struck down by a terrible stroke which left her in a coma for months ... and left her family and friends devastated. When she eventually came round she was paralysed and unable to communicate except with her eyes. She has locked-in syndrome. Eighteen months on she is finally home with her family .... all their lives changed forever.

Mia's wonderful friends entered the Sainsbury's Perfect Christmas competition on her behalf .... and won!!! And so a Perfect Christmas was delivered to our road ..... for Mia and her family, and everyone else in the road was invited too!

On Saturday morning the bottom end of the road was closed off  ....

... and during the day the Sainsbury's team transformed it into a

winter wonderland .... ready for the evening's festivities.

The houses were lit up and sparkled in the darkness

A beautiful tree was installed ...

Fake snow blowers were on hand to create the right atmosphere ... although the snow on the floor was our very own!

Carols were playing ... choirs were singing ...

A huge screen was showing Christmas classics ... children were dancing with the Snowman

There were even real live reindeer ..

... the sweetest little donkey

... and some beautiful owls.

... and of course lots of tasty nibbles and mulled wine!

Picnic tables were set out with lanterns (and patio heaters)

The evening concluded with the most fabulous firework display on the marshes ... it was truly amazing!

(At times like these I can see the limitations of my little camera!)

It was so big, they had had to inform Liverpool Airport!

Each family in the road was also given a wonderful hamper ... filled with lovely treats!

Mia was there too, in her specially adapted chair, surrounded by her wonderful family and friends ...

This is her Mum thanking everyone who made this evening possible.

And the star of the whole proceedings was Buster, their boxer, who was never too far away from the food!

He was King of the Road in his Christmas coat!

The whole evening was filmed and photographed ... so hopefully it will appear on TV somewhere in the last few days before Christmas.

It was a truly magical occasion ... one to be treasured for many years to come. It was so nice to see all our neighbours coming together ... and of course Mia, finally at home.

And a big, big thank you to Sainsbury's ... you were wonderful!!!!