Hello 2012!

No resolutions
No plans
No lists of things to be done
No promises to diet or start jogging

Just a wish for health and happiness for my family and every one of my blogging friends.

Have a wonderful 2012!

Love from Kathy xxx

My 2011

How was your 2011?

Thankfully I can say mine was good.... a lot better than last year

My health improved throughout the year, and those fearful days of 2010 now seem a long way behind me! I've finished the year feeling like me again, which is great!

January ~ back to work after the illness ... I'll be honest, it was

one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.

February ~ a trip to London during half-term.

March ~ a big part of my year ~ the little Wednesday treats every week ....

maybe a museum trip,  coffee and cake, or an evening walk as the weather improved ... 

my husband's way helping me to get through each working week. 

 April ~ we chance upon the event of the year on a trip to Keswick.

 

May ~ the Take That Progress Tour ... in Sunderland.

I was there with my daughter for the opening night. Great fun!

 June ~  a few days away to Chatsworth and a chance to see the Well Dressing at Tissington.

July ~ disaster strikes on our way to France. The car overheated and 'died'. We were towed home - car, caravan, dog and all! Devastating!

 

August ~ we salvaged some of the holiday and had a wonderful time in the end. It did me a power of good and I was able to face the new term in a much better frame of mind! (Despite the frightening haircut!)

 September ~ our son leaves for uni and we have an empty nest. It's very strange!

 October ~ half-term in the west of Scotland ... all moody scenery and rain!

 November ~ a trip to Newcastle to see my poor daughter who had broken her arm.

December ~ a few days in York just before Christmas. So lovely!

Looking back over the year, we seem to have been away a lot. That's the advantage of being teachers and having a caravan. I think January and November were the only months we didn't get away in the 'van. We have made the most of every holiday and a few weekends too, and we always seem to have something to look forward too. That's a big lesson learned from the scary illness! 

I hope next year is just as good!

The Christmas Alphabet ~ December's Scavenger Hunt

I've really enjoyed this Scavenger Hunt. My photographs aren't technically good, but they give a flavour of what Christmas means to me!

I think we've all got the same one for Q!

A is for

An angel in the book shop at York Minster

B is for

A Bauble

C is for

The Christmas Crib ... we've been collecting the figures for this one for years on our trips to France. This year we added the hen and the goose.

D is for

Driving home for Christmas .... from Yorkshire to Cheshire on the M62

E is for

An Evergreen Wreath

F is for

A Fairground Ride in Liverpool One's Christmas Wonderland

G is for

Gold brought by the three wise men (in York Minster)

H is for

Holly

I is for

Icing on the cake (made by me ... thanks Mary Berry!)

J is for

Jingle Bells

K is for

The Three Kings

L is for

Lights in York

M is for

A Market Stall in Liverpool's Church Street

N is for

The Nutcracker 

O is for

Oranges .... I always had an orange in the toe of my Christmas stocking, did you?

P is for

A Perky Penguin in a Christmas scarf

Q is for

The Queen's Speech on Christmas Day

R is for

This handsome reindeer is in the centre of Liverpool

S is for

A snowflake

T is for

The table .... I was going to snap the turkey, but forgot!

U is for

Upside-down tree 
(these are really on sale at my local garden centre!)

V is for

Vase

W is for

A Winter Wonderland jewellery shop display

X is for

Kisses on a card from a child in my class , thank you Molly!

Y is for

Yuletide in York

Z is for

ZZZZZ .... this is an old photo of Inca, who was a Christmas puppy. Four years later she still spent Christmas sleeping, only she's much bigger now and not as cute!


I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's Christmas ABC, and I'll post a new list for 2012 very soon!

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas

 full of magic and sparkles!

And a big woof from Inca xxx

More from York

Here are a few more photographs from our short trip to York ....

Inside the Minster ....

The wonderful Chapter House....

Timbered buildings ....

Market day ....

Clifford's Tower ....

 Bettys! And our daughter who joined us for the day!

Christmas window shopping ....

Sparkly lights on the Shambles ....

The highlight of our visit was the service of the Nine Lessons and Carols at York Minster..... with the haunting voice of a lone chorister singing Once in Royal David's City sending shivers down my spine! Wonderful!

(Google images)

I'm ready for Christmas now!