Posts that Didn't Happen: December 2024

Year's end and the month of December . . .

Started the month with an early visit to family, where the remodelled town centre was sporting a (deliberately) wonky tree (in homage to last year's newsworthy effort)!

The plan had been to meet up with some old school friends while we were there, but Storm Darragh rather put paid to that, as we all had to travel to get to the dinner location.   

And while it may have been a wild night in Cambridgeshire, back in Wales the weather warning was ramped up to RED.

Travelling home the next day, it soon became apparent that our bit of Wales had indeed had a rough time - with lots of fallen trees on the road over to Aberystwyth.

Luckily the damage at home wasn't too bad - one missing roof tile, and a partially demolished bit of garden storage!

Then with the clock ticking down to Christmas, it was time to clear the front room of 'Project Van', to make room for the festive bling!

Decorating, cooking, eating - all the usual - duly followed, and we even got a sunny Boxing Day for a walk up Constitution Hill.

The end of the month saw us back with family across country for 'second Christmas',  a special birthday celebration - and more festive sights . . .

On to 2025 . . .

Nadolig Llawen!

Christmas Eve shadows on the prom looking out to sea (after a day of preparing for the Christmas 'feast').

Christmas Day - cooking too much, eating too much, and washing up too much!

But still lovely to enjoy the day with family.

Then time to relax by the fire - with a glass of wine, and a special 'Christmas tree' from Martin - lovingly made from his used hankie!

Hope your day was just as full of good food, good company, and Christmas spirit (of whatever kind!).

Merry Christmas!

Posts that Didn't Happen - December 2022

And finally - December . . . and a somewhat busier month on all fronts!

Started with some rearrangements down the Folly - with the idea of fitting the desk into a corner and making more room around the railway table - while Martin tackled the project to 'hard-wire' in the internet connection to the garage (from where it makes its way to the Folly itself).

Took him most of that first weekend (channeling through concrete and across the lawn), but by the end of it we had fast, reliable connections in place.  Plus I got the Christmas tree up!

It was a good job the cabling got done that weekend, because the next week brought some really freezing weather, which lasted for a good ten days, and saw temperatures as low as -7 on some mornings.

We haven't really had weather this cold for years, and we were soon turning on the rayburn (despite resolutions to save oil and not use it this year) to keep us warm.

More Folly rearrangements followed, finally fixing on a new layout which works, with the desk benefitting from the light from the window, but allowing more space for moving around.  Also got some blinds fitted to the window (and door):

Noises in the bedroom cupboard (where we store all the Christmas decs), led us to think we finally had mice. Martin investigated (my hero), and managed to capture the culprit - a small (very speedy) and rather cute shrew. 

No idea how it got in there (unless it hid in a Christmas box, while they were downstairs), but it was soon released back to the wild.

And then of course there was the run up to Christmas, with a couple of meals out (one with Epic, one with former colleagues), Christmas shopping, making up our own Christmas cards, etc., etc.

Christmas Eve saw us on the road to visit family in Cambridgeshire - no cooking for me this year, the brother-in-law did the lot (except for contributing the traditional Sticky Toffee Pud!).  Lovely to all be together for Christmas!

Back to Wales for 'Second Christmas' with family here, and for a few days R&R - catching up with festive tv, eating chocolate, finally setting up the model train, etc. etc. - then it was all over for another year.

Hope yours was a good one!

And So It's Christmas . . .

Another year, another Christmas, but with Covid a little more in the background this time (booster jabs all done!), although as it turned out not without its alternative dramas . . .

We've had some nice days, sunny walks on the prom / up Consti, etc. and a proper break over the Christmas period, with a visit to family in Cambridgeshire for 'second Christmas' in the next few days.  

The run up to Christmas has however (aside from the Folly) also been occupied with the Saga of the Fridge . . . which stopped working at the end of November, but had to wait for service engineers in Oswestry to get to us to fix it under its guarantee.

On 8 December they finally arrived, replaced a faulty fan and left saying all should now be ok - only the fridge didn't get any cooler . . . 

We then had to wait for 17 December before they made it back to diagnose the added problem (everything had frozen up and the cold air couldn't get from the freezer section to the fridge!) and actually get it running again.

All of which felt perilously close to Christmas - trying to manage Christmas cooking with one fridge drawer kept cool with freezer blocks, was not a happy thought!

Christmas day brought its own drama, with an evening trip to A&E for a tetanus jab (following a minor incident with some firewood and a rusty nail).

All well though - just a sore hand for a few days - and only had to wait for an hour or so.

Hope you had a good one!

Have Yourself a Merry 'Little' Christmas

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
We must do what we know is right
It might take a while
But these troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Keep the spirit of the Day
Even if . . .
Your loved ones are still far away
 
Remember how it was in pre-Covid days
Happy golden days of yore
Soon they’ll return to be here with us
Family near to us once more
 

In future years we all will be together
When the fates allow
At least this year there won't be any family row!
So have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now

Christmas Day, Kingfisher and Cormorant

And another Christmas Day rolls around - family visitors, mulled wine, too much food, all the usual things. 

Never did quite get to the cake (this year's theme - the Welsh Dragon) - had more than enough with dinner!


In fact it was down to the prom later to take in the evening starling 'show' (and walk off dinner) - along the way spotted the kingfisher on the shore, and captured a rather blurry photo!



This cormorant stretching its wings came out a bit better  . . .

. . .  and of course the starlings themselves:

Through Hell and High Water

Well 'hell' might be a slight exaggeration, but there was certainly high water!

On the way to Stratford (en route to pick up the parents for Christmas) - water, water, everywhere - driving through rivers of it.


Got to Stratford safely in the end, and had a nice evening, admiring the lights, drinking cider, and eating curry!








On to Cambridgeshire - more Christmas lights, and time to catch-up with family before the journey back to Wales.


Food, wine and chat - watched by one very hungry little dog . . .

Midwinter Miscellany

Well the Christmas celebrations are already fading into the past . . .

Too much food was cooked (and eaten).

The 'Cake' finally got decorated (although after Christmas Day) with fruit, nuts and marzipan - and managed to incorporate a bunny along the way.




Family visited for a few days, and we're already missing the pitter patter of doggie paws (well I am anyway).








Martin spotted the first of the snowdrops in flower in the back garden - doubtless with more to follow.


Finally our festive entertainment has included the farmer's ongoing battle to manage his flock's access to the 'greens' in the field opposite:


The stuff on the left hand side obviously looks much more tasty, and he's had to reconstruct the fence at least twice and shoo the sheep back to where they don't want to be with much beeping from his quad bike.


The fence (now securely electrified) seems to be doing its job for now, but there are regular mass gatherings where they look like they are preparing to storm it to achieve their goal, so watch this space!

Santa Shenanigans

After last year''s rather cutesy post - something a little different . . .

Merry Christmas!

Not Quite Christmas Cactus

At one point it was covered in flowers, but I somehow managed to fail to take the necessary picture - so here's a close-up of one of the remaining flowers on the 'not quite' Christmas cactus:

(Yes, I'm desperate for things to blog!)

Christmas Wishes (Bunny Style)

Merry Christmas!

Nadolig Llawen!

'Diff Film Friday

Friday saw me working in Cardiff, and Martin working in Swansea, so we took the opportunity to meet up for a night out in the capital - primarily to see Thor: Ragnarok on the big screen (very good!), but also for a few beers and a curry down Cardiff Bay.

After the film we had a wander around the Bay to admire the Christmas decorations and Snowdogs, before going for a drink (or three) in the Mount Stuart Wetherspoons.

We never quite worked out what we wanted to eat for dinner, so cinema popcorn (well Tesco popcorn) ended up as the culinary highlight of the evening!


It had been some time since we had been down the Bay, so it was great to see that Ianto’s Shrine is still going strong (it actually features on Google Maps!) - and there's a semi-official plaque to his memory now (suggesting that the Shrine has been officially adopted by Mermaid Quay):

The following day we had another wander around the Bay, having breakfast in Wetherspoons with an old friend before heading into town to look around the Christmas Fayre and the city centre shops.

Unfortunately we'd managed to coincide with another International, and it was all far too busy to be enjoyable - so we returned to the Bay for a cuppa in the Norwegian Church, before making our way home.

Inbetween Festivities

Christmas to New Year saw us taking a return trip to Bristol.

All lit up it looked very festive by night:

The walk to Clifton the next day also took me past the topically titled (for the time of year) Christmas Steps.

In Clifton itself, wandered through Birdcage Walk (the graveyard of the now demolished St Andrew's Church), with its atmospheric tree tunnel.

   






All in all a nice break on our way to meet up with family for New Year itself.

Christmas Greetings!

Tis the First Day of Christmas

And what does that mean?

A morning of cooking

Our festive cuisine.

Mulled wine by the fire,

Gifts under the tree.

Then dinner with family,

Washed down with Asti.

Too much has been eaten

But there's still plenty more

We could have been catering

For far more than four!

So now we're as stuffed as the Turkey itself

Time to sit by the fire, and drink to your health.

So here's wishing you a Christmas with plenty of cheer

And all that you'd wish for in the coming New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas!

Finally feeling better and ready for Christmas - so to celebrate here's a festive photo from our trip to Cardiff:

Really looking forward to the holidays now - the guilt-free food-fest (why not, it's Christmas!); watching people open their presents; mulled wine; sleeping in; sitting by the fire; Dr Who; Sherlock; decorating the cake(s); hot chocolate; a good book; jigsaws and games; family and friends; etc.

Just one more week to go . . .

A Christmassy Cardiff

Weekend in Cardiff - a bit of shopping and some Christmas sights, including a great Christmas market, with lots of stalls selling crafts, gifts, food and drink.


Unfortunately we managed to coincide our visit with Martin having a really bad cold -  still had a good time, heading out for a drink or four in the evening, a curry, and a night singing along to 80s music in one of the bars.

 Along the way visited Cardiff's very own Winter Wonderland - with its ice rink, and fairground rides and stalls - and took in the Christmas lights outside the castle walls.











Cardiff on an International (Wales 27 South Africa 13 - yay!) Saturday night was something of an interesting experience mind you - no glass allowed in any of the pubs, and we couldn't even buy a bottle of wine to take back to the hotel.

It was all very good natured though - particularly enjoyed the gang of twenty or so people dressed up in Pikachu onesies and going round town worshipping traffic lights until they turned from red to green!

Christmas Day

So here we are again . . .

. . . turkey on to roast, table laid, fire lit, veg prepped, and mulled wine warming on the wood burner.






Of course, we cooked far too much food (as usual!).






Then, with the table cleared, time to play with the pressies.  Hadn't anticipated getting a train set (I'd always wanted a 'proper' one as a child as I told Martin on our recent visit to the National Railway Museum in York), so this was his gift.

Wasn't entirely sure first off, but a few times round the track and I can feel myself getting back into the idea!  Unfortunately this particular train has a fault, and will have to go back, but watch this space in 2016.

Nadolig Llawen i Bawb!