Catching up and some Sad News

Oh dear, I`ve left it almost a week without posting an entry again. So much has happened over the last week that I wanted to tell you about and now my mind has gone blank, it must be my age...lol!



On Saturday Jim and I went to Reading shopping for the last few presents and to just generally have a look around the shops. Luckily for me I have a husband who enjoys shopping as much as I do, even though it wasn`t always the case. I think I gradually worked on him until he realised the delights of retail therapy. Now I doubt he can remember the time when he would stand sulkily outside shops looking at his watch...lol! But I digress. We decided to catch a train instead of the stress of trying to find a parking space. We didn`t have to wait long for the train either going or coming home, it made such a difference to the day. It was a cold, frosty morning and the sun was shining which boded well for the day ahead. As it turned out we had a really enjoyable day and even though there were a lot of people out there was no sign of frayed tempers anywhere. We had lunch in a restaurant called Tootsies, they make the very best burgers of many different varieties and of course we had the most delicious meal. We shopped until we almost dropped and headed for home about 4pm, tired but happy.



I decorated the tree yesterday after much fussing around. The tree was really wide and would never have fitted in the corner if hadn`t of lopped of a lot of branches at the back and sides. I really hoped I`d not overdone it because it would have looked ridiculous if it showed. Luckily for me I`d lopped it in the right place and it fits nicely. The photo doesn`t really do it justice but I like it and so does my biggest critic, Roman and thats what matters the most.

Over the last week I`ve written and posted all my Christmas cards, wrapped ALL the presents, shopped for non-perishable foodstuffs, ie. chocolates, biscuits and cakes, pickles, sauces tec. I even cleared out a complte cupboard to put it in though I still didn`t have enough room for it all. I feel quite smug at how organised I am this year. I always have good intentions to finish early but last year I left so much to the last minute that I was worried I wouldn`t finish in time. I still have to buy for Daniel but then he is always very difficult to buy for. Anything I buy will have to have gift receipts because I`m sure they will have to go back to whichever store I buy from...sigh.


I`ve just come off the telephone and it was my cousin to tell me that my Auntie Win died on Monday morning, its very sad but she was 94 and had suffered renal failure. I hadn`t been in touch with her for a few years because I fell out of favour with her, no particular reason but that was how she was. Auntie was my late Dad`s eldest sister and the last of five siblings. She was made of very stern stuff and I remember as a child being more than a little scared of her. She could be really kind at times even though she could be difficult. She was really good to me after my mother left home and helped me through some very difficult times. She told me once that 1914 was a very good year and I have to say she was right. It was the end of an era and she will be missed by many.

On that sad note I`ll end this post. I will update again in a few days. Bye Bye for now and take care.