Men!

So most of you will know that I have been knitting...and knitting...and knitting this year.
A couple of sweaters, a couple of jackets, a few other bits and bobs, but mainly socks...
And I have often asked Paul "Do you want me to make you a pair?"...
And I get a non-committal response.
And last time we went to M&S he even went as far as putting a multi-pack of their socks in the shopping basket...
And then a couple of days ago, with snowy sleet on the ground, he decides he could really do with some nice thick warm socks...

Life In The Snow Lane

I start with an apology to Naween. There were annotation errors in our game so my assumptions of his missed bonuses were based on misinformation.

Now back to life at Todheugh.

Like the rest of the UK it involves snow.

We took the opportunity to go shopping on Saturday. A raid on M&S with some of the vouchers Paul won at Peebles the weekend I finally got home, to get some of the sugar and spice and all things nice. Then on to Tesco's and Aldi to get some of the necessities, including a duck and a three bird roast in case we didn't get another opportunity before Christmas.

This looks prudent now. Six inches of snow descended on Sunday. We had already cleared the path twice during the day, but when the next three inches came down in the afternoon we had had enough.

I will say it is nice dry fluffy snow, not the wet yucky stuff we often get. Even with the temperature dropping into minus double figures it has not developed the crunchy icy topping. It was very weird last night on the late night dog walk - a fullish moon and a white landscape gave so much light that torches were only needed for definition and self-preservation - although there has been virtually no traffic along here lately other than the postman.

The bridge club Christmas party that was scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. Paul is running an online individual tournament for us instead.

We are on constant bird feeding duty, having to refill the feeders regularly. I have also been shaking some out onto the patio walls as I have been feeling very sorry for the blackbird's miserable attempts to get at the feeders.

I have resumed my knitting - a good winter pastime when confined to quarters. I had completed the back of the new jumper and made a start on the front about 3 years ago. It was time to finish it. It should be completed today, as I only have about half the neck to go and then sew it up. I made a decision to do non-matching sleeves - same pattern, different colours. This may or may not work :)

And I am still studying albeit slowly, continuing on with eights.

A start has been made on getting the sitting room in a state fit to receive visitors, although MIL and FIL are not coming until nearer the New Year, assuming they can get here at all.

The Christmas tree was removed from storage yesterday and is now located in the sunroom, but is still undecorated.

However, we will never get it to rival the beautiful snow-covered real ones across the road.

Christmas Is Coming...

Having been away for three weeks I have thankfully missed a large amount of the commercial hype and endless assault. That is not to say that there was none in Malaysia. Christmas 'arrived' in the hotel a week or so before I left, and the malls were also bedecked and playing Christmas songs. In my final Starbucks mall there was even a Malaysian version of a Santa's winter wonderland with a music and dancing extravaganza of some sort starting up as we left...

Back to the sanity of home in the rural backwaters. Paul had managed to freecycle our no longer working fibre optic tree and purchased a new one, still undecorated when I got home. I have now adorned it with a few baubles and some tinsel. After cleaning the sitting room we now have a few decorations in place.

We have ordered a goose for Christmas day and a ham for Boxing day from the butcher in Duns. Yesterday Paul braved the supermarkets armed with the shopping list after dropping me off in Berwick to sort out his Christmas stocking.

It is the bridge club's Christmas party tonight. Reg has assured us we will be home in time to watch the Imagine documentary (don't know if that is good or not. Am I going to be portrayed as one of the nerds, as described in the Radio Times?), although we will also be recording it for MIL and FIL who are due to arrive tomorrow. That is assuming that MIL's arm/shoulder are fit enough for the journey after a fall - not in the snow but as we are told, most accidents happen in the home.

But it certainly looks as if we will be having a white Christmas - even if we have no more snow the temperature is not enough to melt what is already here.

Bring on the New Year

So Christmas is over. The opening of the stockings in the morning, eating of duck at lunchtime, opening of presents after the Queen's Speech, and a night spent watching BBC1 on the box - just had to avoid the two episodes of Eastenders...

On Boxing Day we and the dogs were invited over to Reg and Diana's. After lunch we took the dogs out for a walk across the fields. There had been no deer spotted on Christmas day, unlike the last two years, but this was remedied. Two deer running along the next field and two excited dogs. Jen a little too excited as she tripped Diana up. And then a few hands of bridge with a short break for tea and to let the dogs out again. I was mortified when I saw Poncho tracking muddy paw prints across the carpet but Reg said not to worry. I fear we won't be invited again...

Back to normal yesterday. Saw another three deer running across a field on the dog walk but this time the dogs didn't. 

The duck will go into the soup pot today. Still got Christmas cake and pudding to finish off amongst other things.

I managed to keep my cardbox under control, although my brain doesn't feel fully in gear. Train ticket booked down to Coventry for the UK Open at the start of January - Allan can give me a lift back. May struggle to meet target of top 15500 7s and 8s - still 200 to add.

Christmas Almost Wrapped Up

Shopping for Christmas is complete. With just the two of us the fridge is not bursting at the seams. 

I braved the crowds in Berwick yesterday. With free parking and the first nice weather for a while I had been fearing the worst. Actually it wasn't too bad. 

Then on to M&S with more vouchers. This was another story. Armed only with a basket in I went. Got a packet of apple, sultana and apricot stuffing. Then spent another 20 minutes or so fighting my way up and down the aisles. They no longer had the deals on from last week, switching from 'buy one get one half price' to '3 for 2' so I went into my 'I'm not paying that and I don't want 3' mode and made my way to the express checkout and freedom.

We collected the duck this morning - large as ducks go but we will not be eating it into and beyond the new year unlike the families who buy the biggest turkey that will fit (or not, as the case may be) into their oven. We succumbed to some onion marmalade. On to Jean's for coffee.

MIL obviously couldn't keep her end of the no presents deal - a box had just been delivered as we got home. A miniature rose bush, bottle of wine and box of chocolates in a little wicker basket. A very nice surprise - I've told Paul the rose is his :)

After lunch one final trip to Morrisons with a shopping list for the last few things we needed - or more truthfully wanted. And this time we pretty much stuck to it. It took us a while to track down salted peanuts, and they have obviously done a deal to only stock tins of Quality Street. But this just meant we bought a smaller box of Roses and fewer peanuts.

A few cards still to deliver and presents to wrap and it will soon all be over for another year...

Hah! Bumbug!

I am still waiting for my USB cable. It has been dispatched...

Life has got back to normal now. Back in the zyzzyva cardbox swing. Getting past my comfort zone now on the 8s...

I have not missed much on the extension - very little progress made while I was away. Snow stopped play. The windows are due to be delivered on Wednesday. Watch this space.

Started thinking about Christmas. 

We are having a Bah! Humbug! Christmas this year. No-one coming and we are staying put. 

Duck is on the menu as there are just the two of us. Also a trip to M&S later this week to stock up on a few treats using Paul's bridge winnings- another £80 of vouchers won this weekend :)

The Christmas tree is not being unpacked - with the back of the sitting room still fenced off there is nowhere to put it. And last year the fibre-optics 'oooh - pretty' stopped working after we had a power cut. We do have a small pre-decorated tree that may make an appearance to show willing. 

Paul's side of the family has made a pact of no presents, other than the nieces. Unfortunately I could not persuade my sister to follow suit, but I have been armchair shopping this afternoon and they are now done. God Bless the internet.

Just need to sort out Paul now...