Time to take the decs down .........

Yes!  I know it is not Twelfth Night but by the time all the decs are down and put away it will be Twelfth Night!!!  I am retired - read slow!  I shall leave the tree till last and no doubt it will take as long to undress as it did to dress ......sad in a way.

The first time we went out to Africa I came home to a commercial Christmas that I could not comprehend.  So many lights and people going around like headless chickens whereas this had not reached the Nigerians properly.  Well, I suppose it had but the struggle to survive overtook the desire to celebrate, this date passed almost quietly, no extra services here and definitely no present swapping.  I have now overcome this ........ I live in England and my lifestyle is so very different.  I have tried to explain but they cannot understand, we are two different cultures, two different ways of life.  No matter how poor I am I can never be as poor as they, but saying that - I will never look down on them as their rich do ......... The Bible says that 'there will always be poor' but it doesn't tell us to ignore them, belittle them but to love them for 'all men are equal in the sight of God'.

So my Christmas is full of lights, trees and decorations ..............

which must come down now and be put away until next year .............

then the house must be cleared up, all the boxes, packages back in the loft.  The windows cleaned to remove all the suction pad marks left by the decs, the fireplace to hold a fire instead of a village!!  

and then I shall sit in my lovely clean house and sing in the New Year.

May 2013 bring you, my readers,  good health, contentment, much friendship, laughter and joy.  May the Good Lord watch over each and every one of you as you go about living your life - even if you don't believe ....... I pray God's blessings on your life.
Amen

Christmas Day two - Boxing Day

Going by train to N for dinner.               Raining.            

Heavy presents to carry so train might not be a good idea ........ did I say it was raining?  Pouring down?  it is!   We could get very wet.................

So we went in the car  (smiley face)

We all unwrapped our presents ................

some were funnier than others .............

This girl walks from the train station to home which is about 10mins - in the dark..............




             WEAR SOMETHING LIGHT AT NIGHT




Put on your glasses just in case...........................

Much laughter again.......... lots of sweets passed round ............... lovely grub, plenty of it.
Then we all played stupid games from out of crackers - I am sure the boys think we're mad!!!

A couple of card games ........... more food............. more drink ........... time for home............ containers of food so we can eat tomorrow - bonus!!

Home safe - what an excellent Christmas.

We thanked God.............. prayed for those who have not been so blessed - all this rain, snow, wind and deaths - so many families will have so much sorrow this time of year ...................... we are truly thankful.

Christmas Day One

Raining!!

I think I am ready now ...............  

our tree is up.........................










                        the windows are lit................







the village is set up and the lights are on.........

the pressies are ready for opening .............

BUT

have to point this one out ....................definitely my daughter .......... the box is recycled from another pressie ........ the snow glitter is recycled from office desks ............ the bounty bars recycled from the office leftovers............ I get a brill pressie!!!  
Don't cha just love that girl!!!

There were lots of other pressies -  psychedelic vegetable seeds for PJ - Magic Painting book for C - laughter and love all round.

Off to the pub for Christmas lunch - the pub was heaving but the restaurant was good - nice food, friendly staff - great Christmas!

Birthday Time!!! day three

We decided some time ago to visit a garden centre and then the Pub nearby.  
We collected C, who had no idea what was happening except we were having lunch together at the Robin Hood.
We managed to put off telling her where we were going, we did say that we were going to look at houses in the end as she kept asking where we were going.
We ended up at Webbs of Wychbold, I wanted to visit Hobbycraft and we hoped to buy some more for my Christmas Village, ergo ..... going to look at houses!!  They were not stocking the one that we wanted but they did have a very pretty Christmas Tree, all flashing lights, revolving and playing O Christmas Tree tune.  Well ....... it was on display but they had sold out of the actual items.  Ah! Well!
We wandered around and several items found their way into our basket trolley and buy the time we arrived at the restaurant side  .............. we stopped for a cup of coffee and piece of cake.

We left in plenty of time to go to the Robin Hood and when we arrived the car park was very full - ooer! we thought!

But no, we had a very pleasant meal and C gave me my present - 




which opened into  ............






very good perfume that I had fallen in love with - chuffed?  really made up!

This has been a really good birthday - nice and long - how I like it!!!


PJ did manage to get the tree later as you will see from another post

War of the Worlds Stage Show

Way back in December 2011 two seats were booked for the War of the Worlds Stage Show.  It was over twelve months into the future but I had promised myself that I would go one day.

Slowly the time came for us to go to see the show, we were excited but apprehensive at the same time.  Up until now Richard Burton was the voiceover but now the show had been labelled "The New Generation" and the voice over and holograms would be Liam Neesan.  I don't have a problem with this but in my opinion Liam was stepping into BIG shoes.  I knew that Marti Pellow - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marti_Pellow - was singing the main lead and I did not find him that strong a voice in  Blood Brothers so I was trying to keep an open mind.  Jason Donovan was also starring and I had no worries there having seen him in Joseph long ago.

The bright square in the centre is a
3D picture

We left home early so that we could have a meal out at the Boat before going to the NEC.
We had a lovely meal although the service was atrocious - non existent really - and the meal was generally overcooked but PJ's was fine.  As it wasn't really a good experience and we were very cold by then we decided to go to the show and wait there, it might be a bit warmer.

As we drove towards the car park on the NEC complex, we could not find any signs to the show so I had another look at the tickets only to find that the show was on at the NIA.  For those who do not know the NEC is on the outskirts of Birmingham and the NIA is smack bang in the centre!!!

This was not really a problem as it was only 18.30hrs and the show did not start until 20.00hrs.  We cut along the motorway but then hit such traffic ........... it felt as though the world and his wife were also travelling into Brum that night!        What should have taken 5 mins actually took an hour and a half!!  I kid you not!!  an hour and a half!!

And we were only at the show place, we still had to park.................. park?    what's that?!!      We finally reached the car park roof by 20.15hrs and then  ............. nothing .............. jammed ......... no-one can move .......... no places to park so no-one had anywhere to go!!
I phoned the ticket office and explained that we had been travelling since 18.30hrs and now were in the car park but it was ramjammed and nothing was moving - would we be able to get our money back as obviously there were still a lot of people to go to the show.  He rang the NIA and then came back to tell us there would be no refund.

I have waited one whole year to see this show!!!  I AM GOING IF I ONLY SEE THE LAST HALF HOUR!!!

A carpark attendant appeared and directed us out of the car park but we knew we would never find anywhere else to park ........ we tried the side roads but to no avail ......... then .......
we spotted where some cars and vans were parked in the middle of the road and there was one space left ......... we drove immediately towards it ......... yeah! we got it!!! 
We parked and started running walking fast (it was running for me!!) towards the NIA.

We got to our seats at 20.40 ..... well, we arrived at the row but there were no places ..................
we fetched the attendant who checked our tickets and said our seats were at the other end of the row ............
'where exactly?' 
'ahh! it looks like someone is in your seats'
Now, we have a man making everyone stand up so he can look at tickets, then he is leading two (I imagine very red faced) people out of the row and then lights the way for us to sit.  
It is now 20.55hrs and all the time the show is going on. 
 It is loud........... very loud. 
 It is dark ......... except when the alien machines cast their spotlights over the audience.
The alien machines are huge!!!

I think that in this photo (taken at the end of the show, it had been standing all through the show with legs extended down) you can see a guy on stage, just underneath the alien machine, the tiny guy ........ standing up .......... he is really.

Jeff Wayne was conducting the orchestra on the stage and the main characters acted out their scenes coming down the central stage.  This was also where the hologram of Liam Neeson appeared - to the left of the stage there was a big screen which showed him telling the story - amazing production!  



When the 'Autumn Leaves' song came on ......... tissue paper leaves fell onto the audience!  

Had to collect some at the end, not just as souvenirs - free - but I'm a card maker and I recycle!!  lol

We managed to get a programme - very glossy and good!

I would show you more but Blogger has tipped the photos on their side !  hrrrrmph!




We waited after the show until the people cleared a bit and then made our way back to the car, it was raining quite heavily now so I was glad it was not parked too far away.  We both agreed it was worth all the hassle but it also taught us a valuable lesson - CHECK THE VENUE AND TIME BEFORE SETTING OUT!!!

Oh! by the way .............. did I mention that when we got back to the car ................. there was a parking ticket stuck to the windscreen .................... yeah! ............... 10mins after we had arrived!

What not to do with wine...............

When taking a glass of wine it is advisable to place the filled (or half filled) glass in a safe place.

DO NOT place glass on floor close to where you are seated.

If you try to open a tub of Honey Roast Peanuts and slip ............. not only do most of the peanuts end up on the floor ....BUT..............BUT.............

They also end up in your glass!!!!

Peanutty wine or Winey peanuts do not taste the best !

Birthday time!!!! Day two....

We were off to meet up with members of the Birmingham History Group for our annual 'do' today.   We don't know where we are going or who we will meet ................. life is an adventure.
We caught the train into town but then found out it was going to the Jewellery Quarter so we didn't have to change - bonus!!
We found the pub quite easily, just round the corner and close to the station - 

The inside consisted of three rooms and the forum members filled most of them!!!  We all got chatting and drinking - the wine was excellent - Postie, (thank you for the drink) who ran the Forum, put a tab behind the bar which we thought was very kind of him, it certainly broke the ice with a lot of folk.  PJ ordered lunch for us two -we had fish & chips.  The meal was really good value for the money, a plateful - very full - for just under a fiver - bonus!!  
I won a book about a Birmingham boy from 1911 onwards in the raffle and the bottle of Cava, which we had donated, was won by a couple who had come all the way from Winnipeg in Canada - us Brummies get everywhere!  
Slowly folk started to leave and we gradually became a small group in the room to the right of the door in the picture.  We chatted toBernard, ColinB, Ragga and Bojolus - interesting chats which included Birmingham changes, research, our introduction to the Forums. 
We left about 16.00hrs,  PJ had been chatting to the locals there (we might just go back another day!) who were really friendly as well.  We wandered across to the station and .......... the train was going straight through back to Tyseley - bonus!!!
Altogether a really good day out, not only having good food and drink but meeting some very nice people.  

From Canada

Postie looking at the
raffle prizes

some more 'good friends'

 Jimbo says it all in this little verse ................

It's Saturday, it's 12 0'clock
I'm off down "The Meet"
I think i'd better hurry 
or I may not get a seat

But being with a "lady fair"
Carolina, a true Brummie wench
when we get to The Jewellers Arms
we find ourselves a bench 

There's Bisopsmate and Brian C
David Fowler and Chocks 2
Key Hill Brian and Pete R
and look, there's Sister Sue

Shera, Ragga, Irene and Pam
Their cousin Brian too
thanks to all Jim's badges
I now now who is who

A special mention for the girl
who made it a success
so take a bow our guiding light
Lyn, aka Astoness

Birthday time!!! Day one!

What a brilliant birthday I have had!!!
Lots of events going on so I have been celebrating for three days!!!
When I woke up on my birthday ....... it was raining!!
There were emails waiting for me from some of my groups and some of the members also.  I opened the cards already received .............

Have to share this one is from a work colleague - oh! how I suffered in that office!  lol!  he! he!  what a wicked sense of humour!!!

and made cards most of the day in my craft room so I could watch the weather.

I eventually conceded that it would be tooo wet to walk round the Christmas market so we just went for a meal instead.
We journeyed down to the Horse and Jockey , which we quite like and found ourselves a quiet table.  It was not very busy so we settled down and ordered (Prawn cocktail for starter) and I had smashing Thai Chicken Curry.  For once one could taste the flavours and it was so very light.

Christmas is coming ...............3

The lights are switched on and the bull is ready for Christmas!!


I feel sorry for him in a way but it certainly puts a smile on people's faces ............ when they're not taking photo's of course!!!

my photos are not brill as it was only dusk, not really dark enough to show off the lights.




this one is my present fave - 

this lady was also in Brum when we were there on Wednesday -  http://artbysusanlenz.blogspot.co.uk - she has some super photos on flickr of the German Market.



Borrowed this one as it is a lovely photo of the reason we usually go to the market ............... 

Fried potatoes and mushrooms ..... 
yum!  yum!

Christmas is coming ............... 2

Never having been to the Women's Hospital since the new ENORMOUS building has been opened, going there has been an adventure ........ and a half.

We caught the bus in town, the driver telling us he went to the Women's Hospital.

This is where we ended up - if you look carefully you can see a bus at the stop!

Definitely NOT the Women's!!!!  I am looking for the tiny red building peeping out on the right hand side of the picture ...................

This one!!!

So I was early?!?!?  only half an hour but I didn't know how long it would take to get there so allowed plenty of time.  We had finished our shopping and arrived at the cafe

 for a cake and coffee  but as we were soooo early we had lunch. 

 Chicken with lime&mustard with couscous - PJ had Rice - delicious!!!

but anyway back to the Hospital ..........

Super staff called me through, mashed the boobs - gently! -  and I was out in 20mins ....... howzat for service?

I noticed some photos displayed that showed someone else had been here in June .....

Opening a ward I hope  ..... not visiting!!!

Outside of the building there is a statue, as we were walking back to the bus stop we could only see it from the back and, with the bitter wind blowing around, I did not want to waste time looking at the front.  We made some comments as to what the lady was doing and had a laugh ............. 

google shows the front ..........

                             aaah! she's holding a baby!!!!

So back to the bus stop and join the queue.  This is where it gets difficult .......

there are two bus stops - one to go to town and one to go to Halesowen for both 98 and 99.  We joined the queue to go to town ....... simples.......... not.

When the bus arrived it said - Birmingham via Northfield - now we did not want Northfield.  No-one moved so I went to the driver and asked him if he was going to B'ham ........ "no I am going to B'ham via Northfield........... so you go through Northfield first? yes"  No-one wanted that so I told him in that case he needed to stop at the other stop.  You can imagine how this conversation was continued by others as well by now and then PJ said "Do      you        go      to Birmingham?   He said yes!!!

We all piled on, some of us against our will as when I remonstrated with him he denied having the previous conversation so you can see how the wife was not very happy!!!

He drove straight into town ..... not through Northfield ............ straight into town.  Words fail me!!

Knitted Hats

I have been knitting hats for the guys working on 6201,  the wind whips round the railway site and is absolutely freezing at this time of year.  

So far I have made four and I am thinking of stitching the logo on the front of each one.  The hats are as near as I could get in 6201 colours, it had to be a chunky wool and I could not get a plain burgundy so this is the nearest.  I shall stitch the logo in yellow.

We recently went to a meeting which was interesting, again!  The meeting was being held to pass a couple of resolutions so that the 'committee' would be free to negotiate on behalf of the members a deal for 6201's overhaul.  Both resolutions were thrown out and another passed - which meant that one resolution was re worded but meant the same!!! I do try not to laugh!
The disgruntled crew were there again and bringing up all their grievances from the past .......... they are like old ladies knitting at the guillotine!!!  I know where they are coming from but they really do themselves no good at all, just look more ridiculous as their complaints turn nasty and personal so that what they are saying loses its relevance.

I confirmed that it is alright for me to continue to sort out materials in order to make a cross stitch package which could be sold towards funds.  JM gave me the go ahead so I have until next September to find the correct photo, change to a chart, sort the threads, buy the material and place in a cello bag............... oops! I gave all the cello bags away to Leigh!      Heigh! Ho!

Christmas is coming ..........................

All my Christmas snail mail cards are made and will catch today's post, it has been very busy.  I shall make them all earlier next year - yeah! - joining a card challenge so I do!!!

My beautiful Tree is almost finished, I am looking for just the right piece of gold / red tinsel to for the top and then PJ will add the Fairy - 

" Fairy, Fairy on the tree
  Who's been as good
  As good can be?"

I always have a fairy as I grew up with this little poem and ........... so did my children.  One of my awful memories was the year that the fairy told Father Christmas that one child had been very naughty ........... when all the others opened their pressies it was found that not one had been left for the naughty child!

I did give them to her later but I did so want her to realise that being naughty gained her nothing.  Talk about the terrible twos ............. I endured the TERRIBLE TEENS!!! ..... so much worse than the twos!!  I love her dearly but never thought we would survive those years, but we did and now we're best friends so all that suffering was worth it ............ really?!!!!!  I'll take a rain check on that!

An earlier version - 2008 to be exact!

My railway track is laid, hopefully the houses will be added tonight ........... peoples and trees later as I am waiting on a birthday pressie (sooo excited!!!).  Yes! I know what it is, but it has to be wrapped .............

The houses were Chrissie pressies from 2010

The rest of the week is going to be very busy ............. boob mashing day tomorrow - yuck!!!
then the German Christmas Market in town, then the Christmas Market at Earlswood, the meet up of the History Forum on Saturday and then the magical mystery tour on Sunday - no matter what we plan it always seems to end up on these tours (adventures!)
The upside is that I don't get to cook for four days!!!!!
See you later.....................

Panettone Labels

I used to travel down to Italy with PJ when he was a tramper trucker (TV land) - International Truck Driver to the rest of us.

                                                                                         an old map - Italia

I loved the life and had many laughs and scares along the way, I may include some of the stories on here one day but for now ...............
I loved Christmas time, the Italians are soooo good at this time of the year and they always have such good taste in décor   I was introduced to Panettone Cake before I even went to Italy.  One such cake was given to PJ as a 'thank you' for helping the depot unload.  This happened frequently and he only did it to save standing around! 
Panettones came in various wrappers and eventually I had to buy two cakes - such hardship!!! - one for ourselves and one to share with my colleagues at work. 
THEN
I had a brilliant idea of using the cake wrappers to collage the back of my craft room door - this idea was taken from my old flat. 

Let me tell you a story: -
I had a small bathroom in this flat and the toilet was opposite the back of the door.  I had this brilliant idea to collage this space, so gathered the children (not just mine but also their friends) and explained to them what I wanted to do.  I gave them a pile of magazines and told them to tear out the pages that they liked and then I would choose the best and stick them on the door. I think they thought I would stick the complete pages side by side but no!!!  I went through this little (hic!) pile and tore round just the subject  and gradually built up a very messy pile of all sorts of colours and shapes.  One night I mixed up the paste and started to 'do' the door, I included a few family photos, a few pop pictures and mixed them all in including in at the centre - of course! -   Cliff (Cliff_Richard and also Cliff Richard Website).  It was all nicely dried in the morning and was a lovely surprise for the children when they appeared from their beds!!!  The word soon spread and I had visitors nearly all day long........... just to look at the back of my toilet door!!!

Back to Panttone ................. 
during my clearing tidying of my craft room I have found all these labels neatly stored ready for use .......... not!
They are going but ........... they are so lovely .............. such happy memories..........

The bird shaped one at the top of this picture on the left was a Pandora cake which is sold at Easter and is similar to a Madeira Cake (or Simnel in England)

....some feature small works of art ........
Which may just appear on my cards!!!  see Cardius Bloggus

Some of the more expensive cakes came in tins and presentation boxes.  PJ bought me such a boxed cake one year ..................... 

It is like pale blue velvet with a satin ribbon
it sits on my craft room top shelf 
and holds ...............
small cross stitch designs........ 
some stitched....... some waiting........




Oh! by the way ............ did I mention I like tins!

I have lots of small ones as well.  Containing small Christmas left overs - earrings, hooks from the tree, baubles.






and then there are these ............................................











 for keeping Christmas decs in............ of course!!!
The beautiful garland across the tins just fits inside the blue one.


Oh! There are smaller ones of course!





These contained .......... small (piccolo) cakes!








I bought all these in various towns and villages across the north of Italy.  I love Christmas time in Italy.............Boun Natale e felice anno nuovo

Please help ......

I am still clearing out tidying my craft room and I have found the following in a tin .......... I like tins .......... I have lots of tins............... 
I am trying to reduce them but it is very hard ............. I like tins.

These circle are made of quite rigid plastic. 
I have no idea what this is used for ....... I can only think Pom Poms,

How?
I don't know  ............ but can you think of anything else?  do you know what they are?

I can't throw them out until I know so I guess I will have to put them back in the tin!!!!