Christmas Day 2010

Happy Christmas Morning from Rutland! Andrew decorated their house beautifully with local  holly, dried oranges and fir cones.

I love an open coal fire...the smell of burning wood is gorgeous.

I discovered that paper napkins can also be used for other things ...such as, wrapping for presents!

I made, not that successfully, 5 crackers for Christmas...these were some of the things l put inside! Small silly things but it was fun.

Why use a fridge when Mother Nature provides a Natural one!!?

Dad just checking "son" is doing it correctly! Ha

Gemma, Jenny and Alfie going off for a sledge, while Andrew carries on making an amazing Christmas Dinner.

Tony proving he can remember how to chop wood for the fires.

...and here is the proof.

The Goose!!!

This was the expresstion on Tony's face when Gemma brought snacks in because dinner would be at least an hour or so...! But then that is what you do at Christmas isn't it?...eat food!

Gemma made us laugh, by saying she wasn't trained to be a waitress but she was certainly prepared to pour champagne equally between 5 glasses...and here is the proof! Well done Gemma.

Andrew cleaning the silver..way to go son.

Alfie is now in love with Andrew's slippers....found out later that Andrew had dropped some goose fat on his slippers! Not a daft dog that Alfie! Ha!

 The tree lights are lit, the table is set and the goose is cooked..all we need now are the Howells's!

 Oh and, of course, the wine!

 After lunch, Christmas Walk...'bye!

 This was what the sky looked like by the time the walk was over...amazing.

It snowed for about 5 mins..big flakes...then it stopped...shame.

A wonderful end to Christmas Day.

The drive to Rutland on Thursday for the start of our Christmas Holiday!

Sorry it has been so long since l blogged but Christmas sort of took me over!

I hope you all had a very happy Christmas Day and got all your heart's desired.x

Just before l start my daily images and "talk"..can you see the image of Alpha Stamps on the right hand side of this page? Well you must GO TO THEIR SITE..Why? because they have an amazing giveaway and they have amazing "stuff" in their shop! Oh..then come back here and carry on reading about "ME" of course!!

Tony and l went up to our son and daughter-in-law's for Christmas and our daughter joined us as well but she came by train. Since arriving here we have been having a fantastic time even though l have a terrible sore throat and at times have felt awful!!

We were expecting our journey up to Rutland to be a bit dicey... Weather wise ...but no problems! the traffic was not good..tons of it but luckily all moving!

 A modern Rudolf The Red Nose Reindeer on the move!

This image is included because l love these "flyover " bridges and until today, have never take an image l liked.

 Oh hurray! We are now travelling through proper "snowed in " areas. I love snow..as if you hadn't already guessed!

 Don't you just love this Hippo?

This is andrew's village and you can see the buses don't come this way..how can l tell? The roads have not been gritted or cleared!

 The thatched cottages that are next to Andrew and Gemma's house are covered in snow and really look very different from usual.

Snow covered fruit trees and trampoline in the back garden...brr!

Heat and cold.......

The hunter going for those snowballs again.....he has such fun!

Just love his tail. Alfie has now got control of bhs tail but l am still amazed how long it is.

Praticing his pouncing skills! Hax

Found the snowball...

Phew..now l need a rest!

Alfie giving tony a High Five..so sweet!

The snow outside the diningroom window..magical.

Andrew and gemma being domestic...so homely.

Andrew, Gemma, Alfie and the reindeer headband!

Love this image!Ha

This next image is of Gemma wrapping up late at night to take Alfie out in the snow because he so desperatly in need of a play and also a short  walk. Now that l call love for your pet because not only was it late and dark but VERY cold.

Walk in the woods....Part 2!

These are the images l didn't publish from my work and snowman building the other day!.oh l do love snow!

 The gardens in the state are normally nice but covered in snow l feel as if l am in Wonderland/Narnia!

 This lamp-post outside my apartment looks really romantic covered in snow.

 Um..no gritter last night then!

 Can you see the fence at the back of this image..it is around the tennis court. I have never seen snow on the fence like this before..wind must have been quite strong last night.

 Doesn't Nature do a good job at decorating a Christmas Tree? Stunning.

Normally this tree doesn't look anything but sprinkle it with snow and hey presto...transformed into something amazing.

 How to make a birdfeeder beautiful...add snow!

 I have always though the bench at the front entrance to our Estate is a great place to read and have a slow coffee. Seeing it covered in snow has changed it into a really romanic place ..bit cold though!Ha

 This next image is the edge of the roof ,over the entrance gatehouse. I had never noticed it before, the snow has bought it to my attention.

 This is Portsmouth Rd just outside my Estate...not normally this pretty or quiet either!

 This our usual shortcut  across the cricket pitch. Yesterday it was very mud and over night it has become beautiful. Amazing stuff snow.

So magical.

Workin progress.

Now how do l put the two together..duh! dfidn't think that one out did you love?Hax

I promise you he was not drunk when he was doing this!

Henry Moore inspired snowman being build by Master Snowman Builder Tony!

How could you not love this face?

His finished master piece!

These are the marks Tony made when he was rolling his amasing snowballs to make "THE SNOWMAN"!

Part of a piece of machinery abandoned on the side of the cricket pitch. Just love the red colour of this piece of what is really classsed as Junk!

can you see me?

Natures Art Exhibition