Appliances and their insides...................

I have taken no photos today. This is a very good thing, because I look like a turkey. That would be because I have had my head inside the washing machine trying to clean the *********** thing after a feather and down (note the DOWN) pillow exploded in there. Down is fluff. It gets everywhere. I know this from experience.

For good measure, I am wearing a navy jersey. It has ample evidence all over it of my attempts to masquerade as a turkey. In desperation, I unwound sheets of that sticky de-fluffing paper from the wand thingy and stuck it all over the inside of the drum and then ripped it off, a la leg waxing. You have NO IDEA how much I managed to extract from the barrel. Then I googled "where is the filter" because I couldn't be bothered to find the instruction book, which is clearly in a Very Safe Place I have completely forgotten. And, with baking sheet in hand, levered the cover off, found said filter and cleaned it out. While lying on the stomach muttering unladylike things. Actually, I was not muttering, if truth be told. I was voicing them quite loudly. In a snarl. Maybe a screech.

Then I looked at myself in the mirror and thought - "There is no hope - you look appalling with your hair covered in fluff and feathers with added straw like texture from the heat, and the make up history and clothes dire from the fluff on the floor while you bonded with the exploded pillow, which was also, of course, wet."

So I baked more Custies.

I may have eaten some.

And then.................

Wait for it.............

There is more.................

I ripped off the gaffer tape which has been holding the door of the tumble drier in place ever since the hinge snapped and it fell off. The tape has worked very well, thankyouverymuch. I am inventive. Only, that pillow which blew up was the second one I had washed. Number one did not explode, and it was in the drier. So I needed to see if it was dry, and so I ripped off the tape, and I SNAPPED the plastic trigger thingy, which makes the machine start, right off, and it fell inside the machine and now the drier is dead. It is no more. It is deceased. And nothing I have come up with, including the insertion of a pencil into the innards to try and trigger the on switch, works.

Oh yes...........the pillow was not dry. It is now propped up in front of a hot air vent.

It is winter. My house will be full of people who will need their clothes washed and dried and I have visions of the entire place being covered with wet clothes. Why, I could tie rope across the lounge from the light to the top of the tree and we could add the wet clothes to 2012's Christmas decor.

I am nothing if not classy.

I need a nap.

Or a bottle of gin.

Or something.

Tomorrow I will ice the cake.

Or sit and suck my thumb and rock back and forth in a corner.

Oh yes - my daughter sets foot on British soil sometime before dawn tomorrow........................

The weekend vanished.............

We are just home from an evening of carols, candlelight, mulled wine and mince pies at church. And it has been cold, but not like it has been recently. It is beginning to feel like Christmas.

Speaking of mince pies (the fruit mince), I had my hands covered in flour from cutting out the pastry when the doorbell rang yesterday, and my friends from Scotland appeared at the door for coffee. And tea. This is England. So I shoved the first lot of mince pies in the oven and relaxed and chatted. Consequently, the first lot are a little too well done. One does not want brown pastry on one's mince pies. However, I watched round 2, 3, 4, 5 etc and may just have whipped them out of the oven a little too soon, so had to shove them all back in for a few more minutes. Then I discovered that the pastry was actually cooked, but the extra brandy I added to the mincemeat was dampening it.

I do realise that this is mind-blowingly boring, but so is my life at times, so we will just have to accept these minor irritations. Where was I......

I added brandy because, when I opened the new jars of mincemeat from a well known supermarket starting with "S" it was rock hard. Mincemeat should be squishy. So I turfed it all into a bowl; and added some KWV 10 year old brandy to the mix. Well, it was Ten Year Old Brandy when Geoff bought it about 20 years ago, so make that 30+ year old brandy. It must be worth a fortune now. But it is destined to be added to Christmas cake and mince pies instead.

Yesterday, I also marzipanned the cake, so that is now drying before it is iced. And, because the pastry for the mince pies only uses egg yolks, I had some spare egg whites.so that meant meringues, of course.

I tell you all this, because I asked my kids what else they wanted for Christmas (to eat). No biscuits (cookies), they cheerfully announce, when I have a mountain of them made. No. They want apple muffins. I can make those. But only on the day when they will be eaten.

Mountains of biscuits.

Ah well. They will go. One day. I think. (The biscuits.)

So the weekend has been a combination of taking things slowly, trying to rest while marzipanning, etc, and having coffee with friends, as well as time spent at church. Hmmm. There were a couple of supermarkets as well, and the wrapping of presents, and a few other things now that I come to think about it, but that is not important.

My daughter is in the air on her way home. I won't see her until next weekend, but she will be on British soil on Tuesday morning. And David heads home on Thursday. Just in time to help his mother deliver cards and other assorted things one needs help with now that one is no longer young and sprightly.

The wrapping is finished, and items on the lists are being crossed off. I must remember to take some photos! I have lists everywhere, and about everything. Micro management, people. Think it will work????

Hmmm.

Such sorrow.....

Long into the night last night, I lay in bed, watching the news in utter disbelief. No matter how many times I heard the words, the numbers, the little lives, the teachers, it still could not be real. Could it? Oh Lord on High, it is real, and my soul weeps for all those families, the empty arms of the mothers, the dullness of shock, and the tears....oh the tears.

How can I talk of Christmas baking, wrapping of parcels today? I keep thinking what those parents are doing now, packing away gifts for children whose hands will never be ripping through the papers on Christmas morning again. Or of children who have lost their parents. Of men and women who have lost their friends, their brothers or sisters, and then,  going about ordinary life on a Saturday in December just seems wrong.

So for today, I am joining with mothers, women, daughters, teachers and people all over the globe who will be lighting a candle for those who died yesterday.And I pray, oh, how I pray for those whose pain is unimaginable.

God, please heal - help - the broken hearted.

Baking...............

I have been baking peanut butter biscuits (cookies) this afternoon. I know they are popular, so I thought, OK, I will double the recipe, and so in went double the amount of ingredients, and I looked at the poor 36 year old Kenwood, valiantly stirring this heaving mass around, and realised that I had doubled the already doubled recipe, and so I actually quadrupled the original one. And that is probably the longest sentence in history.

The maths, people... My brain is fried, and so am I after standing there timing tray after tray after tray. I now have 3 large Quality Street tins full, and another large tin full of the Custies from yesterday.

I think most people will be getting the peanut butter ones for Christmas. Mince pies are next on the list. The fruit mince. I have already done the Christmas cake and I will put the marzipan on that one later I think. I loathe the stuff, but I think others like it, so on it will go.

Jean, Glynis and I went to aquazumba this morning. The groan as I bent to get into the water (wearing a festive Alice band on my head with red waggly stars) was heard by all. We were all wearing festive head gear, by the way. Maybe I can arrange a photo next week. I am sure they will still be about. On our heads. Tomorrow is our Aqua lunch, and that should be great fun. I will be taking the camera with me. It is wonderful knowing most of the people, and when we have been away, they are always SO welcoming when you appear again. Lovely lovely girls. Ladies. Old ladies. Young ladies. Girls will do.

And now we are off to Jean's for supper. I will be back...............

I aim to amuse......

I am being challenged, people. 

Challenged. 

So would you be, if you were sitting where I am this very second. Hang on, and I will show you the exact spot.

There. On that chair. 

Right. My ever so comfortable spot to write here. Well, there I was, typing merrily away when my arms started feeling a little achy. And the next moment, my sister skyped with me, and I could not for the life of me work out what was wrong with my camera, because I could just see the top of my head. And that was all she could see too. I was craning the neck (which knocked 10 years off my appearance, let me add) and then the light bulb moment occurred. Why exactly, were my knees so high, my bottom so low and my arms at an incline??????

Yes. My wonderful desk chair has begun deflating itself. As in, I sit on it in the right high position, and slowly, millimetre by millimetre, it sags toward the floor. It takes time. Like about 20 minutes to sink, but sink it does, and here I am, chin level with the desk and arms .......

Oy. Life does throw curve balls, doesn't it? I did not expect my chair to descend to the depths. And of course it has nothing to do with my not inconsiderable rear end. It is just a tired seat. That is what I have decided, because I am all about not depressing myself any further. (I have remembered my declared intent to lose 20 kgs this year. All I will say is I FAILED and we will never ever return to the subject again, do you hear me????? )

Up. Down. Up. Down.

I am amusing myself. I can provide entertainment. Just remind me not to sit with my feet under the chair. They may get trapped as I sink. Yes. I can feel the floor approaching.

Again.....

I am sitting down because I have just finished making batch #1 of the Christmas biscuits (cookies). (Here is the link for the Custies recipe )This would be because we have a house group Christmas get together tomorrow and one is supposed to take edible goodies. My non-working oven and I had a little prayer meeting together, and I suggested that ANY working format would be better than nothing, and I tell you, the prayer was answered because it worked with just the elements and no fan. Sort of. It did take exactly 26 minutes to reach 180C (350F) but I am patient. Haha. Hoho. It was a miracle and I have biscuits to show for it too. I thought that I would try a more refined approach instead of glaring at it and perhaps giving it a kick. What do they say? Gently, gently, catchy monkey???

In a fit of enthusiasm, I then cooked supper. It was dark. And once I was ready to serve it, I discovered that it was 4.50pm. Ten to five. Supper. Groan. We should be about ready for the next meal at 9.30pm at this rate. Always providing my bottom has not become glued to the floor.

Today has been a white day. A hard frost left the world spiked with white, and it was absolutely beautiful. Every spider's web became visible. 

Leaves were outlined with icicles. 

I was out taking photos of the trees, and I walked a few metres down the road and turned to take photos, and the trees seemed brown. Back to the house, and they were white. Just one side was frozen. Incredible.

Blue skies too! But oh, so cold, as Jean Mum and I headed for the supermarket. We have a system, you see - we go to Lidl and buy as much as we can there because we get really excellent bargains, and then pop round the corner to Waitrose to have a coffee in luxury and comfort, made even more exciting now that we have loyalty cards which entitle us to a free coffee! Oh the bliss. I do like my coffee. Especially when it is free. 

I am starting to feel a little hungry. Hmmm. It is just after 9pm................

I actually charged the camera and downloaded the photos.......

Time has flown today. I had lists to see to and we have managed medical and dental appointments, braved the chaos and endless queues at the Post Office, ticked off things like stringing snowflakes, and had a happy lunch with Jean. The butternut soup is never ending. I also charged the camera batteries and even remembered to download the photos. A miracle. or more to the point, the written lists work. 

I found a few photos I took on the day I flew home, which were never downloaded in Switzerland so here we go on one last look at the Alps. For now. The skies were so blue in the early morning, but by lunch time, they were grey and it was about to snow.

How beautiful can it get?????

And back to the second Sunday in Advent. Two candles burning in my advent wreath, which is the hanging one on my kitchen table. I love it. 

Well, the tree is done, and the Nativity set is out, and we are getting ready for Christmas around here. 

The reds are out on the couches, and we are looking quite festive here............

Ooooh! Back to the stunning blue skies and the snow and the sun on the snow and I am sure you know what I am saying. This is the view from my sister's lounge. Can I just remind you all that green is not a very nice colour and doesn't suit you. I know. I know. I wish you could all come with me and let me show you where I walk........ Just ignore the graffiti on the house in the foreground. There are imbeciles everywhere, it seems. 

Sun rising behind peaks where the snow is blowing in the wind............

Sigh. 

What can I say. 

There are no mountains outside my windows here. Or snow. Or blue skies. Or hang on, maybe we did have blue skies this morning for a while - I seem to remember sun shining. It did not last. I think I will start on the wrapping of the presents soon. They will make the tree look a little less forlorn. Trees need presents under them. I have no idea where I put the tree skirt. I may or may not bother. It really is not going to matter! 

Remind me to tell you of the time I tried to take photos of my little metal lady in the rocking chair in the snow. I might show you some photos tomorrow.........

The tree is finally finished.......

The tree, my friends, is finally done. I am beginning to realise to joys of pre-lit, fold up trees. And this one has no star on the top, because I have zero intentions of repeating last year's catastrophe, with me clinging to the top of it as we crashed to the floor. We can  imagine the star. That works for me.

And yes, Diana, there are bows. We needed to balance the colour, aka Granny wanted more red in places. You will adapt.

I also managed to find the larger objects, like expanding-to-5ft-snowmen. They are now standing in the lounge and I am quite sure Missy will either love them, or be terrified of them. So we are sufficiently festive at the Casa de la Rocking Chair.

Now I have to move on to the delights of finding a light to fix to the wall, and fixing it, hammering some hooks in to the one remaining blank wall in this house, and then moving things about so we are ready for the invasion. And I must either sort out the oven or do something. Ditto the freezer idea. Something. Anything. I will make a plan.

Marge tells me that they have so much snow in Engelberg. It did not stop all last week. Next weekend is the ski jumping, so they are at least sure to have enough snow for that to be spectacular. She has been making the most gorgeous snowmen out of white tree baubles. We saw some in a shop and she copied the idea at home for a fraction of the price. That is the fun when going shopping. It is for the ideas more than anything.

So..............

My day has consisted of church, my friends' dogs, butternut soup, which I made yesterday - love it - trees, baubles, ladders, searching for the little hooks for the ornaments, packing away washing and tidying things away. And little twinkly lights. An average December day. I have yet to get round to cleaning the rugs but seriously, who cares apart from me. And this is my family returning to the roost, not visiting royalty, although they would be very welcome should they be passing.

I must make a list of all the things my children can do for me, like sort out the computer and printer, and a million other things. I want to wrap parcels and listen to the Christmas music I found yesterday - EUREKA! At least something was where it was supposed to be.

Red and gold. My house is predominantly red and gold. Or red and white. Red. Just think red.

I keep remembering things I have to do, like string snowflakes. And then I get up to go and do it, and forget what I meant to do by the time I reach my sewing room, then find something else I meant to do and we end up like this, with a list I am writing at the same time as chatting to you. I have to say, being in Switzerland was a lot simpler, because I just posted photos. I must remember to change the camera.....on to the list it goes..............

See? My brain is all over the place. Nothing new there. Maybe sleep would help. I need to think clearly tomorrow. And tomorrow I will get round to sorting the template too. I just added that to the list, and the posting photos bit I am about to say as well. Time for bed. I hope you are all having a wonderfully peaceful and stress-free day!

Christmas cards... I need to do the cards. Post the cards. Make the shopping list. Wash the bed linen.......

Decorating - in stages.......

Hello, everyone, from under the mountain of Christmas boxes. The house is not in a good place right now, and if I sit for too long, I will seize up and have to spend the rest of my life in the chair. Or so it feels.

The skies were blue and the sun bright, and it was very cold out, so this afternoon, I decided to Put Up The Tree. And re-arrange the lounge at the same time, and then get the ladder and climb up 3 steps of it repeatedly to get down some of the boxes of Christmas decorations which David and I managed to leave right at the hatch to the loft. I can tell you now that I have to repeat this ladder thing tomorrow, because half the things I need are still up there hiding. Somewhere. That had better be somewhere very close to the entrance, believe me.

So, in the process of putting up the tree and sorting 7 boxes, and discovering things I will not be using until I move into a house around the size of Downton Abbey, I mislaid a packet of chocolates. Somewhere. I have no idea where and I had just opened it and sampled one. Wail. I have searched high and low and have concluded that I must have thrown them out. They are nowhere, but I draw the line at emptying the black outdoor rubbish bin. I did consider it for a very short second.

Ah yes, I must tell you - I read through my spam folder earlier, and one comment for the last post was this: "Very boring post". And then some weird link to a page I have no intention of visiting. Very boring. Hmmmm. Maybe.

So where was I......

The house. We are in between chaos and order, at the point where I know it will get a lot worse before it gets better. The part where you tend to lose the will to live. I also tossed out my coffee machine today. I looked at it and calculated the age, and when last I had used it, and into the bin it went. I have one of those cafetiere thingys and that works fine. Then I tossed out a great pile of magazines. Followed by a bag of oddments. I was like an express train zapping all around the place. Mother went and hid upstairs when I started assembling the tree. Things sort of ground to a halt when I couldn't find the lights for the tree, so she returned to her couch, and then I found them, while trying to find place for candle holders in my hi-fi unit.

Do not ask.

So I got into an almighty tangle with two strings of lights, so had to be rescued by mother, who undid the knots, and they are on the tree. At last.

And then I discovered that I could not get up from the floor. Or bend. Or anything.

"Pace yourself, Linds" I hear the words echoing about the brain. But I wanted things done. NOW. You know the feeling? Patience and I are not best friends. Anyway, things are not done yet, the tree is not decorated, and I have retired for the night. No more. If I could find those chocolates, things may be different, of course. But they are lost. Sniff.

We went along to the village church's bazaar this morning. Glynis was very involved, and her handicrafts stall was lovely. After looking around at everything on offer, we made some purchases, and then had coffee and cake, and chatted to our friends for a while. A lovely start to the day.

And now, at the end of the day, all I want to do is sink into a hot bath. Provided I can get out again.

And I would completely understand if someone left a "Very boring post" comment after this lot.

I will be back tomorrow, and I may even take some photos of the finished decorations, providing they are get finished, that is.

Life is a tad hectic around here..............

Well, it is definitely winter around here. We even had some snow. Not much, but some. And it is still there, but it is now ice, or it was before the rain started falling. At least I think it is rain.

Life has been very busy since I got home. Tuesday was a sorting out of everything day, and then yesterday was Jean's Mum's funeral in Kent, which meant a frustratingly long day on the motorways in stationary traffic, and thanks, I am quite sure, to many prayers, the roads suddenly cleared and we got there in time. It was a beautiful service, and I am just so glad we were there. On the way home, we stopped at Andrew and Ann's home for supper and play time with the small girl, and I am happy to announce that Billy is no longer cold. He has pyjamas and jeans and a sweatshirt, and that will do until they come here. He proved to be a great deal fatter than anticipated, and the PJ top was too small, but I slapped the dressing gown on and announced a new Judo style set of pyjamas, and she was happy.

The trip home was exhausting, and as a result, I woke at 10am today. I am getting old. And we have not left the house. I decided that I should make a start on the Christmas/Winter changeover, and so I did all the rugs and cushions, because they were downstairs, and then unpacked 3 boxes of stuff which were down as well. The ladder is inside as I speak, but it can wait until someone is here to help with all the boxes in the attic. I am already doing my hunchback of Notre Dame impression, and the tree is not up yet. So the next few days will be somewhat challenging.

I have hardly touched the computer, because since I got home, it has decided that "something is wrong so we have given you a temporary user account". Huh?? I want my old pages open, and I can get to aspects of them in a roundabout way, but I can't get ME back. Groan. I hate computer malfunctions.

So I am in a funk about that and it is not fun to sit down and have to start over with everything. So I am just doing the basics. It is all backed up, but that is not the point. I want ME and my account open. The sons may be able to sort that but their arrival is a few weeks away.

Anyway.

I am home. There is tons to do. And I have to start the Christmas cards, wrapping, baking, shopping younameit soon. Maybe tomorrow. And then there is the tree.......

I will get there. I am leaving the aqua classes till next week. I need a holiday!

Home.............

By the time I click on the "Publish" box, I will be home again. Bless her cotton socks, Jean has offered to get the slow cooker going, so there will be no need to cook anything, and the house will be warm. Hallelujah. 

Leaving here is always a sad event, and tomorrow will be no different. There is the pull to stay and the tug to go. It is not just distance, it is a cultural separation and, most of all, a family one. Different countries. My family has a lot of different countries in its life. Needing to be in one place, wanting to be there. Needing to be in another place. Wanting to be there. Needing......

There is no easy way to say goodbye. Is there ever? And mothers hate saying goodbye. Daughters hate saying goodbye. Sisters hate saying goodbye. Grandchildren hate saying goodbye. 

Yes, of course things like Skype help, but it is too easy to disconnect a call when you don't want to talk, and the same with the phone. Sometimes, being there is what is best. And sometimes being there is not ideal. 

Oh heavens, I am sounding morbid and depressing, but I hate saying goodbye. This you may have gathered. If not, go back to the top and re-read. 

Going home. I must remember I am going home. Jean, my dear friend, lost her mother just after I left, and, while everyone knew it was probable, I just knew it would be while I was away, and not around to be there to support her, as she supported us through so many dark days. I have been so sorry not to be there. Sad for her, and sad I could only help from afar. 

Christmas is coming and I worry that my sister won't have any of us here this year. To make the mince pies and custies and roast a chicken with stuffing. Well, of course her husband will be here, but he is not a fan of the mince pies! 

Sigh. 

I know this is all silly. But it is the mood right now, as midnight approaches, and the fact that I will have to unpack the suitcase and repack leaving most of the things in it behind, so I can fit in Billy's new wardrobe, assorted other essentials like chocolate and angels, and metal ladies in rocking chairs. I nearly forgot them, and that would have been a disaster. And of course we will be back. And of course the world will keep turning. And of course there is so much to look forward to in the coming weeks, and Christmas is coming, and I have no decorations up yet and there is stuff to bake and things to make and parcels to wrap and post and trees to decorate........

And it is a season to be filled with wonder and awe, after all. I always remember that. It is just right now. Tomorrow. Soon to be today.

Wail.

My head hurts. 

Snow is still falling gently. 

Why can't we all live around the corner from each other?

Actually (she says, pulling herself up by the bootstraps) being here is a calm period for me. The phone rings but it is unlikely to be for me. I don't have any post to open, lawyers to talk to, or diaries to consult. And I really need a break from those pressures now and then, believe me. The stairs here are easier to climb, and there is space in hallways so I don't bump into things. And, ironically, this village centre is flat, even here inthe valley up in the mountains. Walking about is relatively uncomplicated, given that there are benches wherever you look! Ah, the things which become important as one gets more creaky and notsoyoungafterall any more. Groan. 

Right. I need to sink into the deep and wonderful bath of hot water now for the last time this trip, and then flop into bed with my book and gather strength for the epic trip home. Trains, planes and automobiles. They are not so much fun any more. I really need teleporting to be perfected asap. If all the other science fiction things like computers and phones and the like are common now, why isn't teleporting?? I suspect the airline giants may be responsible. It is already tomorrow. Today. And tonight I will be asleep in my own bed in my house. 

Over and out, for now, my friends.................