December Daily : last days ..

Has he been yet?  Yes he has!

I forgot to show you what Col was working on in the workshop..April told Kate that he was making me a fish sculpture but she cottoned on eventually and now professes that 'she cracked Christmas' ..

He made her a new pole..but one we can remove..so it is free standing and the base can be rolled out .. or used as a dias to place the sofa on.. I can just see the little ones using it as a stage ..

Col's Xmas lunch.
. tuna in the new griddle pan!

and a HC from my two girls in Onesies!

December Daily :Day 29

So daily pictures in December raised my enthusiasm and I cannot resist keeping some kind of blog challenge on the go...

..fancy joining in?

http://lucky7sin2014.blogspot.co.uk/

December Daily:days 27/28

Losing momentum as the holiday days run into one another..Col got busy pressure washing the boat (long overdue he says) and he also found our cat's sleeping place..Under the tarpaulin of the small inflatable. .There he was when Col pulled back the cover.

I tried to do some sorting earlier and now we have resorted to some lazy TV and cheese.

Oh and here is my new window view .. complete with containers which are helping us expand before we get the full factory units built..yep..it's going to be an eventful 2014 at Jones ville xx 

December Daily :Day 26

Quick sortie to Truro with two of the girls.. sadly could not use Kate's 25% off voucher she got as 'payment' for the New Look fashion model day on sale items. . I kinda of guessed that would be the case .. oh well.

East had only one item for me I hasten to add .. but I did get socks which passed me by with Santa and a wooly hat for breezy walk days ..

On return. . Three soups and bread .. good effort Jordan xx

December Daily Day 25 :Christmas Day

So.. I just spoke to my brother..one of three times a year we try and catch up. . Birthdays and Christmas, you know how it is..

It was lovely though, one time it was a bit awkward whenever we spoke or met, I was caring for and living with Mum and he was away living, doing his thing, both of us busy raising a family or two.

Now we speak because we don't actually have to but because we are family, because, as Mum once told me. ...we are the only people made the same. .from our Mum and Dad..and somehow that means we should acknowledge the fact even if unspoken.

I know we only say 'I Love You' at Christmas but we know that there is a special love there all year because it is the common history, the common parentage and the common knowledge that time passes and so do those people and with it our memories and our own lives...

Happy Christmas and a good year ahead Ken x

December Daily : Day 24

Christmas Eve .. actually currently a little less festive than previous days ..maybe as Kate has just observed it will be done and dusted in 24 hours!

I braved the showers (yesterday's stormy rain seems to have passed and baring the debris left on the roads it has been uneventful here) and went to Tesco.  I must have stopped for every set of traffic lights but it got better as the day progressed..I even got some reduced salads and trifle so tonight is a medley of buffet type grub!

Then Col and I ventured to Penzance, mainly as Truro was a jaunt too far. He keeps telling me he hasn't got me a present but I am not sure if it is a ploy to make me think that.. anyways I am feeling like a very lucky girl this year..lots of trips away and lots spent on our new rooms ..so frivolous spending for one day feels a bit unnecessary .. and I have a bottle of perfume on Boots awards and several bits I bought whilst Xmas shopping .. All he had to do is wrap!

Penzance is now a sad little town full of phone shops, beauty salons and charity shops..In need of a good steam clean and an injection of all round enthusiasm. I am sure it offers corners of hope but not on a one off visit through the town it doesn't. .

So Jaded and Jaded bought the few last minute extras which made us feel a little more prepared.. and came home to make some Mulled Cider with one of Jordan's popular little kits...hic!

December Daily : Day 23

Well it is all very calm here but not without preparations going on! The elves and the shoe maker ..aka the men in my house .. have been busy. Ross has set up the speakers and made places by the Holly for stockings .. The old softie!

Col has been busy in the workshop. .I told Kate it is so he can get jobs done instead of doing Christmas stuff but the third evening in a row and she is suspecting he is Santa's helper big style...You will see on Wednesday ..xx

Kate herself is doing April's nails.. she is getting good at them now..but she is not sure if she will do it as a job..she feels like a hen would prefer something office based and has grabbed a three day a week job at a telesales place for next year, to run alongside her beauty course. She is quite determined.

Back tomorrow!

December Daily : Day 22

Holly Tree day...We cut it, arranged it and my niece Tegan came by to help decorate. We are officially festive!

It was great having Tegan here as I could tell her all the nostalgia stuff without her rolling her eyes and having heard it all before...though I think maybe she did lose interest after the third or fourth decade of tales!

...how my folks used to decorate the Holly on Christmas Night as an extra gift from Santa

...how my brother 'heard' Santa as the bell decorations were being put on the tree.

..how I still have very threadbare tinsel which is almost 65 years old..and how Col says it looks like it!

..ahhh how I love Nostalgia and also making new nostalgia for my children's future xx

Oh and amazingly we have scooped two hampers the past 2 hours .. one via Sainsbury's and none from our train trip last weekend.. how cool is that!

December Daily : Day 21

So we took ourselves off to St Ives for some lunch and slowing down time. .then in the evening we went to do 'Christmas' with Lisa and her family in the 'Christmas House' as Lilly calls it.   It was fab to see them all with more space and with everyone together and having a less busy time of it.

The three girls had settled in so fast and we're dead beat after presents and a take away for supper.

Lyla was so funny eating pistachios with Col. Making faces for my pics! 

Lilly likes to go against the grain and we had some sticker books and loads of other things to do.. so we found her in the dining room with two shoe stickers stuck on kitchen roll drawing this lady .. pretty inventive for a 5 and half year old.

Baby Annabelle is just so cute..like any 11 month old she loved the wrapping paper..and the shaker music toy April so kindly bought...along with drums and xylophone for the big girls.. ever popular!!

December Daily :Day 20

Well it's been pretty busy and I have kind of been going through the motions as far as Christmas shopping and prep is concerned. .yes the pictures tell a different tale but they do sometimes don't they!?

But today I have had a nice day and am starting to feel it .. Lyla is here and we are watching some (more) Peppa Pig and wrapping some presents and tomorrow evening we do 'Christmas' with Lisa and her family. 

Life is very busy for them as they run an online shop so work takes over their home.. so they have rented a house ..With hot tub..for the week..not too far away but the miles are not important and it's lots cheaper then Centre Parcs.  As Cols dad is away on Sunday we are seeing the girls and him open pressies and getting takeaway for supper..sounds good. I quite like to vary what we do so no one feels they have to do something every year.

Also this super hamper of wine and cheese..Our favourite foods for when we see Cols Uncle Bill ..arrived in the post from Uncle Bill & Deborah..how lovely to think they may get here next year sometime..

Sadly our Secret Santa in the office has been postponed as one of our young gun designers is off sick but we made sure to give our favourite Scrooge fan his Christmas gifts.. He hates to join in so we make it worse by giving him multiple presents..which he receives with a smile xx

December Daily: Day 18

After the most gruesome day weather wise where I spent probably two hours driving Kate to and fro to college and to see some lovely new pals for a nail appointment. .(she really is good you know!) we went out for a few drinks to round off the evening and rid myself of a headache ..

...This lovely little view as we arrived back in the yard..clear quiet sky and stars..no sign of the day we had suffered! 

December Daily : Day 17

Well our Zac is in dry dock in Vancouver with his cruise ship the Grand Princess this week. He has managed to call and we got a decent connection using his mobile..usually we settle for the cheaper Satellite connection but a good long technical chat is a bit overdue.

I love to hear Col on the phone to Zac..He loved working on big boats and now loves to share stories and hear tales from Zac's trips. Me, well I like to check he is well and having a healthy safe time ...oh and all about the dancing girls. .

Col used to work away himself and once got a radio guy out of his bunk to make the ship to shore connection on Christmas Day.  His parents and brother were surprised to hear from him and all passed the phone around wishing him Happy Christmas but not getting deep into conversation.  They said goodbye, wished him all the best and the call was over .

The radio guy, still weary from broken sleep, disconnected the call, turned to Colin and told him the length of the call.. 1 minute 25 seconds ...
'Worth it was it ?' he asked...
...'Not really'..said Col and went back to his single bunk in the North Sea to enjoy the rest of his Christmas Day...;-(

Funny stories..experiences..offshore life is all about them..

..We have sent two packages out to Zac for him to collect after Dry Dock when he goes down to San Francisco to get the Christmas contingent of cruise guests. I hope they all get through.. Some of the customs side of trying to get things to the USA is quite difficult. .so Jordan and I have taken pictures of the gifts to send him on 25th just in case they never turn up..It is the thought which counts ..isn't it?

December Daily : Day 16

So when my Mum was widowed at the age of 44 my godmother, one of Dad's cousins was a good friend to her and as my brother married soon after it meant I had two grown up ladies to hang out with.

On special occasions..I guess probably winter evenings close to Christmas they played Jim Reeves records and had a few drinks..often a Dubonnet and Lime (urghh) or maybe  port. I was sometimes allowed one too.. a lot more lime than Dubonnet.

So when I have a port and bitter lemon I always think of Mum..she would love one too..xxx

December Daily : Day 15

Well Truro was wet wet wet but not too busy and I did enjoy spending a day with my big girl...

Home now and our first meal at the new dining table..almost a Christmas Dinner.

Ooops! Forgot the pics xx

December Daily: Day 14

So we had a kids day and Ross April Col and I took the three girlie's to Trevor no to the Helston Railway. We rode on the brake van with its red hot little stove and drank hot spicy apple drink in the buffet afterwards.

The girls ..and I got to meet Santa and I even sat on his knee! Oh dear .. and Col was videoing all the time whilst I didn't know!

It's a great little piece of railway run by volunteers and proper old school family time.

This evening Lilley has slept over and we all enjoy some super one to one.. We decorated the dresser and now we are having an 'almost  midnight' feast..Jordan and I are eating the savouries and Lilly has the ĺong promised candy cane off my tree!!

I took some pics and I even made a corner forZac's ships and his tree .. The upside for him this year is he cannot cut my Holly from Hawaii xx

A few pics.. even the one where the two youngest met Joey through the security of plate glass..oh and the girls saw a fix walk through the garden and yard at 9am.
I think today you could say we 'Went for It' ... great last prompt Anne xx xx

December Daily :Day 13

Christmas balls..

December Daily :Day 12

Well the toys of my children's youth have com full circle. .Duplo. .Brio ..but the lametta for my tree is their favourite fun!!

December Daily : Day 11

Jordan is making a whole village full of Gingerbread Houses between now and Christmas...

have a look at her Facebook page : CornishCakesAndBakes

December Daily : Day 10

Kate's Ice Queen photo shoot at the weekend x

December Daily : 9

December posting of Annabelle, she is still only a handful of weight but her eyes are so big and she is crawling about and getting into everything. 

How time flies .. 11 months.

December Daily :8

Domino's. ..

We used to have the VegeRoma quite often but less of late. We went away to a party at the weekend and on way home we got pizza!

We went to the one in St Austell and it use to be a Little Chef where Col and I had coffee one evening 22 years ago. .true romance.

December Daily : Day 7

Teignmouth promenade.

December Daily : Day 6

Hotel lobbies lend themselves to the biggest trees.

December Daily :5

Jordan's 19th Birthday .

Our gorgeous girl .. inside and out xx

December Daily: 4

Carpets are not just for Christmas!

It looks like Ross is singing but it is a beer! He and I decided to try the table at a 'jaunty angle' for our first meal in the new dining room.. it was the kitchen and was well in need of a refurb after serving us well through many a party, sad days and happy days..and the fresh look makes me love the house in a whole new way.

the three denotes that it was taken on day 3.. xx

December Daily :3

Deck the halls and pose for Mommy!