Day 365 +1 - REFLECT The last day!!

Well I have achieved Suzie's challenge for 2012 and I am very pleased with myself and the others who have daily blogged with me and commented and encouraged me. Thank you to all of you xxx

So today is New Year's eve and the word is REFLECT. Many people reflect on the past year and then make resolutions for the new year. Instead I look forward to planning holidays and getting jobs done around the house and hopefully loose some weight that I have put on and more importantly pray we and our family stay healthy and happy and for their to be peace in the world and for the starving to be fed,....that is all I ask for 2013!

So back to relecting , my blog on Day 1 said
to blog more often, -  well I did that daily!
to scrap more each month, -  no sadly I seemed to scrap less this year
to lose weight again as the lbs increased in 2011, - well I am the same weight as 1st Jan 2012!!

The photo for 1st Jan 2012 was this

and today 365days  - 31st Dec 2012

Yes more rain, who would have predicted the awful weather we have had this year and if we have to reflect, think of those in GB who have had their homes flooded more than once this year..

I pondered about reflecting through my year month by month but that is not me, you have read my year in detail already!!  So I will reflect on the year as a good one for GB.  We had the Diamond Jubilee. The wonderful Olympics and Para Olympics and now the good news of a baby for Kate and William. Yes I am always the positive person!

Here is my photo as  true loyal subject, proud to be British!! We had a good year in 2012 !

Good bye and thank you Suzie for this memorable year xxx   Speak to you all on my blog in 2013.
God Bless Lynne xxx

Day 365 - END

Well we are nearly at the end! I am so proud of us all for getting here!! I am feeling a little emotional and feel we should all be together with Susie for tomorrow, but of course this is not possible!

Well it isn't the end is it,  with LUCKY SNAPPING STARTING ON TUESDAY.....eeek!!! Thank you Jenni with the idea and Ann and Kathy for getting togetherwith Jenni and getting this up and nearly running. I had a good read today to try and get my head round the week and the month :) I have picked my view, it will be interesting to see how each month this view changes!

For me today it was the END of several months planning for Sue's girls to meet Sue's close collage friends...that included me.  It was really successful, the minibooks were well received, with a lot of tears and emotions. Peter was proved wrong!! Thank goodness we have NYE tomorrow otherwise I would be feeling rather flat tonight!

I decided to do a collage of the end of these months planniong the 2 days for us all

Have stopped washing now til the 4 loads are dry... I try not to use a the tumble dryer

I now have to think about tomorrow New Year's Eve,  where we go to 2 sets of friends, the last for a meal and I am doing a dessert for 6...we have enough left overs in our fridge but need to makesomething new so using left over lemons, eggs and cream and making Delia'a rich lemon tart served with creme fraiche...plenty of that still lurking in the fridge and can knock up a cheese board too as the fridge is over flowing with different cheeses, oh why do we buy so much for so few days! I guess just incase.

We should be feeling a little flat, but guess we are happy to be quiet with each other tonight, a new recipe for dinner tonight, Another Delia, just love her recipes :) Grilled Chicken with lemon, garlic and rosemary with puy lentils and salad. Hope we like it!!

Day 364 - FREE CHOICE

My choice today is all of us last night. It was great to see Sue's girls Laura and Michelle

Day 36 - SOMETHING I WOULD CHANGE

I hate my bedroom curtains, a very bad choice 2 years ago. New Year will see new blinds and lighter curtains. Bought these curtains in a sale, liked the price....but not a good choice

Off to do free choice  now and I have caught up!!

Had fab evening, today my friend Ann and DH stayed over another nights o been out today and meal out tonight.

Day 362 - SPECIAL

What a strange day weather wise, fairly mild but damp and so dark until this afternoon. This was the sky looking west, to the south over the sea the sun was shining through the clouds then within 30minsthe sky looked like this bottom picture, then we went back to dark grey clouds again!! I took these indoors and you can see the reflection of my pink camera on the glass!!

 This week Christmas day was special as most of the family came for the day. This doesn't very often happen! Now I am waiting for tomorrow which will be very special when my dear late friend Sue's girls and other halves come from London for 2 days ( I haven't seen Michele since she was a teenager, she is now 31yrs ) and so are my other 2 collage friends and husbands so they can meet Sue's girls.
I guess you remember me starting to make the mini albums for them all in November? Well here they are ready to tie up and wrap up for them

Her she is in one of the books before and ready for the wedding in her lounge. They decided to have a civil service in her house on 28th Dec 2012 as she was dying of bone cancer.  She had been with her daughter to choose  the wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses earlier in the year whilst she could. The official wedding was in Aug when they then had a blessing.

Carol has left for Wilts and we have been round and made the 2 double beds for them and leftbread, milk and cereal for them in the fridge.We are sleeping in the spare room on an inflatable double as we got rid of our beds during our upheaval and haven't replaced them yet!! Pat and her DH are having an inflatable in the lounge as they are only staying 1 night and Ann and her DH are having our bedroom  (all spring cleaned today :)) bringing there own duvet and pillows and they are staying 2 nights.
I now have another choc roulade to make fro dessert tomorrow, the lasagnes are in the garage defrosting and then I am all ready. I am so excited and Peter has been an angel not moaning and helping at times. he hates all the fuss I make when we have visitors, he thinks spring cleaning totally unnecessary!!

I will try and blog tomorrow before they all arrive but forgive me if I go AWOL for a couple of days!!

Day 361 - DELIGHT

 I am delighted with our tidy kitchen and lounge after yesterday. It took Peter and I most of the morning to clear up and find homes for our presents!!

Here is my delight,  Peter. In this photo he is delighted to have caught such a big trout!!  

Christmas day and Day 360 - SOMETHING ON YOUR TABLE

Happy Christmas. We have had a lovely day with 3 of our 4 families. The good news was that Mark came, I was thrilled!.

Here are rather a lot of photos of the day!!

The day started with finding Santa's footprints and some magical snow in our lounge where he left all the presents

 Zac came in his onesie!!!

 Amie came out into the kitchen and made the bread sauce. It was fun to have her helping the first time ever!

 I was thrilled that mark came he kept his distance from everyone but he came and after lunch let the young ones on is ipad:)

 Here is his brother Iain, Zac and Xanthe's Dad. Think he and Xanthe are waiting for lunch!

 This is our lunch table and all the family,

 and I caught Xanthe tucking in to sausages and roast fat chips LOL!!

Here is lovely Amie who was so helpful this lunchtime , thank you Amie xxx

 We allowed Jo (Lewis and Amie's Mum) to have her tomato ketchup at the table!!

A quiet time between courses ...cheers!!

 Peter looks worn out already and he didn't cook a thing, though he has been an excellent goffer and chauffer today!!

 Amie and her Mum, friends at times and enemies too!!

 My lovely Peter, he knows his place at busy times!

 Amie and Zac, present time!!

 Perdita, Xanthe, Peter and Lewis opening presents

 Peter enjoying one of his presents!

 He has found tickets for Top Hat in London, we go on 10th Jan to the matinee, so a lovely day in London! My surprise present to him!

 Back at the kitchen sink again!!

 Games time for some of us!! as the sunsets!

 A quiet moment to read yesterday's paper!!

A scooter built and now time to learn to use it with Auntie Johanne helping her!  Thank you Auntie Jo for my pressie!!

Well something on my table prompt I found at 8.30 tonight after they all left!!

Here are the remains of supper after they had taken food and gone

Day 359 - MOUTH WATERING

I found this difficult today as all the desserts have been eaten or frozen until tomorrow and actually I don't find them mouth watering!! I asked Peter and he suggested everything sweet and when I told him what made my mouth water, he said no it was too sharp and sour!! any way here are my lemons ready for G&T's in the next couple of days! 

 The table is all laid for the family tomorrow, there will be 10 if Mark comes too.

 Excuse my hair but I washed it and it never got blow dryed today! It will be dampened and blow dried tomorrow!! Here I am intrigued by a stocking from Santa left on our doorknob tonight after a very loud knock

There was a note inside for Peter from Santa!!

This is the note, Santa obviously is a bad speller!!

Peter who is never very interested in presents was like a child looking at all the little presents to see if he definitely didn't have one!! I had to stop him and we will open it later tonight! We think it is from Zac and Xanthe's parents as I give them stockings! It was such a lovely surprise

Peter has gone Carol singing at our hospital this evening going round the wards. It is the first time he has done it so I will enjoy hearing about it when he returns home

I will wish you all a very Happy Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, have a lovely day xxx

Day 358 - FESTIVE

I cannot believe there are only 2 more sleeps to a very special day!!
Here is the table from yesterday cleared and ready for our meal last night

We had a lovely evening, Carol and I drank far too much and here are some every poor quality photos taken  by Peter and he doesn't drink!!

This is my pressie from Carol

 You can see how silly we were and look what I got a huge new cutting mat

I gave her a Stampin up year calender and a Sudoku book which she was thrilled with. I won't see here again til the end of Jan as she is going to stay in Wilts for 3 weeks straight after Boxing Day, I will miss here :(

Today was very busy, we went to church am and then I made Banoffi pie and cooked an early dinner for one family we won't see at Christmas. We then went back to church for the Carol Service which I could have used as festive today but didn't have a camera or phone on me!!

So here are 2 table decorations I have for the word FESTIVE,

  not sure if I will burn this cone this year!! :)

How are you all doing?  No time tonight to read your blogs....sorry :(

Day 357 - SOMETHING GREEN

Green for me today are the artificial holly off some welcome lights that have stopped working in our hall!  We will probably throw it away so took the holly rings off the candles and here is were they have been left!!!

 I took over our dining room today and spent the day trying to get the mini books nearly finished. Have a bit more to do yet but will be finished for 28th!!

We have Carol for dinner tonight so all cleared up some ironing done and ready for Strictly with her when she arrives. Off to take a photo of this table set for dinner :)

Jenni tried to email you today but I must have written it down wrong from Anne this morning, will try later tonight via UKS!

Day 356 - SOMETHING RED

Another easy one with Christmas just round the corner, there is always a lot of red at Christmas!!
My Poinsetta still looking healthy, they usually die on me withing a week, this is 2 weeks old!!

 Now these flowers look about ready to throw out! This bouquet arrived on Dec 7th form friends who were going to stay with family in the States this Christmas, I had hoped they would last til Tuesday but looking at this photo...I think not!!