26th - 29th December - Boxing Day and the rest of the week!!

Boxing Day

Still away at our hotel

We had an early lunch so managed to take some photos of part of the buffet lunch, didn't take the hot food buffet as peeps were there!

Pm we  were taken by coach to Canterbury where we managed some retail therapy for an hour before going to the cathedral for evensong sitting in the choir stalls. I wasn't supposed to take photos but.....

These were the first sighting of fields that had flooded on our way to Canterbury

 It was a beautiful sunny afternoon as we arrived at the Cathedral

 There was a life size nativity scene in the courtyard

 Inside the Cathedral before the service and before many people arrived

Friday 27th Returning home

We called in to see Carol's daughter who moved from hastings to Ashford on 20th Dec. They were very pleased to see us

The journey home had similar scenes of fields that looked like lakes/sea 

 and stormy skies and more rain

We are finally home and glad to say no storm damaged and my son who had stayed here for the Christmas period had left it immaculate, you wouldn't know anyone had stayed and the cats were very content to have stayed at home too!!

25th December - Christmas Day

My second quote was remembering whose birthday we celebrate today and the reason why Christians do celebrate his birth

“On Jesus’ birth a new light shone out in the darkness then, and now that light is firmly established in Heaven.

Anyone on earth who sets out on a journey in search of God will be lead by this light – 
the light shines for everyman who walks in darkness.”  ~  Delia Smith (A feast for Advent)

We went to St Luke's Maidstone to our vicar's new church after he and his family left Hastings in September.

 The white candle in the middle of the advent ring was lit to represent Jesus' birth bringing light to the world

As we opened our room door to go to breakfast we found Secret Santa had visited us...which family was that? We had a clue but got it wrong LOL!!

 Opening presents during the day at different times

Christmas lunch 

Our entertainment nightly was Robert Harberman

and I don't know why I have suddenly got all these white patches on this blog today LOL!!

Christmas Eve part 2 !!

Some of you have already visited my blog so I will follow with this evening! A lovely mealagain then entertainment.Our host entertained us again with film songs tonight

 Peter took this of us and Robert Harberman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg24zDL1s_Q after his singing but lighting was not good !!

24th December - Christmas Eve

My quote for the last one for Lucky Snapping are words from the song "I want to see Christmas through Your Eyes " by Gloria Esterfan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To0vDizpeRA
This year I am seeing Christmas through Peter's Eyes we are away in a hotel for 4 nights with a themed Hollywood to Broadway especially for Peter whilst I will enjoy the luxury of not having to buy or prepare and food!
I managed to burn the candle every day of Advent until 23rd when we left.

We were very blessed to have a safe and uneventful journey from home through wild and windy Kent. Hope everyone else survived the storms?

Our home for Christmas is very comfortable especially the bed! TV to myself when I want to opt out of the planned activities like this pm a film showing of some old film!!!
Peter at 9am finding our newspaper on our bedroom door in this bag!! Yes he does look half a sleep, def not a morning person!!!

Not the best of photos but our resident host for our group singing request songs this am

The restaurant were we have our breakfast and lunch, our evening meal is in another restaurant!!

I am now off to swim in the spa part of the hotel and maybe a sauna..not sure til I get there!!

Dec 22nd - end of the run up to Christmas week!

Thought I would put some more photos taken last week

I have managed to burn my Advent candle daily and not go past the day! Tonight I burnt the candle completely to 24th as we go away tomorrow!!

Xanthe opening her Christmas cards she got at playgroup on Tuesday!

Today we gave Xanthe her Christmas present. We have kept this wooden daoll's house for the last 2 years until she was old enough! She loved it!

20th Dec - Nostalgia week for Lucky Snapping 2013

Having shown you a little in my last post about Christmas and talked about my famous 'Delia' roulade where I have been known to make at least 6 for family and friends yearly (yes one got made last week for Jo's birthday and family Christmas meal but the only one this year!!)

I am going to talk about Christmas' past and cheat and use my Journal Your Christmas albums that I have done in past years. I have photographed some pictures off the pages!

I told you in the last post about Christmas in Austria. Found these photos in my JYC album from Austria

so now I will reminisce about past Christmas'

Childhood Christmas'
There were no Christmas photos when I was a child. Every year my parents and I travelled  from the south coast toYorkshire to stay with my Nana and Auntie for the Christmas holidays (my Dad was a teacher)  I remember a trunk with clothes and presents being sent in advance as we travelled by train, we didn't have a car in the 50's. There would be several family parties with huge high suppers and then lots of games and laughter as all the cousins and Uncles and Aunties met for these gatherings  (I suppose this was our annual holiday!!)
Christmas in 1979
The saddest Christmas was 1978. I had become a single parent and it was the first Christmas on my own with two young children. Both my parents were dead and I was an only child no other relations. I felt that I needed to make Christmas as special as possible for the children.

Thinking back over Christmases of the past I think my best and most memorable times for me have always been when I was a child and then when my children were younger or when family members were all together
Here are 2 occasions

Tom on the L was about 6 yrs (he is now 18yrs!) we had also had the parents of my DIL (DearD is no longer alive) and Mark too. Jo lived in Ashford that year

Here the boys are older and we also had Jo,Amie and Lewis with DIL in the photo I think about 8 yrs ago.
This page from a JYC says "Our Christmas Traditions are now changing. We are having to adapt to our Children's own new traditions."

• Decorations and Lights are put up earlier in Dec since I retired
• DIL has introduced Santa's sack and Table presents
• Some of the family have no presents under the tree before Christmas morning cos of young children
• Some of the family do not open presents until after lunch :(  My tradition was to open them in dressing gowns whilst eating warm buttered toast in front of a roaring fire

This page had some interesting thoughts for us all!

And now a bit of nostalgia over my Christmas music I play in the kitchen while prepping Christmas foods (though not this year!!) I am missing all the cooking I usually do!!

This was my page for Dec 21st We always visit Battle as it is Peter's son's birthday. We will be going tomorrow!

 Who remembers the Smurfs? Cannot play this cassette any more :(

Some of my favourite songs

Thank you Kathi for doing this nostalgia week's challenge each month. I would like to think that the blogging this year will be a diary for future family to read and keep. Who knows!!

Now I am off to finish off my challenge for Christmas week!!