Eating, drinking and being merry

We gave and received gifts, we visited old folk, we prepared vegetables, we made the table look like it was fit for a Duke and Duchess, we ate rather more food than was comfortable, we drank a little alcohol, and we watched the Christmas specials on the TV. A very good Christmas was had by all.

Ding Dong Merrily on High

Oh the frenzy of pre Christmas panic buying - I have a solution - get a heavy cold the last day of work. Maisie has the flu, and I have been struck down with a cold - sniff. It has meant lying on the sofa watching kids movies - what a shame. Leanne and Mum went off the Chatsworth for another look at the Russian Christmas, leaving Maisie and me with a sofa each, three packets of lockets (throat sweets) and the tv remote within easy reach.

The table is set and the goose is well and truly fat (well, not a goose exactly, but there's a nice piece of beef defrosting in the kitchen.) I'm hopeful our table will look like the one at Chatsworth. Thanks to Leanne for the photos. (There are no photos of my red nose, but I can assure you that I do look like Rudolph!)

We are all ready for Christmas, Maisie is excited, I'm excited, everyone is excited, there's plenty of sherry in the bottle and boxing day sale adds are on the TV - it must be Christmas eve….is that sleigh bells I can hear?

Happy Christmas All - I'm off to don my gay apparel

How not to buy a Christmas Tree

We need a tree. It's always a bone of contention, I like to put one up on Christmas Eve, Leanne likes to get her money's worth, and Maisie wasn't feeling Christmassy as ALL her friends have theirs up. Two against one - a compromise - the week before Christmas sounds good.


We had two choices - Longshaw the local National Trust place up the road - or Steve's down the road. Up the road offered the advantage of a nice dog walk through national trust winter wonderland - well, snow on trees.

On arrival the parking guy said it's free parking if you buy a tree- and you get a cup of tea and a mince pie - lovely. Off we traipsed to the tree buying area. All went well until we saw the prices, there must be some cheaper ones somewhere. In search of the bargain tree, I think I spotted one, when the dog comes along and pees on it.

I have to say, when you are after a bargain, and are preparing to beat the tree selling guy down to a fair price, your dog coming up and peeing on the merchandise is not a particularly good starting place.

Needles to say, the tree selling guy was on the verge of rudeness and not in any mood to be beaten down in price. Oh well, off to Steve's down the road, leaving the bargain tree surrounded by yellow snow for the next lucky tree purchaser.

We went for a quick walk anyway, blagged our way past the parking attendant and set off.

Steve had a very informative sign 'No Dogs' - how sensible. He also had a lovely bright red tree sticking out of the pile of now grey snow at the side of the road.

We got a lovely tree, perfect for our purposes, and at the fraction of the price of the ones up the road - and the pièce de résistance was it didn't stink of dog wee - win win.

We escaped

I got up with a determination to get to work, with the idea that the 9.45am train would be the way to do it. All I needed to do was dig the car out. I started at 8 am, I dug, I dug some more, I encountered all the snow the plough had compacted into the side of the car, and the -8 temperatures had turned to ice, at 9.15 am I had the back wheel on the drivers side clear. I phoned work to say it was unlikely I would be in.

With renewed determination fuelled by caffeine and toast, and my Mums help, we set too again and cleared the car. By 10.40 it was free! Cars were travelling gingerly up and down the road, so we thought we would give it a go. Down the road to the Spar, milk, bread, some grit and a few logs for the fire and we were away. Stunning country side. These photos from my phone.

No sledging today, I ache in places you shouldn't from sitting on that dam piece of moulded plastic and propelling myself at speed down a slippery slope.

Day three in the snowed-in house

Well - the photos of Maisie are great!

I look like one of santa's not-so-little helpers, with rosy red cheeks.

Leanne's snow angel experience was not so good, the snow perhaps a little too thick. Looked more like a snow accident than angel.

We have the run down to a fine art now. Only parted company with the sledge a few times.

Inside now in the toasty warm, enjoying a hot coffee with a hint* of rum. More rosy cheeks!

*Editor's note; for 'hint', please read big slosh! - L

Spot the car competition

Spot the car and win the opportunity to dig it out. Terms and conditions apply*

I just went to take the dog into the garden. I opened the back door and was faced with 18 inches of snow - well above welly level. We struggled to get out onto the road, the garden was obviously not an option, down the road we went. We met 2 vehicles, both Land Rovers, the drivers wearing this seasons flouro jacket. I suspect they were off to rescue stranded drivers or sheep from the moors.

Today's top tip - never eat yellow snow.

*You have to get here before the 12 pm 2nd December 2010