Soft, bubbly and fresh

Lilly with her brothers and sisters, they are all active and starting to try weaning mousse, Lilly is in the middle, the light grey kitten, next to her is a biscuit coloured kitten called Freddie, daughter is keeping him, the others all have nice homes to go to. It's a case of waiting until they can feed themselves before bringing her home, sometime between 8 and 10 weeks, they are almost 5 weeks old now. 

Hubby has started his first sourdough, he's following Paul Hollywood's recipe, just something new to try, I have everything crossed this takes off, but we are aware often they just don't start to bubble.

This week we had leek and potato soup for lunch, the leeks came out of the ground and into the soup maker in less than an hour, I said my leeks were small, but that has not impacted on the taste. With a fresh baked roll, pure delight. 

I have used my poinsettia blooms and turned them into this plant, it's a great size and tucked back it looks real, which is brilliant as the leaves start to drop the moment a real one comes into our home. I just need to add fake soil.

 

Looking back on older post my decorations in recent years been up by now, I aim to have them sorted by Sunday, daughter and children are coming for a Sunday roast after going for a winter wonderland walk, so it would be nice for them to see our tree all lit up, it will also brighten our home. I have my Christmas music list ready on Alexa, the first play is always the day our tree goes up.

Nothing much is happening here, both hubby and I have coughs and a cold each, for once not from the little ones, I am reading and sorting the edging on my brothers blanket, and I've wrapped a few gifts. I only have to find something for daughter, we don't have many gifts to get, most of the grandsons like to have money. 

I am loving the blue skies again, dry days, laundry on the line (not fully drying), nothing to do outside, just occasionally watering the greenhouse, ensuring the bird feeders are full and the water spots are not frozen. We do wake up most mornings to our roofs being white, just an air frost, nothing on the ground.

A bit of retail

 Daughter and I popped to Southampton, where they have their Christmas displays and huts, I wanted a photo here, but people kept walking through, I will stop them said daughter and she did, long enough for this photo. The poinsettia stems she is carrying are fake, I manged to get long stemmed big blooms.

It was lovely blue skies, dry and warmer than recent days.

Most of the huts were selling food from all over Europe. Visiting on a Monday, it was not too busy, daughter got the few bits she wanted, I got a couple stocking fillers for Molly. We don't often come here, preferring Portsmouth water front Gunwharf Quays.

Southampton has a huge inside shopping centre, all the main and designer brands, John Lewis over many floors, the section inside the doors was given over to Christmas decorations, they were beautiful, neither of us wanted any, I was so pleased to find the poinsettia blooms, I have been looking for a big fake plant, the blooms worked out much cheaper, plus I have a pot I can use, with a bit of florist tape, it will look good. Afterwards I popped back to daughters and had a cuddle with Lilly, I did not do the school run as George was very upset on Sunday when I went home. It was more a day together than full on shopping, daughter visits shop brands different to where I would go. 

Tuesday was a lazy day, another dry sunny day, we walked to the village, I raised the nets over my broad beans plants, I harvest a few leeks, they are not so big, but lovely in leek and potato soup. I picked up leaves, not many, I've been placing them over my rhubarb crown, I planted another Amaryllis bulb and sorted the pot for My fake poinsettia blooms. Hubby had a busy baking day, blackberry and apple crumble with custard, he has also started a sourdough mixture, I gave the Christmas cakes another drink of brandy. 

This morning I'm with Molly for an hour, it's too wet to be outside, so we can play inside, later we are bringing down my Christmas boxes, I want to redo my silk greenery displays, I rather do it early than rush it next week. With my back being so weak I will do our decorations over a few days.

Getting ready

We have written all our Christmas cards, ready for posting on last day of November, I got a few packs back in January, when at half price they were great value. The cost of stamps make it expensive, most of our siblings live scattered around UK. I do love to send and receive cards.

This is as always a family photo opportunity, in previous years hubby and I have sat here with various grandchildren, this year both Will and George are at school, so we did a 3 generation photo, as next year Molly will be at school.

Our favourite garden centre has so many places to take photos, all free and child friendly. Molly loved being here with the reindeer, so many happy children, we looked at all the Christmas items, she did not touch anything, she did love all the lights.

Lilly like the other four kittens is growing, Lola (mum) is now happy for the kittens to be cuddled, daughter allows each child to have some time with them, one at a time so they don't scare them with their excitement. I have been told by hubby who has only seen our kitten for the first time, he's not sure about the name Lilly.

It's been a family weekend, daughter and children came over on Saturday, they had been to a local photo shoot, it had loads of activities for them to try, they played well and did not notice there were less toys here. Sunday I popped to daughters to sit with Will and George whilst Molly went to a party, hubby checked all the house radiators, as the one in George's room was staying cold, without daddy around I am on call to help with parties, so most weekends I am with them. 

Storm Bert did it's thing, a cold wet and windy weekend, our garden is OK, loads of leaves everywhere, which I will pick up in the week once everything is a bit drier, nothing was moved or damaged. Just glad the temperature has risen back a few degrees, no settling snow for us.

Crafting week

I have finally finished the crochet on my brothers lap blanket, I have clips along the top and bottom just to flatten the square joins, it took longer than expected. I have a green yarn to knit the icord edging, then I can sort all the loose ends, I'm really pleased with it. 

Hubby has been busy as well, I purchased these beautiful lamps in 2009 from BHS, they had a touch base, where you could have three levels of light, for me the best ever bedside lamps. A couple of years ago they started turning themselves on in the night, so we switched them off, but left them in place as we loved them. We are now ready to start working on our bedroom and the lamps came into our conversation, I really love these, so hubby took them to his garage and rewired them without the touch feature, and they are staying.

Daughter was checking George's school page and sent me this, I've covered the teachers name, so I'm famous, he is doing so well, smashing his start targets, we are all so proud of him. Can you see me in his masterpiece. He had his 5th birthday this week, it was a family affair, he will have a play session with friends this weekend.

Another great book, it's an early title, another enjoyable book, a whole family has gone missing, an old friend of Rakers wants to know what happened to her sister. Set in Devon, with ties to USA, things unravel, people show their true faces, ending in Las Vegas. Book 80 read this year.

We had heavy covering of frost on Wednesday morning, the bird baths were frozen, my wildlife pond had no ice, it became a really sunny day, so everywhere looked good by lunchtime, I picked up loads of leaves, our neighbours oak tree is huge so we are getting leaves in our garden for the first time. 

Thursday morning I walked 5 minutes to our doctors surgery for a blood test, I walked in icy rain and sleet, on the way back, less than 20 minutes later it was snowing and cold, it lasted for an hour, too wet for any to settle, but enough to cheer the grandchildren. I have my long winter coat and duffle coat out, ready for whatever is to come.

This morning we have blue skies after a heavy frost again, we are all sorted before storm Bert arrives, just heavy rain and strong winds for us, I hope you are all OK, warm and snug inside, we have no plans for the weekend.