Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

As we sat in our classroom inspired horseshoe, designed to encourage conversation, there was a slightly uneasy silence. Those of us who knew each other, stole furtive glances, others returned our smiles politely although they were not privy to the planning and discussion that had occurred in preparation for the evening. The time had slowed, 8pm seemed an age away. The silence was intermittently interspersed with brief attemps at small talk and the rants of a drunk outside on the city streets. The commanding presence of our WI advisor Dorothy, had the air of an experienced headmistress or well respected senior relative which in the event of such formalities made me feel foolish in my .....excitement. Some of us stifled giggles as advice was provided on the process, as we had already made the majority of our formal decisions but it was with noticeable nerves, that I raised my hand to the question of who wished to be President.   So that's it, another new chapter has open...

The holidays are always gone in a flash so on the evening before the return to work and school and the normal routine of every day life, it seems apt to just reflect on how fab Christmas was. Visiting family   Charlie collecting eggs and cuddling his cousins' chickens. Setting fire to Christmas cardboard with Uncle Andy. Trying to cram all the UK cousins on the slide.  And lining them up in height and age order in front of the Christmas tree.    Walks in the waterlogged country Plenty of muddy puddles Carving with knives in mysterious brick walls in the woods.      Flooded benches Flooded paths And more muddy puddles Posted with Blogsy

New year didn't get off to the best start for me. Despite going for a run, collecting more delicious allotment veg and taking Charlie to see Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, I was violently sick and spent the rest of the day in bed. We had such a lovely Christmas, I thought it would be nice to reflect on the happy times whilst I wait to recover from whatever bug has struck me. 1. For the first year ever, I pretty much left the Christmas tree just as it was after the children decorated it, a riot of festivities on a plastic tree. For a great deal of December and some of November, I worked on orders for Christmas stockings. They ended up in Australia, Canada, America, Liverpool and Canterbury. Josie's designed her own 'Let it Snow" stocking covered in crocheted snowflakes and Charlie adopted the oversized Rudolph design. 2. My husband's present was a labour of love and involved all of us spending hour upon hour putting together a camping scrapbook of all our ou...