Ring out the old, ring in the new

2009 is almost upon us.

For some of my bloggy friends down-under it has already arrived.

For others across the pond you've a little longer to wait.

It only seems five minutes since we welcomed the new millenium soon it will be less than a year to 2010.

How can that be?

2008 was a busy year.

2009 will probably be busier still - at least to start off with anyway.

New Years resolutions hover in the back of my mind, I must lose weight, keep a tidier house, succeed in juggling kids, parents and work without forgetting my husband - my rock, my best friend.

But all in all tonight is just another night, a night where we're grateful to live in a prosperous, free country without having to worry too much about danger and fear.

May all your days through 2009 be peaceful and pieceful..........................

Happy New Year to you all!

Thoughts for today.............

I've just read Jeanne's version of this and thought I'd share mine



I'm feeling ... relieved that my parents’ move to Taunton is underway


I'm seeing ... a cold grey bitter winter day and wishing it was brilliant sunshine like yesterday.



I'm thinking ... how nice it will be to have my parents near enough for me to drop in for five or ten minutes instead of planning a military style operation to visit them


I'm appreciating ... a wonderful husband who spent this last weekend with his son travelling up to my parents, doing a pile of preliminary packing and bringing it back down in anticipation of their move south.



I'm cooking ... a very simple evening meal of oven baked chicken breasts, potato chunkies and oven roast carrots and parsnips along with beautiful bright green frozen peas - simple fare after all that rich and complex Christmas food.



I'm planning ... to spend the next few weeks wielding a paintbrush to prepare my parents’ flat for their arrival and also to try and blog a little more regularly in the New Year as I've missed it recently



I'm reading ... ‘The Tall Pine Polka’ by Lorna Landvik about 1950s Minnesota - I borrowed it on a whim from our local library along with her other two books, ‘Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons’ and ‘Oh My Stars’. I’m so glad I picked them off the shelf


I'm wearing ... easy to wear black trackies and a burgundy micro-fleece top - cosy and comfortablefor relaxing around the house


I'm creating ... a yellow and blue Birthday block for Terri - a hand appliquéd circlet of hearts and flowers



I'm hearing ... ‘The Railway Children’ on the tv in the other room - I keep catching snippets of it as I chip away at the ironing pile



I'm enjoying ... the knowledge that I don’t have to return to work for another week yet.



I'm sharing ... a picture of warmer times here in freezing cold Somerset - roll on Summer :o)

Much of this post is taken up with my thoughts on my parents' move so you can tell it is featuring prominently in our lives at present. We anticipate that we will be able to move them down during February Half Term (w/c 16th) so there is a lot to do before then. The New Year will be busy but productive I feel.

Merry Christmas to you all

I can't believe I've not posted in over a fortnight

Lots of water under the bridge

Christmas preparations a plenty

Mum and Dad have been down, viewed the flat, decided they'd love to live in it and so it's all systems go, once it's finally empty between Christmas and New Year, with carpet fitting and re-decorating ready for their move during February half term. Nigel is still playing 'Super-Hero' getting everything sorted for them.

Sarah's thumb is healing beautifully and she had her cast off last Friday - it will be another few weeks until she's up to rugby playing fitness but the best news is she will still get the chance to trial for both the Regional and England Colleges squads.

Nick has finished school and football for this year and along with his little sister, who is still valiantly practising her violin, is ready for the excitement that is Christmas

As for me - I finally completed any pre-Christmas stitching needed yesterday - the shopping's all done, virtually all the presents are wrapped (most unusual for me who usually spends Christmas Eve in a muttering, grumbling heap of wrapping paper) and we're almost there

I've received a couple of lovely quilts I will show you after Christmas along with two separate Secret Santa gifts which are nestling under the tree until tomorrow - I can save things until the day! - and only have two birthday blocks still owing - Sorry Margaret and Terri, I will get them to you asap - so I'm starting to feel more on top of things

Then it just remains for me to wish all of you, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, a happy, peaceful and love-filled time.

Somebody obviously doesn't think I'm busy enough!

Life is whizzing along here at break neck speed as usual.

Lots of stitching even if I haven't got round to taking any snaps yet - hence no blogging - but my Spring Fling Round Robin 2 is almost done, one Secret Santa offering is in the post with another very soon to follow, lots of crafty for sale things have been made and some even sold and I've worked on a couple of commissions too.

Preparations for Christmas are progressing - haven't written a card yet but feeling quite smug about getting all my long distance family presents to their recipients and the rest of the present shopping is nearly complete even if I haven't wrapped everything quite yet.

School is busy as ever plus the children are needing ferrying around as much if not more than usual.

Sarah's thumb is healing well and the Consultant tells us if all continues in the same vein her pot will be off for good on the 19th of this month - all is not lost on the rugby front.

Lou has started learning the violin so the ears are taking a little bashing too - as if life isn't noisy enough in this house!

Nick's knee is better and they won 5 - 2 on Sunday which means he's happy :o)

So lots of balls up in the air - one or two near drops - but not quite yet.

Then........................ two more are thrown into the equation in the shape of my elderly parents

Here they are back during Half-Term with five of their six grandchildren plus my niece Gemma's boyfriend Pete.

Whilst they stayed down with us we had some long and heart searching chats about where and how they would like to live out basically what amounts to the rest of their lives really

The long and short of it ended up with the decision that they should move into sheltered accommodation down here in Taunton.

I won't go into the ins and outs and merits regarding to which of their children they should live nearest - suffice to say we all felt it would be best if they came down here so we put their name on the local housing list and settled down for a probably long wait

This week a flat in a local complex has been sort of offered to them - they're second on the list.

I have been to look at it and although it is small it would suffice.

However we now have to wait until Friday to see if the first person on the list wishes to accept it

If that person doesn't we then have to arrange for them to come down, look at it and effectively be checked out by the complex manager - my word is not sufficient and rules are rules!

My lovely husband has offered to drive five hours up to Yorkshire on Sunday and return the same day with them.

I'll then take them to look round on Monday followed by Nigel taking a day's holiday on Tuesday to return them up north.

Life is certainly busy enough without this in amongst everything - but it is do-able especially with Nigel's good will. Boy do I have a tolerant and obliging man.

It will be lovely to have them down here and be able to see them regularly in bite-size manageable time spaces instead of intensive three week visits once or twice a year and I will be able to help them and be there for them in an emergency instead of mercy-dashing the length of the country.

But just one teeny weeny tiny little part of me is screaming out................

'Stop the world - I want to get off!'

PS A quick update - the first person in the queue has accepted an alternative property so it's theirs if they want it - we're on all systems go for the weekend with one small grain of sand in the oyster - they can only view it on Tuesday so I think that will be a particularly long day for Nigel :o)