A Bench To Remember Joe Park

On Christmas Eve as many people who could make it gathered in the middle field to dedicate a bench to the memory of 'Joe Park'. Thoughtfully placed in front of the very spot on which his famous yellow van was sited for so many years. A lovely gesture and  wonderful way to remember a very special Sandy Laner.

Joe's bench outside Hillsboro

2012 has arrived ..HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

The New Year is here...after the celebrations over Christmas with family and friends it is nice to draw a line under the over indulgence and return to normality. We went to Fat Fighters on Thursday and miraculously I only put on 2lbs! Andy (who has been a bit of a piggy) gained 5lbs. Having said that he loses it far more easily than me  so I'm sure he'll be back on track in a week or two. 

Xmas day was spent in Malvern with eldest daughter Danie and hubby Charlie and the fabulous 6 kids, Erin,Kate,Will,Ben,Grace and Tom. We went up on Xmas eve after collecting the Organic Norfolk Bronze turkey crown and the biggest slab of Welsh Black beef you can imagine. The van was loaded to the hilt with food,booze,presents,decorations and party things, not to mention suitcases. The children went off to bed after the traditional reading of a beautiful paper sculpted book..The Night Before Christmas. We read it to our children every Christmas eve and still do even though they are all grown up and now it's the Grandchildren's turn.  We then had fun sorting out all the piles of prezzies and getting ready for the big event. On Christmas day we were joined for a fabulous lunch by my lovely Sister Sharon and cherished family friend Heather...12 of us around the table with party poppers and crackers..lovely grub and great company...HEAVEN! We played daft games in the afternoon and then settled down in the night to watch Xmas movies. Danie was very clever about present opening and it was done in several stages allowing the kids to actually enjoy the gifts before moving on to the next.

On Boxing morning we were joined by Kaye,Simon and little Sebastian, all dressed up in his little elf suit. 

Sebastian in his Elf suit

After lunch we made our way home and were greeted excitedly by the little Tink and Dan and Lyndsey. More presents to unwrap...especially Tink! On Tuesday I was back in work for the morning,did a bit of shopping in the afternoon and cooked a full turkey dinner for the evening arrival of Kaye,Si and Seb. Yet more present opening and even more goodies for Tink. She especially loved the Xmas hat and scarf for the lovely Gemma Bevs!

Super cute Xmas Tinkerbell.

The mighty Joe Schmo played their now traditional 'inbetween',  gig at The Plough and Harrow in Murton on Wednesday night and it was packed to the rafters as usual.

Friday got us all together again this time Hannah,Megan,Karl,Pippa,Finn, Sue and Mike joined us and we somehow squeezed 13 around the table for a huge roast gammon joint with all the trimmings and followed by the biggest trifle in the world,cheesecake and a flaming Xmas pud, not to mention the vanilla sponge castle cake with chocolate frosting the girls made!!! 

Megan & Hannah with their Castle Cake...Yummy!

The damage to the waistline doesn't count on such warm and momentous occasions and after a great game of 'Don't Panic' which Hannah won by a mile, we all agreed it was a lovely day.

We saw the New Year in at Sue and Mike Prankerds with more scrumptious food,copious amounts of booze,great friends and a finale of fantastic fireworks and a bonfire in the garden. 

2012 has gotten off to a great start and I have a feeling it's going to be one of the best years ever! 

I have been blessed with a year of marvellous happenings that have given me wonderful memories and I know that I am truly blessed and for this I am deeply thankful.

Soaring Red Kite.....

Walking to the castle with little Tink my super cute chonzer we stopped at the lookout point where once my favourite bench was placed..sadly it has rotted and been removed. Please someone put one back for the tired and weary walkers to stop and catch their breath! Joy of joys today I saw a fabulous Red Kite soaring above the valley and over the castle, I stood enthralled for about ten minutes until the wonderful  creature flew off towards Penmaen. I walked home feeling elated and extremely blessed to have experienced such a special moment right in my own backyard!!
Youngest daughter Kaye is moving house this week and our littlest Grandson Sebastian is now crawling and getting into all sorts of mischief. He very kindly left us a message on our answerphone after finding the house phone and somehow managing to press redial.....it took me a few minutes to realise it was not some weirdo on the phone but a growling yabbering Sebby Bear. SOOOO cute. I can't wait to see them after Xmas and give him a big Nanna hug.

The super cute Sebastian

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year

THEFT ALERT

PLEASE BE AWARE THERE HAVE BEEN THIEVES ABOUT ON THE LANE.

NEW DAWN WAS BROKEN INTO AND A CAMERA AND KEYS TAKEN. IT APPEARS THERE MAY BE A LINK TO A GREEN SALOON CAR SEEN AROUND ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS CONTAINING SOME FOUL MOUTHED UNPLEASANT YOBS WHO TOLD A 7 YEAR OLD TO F**K OFF! IF YOU NOTICE IT PLEASE JOT DOWN THE DETAILS,MODEL MAKE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY REGISTRATION & RING IT IN TO THE POLICE WHO ARE INVESTIGATING.

SAD TO SAY THIS BUT LOCK EVERYTHING UP

A WORD OF WARNING TO THOSE COMMITTING THESE DESPICABLE CRIMES....YOU'LL WISH YOU'D BEEN ARRESTED IF WE CATCH YOU AT IT!!

I CALL IT KARMA & I SINCERELY HOPE YOU LOT GET YOURS SOON.

Let the bells ring out....for Christmas...

          I would like to wish you all a very 

                        Merry  Christmas 

                                 and a 

               Happy & Healthy New Year

Yeahhh...it really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas....decorations are going up all over the lane,in our house we are nearly finished putting the decs up, just a bit more on the outside to do.Sadly gale force winds,rain and hail have hampered this, but hopefully all finished by the weekend. Our tree this year has coloured lights and is festooned with hundreds of crystals and coloured glass ornaments and is totally over the top as usual. Tink has her stocking hung up in readiness for Santa!! 

The Pretty Suns, 2011 Tree......understated chic!!

Twinkle twinkle,Pretty Suns

It has been so cold out walking little Tink, she has to have her winter coat on with the collar turned up. The waves are rough and you can hear them roaring and crashing before you can see them. The sky has been a menacing grey and of course that is reflected in the colour of the sea....a chilling and wintery sight indeed. The wind whips around us over on the golf course and along the cliffs and my lips are getting chapped from the drying,bitter wind. We get in shivering and damp and spend ages with towels and cuddles in front of the fire to thaw out!!

Cards are all sent and present shopping is pretty much done, finish the last bits on the weekend as well as doing an online food order.

Lots to do at the weekend then.

Our old ash tree that is directly behind the house has become unsafe and needs to be felled....this will now take place after Xmas when the weather permits, the lovely Lyndon and his assistant will be doing the deed and I hope to get some action shots of the shannanigans! I am however very sad about it as we have lived with the tree for over 30years, I know I will shed a few tears when it comes down. Karl is having the wood for his woodburner so it will not be wasted and I am going to keep a couple of pieces for the wonderful Mike Prankerd to make something out of to commemorate the mighty old tree. 

We are going to plant a few more trees to replace it, native varieties and more suitable for the area.

We are also now looking for a second little chonzer as a companion for little Tink and it is proving to be harder than we thought,but we don't want one until next summer really so plenty of time. 

'elf n safety comes to The Lane

I've heard some things in my 30years on Sandy Lane ,but I had to smile at this.....some well meaning folk are trying to protect us from our wild environment and are currently assessing the wild areas,hedges paths etc for potential dangers and health hazards. Trimming spikey branches and opening up the pathways to make them less treacherous "for safety reasons". Well intentioned I grant you,but frankly unnecessary, we live in a rambly, brambly rough and ready place and surely everyone is aware that there are  branches that overhang and have thorns and spikes. I personally love it that some areas are overgrown and you have to step carefully through...it's a bit magical, like stepping into another world. I walk the lane in daylight and darkness,often without a torch and in my opinion the most dangerous thing is the mess underfoot from the bloody cows...perhaps they would like to cull them ...for safety reasons of course!

Wintery weather...brrrrr

Getting up early to walk my little Tink I've noticed that there is a definite nip in the air. We go out in the dark but the sunrise catches up with us after about 30mins. The gorse bushes have some yellow blooms on and they look bright and happy in the pale morning light over on the golf course. Little Tink now wears her warm waterproof coat and her high vis jacket on top. The bracken has turned brown and crispy and bits cling to Tink's fur as we roam, cow pats are everywhere again, bloody destructive beasts, they churn everything up so badly. I have decided I need a new coat for winter as my current one is not as waterproof as I would like and I am fed up with coming home soaked to the skin and shivering with cold...only in very heavy rain but hey it's not a good feeling.
Bonus to all this walking is my continued weight loss and fitness improvement...I have been Fat fighting for a few months now and have lost 2stones 4pounds!!! Dropped 4 dress sizes,reversed my diabetes and controlled my blood pressure. What a blessing Slimming World Extra Easy has been and more especially the inspirational Alicia who runs the group in Killay. She really is a mine of information,support and also much hilarity week after week and I don't think I would have continued without her help. I feel 10years younger and have a new lease of life. Young Megan (my Granddaughter) did say quite seriously that she didn't want me to lose any more weight because she likes me squishy!! I'm going to carry on and get to my target weight sometime next year and then I will try to have the resolve to maintain it...wish me luck.

Little Halloween Spider suit for Seb!

My super cute Grandson in his Halloween suit

The Woodhouse Reunion 2011

Me with my Cousin Kelvin and his wife Vanessa

November 5th was the date of this years Woodhouse family reunion. It coincided with my lovely cousin Charmiane's 60th Birthday lunch and we all met at the fabulous Stone Manor in Stone near Kidderminster. So many family members of all generations as well as friends gathered together for a lunchtime of good food,wine and chatter. old pics were passed around and new ones taken as mementos. Some of the younger generation met for the first time and all seemed to get on famously. It was a lovely day and the highlight was a warm and funny speech by Charmie's Son Adam in tribute to his lovely Mother. So many branches of the family form my circle and it is a delight to be part of it.

Early morning walking!

Well, life is sooo hectic...wonderful but busy at the moment. Autumn is really on us now..I can feel it in the air especially when I take little Tink out early in the mornings before I go to work. It is dark and chilly, Tink wears her little coat and also her reflective jacket and LED light up collar so that I can see her on the golf links. Andy says she looks like she's off to do Community Service..he's so cruel, I think she looks so cute. The leaves are changing and falling and the trees are becoming bare. The sloes are shrivelling and turning green...too late for making Sloe Gin now! I can really hear the roar of the waves well before we get to the golf course and even though I pull my hood up when I leave the house there is something about the sound of the waves that makes me take it off and let the wind and often rain too blow through my hair. It is without doubt the most exhilarating feeling, blowing the cobwebs of sleep away and energising me for the day to come. Tink and I have watched and marvelled at many sunrises recently and at the other end of the day we sigh at the beauty of the sunsets which come on too quickly now. The smell of woodsmoke curls around us as we wander home in the gloom and I get a cosy feeling as we approach the lights of our house where I know Andy will be waiting with a dry towel for Tink and hot tea for me......bliss. I am blessed and truly grateful.