Today.....

I just wanted to wish you all a very......

The Meaning of Christmas.

Yesterday 20th December was a strange day for me-I'm not naturally maudelin but that was the anniversary of the day my dear Pa dies- 24 years ago. For some reason it weighed on my mind all day.
I realised last year that Christmas is difficult for me- I guess to an outsider that would be obvious but I think I'd always thought I had a handle on it. I think the feeling that remained with me that day all those years ago was fear- fear that just when things were going well disaster would strike. Of course through time I have realised that life is far too random to view it in such a black or white way but I think I pushed that fear down and it became embedded in me.
I have a great life-in fact I'd go so far as to say if what happened all those years ago hadn't happened I would be here today as I am. After all it's your life experiences that shape us and make us who we are.
So this fear I felt all those years ago when my world was turned on it's head is still in my somewhere and it manifests itself at Christmas. Now none of this is surprising but what does one do to excise fear? Is it a simple rubbing out process or is it a case of practising being without fear?
Maybe now I am aware of the ambivelance I feel at Christmas I can now start to overcome it- I hope so. Christmas is a time to count your blessings and enjoy the company of family of friends, eat and be merry and remember all the magical things about the world.
So here's to my Pa who left 24 years ago at a time when he was in a job he loved and enjoying great success- he was a larger than life character, highly intelligent, curious and born talker! I miss you still but I will always remember you with love, smelling of ciggies and bristly kisses, making me squeal with laughter and reading me bedtime stories. Love you Pa!

Scrapping on all levels.

Well it seems after almost two yeears of constant work for the scrapbook and cardmaking magazines that things are coming to an end. Projects are coming in few and far between. I admit that my Ego feels slightly bruised but another part of me is pleased. I was beginning to feel all rung out. So anyway I have reassessed WHY I'm scrapping and remembered it's for me and mine! So art and technique was blown out of the window when I had a scrappy session last month! FUN and recording memories was the order of te weekend! I did a stripy LO for my Zeber (yes ZEBER!) boy and a glitter fest for Miss Acorn. It was funa dn helped blow the self doubt away!
I celebrated our Halloween party with a mad layout with gorgeous paper from Craft Obsessions

I am enjoying using foam tape and lifting up sections on my layouts- it's great because I can fit MORE on a page then!! I'm not scrapping a whole lot but what I am doing, I am enjoying. I love finding the positive about a situation and that's it- scrapping is fun again, I am playing with supplies and composition!
My favourite layout that I did is this one- totally wacky and a real mishmash of sizes, perspective and styles but it's the one that seems to be 'me' more than anything else I've done!!

Journey to the Hinterland-well Lincolnshire

I was describing Lincolnshire to my French friend and it was described thus: "Flat!"
I was born there and my Big Sis lives there- it's an awkward place to get to from our Acorn tree- North to South and vice versa is fine but any travelling that involves East to West or diagonals is a tricky business indeed.
Still we set off at 09.15 and arrived before Noon which has to be our best time so far! Maybe everyone was out Christmas shopping and NOT on the roads to Lincs??!
The journey has become an anual event and really for me it signals the start of Christmas. Getting together with my Sister is a wonderful thing but beware strangers!!! Our finishing each others sentences, bursting simultaneously into songs, film references and tinkling (OK cackling!) laughter might be off putting for those not 'in the know"
Our DH's have had nearly 16 years of this behaviour and they either join in or smile tolerantly at us- bless 'em!
My Sis's family is what you would call a 'stretched one' and makes for an interesting mix of cousins. Her two youngest children are in sequence with my three which is cool-
Sister's first ages 16 then 13 then my three ages 10, 7 and 5.....almost three years between all five of them Cool eh???!!
THEN my Sister has three older children aged, 25, 30 and 31!!! Now this makes them closer to me an age and infact the eldest two have children of their own who are the same sort of age as my three kids!!Confused yet??!
So as I say it makes for an interesting mix of peeps and yet there's a common bond that means we get along- a shared sense of humour!!
I don't think my little ones can quite grasp that these adults are ALSO their cousins!!
Add to the mix three LARGE malamute dawgies and you have a busy, fun and hairy start to the Christmas Season!!!

I couldn't believe how much my youngest Niece and Nephew had grown- SJ is in the category of FREAKISHLY tall- she is towering above me and dear sweet girl even patted me on the head *glower* she is a little bit Goth and yet is a wearer of stripey socks! CJJ's is growing taller and growing his hair too- seems to be the thing as my boys are for going their regualr lock shearing too!

I love choosing pressies for my Sister and her family!! Their pressies are also spot on. I guess we know each other SO well!! Probably the nicest thing is the traditional presents we exchange, SM will always my DH shortbread as he loves it and it's the ONLY time he gets some! We always buy SM's youngest a top to wear on Chrstmas Day!!
Silly but it's comfortable and wonderful and fun!!

We filled our boots with party nibbles, we had a wonderful spread- eleven of us managed to put away a fair bit- but then we were expending LOTS of energy chatting!!

All too soon it was time to head home. We left feeling full of warm (CHristmas nibbles!) feelings and all chatted out! There's nothing quite as nice as My Sister's family and our family getting together especially with the wonderful way we start Christmas. Can't wait to the next visit!

Christmas is nearly upon us!!!

Well it was the last day of term and I for one was rather glad!
It's been a hard week with ALL of us having this wretched cold at some point- however we now have 2 weeks to recover and Christmas to look forward to!
DH bought the tree today and we had three excited bunnies come home to decorate it!
We put on some Chrissy music- the classics like Wizzard and Slade (well we are 70's babies!) and we totally rocked that tree!
We're not ones for colour coordination or themes, no it's more like tip it ALL on the tree! Of course we do have a tried and tested method that gets us from naked tree to fully lit and decorated very quickly:-
Lights, tinsel, baubles, the rest then the Angel. our Angel is treated with great reverence because she's very old. Ma & Pa bought her in Deutschland in 1961 and she's made of wax and foil paper. She's been doing sterling service for 45 years and is treated carefully at all times!!
OK true she does only work for about two weeks a year but what she does, she does well!! And here is the tree all finished and lit- very Christmassy and atmospheric!
I love a real tree- the whole house has that lovely tangy fresh pine smell- REAL pine smell not like a toilet cleaner!!
ROLL of Christmas!!