2014...Christmas Done!

Fraser here......

Well, this post is a bit late...Gorillas ate the first draft! No? OK, how about: The line was downed during Christmas eve storms, and more or less has stayed that way ever since. Steve and Ness, who were house sitting at the time were told that it couldn't be sorted (we need a new line) till at least the 2^nd January and here we are on the 3^rd at 1300 and no line and therefore no internet. Dunno when they're going to get around to us. I get the impression we're a low priority.

Hang on though.....OK so they have just turned up and are fixing the line....Good thing!

So, December.

A quiet month till we organised a Christmas quiz afternoon with friends to both celebrate the festive season and to raise some funds for the dog shelter we are trying to support. A great afternoon had by all. Thanks to everyone for their pet food and money donations.

Then it was full on preparations for our Christmas visit to the UK on the 16^th. There followed a great, if a bit hectic, two weeks of visiting and Christmas festivities.

Flew to Gatwick and made our way up to Rich and Jo's in London. The day consisted of train to plane to train to underground to train....a fairly long day but arrived safe and wet 10 hours later!

Day two 17^th December, involved some local shopping and looking after Lexa. I was conned into making paper chains and doing jigsaws and putting up Christmas cards with Lexa and Sylvie and even made instant cupcakes. The latter possibly even edible.

Artists at work

The next day, 18^th by now, leaving Sylvie for another day of Lexa minding, I was off to Bath, where I had lunch with friends Saied and Charlotte,  and then went off with my old mate Alan and had a really weird, but enjoyable evening concocting new flavours of ice cream. I could tell you more but I'd have to shoot you 'cause it's all secret...

Sylvie came down to Bath at noon the next day, 19th. Met up with another old mate, David in the morning for a cuppa and a chat. Sylvie and I did a bit of shopping and then went to visit Glenna, another friend we haven't seen in a while. Met up with niece Saffi and friends Ian and Jo in the pub (complete with a pint of Best and fish and chips).

Spent the night at Malc's, another friend's, flat which she'd kindly let us stay in for the night as she was hot footing it off to Oman for Christmas. Friday 20^th we were up early to get the train to Truro where we spent a few days getting re-acquainted with the Cornish branch of the family. Stayed with Jan in her lovely little rented terraced cottage, visiting niece Hannah, husband Steve and the kids at home.

 
We had a really nice time in and around Penryn, Falmouth and Truro getting out and about including (yay) a visit to the Falmouth Maritime Museum.

The Race is on!

Jan and Roo sail against Fraser

Finn in the Museum

Hannah and Roo

After this all too a short stay we caught the train back to London on Monday 23rd. This is where it got interesting because of the storms. Glad we had reserved seats as due to ferocity of the weather and train cancellations it was very crowded. Single track running near Teignmouth... the sea, which is right next to the track , looked incredibly unfriendly, to say the least. It took all day to get back but arrived only a couple of hours later than we had hoped.

OK my turn....Sylvie here....

From here on it was full-on family Christmas.Lots of planning of meals and sorting of fridge space and last minute frantic wrapping up of presents. Lexa and I had made a fairy for the top of the tree and a table decoration and Rich and Jo had got in most of the shopping. Christmas eve saw Rich at work, Jo taking a driving lesson and meeting up with Rich to do last minute shopping midday, Fraser heading out to collect the Turkey and a few bits and bobs while I stayed with Lexa and we made even more paper chains for her bedroom and a couple of presents for Mummy and Daddy and Uncle James and Auntie Adela.

Adela entertains

Christmas Breakfast

Rich and Jo and James and Adela arrived late in the afternoon and we were off!!!! Christmas time! Santa came and we all had an inelegant sufficiency of amazing food and drink over the two days and lots of presents!

All wonderful fun. It was great to have a family Christmas after 4 years and our first with Lexa.

On TV at Victoria

On 27^th we made our across London to be with my sister and family for the day in remembrance of my Mum whose birthday was 27^th December. We got stuck at Victoria since weather had made lots of delays and famously appeared on the 10 o'clock BBC news that night! Fame for 5 seconds! We only found out because loads of friends texted us to say they had seen us.

Almost all of the family was there including several of our many great nieces and nephews that we hadn't seen for many years. The house was packed.

On Sunday 29^th Lexa met up with my great niece Luna for the first time which was a joy.   

We had a final family dinner at my sister's with Malc who came up from Bath for the occasion despite missing bus and train drivers

and then we flew back the following day.......were attacked by overjoyed dogs and are feeling KNACKERED.

Fraser has managed to pick up a chesty cold and we are both taking it easy for the week to recover from our holiday travelling. It's a bummer getting old.

Our main forest track is becoming impassable by car because of the rains and resembles a river bed.....and so the new year's resolution is to give the local council a REALLY HARD TIME in the hope that they will sort it out. Hmmm. Pigs might fly.

SO....we hope you had a busy and fun Christmas and wish the very best of new years to all of our faithful blog readers.

We hope 2014 will be a healthy and happy year for us all.