Christmas part five

Thank you for all your comments both here on my blog and on my FaceBook page wishing us both a speedy recovery from our coughs and colds ... much appreciated!

We've been out every day since we returned to Still Rockin' for essential shopping ... luckily we've still got the hire car ...

Yesterday day morning (Saturday 29th) we drove into Marlow to collect a parcel from the Post Office which should have been delivered between the 14th and 20th of December but didn't arrive until after we'd set off for our Christmas break.  Unfortunately the post office was closed for the day so we returned to the car park via the river ... no boats on the move or even moored here at the moment.

You may remember from my previous post that we cancelled our visit to my brother's house because we weren't feeling well but our son and family did go and they were obviously looking at old photographs.  

This one is from my nursery school class (would have been 1952'ish) and I would have been about 4 years old.  My sister in law Margaret (wife of the brother we'd intended to visit) is second from the left, middle row... can you spot me??  My 'boyfriend'  Anthony Hunt (from then until we were 11 and finished junior school) is on the right, top row).  I wonder what he's doing now ....

Christmas part four ...

was cancelled!

George had complained of a bit-of-a sore throat before we set off on our Christmas visits but felt well enough to travel.  However, on Christmas day the sore throat turned to flu and by Boxing day I too developed a sore throat, just three weeks after having an 'older persons flu vaccination'.  By yesterday (27th) we decided that it would be unfair to our lovely families to traipse our germs through their festivities.

Our plan had been to visit one of my brother's home where one of my nieces (Laura) had arrived from New Zealand for Christmas with her daughter (Evie), possibly to visit two of George's elderly aunts before travelling to Market Drayton to stay with George's sister and husband at their new house.  We called all those concerned and explained that we were cutting short our Christmas and set off home to Still Rockin'.

 The journey was fine except initially on the M40 to M42 junction. 

We have found that since the motorways have been upgraded to 'Managed' the traffic, although heavy still keeps moving which is so much better than sitting on a road looking more like a car park!

 North Staffordshire had been cloudy and misty when we left but by Oxford the sun was making an appearance

 and within 15 minutes of arriving home

it was blue skies.

So back at Still Rockin' we're going to take it easy today and just see how things go, I'm sure we'll both be feeling better very soon.

Christmas part three ...

After the opening of Christmas gifts with grandchildren Lucy and Ed and Mum and Dad Ange and Mark and exclaiming on the generosity of family and friends it was time for a bacon roll breakfast followed by showers etc., ready for the first visitors of the day.

 Lucy's boyfriend Dan and his family came with Lola and Mini, two excitable lovable staffies.

 George thought he'd died and gone to heaven with this double dog fix!

 and Mini thinks she's a lap dog on son Mark's lap!

Ange watches on as Lucy cuddles Mini and Ed tickles Lola.

After more gifts were exchanged and Dan and family had left it was nearly time for Christmas dinner once Ange's parent arrived to eat with us.  We sat down at the table about 2pm and didn't move until 6:45 and no, we weren't eating all that time, but chatting and laughing about all in sundry.  

A perfect day!

Christmas ... part two

We left Buxton yesterday afternoon, but before we left eldest granddaughter Louise found a leak ... water coming from under the washing machine!  George  pulled the washer out but found that the water was coming from the outlet from the sink.  This was soon fixed and it was time to push the washer back under the counter.

 There is very little friction on the floor and as George tried to use his back his crocks slipped so Louise was used as a 'stop' to finish the job ... a job well done!

 Passing Buxton Pavilion as we leave the spa town.  The Pavilion arrived with the boom period of the railway in 1863 and the gardens finished in 1871.

We've not visited yet but certainly will in the summer.

 From Buxton we journeyed once again up over the hills ...

 looking down to the valley villages

 into the Staffordshire Moorlands

 We could see for miles and miles!

 Eventually through Stone ...

 and a few minutes on the M6 and off again ...

 Recognise this boating town?

 and this church spire ... answers in the comments below please!

To our next Christmas venue ...

our son's family home in Codsall ... another place boaters will know.

Christmas ... part one

Saturday (22nd December) we left Still Rockin' in a hired car and set off on our Christmas ... visiting family ...

 The weather was fine and the motorways, here on the M40/42 I think, were not too heavy.  We were going to stop for lunch at the services on the M6 toll, but our journey today took us off the motorway before we reached there ... 

 and were immediately on the county roads passing places we know and loved when cruising over five years ago on our nb Rock 'n' Roll ... Streethay Wharf, Fradley Junction ...

 Abbots Bromley, etc.,

 Uphill and downhill as we pass through the Dervyshire Dales ...

 through small villages

 and looking over the moors ...

 nearly there now ...

We have arrived!

We're at the home of of our eldest granddaughter Louise and her partner Rob in Buxton and having a great time!

Merry Christmas ...

Wishing our readers

both near and far the very best of Christmas'

and a New Year that

brings all that you could wish for.

Red sky in the morning?

 Sunday (16th) the sun was bravely trying to break up those clouds as we walked. 

 Monday more logs were delivered ... George barrows them into the front cratch ...

 and I pile them up as neatly as possible

 Lots of kindling too.

 And the red sky this morning (Tuesday 18th) at 7:40

I say 'Red sky at night Shepherds Delight, Red sky in the morning Shepherds Warning' but I know some say the rhyme the other way round ... I wonder what weather the day will bring?

The BIG day!

The lead up ...

actually started on 10th November when I had an early present of a weekend of water colour painting for my birthday.

Things have now moved on ...

We've always put up the Christmas decorations the weekend before my birthday and this year is no different except that we shall be away for the majority of the festivities. So on Sunday (9th) I only put out a fraction of the usual, my little collection of Christmas trees and snow globes ... I'm quite pleased with the result.

On Monday Chris from fuel boat Merchant brought us a coal and kindling delivery; George had asked around the other winter moorers if they wanted to add to our order so the total of 14 bags made it worth while for Chris to delivery by road.

Stanley was soooo pleased to see me ... or is it just the biscuits he knows he'll get?

The day was icy but the sun was warm and there was a faint mist over the weirs.

Jumping forward a few days ... 

to December 14th and a big birthday ...

cup of tea in bed (not unusual) open cards and presents, listen to son Mark sing happy birthday to me and generally start the day slowly ...

outside the temperature is -1°c ...

and not expected to rise above 3° all day

but the sun is shining and we decide we'll go for walk to Medmenham meadows, one of our favourite moorings about 2miles along the river and then catch the bus back ... but I was informed that we couldn't leave before 12 o'clock.  I love surprises so no questions were asked as to why.

Whilst I patiently waited and George paced about ...

the pheasant was calling ... he looks very festive!

and a crow came to sit on George's head ... how rude!

And a moorhen and coot had a face-off!

Lots of birthday cards, several of which were beautifully crafted by family members.  I think I said that it was a BIG day!

Midday arrived and went and I waited ... it was 1:15 when we saw a man walking along the pontoon to Still Rockin' and delivered a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my sister-in-law Diane and husband Paul ... a lovely surprise!

Painting  box/easel complete with mixed media, brushes etc, from our daughter and son and their families and of course those lovely flowers.  I'm well pleased!

... so now we can go for that walk ... we didn't get far ... I'd forgotten my bus pass so George offered to go back for it ... in the meantime I took some photos at the farm ...

now with my bus pass in my pocket we continue just a short distance ...

when we met with this horse who was more than ready for a stroke of his forehead during which my phone rang and I rummaged in my pocket for my mobile ... it was daughter Sharon to sing to me and wish me many happy returns and we (Sharon and I) talked as we (George and I) walked ... for 25 minutes.

It was about here on the meadows in sight of Danesfield Hotel that I needed to get a tissue from my pocket and realised there was something missing ... my bus pass  ... oh no!  No bus pass + no cash = no bus back!  I said cheerio to daughter, we turned and retraced out steps.  I reasoned that it had come out of my pocket when I was scrabbling to get my phone out before it went to voice mail when  we were talking to the horse just a few hundred yards from the marina!  I was right and fortunately the said pass was lying in the mud just there ... phew!

Back at Still Rockin' we relaxed for a couple of hours and then got changed ... going out for a birthday meal at Cote Brasserie in Marlow ... and we're going by bus.

We were greeted warmly at the restaurant with complimentary fizzy white wine followed by a delicious meal (we both had steaks) and a chocolate pot pudding for me.  We talked and laughed and drank the red wine (a very nice Merlot) and then caught the bus home.

Sooooo to sum up ...

my 70th birthday was a great day, one of the best in fact.  I've received numerous calls from family to wish me a happy birthday both in words and song, I've had some excellent gifts and cards and lots of greetings via my facebook page.

Thank you to my family for making this day the best of days.