Happy Christmas. Happy New Year.

I've been missing in action (again. I know - shocker, isn't it?).

But I have good reason this time. A lot of my time has been taken up with a new development :-)

You may know that I'm currently studying for a degree in Geo-science, as a route into primary teaching. Teaching is, for me, a second choice career which will at least give me a proper career rather than a series of short term jobs that I previouly took in my charity based roles. Most charities only receive funding for set terms eg one year, so my jobs were usually pretty short term.

My dream for years was to have a pub. A proper, family orientated, big garden, real food pub. Hubby and I both did our personal licences to qualify us to run a pub three years ago, but decided at the time that the way the economy was going it would be risking too much to sell our house and buy a pub.

Well.......

We've found the most amazing pub on the market and it's literally only a five minute drive away from home. It's got a big garden (hell.....it's a FIELD!!), big catering kitchen, two bars, a wonderful layout inside, big car park and it's in a fantastic area. It's closed at the minute, but we've had meetings with the Regional Business Manager and we've all agreed that we're going for it !!!!!!!!!!


The idea is that initially I will move in, hubby will stay in the house and the girls will split their time. That way if it doesn't work out we still have the house. If it does work out - and we've said that we will make that decision after a few months - then we will all move in and rent out our house so that the mortgage is covered and we still have an investment.

I won't actually believe it until we've signed everything. But I can allow myself now to plan for the pub that I thought for so long I'd never have. I really can't tell you how happy it makes me, although being Cautious Clare, I'm still doing my studying until we actually sign, just in case it doesn't happen.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us. This is a dream that we all share - Dave and the kids are as excited as me!

xx

Happy New Year !!

We've been snowed in !! We've had an enormous amount of snow over the past few days (forecast to last for the next 10 -14 days too). Lucy's school closed yesterday but they've managed to opn today, but hardly anyone has turned up. I suppose the fact that we live backing onto the school was quite a help in us making that long, treacherous 5 minute walk to the classrooms !!

Over Christmas I made some fantastic deals to accumulate more Tesco points - I'm on target now for £2,100 in February, which is an amazing amount. We all had a wonderful Christmas, full of family and food (the best kind of Christmas!) and are now in the process of getting back to normal.

As with most people, Mickey and I are trying to lose weight and get fitter as well as save money, so to help with this, I roasted a chicken last night, especially for sandwiches. I also grilled the end of a pack of lean/low salt bacon, crumbled it and mixed it with the chopped from the chicken. It made a huge bowl full, which I used to make sandwiches for all of us for today, a chicken and bacon pasta salad for tomorrow and two family size chicken, bacon and vegetble pies. The carcass is currently simmering away to make stock, so I'm feeling very, very virtuous !!

I tend to make a lot of sandwiches for packed lunches, but I admit to them being pretty boring. However I'm trying my hardest now to really pack in the flavour. Mine today includes coleslaw, bbq sauce, tomato, cucumber and onion along with the chicken and bacon. It's about 2 inches high !!!!

Let's hope that I can continue on this impressive streak !

xx