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

Happy Birthday to Meeeeee !!!

I was 39 on Monday and had an amazing birthday. Everyone treated me like royalty, we went out for a meal (very rare in this family), I had wonderful presents....all in all a fabulous day.

I got my results for my earthquakes, volcanoes and Tsunamis course - I passed !! So I can relax for Christmas now, and continue my study of archaeological science in the New Year.

Virtully all of my christmas shopping is done - I'm hoping to get a Soap am=nd Glory set at Boots tomorrow reduced from £50 to £20 to someone vey special to me. erm.....me *blushes. And I've done so well with Tesco points over this past few weeks that I'm on target to get £1,200 of voucers towards my degree in Februry. SO happy about this !!

Perhaps I should offer to teach a BA (Hons) in Clubcard collecting - although I know people are are far better than me at it !!

xxx

A good day !!

Let me count the ways in which today was a good day -

* I used my Tesco vouchers to pay for 4 seats at the panto for the day before Lucy's birthday, value over £100. Sheila Ferguson is in it (oh yes she is !!) as well as Jonathan Wilkes. We can't wait !!

* I also used my Tesco points to pay for my next Open University course (Geology, seeing as you asked) in FULL, value £360. It's such a relief to me to have the next stage of my degree paid for.

* I was lucky enough to hear about some codes that I could use online at Marks& Spencers and the Body Shop and have done some amazing shops today - about £400 worth of Christmas presents for about £40. The picture above is of Cranbery Feet Hugs (£20) - snuggly slippers that have a sachet you take out, microwave for 30 seconds and replace for toasty feet. Cost from the Body Shop? FREE!!

I would recommend anyone to look into collecting Tesco clubcard points. Over the years Tesco have given us a free cruise for all four of us for two weeks, short breaks, jewellery, gifts, Open University courses, language courses, days out ......and pizza !!

xx

floods....

Devastating floods have hit the UK (which makes me feel guilty for almost making light of our weather here). Hundreds of people have had to be rescued, many are reported lost....the scenes are absolutely terrible.



The armed forces have been called out, rescue services have been out all night, bridges have collapsed......my heart goes out to those affected.

xx

English weather.........

...is something that we all like to complain about. Trust me - most conversations we have includes an element of weather - 'it's too hot !', 'it's too cold!', 'roll on summer!'.

But I think we're truly lucky not to have the weather - and events - that some countries endure. True - we hve flooding from time to time which can be totally deestating, but I'm thinking about the fires, earthquakes etc that destroy whole areas.

In my degree course I've just been studying geological events such as volcanoes and tsunamis, and I've never been so thankful to live in the UK. The photo below is of Chaiten volcano in Chile, taken during a lightning storm as it erupted in 2008. Breathtakingly beautiful, but destructive as hell.




I really don't know how people live in areas which are prone to seismic events without dying of a stress related heart attack !! Seriously - I'd make myself so ill worying about it all the time.

So kudos to those who live in more 'dangerous' areas - I'm happy in safe old England :-)

xx

Squirrels, squirrels everywhere

Had to share this clip that I found on the Soap Queen website - just perfect for today's weather !! You wouldn't believe how much fun Jorge and Henry would have with that number of squirrels; even one makes them tear over the garden for hours !

Feeling really down today as a few days of feeling ill ended up with me at the emergency doctors last night, where I was diagnosed as having strep throat and laryngitis. Typical. I multi task all the time, even when I'm ill !!

I can hardly swallow, and am on liquids for a while - so none of the chicken pie that I'd made for Dave ! I'll make Gray - my Dad (Happy Birthday Gray !!) his bday cake next week; he knows it's worth waiting for.

xx

Half empty nest syndrome

Lucy has gone on her week's visit to the Outdoor Education Centre and I miss her so much already.

I cried so much yesterday when I took her to school - the other mums must think I'm mad, as they were all only too happy to 'get rid' of their kids for a while. It was lovely to see how excited she is though - she was doing her happy dance for ages whilst waiting for the bus to load her suitcase I know that she'll be okay - it's me I'm feeling sorry for - a week without my baby.

Dave had his birthday last Friday - 47 this time although still claiming to be 29. We made him a chocolate birthday cake (amongst other things !) and used the same '2' and '9' candles that we've been using for the past 18 years !!! It's a family tradition now.

My dad's birthday is this Thursday - 5th November - so will need to do even more baking for him. Not being a fan of chocolate I think I'll do him a Rum and Raisin Cake, I just don't know how I'd decorate that !!

xx