Happy New Year..

Happy New year to you.I hope 2018 is a good one for you.My OH and I sat down this afternoon and talked about 2017.We concluded it had been good.Certain health problems in the family seem to be settling and both OH andI have been well and we decided that was the main thing.We have had some lovely holidays,managed to get the family together three times(no mean feat) and generally enjoyed life.I have made contributions to some new charities(Lend with Care and Share Aid).
I intend to learn how to put photos on here more easily and to blog more.We start 2018 with a. Visit for the day from our daughter,son in law ,two granddaughters and of course Kodi the dog.Lots of love and laughter.

I would love it if you just gave me a "hi" to show you have read this.I know a lot of you do but I don't know who you are.LOL Barbarax

Happy Christmas!

We are spending Christmas with our daughter and family.We see our son one year and daughter the next.Sarah only lives 45 minutes away so that is good.Matt is spending Christmas with his wife's family in Sclotland.Jude has three sisters so they rent a different property each year big enough to accommodate everyone.So this year they were travelling from Cambridge to Scotland,about seven hours or even eight.We are about half way so they split the journey and spent Thursday night here.They arrived early afternoon in time for us to have a walk.Then early evening Sarah and family came over and the eleven of us went out for a meal. (with one gluten free and one vegetarian a much easier option).Also I wanted to spend time with them and not in the kitchen.Getting the whole family together is really special for me and we had a lovely time.So off to Northwich tomorrow for two nights and then back home and a quiet few days..

    HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND ALLTHE BEST FOR 2018.

Are you ready for Christmas or .......

Well ,the snow has gone and it actually quite mild today and it looks as though the weather is going to be OK over Christmas.We are going to our daughter's on Christmas Eve and staying two nights so no catering for me.Having done Xmas for so many years it is quite nice not to have the responsibility for it.
At the weekend we had Ruby and Emily to stay.Ruby had had a tummy bug so I was a bit nervous we might catch it but we seem to be OK.On Saturday afternoon we went to the pantomime at Theatr Clwyd.Sleeping Beauty this year.There was a cast of 11 and it seemed like a cast of 30 as they all played different parts and different instruments.So much talent and they probably get paid next to nothing.Then in the evening it was the final of Strictly Come Dancing and Joe won.Hurray!!
This morning it was our Art Appreciation Group(U3A).The speaker's topic was Art you can see inAmsterdam which was a reminder to us of the wonderful art in this city and made us want to visit again soon.

Does anybody else feel a touch of sadness at this time of the year for people who are lonely,hungry ,homeless etc.I was talking to a chap this morning who has lost his wife and his two daughters.He will be on his own this Christmas.If we were at home I would have invited him here.I did drop hints to various people so hopefully someone will offer him some company.This year I have given my fuel allowance to be divided between a charity that supports refugees and also the homeless in Chester and the rest I shall give to the Foodbank after Christmas when I expect donations will dry up.

Back soon but still no photos.I must learn how to transfer photos from my phone(android) on to this blog.Any help would be appreciated.

SNow,snow and more snow.

I can't load photos at the moment but we have had loads of snow.It started on Friday,a bit on Saturday  and today it had never stopped.It is my OH's birthday tomorrow and I had booked two nights in a hotel in Kendal in the Lake District going today.We planned to have lunch with Sarah and family and then go off from there.The forecast was dire so we decided not to go today and hopefully will go in the morning.It is about two hours drive from here so we can include a drive round the Lake District and go the hotel late afternoon.I have booked a table at a French Bistro in Kendal for tomorrow night so fingers crossed we get there.A snow plough/gritters has just been down our road but it seems to have piled snow up across the drive.Tonight it is going to go down to -7 degrees!!! whether we can get the car out tomorrow is another question!!!!

Ruby was 10 this week.

Yes.Ruby was ten this week.All five of our grandchildren are in double figures.Two are taller than me and one the same height.Where has all the time gone?Ruby,sat on my knee, had chosen a Chinese restaurant for her birthday treat and this photo was taken there.The food was wonderful but far too much of it.It was very happy occasion.
We love seeing these girls every week.We pick Ruby up from school.Emily walks home from Secondary school herself.We then stay until Mum or Dad comes home and we usually do tea.We don't see our Cambridge grandchildren very often,usually every couple of months.The time will soon come when they don't need looking after.I dread that!
Apart from birthdays what have I been upto.Christmas shopping is coming along nicely with the helpof Amazon.WE went to the theatre to see Not about Heroes.It was a two hander about the war poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.It was excellent.We have seen the film Victoria and Abdul which we really enjoyed.I had Reading Group on Thursday.We discussed Sashenka by Simon Montefiore.600 pages long and lots of Russian names.It was Quiz night last night.We didn't do very well.Still,it gets us out and about and mixing with people.
I have finished my second sweater this afternoon,the olive green one.Now to start the rust coloured on.e.Photos soon.

A lovely weekend.

last weekend we had our family get together.We all met up for a pub lunch in Tutbury.It was mid afternoon before we moved off.C and I had spotted an adventure playground that was suitable for older children so this is where we headed.Matt and Jude walked their dog,Ozzy,by the river Dove and we stayed with Sarah and Mike,their two children and Matt's three.We are 11 in all ranging in age from Ruby at 9 and Grandpa at 75.The rain started about 4 pm so we went and booked in at our hotel.This was  The Boars Head at Draycott in the Clay about 9 miles from Ashbourne in Derbyshire.This a great venue as they have a lounge for residents which is great for us.Before and after dinner we played various games and battered and joked etc.There is always a lot of laughter when we get together.Sunday morning we went to Sudbury Museum of Childhood before heading off in different directions.We decided to have circuitous drive home going via Matlock,Bakewell Buxton and Congleton and then back home to N.E.Wales.To be honest we were a little disappointed with the scenery but living in North Wales we are spoiled.

this weekend is another busy one.This morning we met four friends for coffee and this afternoon we have been to the cinema to see God's Own Country.Pizza for tea and then Strictly Come Dancing.Tomorrow it is Open Day at Theatr Clwyd and as I have never been backstage I really fancy going.(We usually clean on a Sumday morning but it can wait).Tomorrow afternoon we are going to Ness Gardens where there is a free lecture on Parkgate(on the Wirral).It is a fascinating place where we often walk and then have lunch.Monday I am meeting a friend for coffee.Cis at his French group.Tuesday morning one of our closest friends is giving a talk on Artists from St Ives in Cornwall for our U3A Art Appreciation Group and then we are at the cinema again at 5pm to see Victoria and Abdul.Thursday back at Theatr Clwyd( where the Film Theatre is) to see The Rise and Fall of Little Voice!!

When am I going to find any time to knit???!!!!

One jumper down.....two to go.

 I finished this jumperyesterday.It is a nice easy pattern to do watching TV.

 I put this photo in to show the cable pattern on the cuffs and it is round the neck as well but it has not really worked.

Feeling flush with my success I decided I would make another jumper.Recently opened about twenty minutes away is the online supplier smdknitting www.knitting wool.com.Not only do they do online they have a shop as well.You will all know how difficult it is choosing yarn on line.The colours are never true.So,along I go with the intention of choosing one of the above but of course I couldn't decide so bought both!!Plus some very fetching yarn in the counter for a shawl.Cinnamon and olive are the two colours/So I am going to be kepy busy.

I have not blogged for a while because we have been away.We had a week self catering in Northern France and then an all inclusive week in Spain.I much preferred France.It was too hot in Spain and we ate and drank too much.As you can see fro my photo I put on weight and I can't shift it.I am feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment but am hoping a day with my family tomorrow will cheer me up.We are meeting near Ashbourne in Derbyshire at lunchtime and then having a night in an hotel.Matt and his family are coming from Cambridge,Sarah and family from Cheshire and us from North Wales.Eleven of us all together.It doesn't happen very often.I will report back on Monday.