Happy christMas everyone

for friends, family, clients. a big thankyou

As important today as they were in 2012

 So here I am on Christmas Eve morning trying to catch up on a little paperwork, very scary stuff and feeling slightly irritated that Gavin had forgotten to turn off his radio alarm that goes off at 6.30am during the week because that is when Alice has to be up for school. And as usual it was imposible for me to go back to sleep, so I got up accompanied by Alices gift to me for Christmas this a year, a snotty nose, sore throat and a headache, to search for some rehydration in the form of copious quantities of tea. As usual not a soul is stirring in the house and I am wondering if I can cure my cold with some good old fashioned over indulgence later....?..... 

The sky is just starting to pinken up in the East and I am hoping for a glimmer of sunlight today. I cooked our ham last night in I am what is hoping is a Finnish style. My friend could only give me guidelines (she is an English speaker) as the actual recipe was written in Finnish...a challenge for most brains I think. ;)

All the children are home at the moment. I will make the most of the atmosphere whilst they take over the house with noise, laughter and general sibling bickering. Supply me with mountains of washing, and tie me once again to the cooker and the kitchen sink a change and therefore a rest from the life of a butcher just before Christmas. :) :) ;)

Sausagemeat for one market

The end of this year has been extraordinarily busy for us and without the family and friends who pitch in when they do to plough through the mountains of meat, salt and spice I would be a very sad and weary person. I thank them hugely for putting up with my grumpiness, lack of communication,short and sometimes curt texting and also for too much emoji-ising (new word) and not enough words with my writing. That probably goes for friends and clients too who get the slightly more dark-eyed bedraggled look during December than I aim for at other times of year.

So we have passed the shortest day and the only way is up now to longer days and warmer weather again; As one of my lovely neighbours , who is 88, is so fond of telling me "that is the worst of it over, January to March is a very short part of the year".
The whole family wishes everyone a very Happy Christmas and a New Year full of new adventures and the company of friends and family.
Helen Gavin, Patrick, Emily and Alice....The dogs and cats. Nougat the donkey, the chickens, the pigs and some sheep.