Fun in the Christmas snow

Day One of the family get-together, on the first of Pop's treasure hunts.

Holly Berries for Christmas?

Not a chance!
You see, we have 'visitors' at this time of the year.


Hungry Ones.




Redwings.

Snow Country

Funny, after years thinking we would be lucky to see snow any time during the year, we are suddenly immersed, and (almost) getting a bit fed up with the stuff. Particularly if it stops our nearest and dearest from making it to see us at Christmas. But there are good things about being well away from the smoke at this time of year.
Our house is at the centre of this shot, taken from a distance. You see we are well embedded in the countryside, although it's only in winter that we can see the extent of it from the house as foliage covers the views.

Braved the minus -13C for a circular walk today. This footpath has us in it's view, just up and right a bit from the footpath sign. This field normally has alpacas in, but they were not in evidence today.

Forgot to say this is HoF having a blog entry. Above is picture of the compleat herself, plus umpteen layers of winter padding.

More snow

Lovely snow, this time like icing sugar, and not very cold either, comparatively. I managed to get HoF out of doors for a half-loop walk after I'd been to the butchers to stock up on beefburgers for next week. He does need prising away from the computer and assorted jobs. We had breakfast in bed too, before dawn, which isn't hard as dawn's so late right now.


Yesterday I made some mince pies and then over-cooked them while I was on Facebook. So I'll have to eat them, won't I, and make some more. Nice problem. According to reports from Miss P who is trying to take a friend to Heathrow, there is plenty of snow down south, so I'm hoping the African grandchildren are getting their fix. Everywhere is so beautiful in the snow but looks rather disgustingly dirty in a thaw. I would like the family to see it looking so wonderful but don't want the snow to prevent their arrival. A local carol service was cancelled today and I'm waiting to see if the Santa Run with Carols on the Green will be too. May not go to that. There are paper chains to make, and a crossword to do...

Arrivals

Last Friday morning early we (grandparents four) went to Heathrow to meet the African family. Entire winter outer togs were taken along too, so that the new arrivals could cope with the shocking British temperature.

Snow

We have had snow for a while, but last night a fresh two inches arrived and I managed to get these shots.


Am absolutely shattered after several hours at the church fund-raising Snowman Day. I was on my feet serving soup and washing-up, without insoles in my shoes, because I was wearing furry boots plus tights plus socks for warmth. So my 'bad' foot is really sore. HoF has kindly gone to finish my stint of the clearing up. I just can't work out how come I'm so feeble. The woman in charge of the soup department, older than me, is going on to a dance tonight whilst I am dreaming of a hot bath and an early night. Last night, after a busy day sorting deliveries for the village mag and baking for today, we took advantage of our 'facilities' to watch a video from bed. Saw 'The Horse Whisperer', good film though rather long drawn out. Can't see what other women see in Robert Redford though, why he should be classed a heartthrob. Not a patch on Gregory Peck!
It's thawing now but we hope the snow will hang on till Friday.

Girls night

On Tuesday evening I had a Girls' Night. Yes I know I'm not a girl any longer, but it cheers us up to call it that, and I could hardly call it Old Ladies' Night.
I made four desserts plus cheese and biscuits and invited a bunch of friends over. Three couldn't make it, either due to cold, snow or tiredness, so we were down to six. As a consequence HoF and I are still eating the leftovers. After the eats and a good natter, we watched 'Enchanted April' one of my favourite films, and a birthday present. The evening was voted a great success, although the sugar rush woke us two up at 4am for a cuppa.
Let's do it again, they said.

Take a look at this. A wonderful burst of joy in the temple of materialism. I love the idea of random acts of culture.
We are supposed to be working on the village newsletter but keep getting distracted by interesting emails etc. I do wonder if a modern day equivalent of a spiritual fast might be a day of total quiet, a day without the computer, rather than going without food. Makes me think of Jesus saying 'I have food to eat you know not of'. We seem to eat a lot of 'alternative' food.

3x21

Happy Birthday, Me

HoF's choice, the cheeseboard! No he didn't get to eat all of this but he had three choices, plus dainty little jars with various chutneys and a fan of unusual crackers. Fantastic.

Birthday treat

For my birthday treat, and because Miss P is with us and would appreciate the experience, we went out for lunch at a renowned restaurant in Ludlow. It is not just a good food experience but a drama and piece of art. Excellent waiters with Peter Sellers style French accents (I think they really are French, but you know what I mean: 'do you 'ave a rrrroom?') who are very attentive and even delicately refold your napkin if you leave the room.
There are three courses but also in between courses, for example, Chef's pre-dessert. Each course thus is dinky but still results in a happy tummy by the end. The bread accompaniment consists of six dainty rolls baked together, of three different flavours. The pre-starter nearly made me laugh out loud. A huge bowl with three teeny slices of pepper and a fragment of basil leaf (the waitress puts her hands together and carefully describes what is before you even though you can barely understand what she says). It reminded me of an Alan Ayckbourn play where one actor is presented with a single lettuce leaf and says 'is this all for me?' Then from a jug she pours on crab bisque and the flavours are heavenly. The list of ingredients for each course occupies two lines, and even though the waiter says 'and for you madam.........' you still aren't sure what you're eating because the menus have been whipped away. All great fun and such things as one would never cook at home. I think Swiss Son would love it.

My starter: salmon, something with celery and celeriac, a sorbet........

Main course: lamb shank, with pearl barley, salsa verde, winter veg

Dessert: apple and blackberry, and something with honeycomb crust.
All good value, but beware the wine prices unless you're a wine buff who appreciates what your getting. We had a 'glass of wine, which was like an egg cupful in a large glass.

Swiss trip

We have had eight nights ('I like you stay eight nights, Grandma') in Switzerland visiting Ben and family. The day we arrived, the children were given two kittens. We felt like we became the Cats Protection League overnight! Youngest granddaughter found that when squeezed her kitty gave a surprising squeal, just like a dolly!
We looked after them (the girls, not the cats) on several occasions, sometimes in a lakeside play area without any other children, and also once at an enormous play barn with loads.
We were also treated by our three children to anniversary celebrations of our 40th. One was to see Silo8, an amazing outdoor spectacle, rather like a pantomime for adults, but that understates it. It was a comedy with pathos, an engineering feat with floating carousels and airborne boats, music and fire. Quite amazing. And we also had a meal for two one evening in a swish hotel with champagne on the house.



Help with the luggage

Now we are back home, and enjoying the company of Miss P who is currently signed off work.

Africa United

This film was given quite a lot of publicity in the press before it was released, with mention made of the director's missionary roots. We went to see it on Tuesday in the scruffiest cinema I've been in, but then I don't go often. Maybe because it was a late afternoon showing, we had to find a seat that wasn't littered with popcorn and discarded drinks cartons. To think that many years ago my school had used this venue for its annual Speech Day. However, in spite of this and a flickery screen, we enjoyed the film. It's unusual but then Africa isn't Europe, so you'd expect a few shocks and reality checks with child soldiers and child sex workers, and Aids also featuring largely.
Sadly the film is being pulled from some cinemas today as it wasn't a box office success. You'll see some reviews on this link. Perhaps it's problem is the mixed audience it's aimed at. It's billed as a '12', a family film, but I guess not everyone would appreciate such things as the opening shot for their children, of a condom being inflated for use as a football. To me it seemed funny and perfectly plausible, given the African ingenuity for recycling.
If you get the chance, go and see it, or rent the DVD. You may find subtitles useful. The title is well chosen, a bunch of kids, pulling together as a team in spite of their varied backgrounds, and achieving their goal, literally and figuratively. A metaphor for something else, maybe...........

Southern stage

After Les Baux we visited Beaucaire, an interesting town which gave the feeling of being a ghost town or a stage set because the shuttered houses seemed empty.

And a mountain village called St Victor La Coste which was very picturesque and off the tourist track too. the sort of village which I'd choose if I lived in France.

And finally, after goodness knows how many years, we made a visit to these friends in their French home. They have a mad life style (don't we all when we're not on holiday) but we managed to spend a day with them and understand something of their life nowadays. Including the weekly visit to the market.

Les Baux

After Burgundy we drove straight down to Les Baux-de-Provence, a favourite spot from visits many years ago when we had holidays in Nimes. Nimes where denim comes from, Les Baux where bauxite comes from.

And it really was warm enough for summer clothes even though we arrived late in the afternoon, and I had to do a quick change behind the car.

The sunshine was what HoF travelled all this way for.

There were gizzards and trotters on the menu, but we weren't quite brave enough for that, in case it was a waste of money. We did both have rabbit on another day though, and you wouldn't find that on an English menu either. And just in case you should find the tip useful, you don't need to pay to park in Les Baux in the evening. It was very nice to be able to walk the streets unencumbered by other tourists.

More Dremont

More views of the farm at Dremont.

There is a pool and under the little roof, visible in the top photo, a lavoir. I was asked what the English was for that, but I just think such a thing wouldn't exist. Except I suppose in the days of a wash house and privy in the backyard of communal houses, but not a purpose-built pool. There are various statues around the place too, as it seems there was once a religious order living there. We do recommend a visit, for yourself and to encourage our friends.

Adventure in France

We have just got back from a free-wheeling holiday in France. Well, relatively. HoF wanted a trip where nothing would be booked and we'd just wander down to the med, gipsy-fashion. But in reality he likes to be rather more in control than that. So we booked some Formula Ones for cheap stays and splashed out on rather more attractive surroundings by staying with this old friend who is a farmer and runs a B&B in mid-France. We do recommend it, so look up Domaine de Dremont, next time you fancy a holiday in France. Although it is a B&B there is also a kitchen so you can self-cater for the rest of your meals which balances the costs. It is a beautiful area, rather like Herefordshire. They are near the pilgrim route to Santiago di Compostella, so plenty of walks and beautful towns and villages to see.