Happy Christmas Everyone

Happy Christmas. I know that I am a day late with my wishes but I somehow didn't find the time to blog yesterday.

I had a great day at my brother and sister in law's house. Loads of good food and good company. I almost didn't make it there as my niece's car refused to start and she had to wait for the repair man to come and sort it out. My brother came to collect me instead.

I think that all of my presents were well received although I must confess to finishing my nephew in law's scarf off whilst I was there. It is a bit on the short side so I will make him another one and post it down later. I have seen a nice crocheted aran style scarf in one of my crochet magazines that I will use. I still have a couple more baby sweaters to make but they did get presents from me before the day and are now in Ireland on a holiday so I will finish them off before they get back home.

I got some fantastic presents, some of which I have photographed. I got a new set of phones but they are charging before I can use them. I got well received slippers ( my old ones were very shabby), an amaryllis, a cake knitting book, and egg cup and cozy, a subscription to Crochet Today and a wonderful hamper from Marks and Spencer.

The hamper had all kinds of goodies in it. Wild salmon, coffee, cheese and cracker plus chocolates, after dinner mints, pear and ginger biscuits and a mini bottle of Chablis. There was even an individual piece of iced Christmas cake which was good as I hadn't bought one. I also got a selection of toiletries. One year I asked my niece not to buy me one pot of an expensive cream but just to get me everyday items and each years since she has made up a pack of shampoo, conditioner, face creams, body lotion and E 45 etc all of which come in extremely useful. I am not an expensive toiletries kind of person and if anyone buys me things I tend not to use them for everyday which is rather stupid I know so everyday items are far more useful to me.

This is the first time that I have ever had a hamper. I have given them to other people in the past. When my father and mother in law were alive I used to make up my own hamper full of tinned things, coffee, tea and long life milk so that I knew they could put them in the larder and use if they got snowed in etc. I also used to make one up full of luxury goodies for my, then a single mum, friend who used to find it hard at Christmas to buy more than the necessities as she was not working at that time.Nowadays my circumstances have changed and I am with one without the wage so it was nice to be on the receiving end this year especially from M and S. I love their food. I always used to joke that I would know that I had made it in life if I could do all of my weekly shopping at M and S. Of course I never got there but I can still dream that one day I will win the lottery.

Today I am going to catch up on the much neglected house. I had put housework on hold whilst I finished off my presents and now it is time to wield the duster and hoover with a vengeance and work off all of the food that I consumed yesterday.