Decisions......

Has it really been that long since I wrote anything on here!  Oh my!

Time flies when you are busy, I am having such a lovely time at the moment that I clean forgot to blog!  I really should get back to being on here more regularly so here goes.

Christmas this year was lovely.  For the first time I cooked Christmas Dinner at my home, Mum and Dad came over so it was a first for them too.  It was a great success!  Luckily due to his work schedule, Al was able to come down early and be here all Christmas Eve as well.  I could not have cooked dinner without him as I was starting to get a bit het up and he calmed me down.

The big thing happening in our household at the moment is K choosing her options.  I never thought how anxious and worrying as a parent this would be!  She has her heart set on being a History Teacher, so History is a given, but does she take Sociology or Geography, or should she continue with German so she has a second language under her belt?  Maybe ICT as we live in a digitalage.  Poor girl, she is so torn as she is very academic, reaching level 7 in most subjects but she loves Art, Music and Performing Arts too.  There is an Options Evening at School next week, so hopefully talking to her teachers will help her.  Decisions decisions....

New Guiding Challenges

Em and I are very very chuffed at the moment, we have been appointed as Guiding District Commissioners for our local area.  We have ummmed and ahhhd about putting our names forward but we have bitten the bullet and done it.  The County and Division Commissioners are in full support so it is all settled!

We are really looking forward to and relishing the challenges ahead. Our District has been without a Commissioner for two years now so we face an uphill struggle as it has become very fractured.  Our first task will be to organise a Thinking Day Service next February, so if you have any suggestions let us know!  In the mean time, for those who are Guiders or any sort of volunteer, I know you will relate to this....

I went along to Brownies just to help them out one day,

I must have done a decent job as I was asked to stay,

I really didn't have the time to do the job just right,

But the Guiders all assured me that it only took one night.

Chorus: That's the reason I'm a Guider (3 times)

'cos the Guiders all assured me that it only took one night!

The District meeting came along and I was asked to go,

It's sad to say the treasurer was ill and didn't show,

So I was asked to take the job and I replied I might,

As the others all assured me it would only take one night.

One day the new Commissioner was putting up a tent,

She said with great relief to me "My Dear, you're heaven sent,

I need a Camp Adviser and I know your time is right,

And I really do assure you that it only takes one night".

The staff at County came to ask if I would give a hand,

To help them at the AGM and organise the band.

I said I really couldn't and I put up quite a fight,

But then they went and told me that it only took one night.

I've spent so long in uniform my blood is navy blue,

My friends and family think I'm mad, and maybe so do you!

It keeps me out of mischief - I'd complain with all my might

If my many jobs in Guiding really only took one night!

Remembrance

For one reason and  another neither Em or I could take our Guides to the Remembrance Service this year, so we did our own small Act of Remembrance at Guides.  Last week we sent home a sheet with 7 circles on it and asked the Guides to attach a coin of any denomination to each circle when the did a good turn and we would donate the money to the Poppy Appeal.  We collected them in last night and we have raised over £40.00. As we meet in an old Methodist Sunday School, there are two memorials on the walls to men who lost their lives in the two world wars, so last night after a short talk about the poppy, how and why it is made and what it means, we sang the National Anthem and Taps and then the Guides wrote short messages of thanks and respect on their poppies and stuck them to paper underneath the memorials.

Em and I are very proud of our Guides today.

Butlins and fun!

We went away for a long weekend over half term, 10 of us went to Butlins and had a fab time.  We stayed in one of the hotels at Bognor Regis and it was lovely!  I sound like I am reviewing it and I am not it was just a lovely weekend.  The hotel rooms were beautiful with showers to die for and everything we needed.  The entertainments was superb and everyone from the 5 year old to the 73 year old really enjoyed it, so much so we are booking to go to Skegness in February.

I am feeling smug about Christmas, we have bought all the presents and wrapped them up, I just have cards to write and I am done!  I am off to the Christmas gift fair at the NEC at the end of the month so I can look without worrying it is fab!

Making wise, I have been busy, I have made some Christmas bunting for my mum and dad to hang round their mantelpiece, sadly though I cut the material incorrectly and the Santa Claus' are all upside down.  never mind it will mean he has been on the sherry.

Oh well onwards - Happy Monday everyone!


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Fingers crossed & MBC

It is strange at home this weekend, K is away on an International Selection weekend.  This is where any Guide or Ranger in the area attends a weekend camp at our local Guide Centre and they do all sorts of activities hat are international in flavour.  The Guiders then get a chance to meet the girls and get to know them and then hopefully they will get selected to go and represent Buckinghamshire at an international event next year. This a big thing for her, the international trips are usually about 10 days long and involve going to a Jamboree or huge camp, I know she will love it so we just have to hope she gets selected.

K is very excited and we packed her rucksack and kit last weekend, I have 5 girls as well as Kirsty attending so it should be good fun.  It was very strange dropping her off last night, usually when she goes to  a Guide residential event, I am running it!  Still it gives Al and I the chance to break the back of the Christmas shopping.  At this rate I could have it all done and dusted by the end of October, so I will be ale to smugly look at all those rushing about to get it done.

I made the Christmas cake last night so the flat smells of mixed spice and orange and lemon zest at the moment. I used Mary Berry's Celebration cake recipe and I will report on it at a later date.  the next cake in the book is the Chocolate Victoria Sponge.  This went really well.  I love the all in method of mixing cakes that Mary favours, it makes life so much easier.  I measured the mixture in the cake tins so each side was equal and this was the finished result.

Al's verdict "Cake is lovely, moist and tasty 9/10"

So there you go, it seems the most popular so far. Next one is a Swiss Roll!  hmmmmmmm  We will see how it turns out.  I will be putting my own home-made mixed fruit jelly in it.  I am turning into a 1950's housewife and I'm not even married.