I took Ellie over to the playing field and then Mal and I went to do a big shop. He hates shopping but I was not carrying all the booze on my own! I think I may at last have done all the presents now. Just have to wrap all of them.
In the afternoon we went to East Blean wood.It is lovely there in the Spring/Summer but very muddy today. Ellie of course loves the mud!
I had to stop and look at the sunset on the way home……….beautiful. Thought for the Day – “Never waste any amount of time doing anything important when there is a sunset outside that you should be sitting under.” ~ C. JoyBell C.
We had a very good nights sleep followed by a la carte breakfast. It is usually all left out but much better today, all cooked individually. Ellie especially liked the half a sausage I took back for her. I think she may enjoy going away with us!
On the way home we stopped at Pegwell Bay Country Park for a long walk. Ellie had a bit of a run but when I saw her eyeing up the bird population, I put her back on the lead or I am sure she would have been in the water after them.
Pauline and Chris came visiting in the afternoon along with an update on Kulaksiz 5!! It was nice to see them both.
A walk along the beach and then we bought fish and chips at Seabells in Birhcington on the way back. It was so good last time! Just as good but this time we were given a Christmas card with a money off voucher for January!
I thought I would share this with you all. This is the staff from the primary school that Ollie, Oscar and Josie attend. It’s a very good school with a good Ofsted report and brilliant staff! Just click on the picture below.
Thought for the Day – “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” — Charles Schulz
Down to the sea in the morning. It was a very high tide again.
Mal has been thinking about getting an allotment and there are some just down the road by us but we know from times gone by that they are like gold dust. He had just made his mind up that he would never get one. I told him if you don’t phone, you never find out! So he phoned about the ones by Quex park and yes there was a waiting list. BUT there were some vacant in Garlinge and so we did no more than drove straight down there and met the guy in charge and Mal chose his plot out of three that were empty. He won’t get the key to the gate until after Christmas but he is getting very excited as we used to grow all our own vegetables and it will be nice to have tasty,fresh vegetables again. It’s a shame we didn’t know before or he could have had all his gardening needs fulfilled by Father Christmas.
Later in the afternoon we drove over to the Blazing Donkey at Ham. It has become a bit of a tradition that we stay there for a night pre Christmas AND they are dog friendly so of course Ellie came too. The hotel is a bit hit and miss but the food is always excellent even if the service sometimes is not that good. It’s a little Fawlty Towers but this is one of my Groupon bargains and it costs £60 for bed and breakfast and a 3 course evening meal! The meal is worth more than that and it means the fact we are staying the night that I can have a glass of wine or two or three.
Well, on this occasion, the service and everything was excellent, no complaints at all. The guy running the bar and waiting on tables was so nice. They had small glass red stars on each table with a tea light candle in them. Mal was reading his menu, next thing his menu caught alight, too near to the flame. He apologised to the waiter who laughed and then proceeded to tell every other diner in the restaurant, at least it gave everyone a laugh. Ellie liked the piece of Kentish lamb I took her back to the room!
Notice the corner missing on the menu!
Thought for the Day – “One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” ~ Andy Rooney
Mal was still at his brothers and as it was Rhys’s day off I met him and Lou and Roddy, their dog, at the beach to introduce Roddy to Ellie. Roddy is getting a bit old and crotchety, so wasn’t too impressed to begin with but I am sure they will be fine when they get used to each other.
Ellie, Lou, Rhys and Roddy
In the evening I collected Mal from the train station on his return from visiting Shirley and Steve. Thought for the Day – “Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” ~ Oren Arnold
We were down on the beach by 7.30! It was still a little dark but soon lightened. Ellie has found a new friend down there, Max, another Goldie. They chase the balls together into the sea. She seems much keener on the sea here than in Cyprus. She must like it colder!
Max and Ellie
There was a beautiful sky on the way home.
Later I drove Mal to the station to get the train to Tewkesbury to visit his brother. He hasn’t been too well so Mal wanted to see him before Christmas.
Thought for the Day – “Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.” ~ Marc Brown
After Ellie’s walk I went to Westwood to Marks & Spencer as today is their last day of a lot of reductions. Just the day to go and sort out all the “after dinner presents.” Some I had already ordered with click and collect. We always have main presents in the morning , at some ungodly hour if the kids are with us and then the kids have their stockings after lunch and the adults have an after dinner present. All those are now sorted,mostly thanks to Magic and Sparkle!.
In the afternoon I went with Lou to the church carol service for Oscar and Ollie. It is lovely watching the little kiddlies. They had been in the church all day. They spend the morning making decorations, crowns etc, then have lunch there and then have the service in the afternoon. This was only a fraction of the kids, I couldn’t see all of them.
and there in the middle is Oscar, the one with his glasses on…. Thought for the Day – “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” ~ Bob Hope
We should have known when we saw the gritters out last night that we would have a frost this morning! It didn’t matter how cold it was, Ellie was up for her run along the beach. Unfortunately there was an unfriendly German Shepherd who went for her and growled and Ellie was quite shocked.
Mal’s son Kerry and his girlfriend Martina came round for lunch. More vegetarians. I didn’t know but Martina doesn’t like Quorn but she did like the way I cooked it! That was a relief. They loved the roast potatoes, roast parsnips and roast garlic. I think they are such busy people that they don’t cook roasts at home. To me it is the easiest meal, it just all cooks itself!
Kerry and Martina
Thought for the Day – “Your attitude is like a box of crayons that colour your world. Constantly colour your picture grey and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colours to the picture by including humour and your picture begins to lighten up.” ~ Allen Klein
