Christmas

So we're at the end of the first Christmas without mum and it's been a little different.

For a start, it was Dad, Dan and I that took the dogs out for their morning walk at 8:30am.  I remember back to a time where we all used to be dragged out for a walk as a family.  Contrast that to now where I'm quite happy to go out and get some fresh air, knowing full well that the rest of the day will just be spent fitting in as much food as possible.

Whilst on our way down through St Catherines woods we discussed many interesting things, such as why we feed both dogs the same amount when one runs up and down like a steroid injected mountain goat and the other plods along at walking pace.  It might explain why one is fat, and one is not fat...

We noticed that there's been a lot of clearance done in the woods lately, and they've cut the branch that used to hold the swing, which made us all vey unhappy.  We can only assume that it's been done for health and safety reasons, which if true would be quite tragic and is not doubt going to spoil a lot of children's (and adults) walks when they rush to the swing only to find out it no longer exists.

When we got to St Catherines lifeboat station we began to discuss 'the harbour that failed' and that it was probably best that it did fail, as otherwise St Martin would probably be a lot more densely populated and not so much of the quiet, quaint parish that it is today!

By the time we had gotten onto the topic of sea wall construction, we'd got tired of walking and Bex came and picked us up.

Lunch and dinner were delicious and by the end of it I was almost sick of a sight of smoked salmon (emphasis on almost).  3pm rolled around and it was time to put on the Queens' speech.  There was a moment in it that almost had me going, but no one noticed.

This post feels a bit lost without a photo.  We traditionally go for a drink at the Dolphin on Christmas eve and Facebook trawled up a picture from 2011 when I think Jack must have drunk quite a few pints.

at the end of the year....well, nearly!

We've been a little lax recently with this blog...well, a lot actually. I've been meaning to make a start, but there's been things going on, and it's only now (as we slow down from work) that I've found time. I know that everyone will be saying "but the days are soooo short, surely there's time during the long dark evenings?"...and our reader would be quite right....but it just hasn't happened. Anyway....

That first paragraph was written yesterday, and now it's Christmas Eve afternoon....24 hours later. In an attempt to remind myself where we all were blogwise, I found myself (yesterday) rereading previous posts...that was a mistake (of sorts) as I went further and further back...I think I must have gone from June right up to September 17th. It was good (and not so good) to remind myself of "stuff". However, I got in a bit of a state really....and consequently wasn't up to much posting afterwards.

However, I'm back on track now....two dog walks today....visits from the St Ouen clan.... and finally getting to meet our turkey....it's a long story....I'll try to be brief. I said (some time ago) that we would do a turkey crown again this year. Dan said "no, I've got a "deal" going with work...I'll get the turkey". He wasn't taking no for an answer...so he ordered said turkey. How heavy was it? He didn't know. When was it arriving? He didn't know. Did he have any details? None at all.

So the turkey finally turned up this afternoon...18 pounds...fresh...with gibblettythings. I think it will fit in the Aga....just. I reckon 4 hours? I'll chuck it in at 8 and see what happens.... I mean how much of a disaster can it be? We've got spuds, carrots, and parsnips prepeeled, rechopped and vacuum packed from our special shop....we've got frozen peas...fresh leeks....Stephe's made some stuffing....surely it's all under control? I mean, we've gt all the food....we just need to warm it up?!

Bex has made a Christmas cake....she's been icing it and making some marzipan decorations this afternoon. They take 24 hours to "set".....I had no idea marzipan had to "set"...I've been eating big chunks of it as she's been cutting out christmas tree shapes. We also have oodles of other super-fattening presents to eat....I can't see us going hungry.

Thomas has also been "cooking" this afternoon...baking actually. He's got lots of "new bits" for his Land Rover. Some of them have been painted....but because it's high temperature paint it needs to spend some time in the oven to cure after painting. The bits will be done in half an hour....

Pops has finally moved. He's been with us up here over a week already. It's all good....there's still some bits and pieces left at Holmchase, but to all intents and purposes we are all done down there. 

I've had my birthday since the last post....apparently it was quite an important one....but I wasn't up for doing anything. Well, it turned out that I got taken out for lunch...then taken out for an afternoon coffee....and then got "dragged" out to the pub for a quiet half (well okay, it wasn't just a half) in the evening. It was all good, and I saw some friends I hadn't spoken to for quite some time.

The real reason that I wanted to send out a post today was just to wish everyone a very peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year (if we don't get to post again before 2019). It's been a real roller coaster....absolute extremes....light and dark....black and white. One thing has been clear to us all though is that we are so very lucky to have such wonderful family and friends. We wouldn't have coped with things as we did without you all. Without all the support we've received we would be in a real muddle....and the last few months (indeed years) would have been very different. I just want to say, very very inadequately, a most enormous "Thank You" to everyone.

I've made a conscious decision to turn over the proverbial new leaf after next week. 2019 will be a difficult year....reminders of things that we did with Jill will appear everywhere....but we will be thankful for those good times, and move on to make some more new good times.

Once again, from all us Luces to all you readers......our sincere thanks. 

Birthdays, birthdays and birth days

No prizes for guessing what the reason for this evening's post....and my apologies for bloging again so soon after Thomas...I hadn't realised he was writing something...and it had occurred to me the other day that neither of us had uploaded anything for some time.

As Tom has already mentioned, it's Jack's 30th. birthday today....another milestone for a member of the family. It was Pops' birthday last Thursday the 29th...it was his 83rd. birthday...I guess when you get to that age then any new birthday is a milestone! Pops came here for supper....and received various cards and presents. Jack and Stephe gave him a card...they wrote this inside...."Pops, we didn't have time to buy you a present, so we decided to get you a great-grandchild instead". I suppose that's as good a way of telling people you're expecting a baby as any....

Jilly would have been absolutely over the moon with excitement to discover that grandchildren were on the way. Knowing how much she was looking forward to the patter of the tiny feet of another generation of Luces has tempered my own enthusiasm, but I'm sure that by the time we get to next June I'll be fully engaged.

I've discovered that grief for the loss of loved ones has been a little like worry about children. The amount that you worry doesn't change much...the things that you worry about change.... but the level of worry is about the same. I've found things a little like that with Jilly's passing....the levels of grief haven't changed much, but the reasons have. In the first few days it was all those things that happened on a daily basis that were challenging. Getting used to those "very regular" things being different has taken time, but the upset has reduced....to be replaced by the upset of doing things that only used to happen occasionally. Being with friends on an infrequent basis has its own challenges....where we used to be 4 (2 couples) it's now very obvious that we're only 3....it's VERY obvious. That's proved a surprise for me....I hadn't seen that coming. Strangely, I'm not sure if things have been more difficult lately...that might be because I've tried to get back into normal mode....who knows. Certainly writing Jack's birthday card was a little thought provoking...the first time I've had to write a card with only one name at the end. Strange isn't it....I didn't see that coming either. I wouldn't make much of a palm reader!

Reading back over those last couple of paragraphs has made me have a word with myself....as the missus would say, "man up". Enough already...

We keep having to cope with bloomin' Alexa. Yesterday we were asking her to play seasonal music....Pogues and Kirsty McColl....Bing Crosby...Chris Rea...and then we got bored and starting asking for "other things". the most obscure request was "Alexa, play Land Rover exhaust noises"...unsurprisingly she didn't have a clue. She did however know have many miles it is to Mars and how tall she is....and...did you know where we would end up if we started digging hole in the garden and just kept going? Here's the answer.....

For tonight's final photo(s) I've decided to show our reader some of the "stuff" we still have around the kitchen here at Seaford. Photos that Jill put up on and in cupboards that we haven't taken down....no need really....they're quite amusing and make us smile.

 
Yes...we've still got Poldark stuck on the fridge...and here's the selection from the inside of the cereal cupboard....

Three of me (two with dark hair!!).....three of Jill.....Jack abseiling down Mount Bingham...and some friends added for colour! No Christmas decorations yet......but soon.....keep watching for more updates.

Shoe Boxes

I was reading the paper the other night and was delighted to see an article about the 'Pack a Christmas shoe box" as part of the Mustard seed Jersey appeal. 

I'm sure many of you are aware of the scheme as it's been going since 1998 - essentially it involves packing a shoe box with gifts and other useful items.  The box then gets loaded into a truck and someone has the unenviable job of driving it from Jersey to Romania where they're distributed to those most in need.  (see Mustard Seed Appeal)

The reason I'm mentioning all this is because I remember helping mother to make a couple of shoeboxes.  I don't think I was that old, so it could have been right around the time the appeal started, but it's stuck in my mind because it gave young me some perspective as to how fortunate we were as kids over here. 

"I'll make a shoebox. What a lovely idea to honour her memory" I thought. 

The only problem? I've missed the cut off date so i'll have to wait until next year. At least I have months to think about what to put in it, rather than the standard Christmas routine of trying to get presents last minute...

Talking of presents, it's technically Jacks 30th birthday today as its 12:15am, as I write this.  He's at work tomorrow night, so i've given him his present early. 

Most of us boys spent the day in the shed today assembling a wood chipper that i've bought.  It goes on the back of the tractor and will mean I no longer have to light fires to burn brushwood after I cut it - instead I can turn it into woodchip.  It's got a chute that means I can fire the woodchip back into nature, or load it into our trailer and do something else with it.

The only other notable thing from today is that we had to take the truck to go 'rescue' a Mr NS who'd got his car stuck in a field...