A year of loss of great people, including authors, singers, actors, in what seems to be a never-ending announcement. (sadly as I was returning from Kew on Tuesday I got the news that my Godmother had died on Boxing Day too)
A year of great desk sharing thanks to Julia and a year of friendship whether in the virtual or the real world. Thank you to all of you for your visits and your comments and your friendship. Who said meeting people off t'internet was bad, eh?
Since I last saw you, I wrapped and delivered my presents...having bought the last tricky ones I was fretting about last time out!
I hope you all had a very Happy Christmas.. I cooked myself a lovely roast beef dinner (no point doing turkey for one, and besides, I prefer beef!) and gorged on chocolate and TV
which I did after I had prepared said roast beef dinner for the oven... here it is resting while the oven warmed up! (wine at the ready too!)
lots of lovely toiletries, and bath goodies, a calendar from my cousin who visits her local favourite place even more than I go to Kew; and some craft goodies and a snuggly penguin from my brother and sister -in-law (he's microwaveable to be toasty and my niece tells me he's called Monty after the penguin in Happy Feet...)
and some (more) very generous gifts from my boss Monica - including the photo of me in the silver frame. It's one she took herself of me at the "official" photo-shoot for the firm's website... but I quite like it so I'll let her off!
after dinner I snuggled on the sofa with the tv and phone and chocolates...
(always room for chocolates!)
(it's ok Rachael, I'm not including that one of you!!)
and Tuesday (another Bank Holiday in the UK) as I hinted at the top, saw me at Kew, in the bright sun and frost of a fabulous December morning here for the pictures, as always, there are LOTS!
but I will duplicate one here, for Julia... you can see why! She's got us all doing it now!
I'll be home again today as I am not back at work till 3rd January so will be round to see what you've been up to very soon. I'll leave you with a Happy New Year wish - let's hope 2017 is good to us all; wishing you health and happiness.
27 comments:
Just came from Kew and saw this. I love the photo of you and the one in the frame. Yes, I enlarged it, which is easy now I have a great computer and 32" monitor. Looks like you had fun on both Christmas AND Boxing Day. Two fine meals, too.
Obviously, I'm not WOYWWing, but hope to start again after the first of the year. If I don't stop by before then, have a lovely and SAFE New Year.
Lovely Christmassy post Helen.
Sorry to read about your Godmother, I lost an uncle on Christmas Day too.
Looks like a lovely Christmas with lots of social occasions and presents - I love Christmas!
Happy New Year and WOYWW
Kathyk
#4
Pleased you had a nice Christmas Helen. I've been busy entertaining my parents which was lovely but not much time for anything else so the desk is a bit quiet as you might guess. Have a lovely woyww, Angela x 6
Looks like you had a lovely two days and the pic of Kew is stunning.
sandra de @7
Don't know what has happened to Julia this morning, hope it is a lie in for her and nothing else.
Did think about you on Christmas Day and so glad you cooked yourself a proper dinner. Love the snuggles with the chocolates later and great to see all the presents.
Sorry about your Godmother. Always seems worse at this time of the year, one of my friends lost her husband on Christmas Day one year and another lost her daughter a few years later. Terrible time for them now.
Well Helen, here's to a good 2017 for you
Hugs, Neet xx
ps now visiting District Nurse to have a wound dressed on my leg - hope it ends on the 31st!
It seems we have all lost close family and friends ....it always seems worse at Christmas doesn't it? Sending you big hugs. Let's hope 2017 is a better one and we can all enjoy many weeks of fun and friendship linking up on the best day of the week.
Hugs,
Annie x #8
Hi Helen, so sorry for your loss, everyone is right, it seems like it shouldn't happen at Christmas. Saw the Kew photos, stunning with all the frost. Nice to get two Christmas meals as well- glad you had a good Christmas. I have one of those penguins- Doug bought him a couple of years ago, when I had pain after the radiotherapy. They work really well. Love & Hugs, Shaz xx
Happy WOYWW and Happy New Year for Sunday. So sorry for the loss of your godmother. There has been much sadness over the past few days. We were lucky enough to go out for Christmas lunch (no washing up!), and going to see hubby's family this afternoon. I had a turkey joint delivered from Tesco (it was a special order so could not cancel), so cooking that on Sunday to celebrate the arrival of 2017. Ali x #14
Ah, condolences to you Helen, its just plain sad isn't it.
I would choose Beef over turkey at any opportunity, and agree, however much you like turkey - for one person - it would mean you eating for months after..one of the reasons I don't choose it!
Your Kew pics are jut wonderful, really appreciate a cold morning through the lens of your camera!
I think this Christmas has reflected pretty much how 2016 has been - lots of happiness tinged with sadness. I'm so sorry to hear about your godmother, it just does seem sadder at Christmas.
But I know you're not one ot mope (I'm not either) and it's great to see the pics of your various meals and trips out to Kew too. You really pack a lot in - keep it up through 2017!
Lots o hugs and love, LLJ 11 xxx
Lots of lovely presents. It looks like you had a wonderful time. Great photos.
Happy WOYWW
Sharon K #19
sounds like you had a good Christmas, lots of food and company. Enjoy your long break but don't craft all day and all night .......
See you next year.
Christine #10
We too have lost friends this year and it always seems sadder at Christmas. So glad you had a good time - the beef sounded perfect ( I love it but hubby won't eat it so I never get to cook it). Just wanted to pop by here and wish you happy crafting and a wonderful new year! x Jo
I'n sorry about your godmother; it's always more tough to handle around the holidays. But it sounds like you still had a very nice Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful healthy 2017.
-K #21
Thanks for visiting Helen, and for sharing your holiday fun. Lots of goodies and great times for sharing with family. Time just flies by and in a few days a NEW YEAR. May yours be Happy & Bright.
I am sorry for your loss Helen (( hugs )) and I just loved the shadows shot in the garden. :) looks like it was a really nice holiday with your family. ~Stacy #23
So sad to hear about your Godmother, too many people have passed in 2016, hopefully 2017 will be better. It sounds as if you had a lovely Christmas for one, so calm, you can do as you like, eat what you want, and open all those wonderful gifts at your leisure. Sounds perfect! Have a wonderful New Year! Lindart #24
Oh, Helen, I am so sorry about your Godmother. It looks like you had a nice Christmas. Thanks for sharing. Happy New Year! #25
Sorry to hear about your Godmother, Helen. December has been a sad time all round this year and I, for one, will be glad to see it out! Your Christmas sounds not too unlike ours ... except we did have turkey. We did a lot of TV and a few chocolates too. I'm sitting here suffering from cooker envy ... I'd so love an eye-level grill! Here's wishing you and yours a Good New Year and all the best for 2017. Hugs, Elizabeth x #27
Happy New Year to you too! Dorlene
Thank you for your visit. Hubby surprised me with a trip to town for shopping so off we went. Looks like you had a great time with family. I hope you have a great 2017.
Carol N #16
It looks as if you had a lovely Christmas, Helen, despite being on your own. Well done, cooking yourself such a lovely dinner! And I quite agree about the choccies! Nothing like snuggling up and watching TV and eating choccies, is there! Thank you for your visit, and yes, thanks, we had a nice Christmas - like you, we had a quiet one, and then got together with my hubby's brothers yesterday for a nice family party. We've had lots of meals out with family and friends over the several weeks around Christmas.
Lovely photos, and so glad you were able to give and receive such a nice lot of presents!
Happy New Year, and happy WOYWW,
Shoshi #26
Hi Helen, Lovely presents.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Happy WOYWW
Sue #9
Hi Helen, thanks for sharing all this loveliness! I am a bit late and happy to see all these familiar names.
Happy WOYWW
Gabriele
Looks like you did yourself very well over Christmas - roast beef sounds fantastic (not a turkey fan either, not for special occasions when I eat it in stir fries year round!) and your gifts look great. Glad to hear you made the most of that lovely sunny day. I took my niece and nephew to Hampton Court yesterday, and you couldn't even see the palace across the river because of the fog!
Wishing you a peaceful 2017.
Alison x
Just come from looking at your Kew photos! Great Christmas photos - I love the idea of Monty warming your feet! Good that you got some family time too over the holidays! Hugs, Chrisx
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