Christmas!..in a van??

I spent Christmas Eve doing a mix of things..lunch was celebrating my granddaughters 1st birthday. Maddison was 1 on the 20th but we met for a meal on Christmas Eve.

Straight afterwards Barrie and I dashed to Wigan to join our eldest daughter Rachel and son in law Phill and two granddaughters, Beth and Dorothy. Jenny, second eldest, and her husband Stephen, and their children..grandchildren Elisa, Hannah and Matthew joined us too.

We ate, played games, exchanged gifts and then went to the local Christingle service at St Anne’s Church in Wigan. What a joy that was! Truly magical, funny, and so very special. Hannah, Matthew and Dorothy even joined in the nativity. It was a lovely start to Christmas.

Christmas day was a mixed bag. Barrie spent his day with two if his girls and their children..I spent mine with four of my five. My four youngest children lost their dad to cancer in August and Christmas was always going to be hard.

The day was as good as it could be and ended with me sleeping in my van outside Jenny’s house! It was fabulous. I was surprisingly warm and cosy. I got some lovely gifts formy van and to document my travels too.
I still have a few things to add to my van…a radio for a start! I need to get the internal sockets checked and also make sure the plumbing is correctly wired! Once those things are completed then I’ll be ready for the road proper.

Christmas!

you either love it or loath it, a bit like marmite!

I love it…normally, this year has been awful so I’m not particularly bothered this year..however, I have been buying gifts.

My dilemma came when I was trying to decide what to buy for my 88 year old mother. She’s very healthy, mobile although a bit unsteady on steps if there are lots. At her age there isn’t much she either hasn’t got, or has already had at some point. I mean, what do you buy someone that has everything, or buys it if she needs it? There are only so many mugs with ‘wonderful mum’, ‘best mummy’, etc written on them that one woman needs to own.

What she does love is to dance! She’s always the first on the dance floor at a party, and the last off if she can get away with it..the life and soul. In her youth she was a ballerina, at one time having her own ballet school…so…when I spotted an advert for a ballet in Blackpool I snapped it up.

The event was ballet by candlelight organised by https://www.facebook.com/concertsbycandlelight and it was spectacular! From entering the tower she was greeted with kindness, offered help to the lift, her bag carried when she had to walk up one flight and then escorted to her seat too! Once there, even the other guests were so kind. While I went to get us a drink a lovely couple looked after her, chatting about her time as a dancer.

All in all it was a fabulous evening and she went home very happy. If you get the chance, I’d highly recommend it.

https://www.facebook.com/100004254217046/videos/pcb.2959864780831967/888322912802243?cft[0]=AZWxyIQzCrOgE_Qwnat6S–JAFVBZgt8oHvlLnYH_j16XBOhdVIZnH2uSm0u8XGmgVGFx91QTSIzrJNjSGfXBCmR3zXwkUfjKmaYyQ_t4LdphrJsTHNWquo5qnMouLKAUEM&tn=*bH-R

Nativity all finished!

I’ve finished it and, if I may be so bold, I think it looks great!

What do you think? I’d love your feedback

We three Kings

The main cast, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus

In order from the left…calf, Innkeeper, donkey, sheep and shepherd

Angel

And altogether!

The Nativity

I recently knit myself a chess set! I’ll add that separately. Then I decided to make a Nativity set..with about 6-7 weeks to go until Christmas!

I have been told, often, that I’m crackers, bonkers etc. I kind of agree

Anyway, I’ve knit all the pieces of all 12 characters…and I’ve now sewn together six of them…half way there. I can do this before Christmas..just need to construct a crib!

They’re bigger than I expected, each one, (bar the animals and baby Jesus) is around 7-8 inches tall!

The pattern is a purchased one by Knitting by Post and comes in two parts…well worth it. The instructions are clear and, as long as you keep the pieces separate, you’ll manage just fine.