A Post to welcome in 2010

I intended to do a post on the 1st day of the new year but never got around to it, so this is to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

I just visited 'A brush with color' her blog is lovely and she has added a brilliant version of Auld Lang Syne to her post from YouTube. I don't know how to add it to a post so I have put it on my side bar, top right, please click on it to hear it as it's really nice.

I have nothing to report from the allotment or garden as it's all frozen and too flippin cold to venture out. I don't usually feel the cold and I'm well known for not wearing a coat in the winter, a thick cardigan is usually enough for me, but this year I'm not sure what's going on as I'm wearing, scarf, hat & gloves and still freezing.

I have been looking back over my old posts and it's hard to believe that the allotment and garden will be productive and look beautiful again, this winter has seemed so long. I did have a quick look around the garden on my way to put some bread out for the birds today and I saw little buds on my two blueberry bushes, it was a lovely sight, I hope to have a real bumper harvest this year.

I am going to try and do a post every couple of days and really look for the positive aspects of this weather, I need to get out there with the camera.

The Allotment is still giving me treats.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas ! we had a fabulous time, it was fun and we had some lovely presents, good company, and the best bit was being with the family. But I am always glad when it's over ( I whispered that !) I long for my normal routine and also can't wait to see what the new year will bring. I love the start of a New Year, and I just want to get sowing and growing again.

I went up to the allotment yesterday, the first time in weeks and I harvested some curly Kale, a very large and a small parsnip some green regular sprouts, and some of a friends purple sprouts that she asked me to help myself to as she couldn't manage to eat them all.
The purple sprouts were so delicious that they are on my 'Must Sow in 2010' list, I just have to ask her what the variety was. The purple sprouting broccoli is just starting to sprout and I hope to be picking some in a few weeks. The perpetual spinach is still going, I must cut down on the amount next year. The garlic sown in late Autumn is up and growing well, and the autumn planted cabbages haven't really grown a lot as yet. It all looked a bit bleak and mucky up there and Rosie the scarecrow will need a complete overhaul next year, so Lot's of planning to do.

Monday's harvest

New Years Eve is only a couple of days away, so I will wish you all a lovely evening however you intend to celebrate it, and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all as well.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !

This is my last post for 2009. There's not much to tell really other than just like everyone else at this crazy time of year, I have been very busy present shopping, wrapping the presents, and visiting family.

We have had a lot of snow here in Hampshire as you can see by the photo's taken this morning in the garden, just after we got back from my son's house in Surrey (there wasn't any snow there). It was just beginning to melt a little, but parts of the garden was still covered in deep snow.

Part of our journey down the motorway was like driving through a winter wonderland, it was truly beautiful, and so frustrating for me as I had my camera in the car, but obviously being on a busy motorway there was no way I could take any photo's.

I just want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and look forward to visiting your blogs in 2010.

Photo's from my garden this morning.

A lovely gift and some ugly Parsnips.

On Saturday morning I had a lovely surprise gift from Kella It's a beautiful Book marker (thong) and it's going to be well used and treasured. Thank you Kella. If anyone is interested in buying one either for yourself or as a gift then visit Kella's blog shop Creative Wishes as she has made some to sell.

I went up to the Lottie very briefly on Saturday afternoon and it was cold dismal and the ground was mushy. I truly hate it there in the winter, but I needed to check on my purple sprouting broccoli and the Sprouts, neither of which I might add were ready to pick, boo hoo ! I did however dig up some parsnips and they are the ugliest bunch of veggies I have ever seen, in fact I think they would win an ugly prize if there was one. (see the photo below !!)


However today I cut them up and made the most delicious soup 'Parsnip and Orange soup' which had onions, carrots, fresh grated ginger, fresh garlic, Orange zest and a small amount of the orange squeezed in after blending ithe soup. I must say those ugly parsnips were delicious in the soup. I will post a photo and the instructions on my recipe blog very soon.

UPDATE, THE RECIPE IS NOW ON MY OTHER BLOG

My Collection of Christmas little people.

Here they are, out of the loft and I was very glad to see them again. We don't have a Christmas tree in our house ! for years I have had a large bundle of tall Willow branches which I decorate with lights and fairies and elves and of course the baubles, it always looks lovely and has a lot of admiration from visitors. Then after Christmas it stands in the corner of the dining room with just the fairy light, and brightens up the room especially when we have people around for dinner.

I will probably only do another couple of posts this year and then start again when things get going in the New Year. I have almost finished the present shopping and wrapped up most of them. The cards have been posted, but I always forget someone, even though I do a list every year. So I have a few cards and stamps at the ready just in case.

Have a good week-end everyone.

These two little cuties are my buy this year, they have such silly faces I couldn't resist.

The fairy at the top

A new look Christmasy blog

I thought I would brighten the old blog with a new (temporary) Christmas look. I didn't want to change the background colour as I think white is easier on the eye for reading, But have you noticed the SNOW ? it's so lovely but didn't show (obviously) on the white background. There is a widget button on the right hand side of the blog if you want some snow as well.

I visited Denise from A Bun Can Dance and got it from her blog. I have visited a few blogs recently and it made me realise just how many talented blog writers there are out there, made me feel a bit inadequate as well, (just a bit !) I must try harder !!!

I just visited Carrie's blog and fell in love with her drunken Angel. I have a collection of 'Homespun' simple Christmas Angels and Elves which I add to every year. Some are below and I will post some more when they come down from the Christmas decks box in the loft at the week-end.

A Dark dreary day, I'm thinking of hibernating !

I am forcing myself to do this post because I know how easy it is to get out of the habit ! ( NO !that's not the right word, I don't want it to be a habit) but you know what I mean, days and weeks slip by and before you know it blogging becomes hard as there is nothing going on in the garden or allotment to blog about.

The weather today is so bad, it's like it has been night time all day, dark, grey, raining, windy, I hate it. I'm sure I never got this fed up with our weather before ! I always just took the weather as it comes, I guess it's because my main interests have become the outdoors type of gardening /growing/ planting interests, so I think I need to get a grip and get back into my indoor winter hobbies, or I will go insane.

I spent most of last week in our wonderful capital, London. My younger son is in Singapore working for a few weeks, so we have his apartment whenever we want to go there. It was a lovely break and Oxford Street was buzzing. Selfridges window displays were amazing as usual, but I think last years were better.

I know we are still in a recession, but 'Santa' selling copies of the 'Big Issue' is hilarious, and he has a dog ! what happened to the reindeer ? ha ha

I have been busy making some cards as well, but stayed up far too late last night doing them.

Does anyone else have problems with posting photo's on blogger or is it just Me ? before I press 'preview' all my photo's are where I want them to be which is on the left and right sides of the post, but when I preview they are all lined up underneath each other and only on the right hand side !! why is this ?? it is sooo frustrating. Aaaaagh

Card making to stay sane.

Well by the time I finished writing this post it really is dark and almost night time. I feel like hibernating it's so dark. I will leave you with a few photo's from Selfridges Christmas windows.

A few favourites from Selfridges Festive window.

Dick Whittington's Cat.

Cinderella with her Pumpkin.

Some fabulous shoes.

I Love these boots.