Merry Christmas

Well it is that time of the year when families should be together and the air should be full of Christmas cheer, but these days that is so rare, with families split and children missing. It is hard at times like this to have much cheer but cheer we all have to have and hope that things will sort themselves out better one day.

For me, I hope that coming year is better than the one that is passing, for it has been a hard year in so many ways.  I just hope, dear reader, that your year has been better and that your christams is full of cheer, and maybe you are lucky to have all your family around you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year.

Christmas at Gates Nursery 2013

Well it is that time of the year again and the local nursery turns into a winter wonderland for anyone that has any sense of the inner child to delight in the sprite of christmas future, present and past. Here is a selection of some of the photographs from wandering around the display this year, which would have been better if I had remembered to put my reading glasses on before I took them.

If you are in the Rutland area or live in one of the near by cities and find your self down this way do pop into Gates Nursery , in if you have little ones there is Santa's Grotto which at £5.99 per child is great fun and great value too with excellent gifts for the children.

Another Christmas

Well it is that time of the year again and I hope you and yours have a Happy Christmas.

Christmas Comes Early

It seems that Chrismas comes earlier evey year and just to prove it, Gates Nursery thought it would be a good idea to roll out there Christmas display today to get people buying.

Although I love the Christmas display at Gates Nursery, personally I think there should be some kind of date before which we can't be bombard by Christmas stuff in the shops and on television. It really starting to get silly and even the supermarkets are at it, with Christmas frozen food appearing in the Tesco's in Oakham this month. It just spoils the special feel Christmas by starting it all too early until we are all bored by the whole thing because of the long run up to the holiday session.

Happy Christmas

Just a very quick post to wish you a very happy Christmas where ever you might be. I hope you all have a wonderful day and may your dreams come true.

I know times are hard for everyone this year but I hope we can all forget our troubles and have a wonderful time. Happy Christmas everyone.

Love and peace to you all. Roy

Happy Christams

Merry Christmas to you and your families. It is a time for hope and for giving and receiving gifts and there no greater gift than love you give to those you know in your life be them friends or family.

Love is the most important thing in the world and it should never be discarded or thrown way, it is the most special gift of all. It is ours alone to give and nobody can take that away. Give it freely and you never know what will happen. Merry Christmas.

Twas the Night before Christmas

There is nothing like a poem to invoke images in the mind. With Christmas. just round the corner their is nothing like this poem to invoke such images in both the young and old of the magic of Christmas.

Twas the Night before Christmas

By Clement Moore

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Christmas is a time that can bring out the child in us all. The smiles and laughter, the presents and food, all this make this day as special can be, but then there is the lonely that sit sad at home, spare them a thought and give them a call. 

Special Meeting

At last the weather is becoming a bit more milder and it looks like the snow will melt away by the end of the day. I will miss it's beauty but not the problems it brings to the roads combined with the bitter cold we have been experiencing for the last two weeks. Getting to the CoOp has been a real struggle not because the roads are not clear but because they can't be bothered to clear the car park and Tescos wasn't much better.  It makes you wonder if they just take it for granted we will turn up no matter what and they don't care about our safety. The thing is if one of them was to clear the car park they would be the winner in sales during the cold snaps.

The day started off like they all seem to until something goes wrong. emily and Catherine had breakfast and made there own pack lunches before finishing off getting dressed for school. It was at this point that Emily discovered she had lost her trousers again. What makes things worse is not that she loses them but she insist that she hung them up and only looks in that area then returns saying they are gone. What actually happens is she forgets to hang them up and they get left in a completely different part of the room in clear view. That was the case this morning so a whole 5 minutes was wasted when all she had to do was turn round and look at the floor. Thankfully with no ice they both got of to school in the end without to much delay.

After getting home from taking Emily to school there was time to relax with a coffee and a wash before heading back out again to Oakham to pick up Lucy for the weekend. I so look forward to having all the girls together for a few days. Family is so important to me and being with the ones you love. Thankfully Lucy wasn't so quiet when I picked her up and we were soon walking back to the car chatting away. The hiding had disappeared from the last time but I still wonder what caused it. 

It wasn't long before we were back in Langham to be welcomed by George and Lucy head straight off to the family room to play. Little did she know in the afternoon we had a special treat planned for her. The morning was spent playing in the family room and today she had returned to messy mode searching boxes until she found what she was looking for. She did attempt to clear up but it was only half hearted and the room was soon a bit of a mess, but that is the beauty of the family room you can close the door and forget about it until latter in the day if need be. 

For lunch we headed out to the shops for lunch. This time we were off to Melton to get some cards and look around the shops stopping off at the butchers in the town square to pick up some sausage rolls and pies to eat. The make the most lovely steak and kidney pies but the shop to go if you want a pork pie is Dickensons and the "Ye Olde Pork Pie Shop". Not only do they do the best pork pies for miles around but they all so do the most wonderful hot sandwiches. We did find a Peppa Pig hat for Lucy but I was more than surprised when she said she didn't want it but she did want to go on "Jay Jay the Jet Plane" before we left.

The next destination was Gates Nursery at Cold Overton. This time of year it turns into a winter wonderland with some of the best display's of Christmas decorations you have ever seen. It really is beautiful but that was what we were there for today. Today we were off to see Santa with Lucy and there is no better place to se him. It the place I use to go with all the children when I first got here. Last year we didn't go for a number of reasons but I wasn't going to miss out this year on taking Lucy.

On the way we started dropping hints to where we were going. Slowly revealing the person we were going to see until eventually she guessed who it was. She was so excited by the time we got there bless her. She said that her Mummy had wanted her to see Santa but he was closed. I'm not sure if she meant at Gates Nursery but I was sure he would be open today.

Going into the nursery itself is quite magical with reindeers in a winter setting to greet you as you enter the door. Then there are the decorations that make it feel sessional . Looking around you wouldn't think that there is a recession on. It makes you forget about it for a while unless you look at the prices and realise there isn't the money in the bank to pay for all the lovely things you like. All the same it never costs to look around, but is for another day, we were on a mission.

When we go to Santa's grotto the queue was thankfully not to long, although it doesn't matter too much if it is as there is plenty to look at along the way like the elves playing in the snow and animated animals that line the route. Lucy loved the trains and the elves, but that was not too surprising given her love of trains in general. She was telling me the other day about how much she wants to go on one. I'm going to have to take on one soon even if it just to Melton and back. Soon we next to see Santa and Lucy was waiting with a little pink card in her hand with her age on it.

When she got in she predictably went all shy for the first few minutes but she did manage to answer the first question and give Santa her name, if a bit quietly. For some of the other question she like "Have you been good?" she simply nodded her answers and smiled sweetly all the time. It took her a few minutes to open up but in the end the nods were replaced with words. The one thing she she couldn't answer was what she wanted for Christmas which I guess I expected although it did seem strange given that when she see something on the TV she always wants it. Eventually she was given a present from Santa which turned out to be a Peppa Pig Artist book complete with colouring crayons and stickers. It was spot on for Lucy and later she had everyone helping her colouring in the pictures. She had a fab time as can be seen by her smiling face when she sat on Santa's knee.

After we had finished at Gates Nurseries it was straight off to find Emily in Oakham before heading for the supermarket to get something for diner.  Meanwhile Catherine was busy at the School Christmas fair running a game stall to raise money for the school. It was funny in the supermarket were one of the checkout people recognised Lucy but wasn't sure if it was the same girl because of the different coat she was wearing. I told her it was the same girl and that it was a very sad and complex story and left it at that. There is one person there that knows the whole story but she one of the people I always go to and that I trust not to pass it on. We got Emily back home just in time to see Catherine's stall and she helped her with packing it away before waling her back home in the dark. Lucy came home with me and she settled herself down and started on her Peppa Pig Artist book, while I got on with dinner.

With no rush to take Lucy back there was time to cook a more complex meal so tonight we had a roast dinner. In fact we had roast beef, yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, roast parsnips and various other boiled vegetables. It really went down well with everyone and it was just what we need to fill our bellies and keep us warm. Even George enjoyed it and had the meat that was left over on peoples plates and the final bit of the joint after I had finished carving with some gravy. After dinner they was some time left for Lucy before it was time for her bath and stories and finally her cuddles and kisses for those she loves. When she hit the pillow after the last hug she fell sound asleep to be followed by Emily and Catherine a few hours later.

It has been a lovely day and I hope it is one that Lucy will remember. I still have memories from that age from seeing Santa at Harrods in London and of how magical it always. I hope she is left with the same for her experiences today. I first took her there when she was one with all her sisters and taking her again today was really wonderful and seeing the smile on Santa's knee was beautiful and will always be with me.