a joyous noel . . .

Yesterday evening I went to celebrate Noel's 80th birthday at Watford Bowls Club. (I find it hard to believe Noel actually is 80 - he looks years younger!!) It was a lovely party with delicious food, great speeches and lovely company.

Earlier in the day I went round to Jackie's to visit and see the pies. They were all well - Ketta and Jose in the kitchen doing play-doh modelling and then Calla got up from her sleep. Today Jackie is driving them back up to Yorkshire.

Mid-day today Janey and Eric came round to bring some drinks and the beouf bourguignon for tomorrow's New Year's Eve Dinner (at my house this time). They will be back in the morning and I think I shall have a busy day getting ready. I am a little nervous - not least because I am such a useless cook - but the Nigella recipe seems quite simple so I am hoping for the best!

I am writing now because I know I shan't have time tomorrow and I wanted to wish everyone who visits this blog a Very Happy New Year - with much love xxxxx

christmas time . . . mistletoe and wine . . .

here's a quick catch-up:

saturday:

stella, rich and i fell into various beds around 2.00 a.m. - the pies and lucia had all been fast asleep since about 7.30/8.30

once we were up it was mainly taking stuff back (cutlery, crocks, wine glasses and the car) and also collecting frankie and alex from the noke where they had spent the night.

heaps and heaps of tidying and in the evening went to jackie's for a lovely meal. we were: jackie, pete, brian, ruth, rich, stella, elizabeth, barry, anna, isabelle, ryan, jemma, andrew and self. brian had made a nice starter - and also some seasonal reindeer meat - and then jackie had made curry with accompaniments including naan bread - yumm! i was very tired however, and had to excuse myself before 11.00.

sunday:

mainly tidying i think and when i was completely finished watched 'father of the bride' for the aah factor

monday (christmas eve):

up to yorkshire by early afternoon. what a wonderful christmas it was!!! the pies were lovely and we all had lots of laughs. stella cooked a brilliant christmas dinner which we had that night as they were travelling back down to hertfordshire on boxing day and wanted to have as few left-overs as poss. it was delish!!!!!

christmas day:

splendid!! what can i say? christmas with the pies is just the best!! mainly we just sat around talking and eating and drinking - we watched 'polar express' with the pies in the afternoon and 'love actually' in the evening. their house is so cosy, the company was wonderful and the only sad thing was missing frankie, alex and lucia. we all went to bed tired but happy.

boxing day:

down to ashby around mid-day and managed to catch o and g still there and then went with eric to take them back home. they had all had a lovely christmas too. eric and i were back home by early evening. we were so full after lunch we didn't need supper so just sat around talking and drinking wine for yonks

thursday and friday:

home again - robin has been and collected the marquee and associated bits and pieces

stella and rich have gone back to yorkshire minus the pies for a couple of days adn called in briefly on the way home

i went over to hazlemere to spend the evening with the fairlies yesterday - had a lovely time - this was the first time i have been there since they moved in - it is very homely and cosy and i had a great evening. lucia was very sweet - malcolm gave here a little rocking horse (except it is a reindeer) for christmas and she just loves it - she is very sweet

friday 21 december 2007 - frankie's and alex's wedding

i have already described the wedding as the best night of my life . . . and it was certainly that!

lots of people helped including stella and jess both of whom were here until late on wednesday and thursday helping frankie and me with the decorating/orders of service

friday morning saw eric and janey here - janey to look after lpip who was crawling over just about everything and eric to hoover the marquee - a man!! a man mark you, doing the hoovering!! - whatever next??

the wedding mass was beautiful and frankie looked stunning!! lpip and cpie looked very sweet:

lpip (with jackie) and cpie waiting for arrivals in church

huge, huge thanks to jackie, incidentally, who, with rich, looked after not only her own grandchildren, kpie, jpie and cpie, but also lucia whilst the rest of us were flying around getting the marquee and the morning preparations done - and went out and did shopping for me thursday morning! - a lady who truly deserves the title of 'MUMBE'!!

jpie walked down the aisle with me and did the most tremendous bow when he got to the front!
jpie doing his 'piggy' face

as for kpie! the prettiest flower girl i have ever seen:
and here are most of the bridal party on the altar:

that's: gerorge, jess. frankie, alex, stella and justin, the best man (and wicked conservatory builder!)

folks just milling round at the back of the church after the mass:

jess, stella with kpie and jpie, rich, jemma (who made frankie's beautiful, beautiful dress), pete (who did parking warden duty during the mass) and peter who stood in for boogs so magnificently!

our 'new' family:

moi ('oh my! where did you get that 'at?'), alex, lpip, frankie and stella

i love this photo of my 2 lovely girls - you can tell they are great friends - and you can also see how jess did the bridesmaids' hair with black feathers in the chignonny-type-thing:

beautiful bride and dishy groom!!:

meanwhile . . . back at the house . . .

here are o, lizzie, matt and g in the marquee:

eric and cat

lots of friends and relatives in the marquee:

anna talking to brian (who also 'did' her wedding), round the table at the back its jackie, with clara, talking to jemma, table in front: g, james, peter and emma, malcolm is talking to geoff just behind them and there's justin on the extreme right

more or less the same but with ricky on the left behind anna, stella at the back, alex talking to geoff behind me and lpip and the table on the right has sarah, kelly and mark with justin:

and here am i with lpip and obviously having a wonderful time (even though my grin looks scarily like cherie blair's!!)

frankie and alex cutting the caake - cat made this cake for them!! - it was chocolate covered with white chocolate with chocolate swirly bits - and feathers and roses for the top - yumm mcscrumm!! - and obviously 'Frankie Heaven'!!!

alex and justin both did very good- and very funny speeches . . . and this is frankie doing her speech . . . thanking cat . . . (that's pauline and chas in the background)

a very happy couple . . .

. . . and finally . . .

frankie and alex had a wedding guest book . . . and someone who knew him very well wrote 'Boogy would have been proud' - my cup brimmeth over!!

'the night i ever had . . . '

yes . . . the wedding has come and gone . . . and it was the best afternoon/night of my whole life!!! . . .

. . . in the same (but of course completely different) way that 22 june 2002 (stella and rich's wedding day) was the best morning/afternoon of my whole life!!! . . .

i am still totally overwhelmed with what a wonderful day it was . . . and now there is only the kitchen still to finish tidying and i shall be 'all square' again!

tomorrow early morn i travel up to yorkshire to spend christmas with stella rich and the pies, leaving tully in the capable hands of my lovely neighbours, lara, ricky, lauren, jake and benson . . . and i shall update on here when i return . . .

happy christmas everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

worrying . . .

this is how i manage to irritate my daughters . . .

today stella rich and the pies drove down from yorkshire

they dropped in for a quick coffee/milk on the way to jackie's

rich and the pies are staying down but stella is going back up for a few days and then coming down for the wedding

the insurance paid up after stella's accident - it wasn't her fault - but they are waiting a while before they get a new car and in the meantime have been lent one by a kind friend.

rich sent me a text to let me know that stella is on her way back . . . but what is worrying me is that:

she is always losing her keys and now she is driving back home with a set of keys which aren't really hers and i'm wondering if she has remembered her house keys!

this is quite (quite!!) ridiculous!!!

stella has been independent for 9 years - 4 at uni and now over 5 married

she has 3 lovely children whom she manages to look after superbly

she is one of the most capable women i know

. . . and yet i am still worried she may be locked out of her home when she arrives!!

is it any wonder my family get irritated??

why do i only ever write on here on sundays?

. . . i don't know . . . it's certainly not because it is the quietest day of the week . . . or the least busy . . . or the day i feel inspired.

a lot has happened this week . . . some of it good . . . some of it awful . . .

i am very cheesed off . . . in fact i am a gorgonzola

a whirl of activity!

we have all been very busy since last i wrote - so just a quick update then . . .

my lovely girls:

it was Frankie's 'Ladies Pre-Wedding Dinner' weekend' - and we all had a grand time!

Stella arrived Friday evening - I picked her up from the bus station in Golders Green - and then stayed up until gone 2.00 chatting and making things (games) for the dinner.

Saturday S and I went into Watford shopping - we went into every clothes shop in the Harlequin and found absolutely nothing for me to wear at the wedding!! although Stella managed to change the top and bolero of her bridesmaidmaid's outfit for a smaller size. (She had ordered it over the internet and when it came it was too big) so at least that was one good thing.

Frankie Alex and Lucia fetched up in the afternoon and we mainly sat around talking until it was time to get changed and go.

Stella and I collected Anna, Cat and Lizzie to take them over to the Lily Lounge in Harpenden where Shirley, Lucy, Seamus and Luke made a fabulous meal for us all. It was a fantastic venue and and an inspired choice! Frankie looked stunning and her friends were kind enough not to embarass her with any vulgar 'props' (which she had been a bit bothered about). We were: Anna, Jemma, Stella, Cat, Lizzie, Barbara, Grace, George, Catherine, Collette, Emma, Aoife, Jess, self and (naturally) Frankie. Stella had arranged some very funny games between courses which were good ice-breakers and a jolly time was had by all!

To bed late and up late too! Barbara, Grace and George cmae round this morning to see Lucia and then I took Stella off to catch the bus back at 4.00 and happily she is safely home with Rich and the Pies now.

the wedding:

plans and events coming along skippity-skip - but i am keeping schtumm about it for now and will post a report after the event.

my conservatory:

finished!!! yay!!! Alex has painted the walls and I am delighted with it - so now it is ready for the wedding which is a huge relief!!

any other business:

heaps!! but i think this post is long enough for now - and anyway it's getting late and i will just have to update some other time

until next time . . .