The Turn of the Year

Hello friends!  Here we are again at the end of one year and the beginning of another, always a very poignant evening, I think.  Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I wish you the very best.  How was your Christmas? Ours was absolutely wonderful!  My daughter was home for a week and it was so lovely to have both my 'children' here.  DD quickly got to work in the kitchen, making her signature Gingerbread People!

We took our Christmas trip to Betty's, the Ilkley branch this time, and spent a while admiring their beautiful window display.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch in their tea rooms and took some treats home for Christmas.

Christmas day itself began, as it always does, with everyone piling into our room to open Christmas stockings.  Then we went downstairs to a log fire already blazing (thanks, husband!) and a fireside breakfast.  Then it was presents! So many lovely things exchanged, we were quite giddy! Lunch prep followed that, then lunch itself, a board game, and a little gin and tonic ;)

Christmas night we watched 'Call the Midwife' and I cast on a new project with one of my presents from my son, Addi circular needles.  I am making the Snow Hat from the Rowan book 'Winter Warmers' (an old book but I excitedly found a copy in a charity shop).  I am using some of the Rowan 'Lima' from my stash (why, oh why did Rowan discontinue this fabulous yarn???!)

The fabulous days of 'Betwixtmass' ran day into precious day and we pottered, ate, played games, watched films, and took walks.  

All too soon DD had to go back to London and boy, do we miss her!

Today we met my old school friend who was in this neck of the woods visiting relatives, and we took a bracing walk along the beach at Southport with our husbands and dogs!  It was fabulous walking and talking and blowing away the cobwebs.  

DH and I stopped for a pub lunch on the way home and this evening, after dinner, we played Quirkle - a great game, easy to learn, a challenge to master!  Daisy sat on my lap, taking it all in.

In less than an hour it will be 2019.  A new year of blank pages, ready to be filled with new experiences, laughter, chatter, creative projects, friendship and love.  

2018 was certainly an eventful year in this household, with retirement, a wedding, a new job and home for my daughter, and a new professional level for my son at work.  I have been blessed with so many new readers of my blog, and I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to visit, read, and comment.  You make my heart sing.  

I hope the year brings good things to you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing my creative journey with me.  It wouldn't be the same without you.

With much love, thanks, and good wishes to you all.

Donna x x