Thursday 31 December 2015

See you in 2016!

You may already know that I care not a jot for 'celebrating' New Year's Eve. I cannot stand New Year. 
These are my last few NYEposts. You saw 2011/12 yesterday with my poem! 
This was the year after

Great comments on that post! 

The year after...

And then finally, last year...



As you can see, I'm at least consistent!! 
I do hate all the New You crap with a passion. I hate all the bloody weight watchers adverts. I hate January, it's so bloody long and dull. 
I think it's because I love Christmas and all its twinkliness. January is stripped bare and stark. And getting back to normal. Ugh to all of that! I'm all about the past and not the future! I'll be in bed when the clock strikes 12. Today I will be cutting Christmas Cards into gift tags. Tomorrow I will de twinkle the dining room. Le sigh! 

This made me laugh yesterday! 


Whatever you do ( or not, like me )to get the next few days over with, may you be in good health with it all! 

I've had a shocking start to the day too. With the grim realisation that I'm not back at work on Tuesday... 

I have to go back on Monday!!! 

Lots of love from 
Rachel *devastated* Radiostar xxx 

Wednesday 30 December 2015

2nd post of the day

Those eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted a post this morning that was so muddled I had to take it down. 
I'd been looking back at Secember posts from years gone by! The one I was bringing you was from 2011. I'll just post a screen shot instead! 
I've not seen Helene in a while. I'm going to send her a message to see how she is. 
I used to dash off quick n qwirky poems all the time! I've not written one in ages! 
Anyway, Annabeth saw it and commented.... 
 I will reply here Annabeth - after four years, my finger is fine!! I do use grease proof and clear my film now to individually wrap everything! 

Back to today. 
Miss 21 braved Storm Frank and has gone to Newcastle for New Year's Eve celebrations. I'm being bossed about on a regular basis by my Christmas Present off the HG...
This was last night! 
However, right now I'm on my bum in front of this. This is a live photo of my fire! 
 I have made a start on this ...
This is what the HG picked out of my pattern book 'Knits for Men' ! 
So I casted on 
And I've decided to note down how many minutes I'm knitting for as it goes along because I am a really slow knitter and I'm curious as to how many months this will take! I reckon it'll be just about ready for the heatwaves we'll no doubt have in August!! 
As I hate doing them so much I've started with a sleeve! 
This took me one hour. 
I was also drinking a cup of tea, dunking biscuits and chatting to the HG and Mr 18 too. 

An afternoon nap may have happened too! I've taken some lamb neck fillet out of the freezer to make a hotpot in the slow cooker. It's oven baked jackets tonight with roasted tomato salad for me and with gammon for the men. 

One thing I've noticed in the last few posts to me, my blog looks different. I mean when I post it, it's like it's changed fonts part way through. I only ever use my phone to post but  think I need to get on a PC to fettle on the Blogger dashboard. It's annoying me! 

This is about two hours in total! I reckon some of you would have finished it by now!! The stitch marker is there to remind me that this is the right side. It's partly knitted in reverse stocking stick and with my shocking short term memory I'd be bound to forget!! 
I also wanted to show you this! Remember the 'knit your own cushion' set I got sans instructions from M&S. 
I emailed them with my plight.. 


What a lovely email!! 
I do love good customer service. 
Lots of love from 

Rachel *off to prick some spuds* Radiostar xxx


Tuesday 29 December 2015

Tuesday already

This time next week I will be back at work. Rolling some poor unfortunate soul into the recovery position and saying things like, 'hello, can you hear me I've come to help' and 'point to point'  when applying slings etc. Yes it's the dreaded triennial First Aid Training. Although this time I will be able to do it with trusted friends and colleagues! Last time ( I think I blogged it ) I was on my own with complete strangers!! Not my favourite day out ever! Also due to
My
Hurty knee any one I save from a cardiac arrest is going have to be dying on a school sized table because that is where I am able to do my Nellie the elephant routine upon them. 

Today, like most of my friends in real life and in Blogland, I've been cleaning and washing like an employee of Widow Twanky. Two huge dark loads already washed, dried and distributed. I cannot say for certain they've been put away yet! The white load plus my bedding is tumbling as I type! 
Even though my decorations stay up till 12th Night I have put the table back in its normal place against the back wall. The chairs have all been wiped down with some nourishing leather wipes! The skirting board shave all been done. A load of boxes and clutter that had gathered has been processed. It's been a gloriously sunny day so theHG did the front windows in and out. It all looks and smells lovely again! 

Tea is going in in a minute. Sausage mash and beans. No one can face another roast dinner! This was The Day After Boxing Day's Tea. ( see Sadie!!!! ) 

Yesterday I was chauffeured to Hobbycraft. I bought some wool for the HG's jumper. Some baby soft merino wool just because I couldn't resist it! 
I also picked up a bargain tapestry frame kit from £10 that had £13 off. Also a little cross stitch kit to get me practising!! 
We called in to Waitrose for a look because it was there. I got a whopping piece of best beef for less than half price, it's gone in the freezer and I reckon there's a minimum of 8 meals in it. I also picked up some stuff for when I stop eating all the things. Some lentil curls which are a tasty 99 calorie snack etc! 

Not much else to say except that Miss 21 came with us  ( Mr 18 declined my kind offer of a day out with the parents ) and I don't know if it was because she was up early, but she was a bit 'nowty' and was doing 'that voice' but when the nice shop assistant in Next asked me if I needed help with exchanging anything, I said without hesitation or even blinking, 
"Yes please, I'd like to exchange this daughter for a more pleasant one or I'll just have a refund Thank You." 

Me and the HG found this hilarious! Miss 21 cracked a smile too! The shop assistant just backed away slowly!! 
New Zealand is very very far away. 
 There's not enough days left now until she goes.  Gulp.

I'd like to say thank you for all your comments too. I love them! 

Lots of love from 
Rachel *keeps tripping up over the new rug because we've not had one before* Radiostar xxx

( new rug - half price in Next! ) 

Monday 28 December 2015

Bereft....

This blogger has just sat with the soppiest grins on her face for the past 90 or so minutes. An onlooker might say I looked simple! 
The reason for my gurning and the title of this post is
I finally watched the last ever Downton. The feel good factor levels in my blood right now are set at maximum. Slightly tinged with sadness at the lack of 
Next time....as the credits rolled.... 


Right I think I managed that with no spoilers! Today I'm off for a 'look' in Hobbycraft. I've decided my next knit ( gulp ) is a jumper for the HG. It's going to take me a looooooong time and a LOOOOOOT of wool. Hobbycraft has a good 3 for 2 offer on so I'm going for a look to see if I can get what I need. I'm also fancying doing a bit of stitching after reading Marlene's blog all year, Suzanne has done some cross stitch and Pam has said she's going to get stitching. I've never really got on with cross stitch, my genre of choice is tapestry. I used to do loads in my (clearly wild and mispent Rock and roll ) youth. Tapestry is really just half cross stitch. It's quite spendy but I've had a look online and I've decided my Christmas pennies off my Ma in Law will go on this .
I've also seen some long stitch kits, which I've never seen before. So I might try one of those too! 

We finished off the turkey yesterday and think tonight's tea will be something simple like jacket potato with beans! 
This next pic is for Sadie. 
Two sets of stick on nails from asda £6 in each box  called impress ! They are still
on and still look good! They are shinier in real life! 

Ok, I'm off to take my still grinny daft post Downton face to get sorted for the looking at the shops! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel * ahhhhhhh* Radiostar xxxx

Sunday 27 December 2015

Christmas 2015


Hello everyone, did we all make it intact?! 
I'm awake at 5.30. I'm in no rush to get up today. Christmas Eve was a lovely day of prep, relaxations and you know I went to Midnight Mass, so I went to bed after taking the yearly tree/presents photo, feeling all blessed and smugly festive. 
From this angle, it looks like the tree is going to fall! 

We had a lovely day, just the four of us, pleasing ourselves. The HG and I spent a lovely day in the kitchen, with the radio on faffing around with the dinner. The offsprings were happy looking through their gifts,  occasionally coming in to the kitchen to help and to mostly enquire when would it be ready!! 

The table was festive, 
Once seated, we feasted on 
well let's look at the menu... 
( astonishingly I didn't take photos!! I know!!! ) 

                         Starters
Handmade by the HG chicken liver pate served with lightly toasted by me granary bread. A bit of lettuce and some optional caramelised red onion chutney. 

                          Mains
Fresh, organic, has frolicked in the dappled sunshine of a leafy meadow, drinking from the crystal clear waters in the pond created from a waterfall, sleeping on a bed of the finest organic free range hay in a hand carved, solid oak, bespoke barn Bronze Turkey 

Served with 
Mashed potatoes - soft, fluffy  ( and only a little bit stuck to the pan where I'd reheated it ) 

Roast Potatoes- in duck fat. Parboiled for ten minutes, drained, rested, shaken till fluffy and tumbled into the hot duck fat, sprinkled with salt. Definitely the crispest roast potatoes in the world! 

Yorkshires - we are Northern. We serve these with everything. They were whoppers! I used the Brian Turner recipe as I always do which is same volume of eggs, flour and milk. They were done in duck fat. They were billowy and crispy, deep deep sides with a crispy on the outside, soft on the inside well for your gravy - everything you'd want from a Yorkshire. 

Carrots - glazed. Gary Rhodes showed me how in the mid 90s. Chop yer carrots into diamond shaped carrots, in a small pan, just cover with water, add a teaspoon of salt and sugar and a large knob of butter. Lid on, boil rapidly. When carrots are just done, lid off, high heat until all the water has gone leaving the butter to glaze the carrots! Takes about 8 minutes in total. Perfectly reheatable so good to make in advance. 

Romanesco cauliflower - because it looks like Christmas Trees!  Originally planned to be covered in cheese sauce but I decided I couldn't really be arsed to make any and it turned out we were full anyway so was glad we'd left it out. 

Sprouts- brace yourselves! Last year's sprouts were Heston Bloomingwhatsheonabouts recipe. Where each individual leaf was peeled off by me and then faffed about with to create a delicious sprout dish! 
This year - we're giving thanks to Jamie Oliver and his programme on Christmas Eve. It was basically the same recipe as Heston's. Fry bacon, add sprouts, splash water, lid on for four minutes, lid off, add butter n black pepper, serve. 
But the difference was the sprout prep. 
it's the shredded sprouts!! 

Right, I'd peeled enough sprouts for us, 
3 each for kids ( they'll eat three but no more ) 4 for  the HG and 6 for me ( I love em lol ) 

The HG  said lets do 'em a laJamie.  

Shred em fine in food processor 
Meanwhile
Cut 4-6 rashers streaky into tiny cubes n fry, add sprouts, splash water,  
Lid on
Two
Mins, add knob butter, toss, done. 
Lovely. 

BUT the HG commented that there didn't  look to be enough, so we emergency peeled another 15 sprouts!!! 
The technical term for the amount of sproutage we ended up with was Ducking shitloads!!! A massive frying pan FULL!  It was good, though the offsprings , who quite happily eat normal unfettled sprouts  AND ate Heston's sprouts last year, did not care for this hot baconY coleslaw. 
Let me tell you also, shredding sprouts increases their gas inducing capability ten fold. 

Still, be good bubble n squeak!!! (  I can't believe I just wrote an essay about sprouts! ) 

Pigs in blankets - the original two packs of outdoor reared porky goodies missing in action. I bought two packets of them. To this day I have absolutely no idea where they are. I remember dithering about buying them/making them. I recall deciding that I'd buy them. They were two packs for £5. ( organic frolicking in mud in the dappled orchard etc piggies) and that is where my memory fails me. They are not in any fridge or freezer! I've no idea if they went through the till in the shop, if they are lying festering in the work's van having fallen out of a bag!! No idea! 
I did have emergency chipolatas in and plenty of bacon so made my own - which made me a tad tetchy because I KNEW I HAD BOUGHT SOME! 

Stuffing - sausage meat and dried stuffing, with chestnuts. Yum. 

Gravy- thick and unctuous, hand made by the HG. 


                        Pudding
Raspberrytopped Vanilla Pannacotta made by J. Sainsbury. 

We sat down to eat at 3.15pm. It was good! We left the table at 5.15pm. Stuffed and heart happy. We all pitched in with clearing the table and then I think we all snoozed - the HG and the kids did, I tried, but kept being distracted by Paul O Grady's dogs on the telly! 

No one wanted anything else to eat. We had a light supper of cheese. The HG had his with a sliver of cold turkey and a slice of bread, I had mine with a slice of Christmas cake! It HAS to be Lancashire Creamy Mild. I've eaten it this way since I was little because it's how my
Beloved Nanna had it! Note festive nails! False, ready painted stick on ones! Still in situ as I type! 

Yesterday ( Boxing Day ), we had various relatives round. We had our traditional Turkey, chips and peas dinner. I did a buffet tea. I say *I*. The HG did most of the get the stuff out of the fridge and plate it bit and the kids did the traipse in and out of the kitchen to the table bit. 
I made the trifle for pudding. And as it rained outside, we ate and made merry. 

I'm still full now. At 6 o click in the morning! I do not want ANYTHING to eat today. Today will be lazy. There will be Sunday Dinner but at tea time. Same as Christmas Day but with carrot and swede mash, the cavelo nero will provide the gas power and the gravy will be stretched by granules! Pudding will be whatever you can find/make yourself if you want it! 

I've yet to watch Downton so no spoilers please! I did start watching that Dicken's thing on BBC1 but am a bit undecided about it. 

I'm just off now to reply to my lovely comments from you gorgeous lot and to have a nosy in your Christmasses! 

Lots of love from 
Rachel *fat as a ( missing, in blankets ) pig* Radiostar xxx




Friday 25 December 2015

Merry Christmas to you all

I write this at 12.50am. I'm just back from a lovely Carol service followed by Midnight Mass. The Christingles were given to us on our way out. 
Wishing you all peace, love and happiness. 

Xxx

Thursday 24 December 2015

Christmas Eve

Well, currently I am sat in my cosy bed listening to Storm Eva do her very lifelike Kate Bush impression. You know,
" It's me, Storm Eva, I'm so co o o old, let me in at your wind o o ow oh ow" 
She's trying her best to get in down the chimney too. She's a bit of a screaming banshee. She's lashing the windows with her wintry tears. I just had to google dictionary the word wintry because I thought it was right but then I tried wintery and Google said that both were fine. However, wintry is old English apparently so that's why I used it. 

I'm just hoping we don't have the power cuts Storm Desmond brought! My heart goes to those in Cumbria just up the road from me, dealing with reflooding. 

If you click  you will hear ( and maybe then want to go buy for 99p It Won't Be Long 'Til Christmas - Single by Help The North https://itun.es/gb/xSbU_) the local efforts to raise money to help those stricken by the flooding. Do watch it because there's children from my school in the video and on the single! Plus it's a sweet Christmassy tune! 

I made these yesterday! The gingerbread man was filled with chocolate fresh cream, had his features picked out with white chocolate and was delivered to my next door  neighbour-but-one as a thank you for providing me with flasks of hot water during the power cut. The snowman just got a dusting of snow and will be scoffed today with frothy coffee! 

Right I'm getting up. I think the HG might be taking Mr 18 to work as its so foul out there. Words cannot convey the viciousness of the wind and rain right now. I wish he didn't have to go. The apprentice wage of £3.30 an hour doesn't seem enough to make me want to send him out in this! 
Miss 21 also has to go out in it for her hair doing! I'm thinking I'll advise her against having it styled after the cut! 

Well, I should get going and started on the day. I'd like to wish you all a very peaceful heartwarming Yuletide. May your turkey be moist and your sprouts not soggy! 

Lots of love from
Rachel *cant wait, with equal measures of happiness and sadness, for. The. Last. Ever. Downton* Radiostar xxx


Wednesday 23 December 2015

WAL

WRAPPING AT LAST!! 

Finally got my wriggle into gear and this is happening right now! ( of course I'm blogging in an effort to avoid it, but as my beloved Muse sang, Time is running out! 

Spotty ironing board - height adjustable wrapping for bad backs! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel * up to her ears in 
* Radiostar xxx

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Finally feeling festive!

Yet to wrap a present mind, but that's where I'm headed after I press publish! 
The house downstairs is FCT*. All lit up and cosy. 
I hung my Robin in the lit wreath and after discovering it's indoors only it is now adorning my chimney breast! 
Dining room window is dressed. 
Cheeky snowmen are everywhere! As are baubles and lights and candles. 
Sideboard is so pretty. 

Fireplace done! It looks like a bomb went off in a tinsel factory at my house! 

Book case festooned with lights! 
You can see my Russian doll santas that I've had forever and the little ceramic nativity set that's as old as Miss 21. 

Right, shin beef stew to get going and then off upstairs to wrap some stuff!! 
*FCT = Father Christmas Tidy! 

Are you ready yet? 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *If you stand still in my house you are in danger of being betinselled and lit up* Radiostar xxx


Monday 21 December 2015

Twirly

Like 4.17am twirly.
Twirly to get up and start doing. 

I  was like Bono sang about the fish. 



Wide away hake and not sleeping. 

Am annoyed because I've so much to do seeing as I was a lazy mare and did Sweet Fanny Adams and yesterday. 
Oh I tell a lie, I faffed about with Christmas Decs in the dining room! This is my centre piece for the table. Originally gold, this little tree was found in Oxfam 18 years ago and I sprayed it silver. The new little lights are Asda specials this year! 
The HG is at work soon and then I'll get cracking. I'd like a day in the kitchen Wednesday but unless I get all the other crap done, it'll not happen. 

Some of you lot really make me blush with your bloggy compliments! I hope you are not let down with this brief whingebaggy post! 
Of course, it's now 6am, officially time to get up, but I could just go back to sleep!! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *grouchbag* Radiostar xxx 

Sunday 20 December 2015

A day of nothing

At last! 
I say nothing, however I've all the food I bought yesterday to deal with and put away. I'm going to put the decorations up and n the dining room and get my cards up etc
It's going to be a lazy day for me. 

Yesterday, was the opposite ish. 
The HG and I were out by 8.15am. 
Off we went to a shopping village place to get the last of the gifts we wanted. 

Whilst in M&S, I looked at a 'knit your own cushion cover' set in the half price sale. It contained four  big balls of the softest, creamiest, chunky Aran wool, a set of thick bamboo needles and a cable needle, 3 buttons and the thread to sew them on. Now £12.50. It was the last one. 
No instructions. But I figured the wool alone was worth more than that so I looked it off the shelf and at the till asked the lady to double check there were no instructions. Nope there were none, so she knocked an extra 20% off for me! £10 billy bargain! I used a gift card I'd been given for my birthday last year so basically, it was free! Because you all know how desperate for wool I am......( please let's forget about my stash post in the summer) I'm going to email M&S later today to see if they can send me some instructions- though I think I'll use the wool for a jumper for my niece! 

After we left the shops at 10.07 ( including a quick squizz round hobbycraft where I only bought some off those battery operated tealights ) we went to the posh garden centre. The cooked breakfasts are only £3.50 and frankly it would have been rude not to! 
I swapped the HG's bacon for his tomato! This lot was washed down by a mug of tea. In the farm shop bit, we looked at the chicken livers,( for the HG's famous homemade pate ) the lambs liver,( for when I make the HG liver n onions for tea ) the pin wheel Cumberland sausage, ( sausage mash n beans one night )  the shin of beef, ( stew n dumplings )the garlic butter chicken ( kebabs ( served with rice for a really tasty treat ) and their sausage rolls. ( a must buy ). 

Next port of call was Dewlays Cheesemakers. The kilo and a half of Lancashire Creamy mild should see us through til March I reckon! £8.20 is a lot cheaper than buying it from the supermarket around here! 

After that was the farm shop for the sack of spuds and all the veg. ( I do mean All. The. Veg )

We then made our way to the beauty spa where I was going to have my eyebrows ripped off and he HG was going to have the back massage I bought him for his birthday! One of the above activities is definitely more relaxing than the other! 
We'd arrived a bit early, so we parked up and had a wander up the High Street. Naturally, I went to have a look in the charity shops. 

Now I'm not a shoe/bag/clothes person at all. For the most part, I don't really care what I look like with what I'm wearing. I find it incredibly unbelievable that people pay 100s and 1000s of pounds for shoes and bags etc. 
However, 
I was having a browse when I saw the most beautiful boots I've seen in a long time. They were JUST like the ones I used to wear in my teenage years - except these were satiny and those were suedey! They were in my size! I worried over the heel being a bit high but I had to have them! 
I chatted with the lady at the till who genuinely offered to buy the boots back off me for herself if the didn't fit! 
My photos do not do them justice! 
They actually fit perfectly though walking in them is an issue!! I need to repractise walking in heels! Failing that, I'll put them in my china cabinet! 

Once we'd been in the salon 
Me - ARRRRRGH
HG- ahhhhh

It was off to the seaside to get his Christmas Present from me. A full waterproof fishing outfit. We then came home with a couple of stops at shops on the way back! 

We got in at 4pm. I was going out for 7pm and I had to dye my hair! To be honest, after my shower I could have just got my clean pjs on and climbed into bed. Sooo tired. The week had definitely caught up with me! But the meal had been paid for ( out of my lottery winnings ) so I was jolly well going! 

The table arrangements were not great with some of us say with our backs to each other. However after the disappointing starter ( where only half came ), the mains were gorgeous.
Yum! I couldn't finish it all! 
The pudding was um well my crime brûlée didn't crack when I hit it on the top and it was a bit like set semolina in texture! ( I've been watching too much Masterchef ) 
I didn't really eat it! I had a good laugh with the people sat on our bit of the table but by nine o'clock I was ready for home! There was a disco but how the rooms were set, it was unclear where one had to go to dance! We'd been upstairs on like a mezzanine layer away from everyone else!! 
Me and my friends lasted til 10pm then we gave up and came home! I'm going to vote that we have the 'do' the week before we break up next year because everyone was too knackered to enjoy it. I'd have the tables arranged in a huge square too so that we could all sit and see each other. 

Right I'm off to make porridge for breakfast and then get cracking!! Have a good Sunday one and all. 

Lots of love from

Rachel *still tired out* Radiostar xxx 

 

Saturday 19 December 2015

Shopping day

It's twirly, dark and I am just feeling the beginnings of sore throat and hurty ears. Bloody typical, every end of term, particularly Autumn Term I succumb to bugs. Well, I've no time to be ill today so I will be taking max strength drugs shortly. 
The HG has to work right up to Christmas Eve so today we are off out and about shopping like maniacs. 

Got a lot to fit in! We need to buy the last few bits n bobs for gifts, we need to go have a cooked breakfast at the posh garden centre ( ! ), we need to call at the local cheeeeeeese shop for the cheeeeeese and the close by farm shop for my annual sack of spuds. Then we are off for some pampering at the beauty salon! I'm having my eyebrows ripped off my face again and he's having the back and shoulder massage I bought him for his birthday! Then it's off to the seaside to get his Christmas present from me. A fishing suit. I can't be out too long because I need longer these days to get ready for a night out. It's the staff do tonight. It was paid for by mine and my partner in crime at works' lottery winnings! We've done the Eurolottery all year and we won enough to pay for our Christmas dinner and a cocktail! Although I have not told you about what happened last Friday when I went out for festive cocktails!! ( I was absolutely trollied!!! ) I may decide to have a mocktail instead! 

Last nights Carol concert was outstanding. It was in the 700 year old City Priory. There was an orchestra, the choir, school children from four schools ( including mine! ) and readings from a posh lady! The vicar was suitably witty and the children were marvellous! 

The huge candelabras looked like they were floating Hogwarts style! 
This is just the side chapel - the carvings are exquisite. 
It really is a beautiful building and I'm feeling suitably festive now despite my ears hurting from the reindeer earrings I wore last night!! It didn't finish until 10pm! 

Right that's yer lot, it's 6.26am and I need to get cracking!  
Lots of love from 

Rachel *knackered* Radiostar xxx

Friday 18 December 2015

Last day of term!

Huzzah!! 

Last night I stayed at work for the Junior Disco. The day passed slowly as my class were having a 'bring your own toys in' day. Two cherubs were most put out that their taller than me plastic uzi sub machine nerf guns were confiscated upon arrival,  being deemed inappropriate and unsuitable and not on the list of board games and non electronic activities they were allowed to bring in from home!! It was just a very loud day. They all really enjoyed playing the different games together until about 3pm when they and us staff had. Had. Enough. They also squeezed in a viewing of Home Alone. The best thing for me, was watching the faces of the handful of children who'd never watched it before! 
Then I went to Night Owls and most of them went home to get prettied up!
I'm really pleased that the year six kids turned up looking like year six kids and not street walkers and gangsters. I only stuck it out til 6.30pm, it was too loud,  abandoning ship to go looking at Sainsbury's.  

I've had my eye on this since mid November but no way would I spend £25 on some twigs and wire, but when I looked at it last night it was half price!normarily I'd be shrieking "£12.59 for some twigs and wire???" BUT  I was post disco day. In full on *FIM. 

I also looked at this darling half price Robin in a glass bottle ( I've been bird watching it since Mid November too ) 

and some half price fancy crackers for my table. 

Not to be pulled mind, just to be looked at! Don't worry, I looked at some other half price crackers
for pulling so we will be festooned with jaunty tissue paper hats on the day! 

To those admirers of the gingerbread decs, I've managed to snaffle a couple! Drop me your address and I'll send you one!! 

Thank you to Carol for her card which I received yesterday X I've some beauties this year! 

Right, I need to find my friends at work's presents and wrap them! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *two Carol concerts and a staff night out to go* Radiostar xxx 

*FIM = F@&K IT MODE!!