A Very Busy December

A quick catch-up of what I have been up to during December ... when not knitting! :)

A few visits to the allotment.  The garlic and onions were planted in November and that just left the broad beads to be planted at the beginning of December.

On the 6th of December it was an open day at Purlescence, which is situated on ex-RAF Station Grove, in Oxfordshire.  This plane at the entrance kept my Husband happy! ;)

Beautiful knitwear on display in Jamieson & Smith wool.

Lots of scrummy Fyberspates yarns!

These two skeins came home with me.

Afterwards we visited the Uffington White Horse.

Amazing views!

We next stopped at the beautiful market town of Wantage, where we had refreshments and a browse around.

I discovered this beautifully illustrated book, The Red Book of Romance, published in 1905.

The following week we visited my Husband's family on the South Coast.

This is Molly

a Bichon Frisé

and this is Max

a Bichon Frisé/Yorkshire Terrier cross.

Afterwards we visited Brighton to see the lights, but there weren't that many

 and we did a spot of shopping!

The next day we went to Winchester to buy my Christmas present, but sadly our favourite jewellers have retired, so we came home empty-handed.  Well, not quite!  I did buy some wool! :)

Last Saturday we got up and drove to The Midlands to collect our children from university.

My Husband dropped me off at Birmingham to start the day with our Son, then he drove to Stafford to pick up our Daughter before meeting up in Birmingham.

Our Son had only just got up, so we stopped at Starbucks for some breakfast!

Then we looked for his Christmas present.  Not in White Stuff! :)

I just loved the window display!  He wanted a suit for Christmas and Slaters is opposite White Stuff.

We all met up and wandered around the Christmas market,

before stopping for lunch in Lost & Found.

I loved these lights there!

More shopping!  One teenage boy keeping himself amused whilst waiting for his Sister to come out of the changing-room! :)

Dr. Martens - our final shop before going home.  One happy Daughter with her Christmas gift.

Sunday we had my Husband's Sister visiting with her family and we all went out for lunch at a local pub.

Monday morning three of us were up and out early to see the sun rise at Stonehenge to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

Unfortunately it was very cloudy and we didn't get to see the sun.

One the way home we stopped off at our older allotment to pick some mistletoe.

This afternoon I will be in the kitchen baking and decorating the Christmas cake.

So far I have baked the cake and fed it with sherry every week.

Made three pudding using my paternal grandmother's recipe for the first time

and made mini chestnut, cranberry and goat's cheese roasts.

The house is decorated, I have gone for green, white and silver this year.  I'll post more pictures up after the holidays. The presents are wrapped.  Unfortunately my parents are unwell and won't be joining us for Christmas as planned. :(  They have flu rather bad, but hope to join us for the New Year.

So I would like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you in 2015!
xx Pj xx