Well...finally 2012 has arrived. The year in which my youngest child starts school and I will have some time that is officially "mine" for the first time in some nine years or so. I have a long list of lovely things I want to do like have naps, make more quilts, enjoy having coffee with girlfriends without being interrupted, browse peacefully in book/antique shops. I also have a longer list of things I need to do like housework, writing a history with Scott of the girls' school for its 50th anniversary, paperwork, selling things on ebay, getting a new laundry tap etc etc etc. Still.....I can feel the excitement bubbling up at the thought of only a week to go. I am on long service leave for a year which is a lovely gift from the universe. My new year's resolution this year is not to take any rubbish from anyone and to say "no" to anything I don't want to do. Sounds selfish but I need to do it.
Christmas was lovely. I hope yours was too. Like everyone I spoke to, the fortnight which preceded it was a mad rush but I tried not to get too carried away with trying to make it perfect. I bought the presents late but wrapped them early and managed to stick to our budget. I let the girls do the Christmas decorating of the tree and the mantelpiece and then enjoyed looking at their efforts. (I am still looking at them as my children NEVER want to take the decorations down). I was slightly stressed about the prospect of fitting in the usual morning presents and ham and eggs for breakfast, lunch with my family at my sister's, and then the afternoon and dinner with Scott's family at our place but I did all my cooking the day before and the day was a really happy and relaxed one. Fewer presents this year (cousins getting older and budgets getting tighter) but just as much love and food and music as ever.
I have been trying to eat healthily for the last few months but in the post-Christmas recovery felt the urge to eat one of my favourite comfort desserts from my childhood days. We had an elderly lady called "Mrs Nutting" (It was the 1960s-70s.... we didn't call adults by their first names) for a babysitter and she used to make us this chocolate blancmange and meringue pudding that we all loved. The chocolate part is made from bread, sugar, milk and I forget what else and you simmer it in a saucepan for a while before baking it until it is firm and then whacking on the meringue mixture and baking it for another hour or so. I can't be bothered posting the recipe right this minute but if you are tempted, let me know and I will stop being lazy and type it up.
While Scott was on holidays we just relaxed and did simple things. We went to beautiful Shorncliffe once or twice and let the girls run around like crazy things on the mudflats and fly their kites.
I thought Gret was going to break a rib she laughed and squealed so much with the joy of all that freedom. She ended up soaked in water with sand in her knickers and had to be completely rinsed and changed into dry clothes. She has an ink stamp on her forehead which adds to her general air of craziness.
It's nearly always incredibly windy at Shorncliffe so perfect for flying kites. All you have to do is hold the string and stand still and away they go.
Best wishes to all my bloggy friends for a lovely year in 2012. May life bring you many many happy moments.
