December Celebrations

This month is certainly whipping through, just enough time for a quick catch up, I really should be writing Christmas cards and doing the ironing so this is a delaying tactic!

We have some big birthday celebrations this month (our family all have December birthdays) Dave turns 60 on Saturday, we have a family meal arranged, in fact it's been all family meals recently!  On the 23rd James will be 30, he doesn't want to celebrate,  I think something will be arranged not sure what yet. Next Sunday will be another get together, we will be giving Rachel her presents,  she won't be here for Christmas or her birthday or New Year, lucky girl will be on a beach somewhere near Sydney, Australia!! I'm not envious AT ALL!! It does mean that I wont be cooking vegetarian options on Christmas day,  I'll be roasting potatoes in goose fat and putting pancetta on the brussel sprouts.

I have been getting some textile work done, still can't show it yet not until the first exhibition is up and running. Ok, just to prove I've been doing something, I've been using romeo, for those that may not know what that is, it's a soluble film that can be stitched through. There's always that moment when it goes in the water that I think will it all just come apart and hours of work be wasted, Thankfully that didn't happen.... not this time anyway. Am I the only one that thinks that?

Betsy watching the swans coming out of the water

Betsy will be six months old on the 27th, she's a real character, she loves her walks at the weekend when we take her into the woods or by the ponds. Last Saturday all the ducks and geese were on the path as we passed by and on the return the two swans and the cygnet started to get very interested in us and came out of the water, we decided not to hang around and made a quick exit.

Have I mentioned the obedience training?  We attend a class for an hour every Monday, this week she was a little star and didn't put a paw out of place, sitting and laying down on command (not too much barking at the other dogs). I did have to laugh, this week there were a few new pups and owners, one lady said to me ' OMG this is such hard work',  I was so relieved when she said that, for the first couple of weeks I  left there  feeling absolutely exhausted. It felt as though I was never going to get it right, but it seems to be coming together. Having said that Betsy still pulls when we walk her and wants to play with everyone, (people and dogs) that we come across when out for a walk, so the trainer is going to come here one evening next week for a one to one session, Dave can join in too (that should be a laugh). We are getting there.

Must dash things to do and someone needs to be taken out for a walk........