Back online

3 months and so much has come to pass, Christmas has been and gone along with Lau, who came down on the 23rd and left yesterday for Inverness.
We have experienced snow and extreme cold, minus 17 brrrrr, big change from Andalucia :) But we have a lovely cosy flat above the shop in the village, so I am a lot warmer than last winter!!!

It is great to be back and I am told by everyone that I am looking happier than I have done for quite some time, well that´s a relief mmmmmm - it´s true though I do feel more alive and looking forward to the new year.......as you can see Squidge has made herself comfortable, the sun shines in all day and she follows it around and when it goes down she is to be found in front of the fire, all things considered she coped with the whole journey/transition very well, for a lady of such advanced years!!

Our journey was not so bad despite getting a different van to the one booked, it broke down and we were given a bigger, slower noisier one, which was also more costly especially on the toll roads through France eeeeeek......we managed to spend a couple of days in the Basque region with friends of Nic, truly very beautiful and lovely people to stay with - no doubt we shall be back for many more visits. Anyway we got back as planned offloaded our stuff at a friends farm in one of the outbuildings, returned the van to the midlands - stayed with an old schoolfriend and his family before getting an early train back to Scotland and celebrate my birthday with a few old friends and Lau. 
We viewed a cottage and enquired about a couple more that were vacant, someone suggested the flat above the shop but didn´t think we would get it as we both smoke, but on the Saturday after we got here we went and had a look and fell in love with it the moment we saw it, Graham knows me of old and Lau worked for him before going to Uni, so all was agreed and we started moving our stuff that week........how lucky were we? And Su didn´t have to put up with us for too long either, bless her for her kindness :) All this along with Nic becoming a member of the gala committee so he was roped in to help at the Halloween party, and then gathering wood and manning the bonfire for Guy Faulks night - as well as applying for every job advertised well seemed like that, he now has some work with Global Translations and I am to become a Chocolatier woo hoo yummmmmeeeeeeee. I have worked with Liz before when she started the Green Tea House - fortunately for me one of the ladies has left so a wee space for me, I worked in the shop in the run up to Christmas as she and the other ladies took off to Morocco, (due back today).

We celebrated the Solstice up at Sarah´s - Nic had been up to Stranraer for some translation work - he had to set off real early in the morning as that was our minus 17 night and needed to allow for very slow driving.......he got the best views of the eclipse as he was driving towards it for the entire journey.........I couldn´t go with him as I was working in the shop.......but he got there n back without getting lost and we all had a fine and festive time, Feet created a great bonfire to keep us toasty warm on the outside as Sarah´s soup and mulled wine kept us warm within :)

For the first time in 10 years I was with Laura and Jamie on Christmas morning ahhhhh, we trundled over to J & Alexa´s to see Leah really as they were off to A´s parents for dinner, it was special for Alexa and her family in more ways than one as they had Lyn home for the first time in a few years, she is in the forces......

Luckily Lau n I did all the prep for Christmas after finishing at the choc shop (we stayed open later on Christmas eve to hand out hot choc and baileys to folks calling in, no Lau and I didn´t drink it all........so when we got home from J & A´s  it was all ready to start cooking and prepare for Sarah Feet Rowan Robin and Su PJ´s arrival, who all brought many goodies and yes we did eat too much

 OOO nearly forgot the playgroup had a real St Nic visit them this year :)

 So all quiet on the western front today, we did pop round to friends last night and we are off out again tomorrow night, so hoping for a relaxing day......but who knows who will drop by......

Hoping you all had a fine and festive time and looking forward to heralding a great New Year (if you didn´t already at the solstice!!) Love Light and barrowloads of Blessings be with you