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| look closely - daffodils! In December |
Ah, Christmas. 364 days away. Bliss. Don't get me wrong, I do like it. But I like to get past it as well. I'm eyeing the tree and wondering how soon I can slide it into the green bin. It hasn't been helped by the sudden diabolo craze around here. It was a late request from the littlest boy, and somehow Father Christmas managed to pull one out of the bag. The biggest boy also has one, and the middle boy has a yo-yo. The living room is full of flying objects. The diabolo-ers are getting all tricksy and swinging it round their heads and throwing it back and forth to each other. The tree is crashed into on average about once every seven minutes. My nerves are in shreds. I know, I say that every year. Anyway, the tree is leaning and no longer looking its best and its days are numbered.
We went for a walk on Christmas Eve to look at pretty cottages and houses looking deliciously cosy in the fading light. I do so love Christmas Eve afternoon. Then yesterday we went to the beach where the wind was roaring. The littlest boy had a new Superman costume for Christmas. You may recall how much he loved the old one. He was so happy to have a new one, also a Batman top and cape, some camouflage trousers and a couple of camouflage bandanas. He was thrilled with it all and has been wildly mixing and matching ever since.
Down towards the dangerous sinking mud a man was digging for bait. I took the middle boy down to see what he was getting, in the interests of furthering his fishing education. The littlest boy came too. We got to about six feet away from him and suddenly my boots sank through the surface crust of the mud and I WAS SINKING. There are danger signs everywhere advising you not to go too far out because it gets to the stage where you just can't pull your feet out. I started dancing around like a maniac and shrieking "I'm sinking, I'm sinking" and although I'd been on top of the mud just a moment before I couldn't for the life of me get back to a bit where I wasn't sinking. The bait digger said helpfully, "You should have worn your wellies." I managed to suck myself out, but honestly, the mud was all over my feet by that time. We never did get to see what he had in his bucket. I did learn a little something about how far to go out. But I still don't understand why no-one else was sinking. Not even his car. It couldn't be that I was the fattest could it? I'm not going to have to make a New Year's resolution or anything am I?
So that's the news from here really. Christmas - over it. Diabolo - look out! Mud - new respect. You?
Lovely photos and blog CJ, I too am eyeing up the sad tree in the corner as I write. Today is the first day we've got out for a walk as it's the first day without heavy rain. It was good to stretch our legs. Wishing you a great new year and 2016 :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a scary thing...getting stuck in mud. I would have been panicking too. I feel for you with the low flying objects CJ. Still remember the year all mine got mini indoor helicopters...terrifying and noisy things that they were not very good at controlling!
ReplyDeleteHere's to 2016.
Jacquie x
Oh CJ you do make me laugh! My tree will stay in place until Twelth night when the act of removing all its decorations will mean that all the needles will drop off in a tidyish pile on the rug. Bare tree will be removed to garage to await shredding and rug will be carefully lifted and shaken outside thus minimising hoovering. The weather has been too awful to think about going to the beach but tomorrow we have a walk along the Thames planned. I am definitely avoiding all shops and went to the allotment today to harvest supper. Enjoy the holidays, I agree it is a relief when the day itself is over.
ReplyDeleteYep. Definitely over it. Especially the eating part. Mike has a whole Christmas cake all to himself. I hope he enjoys it..
ReplyDeleteI have two that still need icing. No-one wants them...
DeleteGlad you had a good time. I remember the diablo craze - it started gently and happily, but the tricks weren't a happy experience for me!
ReplyDeleteI asked if I could take the decorations down today too. The answer was no!
You are not the fatest! And thankfully it wasn't the littlest one as he might not have had the strength to pull himself out and then you would have all been in way over your ankles. You make me laugh. I am frazzled and can't wait to get all the Christmas decorations down on Thursday. I am working tomorrow and when I realized tha I almost cried hysterically, I am not ready!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
We're having our older son and his family for a late Christmas with them on New Years Day - so the decorations will stay put until the day after New Years. Works for me.. I love all the lights. Once it's down it get way too dark in here. I'm going to leave the fairy lights up in the dining room until the light comes back. It's snowing here! I love the cottages and your little superhero! Enjoy this wonderful quiet week.
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*H*A*P*P*Y* *N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*!*
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((hugs)), Teresa :-)
What a lovely blog post and beautiful photos of the local cottages. They remind me of Scarborough, where hubby and I just were, visiting family after his beloved aunt passed away. Hubby is homesick for England so we're making plans to move next summer...back to his home and close to family.
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed new year! xx
Oh I seriously doubt that you are heavier than his car!!!! I suspect you just stepped in an extra-mushy spot.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Mercy! You and yours are having adventures...but I dare say your sinking had nothing to do with your weight :) I'm cheering you on to a Happy New Year, CJ. I just sent off my Christmas-New Years cards today and am trying to recover from not getting enough sleep in the last week! xx
ReplyDeleteYou always make me giggle! Lovely little story. Your Xmas eve walk looks delightful!
ReplyDeleteКак потрясающе! Нарциссы - это невероятно, но очень красиво!
ReplyDeleteChristmas - still in the thick of relatives and entertaining (mostly fun but am eating WAY too much); Diablo - my middle son rediscovered his a while ago but I quietly hid it before Christmas (he hasn't noticed); Mud - we have LOTS in the fields but it's the slippy kind rather than the sinking kind (I also respect it after sliding onto my bottom). Love your photos. Have a fun week CJ. Sam x
ReplyDeleteSuper photos CJ, I love all the dressing up clothes your son now has, and the diabolos made me smile, I banned the football from the lounge after the tree and other Christmas decorations were battered by the ball ( and my youngest is 17)! I confess to start taking my Christmas cards down on Boxing Day. How scary is that with the mud, you must have found a particularly soft patch to stand in. Xx
ReplyDeleteCripes! It would have made a very dramatic blog post had you got to the stage of requiring Proper Rescue, but on the whole I'm very glad you didn't get that far. Sinking in mud, yikes!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the Superman flying through the air photo and I am with you on post-Christmas. Love Crimble Eve and Crimble Day but then it's back to normal in our house. All the decs are down and the tree is outside. Sigh Of Relief XX
I am ever so glad you managed to get out of the mud! I had to retrieve a couple of wellies yesterday on our muddy walk, our local woods are more or less under water. Diabolos are such great fun. My little creatures have no patience for it but I do. As I am typing this, I try to remember where our is. Our tree lives on borrowed time, too. Poor thing, standing forlornly in a corner now that Christmas day is in the past. Have a lovely few days, hope you recover from your ordeal. xx
ReplyDeleteIt would have been hugely embarrassing to have been properly stuck in the mud. It happens regularly, although most often to non-locals who don't realise how sinky it all is. There are always stories on the local news about the hovercraft having to go out and rescue people. They have a technique of pumping water down into the ground by your feet and hauling you out. Oh the indignity. Better than the alternative though, bearing in mind how fast the tide comes in, and how high it rises (up to 49 feet all told!) I scared myself sufficiently and I shall stay well back in future. CJ xx
DeleteLoved this!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you had the greatest PSI ... clearly yours is higher then the kids and the cars may well be lower if it has four fat tyres. You need a pair of these http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/Products.asp?mi=35511 heehee
They're brilliant! I had a moment of panic, imagining myself in one of those "idiot stuck in mud" stories that regularly pop up in the local press. CJ xx
DeleteNo no, dear CJ, you weren't the fattest. Heaven Forbid. It's just that, as the man said, you weren't wearing your wellies. And Fate wanted to underline that you weren't.
ReplyDeleteI, too, have started making my first tentative suggestions that we must all be tired of the tree by now. No family member pays the slightest heed to me.
This post had me smiling as well as 'oh dearing'! Good pictures as always. In comparison my Christmas was thankfully quiet and relaxing. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteOur little tree only came out on Christmas eve which is soon enough for us. We are always happy to have Christmas behind us as it is our unlucky time.
ReplyDeleteI thought every good English man and woman owned at least one pair of wellies! Those wide moody beach vista photos are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, there is a patch of sinking mud by a local oak tree. There are still to this day a pair of wellies which were owned by a childhood friend & were claimed by the mud. Harry is friends with this persons son now & it always tickles me to think of that day. I'm glad you managed to escape! xx
ReplyDeleteThe ground is frozen solid here, so no mud for us, but I've been in some muddy situations in the past myself. I'm glad you were able to get out! I haven't seen diabolos here yet but they may be on their way. Right now, my nerves are shot because of the Nerf basketball hoop in the family room. My husband has devised a math and spelling game where a shot with the ball is the prize for correct answers, which is very nice and everyone is keeping their skills sharp. But I'm so tired of ducking, having to move my tea, getting hit on the head, etc. I'm ready for the tree to come down too. I cleaned all day yesterday and now I just want to vacuum the house thoroughly but it's not worth it until the tree is gone.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds quite scary, I think I'd stay away from the mud in future, you may not be so lucky next time, eeek! Eleanor always used to have princess dresses for Christmas and she'd spend the whole festive period dressed in them.
ReplyDeleteGood grief -- the sinking-mud is a terrifying story. I have nightmares about things like that. I remember reading in Robert MacFarlane's book The Old Ways about him and a fellow crossing some ancient mud-flat/tide-out 'road' which would often be suddenly beset by thick fog that would leave you unable to see the markers and let you stumble into great, sucking, mud so that the tide could come in and finish you off. Horrifying to read...even though I knew they'd survived because he wrote the book. But still!!!! That sort of stuff gives me the collywobbles. Along with crocodiles and sharks. Must be something coded in my genes....
ReplyDeleteI digress.
I know what you mean about being glad to be on the other side of Christmas. I love it very much. I also love when it's over and life can resume it's normal programming.
Great superhero shot!
Wishing you the most wonderful of years-to-come! xoxo
Hey CJ,
ReplyDeleteNo Diablos here, but pur tree has been the victim of remote controlled helicopters, and a fight. And I have memories of mud sinking in Weston Super Mare, when I was a child. Have you den the t shirts in M& that have super hero capes attached to them? They are fab. I quite fancy taking down the decs, but Mum is arriving tomorrow, and she's very fond of all things Christmas.
Leanne x
Fortunately, although still leaning, our tree has no one to crash into it, so it is still standing. I feel for you and yours though! Sounds very stressful indeed. I hope that all the superheroishness - yes, of course that is a word! - will be wonderful in the year ahead! Glad that you got out of the mud, I would hate for you to be stuck there. xx
ReplyDeletenice flying superman!
ReplyDeleteI got very stuck in mud once, had to crawl out. Very embarrassing.................
Hi CJ. Glad you had a good Christmas. I remember my husband being bought a diabolo and me having to confiscate it when he used to practise in the wee small hours and wake the children up as it relentlessly crashed to the wooden floor! That mud sounds a bit scary - as pressure = force over area, maybe you just have really small feet?! xx
ReplyDeleteSadly not! CJ xx
DeleteLove the Superman costume! Sinking mud too - terrifying. I remember years ago at Weston - Super-Mare, chasing madly after our girls as they ran out to sea past signs saying 'danger-mud'. Hope your new year is a little less fraught! x
ReplyDeleteI just swoon over those cottages. I do love the afternoon of Christmas eve too. And I always love your stories! As for the mud, it sounds more like a case of "wrong place, wrong time" than an issue with being overweight.
ReplyDeleteSucking mud scares me stiff, as does the firm sand which forms inviting islands which then maroon you with a fast incoming tide on a beach we frequent. I am always begging people to stay near to the shingle shore and to keep an eye on the tide coming in sideways. Yes I'm always ready for the tree to come down by New Year. It seems such an irrelevance after that.
ReplyDeleteOh CJ, I'm sorry, but that made me laugh! Obviously it was not at ALL funny at the time, no, but you tell a good tale. We have areas of sinking sand down here which the locals know to avoid at low tide and I steer well clear. Not because I consider myself a local already, but because I'm scared.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos or the winter light though, and I am with you about loving Christmas Eve afternoon (it's like everything is suspended briefly) and also being rather relieved that Christmas is behind us. The best bit is now. xx
It made me smile that you are already celebrating that Christmas is so far away! I can't wait until 1st Jan when all our decorations come down and we cam revert back to normal.
ReplyDeleteI have been one of those idiots that got stuck in the mud! The children thought it was so funny and were too busy taking photos rather than helping me out. I was wearing wellies at the time so maybe the baiters suggestion isn't foolproof! Sarah x
glad your xmas went well,i,m with you with the xmas tree ,i cant wait for the w/e to dismantle and eject my sorry looking tree ,happy healthy new yr to you all cl x
ReplyDeleteThat mud sounds terrifying, I'm very glad that you didn't get properly stuck, CJ. No diabolos here but MrC now has an indoor basketball hoop installed on the back of his door that I stupidly thought was a good present before Christmas. Now I know otherwise. Happy new year to you! xx
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