Noel Noel …..Christmas Week 🎄

Wow where has that year gone …can not believe this time last year I was frantically spring cleaning house as housesitters from Oregon, USA www.trustedhousesitters.comcoming to look after pooches and house for ten weeks whilst we went off travelling to New Zealand 🇳🇿 via Hong Kong , taking in Sydney & a nice couple of weeks r and r in Bali ….. I have to say I feel extremely humbled to have friends all over and always ones who are happy to give us a bed & the best hospitality which makes these trips possible .

It was the first without the boy and it was strange …fuck I do miss him … he had left us three cake boxes, yeah cake boxes ..he doesn’t do present wrapping but the most precious thing in the cake box was a hand written note which I will treasure for ever ….the boy generally does not do writing ! ….he was spending time in Thailand for Christmas and I was like a cat on a hot tin roof …..he had not been further than Portugal and was being catapulted into Thai life for Christmas and new year …yep the dreaded new year full moon parties on the islands 😩….I had a photo sent to me just before Christmas of him lying in hospital on a drip …this came though about 2am….oh god my boy is sick … in hospital in Thailand miles alway from Mumma … horrible horrible feeling …he thankfully had WiFi and managed a call he had severe food poisoning was dehydrated and feeling pretty crap … I have to say the beginning of his trip was booked with a company called http://www.gap360.co.uk and he had a guide on this trip. The guide actually stayed in hospital with him, translated etc etc …I was so grateful and also I have to mention the fabulous group of people he was travelling with, they all looked after him ..kindness goes a long way in my book . He recovered paid a hefty bill of £500 which was covered by travel insurance thank god …. and he continued with his trip .

Fast forward exactly 12 months to the day …I hadn’t heard from him for a while so rang on messenger….he was poorly …gastroenteritis..had been for two days, dying ( he’s male remember !!) I just wanted to hug him. Wrap him up , give him Mummy love .. jokes…..I have a huge phobia about sick 🤢 I was torn between these feelings of mothers love and the overwhelming thought thank fuck he’s in Oz 😜…..vomiting all over his hostel room and not here !! … he’s recovering and I am sure he will be off watching the sunset with a beer tonight ! .

Daughter has finished school for Christmas … we had to go and get her on the worst snow day of the year luckily in a 4×4 but it was a horrendous journey the notorious A55 delivered its usual crap. It’s a road that keeps on giving …but living in North Wales it’s essential !… she was more disappointed having to come home earlier than planned which meant she had spent £15 on a Christmas jumper which was for Christmas lunch …all of which didn’t happen … she was hinting I refunded her £15 yeah right …not a chance ! . Lovely to have her home … love the wet towels on the floor, the mess in her bedroom, the endless washing, lights on … we have free power in our house ….banging tunes….the destruction in the kitchen from making toast, the demands, the strops the list goes on …… all that aside I do love her being home she makes me laugh and cry 😜.

Friends feature highly in my life …I had a lovely cheery message from one who’s sat in airport heading home for Christmas from Bali inviting us to a leaving party as they relocating to Hong Kong 🇭🇰 next year … high five sista love parties 🎊 especially in Bali & so excited they will be living in My favourite city ✈️💃.

I had my treatment last week and fucked up the dates … it’s three weekly and occasionally can go to four ..I had miscalculated the dates and have had to jump forward four days have treatment booked for the 29/12 then leave to go skiing ⛷…then am only home 6 days and away again for 2 weeks so have had to go 4 weeks and will have it 26/1 … it will feel like a real treat not having any treatment for nearly a whole month …high five sista love it .

Daughter had never put skis on until last Tuesday … we went to the Chill Factore in Manchester and she had a whole day ski group lesson which was fantastic. She got it and was soon ploughing down the slope … proud Mum moment ❣️…. I skied all day too on the main slope but finished an hour early …my dodgy arm from using the drag lift a million times was aching I was cold my feet numb 😦 … you see it’s not like real skiing where I ski and see a gorgeous little wooden hut selling coffee oh and scotch …. I ski with Mr Lover Lover who skis extreme stuff and has skied off Mt.Blanc …no pressure huh … he is like the black magic man skis in black kit looks like a French professional …me nah … I can get down … I can ski okish … I have no desire these days-to do anything extreme or slightly scary .. I like the sedate skiing with lots of scotch/coffee stops , French onion soup, views and of course good powder!!…. this year will be fab. Daughter and I will go to ski school .. nice French male ski instructors fingers crossed 😜( I want to improve my skill set honest 😜 ) and Mr Lover Lover can do his black runs and mogul fields, then meet us for lunch & he’s more than happy ( thank fuck ) to ski with us in the afternoon …. I am so excited 😆 about going. The snow fall in the alps has been amazing so far and we will be there over new year… New Year’s Day could be an interesting one 😂….

We had a night in the premier inn Trafford centre (family room daughter is only 16 honest) as we had to be in Chill Factore by 8.30am so spent the day in Trafford centre 😩 too busy ! We had lunch in Pesto.. a tapas style place special lunch menu …don’t bother, it was disgusting and I mean disgusting ..sent two dishes back and had a refund . We met up with besties daughter who’s in Manchester Uni for dinner at Bills …highly recommend Bills..www.bills-website.co.uk lovely atmosphere, great cocktails & lovely food …always rewarding to feed a student 😍… lovely company and it was nice to catch up with her … miss her like she’s mine !.

I have succumbed to the pressure of advertising … fuck it I am the proud new owner of “Alexa” I love her …I am a convert …. I speak to her all the time it’s like having the kids home …a friend has one hers is not called Alexa it’s called Echo as she says there is only room for one female in her house😂…. I thought then she had stopped working the other morning until I realised I was calling her the wrong name ..ffs…. I persuaded parents to buy one and we have given Mr Lover Lover’s 80yr old Mum one for Christmas 🎄….. we are loving her I have just tried to order a “Dot” for upstairs but they out of stock until Jan 🙁.

We are gearing up for a special Christmas … apart from the boy being absent 😦 … my brother and his family are coming home for the first time in ten years 🙌🏻… leaving me super excited …HE COOKS…no one is allowed near the kitchen 🙌🏻…he smokes his own salmon 🙌🏻…dinner will be a feast … keep reminding Mumma Bear he’s in charge … going to be interesting 😜pass me the prossecco …. there are eleven for lunch and a few more joining us later … it will be a hoot I am sure …. maybe tin hats and body armour should be handed out on arrival .?…jokes bro… just fucking love that you’re cooking … I am on pudding duty … meringues it is then… with chantilly cream, blackberries & Terry’s Chocolate Orange (no it’s fucking mine not Terry’s!… I love em !)… no Christmas is complete with out a chocolate orange … so remind me of my Grandmother, Dad’s Mum, she loved them …. and I am providing cheese and biscuits …not forgetting the celery which in true family tradition is placed in a jug of cold water and placed to once side … forgotten about until days later … it’s a family joke as it happens a lot !!…. we are not having crackers this year (not Jacobs… the ones that go bang)as Dogs don’t like the cracker bangs so we are doing table pressies …. fuck I am … not we and I have done nothing about it …fuckity fuck ……time us running out and I am too busy socialising !….

We have been out three weekends in a row it’s too much for me ,! … we had a lovely meet up with the crowd I am spending my 50th with..huge amounts of fun…one of the girls who takes a week off work to decorate her house for Christmas 🎄 … in I have to say spectacular fashion so much so it should be published in Homes and Gardens ( we were there last week and I spent the whole evening slurping prosecco and marvelling at the decorations) now my life has changed, I used to love Christmas decorations and decorating the house … this house is tiny can’t swing a cat in it … so trees are difficult … I overcame this a few years ago with a wooden white tree with lights on from Ikea .. plug it in all of 5 seconds ..done ..a week of putting up decs … fuck that I have no patience …anyway this gorgeous girl said at dinner on sat night …After I laughed so much and sent her a picture of my tree …we are so concerned about your tree we are going to crowdfund for you… I was howling !!! Best you crowdfund and get me house to go with it 😜🎄. I have asked her for photos as I forgot to take any 😩.

I have the pictures of the trees and decs 🎄🙌🏻❤️…. drumroll ……

I start to feel everything is getting too much, need to get out and have a decent walk … we binned the chores and shopping and went up to Melynllyn, surrounded by the Carneddau. Beautiful not a soul up there …some snow left … no there was the farmer checking his flock admiring the view from his “office” spectacular I am so lucky to live in Snowdonia ❤️🙌🏻….love the feeling of filling my lungs with fresh welsh air it’s perfect and feels so pure .

Yesterday I went to meet up with my dear dear College friend from way back..she sadly lives in New Zealand but I feel super lucky to have stayed with her in her beautiful home in Stanmore Bay, just North of Auckland a stone throw from the most beautiful beach which we spent time at sea kayaking and paddle boarding ( I didn’t paddle board my balance is so crap !). She’s a wonderful Mum who travels all that way with her daughter who is 8 to be with her family for Christmas ..high five sista …it’s a hell of a journey, which I have done with the aid of night nurse & red wine 🍷!… can’t do that with child in tow… we had a huge catch up in Treaddur Bay in the freezing cold, miserable foggy weather North Wales throws at us, but had a divine lunch in the Www.seashanty.co.uk …please go … fabulous venue , huge barn like place, the most wonderful old fashioned juke box …the loos have the sounds of the sea and waves in the background along with the sound of a submarine …. quirky but lovely place … delicious food we had fish cakes …transpires my friend’s grandmother used to own the cafe many many years ago … funny old thing fate as she has no idea until last year . Hate saying goodbye as I am away in Jan so not too sure when I will catch up again..will try and sort something out with the other two of our college gang, there are 5 of us, sadly one isn’t going to be home .

Right it’s hairdressers today, shopping & bubbles with bestie and daughters tomorrow, night out the best of the year for us being mad Friday …always a hilarious night …. fingers crossed no hangovers as we are at a joint 50th fancy dress party on sat night ….. fucking hell…. then it’s Christmas Eve …. how did that happen …. best I get a shimmy on …

I will finish up by saying to you all this ….thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this blog, for sharing , discussing , laughing ( I hope) I hope you will continue to follow the antics of 2018 …please please like and keep sharing …to my friends and family I love you all .. especially the ones who make me laugh until I hurt …to Mr Lover Lover for putting up with all this and much more, without you life would be shit❤️…my dear gorgeous children for wondering what on earth brought them the misfortune for having a mother who blogs, tells all and swears like a trooper!!…. my pooch who is my saviour and gets me in that welsh air ….my besties for the rants, the sos’s, the funny messages over the use of a word not fit to publish, the phone calls the tears and the laughter I treasure all these moments…. and of course My poor long suffering parents … I am sure each time I fling the kitchen door open in their house they hold their breath waiting for the next bombshell to be dropped 😂 … have the best Christmas and new year ..enjoy it all, it’s short lived , surround yourself with prossecco/gin/scotch take a deep breath and laugh lots and lots …and for me well it’s a fuck of a big year and I am here … 🙌🏻it’s a year for celebration #50things in my 50th year …. please send me suggestions ! Cheers all & cariad mawr xxxxxx