Friday 14 January 2011

New Year, New Start

Hello everyone.

A belated happy New Year to all of you out there is blog land. I hope you all had a good Christmas.

This is a rather image heavy post of a sort of condensed version of my family Christmas, more for my own record that anything so I hope you enjoy having a look!

Christmas 2010 was a very cold one. We had lots of snow and temperatures of minus 17 degrees C, which is cold for England! It was also quite chaotic at our place with the plumber coming in to install the central heating just a week before the festivities. My cats, Tiger and Lily pretty much destroyed my Christmas tree so the photograph you are seeing on this post is the first day that it was put up. After this it looked a sorry state. But we all had a good time, ate lots, drank lots, did the usual party games, went to see a pantomime at the theatre, visited Santa’s reindeer, walked in the snow and went sledging and built snowmen.

A game of Hungry Hippos!
My mum's table set for Christmas dinner.
Lily in her favourite place.
Big boys and little boys playing dungeons and dragons!
Christmas dinner at my mum's.
Sir Rufus!
Tiger on her way to destroying my tree!
Choosing the Christmas tree and visiting the reindeer.
Snowy Shropshire
Santa's reindeer
Sledging
More sledging


I cant wait to get out in my garden again. Due to the exceptionally cold weather, I have lost a lot of plants this winter. My olive tree has finally had it after surviving more than ten winters outside and the bay trees and rosemary are black. I think even if I cut them back they probably wont come again. Even though it is sad that I have lost so many plants, I am looking forward to re-planning my garden and having a rethink about what to plant in the spring.

Happy New Year!
Susie X


11 comments:

  1. Happy New Year! Looks as though you had a good Christmas anyway. Pity you've lost so many plants especially as they are mature shrubs. My rosemary has survived thank goodness, it's in a very sheltered corner with excellent drainage fortunately. As for the perennials it remains to be seen.

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  2. Lovely to hear from you. Your Christmas looks lovely although very cold as you say. I especially like photo number 10 showing the snowy open fields, so pretty.
    You cats sound very mischievious. Perhaps this year your Christmas tree might be safer when they are just that little bit older. Or perhaps not. :)
    Have a great weekend,
    Anne

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  3. Happy New Year to you!
    Looks like you had a really lovely family Christmas.Sorry about your plants.I am looking out at my pots on the patio and they all seem to have black twigs sticking out of them!
    Nice to start planning our Spring bedding now though.
    Have a lovely weekend. :0)

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  4. Hi Susie ~ Happy New Year! Despite the cold weather, it looks as though you all had a comfy, cozy and cheerful Christmas. It's good to hear from you!!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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  5. Happy New Year! Looks as if you have had a good Christmas and New Year. I had a wander around the garden yesterday and some of the shrubs are looking a bit browner than I remember them being in other winters so I think we too may have lost some plants in the bad weather.

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  6. Happy New Year Susie! I'm so happy to see a post from you. It looks like you had a lovely Christmas, despite the ruined tree! It must have been a shock to have so much snow. I'm very happy for the snow cover here, because one winter it got extremely cold, with no snow, and I lost a good portion of my English Ivy. Thankfully it's made a great comeback, and is once again trying to climb inside the basement windows!
    I hope you will be able to do a post soon about how far along you and your brother are on the cottage renovations. And of course I look forward to seeing all of the great shots of your beautiful garden. Spring is just around the corner!
    xo,
    Carol

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  7. Happy new Year!! your blog looks lovely - i'll be having a good read through when i get a chance xx

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  8. I hate to think of how bad off our yard/garden will be this year. We too have had an extreme weather year but not nearly as bad as other parts of the U.S.
    Enjoyed seeing your Christmas photos...and the one with everyone wearing their "Christmas Cracker Hats" ...we do that too. WE love Crackers!!!
    Have a great New Year~! Joyce

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  9. Its almost spring hun, what have you planted in your garden??? I hope you are well.

    Love Lisa xx

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  10. Hola Susie, it´s so nice being in your beautiful home and garden again!!!! Hope all is well with you my dear.
    Sending you lots of hugs and love

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    ReplyDelete