Only a few days left

I hadn't realised that it was over a month ago that l last hit the New Post button on Blogger. It's been busy. Usually, this time of year we have time to slow down, relax, put our feet up. This year, well no. The Shop has been steady away, which is normal, but the wholesale has been busy. Our theatre customers & farm shops have been very busy, in fact, we are all but sold out of the Christmas pudding flavour! That's good.

The schools break up this Friday for Christmas, so we will remain open this Monday & Tuesday, closing for the Christmas holidays on 23rd, reopening on the following Tuesday, closing again, just for the day on New Years Day. We have had notices up to let customers know for the past month, but l expect someone will try to get in on Boxing Day! Hey Ho!

The sheep:- well what about them? These lot of fluffy anarchist seem to do nothing but escape, they make Shaun the Sheep look like an amateur! Under electric fences, barging at gates, squeezing through tight spaces that no sheep should attempt to squeeze! The Great Escapees these little lot! It started with just one sheep, Hilda, she with the wall eye; she was out, all alone, walking the farm walk. Two days later, there was Hilda and friend walking along the path. By the end of the week she was calmly munching away with a dozen compatriots. Yes, we kept checking the electric fence; we caught her last week, walking under the galvanized gate, pushing it high on its hinges as she went! We have moved the soggy baggages into new pasture, and yes they have escaped, well only Hilda & Maud so far, who l have caught 3 times trimming the short grass in the caravan park!

So, this is it, Christmas. Time fly's by when your having fun. Have sort of got into the pre-Christmas thing following a 'moving into new house' visit to Sallyschateau in Carcassonne, ice rinks and ferris wheels, penguins and polar bears NOT forgetting the tres chic elderly lady who wore huge sunglasses at night whilst on top of her head, perched at a jaunty angle, a jet black fedora.

Happy Christmas!

Christmas food & Harry

It's strange isn't it how once Halloween is over and done with, the shops decided that its 'time for Christmas'. Our farm shop & garden centre customers have been transformed into Santa's Magical Wonderland, all twinkly lights, ho ho ho's & scrumptious looking hampers, overflowing with the epicurean delights that are Christmas.

I am one who feels Christmas is at Christmas not 6 weeks before, but, we have to prepare and make those festive flavours that plump out our order books at this time of the year. Yes, ice cream is an all year round delicacy, so this year we are making Christmas pudding, cranberry & redcurrant, marzipan and cointreau & orange flavoured ice cream. So far, the Christmas pud & the cranberry are the favourites with our customers. I have noticed that many of the food magazines are featuring Christmas pud ice cream in their festive menus. Good choice!

Returning my previous blog, Harry was amazed at all the responses, he doesn't feel as though he is any different to anyone else, such modesty. Someone asked how we had managed to get Harry motivated, how much push and shove had we given him. The truth is, in fact, we did very little, no not being cruel or neglectful, but explaining that a] this was the problem, b] this is how you can learn to cope and adapt to dyslexia & finally c] we can't make you do this but everything is in place ready for you to try. I know that computer games are slammed by so many 'experts' but we have found playing them in Harry's case, really jumped started his reading and comprehension, because he HAD to read & HAD to understand the on-screen instruction, oh and then there are the benefits to the hand eye co-ordination. He tried. He tried so hard, A's for effort, not so good for exams but you can't win all the time now can you? It's hard with exam results, your friends tell you how well their offspring are doing at school, 'little Freddy has got straight A's', it's normal, parents boast. You just have to let go, ignore little Freddy's results, and smile. Everything is a bonus, you know how much effort it takes to get a D grade, for Harry, he has been spared the pressure of getting good grades in readiness for university, he was able to enjoy his teens.


Well, there you are then, a quick little bit of extra concerning Harry, who has been busy making mango sorbet today. Just don't give up or let them give up, but what ever you do, don't take the fun out of learning by pushing, it's a bit like schooling a young horse, you don't want to present it to a fence beyond it's current ability and over face it, putting it off for ever.

reflection.

l had no idea it was so long ago that l wrote my last blog. It isn't that l have been avoiding the blank screen, but stuff just seems to come at you from all angles...........

The dog, L=P is still not back to normal. She is having a major problem eating in bites. Food has to be pureed or else she behaves like a cat with a large fur ball rammed down her throat. the vets have taken x-rays, but have no idea the cause of her frothy vomiting each & every time she eats in a normal fashion. I always thought that horses were trouble, now it looks like dear old L-P is the cause of yet more wrinkles. hey ho!

So here we are November, Remembrance Sunday is out of the way so we seem to be in the count down to christmas, the mad rush to buy all things twinkly & tacky. The shops are playing, to gets us in the mood, carols & Christmas 'icky' pop. Out with the earplugs.

The shop is now quieter. We are closed Mondays & Tuesday from now on until easter, so that gives me a few days of normality. Lunch at lunch time for example, plus catching up with friends who feel that they have been deserted over the summer months. It's really hard to do nothing or very little after months of non-stop adrenaline overloads!

Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty to do. Meeting buyers, planning for next year, removing dust from the skirting. It's just so nice to be able to do what l want, within reason, without watching the clock or having to be smiley at all times.

'So here it is Merry Christmas everybody's having fun...................'