HAPPY 2017 .....

Wishing all of my blogging friend's, wherever you are in the world, a very happy New Year and everything that you wish yourselves for 2017 ..... thank you all so much for your comments and friendship and here's to more fun in the new year.

My sister and brother-in-law are coming and I'm pushing the boat out ... lobster starter, beef fillet with asparagus wrapped in pancetta with a beef jus and to finish, Nigella's Turkish Delight Syllabub .... and a drop of Champers and wine, wine, wine !!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!!

XXXX

image 1: via me, image 2,4,6 & 8: via la bonne vie, image 3: via crush cul de sac, image 5: via my view from somewhere, image 7: via this ivy house 

MERRY CHRISTMAS from MY HOME to YOURS ..........

{ a photograph of me outside Dennis Severs house on Tuesday in another coat !! ... I'll tell you all about it after Christmas }

Wishing all of my blogging friends the merriest of Christmases.

Thank you all for your continued blogging friendship, the laughs and for the lovely comments that you leave me... it is very much appreciated.

Here's to more of the same in the coming year.

This is how excited we are !!!

XXXX

HERE WE ARE AGAIN .......

It only seems five minutes ago that I was putting the Christmas decorations away and now, here we are again and it's that dreaded time of buying the tree !!! Around mid-December, a deadly hush descends on the 'Home' household.

... a bit of background :  

Many Italians arrived in Hertfordshire in the late 1950's and it was small market towns like the one I live in where they chose to settle. 

From small acorns grow big trees and when a local farmer sold off some of his land, a few Sicilian families bought it and started their own market gardens. Along with fruit and vegetables came plant and flower nurseries and joining the Italians came many Dutch families, and so the area became rich in garden centres.

Usually, I have every tree out for inspection, hum and haw over this one and that one, change my mind back and forth before choosing 'the' tree but, in the last few years it seems to have got easier ... don't ask me why !!

... a look at the carousel ...

... and a mulled wine or hot chocolate watching the skaters and the tree is bought for another year .....

..... and, I'm happy to report that not a tear was shed nor cross word uttered between us !!!

Putting it in the stand was another matter altogether and nearly resulted in divorce proceedings !!!

XXXX

image 1: via zsa zsa bellagio, images 2, 3, 4, 5,& 7: via me, image 6: via van hage