2025

 

Can you believe it's a quarter century since we had the millennium? When we thought the world would stop - well, the computers at least. Wow feels like yesterday, for an oldie like me anyway! 

My first Christmas (the one we just had) was lovely. Good food and being with family. Next week (new years day) is when I'll be having Christmas #2, with Mark and the kids. Stockings from Santa, gifts from under the tree and turkey with crackers! I can't wait. 

I forgot to tell you all that I didn't put on a single pound when I went to Fuerturventura. I mean, it was a miracle that I had never, ever experienced before. I then proceeded to lose about 4lb! - just organically, not because I tried to. A few people down here noticed too which was nice. I'm expecting a small gain after this Christmas though. I had a small but great dinner with some dessert a couple of hours later and a fair bit of prosecco to wash it all down. Boxing Day was alcohol free but did involve chips and another dessert. I can't weigh myself until I'm home so I'll tell you next week. We are driving home today.

2025 is soon. No resolutions but I want to put pen to page and evaluate my life. Really try to analyse what makes me happy and why. Once I've discovered my own personal core values I will have a plan on how I can try to make the next year just as warm and fulfilling as this one. 

Enjoy your last few days in 2024 and I hope you have a lovely Hogmanay even if you're in bed and sleeping for the bells. I'm sure I will be. I already know that one of my core values is getting plenty shut eye! 

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.

Christmas cheer

 

Do you like my log cabin cake? In my head it looked fabulous, however the reality is a bit different. It's pretty bad. Though apparently it tastes delicious which is the main thing I guess. 

Yes, I've been away again! Back to Newcastle to meet up with my sister and BiL who were visiting mum from down south. Mark and I stayed at an Airbnb about 30 miles north of mums house. It was a cute cottage in a village called Longframlington on the road we travel down on. We had a lovely time. And nice to catch up and exchange presents, including birthday presents lol. Then on the way home we had two nights at Ardoe House with our anniversary voucher. It was relaxing and fun. Just devine. Then home on Tuesday and straight to work Wednesday for the rest of the week. It's our staff  party tonight then back to Newcastle tomorrow morning for Christmas with mum and my other sister and her family. 

It's a cliché but true - you remember the memories more than the gifts. I do remember some gifts.  Sindy doll and her wardrobe, and I spent all day making her a bed out of a shoe box. I remember getting Million Dollar Man doll, who became Sindy's boyfriend. And I remember getting a pack of plasters in my stocking! But what I remember most of all is that warmth of joy in the pit of my tummy. The excitement of pinning my name on a pair of my dad's socks (my stocking), leaving a pie and glass of sherry for Santa and then looking out of my bedroom window in case I could see his sleigh. I still do that to this day, well you just never know. 

My favourite day is Christmas Eve. All the preparing, even peeling veg. I will bake Christmas biscuits and maybe cupcakes if we have visitors over for a cuppa. I make whatever pudding has been requested by my family (sometimes everyone wants something different, and definitely not Christmas pudding). We'll watch Christmas movies (always includes Arthur Christmas - Ellie's favourite) and a few drinks. Then off to bed with excitement and anticipation. Christmas morning me and Mark will wake up first then wake the kids. Never, ever once have they woken up before us. We've always had to wake them, which isn't natural in my book but there you go. It's a quick birthday start for Ellie then Christmas begins! Oh my, how I love it! 

I hope you all have a blissful Christmas and remember to take at least one special moment and lock it in your memory box. You never know when you might need it. Ho ho ho! 

Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store, maybe it means a little bit more. - The Grinch

Christmas cards

 

Do you like my french manicure? I think it's cute. 

Anyway, you may already know this but I have a bit of an aversion to writing Christmas cards and as the years pass it's getting harder and harder. I mean, gone are the days when I give one to every single person who works in the office (this is any office obviously). I still love to get a card, especially from people who I don't see or never see. But with the cost of stamps - cor blimey it's so expensive now. I don't think I'm necessarily alone with the dwinderling of giving cards, my silver toast rack is getting more threadbare each year (I've never hung my cards up like what people did in the olden days). Lots of friends now give to charity instead which is a nice idea. The irony is that I have about 8 boxes of new cards, all containing 50 cards. So I own 400 cards and give half a dozen. If you get a card from me then you should feel blessed. 

However, what I do miss is the round-robin letters that some friends sent with their cards. It was always so boastful and a bit show-offey. Wee Jonny has just achieved 12 A stars in his exams and gorgeous Georgina is training to be a brain surgeon whilst running a not for profit organisation looking after little orphan piglets! Bah-humbug I say. So, you may not get a card from me but here's my round-robin letter - written in my style.

2024 has been an eventful year. We celebrated our silver wedding anniversary and managed not to argue for a whole week! 

My memory is totally crap now. I have to write everything down or I forget to do it. I forget people's names, including my own. And my words take so much longer than normal to appear from my mouth sometimes. It feels like dementia but I'm assured it's just old age and the menopause (they are pretty much the same thing in my book.)

I've lost lots of weight which has left me with loose skin all over. My bingo wings are so flappy I can actually fly. My neck looks like a turkey and my bum has disappeared and left me without a comfy cushion to sit on. 

I drew down a pension which means I'm a pensioner but it's not very much money so I can't actually retire! Nor can I get a bus for free or reduced rates at the cinema. 

Ellie graduated with her Master's degree, just in time for her to be made redundant. And Isaac wrote off his car.

My memory is totally crap now. Have I told you this already? Ooh, and I did have an episode when I lost all of my memory but I remembered my blog!

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2025. 

Love from Gilly xx

On a serious note, we've had an amazing year and I hope you all have too. And if you haven't, I hope that 2025 treats you better. 

You can't predict the future or change the past but you can ruin the present by worrying about them both.

Christmas presents/presence

 

After London we went to Worcestershire to stay with my sister and celebrate my nephew's 30th birthday. It was a lovely stay. We took the train home - Stourbridge to Aberdeen via Birmingham which took about 9 hours. It was fine. I read my book and ate snacks. What's not to like?

As promised, let's talk about some special Christmases. 

I was about 6 years old and I really wanted a teddy bear. Stockings and gifts all opened and there was no sign of a bear. I can still remember being so disappointed. Then all of a sudden my mum found another present. For me! And of course, a teddy bear! I still have him now. And he still roars 50 years later, just tip him up and over - grrh!

For the last 25 years, being married to Mark we had to accept Christmas Day without him sometimes, when he's was working. He never had a fixed rota, he went offshore when needed and came home when not needed. One Christmas my sister and BiL were coming up to us. Mark had to go offshore about 3 days before Christmas! Just the nature of the job though such a shame with family visiting. My BiL had to pop to Aberdeen to collect a parcel for my sister on Christmas Eve except, drum roll, he was really picking up my hubby who'd been sent back as the job was delayed. Me and the kids were delighted. What a great Christmas. 

Of course my absolutely favourite Christmas was the one (31 years ago) when I had a baby. On Christmas Eve my then husband and I drove to Yorkshire. Baby wasn't due until 17 Jan, but I took my notes anyway. 3am Christmas morning I woke and had either wet the bed or my waters had broken! Knowing my big sister was working night shift I rang her. Go to hospital was her advice. By 11am nothing else had happened so I was sent home back to my in laws. Presents were opened and I had my Christmas lunch, between contractions! By 3pm I was back at Halifax General. My first born arrived at 11.45pm! Only just made Christmas Day. She was 5lb 15oz. We stayed in hospital for a week and all my family travelled from Newcastle to Halifax to meet her. New years eve we were back at my in laws. Having nothing for the baby, at all, she slept in a drawer that first night. Mind you, I don't think she slept much, I remember a lot of crying! But she definitely was the best present ever! 

The picture is me and my sisters on Christmas Eve. I think I'm about 5. Before the teddy bear anyway.

Family want Christmas presence, more than Christmas presents.