HAPPY NEW YEAR

This year has brought about a lot of change, we have completed the mill and move house, Steve got into Truro college and Laura got a place at Marjons after her degree starting in September. It has been a filled year of good and not so good, with mum, dad, steve, me,and Petes mum all having a hospital visit of varying degrees. We lost Ruby but another good memory added to our rainbow moments. But things are on the up, we are about to go on holiday for the first time in 6 years, skiing in France all 4 of us, it will probably be the last family holiday as such as Laura will be qualifying as a teacher and working in the next 18 months or so and Steve may or may not be in the Army...., leaving mum and dad to keep control of the house and animals...OMG I would rather not think about it ha ha....Good luck you lot!...There are so many memories this year, but it leaves me to wish you a very Happy New Year and I hope that the sun keeps shining and the laughter keeps us going, and rainbows keep appearing to remind us of whats important in life. Be happy.... See you after our holiday in the New Year XX

LATER XMAS MORNING!

A little later int he morning saw mum and dad come over to open their presents, mum couldnt wait to get into them, which is why we cant trust her with them under her own tree, she will be feeling them too much!....Then Auntie lou and Doug for a cuppa before they went to cook their dinner...and then Aaron...We had a morning of playing games and then had lunch about 12.30 as it felt like the next day by then! Thankyou everyone for the gifts. I think ears on clothes were the order of the day, Laura with her onsie, and jumper and me with a dressing gown, all with ears!!...We had a great relaxing day, not quite so manic cooking for 6 as 11 like usual!.. We went to play with mason in the afternoon at my brothers house, which was good too, as when they come to us, we never see what he has, it was lovely to see him them in his Pjs still playing. If you are wondering what pete is doing, he has ski under armour for xmas and thought it would be good to put them over his clothes, needless to say he got stuck!...Oh talking of Pete I mentioned the eighties and nineties and noughtys, pete said...the nineties werent that bad... I thought he was joking, but he thought when people mentioned the noughtys he thought they were being funny he didnt realise they are the 01,02,03 etc??? and he says I am out of touch!

XMAS MORNING

Xmas morning came, quicker than Pete had hoped!.. I couldnt sleep and had been up since 2.30am but didn't wake anyone up, but it got to 4.45am and Pete opened an eye! so I said can he hear the bells...which he could I wasn't going mad I could hear something, anyway he tried to ignore me but kept grinning, so I figured if he wasn't going to shout I might as well get everyone up!!! So went and woke everyone up and told them santa had been. They were so grateful!... By 7am we were done ha ha..lots of presents were delievered thanks santa!..., I had a Mr potato head and a spirograph from pete (dont ask!, its been a busy year!) and Pete he stuck a bow on his head as sold him self as a present!... All that was left was to wake mum and dad up and Auntie Lou and Doug...I just knew they would be sitting there waiting for the call  ha ha

SANTA CAME

Obviously the dogs had been good as santa came to them and put a present in each of their stockings. Gem wanted to play in her bed and lucky struggled to get out, but Shadow went mad for the soft fish toy, she was like a mad thing going around...mmm wonder whos dog that is??

XMAS EVE

Christmas Eve was quite eventful, we met our neighbours over the road from us at our annual Xmas eve event.... We have been working so hard for the last 6 years and they have also been renovating we havent really ever met, only in crisis such as floods. We are now formally acquainted, Chris, Debbie, Dan and Brian, really enjoyed meeting them. We also had the family and friends and new resisdents of Woodmill, Petes family couldn't attend, as Petes mum was lucky enough to get out of hospital just in time for Christmas so Colin and Sally, waited for her to return as she will need care for a little while while she recovers, glad she is home now tho and doing well. After the Xmas eve party, a few of us played games and laid up for the Xmas day meal. I was too excited to sleep as per usual, I tried to be good but I just couldn't!!! I dont know why I get so excited as I know whats in the presents I bought them!...except for the ones santa brings obviously!..I put out my carrot and drink for him and hoped for the visit!

MORE RAIN

On our very brief walk this is what it is like out there, no paths just water and floods everywhere, all the  ponds are overflowed, and all the rivers have breached, the main canal river is at the point of breaching very badly and has only one inch to go before it hits the top of the bridge, god knows what will happen tonight!!, at least work let Laura off tomorrow, so she drove back from chichester today so at least she will be here for xmas! mind you nothing would stop her, seeing santa...3 more sleeps!!!!

FLOODS

I hope you all are OK out there and all your homes are still dry for Xmas, the rain hasn't relented here, and is set for a few more days yet!... We awoke after a lie in until 7am! to what seemed a scene from a movie!... We walked up the road to our old pig entrance gate - (now Justins gate)... we have managed in the past to divert surface water from entering our field which is the only reason we were OK in the last floods, but this time I think it was just too much water..So Pete and I set about trying to make a dam to stop it going into Justin's field and then on to ours, we were there for ages trying to sort it but we needed the key to open the gate....It was early so we waited until 9 to ring next door but no answer so I had to go and ring the bell, ....I am not sure I was really what he wanted to see at his door especially when I told him what was happening, oh well our new neighbours have been well and truly initiated now!... Justin came down to help us, poor guy..rude awakening eh! and we did stem the flow to the fields a lot, so it should have helped, then we went on a nose up the road... the leat was holding our end, but it had breached in a spectacular fashion up the road, our field that has never flooded was under about 5ft of water in the bottom corner and was spilling over the drive...the post and netting you can see here is 4.5 ft under water. What a start to the day, could do without it really... we still had to pack Steve up for his trip to Chelsea, sort part of the house for xmas, fill the feed bins, one of which had floated away......no time to do the rest...walk the dogs on a very quick walk and get over to Pete's mums who is still in hospital to make a bedroom in the lounge, we were like manic removal men. I am aching all over from where I fell down the stairs let alone the day we have had... so thought I would just share these with you before we sit down in a very ungainly heap... Worst thing is we could have been out tonight for a Chinese, but our plans were foiled once again... we are absolutely done in!.... I think Becky next door is aware she too might look as frazzled as me after living at Woodmill, I dont think my feet have touched the floor for 6 years, I am and so is my doctor hoping that I have a very different pace of life for a good while.... I may have to lie for a bit longer!!!... I wonder what adventures are in store for tomorrow....! Oh I nearly forgot in the middle of all this fiasco, I had a call from Jamie our electrician, who advised us that Harold and Hazel (his in laws) had 2 hours to evacuate their caravan on Par beach, due to flooding and could they move in to Little toms, so quickly did a check and made the cottage right for them to arrive...Now warm and secure, so at least they are ok now...

SANTA GETTING READY

Santa is a very busy person, so I offered to wash his clothes for him!, I have slightly dyed the fur a tinge of pink for him to get in touch with his femine side ha ha...sorry santa!!...Not many people have the pleasure of santas outfits drying in there front hallway!!!! Only at Woodmill eh...OH no Only at The Mill...Ill have to get used to that, its been 6 years saying Woodmill, going to take a bit of adjusting!!! I expect the madness will rub off on our neighbours, so they will probably experience all the adventures that seem to happen here!!! Sorry comes with the territory I am afraid, you will eventually end up as mad as a hatter like us!

BUSY!

I know its leading up to Xmas and everyone is busy, but I seem to be hectic!... I am trying to write the lists for the house and the animals for when mum and dad look after the house when we go skiing, and a list of to pack things for the packing on 26-27th!! then 48 hours after we get back steve has to be ready for the army 3 day interview, so trying to get that sorted too, Xmas eve, Xmas lunch menus, presents, wrapping, oh wash santa outfits!!! OH AND WORK!!etc etc...Then my Dad had his operation to remove his gall bladder, which I am glad to report went very well, but tried to move as much about to make sure they were both ok and got home safe and didnt need anything...but really gald he is on the mend in a spectacular fashion!, He just wants Santa to visit him!!...Then on Sunday early hours Monday we had a call from Colin Petes brother, his mum had been rushed by ambulance to treliske with a broken femur in 3 places. She did it at 10pm when she was playing ball with Suzie the dog, Colin didnt get home until later so she was laid there stuck for a while, but not half as long as she would have been, had Colin not been living there...she was so lucky he was there... So thats where we have been since really, visiting and making sure she was ok and came thro the op ok. She is nearly 83 and luckily very fit and healthy, she will kill me for saying her age!!...sorry Pam, she is mearly 55 really, so at the moment we are just visiting the hospital until the physio says she is medically and physically well enough to return home to recover, I am sure it will be before Xmas fingers crossed. So I  am hoping everyone else will remain healthy over Xmas....please!!! Mind you I did give Pete a scare today as I was flying about on the college run early this morning and I fell down the stairs, broke my watch, bruised my back,leg,arm and shoulder, but nothing broke so thats good, just very sore, but fine! glad I only broke my watch, I wouldn't be happy if I couldn't cook Xmas!...Pete managed to find another one for me today, you are lost without a watch, well i am as every minute counts here!...thanks Pete! XXXX

ONE EYE!

This little Shetland lives at Snowlands, he is really timid after kids attacked him and he lost his eye. I cant believe kids would be so horrible... but he has a very happy home and visits the cafe regularly, he roams free by day amongst the caravans and fishermen, then stabled at night, he is just a bit bigger than Shadow our dog!

FOUND A TOAD

Well it could be a frog not sure, but he lives in our grass cutting mound, quite a happy little soul, the cats seems to leave him well alone and the ponies seems to be a bit scared of him!

CATS HELP XMAS

I need all the help I can get, I was up making sausage rolls at 9.30pm last evening trying to get ahead! SO smartie and surf decided to help the decorations, smartie was at least awake and trying to help... being a girl...smurf however being a boy was ...well see for yourself...I need not say more!

THANKYOU CAROLINE!

I collect stones with holes in made naturally and they are really difficult to find in Cornwall as we are not flint based... but I have a secret weapon, Caroline the stealth flint hole finder!! She collected some up where she lives and sent them through the post, it arrived the other day, oh along with a card with those little star decorations in that people put in cards, well I ripped it open and they flew everywhere, i mean everywhere just after i cleaned up for a big meeting here!! I was chuckling to my self he he he, oh  silly me to rip them open like that,,,..... NOT!.....But then i opened the present of stones and I loved them, thankyou so much for them, they are hanging in the kitchen, I have now forgotten about my lovely red stars!!!

STORMY DAYS

The sky has been quite dramatic over the last week or so and heres so pictures I took whilst on the usual walk! Par and St Blazey who would have thought it, stunning places to be when you look, the beach looks different every time we go, who wouldnt want to holiday here!!

BUTTERCUP UPDATE

I will have to take some pictures soon, but we have been working on the cottage for the last few weeks,  usually in the dark or weekends!.. ~~this weekend was particularly bad as we had so much to do, it started out with me emptying the sink, forgetting that the dishwasher was not connected adn the water going all over the newly painted floor, I shouted to pete who ran through the cottage dripping gloss ont he floor, I then stood on it and walked it the rest of the way... at which point we nearly decided enough was enough!!! The pete went to do something and banged his head on the shelf that he should have sorted 6 months ago... the hob wasnt fitted properly, a wobbly socket...all things that should have been sorted by others... so did the text on the sunday thing to all and hopefully it will be sorted!... I think we are getting there, have to got people in it soon!!!

WE HAVE A TREE

Seeings as it is quite late in the day for a Xmas tree we thought we had better get our skates on ha ha... SO before Laura went back to uni we went and nabbed a tree, we were going to put Laura through the netter and put it on U TUBE but didnt have time, so Ill be doing that next time she is home ha ha... She is back next week for an interview at Marjons so maybe after the interview or she might not get the position!!!!!.. We now have all the inside decorations up and it looks quite colourful! we have a real tree upstairs in the lounge and a fake one in the hall as that has under floor heating.... the cats seem to lying all over the decorations, up the trees, draped over the snow men and presents under the tree....I am not sure everything will last until xmas!!!!

BRIEF INTERLUDE OF SUN!

We had a little glimmer of hope and sunshine today, didnt last long but long enough to get these pictures of the woods and clearing near our walk, you would never guess you were in St.Blazey on our walk...its really beautiful...not that I am saying St.Blazey isnt but you know what I mean!!!

UPDATE ON BUTTERCUP

After a hectic week or so, its been manic, I thought I might meet myself coming the other way some days... But the kitchen is just about finished and painted, we have now fitted the new shower tray and screen too, so its going to be a weekend of clearing the bedroom ready to paint that now along with our work which we seem to be doing really late these days as we can only walk the dogs in daylight, so doing our life upside down at present!

I WANT ONE!

I found these in a garden centre near lifton... Its got the most amazing cafe if you are passing and fantastic shop a real old fashioned cake and handmade bits shop well worth a visit... well anyway I found these guys.... and now I am trying to figure out how I can make one, its a full size bull done in sedum and plants... He would great in the field!!!! and no feeding!!