A Post Christmas Post

Today is my "breathing out" day, the day when post Christmas life slides into an easy, lazy blur of nothing-in-particular. I never really allow myself to get stressed over the whole Christmas thing, despite my very slap dash, last minute approach to it all. I've come to realise that everything always comes together somehow, even on those frantic few days before the twenty-fifth when the to-do list is rather scary. Having said that, it still feels bloomin' great to land on the other side of Christmas and indulge in a quiet, personal bit of satisfied breathing out....pheeewwwwww.....another year, another happy few days with family, another gratefully received slice of Christmas delivered.

Little B was super-excited opening his Christmas presents this year, and at one point he dramatically threw himself full length on the floor, unable to find the words needed to express his immense delight with one of his gifts. We bought brand new fluffy onesies for our three (which they were allowed to open on Christmas Eve evening), plus books and some bits of clothing for each. Father Christmas delivered selected items from the handwritten Christmas Lists, including a game for each (as much as I personally can't stand the whole gaming thing, I can't deny the pleasure it seems to bring them, or the hours it can fill with ease). There was also a pleasing number of gifts not requiring batteries or electricity - Lego featured high on Little B's wish list and it really did hit the spot for this industrious five year old this year.

Little Man (age 13) was the hardest to buy for, although he did luck out when his Dad Father Christmas found an Xbox One at a bargain price and decided a true surprise would be the order of the day. Funny how teenagers express happiness and surprise isn't it? We witnessed kind of a warm half-smile, some self conscious fidgeting, some jokey banter and then a whole lot of technical talk. I think he was pleased as punch underneath all that cool.

Little Lady had put the following things on her list : Fine Liner pens (like Mum's), Notebook and Stationery (any), Sweets, Money for a shopping trip. So easy to deliver that little lot, truly it was a pleasure. The pens were such a big hit {Staedtler Triplus} and as a surprise, Father Christmas also delivered a really beautiful new colouring book {Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Colouring Book}. Oh what I would have given for something like this when I was eleven years old! We have been colouring it together actually, which has been super lovely. Clever Father Christmas :) And we still have the shopping trip to look forward to (with money to spend), all good stuff.

 

The weather here over the Christmas period has been cruel. The past two years we've had sunshine which tempted us to venture out for a Christmas morning walk - not so this year, no chance. It rained, and rained and rained. Rain poured from the sky for days on end and water levels in local rivers, becks and canals rose alarmingly fast....

....we took a short walk out on Boxing Day afternoon after trying and failing to drive to my lovely in-laws, their town cut off by flooded roads. The above picture shows the beck close to my Studio at Coopers Café, the water barely contained by the wall there. This is usually a low-lying, quietly babbling  little beck with a small grassy island in the middle where birds hoppity hop about. The water rose a staggering 2.9 metres here, gushing down in a raging torrent and flooding the road and shops a little further down. It's been heartbreaking to hear so many stories in the news of destruction and emergency in our local area, so many communities affected by the huge volume of water everywhere.

So when we woke to dry air and blue skies yesterday, my heart was filled with relief. Phewwww, at long last. No rain and sunshine, Happy Christmas to me!

We rounded up the Little People and drove to Bolton Abbey where the River Wharfe was huge, swollen and noisy.

Instead of our usual jaunt through the woodland to The Strid, we decided to walk the opposite way to the Money Tree.....

....oh I love this magical tree so much! It is rather strange and rather special and it fascinates children and adults alike.

The Little People used to love this tree when they were smaller (I wrote about it back in 2008), and yesterday Little B was in absolute raptures over it.

The pathway along this side of the river climbs quite steeply above the level of the river below, with beautiful views through the winter tree branches as you go.

Eventually, the path takes you down out of the trees, back down to the riverside opposite the Abbey ruins.

Due to the very high level of the river, the beach here was very much smaller than usual. But on this sunshiny morning there was only one other family here (a small boy running his grandparents ragged, quite literally. Poor Grandad, I did feel for him a bit).

We pootled about on the beach, writing our names and making drawings in the sand, skimming stones and searching for river treasure.

The unusual depth of the river meant that the water was rushing past really fast, which meant there were actually waves lapping onto the beach. Real waves, that looked and sounded just like they do at the seaside! I couldn't believe my good fortune, to be able to close my eyes and fill my mind with seasidey dreams, it was lush!

I was super lucky on the treasure finding front too, picking up some lovely pieces of river washed glass to add to my treasure collection (remember the glass bottle stopper found almost a year ago?)

Little Lady drew this in the sand for me - well actually, she drew it for you. She said "I've drawn something in the the sand, please come and take a picture and share it with your blog readers", so of course I am doing as I am told. Snapped and shared, from her via me to you xx

Winter Sky, how I love it when you dress up in blue! Please wear very many more shades of blue and ditch the shades of grey, thank you so much.

There is this bit of the return walk back towards the car where the footpath runs down a long grassy slope. It was quite muddy and slip-slidey due to all the rain, but the lure of this downward run was just too much for Little B to resist. Off he hurtled at full pelt, mud splattering everywhere as he went. Such simple joy in stretching ones legs and airing ones lungs, and being the first to reach the bottom!

Blue, blue, blue. Love, love love.

After the walk was ended, we took ourselves into the mighty fine café and ordered up some refreshments. Cappycheeenos for the grown ups, Coke (in old fashioned glass bottles) for the Big Little Peeps, and a cup of hot chocolate smothered in cream and marshmallows for Little B. A cookie bigger than your hand for Little-big Man, a swirly iced cupcake for Little Miss, a packet of crisps for Little  B  and a slab of dark chocolate millionaires shortbread for the Mister and me to share. A scrumptious end to a pleasurable walk, mud splatters and all.

J is back to work now for a few days until New Year arrives, he went off silently this morning whilst it was dark and we were all still asleep. When I woke and found him gone, I missed him very much, it's been wonderful having him home for two whole weeks. Me and the Offspring are hanging out at home today, passing the hours doing not a lot. Lots of play with friends is going on up above in the bedrooms, there was a very short spell outdoors on scooters this morning which ended with bumped knees and tears. There has been lots of blankety snuggles on the sofa watching weirdly noisy kids tv, the stuffing of Christmas selection box chocolate into appreciative little faces. All good post-Christmas stuff. Me - I've been seeing to the laundry, drinking coffee, sock knitting and darning in ends mostly. Oh those ends - I am trying to love the process but honestly? It sucks. No two ways around it, but the thought of getting to the Joining Bit is spurring me on. Back to it......

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Comments

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[Gill Waddington]

Please say thank you to your daughter for her kind thought for us and her lovely sandy writing - Happy New Year to you all x

[Mishel Nesbitt]

What a lovely,enjoyable post.can u please tell me more about the money tree? Is it real money jammed into the wood or is it how the tree grows,or something else? Thank u Mishel

[LORIS LUTKE]

Lucy, I just love your posts! I live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and I do so love it here! You are so lucky to be living where you are living, it is so beautiful there...I hope to see it someday. Can you tell us how the "Money Tree" came into existence? I think I would really enjoy that story! Thanks for all your posts and tutorials....you are so talented. I'm learning a lot from you. Have a great New Year!

[Sally-Jane]

I thought of you when I heard S*****n had flooded. We also wondered how the Strid would look with all that water rushing through. Nice to see that you have had lovely blue skies and your Christmas sounded blissful ☺ xx

[Penny R]

So happy you all had a lovely Christmas. It is still raining her in the mid Atlantic state of NC, USA. Has been for the past 5 days. We are beginning to grow gills. Forgot what the Sun looks like. Could you please send some sunshine out way?
Thank little Miss for thinking of us out here in Attic 24 land. We do appreciate it.
Wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year. Love and ((hugs))

[Ingrid van Kaam]

I wish you and yours all the best for 2016. I wish you a lot of creativity for 2016.

[Melissa]

Happy New Year from Havertown Pennsylvania. I have been enjoying your blog for several years and finally trying one of your patterns. It is inspirational and enjoyable. Some day I hope to visit my family's heritage in a small Hamlet named TRETHEWEY in Cornwall. I hope your weather takes a turn for the better. Here it has been unseasonably warm and we haven't seen the sun in over ten days. Wishing you and your family many blessings for the new year. Love just hunkering down and irking on my blanket. Thank you!

[Gillian Roe]

Ah, Bolton Abbey, I miss that walk. It was a real favourite of ours, and always worth the hour long drive from Leeds. So lovely to read about your family Christmas. Bella received similar books and pens to Little Miss, and requested vouchers or money to go shopping with, along with some new Playmobil and Sylvanian Family toys - she's still little. :-) I think our Christmasses were very similar indeed. xx

[Claire]

I love the details of your children's Christmas presents - and what your daughter wrote in the sand. She seems very proud of you! xxx

[Loretta]

Lucy, your story was inspirational. What wonderfully 'cozy times you are having with your family.

[mrs. smythe]

You've inspired me to take the family out for more group walks, Lucy! Thank you.

[Catherine Curran]

What a lovely post. You really do know how to count your blessings. Your children are very lucky to have such a positive, loving, involved and inspiring mum, especially since you had such a tricky start yourself. Happy new year, may it be joyful and full of love.

[Justine]

Looking forward to seeing your new socks! The kids presents all sounded great and I.loved the colouring in book. I hope the sky continues to be blue and sunny for you now and wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year :-)

[Karen]

You were so lucky to avoid flooding in Skipton. We were not so lucky in nearby Hebden Bridge where activities since Boxing Day have mainly been volunteering to clear up town following the enormous flood. Certainly not the restful Christmas everyone was hoping for. Hope 2016 brings better things for Yorkshire!

[Fran]

Really loved reading about your post Christmas activities and glad that I am not the only one guilty of sitting back and enjoying the season for a while. Little Lady's beach writing is magnificent and so precise, certainly artistic qualities there. Have a fun new year and I look forward to seeing more of your fantastic works during 2016.

[Rosie]

Glad you were not personally affected by the floods. The TV pictures have been horrific. Bushfires and floods here in Australia over Xmas. Thank you Little Lady. All the best to Attic 24 for 2016.

[Emma]

Sounds like a lovely Christmas. Glad to hear you haven't been flooded out. One thing about blogging is that you start to know people in lots of places, and my heart has gone out to people I don't know in real life but know through blogs etc who have been affected. Glad to hear everyone in the Attic is OK. Love the blue skies reflected in the water in your photos. Happy New Year to everyone in the Attic xx

[marilyn]

And another hello from Australia! We're in Toowoomba, mid east coast and 2 hours drive inland. We love living on the heights, and love the cooler weather. We do feel for many suffering floods in your country, as we remember a few years ago similar happened here. At that time, we were evacuated from local floods and cyclone in Vanuatu to another safer area on the island. Praying you enjoy the blessings of home and family, all good gifts from our Heavenly Father, love, Marilyn

[Annie Chermak]

Oh, we have such gray, gray, gray and snow, sleet, snow in Eastern Washington -- this silly little cloud is camped above and stubbornly won't go away!!! I'm ready for some blue, too!!!!

[Charlotte]

Lucy, you have been in my thoughts and prayers for many days. Glad to here that your family is safe and dry. Will keep an eye on the weather for your area..

[Ellice]

I do enjoy your posts Lucy. Loving to hear your details of the joys of your family's Christmas. Your eager chance for a nature walk despite the unpredictable weather that has pounced on your territory. I second your daughters creativeness in the sand such a natural advertising for Mum. I also receive The Enchaned Forest and looking forward to spending time enhancing these so well illustrated pages.. I have been watch the destruction from the rains. I can't imagine what it must be like to see your belongings floating around the house. Keep safe with the next storm and keep up your fantastic work. Happy New Year🎉🎉

[camcas]

hello from Australia where it is HOT-39 Celsius today . I am enjoying your CAL but am only up to square 8. I actually don't mind the darning. I do each square as it is finished and as I turn and darn I love to admire all those scrumptious colours in different orientations!

[Jenny]

Thank you Lucy lovely blog post and pictures thank you too for the sand art Little L enjoy your holiday time in spite of this relentless rain ,here in Cornwall it's the constant wind blowing down the chimney. My gang liked their chocolate blanket . Need to sort my wool pile and plan what to do next Happy New Year to you and yours and to all the lovely postie friends round the world love Jenny xx

[Claudia W]

I thought about you and hoped that you were all alright when I heard about the floods. So glad you are high and dry!
Thank you for sharing the beautiful scenery in your area. I am left with gray skies, no blue, but "they" (the weather experts) tell us we will be drying out for a time. YES! I am really tired of the mud it has left me to muck through when I go to feed out animals!