Christmas and New Year came and went in a bit of a blur for me as I was really laid pretty low for the entire time with a chest full of cough and a head full of snot. It's amazing how utterly tiring it is when one's days (and nights) are spent coughing and trying to eject a mountain of snot into a whole box of tissues. I found it exhausting. I spent a good few days of the holiday keeping myself as still as possible and in a horizontal position, and I was so thankful to have J around to keep the house and Little People ticking over whilst I made myself rest.
Our Christmas day was quiet and rather lovely, a gentle day of enjoying new toys, overdosing on chocolate and cooking/eating a delicious roast dinner. I wasn't well enough to socialise on Boxing Day, so whilst J took the kidlets to spend the day with his family, I took advantage of a quiet house and spent the day lolling around in bed.
This Christmas has been thoroughly enhanced by having Tilly around, she has been an absolute delight. She's a bold, feisty little kitty who loves to be at the centre of whatever is going on, so she was completely involved in every aspect of our Christmas.
I don't have a huge number of photos of her yet as she is incredibly hard to capture on camera. I love that she is still slight enough to be able to scramble up and sit on the narrow ledge of the sash windows....
....and every day during the Christmas period she spent time crawling around the branches of the Christmas tree. Crazy kitty.
We enjoyed some delicious weather during the holiday period, lots of beautiful sunny days and cold, cold temperatures.
Despite feeling pretty rubbish, I did manage to get out and about a few times with the family to fill my lungs with cold fresh air and take in the scenery.
We don't manage to get the Teen to come with us any more, but I've made my peace with that fact. What has really surprised me this holiday is how willing the other two Little People have been to go for a few short walks - in fact this particular walk in the woods was met with something close to enthusiasm which gave me a quiet personal little thrill.
It was a beautiful afternoon, and there was a pocket full of chocolate coins to sweeten the process, plus a promise of a detour into town to have a hot chocolate at the end of the walk. But really, they were just happy to be out and about strolling and chatting and I am secretly hopeful that this might possibly be an ongoing change from the sulky reluctance we've become used to. Fingers and toes crossed.
So I'm looking at this picture of a very pleasant looking waterfall, and in my mind I'm remembering the bent over double laughing that was going on at the time. I was walking with Little B and we were talking about Naughty Words, the sort that Mummy often says but which are really not appropriate for six year old mouths. I told him that as a special one-off, he could say as many bad words out loud as he wanted, right there in front of the waterfall. I gave him a few choice suggestions and his beautiful green eyes went as wide as anything and he literally gasped with shock! Then through a heap of incredulous giggles, he cussed out a long string of Naughty Words, ohmygosh it was the funniest thing and I almost turned myself inside out laughing. Just to reassure you, the words weren't that dreadful, they were along the lines of sh*t and cr*p and b*gg*r. Jeez, I am typing this and absolutely snorting with laughter at my computer screen......so so sorry!!!!! Bad, bad Lucy.......
Aaaaaaaand.......a few deep breaths.........hmmm, I love it so much when our weather does what it's supposed to do and presents us with some seasonal perfection. We're enjoying a fabulous Winter this year so far and although there hasn't been any snow we've had lots of crisp, cold, bright frosty days which are my very best favourite at this time of year.
Another day and another short walk - this was one of those slow, slow days in between Christmas and New Year when an incy-wincy bit of cabin fever had set in. It was a spontaneous walk, a decision made and an out-the-door-immediately type of thing.
It was late afternoon, around 4pm and the sun was golden and hanging low over the horizon.
We took a gentle stroll, a light potter around the edge of the water with a little bit of a paddle in the shallows. It was just enough for my still-exhausted bod to cope with, and I enjoyed it very much.
Just before Christmas, we celebrated Nine Years making our home here at number 24 in this wonderful, friendly town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. I love living here so so much, and I love that we are giving our Little People a childhood that has waterfalls, woodland and waterside walks in it. Here's to a New Year full of cosy stay home days and gentle, pottering outdoor days...
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Well I remember the years my eldest would no longer be seen with us! It caused quite some frustration, but we discovered he could tolerate us in smaller doses. Movies with his Pa and walks with me, to protect me from the wildlife became the way we stayed in touch! I break my normal lurking ways to suggest you try something similar...I was so worried I would lose the precious connection I had with my son, no doubt a fear many have. Happy New Year from snowy Vermont.
Posted by: Carroll | January 10, 2017 at 12:12 AM
Oh Lucy, A very Happy New Year and Thank-you soo much for your stories and pictures! An absolute JOY, it is easy to put aside one's "worries" and change one's mind set to being "grateful" while spending time immersed in your blog...^..^ ^..^
Posted by: Mary | January 09, 2017 at 11:07 PM
The story of Litte B is so funny! How wonderful. :D
Posted by: Zoe | January 09, 2017 at 10:45 PM
Hope you feel better now Lucy- enjoyed your blog. ..nice pictures. ..I love getting into the great outdoors
Loving my crochet
https://whimsyandcosy.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/crochet-a-long-2017-announcement/
Posted by: Zozie | January 09, 2017 at 10:42 PM
Happy New Year, Lucy. I'm giggling about your Naughty Word story. May your 2017 be filled with health, laughter and lots of colour.
Posted by: Helen | January 09, 2017 at 10:22 PM
Oh my goodness the naughty words has had me in stitches!
Posted by: Gina | January 09, 2017 at 09:46 PM
Hope this finds you feeling much better. Ah, the teen years are upon you. I know exactly how it feels the first time your child refuses to go someplace with you. Then you have to remember that you were exactly the same when you became a teen! You do live in a beautiful part of England. When I see your pictures I feel a little jealous that I don't have places to walk as lovely as you do. Happy New Year to you and your lovely family.
Posted by: Kate | January 09, 2017 at 09:04 PM
I also had the same cold as you.. amazing how it can be spread around the entire world. I'm glad you had fun over Christmas and glad you're better. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Posted by: Teresa Kasner | January 09, 2017 at 08:54 PM
Gorgeous photos, especially the ones by the water. Sorry you've been so under the weather. Good that it was at a time when you were able to take it a bit easier in a way. I hope you are completely better now. Love the waterfall anecdote, I think Little B will remember that for a long time to come. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | January 09, 2017 at 08:49 PM
Lucky Lucy, to live in the lovely Yorkshire Dales, which I love too and miss so much. Thanks for the ongoing pics on your blog, which remind me of so many places we have visited. Hope the cold is much better now & glad to hear that you enjoyed Xmas. Tilly is cute & probably a similar age to our DD's 2 kittens and she tells me stories about them, which make me laugh. Take care.
Posted by: Susan Smith | January 09, 2017 at 08:26 PM
Your teen will realise in a few years just how lucky he is and will 'come back' to you and appreciate the great start in life you are giving them. You just have to trust in the way you have brought them up while they get the terrible teens out of the way! Love your blog, and hope you are feeling better again.
Posted by: Lena | January 09, 2017 at 07:31 PM
Paddling?! In a lake in Yorkshire in December?! With a chest infection?! Really?!!!
Posted by: Jools Morgan-Jones | January 09, 2017 at 06:51 PM
My goodness, has it been 9 years already? I often pop in on your blog here and there, but don't always have time to sit and make replies, but it's just amazing how that time has gone by and all the wonderful crochet you have done since arriving at number 24. I think you had been there just a year or two when I first stumbled upon your blog. Thanks Lucy for all the sharing over those years xo
Posted by: Sharm | January 09, 2017 at 06:40 PM
Loved this post so much - the beautiful pictures and the joy you get in going out for your strolls. And I just loved the story about Little B - so funny and something he will certainly remember. What's the harm? As long as he knows when NOT to say those things! ; )
Hope you are feeling better. I'm so enjoying the CAL so far.
Posted by: Liz | January 09, 2017 at 06:39 PM
So many people ill this year. Ours was quiet as him indoors did his back in and crawled from the car on the Friday and hardly moved til boxing day when mega painkillers kicked in, we had a reasonable boxing day then all plans etc for rest of the week were tossed aside and he rested ready to go back to work on the Monday.
Normal service has now resumed and his back is nearly better.
Well Happy New Year and can wait to enjoy your new projects............moorland blanket etc
Posted by: Jacqui | January 09, 2017 at 06:30 PM
I remember my eldest shouting "B*gg*r, Mummy, b*gg*r!" in the back of the car when she was about two years old which made me realise that I probably said it rather more than I should. "Oh you silly man" just doesn't have the same ring to it when they've cut you up at a roundabout :-) xx
Posted by: Winwick Mum | January 09, 2017 at 06:22 PM
Love the cat in the tree - why didn't it topple over? Love the naughty words too.
Posted by: Natalie | January 09, 2017 at 05:47 PM
Lucy, you made me laugh with the naughty words! Fab blog as ever x
Posted by: Pam | January 09, 2017 at 05:47 PM
Happy New Year Lucy for you and your loved ones. Lots and lots of people are under the weather with "the snotty thing".Hope it gives enough antibodies for the next ten years or so xxx
Posted by: tinke | January 09, 2017 at 05:17 PM
It sounds like a wonderful Christmas! 😊 Hope you feel much better now.
Posted by: Karen | January 09, 2017 at 05:14 PM
So sorry you were one of the millions of people with the persistent hacking cough now being referred to in the media. It has affected so many around me, staff included, and our elderly patients have been particularly badly affected.
Hopefully you can now look forward,and enjoy the beginnings of many a moorland blanket to be posted on FB. I'm torn between that and a willow afghan, but I think I know which one will win ! Only problem....I've only got one of the colours, so WWH here I come again !
Posted by: Anne Cormack | January 09, 2017 at 05:14 PM
Hi Lucy, reading your wonderful blog in bed where I have been since last Thursday. Really hoping this awful cold bug will ease off soon. It's so lovely to see your photos and hear all about your walks. Just makes me want to be there. I am making a ripple blanket for my granddaughter using your pattern and my own colours. Second ripple blanket. Must try some of your other projects. Love the cal you are doing at the moment and am seriously thinking of asking for the pack for my birthday as my husband really doesn't want to buy me the chain saw that I have asked for 😂. Hope you feel a lot better soon and keep warm with your lovely family and kitten of course.
Jayne
Posted by: Jayne Owens | January 09, 2017 at 05:12 PM
Sounds like a familiar Christmas Lucy. Don't worry too much about the sulky teen. I have 4 children with the youngest being 18, oldest 24 with 21 year old twins in the middle. The youngest planned way before Christmas that we should all go out for a walk that we did around 10 years ago with the comment 'we're all old enough now not to grumble at being made to go out for a walk'. It was a sparkling frosty day between Christmas and new year and we had the best time and even recreated my 10 year old Facebook profile pic taken in the same place all that time ago. Taking them out to enjoy nature and their surroundings while they're young pays off and creates great memories that they may not appreciate at the time but will as they get older. X
Posted by: Paula | January 09, 2017 at 05:02 PM
I so want to go to England to see my heritage. Dad's family is from Northumberland, around Morpeth (Litle Harle Castle area, then later near Caton, Lancashire and Mom's from Hastings/London.
Your photos and writings meanwhile, take me there... and I feel a strong wistfulness in my heart. Thank you Lucy!
Posted by: sue | January 09, 2017 at 04:33 PM
Being brought up very strictly, I remember aged 7 and taking great delight in saying "damn bloody hell!" when no one was listening. It was as naughty as I could imagine. I hope you are much better now Lucky.
Posted by: Ruth | January 09, 2017 at 04:22 PM