Happy New Year

I hope that everyone had a good christmas and new year. I can't believe that it is 2009. I remember when I was a little girl, I asked my mum if we would be alive in the year 2000 as it seemed such a long way off. Where has that time gone?

Christmas at Chez us-in-France was very pleasant, and far better than I thought it would be. I got up early to let the chickens out and feed them, the geese and the cats. OH got up and lit the fire and we went back to bed with a cuppa to open presents. He gave me the Mama Mia DVD which we watched in bed. I thought it was wonderful, he said that it got better after the first 30 mins. He says he doesn't think he will watch it again, but I think that I will come home from work one day and catch him practising the dance moves!!

We had a lazy day, lit the fire in the lounge and spent the day together watching films. We like to have our dinner in the evening, we are just not hungry for a full roast dinner at 2pm, and I certainly don't want to spend all morning cooking a dinner I don't even like or want to eat at that time. Anyway, we had a lovely meal - roast duck for him and caramelised onion and goats cheese in filo pastry for me, and a nice evening. I had thought it would be very different; I though he would spend all day on the computer upstairs and that I would spend the day on my own watching TV and preparing the dinner. It turned out very well.

Boxing Day doesn't exist in France, alot of people go back to work and the shops are generally open as usual. However, the Brits here carry on the tradition and have people round for drinks. We went to 2 on Boxing Day. Some people fairly near us, David and Anita and then over to Penny's (Violet White blog) where we got to meet her grown up children and her gorgeous granddaughter. We spent a couple of hours there and had such a good time.

New Years Eve was fabulous. Since we have been here we have spent the evening with one set of friends, but this year went somewhere else. It was a party jointly hosted by 3 couple who all live in the same lane. It started at Dave and Pennie's, with the biggest buffet you have ever seen. All the food had been provided by the 2nd couple, Ken and Lyn. There was a great mix of English and French people, we knew almost everyone there and the atmosphere was wonderful. Ken and Lyn had organised games to play. There were 6 bags with elasticated tops filled with 10 random items which you had to guess by just feeling them. Then there was outlines of countries that you had to name, you had to list as many American presidents as you could and a few other games besides. It was great fun and the evening whizzed by. Just before midnight we walked across the lane where we had fireworks and sparklers in Mick and Sue's house. All the desserts were over here and we stayed here for another couple of hours. We left at 2.15 and couldn't believe how much time had passed. It was an absolutely superb evening.

Everything is now returning to normal. The tree which I normally take down on New Years Day will come down tomorrow. We are having friends for a meal tonight and the tree looks so pretty with all it lights on. Misty has loved it; it is her indoor playground. She has climbed in it, slept in it, chucked decorations off of it and hidden behind it. She is really going to miss it.

I hope that all of you in blogland had a lovely christmas, and wish you all health and happiness for 2009.