December 2024

As in recent years, we put our tree up on the first of the month. It always gets me in the Christmas spirit once the house is decorated ready for the festivities. We'd planned so much this Christmas, especially as it was our first one as grandparents, we were so looking forward to sharing the festivities with our little Jack. Unfortunately, illness struck. Both Mick and I were poorly with some kind of virus from Christmas Eve onwards. We're only just beginning to feel a little bit better now. Daniel, Jasmine and Jacob came down with it on Boxing Day, and Jack also had a trip to see the GP the following day for something unrelated. We did spend time together but it wasn't really the Christmas we'd planned.

We'd planned so many outings this month in the lead up to Christmas but many of those were cancelled because of the weather. We had heavy rain and Storm Darragh spoiling our plans, but we did manage to visit Fountains Abbey for their annual Music and Lights Celebration. The cellarium is brought to life with live choirs and bands filling the ruins with festive music. A lovely day out.

We also managed a trip to Haworth for their Christmas Music Weekend. It was a miserable day but that didn't hamper our enjoyment. I love to hear a brass band at Christmas, my dad played the Eb bass so I was used to hearing band music when I was growing up and this type of music always brings back memories now.

There were also trips out to Helmsley, Thirsk, Nostell Priory and Pateley Bridge, so we didn't do too bad considering the weather, then on the Friday before Christmas, Mick took a day off work. We headed off into the Yorkshire Dales but again, the weather wasn't very good. I didn't mind, I just love the Dales and love to visit whatever the weather. We popped into the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes to pick up our cheese for Christmas, and the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham on our way home to restock some beer for Mick.

I've read just one book this month.

The Golden Rule by Amanda Craig.

"When Hannah is invited into the first-class carriage of the London to Penzance train, she walks into a spider's web. Now a poor young single mother, she once escaped Cornwall to go to university, but after marriage to Jake her dreams turned to bitter disillusion, her husband has left her for a rich woman, and Hannah has survived by working as a cleaner. Jinni is equally angry, and in the course of their journey the two women agree to murder each other's husbands. After all, they are strangers on a train - who could possible connect them?

But when Hannah goes to Jinni's house she meets its shambolic caretaker, who claims Jinni is very different to the person Hannah has been led to believe. Who is telling the truth - and what will become of the women's pact to commit a terrible crime?"

A really well written book with twists and turns a plenty. I liked the plot, there was plenty to get your teeth into, and the characters were interesting.

I shall definitely look for more books by this author.

I'm carrying just two projects over into the new year, a knitted baby blanket and the Natures Walk Blanket, a crochet blanket by Sandra Paul. I've got quite a few projects I'm itching to start though but I'm waiting until I finish at least one of these before I cast on anything new.

There's been all the usual festive TV programmes to watch this month but something I watched at the start of the month, before I embarked on the Christmas films, was The Day of the Jackal. Based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth, the plot concerns an assassin known as the Jackal and the MI6 officer who is determined to catch him. Starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, it's already been commissioned for a second series and I can understand why, it's fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat, it's thoroughly enjoyable. I shall definitely be watching the next series.

I can't finish off without mentioning Gavin & Stacey. We were all left on a cliffhanger back in 2019 so The Finale ties up all the loose ends and finishes things off nicely. I'm sorry to see this series come to an end, it's so well written and has given us lots of laughs over the years.

All that's now left to say is thank you for another year of friendship. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such lovely comments, I really do appreciate it. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025.

Books Read In 2024

I've read thirty eight books in 2024, noticeably less than in recent years, however, some of the books I have read have been quite hefty. I'm at a point where I count the number of books I've read purely out of interest, I don't set goals, reading is purely for enjoyment.

I haven't read as many classics this year, mainly because I've been immersed in The Seven Sisters series, and those are long books. I think they're each over 800 pages long, some longer. I have read a few though and I continue to collect them with the aim of reading more.

As I said, I've read The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley this year, with her son, Harry Whittaker taking over the final installment as Lucinda Riley sadly died before she completed it. The books are about seven sisters who were adopted by a billionaire. After his death, the sisters are given clues about their heritage which leads each of them on a journey to uncover their past. If you haven't read these books I can wholeheartedly recommend them.

As always, I've kept up with new releases from my favourite authors. Some of these books belong to a series so it's good to catch up with the lives of the characters I follow, others are stand alone stories but I know how much I enjoy these authors so I know that they're going to be good.

The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

The Seven Sisters - Lucinda Riley

Queen of our Times - Robert Hardman

Fresh from the Country - Miss Read

The Storm Sister - Lucinda Riley

The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Letter to a Hostage - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A Villa with a View - Julie Caplin

The Museum of Ordinary People - Mike Gayle

The Shadow Sister - Lucinda Riley

Peter Pan - JM Barrie

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square - Lilly Bartlett

The Pearl Sister - Lucinda Riley

The Household - Stacey Halls

The Last Reunion - Kayte Nunn

The Moon Sister - Lucinda Riley

The House Keepers - Alex Hay

The Flatshare - Beth O'Leary

Very Very Lucky - Amanda Prowse

The Sun Sister - Lucinda Riley

The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane - Helen Rolfe

The Missing Sister - Lucinda Riley

The No-Show - Beth O'Leary

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt - Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker

A Vintage Summer - Cathy Bramley

Home Truths - Charity Norman

Swimming to Lundy - Amanda Prowse

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel - Alexander McCall Smith

The Memory of Us - Dani Atkins

Nurses on Call - Donna Douglas

The Crossing Places - Elly Griffiths

The Secrets of De Courcy Square by Ann O'Loughlin

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

This Year's for Me and You by Emily Bell

Christmas with the Wartime Midwives by Daisy Styles

The Nutcracker by ETA Hoffmann

The Golden Rule by Ananda Craig

My favourites have definitely been The Seven Sisters but I also really enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea, The Memory of Us and We Solve Murders.

I started the Ruth Galloway mysteries by Elly Griffiths this year so I intend reading more of those next year, I've already bought the next ones in the series.

I'd also like to read more classics. Again, they're waiting on the bookshelf, it's just a case of finding the time to read all the books I've got, yet I still keep adding more.

I'm always excited to see where my reading will take me, it's such a wonderful way to escape real life, learn new things and de-stress. Both my parents were avid readers and I'm so pleased that they passed this gift on to me, I'm only sad that neither of my children pick up a book to read very often.

Do you set yourself reading goals? What was your favourite book you've read this year? 

Merry Christmas 2024

Christmas has changed for us over the last few years. Loved ones who we celebrated with are no longer here and we miss them terribly, but there's a happier change this year, an empty seat (or highchair) will be filled with the next generation and the way our Christmas looks will change yet again.

Wishing all my bloggy friends a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Gift Knitting

I hadn't intended gifting anything handmade this Christmas but one of Eleanor's friends asked her if I'd knit her a pair of socks so I decided to make her a pair for Christmas. 

I used yarn that I'd got in my stash, West Yorkshire Spinners in the Blue Lagoon Colourway with Blueberry Bonbon for the cuffs, heels and toes.

I used the Petunia Dursley's Double Eyelet Socks pattern by Erica Lueder, a pattern I've used a few times before. I like the little holes in this design, they remind me of the socks I used to wear for school. The heel is the Fish Lips Kiss Heel by Sox Therapist. Putting in a contrasting colour on the heel doesn't interrupt the stripes when using a self-striping yarn.

That's the extent of my gift knitting this year. How about you? Have you made gifts for anyone this year?