It's Christmas time!

I woke up late today (after 8am ) and aching all over as if I had done some really tough physical exercise (I haven't of course).  Naturally you push past the discomfort but I am really hoping that some lurgy isn't lurking around the corner!

Anyway - it was an excuse to take things a little easier today, so my first job was advent presents!  My brother and I swap 24 wrapped presents - and then open one each day in December.  For some reason we didn't swap them last year so are meeting up tomorrow to swap last year's presents (is this making sense at all?)  This morning I spent some time just sorting them out and making sure that all 24 are in the bag.  I have totally forgotten what they are after all this time but, hopefully, he and his wife will like them!

Next up was some kitchen cleaning and food prep.  For tea tonight, I am having "campfire stew" - a slow cooked gammon joint in baked beans, veg and stock.  I have found, in the past, that the gammon takes longer to cook than you think so I put it just in water and cooked it on low overnight - before emptying it out, adding everything and then cooking on medium.  By the end of the day, and served with a jacket potato and more veg, the gammon can be shredded and tastes fantastic!

With a swish round of the hoover, my jumble sale bargains washed and the dogs walked, it was then time to start on a much longed for task - sorting out the loft!  The loft has the kind of entrance that you have to crawl through on your hands and knees so I tend to just push something in (I have taken a "before " picture but daren't show you yet!  Since I will be looking for Christmas decorations soon, I wanted to start sorting through the rubbish up there and tidy up as I go - one box at a time though!  Today I tackled my first box (baby steps eh?) Well, truthfully it was a large bag that has been untouched in the loft since I emptied the upstairs bedroom ready for decoration.  As ever I had forgotten what was in it (would you believe fabric?) and so sorted through it - ending up with a bin bag full of useful scraps, three fleece blankets, some cotton that may be useful and so has been decamped into the craft room and a bag of fabric that I will take to the Rock Foundation tomorrow - this is a charity cafe where they also sew the products that adults with learning difficulties make.  So, project "loft sorting" has been started!

With a lunch of left over rice  veg from last night - with bacon, onions and egg mixed in (don't fret it was better than it sounds)- it was sofa time.  I had a project with lots of lose ends to tie in and, well, if a power nap came over me, who would know!!

Tonight is my sewing class so there's a little bit of getting ready to do - we are continuing with a table runner and I am up to the quilting stage.  It's not my favourite stage - but it allows you to sit and chat!