Dog in da Hood

There was once a doxie called Chynna
No other sausage looked finer
Everyone thought she was a peach
As she licked every face within reach
And everything she wore was designer

Ice Ice Baby

Although the worst of the snow has missed us, the cold weather certainly hasn't. This place has certainly lived up to the name Brrringland during the last few days. The sleet combined with freezing temperatures has turned our road into an 'ice rink'.

I have the next two weeks off work but unfortunately, P has to go into the office for a couple of days. Driving is really out of the question. He has to take the train into the office and deal with the delays. As soon as the weather turns extreme here, everything just seems to fall apart.

I just took these photos of our back garden and the road in front of our house. Thought all of you on the Small Island can look at them and gloat about how lovely and warm you are! Me, jealous?!! Noooooooooooooooooo.....(yessssssssssssssss).

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours!

Click to enlarge:

The Dreaded C Word

In my last entry, I mentioned feeling great sorrow because of losing Lainey to cancer.

It's only been in the last few months that I have started to feel comfortable and happy in this country. A large part of this has been due to the friends that we have met here. Just a few days after I wrote that blog, we received the devastating news that one of our new friends has skin cancer.

We hope that because it was caught in the early stages that Smiley will make a full recovery. The medical team has moved very quickly and he's already had an operation to remove the affected area. However, as with every cancer case, it is a waiting game. Sometimes you pull the short straw and sometimes if you're very lucky, you don't.

P and I are of course both worried, but thinking positive thoughts for him and praying every day.

I myself am in shock as you can all imagine. Smiley and his wife are a wonderful couple i.e. kind, generous, sweet and funny. Although we haven't known them for very long, P and I really care for them. When we get together, it is constant laughter and hilarity. Although they are a little older than us, we have a lot in common. They really are lovely and I know that if any of you met them, you would feel the same.

As I end this short entry today, I ask if all of you could pray for Smiley's rapid recovery and remission in whatever faith that you believe in. Thank you very much and I will keep you posted on how he is doing.

Yo Ho Ho and Champers on Ice

Twelve months ago, P and I were excitedly anticipating the arrival of Yeller Fever to our rainy shores. This year, he will be on the Small Island and sorely missed. However, he will be here in the summer with his partner and we just cannot wait!

We will spend the yuletide season with friends we have made since we moved here. I am looking forward to having two weeks off but it will be different without my BFF around.

This weekend, we'll be having a cocktail party for about 20 colleagues, some of whom are also friends. In anticipation of our little celebration, we have put up our Christmas decorations.

Josh Grobin is on the CD player while I unpack my three big containers of ornaments. It's at times like this that remind me of loved ones that are no longer with us, in particular, my darling Lainey. I can't believe that it has been almost four years (in April 2010) since she passed. I miss her as much today as I did on the day that she died, if not more.

So much has happened that she doesn't know about i.e. my wedding, moving to Brrringland and so on. I know that she would find my crude comments about Brrringlish gals absolutely hilarious and would email me laughing about my last 'yellow river' blog. That is what I find the most painful: that we can't share the ridiculous that is daily life anymore. I still think about her with equal amounts of love and sorrow every single day. And I guess I always will.

But on a day like today (even though it's rainy and cr*p outside), I remember that I'm also very lucky to have a loving husband, great friends and family, a good job and a beautiful house to live in. Plus let's not forget, mummy's little helper, Chynna.

Here, my little friend is 'assisting' me to put up the decorations from her cosy little spot under the tree:


Most of the decorations are in the living and dining area. Because this house is so big, it doesn't feel cluttered at all:


The dress code of our upcoming party is 'Ball Gowns and Bedroom Slippers'. P will be in his tux and I will be wearing a long black strapless gown, my vintage diamonds and wonderful Hello Kitty slippers. I can't wait to see what other people will wear!

Photos to follow next week...