Mosaic Monday # 65 - best laid plans and all that...........

After telling you all how my Christmas plans were coming along last week things around here went a little bit pear shaped to say the least.

The coughs and colds that are often around at this time of year and which had been bothering the SP and I since we got back from our holiday in Cyprus decided that it was all very well and good decorating and baking, but what we really needed was to spend some time in hibernation not doing very much.

This week we've been taking care of each other with hot drinks, medicine (with the occasional medicinal brandy thrown in) hot water bottles, comfort food (soft poached eggs on buttery toast was my favourite meal), napping and reading in front of a roaring log fire.

Let me share with you some of the seasonal reads that helped me forget, for a few hours, just how rotten I was feeling.

#1 on my Christmas book list has to be "A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg. I've read this lovely story umpteen times and it never fails to be uplifting, it's quite likely that I was smiling all the way through the book despite a hacking cough!

I saw on Lorrie's blog Fabric Paper Thread recently that Antony Trollope's "Christmas at Thompson Hall" is one of her seasonal favourites so I ordered it online and an Amazon elf delivered it a day later. Good call, Lorrie, I just started reading it at the weekend and am enjoying it very much.

At a recent charity book fair I picked up two classic Christmas books to add to my collection.
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and the little less well known "Winter Holiday " from the Swallows and Amazons series written by Arthur Ransome which I'm looking forward to reading soon.
When I was a young girl I loved the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton and over the years have picked up a few vintage hardback versions from jumble sales and used book shops. Set during the Christmas break from their respective boarding schools "Five Go Adventuring Again " was a favourite read and getting reacquainted with Julian, Dick, Anne, George & Timothy the dog almost 60 years later made me feel quite nostalgic.

Duty called on Friday morning in the shape of M'selle Fleur's annual check up and vaccination appointment with the vet in Bayeux. All went well and she's safe from all sorts of illnesses, including rabies, for another 12 months.

Whilst in town we did a quick shop to stock up on supplies at the newly refurbished  LeClerc supermarche, these fascinating woodland creatures greeted us as we entered the lobby.

The new flower shop was a wonderful sight, just breathtaking, I hope to go back next week to pick up a floral arrangement or two and maybe some white poinsettia plants.

So, how was your week?

Normandy Life

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