Thursday, 9 December 2021

Doors to be opened

Hi everyone, it's already proved to be a busy week so I haven't had any trouble filling in my new pages in my calendar journal for December.

I did remember to take a photo when I made it (and last month filled in)

I spritzed the page with Dina Wakley gloss sprays to create a dark wintery sky(happily today is sunny)and stamped some Stampendous houses using different coloured inks and added some Wintery trees in between them.

Of course I used the houses with the little doors because I wanted it to be an entry At Art Journal Journey for Valeries's 'When One Door Closes, Another Opens' theme.

I sat one evening and coloured the houses with sparkly pens


Here is last month's all filled in.


So, why so busy? 
Having finally got all the family to check their diaries and agree to having lunch together on my Birthday(coming up this weekend) I booked somewhere that we had visited together a few years ago - we took picnics, but then discovered that there was excellent restaurant attached.
We have never returned and I had plans of treating them all as this will probably be the only complete family occasion we can have.

The next day we found that our DIL has caught the Covid bug and won't be out of isolation until the day after and of course my son will have had close contact with her(fingers crossed he will be OK) She hasn't been too bad, thanks to her having had all her jabs.
This meant rearranging the booking, so further checking of diaries that took a time to come back. When I rang to cancel and rearrange I found that the restaurant is closed on the day we can all make...ho-hum!!!

Meanwhile we had arranged to meet my Brother and SIL at a shopping centre half way(ish) between us. It used to be an annual event until last year as well as visits in the Summer.
We set out yesterday in the rain, the day after Storm Barra, the start and end of our journey is via Motorway and as we got on we went straight into a queue - there were floods over half of the carriageway so only one lane open - it slowed us down a bit.
The next part of the journey is on a road over the Pennines - a high area of mainly moors and twisty roads and of course very wet and eventually snowy, meaning careful driving.
We enjoyed meeting up but it's not the best place to chat. We noticed that although most folk are wearing masks (as instructed) probably 1 in 10 weren't. We cut our visit short as none of us were comfortable with this.
The journey home was all on the motorway but again with lots of rain and flooded carriageways. 

As you might expect last night we just sat and watched a film - actually a very good one, starring Timothy Spall called 'The Last Bus'. It was  heartwarming, uplifting and sad in parts, for me it was a two hankie film!

Something good though, while writing this post my grandson rang to suggest meeting up for lunch next week - I'm looking forward to that!

Thanks for looking, Chris






11 comments:

  1. I thought this was an Advent calendar with counting the days down to Christmas especially with those sweet little houses. Well, a December planner is sort of like a countdown, isn't it? Sorry to hear about your Son and DIL. Wishing them a speedy recovery. The driving part of your trip to meet your Brother and SIL was too exciting for me. I hate driving in the snow. Even if I'm not the one doing the driving. So sweet of your grandson to suggest and alternate date. Have a very Happy Birthday! 🎂💐🎈

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  2. Your calendar is so sweet Chris and you do so well at keeping up to it. I'm sorry to read about your DIL. It seems like every time we get something nice planned, it gets messed up by the Covid bug! I hope you manage to enjoy your birthday, however you spend it xx

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  3. First of all, my best birthday congratulations to you 💐
    I hope your arrangements continue well, and all you are well soon.
    Your cute small houses with the doors mach well the theme, and the calendar page is great 👍😍
    Happy upcoming weekend ♥️

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  4. Happy birthday Chris, sorry you had such problems to get a meet up together.Sorry your DIL has the bug, that's not good! Love those little houses and doors on your calendar. Thanks for linking to my challenge at AJJ! Hugs Valerie

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  5. I'm loving the new calendar Chris, but so sorry to hear your DIL has caught covid. Hopefully your son won't get it, but these new variants are scarier than the original. It's time for this virus to go away, isn't it? Too bad it doesn't look like its in any hurry to go. Hopefully the skies will clear and you'll have a great lunch with your grandson. Hugs-Erika

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  6. shame your birthday plans have got disrupted and I hope no-one else catches covid to further interrupt plans. I hope you manage to enjoy the day nevertheless.

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  7. I love your new calendar page for December. It is awesome. I love how you colored all those houses. Again, you put my calendar pages to shame.

    Sorry to read about your birthday mishap. It is sad and I know how disappointed you must be. Sounds like quite an ordeal, and the trip to meet your SIL and brother was scary indeed.

    Thanks for sharing your calendar at AJJ using Valerie's theme, dear.

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  8. Love your page! Oh, scary about your your DIL - cases rise here, too - best wishes!

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  9. Super calendar pages Chris, I loved those small houses you coloured.
    Sorry to read that your plans for the family to meet are having to be altered and I hope your DIL and the family recover and get well.
    Its difficult to make any arrangement these days and our 'rules' could change
    overnight.
    Stay safe Chris and your family.
    Yvonne xx

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  10. Wonderful calendars Chris! I love the little houses.
    Hope you have a good weekend.
    Alison

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  11. Hello Chris. Love this calendar idea. Perfectly created too. I don’t go out unless it’s absolutely necessary. Sorry to hear your family lunch couldn’t go ahead but hope your daughter-in-Law gets better soon. Hugs Rita xxxx

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