Snow & Nativity plays

The first snow dump of the season finally arrived on Sunday. What started out as a snow flurry in the morning continued all day until we were under a foot of snow, scuppering any plans we had of a family day out! The novelty is already wearing off though as I remember shovelling snow from the steps and garden path, digging the car out of the drive as the snow plough dumps the snow at the side of the road, getting 3 children out of the house each morning in full winter kit and pulling them to school on a sledge as I disappear down a snow covered Gopher hole...! It's all coming back to me now!


The children are loving it though and Ben was out sledging with his friends as soon as school was out! Luckily Olivia & Charlie are a bit more sensible, preferring to make snow angels in the garden and bounce on the snow covered trampoline where they can get indoors quickly!


Charlie has had his Nativity play this week and looked very cute dressed as a Shepherd and carrying a sheep; not a real sheep though, as he pointed out to me! He was very confident and was waving excitedly at Leigh & I. Olivia has her play tomorrow and is almost bursting with excitement as she has a sparkly crown and a speaking part! Ben is bursting with joy too as we go away on the day of his Christmas concert and he therefore has to miss it!

Leigh is on about his 15th Christmas lunch this week and is currently in Medicine Hat on another one. Funnily enough when he left at lunch time he said he was 'pretty confident' that he would be on the transport home at 6pm... it's now 10pm! No doubt by now, Leigh & his colleagues will be telling each other what great blokes they all are... really great blokes, just the best...hic!

-24 And Some Snow!

Well, we've had quite a busy week on the party front (well by Ralston standards anyway!). On Thursday evening we had a Regimental Dinner night in the Mess, which gave me the chance to wear the one dress I brought out here, and the men the chance to squeeze themselves into Mess Dress, which for most of them was tailored at least 20 years ago! Leigh didn't do too badly; only the one button pinged off his trousers but more odd than that was that one of his boots didn't fit anymore - just the one boot, which resulted in Leigh having this kind of Cowboy/Woody from 'Toy Story' strut! And if that wasn't funny enough, the bloke I was sat opposite had to apologise to me, as due to the tightness of his jacket he couldn't lift his arm high enough to pour the wine!!! And that, by the way, was the Commander!! A funny night indeed!

We've also had the Prairie Wives Christmas Party which was an 'Arabian Nights' theme in the Sgt's Mess. That was good fun and some of us girls 'got ready' at Marluz's house, which is something I haven't done for about 20 years! We had a good giggle, and luckily I had the sense not to have a Henna Tattoo which was available on the night, unlike Marluz who had one on her forehead!!!

On Sunday it was the annual SSAFA Christmas Fair which is held here at the gym in Ralston. Following the roaring success I had with my Roasted Tomato Soup at the recent Safari Supper, I agreed to do a Soup Kitchen with Patrick, the BFBS manager here. Laden with bubbling cauldrons of soup, Patrick & I set up stall selling my Roasted Tomato & Paticks Leek & Chickpea soups. We did have a laugh though I think Patrick fared better than I did as I hardly broke even by the time I paid for my stall! And to think I skinned 120 tomatoes! Oh well, it was all for 'Charity mate'! Needless to say, I don't think I am going to be head-hunted by Alan Sugar for my Sales Skills!

That's all for this week! The children are all happy and well. Oh and just to say Happy 41st oops I mean 21st Birthday to Mike Turner!