Why is it so wet?

Hey! We’re back in circulation after a good rest, eat and play. You all had a good time?

Do you like the Swedish hello at the start? We’ve not been to Sweden in the last few days, more’s the pity, but I have finished the last of the Stieg Larsson books and read something else which reminded me about Hey! and Tak (thank you, for those not in the know) which is about all I can remember from when we did go to Sweden, ages ago. That and ‘oppet’ outside the shops.

We had a very nice, gentle Christmas. It wasn’t sad, and it was thoughtful.  We’ve seen lots of family and friends which has been good. My favourite present is a tie between some brass haunted house earrings and the most comfortable socks I’ve ever worn.

What I want to know though is why  it so wet? It should be sharp frosts and glittering sunshine. We are having a smallish gathering on Tuesday 3rd for a bonfire party to celebrate Rosie’s 20th, but  if the wet continues, it’ll just be a slightly singed wood party. And thought you’d like to know, Rosie is mentioned in both the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire local papers in their round up of events in 2011.

What’s Swedish for goodbye?

Jo

Mincemeat palavar

Cheese bought  – yep

Pork pie bought – yep

Car filled up – yep

Presents wrapped – yep

Mince pies made – erm.  Well yes, in a manner of speaking. Just they’ve turned into tiny little pear and almond tarts which look like mince pies. Mixing your marmalade up with your mincemeat is an easy mistake to make.

We’re all set, and we hope you are too. Have a fab Christmas and thanks to all of you for helping us all through 2011. We’ll be having a toast to Rosie and my Aunty Jackie who died earlier this year, tomorrow lunch. And we’ll be back on line in a few days.

Here’s the link to a Christmas box set we’ve now got.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qksxHFOqGf0&feature=share

Have fun

Jo

 

Gingerbread Angels

Tiny post today, but just had to share these two things. These arrived in the post today. From a mystery person. We think we know who they are from, but we’re just checking. They are fab ) and they are hanging on our tree now.

And Hope have asked me to send this to all of Team Kilburn to wish you all a happy Christmas and to thank you for everything you have done for them this year. Thanks Hope and a Merry Christmas from all of us to you all.

Jo

Christmas lights and babies

Ha! oh! This is all in italics.  I didn’t ask it to do that. I think I’ll leave it for tonight though, as it’s got a pleasantly festive air to it. Looks like you feel the morning after a good Christmas party.

Anyway, just a quick post to say that Rosie’s been given her own set of battery operated Christmas lights. We considered festooning her grave, but we decided we wanted to enjoy them every night, so they are outside in a bit of the garden she liked.

And. . . two babies have been named after Rosie. One is already born and is called Rosie for her first name; the other is yet to be born, but is going to be Rose for a middle name. How good is that?

And thank you Meg for the message on the RIP Rosie Kilburn Facebook page and then all the comments that followed. Rosie loved Christmas.

Jo

Birthdays

Busy, busy, busy this weekend. Quick dash into Gloucester on Sat morning and then over to Rosie’s grave to put up another decoration now the winds have died down. The churchyard looks as though all the residents have got together and decided it’s time to get their act together for Christmas. Last week, when we took down the big silver star for Rosie, there wasn’t much going on elsewhere. This week, in complete contrast, there were loads of Christmas wreaths on all the neighbouring graves and new bunches of flowers, and holly berries and little stars; it looks brilliant. Rosie’s now got a silver branchlet, with decorations from Cal, a Hope fairy, a heart from Sue, Gwen and Evie, a crystal star from Celia and a Robin for Rosie from Sylvie’s tutorial. They’ve made and sold 600 for TKOE . Here, you can have a look:

 

 Then up to slightly snowy Halifax for fab niece Maddie’s 18th birthday. Should have taken lots of photos, but once I’d had the first glass of wine  rather than the cup of tea on arrival, photo records fell by the wayside. Had a good time seeing people we’ve not seen for ages (and ages and ages in some cases) and there was a rousing game of  ‘G’day Bruce’ at midnight.

Then this morning, over to meet Peter at the brand new Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield where we looked round a fabulous building, heard about all the hospice at home services and saw the Yorkshire tribute to Rosie. This is Calum in his special tribute visiting pose. The tribute reads ‘beautiful, brilliant, fiesty Rosie Kilburn’ if you can’t read it.

We’ve been thinking about once Christmas is over, how shall we celebrate Rosie’s birthday on 3rd Jan. We’re thinking bonfires and sky lanterns (without wirey bits) and the 2012 TKOE challenge. She liked a good bonfire. Cal is reading this out as I type this, which is slightly unnerving, so I shall stop now.

Only 5 days then Christmas starts . . ..

Jo

:(

Alright, have been quiet on here cos have been feeling really out of sorts. Suppose it is because  it’s been three months this week; dark days; wet and windy; a lovely family gathering which wasn’t the first one Rosie hasn’t been too, but you know what I mean when I say she wasn’t there. Or here when we got home.

Have started doing Christmas cards as well – we’ve decided that we are still going to put Rosie’s name in them, in brackets; something we’ve learned is how nice it is when people send us cards and write something in there about Rosie too. It’s very stark to see her name not there. I’d never thought about that when I’d sent cards to people where someone in their family has died.

It’s not all dismal though . .  .Cal has been offered a place at Foxes for next Sept. It may just have been the mention of meringue cake which swung it.   Just have to go on the trail for funding now, which will not be straightforward. But that’s a new year job.

Think we might try the beech leaf noyau tonight.

Jo

Aloes

A man told me he liked the look of my aloes today.

I was running a TKOE stall at a Christmas Fair at the time; it made me laugh. Oh, I did have some aloes by the way. In case that sounded totally random.

There was a hilarious moment when one of the other stall holders realised that the wooly shawl she was wearing had shoplifted two bracelets from a neighbouring stall. They were hanging off the fringe. She was very confused but took them straight back.

And another man who seemed to be dressed as a Victorian gentleman, told me that it was a total outrage that decent dominoes had been turned into jewellery, and then swept off.

Raised quite a nice amount anyway, through some steady sales, so it was worth doing.

And here’s a nice message from Hope to all of TKOE and Team Kilburn

Jo

Stars

Helllooo. We’ve had bugs and busy evenings with Team Kilburn this week.  Getting better now though. We’ve been sent some TKOE domino bunting made specially for us. Ridiculously pleased with it.

Today was a big day for Cal. He had an assessment at Foxes Academy in Minehead, to see if he and they think they’d form a good relationship for next September. This meant Sylvie had to let the chickens out in the dark. She didn’t approve and made sure we knew all about it for most of the way down the M5.

Anyway, Cal seemed to have a good time, and came home with tales of putting on chef’s uniforms; eating ginger cake and bearing little sponge cakes which he’d made. Or at least, he came home with the closest equivalent to tales that Cal can tell.

He finds out early next week what Foxes think.

Thanks for the orders for the jams, chutneys etc. Yes, Michelle, let us know what you want and we’ll keep it here until you’re in the area next. TKOE will be at the Ledbury Christmas Fair on Saturday, so you can buy stuff direct from there.

If it’s not still pouring with rain and mighty windy, we’re going to decorate Rosie’s grave on Sunday. Unbelievably, it’s three months on Monday (my stomach churned a bit as I wrote that), so we thought that would be nice to do. And we’ve had two beautiful things sent to us to put on there. Look – that’s Cal’s hand

 

Jo

Warm glow, flat tyre and father christmas

I like living where we do.

We met Rotary Mike at the till in the garden centre, after a 5 hour stint as F.C. He was having a lively conversation with the elves about whether it was better to stand or sit for 5 hours. Either way, someone  had had to book to see F.C in London, which sort of affects the magic really, I think.

We bought a Christmas Tree which came with two free swedes from the farmer in Kempley. The vegetable variety, sadly. And I sold two tea towels on Newent High Street, having been hailed from a passing car. Don’t forget to send me your address, tea towel purchaser. You know who you are

The flat tyre happened on the way to get the Christmas Tree. Although Chris was driving and was the one who reversed into the nail, it was my fault because I had parked my car in such a position that it required expert manoevering skills to get anything wider than a lunch box past it. Chris’s car doesn’t have a spare tyre – it has gunky stuff you squirt in and a compressor. Stupid and ineffective. Chris’s car will have a spare tyre soon. And, hopefully, four functioning tyres.

The warm glow is still with us from yesterday, when 50-60 people played an intense evening of Family Bingo in the village hall and raised £500 for TKOE in the process. Thank you everyone for being sooo generous, and for having a good night. We’d never played Bingo before, and it’s really good fun.

Warm glow also from Deborah’s gins, jams and chutneys. Let’s see if the uploads work today. No, they don’t on this for some reason. Hmm. Just a minute – lets type in the list without the pictures then:

ALMOST ORGANICS – Organic fruit but non-organic sugar and spices

Apple Chutney

Rhubarb Chutney

Pear Chutney

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

Plum Jam

Elderberry Jelly

Rowan Berry Jelly

All £2.50 per 1lb jar

Sweet Pickled Pears

Persian pickled garlic

£3.00 per jar

Gins – Sloe; Blackberry and Elderberry; Blackberry; Damson; Beech Leaf Noyau

£17.50 per 75cl

If you want any and you can collect, just drop us an email at theknockoneffect@live.co.uk. Will see what we can do about access to Hope Fairies.

Jo

£4000

Reessulllt No 2 this week. Well done Natalie, thank you to everyone who donated/sponsored/Zumbaad. We’ve raised £4000 for Hope.

The links still aren’t working properly so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the jams/chutneys/gins list. Have a nice evening.

Jo