Rooms with a view.

I can't imagine why Dave got upset when I asked him to clean the windows!

Actually this is a lovely view of Powis Castle from the Orangery, that Cecily took earlier this year. If you have never visited this magnificent building, it really is worth the trip. The castle is beautiful (you can tour parts of the interior), the museum has some stunning pieces in it and the much celebrated gardens are spectacular at any time of year ... and of course, you can come and visit us as we are only about 45 minutes away from the castle.

I have finalised our family plans for Christmas today, it's very early to be thinking about it I realise, but I want my mother to come to our house for a few days this year and I wanted to give her some time to think about it before she decided what she would like to do. Hooray, it took her no time at all to decide that she would like to be chez moi this year. Last year, Dave got stranded by the heavy freezing fog at his mother's house and Cecily & her boyfriend spent the day at his mother's home and so I drove the two hour journey to my sister's home near Monmouth to spend the day with her family and my Mum. Dad died last July and it was our first Christmas without him; it was probably one of the saddest Christmasses that you could imagine.

So with all that in the back of my mind, I wanted something different for this year. Dave will be at home with me, Cecily and her boyfriend plan to be here and I've invited my son and his girlfriend to join us. We often have a friend or two here for a few days too, so once again this house will be put to good use over the festive season. One of the joys of living in a large house is that it is easy to accommodate friends and family who want to stay over (the disadvantages are too many to mention today... I will leave that grizzle for another time).

I will get the cookery books out over the next few weeks and start to plan what I can 'knock together' for eating over Christmas, in the meanwhile, it's definitely time for a cup of tea.

Chat soon, Liz