Baking and a tale of a harried woman.

First time I have made Julie le Clerc's Christmas cake, secret ingredient  condensed milk, looks good.

 Vanilla and white chocolate cake.

Tom made this years ago and I still love it. Its eyes light up alternately.

The tree and new lights on bookcase.

I have been truly busy this last week, because my job entails taking people out to community activities Christmas is  very busy in the eating and drinking department. This week our Dance class finished, not a nice mental picture of me dancing but it does allow me to be a big kid and dance as if no-one is watching, no party in the real sense here, but my 2 clients always make things interesting. Friday was the end of Exercise class very laid back, and always fun, we always go for a nibble at the cafe in the Leisure Centre with other members of the class, unfortunately one of my "men" lost the Christmas card he had been given which caused some grief until I thought of giving him mine. Then back to work to change into "good " clothes and grab some money, then down to a local Working Man's Club for lunch. What a palaver, we had to go in pay and then straight away get our lunch, one of my men could do this independently and the other 2 need help. I asked the cook a large man with numerous tattoos who looked like he had learnt his trade" inside" or on a tramp steamer of dubious origins, if I could have less than the half a chicken he gave me, but he said that's what you get, a request for more gravy as my men need their food soft elicited the same reply. The plates were to hot for my guys to hold so I had to put my plate in a corner, take my men to the buffet, get them things they could eat, seat them and then go back to my plate get my vege, all while juggling a glass of orange juice and a jug of beer and two glasses. Good thing we woman can multi-task. I sat down cut up to plates of food and mashed one up to baby food consistency and as I took a gulp of juice, some-one asked if I needed a hand. Don't you just love that, and my colleagues at work thought I was having a cruisy day. Then to cap of a perfect day I had to leave work early to have my yearly Mammogram, which I checked to see if I had the right day, yes I did so off I went, needed to take a ticket from the parking machine I don't know how this happened becos I do remember seeing the ticket, but between taking the ticket and getting a carpark I lost the ticket, this would have been all of 25 seconds. I hate when I'm so dozy, so I thought ****** and went to the building , I've been there before, but not for 3 years I couldn't find the ****** building , I DON'T BELIEVE IT! could this be the day from hell, am I going mad. So after walking around, I asked a very nice lady who said I'm going there myself, so she took me in a door and up in a lift and there we were. I said to the receptionist I'm sorry I got lost, and she said we moved 2 years ago and I see you haven't been here since the move. Told the X-ray lady what had happened and she laughed  and said to tell the men at the parking booth what had happened and they would let go through, she said they were nice guys. So I approached them with my tale of woe they didn't look fazed  and let me go, the parking was free if you were there less than 30 mins, and I was so I don't feel guilty just relieved. Thank god for the weekend. Have been baking so I shall show you the results, plus the Christmas decorations are up. I did the decorations on Tuesday night with absolutely no help from Aj and Tom and when they came inside and saw the wonderous beauty of the lounge they said " See what a clever girl you are you can do it on your own, don't you feel all grown up now for achieving that". See I know it's wrong to want to beat your children and the defence of provocation is no longer allowed, but sometimes it would feel good too. LOL in case anyone thinks I'm serious. Two of Aj's friends have walked into the house this week to say wow the house looks great, your mum must love Christmas and I assure you it is just basic decorations but I do love Christmas. Sadly they said we don't have any decorations up, our parents/mother thinks it's a waste. What a shame, the boys both loved our house and I told them they could do something at there homes but sadly don't thing they will and I wonder if this is common and in the future will the joy and anticipation of all the traditional rites of Christmas will be lost for many. Love Aunt Bee.