Blogmas, day 9

Good morning, everyone.  I'm back home now after the coach journey home, feeling rather achy and still very tired after waking at stupid o'clock this morning.  

We were lucky in pour coach driver - he was very good and got us home well before the estimated time of arrival.  We left at half eight and arrived at about four fifteen with an hour's stop off for lunch.  He came a different way back as I gather the M1 was very slow (when isn't it) so we did A1(M), A14 and joined the M11 at Cambridge to Bishop's Stortford.  To be honest, this is the way I would have chosen anyway and the way John always did it when he came to see Mum and Dad, but staying on the A1 until Letchworth.  Anyway, it was a good decision as we had no hold-ups at all, just a few slower speeds at times.

And Chris and Steve came to pick me up, bless them.  It made such a difference.

I've just uploaded the Edinburgh photos and will do a separate blog.  It was a good day.

Here's today's advent collection.

The tea bag is Darjeeling black tea - I will enjoy that later on.

The Advent of Change today supports Become, a charity for children in care and young care leavers.  It says:
Today you have given an isolated young care leaver regular supportive calls over the Christmas period, reminding them they're not alone.

https://becomecharity.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/ 

I've missed the days while I was away but I will catch up with them as I think it's important; day six is near the end.

In today's bag were the candle and tin, some candy cane earrings and a tiny pot of tomato chutney.  Nice.

The blanket square is a snowflake but, as backgrounds are white, it will be a sparkly red or green snowflake.  Odd?  Of course!!
I didn't do much cross stitch while away but I had got ahead anyway so that's OK.  I'll take a photos in the coming days.

Added to this, when I got home last night, there was a little parcel and inside were a zip up bag and a little tin - they're in the photos.  This is for me to keep my hearing aid stuff.  The bag is for the spare charger and lead and the spare aids and I can keep batteries and cleaning stuff in the tin.  I think I will also buy a USB plug.
Then it is all together, ready and waiting, I will KNOW I have everything and nothing will get covered by clothes!  So kind, thank, Beth.

Beth also took the opportunity to play the traditional joke with the wooden crib.  The Tribbles were taken off and now every figure has been blessed with a red pompom hat and a red and white striped scarf (courtesy of Temu, I suspect).

She obviously had spares so a mini tree has been similarly bedecked, as have some of the sheep near the Christmas tree!

They're definitely staying on until Twelfth Night

Today I should be going to Groove but I'm feeling weary and achy and I'm going to make my excuses.  I have a friend coming over and I'm taking her out for a nice, relaxing coffee and it is Kay-day so everything will be nice and clean and I can spend the afternoon relaxing and catching up with my washing - which is not relaxing but needs to be done - and my recordings.

I also have a bit of Governor work to do as I'm in a meeting tomorrow.

We have another storm passing over, storm Bram, and I gather it is going north rather than south so I'm sending my best to my northern and Scottish readers with hopes that it is not that bad and that you won't be negatively affected.  

And I'm counting my blessings as we were so, so lucky with the weekend weather.

Now let's catch up with day six of the Advent of Change.  It supports Sand Dams Worldwide:

Today you have brought clean, safe water to a community in Africa by helping to fund a sand dam.
Interesting one . . . and here's the link.

https://www.sanddamsworldwide.org.uk/Pages/Category/what-we-do

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And, finally, here's your Advent music for day nine.

Today I have chosen the very beautiful carol by John Rutter, sung by Kings College Choir.  I really love this one.

Have a lovely day, everyone.  xx