Gingerbread Travels - Februar 2020

Shortly after arriving back in Burnley for New Year we received an email from Papichen.  He was taking advantage of the New Year sales and had booked the ferry to come and visit for a few days.  They had booked the 14th Feb, Valentines Ferry (my last day of term) and would leave the following Thursday.  The main mission was to, as always, shop.  Little did we know that it would rain everyday, so we kept things local and undercover.  I’ve learned my lesson they are not a young and mobile as they once were so trips were short and sweet.  We still managed to clock up the miles.

Tim Horton’s was somewhere I wanted to take them as Papichen is obsessed with Maple donuts I’m not sure why🍁 🍩.  So we went to Bury branch stopping in on all of the charity shops on the way.  On a side note we started to watch Netflix’s “The Stranger” and it was filmed in Bury, in fact we sat outside the coffee shop the husband visited.

We went to Ewood Park as Mamilein wanted to buy Lilbigbro something, seemed to be the theme of the week.  We made a trip to Costco where Mamilein devoured the Crabstick Samplers.  If you’ve seen the meme of the guy in different costumes trying the samples he has nothing on her. It was a lovely week and it was a shame went they went home, we had gotten into a nice little routine, stills there is always Easter.

Gingerbread Familia - Februar 2020

Happy Valentines Day

We’re not big into Valentines.  Each year we say we’re not taking part, it’s just commercial rubbish, then one of us caves.  This year we bought cards, we’ll start with the romantic, then the funny and then the down right rude.

Gingerbread Life - Februar 2020

When we moved to the Northernshire we took Asterix to the Burnley Vauxhall Dealers Mechanic and the service was appalling.  They kept the car for three days, it was an MOT, overcharged us on everything and the staff were sullen and for lack of a better word, dumb.  The next time he was due for a service we looked further afield and found an approved dealer in Oldham.  It wasn’t too far from Tod and they really took care of us.  They even gave us a free photo session as a welcome gift.  We/I never got round to using the voucher though.

This time, after we took Gordon in for his first check up and received  the voucher, I made the appointment.  We headed to Altrincham, found a Tim Horton’s and has some photos taken.  We have selected a photo as our free print and are going to save up to buy them all at some point, we are saving up for so many things at the moment.  I like the photo we have chosen because unlike all of the the other photos of us we aren’t smiling.  

Gingerbread Haus - Februar 2020

One of GO’s friends is getting married in April it’s all been organised on a very tight budget.  They were chatting about how I’d made my own flowers for our wedding, this sparked an idea. We decided to invite her over and have a workshop afternoon making flowers.  They were much bigger than my flowers but as she needed 8 bridesmaids bouquets we quickly realised that three flowers were enough for a bouquet. Within four hours we had made the bride’s and bridesmaid’s bouquets, very happy smiles all around. 

Gingerbread Travel - Januar 2020

Wycoller Country Park

I had a touch of cabin fever and felt the need to get out.  We’ve lived in Burnley for almost a year but I still feel like we are still finding our feet.  We have visited some places nearby but there was on replace that I had seen on local “brown signs” Wycoller Country Park, I didn’t know much about it apart from the fact that one of the East Lancashire Panopticons was located there.  

As it wasn’t too cold and the rain had stopped, finally, we set off to explore.  After some very tight driving along the windy, twisty roads we arrived at the car park, which was quite derelict. 

As is usual when somewhere I pick turns out to be a bit of a bust I started to make the best out of a pigs ear.  We set off towards the major house, following the signs.   The walk was pleasant and gentle and gave a chance to have a chat and a bit of a catch up.  I love that we now live in Lancashire, it’s new to me, to have actually put down roots and to have begun building a life.  

Wycoller Hall is at the end of a quaint little village, the local shop and cafe was just closing as we arrived so we explored the park and the ruins of the Manor House.  While wandering we saw a couple and their little puppy which just made us realise that we wanted to add to our family with a four legged friend of our own.  Now to try to put the idea into action. 

Gingerbread Life - Januar 2020

Gingerbread Fitness

With the house move my daily commute has increased from twenty minutes to at least an hour there and back everyday.  It wouldn’t be too awful but I don’t seem to have any time in my day for myself.  I leave at half six and I’m home between five and half six.  I have dinner, and bath and then I’m ready for bed.  I haven’t been able to fit any walks or fitness in which I am beginning to feel.  Then I remembered Joe Wicks the Body Coach, his Videos are High Intensity (HIT) Workouts between 20-30 minutes long.  I am trying to fit at least four in a week and will hopefully start to see the benefits soon.  

Gingerbread Family

On Christmas Day we sadly received the news that my Tante Aneliese had fallen and banged her head, unable to communicate (due to deteriorating health) she had suffered head trauma and passed away.  Her funeral was arranged for January, I was unable to attend but my parents did.  For my mother it was a chance to reunite with the family she hasn’t seen in over a decade.  Mamilein has no sense of decorum/occasion, you really can’t take her anywhere.  In the middle of a funeral she had a conversation with my cousin that went like this;

Mamilein (M): You are quite speedy on that thing.

Cousin who uses a walking aid (C):  it helps me to walk 

M: When I die I’m going to get stuffed and sit in a chair or haunt everyone.

C: Do you know what my husband said he will do when I die?  He’s going to stuff me and bend me over so that he can use me as a bike rack.

To which my mother howled with laughter in the middle of the service.  

Gingerbread Familia - Januar 2020

Out of the mouths of Ginger One

“I don’t like baths!  I’m not like you am I?  It’s boring.  It gets cold quickly and I’m lying in my own dirt.  Showers are quicker.”  I was determined to make GO love baths as much as I do, okay our bath isn’t perfect but it is the best bath we’ve ever had.  I quickly realised there was a reason his weren’t as bubbly and he sometimes felt itchy afterwards.

The Darth Vader Bubble bath he was using was actually just bubble mixture.  Silly sausage, made great bubble though. 

Happy Postponed New Year

We postponed our New Year celebration until the First of January because we were so exhausted following on from our mammoth journey.  We planned to have a Raclette dining experience, a table top grill, and we’re going to get all dressed up.  

Gingerbread Haus - Januar 2020

Goodbye Christmas 

Taking down Christmas is usually a low mood day for me, it’s the feeling that the season of joy is over.  People stop smiling and wishing each other seasons greeting and everyone seems to be blue.  This year I am determined to find joy and celebrate all of little holidays.  With this in mind as we took down and packed Christmas away GO and I left a few wintry bits up, in hopes of a snow day.  We started to make plans for Burn’s night and drew snowy pictures on the window.  

Happy New Decade

We’ve come a long way baby, from two singletons in a room above a pub in Oxford to a long married couple in our own house in Burnley.  We have fun, laughter and some (lots) of tears along the way.  There have been some lows, and goodbyes but many more highs and hellos.  What a decade with my best friend and so mate.

Happy New Year

How gorgeous is this illustration by @mori_raito.  After travelling for eighteen hours on Monday we were whacked yesterday so we are having a New Years/Decade Eve redo tonight.  We’ve exchanged gifts with the in-laws and are about to get the Raclette started. 

Happy New Year to you all.