Do you need to go to the Community Centre?*

50 hours without power, water, flushing toilets or heating. Boy that was hard. I think I was at the end of my tether when we went up to bed with our candles last night after being told that the power would be restored tomorrow (Christmas Eve) or the day after (Christmas Day). I went to bed in a long sleeve top, a fleece, fleecey bottoms and bed socks with a quilt and a blanket. We were awoken at 12:20am by things whirring and lights coming on. WAHOOOOOO. Huffle and I got up, told Moo, turned off lights that shouldn't be on, reset the water softener, checked the sump was working, checked the UV and the RO water treater, put the dishwasher on and flushed the toilets. When we went back to bed we couldn't sleep at first, we just couldn't believe it.

Sunday's walk

Having no utilities has been a real eye opener. Thank goodness for the local Community Centre who kept their doors open for the whole 50 hours for the use of their washrooms and their stove and their warmth. Yesterday there were representatives from 'Durham Region' handing out water and granola bars and words of support. The first evening the power went off, the boys were in bed so it was Moo, Huffle and I playing scrabble and watching Love Actually. We ended up finishing our game by candlelight in front of the gas fire (thank god we had one gas fire!). I really thought that the power would be on by the time we got up in the morning, but it wasn't. At that point we didn't know the Community Centre was open so we had no way of boiling a kettle. We managed to keep warm and entertained and went out for Sunday Brunch in our local town where they had not been affected by the power cut. We had a gorgeous brunch and a waitress that bought us copious amounts of coffee. We came home and because the kids were 'silly as ships' we decided to have a walk around the Hamlet. The paths were so icy it was hard to walk. I fell and hurt my knee, Small fell and hurt his back, Smallest fell and hurt his shoulder, Moo fell over and bashed her knee and elbow. All are well now.

Despite the awfulness of the situation, the ice encased things were beautiful.

There were trees down all over the place. Icicles hung on top of icicles. Then we found out the Community Centre was open. After a good walk, we came home and prepared for another evening without power. We lit many many candles and huddled around the fire again. We played 'Go Fish' which was interesting....."have you got any fives?" "Who knows, I can't see a thing!". I think we made the best of a very bad situation.

The following day, still no power, for lunch we took a huge pot to the Community centre and heated up some soup from our quickly defrosting freezer. We went down in the evening again and boiled some eggs for tea. Huffle and I dared to go out and do our Christmas food shopping and left Moo with the boys. They said she behaved well so it's looking hopeful that Santa may visit. Shopping was mayhem. Of course when we got back we daren't open the fridge and our Sun Room was very cold so we left the food in there and hoped we wouldn't get any visits fom hungry racoons. Despite the fact we had no electricity, we managed to make Royal Icing and constructed the Gingerbread house and Moo iced a Chocolate Roll with yummy choclate icing.

It was a proper family effort

Thanks to Mary Berry for her tips. For those that know me well, I make a Gingerbread house every Christmas and every year it falls down. Normally there are egg cups and mugs inside to keep it up - NOT THIS YEAR. Nothing inside except a tea light to light it up. Electricity PAH!

We played a few games and the boys played outside in the snow. The evening was sat around the fire again by candlelight. The boys had their stories by the fire and then the grown ups played a card game. This time we had no hope that the power would come back on and were only just hopeful that it might come back Christmas Day, though the thought of Christmas Day without hot food or heating was not something I could get excited about.

Small asked me if all of his presents were electronic this year as he was obviously worried he would not be able to play with them! He wondered if he had an IPad. NO SMALL, YOU DO NOT HAVE AN IPAD FOR CHRISTMAS! I told him he would probably get an Apple but it would NOT be an electrical one. Ha, he always gets an apple in his stocking because Father Christmas knows he doesn't like satsumas.

Well, all is well now and the house is nice and warm. We have had a hot breakfast with fresh hot coffee and everyone has showered. Ahhhh the luxury of heat and light.

* Whenever the boys wriggle and jiggle, I always ask them if they need to go to the toilet. During this experience of no power we have been saying "do you need to go to the Community Centre?" instead. This might just become a new thing for us to say.

A reflection through the glass coffee table of the window and the tree outside last night. Just beautiful.

Last night, Huffle lay on the sofa under a blanket checking on the news. "brilliant" he said, "Would I Lie To You Christmas Special is on tonight at 8pm". Moo and I looked at him quizzically, then it suddenly dawned on him we had no TV, no internet, no electricity. Poor Huffle, he really had forgotten. Bless.

This morning we sat and drank coffee, emailed, skyped Grandma and Grandad and spoke to the busy house that was full of Halls and Gibbs. The boys played on the computer. It was just lovely. We really appreciated it.

After a pizza lunch (purely because the dough needed eating as it had sat in the fridge for the past 50 hours without being chilled) in front of the start of Polar Express, we all went out for a walk. It was very cold. The kind that hurts your face. We delivered some flapjack to Cog, Small's friend, for Christmas and then did a walk back.

A seedhead completely encased in ice and Moo striding along the cracking ice (I have videos of her being silly).

The ice is still everywhere and looks very beautiful. The boys slid on their bottoms and knees (like boys do). Moo slid and skidded and stamped the ice. It was nice to get out and especially to know we had a warm, well lit house back home.

The cornfield. Smallest hides behind a tree.

Moo and Smallest breaking the icy snow

A bauble on someones porch. Bulrushes and the boys. Another seedhead encased in ice.

Small always lying down!!

Moo and an icy tree. Moo skidding. Me and the icy tree.

A frozen fir. An icy dangling wire.

On the way back we skyped The Rumbleskins to show them our 'cold' and then skyped them again once home. We had a nice chat with the OzCousins and then spoke to more Oz cousins when they arrived at The Rumbleskins for breakfast. It was already Christmas day there. We have travelled far and wide today via Skype.

Moo looking wistfully. Huffle and an icy tree.

An icy tree

Smallest sliding. Silly boys.

Whilst Moo and Smallest were at the cornfield and I was photographing, the boys sat on the porch reading todays newspaper that had been delivered.

There was some table tennis played, lots of veggies chopped for tomorrows dinner plus Moo and I made a Lentil Nut Loaf for tomorrow too. Then we all started on Chips for tea and ate and watched the rest of Polar Express. WELL IT IS CHRISTMAS EVE.

I can't tell you how nice it is to be warm and to be able to cook and to watch TV and to do the jigsaw and to use the lights and not have to carry a candle around constantly and to flush the toilet. THANK YOU VERIDIAN FOR WORKING THROUGH THE NIGHT TO LET US HAVE A PROPER CHRISTMAS.

This evening when the boys have gone to bed we will be watching Scrooged (Huffle's all time favourite Christmas film) and watching Love Actually (Mine and Moo's favourite Christmas Film) with a glass of wine, maybe a Bailey's on ice, with the After Eights, maybe some nuts and delicious things. Hope Santa remembers to visit. Hope those kids sleep tonight, they seem more excited than ever!

 

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A powerless Hamlet

No more storms but still no power, water or heating.  Heard this evening it will be restored tomorrow or next day - that's Christmas Day - oh bloody hell!

Ice storm interrupts blog

No blog today.  No power, no water, no wifi, no flushing toilets, no cooker.  All is well - so far it is an adventure.  Please keep your fingers crossed we get it all back on for Christmas Day.

Ice Age

We awoke to everything encased in ice. It is the strangest thing to see. Tree branches, the cars. The drive was like an ice rink and was really difficult to walk on.

Lovely night's sleep apart from the few disturbing dreams from me. My voice is back. Wahoooo. After a breakfast of, what we call English pancakes, though the French would call Crepes, (I can show you what a proper crepe should look and taste like Mr Paris cafe of Montreal) we all did our own thing.

The boys played on the computer and IPad, Huffle watched his beloved Stoke win against Aston Villa and Moo and I wrapped all the presents listening to music and chattering.

The boys played out briefly but it was so wet and icy they didn't stay out for long. Huffle skyped Grandad and had a general catch up. Then we all got ready and went out (mid afternoon).

It was raining but freezing. The temperature was only -1 but obviously as the rain fell, it froze, then slightly melted and then froze again. This made conditions very tricky. Luckily the main roads were fine so we drove to the Fish and Chip shop in Port Perry. We had a lovely dinner but the lady in there said there was an ice storm on the way so instead of walking around Port Perry or going to see the Fantasy Of Lights, we chose to go home. All the fields around us look like the top of a Christmas Cake as the surface is so shiny. Some of the fields are so flat they look like a frozen lake.

The boys and I played in the garden with the football. It is very strange because there is snow on the ground but a layer of ice on top of that so you can't walk on the top without falling through slightly.

The ball skidded across the garden. I went around taking icy photos of everything.

Smallest lost his boot in the snow/ice and got his socks wet. We came in and got warm and played table tennis and table football and then introduced Moo to the game of Pokemon. It wasn't a long game and Huffle became the Pokemon Master.

All the boys watched Americas Funniest Videos while Moo and I jigsawed.

Yesterday we heard the sad news of a very dear old lady who passed away. We are very sad as she was such a good person and was so kind to the boys. Moo has also lost a good friend.

 

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Hair today.........

Today was a PA Day which meant the boys were at home. The weather started as rainy. There didn't appear to be any rain falling but it was very wet! I got soaked just putting the recycling out. The boys are so excited at the moment, they don't know what to do with themselves. We checked the weather and we weren't due to get freezing rain until this afternoon so we took the kids for hair cuts.

This is them before......

Huffle worked from home today (his last day at work until the New Year). He had quite a stressful day but Moo and I made sure he had a lunch break and had a Baileys waiting for him when he officially 'knocked off' from work.

Moo clearing the snow off the car while we sit in the warm

Once haircuts were finished, we popped to the supermarket and picked up some essentials. It was still raining but much heavier. We went to the thrifty store to get Moo some reading material and Smallest chose a puzzle. Then it was back home and showers for the boys while Moo and I wrapped presents. We all had lunch then the kids tidied their mess in the basement and played on the computer.

Moo made Mince Pies and Jam Tarts while I started on the gingerbread house again.

Moo had to mix it and knead it as I decided to stick two of my fingers on to the element in the oven. "The toast is burning" Huffle said. OR IS IT MY HAND? The gingerbread house took ages as I cooked all the sides individually and also tried out Mary Berry's 'stain glass windows' which worked very effectively.

Moo made flapjack while I faffed around with the gingerbread and then we cleared all our stuff away.

As the boys were playing so well together, we managed three games of table tennis and a game of scrabble before Huffle finished work. The boys stopped playing and we all had dinner.

More table tennis was played, Smallest's jigsaw was done and then Moo and I started a grown up jigsaw. The boys went to bed.

 

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Bring us some figgy pudding?*

When I woke up this morning I had no voice again! I had a cough and a runny nose BOOOOOO! As I lay in bed thinking about all the baking I wanted to do today, Huffle came up and said "I think today might be the last day of school as it's a PA Day tomorrow,". WHAT?! Why did nobody tell me? What about the teacher's presents. BOOOOOOO. Once downstairs, Small told me he was sorry he hadn't mentioned PA day (Smallest said he didn't know anything about it) and that he thought that maybe they were leaving school an hour earlier too. WHAT.!!!!

So I got up earlier than normal and started making those delicious Chocolate Crackle Cookies while the boys ate their breakfast. Moo came down and said "oh you've started already?". Then she got the boys lunches together while I baked the cookies and started making chocolate shortbread.

The boys went off to school, the cookies got baked and Moo and I had breakfast. Moo cleared up around me and I packaged the cookies in their tins and got myself ready. First I popped round to Ottos and gave him some biscuits to say thank you for giving us the eggs a few weeks ago. He is a curious fellow! Moo stayed at home and made a vegetable soup. Yum yum. Then I drove to school and handed out the cookie tins to the teachers. I hadn't got far when the boys' French Teacher came running out shouting "I've had one already, they're great". I briefly spoke to Smallest's teacher and then I drove to the dentist. This is the first time I have EVER been when I haven't been nervous or worried. I was early so got to watch some TV and saw famous people's decorating ideas for Christmas (a bit over the top but there you go - one of them suggested you had to group three baubles of the same colour together to add depth on the Christmas Tree - oh I should have told the boys).

The injection worked better than it has ever worked in England, I wonder what they do differently? I had a filling taken out and then one put in its place. I was scheduled to have two done but he decided only one needed doing. Phew. The only uncomfortable part was having things in my mouth and all I wanted to do was cough. At one part I had a tickly cough and had to sit up and drink water. The anaesthetic wore off much quicker too but then it left an ache,!!!

On the way home I rang Moo and suggested we go straight out. Moo was ready when I got back and we went Christmas shopping. We went in seven shops and bought a few things but hadn't had any lunch so went home (Just as the boys arrived). They had eaten lots of goodies and had artwork and cards galore. Small said they did a lot of singing christmas songs today. One of them being We Wish You a Merry Christmas. When it got to the chorus Small sang "so bring us some figgy pudding...." Nobody sings that chorus here, they stop at Good Tidings we bring to you and your Kin...... I bet they don't even know what figgy pudding is here.

Moo and Smallest played table tennis, the boys did their maths, Moo and I played table tennis and then the boys went on the wii while Moo and I emailed and blogged. While we were in Bulk Barn earlier a lady asked me about making shortbread and she said she couldnt find a good recipe. I told her if she gave me her email address I would email her mine as I had made it earlier and it worked just fine.

Moo finished her soup and I made Gingerbread. I was trying to make our annual gingerbread house but it was too dry so I made biscuits instead for the boys to decorate tomorrow as we have had weather warnings of snow showers, wintry mix, frozen rain, more snow and more wintry mix and ice. However, if this forecast is wrong, they will get their hair cut instead.

We all played UPSET and Huffle won. The kids went to bed a bit later than normal. They are getting sillier and sillier.

P.s. Forgot to mention that Smallest blogged the other day

 

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Sorry can you squeak up?

The last hour or so of our train ride was uneventful and the taxi arrived on time. The taxi ride was also uneventful though it was snowing and the roads were busy. We had a quick catch up with Moo before going to bed. Small woke up when I went in to see him but Smallest slept.

The boys and Moo had done a lovely job on decorating the tree and although there are six icicles all hanging in a row and a bunch of lights stuck at the back not working, I am not touching it, it is lovely as it is.

When I woke up this morning I had lost my voice. Huffle's car wouldn't start and then he temporarily lost his phone which he later found in the snow! He called out the CAA who said they would be with him at 11:50am so he rang in work to say he would work from home today. Then he couldn't log in to his work system. The CAA rang and said they would be here within 20 minutes and then turned up five minutes later. The man took one look, attached his magic starter and whoosh Huffle was able to drive again. He cleared the drive and drove the car around to get it properly charged. He thinks he left the door open slightly all the time we were away. Also he left my bonnet open after filling the washer fluid. Naughty......Moo and I were driving along and it almost bumped open!

Moo and I went Christmas Shopping at the Mall. We had a biggish list but got through it swiftly with one stop for coffee and a blueberry scone. We got most of the things we wanted. I struggled to speak for most of the day but most people were really nice and helpful.

TL: I made Moo try this hat on and then I said I had deleted the photo (shhhh)

TR: A huge bauble in the Mall

B: Two jumpers we wanted to buy for Huffle but he said NO!

One shop tried to overcharge us but Moo found the correct price and we put them right. Another shop undercharged us which was nice.

I rang the dentist today as I have an apointment tomorrow and I didn't know if I would still be able to go. I squeaked to the receptionist (didn't give my name) and she said "famfa are you sick". I can still go as long as I can breathe through my nose which I can at the moment.

Moo and I came home weary and hungry, put away our shopping and had a quick bite and a cup of tea. We had some lovely cards through the post. Also a few packages and letters.

L: A gorgeous handmade card from the lovely BrendaB

TR: My lovely thoughtful friend Jill (of jack&jill) sent me the Union Jack tree ornament (I shall be hanging this in my kitchen after Christmas)

BR: And a new tree man from my friend here who runs the exercise class I go to.

The fabulous Rumbleskins sent this lot of choccy all the way from sunny Oz - massive bars!

BrendaB also sent us some Michigan choclate covered fruits and handmade the beautiful packaging

Huffle's big boss sent him a huge poinsettia - well its the thought that counts. He would rather have had alcohol I think.

After Small and Smallest put up and decorated their own Christmas trees and I added decorations to the stairs and mantlepiece, we sat down for soup and lovely breads and Cinamon Apple pie and custard.

Huffle played table tennis with Small (did I mention that Small beat Moo while we were away - another shhhhh) and then we went out and bought his office Christmas presents.

Once home, the presents were wrapped, the kids were in bed and we sat and watched The Great british Bake Off Christmas Special.

Aunty A in the meantime wandered around Oxford Street and took some photos for us.

John Lewis' window display was lots of animals made of household things.

 

 

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