LMS is home for a while

Unfortunately she's only here for a very short time, but at least she's here :-) More of her short and sweet visit later, I'll have to write what we did today before I forget! Our builder was here again today to do some more work on the chimneys, he has inspected all three of them and they all have problems!! I also asked him to look at our guttering as the back corner above the lounge has been leaking (well gushing in heavy rain!). The problem turns out to be that the wood that the guttering is supposed to be fastened to, which is then fastened to the wall, has rotted and pulled away from where it should be, which is causing gaps in the guttering. At first it looked like a HUGE job, replace all the guttering (which is the old metal sort that you can't get any more!) but while the builder was fixing the chimney he had a think and decided he could replace the wood, reuse the current guttering once he'd cleaned it and the brackets up and we'd be good for another 12 months or so. I like that sort of thinking just before Christmas!! After all the problems the builder has found with the chimney we had repaired a year or so ago, we have decided that we'd like this builder to renovate our back garden, tumble down cottage rather than the one who did the bodged repairs on the chimney!!

Mr Messy was out photographing again, Drama Teen was supposed to go with him but she stayed up too late playing with her new toy and wasn't ready in time!! So it fell to me to go to the florists and pick up the Bridal bouquet, Bridesmaid's bouquet and Groom's buttonhole. She has made them up in cream roses, with pearl pins in the centre of each one and large deep green leaves around the edges. The buttonhole is a couple of cream roses with smaller deep green leaves, and the stem of the roses is wrapped in green tape with a spiral of small pearl beads around it. Very simple and modern looking, just what Mr Messy wanted :-) The florist had even supplied a box covered in pink paper, which she turned upside down and cut holes in to put the bouquet stems through so that they could be transported in the car safely. I was very impressed :-)

We went straight from the florists to the train station to pick LMS up, she had been visiting a friend at a different university to attend a Winter Ball. Then she is home tonight for tea and to see the village Christmas lights be switched on. Tomorrow her and Drama Teen are going to the Clothes Show Live with a group of LMS's friends and then on Monday she has to return to University :-( She is feeling sad and sorry for herself as she has almost lost her voice and feels quite poorly, big hugs ((((((LMS)))))) She also told us that while waiting to enter the Winter Ball she fainted in the queue!!! I am hoping it isn't anything too serious, as she was prone to fainting when she younger, and she did feel fine once she'd had a drink of sugary lemonade, but I'm still going to worry!!! Little Prince had fallen asleep on the way to the station and was thrilled to wake up and find his LMS sat next to him in the car :-)

Early this evening we all went to the village square to sing Christmas Carols, eat mince pies and watch the Christmas lights be switched on. Some of the Primary School children were dressed as the Nativity characters and others joined with the School choir to sing some of the Carols. Little Prince was NOT happy that he wasn't included in this, but he cheered up when we stood him near the front where he could wave to all his friends and join in with the singing. Once the lights were lit, a special visitor makes a quick stop in the village - and Little Prince was thrilled to see him - Father Christmas :-) Little Prince shoved his way into the queue and I had to go chasing off after him, the children all give Father Christmas their letters and he gives them a chocolate bar each :-)

When we got back to our house, Drama Teen was accompanied by a couple of friends and they took over the lounge and laughed and giggled for most of the evening! We ordered pizzas and had a lovely relaxed evening scoffing pizzas and watching TV. Although LMS's evening wasn't quite as relaxed as she isn't finding her new iPhone as easy to deal with as Mr Messy and Drama Teen found theirs! Hopefully she'll get the hang of it and stop crying and throwing tantrums over it soon!!