Festive organising and dog trauma

Frosty morning on the way to Biggar

What a week! It all started normally, apart from the weather, more strong winds and more rain, but everything was holding up, except, me. The older I get the less I seem to cope with winter, the lack of light and warmth, or so it seems. Fortunately this dose of the blues, black cloud, big black dog, etc wasn't too long lived, a few weeks, which is more than long enough. I never realise just how bad I felt until I come out the other side and the total exhaustion seems to have gone too, so I'm making the most of feeling good, until the next time. Having a partner who is so supportive and understanding makes all the difference, in my previous life I was made to feel even worse by the people who should have cared and helped my through it, but that's another story and in the past now, thank fully.

Hundreds of geese parked up in a local field

Back in the nursery on Wednesday after our two days off, I spent the day doing paper work and potting and tidying plants. It was definitely a day for indoors out the rain and wind. On Thursday I re did the cafe flowers, adding in some festive holly berries, the sky was blue and clear all day which was great and such a change. Since it was dry and not too cold I got more willow weaving done on the bottom terrace, probably more than half way now, I am quite enjoying it, it;s almost theraputic. When David came over in the afternoon we got more strimming done, this coming year the place will look much more cared for right from the start.

This weeks cafe flowers, introducing
some festive holly along with conifer,
Pittosporum 'Silver Queen', larch cones and
 purple sage

I haven't done much baking lately, well for months really. I can't be bothered, don't have the time, not allowed in the kitchen by junior chef............a failing domestic goddess really. Any hoo, I made some welsh cakes tonight which won't last long as they are rather nice. I bought a new baking book from Whitmuir's excellent second hand book shelves in the shop and thought I really should start using it and get back to baking. Everyone loved the welsh cakes, especially David who's not so much of a cake lover. I managed not to fall asleep on the sofa in the evening unlike last night, which wasted two hours and meant the job list grew! This evening I was ahead of the game, just got Christmas cards to write then I'm caught up. 

Welsh cakes cooking

Friday and the weather was wet and windy again with sleet and snow passing by the entrance to the potting area horizontally, brrrrrr. The blue skies of yesterday were appreciated while they lasted. I spent the day clearing my feet in the potting area of all the plants I've dumped there to be sorted. We got another section of the polytunnel levelled, covered and plants laid out in the afternoon. It's an ideal job on a miserable day as the tunnel is cosy once the door is closed. I'm really pleased with how it's beginning to look and with how many plants we will have for selling next year. I finally got the Christmas cards written, not that we have many now a days, but it;s a job done along with some presents wrapped.

Tunnel progress

This is where the week goes pear shaped. Saturday started as a normal day, having breakfast and getting ready to go to the nursery. I'd let Bracken our wee dog out for his morning piddle, then he didnt come back. I put shoes on and went to look for him to be met by a woman in the drive saying she had just hit a wee dog. Our hearts were in our mouths as we went to look for him, she'd seen him run into the trees between us and out neighbour. Poor woman was upset too, I felt really sorry for him. We eventually found him standing right under some shrubs shivering and covered in cuts and scrapes. We wrapped him in a towel and jumped in the car ans straight to the vet. He is one very lucky wee dog, apart form a lot of grazes, cuts (two of which were stapled) and bruising he is intact. He was kept in and sedated so they could X ray him to check for internal damage and clean him up and we got him home at tea time the same day. It was not a good day, waiting to hear from the vet and seeing him in such a state. They really are a part of the family. Turns out he was chasing a cat and had got through to the front garden, fortunately the driver had already slowed down for the cat when she hit Bracken. We think because she was already slowing down and because he is so small he rolled under the car and avoided a much worse outcome, 

Damaged doglet, it looks a lot less in the photos, he's one
lucky dog

Being pampered by youngest son

After a sleepless night with an uncomfortable dog, we decided to take the day off, the nursery is quiet and it's good to kick back while we can before the madness of next spring and summer. We went and got a full gas tank for the greenhouse and tracked down a Christmas tree. We're still getting to grips where we can get stuff on this side of the Pentlands, although only six miles from our last house it's a whole different area. The afternoon was spent catching up and doing Christmas preparation, it's really good to be caught up on everything. Everyone helped put the Christmas tree up, accompanied by mulled wine and festive music. 

This years tree

Taking pathetic to a whole new level

Sympathy please

On Monday I tidied the greenhouses and gave them a water, keeping them ticking over is always hard in the winter, with lack of air circulation, botrytis and mould can build up. I try to pick up as many dead leaves as possible. I potted up a few enthusiastic cacti and got a few baby plants from them too. The house got it's weekly clean and the Christmas chocolate chicken has been busy hiding chocolate all over the house for me! Including these teddies which seem to be breeding all over the place!

Chocolate chicken gifts left all over the house, along with bars of chocolate, chocolate santas
and other chocolate goodies

We decided not to have a day out this week because of the poorly doglet and just trying to keep a lid on how much money is spent in the run up to Christmas. It was nice to have time to catch up on things in the morning and then we took Bracken to the vet for his check up. He is healing up and goes back next Wednesday to get the staples out. I made a new citrus decoration which I had seen in a magazine and fancied trying, adding in my own twist with spices and ribbon. The kitchen was full of lovely citrus smells, very relaxing. I peeled a few oranges (the kids will eat the fruit) and cut varying sizes of stars out before threading them onto cocktails sticks and attaching the smallest star to the top. I'm rather pleased with them and now the whole ensemble sits on the coffee table in the lounge.

A new home made decoration for this year

B&W star Anise

Orange, nutmeg, star anise and cinnamon

A new set of cookie cutters in B&W

David added his own addition, can you see it?

This is the first time in nearly 30 years of cooking and baking I've managed
to get flapjacks to stay in one piece, and I'm a good cook!

So that's been our week, a better ending than it might have been, lots done, a lucky doglet, relieved owners and all caught up with chores and Christmas preparation. I hope your week is a good one. Take care.

Frosty Biggar hills

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