ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 2ND OF 2025

Morning lovely people tis Friday time for 

Time to clock the positives and the silver linings as we work our way through the year. 

So last Friday was our last Christmas type activity of the season, this time a trip to National Trust Nostell Priory for a wander around the house. They always make a lovely job of the decorations and I love the lighting, so very pretty. 

Gingerbread houses with the train whizzing past behind, the room smelt amazing! 

This is the gingerbread town that they had created. 

The stairs looked very pretty

and I loved this glimpse through into a different room with a different tree framed by the doorway

The dining room was very pretty and not overly big so you could imagine a family enjoying a meal here. 

and that was it the close of our 2024 Christmas season and nearing the end of my break from work. 

I had a beautiful Christmas and got to do lots of lovely activities for which I'm grateful, I had support from family particularly at tough times when my Mum was so noticeably missing but I feel very blessed to have had such a lovely festive time and very blessed to have such a lot of support from family and friends, it genuinely means the world. 

Saturday we decided to take the tree down, well I say tree I mean all the decorations, the hearts in the window, the lights on the trees outside, the garland in the window, the glass baubles hanging from the light fixture, the three wreaths, the houses on the stairs, the hats on snipe plus three trees and all their decorations and you are going to think, wow - that is going to take some time and you would be absolutely correct, it took an absolute age to do but the clean and tidy house (and oh boy did we clean) feels so much better.  So why am I grateful, that I had the help from hubby which halved the time, we worked continuously until it was done and that is why I'm grateful. 

Sunday and the weather turned and this arrived, not exactly what I wanted on my day before returning to work, but it lead to us hunkering down if I'm honest and just enjoying cosy time at home. 

in front of this

which I'm feeling very grateful for, there is nothing finer than sitting with a good book, a warm drink and a roaring fire. 

Monday arrived, first day back at work and I'm working from home, it was a really productive day which was great and my fears for going into work with the weather so poor were resolved by one of my colleagues advising I work from home on Tuesday which was great, so another day I didn't need to worry about. 

Tuesday another busy work day at home, I managed to get lots of things ticked off the to do list and because I started earlier, I could finish earlier, so that is something else to be grateful for. 

Wednesday and I had to go to Sheffield for a meeting that could potentially last three days, which I had to attend, I'm grateful for hubby coming with me as I didn't have a clue where I was going.  Thankfully the meeting didn't take as long as expected and around lunchtime we were told that they were going to reschedule it for the future, so I headed back by tram and met hubby in Ikea.  We had a bite to eat as I'd not eaten as was a bit stressed about getting there etc in the morning and then headed home. 

Wednesday evening I had a natter with said 24 year old and said d-i-law which was lovely, a quick impromptu facetime, nothing finer. 

Thursday my first day off which I'm really enjoying, grateful for hubby making us a lovely boiled egg and sourdough toast breakfast, I've tootled around sorting a few little bitty jobs, so I feel grateful to get them ticked off my list.  I've also sorted through some photos that I've had printed and dated them ready to scrapbook which is great. 

Then we've had a chilled afternoon, reading, crafting and chatting, nothing finer. 

I hope you've had a grand week too. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 51ST OF 2023

 Good morning can you believe we are on our 51st Rocking post of 2023, tempus fugit 

Thursday night last week we went to the local college restaurant for a Christmas meal with my Mum and sister and had a lovely evening catching up, the food was beautiful and we were mighty full when we left, despite the portion sizes being tiny.

Friday and we headed to Sheffield for the panto with my Mum, it was Beauty and the Beast and Damian Williams the dame was fantastic as always.

Saturday morning and we headed up to National Trust property - Nostell Priory to wander their pretty Christmas rooms, the queue for Santa were extensive, last year he just wandered around saying hello and waited for people to show an interest, this year he had an extensive queue of young people to chat to, but that will happen when he happens to be 'free'.  Anyway I'm sure the young people will have enjoyed their chat and we enjoyed walking the house, the gingerbread room was wonderful, the aromas spectacular. 

If you look closely you can see the man himself. 

The rest of the day was spent getting on with jobs that we needed to do, similarly on Sunday morning, getting things done. 

Sunday evening we headed to Wentworth Woodhouse for 'The tale as old as time itself' a story set in a deserted mansion, very apt for the building, but with a group of 4 of us it was difficult to keep up with the story if truth be told, we probably needed a written leaflet to aid us. 

We headed outside for a wonderful lights trail in the garden and enjoyed a very festive hot chocolate together and to be honest it was definitely time that we needed together. 

Monday and we had a meeting in work to try and get things resolved, Tuesday whilst things had techncially resolved this wasn't tested, so another sleepless nights.  On Wednesday the world realigned, we had a chat and things are back on an even keel again and so we set too as a team and packed 50 Christmas hampers and got them distributed to families in need, whilst tiring it was just what we needed to remind ourselves of the season and what it really means. 

Thursday and the hampers were finished, the last of the reports was written and at two minutes past four I said goodbye to the work place for the last time this year, we've got a single day in over Christmas to cover foodbank but that is technically in the new year, so I'm going to down tools and enjoy family and friends and all things festive. 

I hope everyone else is fairing OK in this run up to Christmas, I hope you have a beautiful and blessed Christmas.

Much love 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 50TH OF 2022

 Morning all tis Friday time for

Well we had a lovely day on Friday we headed to NT Nostell for a day of slowing the season down and enjoying some time together. 

First stop was the coffee shop, with its beautiful decorations, we enjoyed a breakfast butty and a cuppa. 

We saw the beautiful gingerbread village 

and explored the house

we even saw the man himself

and enjoyed seeing the dolls house decorated with festive trimmings

I enjoyed reading by the fire over the weekend, even thought it is a children's book it was pure escapism which I read in one sitting. 

the fire has been a true blessing

particularly when you wake to a winter wonderland

I made gifts for staff at work

and Saturday I went and did a wreath class with my Mum and my future daughter-in-laws Mum (it should also have been my sister but she was poorly). 

I loved making my wreath

and also managed (with the help of Sue who ran the class) to make my sisters too

My Mum is doing amazing at the moment, look at that smile! 

The rest of the week has tripped along at a merry old pace, we are ridiculously busy at work and despite it technically being our last week in before the festive break, most staff are of the view we will be in for some of next week. 

I hope you've had a lovely week

Hugs

Rocking Your World - 51st Friday of 2019

Hello one and all a bit late to the party as it were but we had a final send off for my Mother-in-law today so I am a little tardy, despite the sadness of the occasion I think we did her proud, it was a truly beautiful service, one which most definitely celebrated her 94 years on this earth. 

So what have I to share with you today, well as you can imagine, it has been wall to wall with arrangements for today, but me and hubby have been most adamant that we would ensure that we balanced arrangements with still enjoying the run up to the festive season. 

So last weekend, I worked the Saturday and hubby came in to volunteer on the boats as we ran the final Santa boat trips for 2019 at work.  It was lovely to see all those excited to see Father Christmas on the boats, I spent the day serving teas and coffees and festive baked items and it was overall a really lovely day. 

On Sunday we headed to Nostell Priory, we went last year as we are members of National Trust and had a lovely few hours wandering the festive rooms of the house.  This year was no different. 

First up one of me warming by the fire

The trees are beautiful as always

This year the gingerbread village was in an upstairs room, it smelt beautiful! 

I loved the Station

Upstairs the rooms was set out for a Christmas concert

And the homemade baubles were beautiful papercraft

There was a mini art installation, a single trunk surrounded by three sides with mirrors

The dolls house is needing refurbishment, one of the few dolls houses built for large country houses in the 18th century that has survived, they need £15K to renovate not only the house with its staircases and lighting, but also all the furniture that they also have. 

Outside the skies were blue, so we wandered the reindeer trail

And enjoyed the fresh air

I loved the wooden snowman outside

And got a shot of the house as we left

The rest of the week has been busy and building up to today as can be expected, but overall we've kept upbeat and positive. 

I hope you've had a good week, if you fancy joining in pop a post together, come back and link up and we can come and visit