Old Mixer

Here is my old Sunbeam "Beater-Mix". I have had it for years and years, and it was old when I got it. It has never let me down, but started to make a strange noise when I was trying to beat the cream for the cheese cake and trifle. This was on Christmas Eve, so we had to go out and get a new one, in case it wouldn't work on Christmas Day while beating all the cream for the pav.! That would have been disastrous!

So far I can't bring myself to throw it away. I believe it was made in the 50s or 60s, so has really done well. At the moment it is in a plastic bag in the pantry, so I will decide it's future soon.

So this is Christmas!

Well folks, we had an absolutely beautiful Christmas lunch. All the food turned out fine, and everyone ate plenty...even Jim, who often doesn't eat very much.
The weather was just right, not too hot or too cold, and a very relaxing day was had by all ,

Cheesecake, Angus's favourite!

Pavlova, a Christmas essential

Trifle, especially for Jim

Just the 3 of us

A lovely lunch

So there we are. We had a really lovely meal. Everyone ate plenty, and the only ones missing were Fraser and Summie. Maybe next year. Still, the food turned out really well, and everyone enjoyed it. There is enough in the fridge for the next week or so!! So maybe an easy few days for me!!!
 The weather was perfect, and while Jim was snoozing after lunch, Angus and I sat under the umbrella and had a good old chin-wag.
  All in all, a really good day.

Another Igloo

We decided, in the midst of a heatwave, that we needed another igloo. So this is the result, made from old hoops, and bits and pieces of shade cloth that we had kicking around.  It absolutely knackered us, but the plants are now safe from the searing sun, and we can collapse from exhaustion and view our efforts.
 It's a bit too much like hard work, especially in the heat!! Still, we are pleased with the result.

Our handiwork!!

So here we are, this is our latest endeavor. Most of you will recognise the old metal table, that has been around for years and years. It was up the back, covered in rust, so we decided to resurrect it, as opposed to buying a new one.
Anyhow, after a lengthy sand back, and after Jim had to take the whole thing to pieces, we spray-painted it, and bought 4 cheap plastic chairs (as I couldn't find any others that I liked), and got an outdoor umbrella. And...."voila"!!  All done and dusted. A lovely little spot to relax in.