After having such a productive day yesterday fixing all the available cladding to the end of my shed (just never got around to doing it) they were sawn ready just needed a bit of good weather and the inclination. I also fastened the facia boards to the far end of the shed, yet again made up painted just never got around to fitting them.

Today I spent the best part of it in my shed cutting all the cross members for my bench and dry fitting them together, working out how best to clamp each end while the glue dries

Another productive day just slightly scuppered by Screwfix being closed so could not pick up the screws I think I need

While Jamie had a slow start to her day after the excesses of last night me and Billy took a walk in the sunshine up to Norman’s Wood to blow away the New Year cobwebs, all in all not a bad start to 2024!

We went to help a couple of people that fo to church with Jamie today who were threatened with eviction if they did not sort out their house which had been deemed a fire hazard.From what I gathered the Mum is  a hoarder and the daughter struggles to break the cycle or maybe part of it but they needed help or the council will force them out and refuse to help in the future if they do not help themselves by 6 January.

They asked the church for help to get them a skip, which they did, but for the last week, I have walked Billy past it, and very little had been put in it until today when they finally admitted to Jamie they need help to clear the mess they are in.

Jamie and people from church mobilised and went to help fill the skip so I not because I had to  but because it was the right thing to do went to help too. I am not sure what I was expecting but it just was not a house FULL of stuff to the extent that you  could not get in any room literally.

We worked for three hours solid and filled the skip and the front garden with bags ready for the next skip which will be filled and there was still stuff coming out as Jamie and I left. There was still a lot of work to do but we had given as much time as we could and had to leave.

I hope what little bit I did and everyone else did helps them keep their home but I think there is a  lot more needed if they manage to convince the council to help them…and they can be helped.

Went around the board on double doubles (hit the double with two darts out of three) took me about hour and a half which I thought was pretty good considering that six months ago no matter how hard I tried I could not hit double two to save my life. I love throwing darts, and I still get that obsessive feeling when I get a practice challenge like this and really want to crack it or can’t leave the shed until I hit a ton which I do often but luckily I seem to be able to do that quite often…

The above photo encapsulates what we did on Boxing Day, we went to Nannies house and sat around the table or on the sofas where we laughed smiled we ate then repeated followed by the most intense game of Uno ever!

Helen and Andy had to politely decline when he felt poorly choosing to protect Auntie Karen, who was absolutely the star of the show looking and feeling really well so although it was sad they missed possibly the best Boxing Day ever it was very relaxed….until Uno!

Dinner was settling when Pictionary broke out followed by Kerr-Blam which got us to tea and more Picionary, things got serious when a game of Monopoly broke out at 9pm which meant we were going nowhere anytime soon. Nannie and me sat out the proceeding game of Uno and after 2 hours of screeching shouting laughing and Uno frustration uncle Karl finally won at 01:25am…

Just what Christmas should be about, not spending money but spending quality time together creating memories!

A couple of errands in the morning, but the afternoon was all about traditions and getting ready for the big day. Jamie toiled all day with baking and cooking and prepping finally sitting down about 7pm to do a new thing Reagan thought of Family Secret Santa. Lincoln made Reagan a Christmas tree farm (Taylor Swift), Reagan made Lincoln a squishmellow snow globe, Mommy made me a heart with a poem and I made Mommy cry….

We danced as she cried and I think I may have won the Secret Santa but everyone did really well with “heart felt and free”

Now just need to be Santa and go to bed