Dream Chasers

Here's to the dream-chasers of this world, the people who have a dream and never give up until their dream comes true.
The X factor winner and runner up this year had both been trying to make it in the music business for over ten years.
I imagine there were times when they felt like giving up but they kept going and look what they have achieved.
Music doesn't have to be your passion but if you have something you wish to achieve in your life, go for it and don't let anyone put you off or tell you it can't be done!
Some dreams take years to build and achieve but you are on Earth for a certain, unknown number of years, why not spend them aiming for the stars?

The Top Ten Things Dead People Want To Tell You

Mike Dooley has written this book. I have just finished reading it and I have to tell you it is one of the most beautiful and thought provoking books that I have ever read in my life.
Many of the things he wrote about are the very things I have spent years pondering and many of the explanations he gives I feel instinctively to be true.

Earlier today I took Ollie out for a walk across the fields. It was a frosty, crisp morning which always makes Ollie playful and silly. He runs about, chasing his tail. he is a reminder not to take life too seriously!

Now I have my fairy lights up in my room, they are twinkling invitingly and I am all cosy, writing my Christmas cards.
There are  many things about winter that are beautiful.
I have iced my Christmas cake and cooked lunch.
Roast potatoes are just what is needed at this time of year and I have just eaten a plate load.
Yes it suddenly feels that Winter has definitely arrived and we all get to celebrate the good bits!

lovely surprises

I was woken up this morning by my phone. I answered it sleepily and it was my lovely daughter phoning to say she is making me a birthday cake for when I visit her later this month. She told me this just before starting her early nursing shift.
Yesterday I got home from work to find that someone has posted me an amazon gift card. It didn't say who this was from so now I have a lovely mystery on my hands.
Lovely surprises like this make such a difference in life.
It was wonderful enough to wake up in my caravan, knowing Ollie and I have a fun day ahead.
What a great start to the weekend.

mulled wine

Yes, I know it's early but I saw it in Morrisons and it pleaded with me to buy it. I bought it, brought it home then it pleaded with me to have a glass and so I did.
Very nice too.
It's beginning to feel like Christmas.
I have had the work Christmas dinner. I have made my Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. I have eaten sprouts. Tomorrow at work everyone is wearing their Christmas jumpers.
What can I say?

weather bombs and Christmas dinner!

It was very cold when I got up this morning and it took a while to defrost the car before setting off for work. Other than this the weather was unremarkable in this part of the country. In other parts of the country apparently the UK experienced a 'weather bomb.'
I know now that this involves severe storms but the puzzling thing for me is I have never heard this term used to describe weather before.
Have I just not been listening to all the other forecasts warning us of such an event or have the weather people just invented the term?
Another significant occurrence today was the school Christmas dinner which was delicious.
I love roast potatoes, especially when they are cooked by anyone other than me!
I arrived home after work today and took Ollie out for a walk. Many houses on my estate are bedecked with flashing Christmas lights. When I arrived back at my house there was a Christmas float doing the rounds, broadcasting Christmas songs. Santa was waving  and people were rattling charity buckets.
Christmas feels well and truly around the very next corner!

I absolutely love calendars!

I ordered a photo calendar for 2015, it arrived today.
It has some of my favourite photos from the last year or so featured in the 12 months.
I can't wait to put it up along with the Wanderers Haven Animal  Sanctuary calendar Graham has bought me.
I am very good about waiting for the correct month before looking at the photo!
I love the calendars I have been using in 2014. I get excited on the first day of each month to see what the photo is going to be.
I have always been like this. At work a few years ago my friend Debbie and I would walk down to the staffroom together to see which cute baby animal was featured on that particular month.
Over the years people have bought me such wonderful calendars. They are honestly one of my favourite things!

Dashing through December with North Star Callers!

I can honestly remember in the summer thinking how far away Christmas was. It was a lovely, sunny day and I distinctly remember thinking that winter felt a long way off.
It took quite a while to get cold this year so until recently it hadn't really felt like Winter had arrived at all.
Now, all of a sudden we are almost a third of the way through December, and there is talk of snow on the mountains.
The children at the various schools in the land are all getting excited now and on radio one they have the North Star Caller. This is such a sweet feature. Father Christmas phones a young listener and basically talks to them about Christmas and what they would like for Christmas. They have such lovely conversations. it is so cute and also funny. One of the young listeners told Father Christmas he would like a chainsaw for Christmas. I think he was about 4 years old! let's hope he doesn't receive that particular gift!