It's snowing and only 6 more sleeps until Christmas Day!

Snow is falling in Europe and the US and this year and the odds for a White Christmas in the UK are the lowest they have been for decades. However, there seems to be a bit of a dispute arising! See the article from Martin Wainwright from The Guardian UK, below:

Bookies braced for storm over 'white Christmas'Definition of the white stuff likely to be trigger for gambling rows as odds slip on new falls for 25th




Does this holly bear new snow, or old, melting, snow? Bookies could face many betting arguments in the new year.

Lawyers could be busy in the new year if disputes arise between bookies and punters over defining a "white Christmas". The phrase made famous by Bing Crosby will be pored over if the day itself bears out the forecasts: that much of Britain will be snowbound but seeing no fresh falls. Payouts in almost all "mass betting" offers on seasonal snow are based on the odds of the white stuff actually coming down, rather than just lying around from previous showers.

Graham Sharpe, of William Hill, said yesterday: "The market would be killed off if you could win a bet just because there's some slush from four days ago."

But Britain's whiteness, seemingly sealed in by sub-zero temperatures next week, does threaten to put the issue into a different league. Wind flurries and "snow" that is really thick frost falling from trees, could complicate things.

The weather has led to bookies being "inundated" with "white Christmas" bets; William Hill has taken more than 10,000. The firm's spokesman, Rupert Adams, said today that the pressure had tilted Scotland's main cities into odds-on for snow falling, with evens for Birmingham and Manchester, and London at 5/4 against. "If it snows on every city we bet on, there's a real chance the infamous industry 'million pound payout' will happen."

Undoubtedly, two-thirds or more of the UK will be "white". For falling snow, Metcheck offers 10% for London and 30% as far north as Aberdeen.

Snow's always been good for litigation. Most famously there were largely unresolved rows over whether flakes did fall on a series of 20th century cricket matches in "flaming June".

Come on William Hill - where's your Christmas spirit!!

Just Brilliant!!

P.S. Thank you to my lovely friend Tim Lynch for the fab photo of the robin at the top of this post!

Christmas Cartoons.....

Here are some Christmas Cartoons I found........Enjoy!!

Christmas Quotes....

Over the next few days I will be posting quotes that can be used in cards and on gift tags over the holidays. So here we go.........

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves. ~Eric Sevareid

At Christmas, all roads lead home. ~Marjorie Holmes

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. ~W.T. Ellis




Do you have a favourite quote you would like to share?

Birthday thoughts

You have probably guessed by now that I love the month of December, this is because of it being my birthday as well as Christmas in December, two things I get VERY excited about.

So this week it was my birthday and my family and friends made the day, the weekend and whole event special, as always. I really am a lucky girl and on special occasions I realise all over again just how lucky and blessed I am in my life.....Thank you to everyone who made my day special. x

Here are a couple of my favourite quotes:

When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.
- Mark Twain

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.
- Robert Frost

Did you know this about December?

December is my favourite month of the year, not least of all because my birthday is in December and it's Christmas during this month too - I love Christmas!!

Here is some info about December:
December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.

December's flower is the narcissus or holly.




December's birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz (blue), or tanzanite.

In Latin, decem means "ten". December was also the tenth month in the Roman calendar until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February.

December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

December in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to June in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological winter is 1 December. In the Southern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological summer is 1December.

December starts on the same day of the week as September every year. December ends on the same day of the week as April every year.


Events in December

Union Day of Romania (1 December)


World AIDS Day (December 1)



National Day of United Arab Emirates (December 2)
Sinterklaas in the Netherlands (December 5)
Father's Day (King's Birthday) in Thailand (December 5)
Independence Day in Finland (December 6)
Constitution Day in Spain (December 6)

Saint Nicholas Day in Greece (December 6)



Pearl Harbor Day in the United States (December 7)
Fukuoka Marathon is held on first Sunday in December.
Día de la Madre en Panamá (Mother's Day) in Panama. (December 8)
Day of the Mary Immaculate Conception. (December 8)
Constitution Day in Romania. (December 8)
[[andre phillips] birth day (December 8)
In the Ásatrú religion, Egil Skallagrimsson's Day (December 9) is a day of remembrance for the Viking hero.
Nobel Prizes awarded (December 10) on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.
Human Rights Day (December 10)
Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, or Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, in Mexico
(December 12)
Independence Day (Jamhuri Day) in Kenya (December 12)
Saint Lucy (December 13)
Honolulu Marathon is held on second Sunday in December.
Bill of Rights Day (United States). (December 15)
Zamenhof Day (December 15)
Victory day of Bangladesh (December 16)
Day of Reconciliation in South Africa (December 16).

First day of winter (December 21)

Solstice (called the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere) occurs on dates varying from December 20 to December 22.

The Emperor's Birthday, a national holiday in Japan (December 23)
Festivus (December 23)
HumanLight (Humanist Holiday), (December 23)

Christmas Eve (December 24)


Christmas Day (December 25)
Boxing Day (December 26)
Day of Goodwill (December 26)
Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1)
Proclamation Day in South Australia (December 28)
Philippines – Rizal Day (December 30)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Hannukah – [December 1 in 2010]

The Zodiac sign for those born in this month is either

Sagittarius


or

Capricorn,


depending on which day you were born.

What is your favourite month of the year?

December is here - bring on the lists!

It's December 1st and that can mean only one thing - the lists begin to get really serious. Here are my lists:

1. Christmas cards (overseas)

2. Christmas cards (Honkers)

3. Presents for posting (by Dec 7th)

4. Presents for boys and their girls

5. Things to wear in the US

6. Gifts for people we visit

7. Things to get in for the cat

8. Things to be done in the house before we leave

9. People to see in Dec

10. Schedule meetings/parties/get-togethers in December

And that is just the start...........

I love making lists, there is something very comforting in knowing that you have thought of everything either to do or to buy and with a list it is almost certain you won't forget anything..........unless you forget the list, of course!!

How many lists have you got going?

Christmas is coming. Have you written your cards yet?

Above is the Christmas decoration display at The Landmark in Hong Kong. It is very impressive and for the first time this year I felt very "Chrismassy" when I saw it.



Here are some of the Kimona Creates Christmas range for 2010. These limited edition Christmas cards are made with ribbed fabric and hot-pressed metallic motifs. The fabric is duo-toned and together with the glittery snowflakes and stars, produce a delightful festive effect. Comes in Red/Green, Gold, and Silver/Blue. Price range is the same as ribbon cards and there is also a saving of 10% if you buy 10 or more.



Don't you just love the feeling when the Christmas cards are all in their envelopes with messages written, just waiting to go to the Post Office to be weighed and sent off. I know I do!

Let me know if you would like to order some of the limited edition cards so you can get your pile ready, too.

Discovery Bay International School Fair

We will be taking our cards to the Discovery Bay International School Christmas Fair this saturday (27th Nov).

Come and see us there. We will have lots of different cards for sale, including the Christmas range and the prices are specially set for the fair.

Starts at 12 noon until 4 p.m.

See you at the Fair!

Dates to Remember - Diary Transfer Time

Yesterday a friend of mine gave me a 2011 diary. She told me that even though it was my Christmas present she was giving it me now so I didn't go out and buy one because last year, in an attempt to be organised and transfer all the important information into my new diary before the end of the year, I did just that!

There is something so special about writing important dates to remember into a new diary; birthdays, anniversaries, travel dates, public holidays, the cat's vet's appointments, etc. It would be easier and simpler to keep all this data digitally, I know, but, I have found if I do that then I tend to foget important dates because I haven't actually had to write them down again each year. It reminds me a little bit of the drama which can follow losing a mobile phone these days, especially if there is no easy back-up process for the contacts list. Just because we don't have to physically dial the number each time we call someone, as was the case in the "olden days", then if the phone dies or is lost, life becomes chaotic for a while because it is so hard to remember a single number and the scramble begins to collect all that data again.

I love the ritual of writing out names next to dates and it is this which seems to keep the information fresh in my mind. I find I am much less likley to forget someone's birthday if I had to look it up and write it down at the end of the previous year.

So, here's to diaries and keeping the hand-written tradition alive!!

Humourous Thanksgiving Quotes

Mark Twain: Thanksgiving Day, a function which originated in New England two or three centuries ago when those people recognized that they really had something to be thankful for -- annually, not oftener -- if they had succeeded in exterminating their neighbors, the Indians, during the previous twelve months instead of getting exterminated by their neighbors, the Indians. Thanksgiving Day became a habit, for the reason that in the course of time, as the years drifted on, it was perceived that the exterminating had ceased to be mutual and was all on the white man's side, consequently on the Lord's side; hence it was proper to thank the Lord for it and extend the usual annual compliments.

John Baillie: The very fact that a man is thankful implies someone to be thankful to.

Erma Bombeck: Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.

Rita Rudner: My mother is such a lousy cook that Thanksgiving at her house is a time of sorrow.

Ellen Orleans: I have strong doubts that the first Thanksgiving even remotely resembled the 'history' I was told in second grade. But considering that (when it comes to holidays) mainstream America's traditions tend to be over-eating, shopping, or getting drunk, I suppose it's a miracle that the concept of giving thanks even surfaces at all.

Charles Lamb: Gluttony and surfeiting are no proper occasions for thanksgiving.

Irv Kupcine: An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: I love Thanksgiving turkey... it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts.

Kevin James: Thanksgiving, man! Not a good day to be my pants.

Mike Connolly: Coexistence: what the farmer does with the turkey - until Thanksgiving.

P. J. O'Rourke: Thanksgiving is so called because we are all so thankful that it only comes once a year.

I love Arnie's quote here. Which is your favourite?

Thanksgiving quotes

We thought we would share some quotes with you which might be useful for your personal greetings to friends and family at special times of the year.


The following are some special quotes for Thanksgiving:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving.
~Joseph Auslander

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. ~Author Unknown

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. ~Aesop

Please share with us your favourite quotes for Thanksgiving.

RTBC - Thank you to the brave service men and women

After Armistice Day I started to reflect on why we take time to pay tribute to our fallen servicemen and women. Whilst I was thinking about this I realised how very grateful I am to each and everyone of these people who have endeavoured to keep us safe and to those who still put their lives on the line every single day to try to make this world a safer place for us all to live in.

Thank You!!

I am so very grateful they were there for us and that they are there still. Just knowing that makes me feel a whole lot better.

Reasons to be Cheerful - Let us start by being thankful....

As this blog progresses I will be adding different features to it and one of them will be called "Reasons to be Cheerful". Under this section you will be able to read all about the things that have happened that made us laugh, caused a smile or just cheered us up and made us feel better.

As we head towards Thanksgiving it occured to me that now is a good time to reflect on everything we should be thankful for in our lives and that is a good place to start.

Let me know what cheers you up and what you are thankful for.