and we're back

Oh dear. Break in transmission. Entirely down to human rather than technical fault. Ahem. Anyway to make up for it how about some nice photos of what happened in those intervening days?

Carlingford in the non-rain. It had rained for weeks before. It has rained for weeks after. But that day it stopped. That day it was sunny and that day was lovely. We walked around the town and came across a huge antiques shop where, I have to admit, I was in seventh heaven.

Which ties in nicely to the above - two spaniels - agghhhrrrr they are too much! I adore them. The appalling photo does not show their touches of gold or their amused expressions...

The Advent calendar is strung in its usual place along the stairs and over the prints. This year I added numbers on to the little envelopes but otherwise its done pretty well considering this is its third year. It could become a tradition, like the cornflake packet star Kevin made for our first ever Christmas tree and now it's used every year...

My sister and I spent a night in Powerscourt Hotel and Spa.

I say this casually, like it could be an every day occurrence. However that particular sister lives in Italy. That particular sister thought of a plan two (long) months ago and organised with my husband to surprise me for my birthday. That particular sister arrived on my doorstep and whisked me away for a day and a night where we talked and ate and shopped and had facials and massages and steamed in the spa and laughed and swam and chatted and ate again and wallowed in hotel luxury and finally slept. I cannot tell you how good it was and how much I love that particular sister for all her kindness.

P.S. I love all my sisters - I am lucky to have three!