Three Nights Before Christmas

But I wish I wasn't still at work! How is one  meant to work when the rest of the world is on holidays?! THis year, as I do every year I am in ye olde England, I am spending Christmas with the most wonderful Steven Family in Penrith, Cumbria. Tis a beautiful part of the world with beautiful people in it... so I would like to be able to get there sooner rather than later!

Oh and say a prayer for my friend Gen who is staying with me at the moment... she is meant to be getting to France on the Eurostar... yes... that broken train line.... pray that she can catch a train tomorrow morning!

Laurence goes to the Pub

Ice Ice Baby
Friday night Jane, Donna, their friend Marcin and I went ice skating at the Tower of London. Crazy lighting so my photos are that brilliants but you get the picture.

Note to Self #3
It doesn't matter if you are helping Laurence see his first snow, you still need to put shoes on when you go on the roof and there is even a thin layer of snow.

Laurence's First Adventure.
So Laurence had his first adventure today. It wasn't a very long one... but he seemed to have a good time. I hope he appreciated it because I nearly got frost bitten feet in my efforts to give him a fulfilling life as a plastic green frog.

Can you see him???

Oooookaaaayyyy

What about now?

He's on the roof hanging out with some snow.

This frog has now seen something that some humans haven't even seen. I am the best frog guardian ever. Ahh... Tess... Hannah... want to have a go now?

Snow #3
( I know... I skipped #2 because I didn't take a picture and you don't want to see pretty much the same post as #1 for #2)
Still snowing... but not really sticking.

This was a picture of the snow falling just outside my office window. It's kind of hard to take pictures of snow!

Here is a snow flake on my jumper.

This is a picture of the snow baby I made last February when it snowed BUCKET loads.

Complete Excitement
Today I got an email from my most beautiful Julie who told us that she was engaged and getting married in the Summer (Northern Hemisphere Summer). I screamed... and then I called her after dinner.  She lives in the States now and I miss her so very much and I am so happy for her that I HAD to say something about it! Oh ... and yes... John, I vote for a London honeymoon. London is the best.  

Christmas #1
There is a lot of Christmas cheer going around and tonight was the St Patrick's Christmas dinner for those of us who live and work there. It was a traditional English Christmas feast with a couple of American twists thanks to the lovely Deanna.

We started off with drinks et al

We then moved up to a very festive Parish Room where we ate extremely well. Fr said a few thank yous and a merry time was had by all.

Look! Christmas pudding... oh how I love the fruity, on fire goodness! Deanna liked it too...

The Students ... and Vincent

The Students, Vincent, Pauline, Fr Alexander AND the most important member of the Parish, Ambrose.

Snow Sighting #1
Yes, I say #1 ... I am being optimistic. It snowed today. SO exciting even though it didn't stick. Sadly I have no photos... my camera battery was flat but since I am so optimistic, there will be another time.

World, Meet Laurence

Last night Tess, Hannah and I went out for dinner in China Town. We came home for tea and found a left over   Christmas cracker from the Open House Christmas party on Monday night. We couldn't leave it there and so we cracked it... and Laurence was inside. After fighting over who had to keep the boring prize we realised his full potential.You will now see him in various strange places over the next year as he gets taken on  amazing adventures by various people (ie Tess, Hannah, me anyone else we can force him on).

He isn't having a very amazing adventure at the moment... he is just sitting on a pile of my books... but they are good books so he's happy enough waiting.

Cold. 
It's -2. It had better snow!

Count down #2
152 sleeps

The Life of the Cultured Part the Second

Well last afternoon after a relaxed morning Liv and I hit the town. We started with a roam about the very crowded Covent Garden.

 Saw some raindeers

Took a shot of the sun going down, as you do.

Then we went to St Paul's Cathedral for a Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten.
A-MAzing.... He set music to pieces of poetry including Robert Southwell. It's very strange to hear his poetry in one of the most important Anglican Churches in England. We thought we weren't supposed to take pictures  but after the performance EVERYone was so we thought we'd take advantage of this!

Because who knows when we would be allowed to do it again!

Then we walked to the other side of the river, taking pictures as we went.

Artist at work...

Then our night of culture continued with a performance of Othello in the remains of The Rose theater, where Shakespeare and Marlowe etc performed. It was a contemporary setting and a really good performance.

Then we walked home ... and nearly died of cold. And yes, we took pictures on the way!

You know, London is pretty damn awesome sometimes.

The Night... Two Weeks Or So ....Before Christmas
Thursday night the lovely Miss Liv and myself set out for a night full of Christmas cheer.

We hung around very Christmassie posh department stores and ate amazing free mince pies. Sadly I have no pictures of the mince pies, they didn't stay in my hand long enough to take a picture.

Liv made a new friend.

We met a singing moose.

Went on a ride

(We were a bit apprehensive)

And just generally hung out.

All in all it was a fun night!

Visitor!
I love visitors. I really do and my first one for AGES is coming tonight.... in about an hour to be exact. Liv is staying with me for a week or so. She is even lucky enough to get her own room! Never happens... usually guests sleep on my floor. Lucky lady! Anyway, I am looking forward to having someone from home floating around and showing her what i can of this ol' town.

A big hit in a stress filled office. 

Count Down #1
159 sleeps.

Note to self #2
If you don't send your Christmas Cards this week people won't get them in time. For heaven's sake finish them.

I do love Westminster Cathedral
Perhaps this is just because I go there to confession a lot and it just gets the kudos of that post confession glow but I do think it a rather impressive place.

For Bron
Bron I saw this and thought of you today:

A Post for Meg

This morning I had coffee with Meg. Wait a minute... said someone (probably Jackie since she and Meg are the only two people who actually read this thing) Meg is in Melbourne! 

I know. But ... I had coffee whilst I spoke to Meg and I thought I would take a picture of my coffee to show Meg what I drank whilst I spoke to her.

Oh and I also took this picture for her... 

Record Braking Moment
I would just like to note that in the history of Miss Monification, there has never been so many posts in the space of 2 weeks. So. Proud.

Artistic Monification Moments 
After the sale the lovely Suzanne and I went for a glass of well deserved wine at a spot on the busy Shaftesbury Avenue which is just around the corner.

It's the weirdest feeling...

To have this:

at 4:30 in the afternoon. I mean, it's still the day!

Also, take a look at how many people are in this shot, Oxford Street was closed to traffic today so that people could rule the roads. Rule they did.

Jumble Jumble Everywhere. 
Well today was Jumble day here at St Patrick's and did we have mountians of it. Clothes, books, shoes, bags, a golf buggy, glasses .... I could go on.

Della the Amazing  - yes, she is called that, well, I call her that - was here at St Patrick's at 6am organising things for both the jumble sale AND the huge Christmas dinner that's happening for the homeless on the 14th of December.

The dedicated team of volunteers set up at 10am in the square, dragging everything down from the lofty heights of the Parish Room.

Then the sale began

Then... at around 3pm the weather threw a London on us and started to rain so we packed everything up in a hurry and went back inside. Something in the vicinity of £850 was made so a good effort by all!