It's snowing and raining here today. Very cold and wet...just the day for a funeral. Uncle Roddy's funeral to be exact. I liked Uncle Roddy but I can't really be sorry because he was so ill for so long that it doesn't really seem fair to hope he would stay.

last night we had the lantern walk with the kids. They gave us a concert first which was really fun and then we tried to light the lanterns. That was ok and the kids had made some real beauties for the walk in the midwinter dark. Only problem was the wind. It blew them all out so we did a quick walk, mostly in the dark, and then lit them all and sang the lantern songs inside. After that there was a shared tea with home grown sausages and fresh bread and home made sauces. Then the men tried out the bonfire but that too was affected by the wind...sparks everywhere...so it was put out and we all went back inside for dessert.

One of the parents had made the most amazing chocolate cakes with beetroot in them. They were divine!!! He had also made a number of pies and flans with apple and coconut and caramel which were also absolutely wonderful.

By the time we left it was late and we were warm on the inside even if it was still frozen on the outside. We brought an extra child home for an overnight and went to bed earlyish for us (but late for the boys). It is now school holidays for a couple of weeks. The boys are going out to grandma's farm for 3 days so I will have a nice quiet time to try to get the diorama finished in the shop in time for the jaffa race :)