General Chat

I haven't got through my list yet!

Morning All
Just let the cat out ,made a cuppa and brought it back to bed to watch Casualty on the lap top.Chris is still in the spare room because of his cough.

Oh Liz I hope you don't think I was being presumptious saying I hadn't had an e card.It was only seeing some others saying thanks that made me wonder if mine hadn't come through as sometimes happens.

It looks like all thr rain has cleared away and it will be a much better day. Must drink this tea before it gets cold.

Morning all,

Bright sunshine here this morning it's streaming through the conservatory windows and feels so warm

Frank will be flying about in the kitchen now getting things ready for his family dinner, hope they all enjoy it Frank.

Just waiting for the family to come the little ones are bringing their christmas letters for santa to put up the chimney.

Morning all,

Sorry to Liz its just that mine did'nt arrive once before and I do love to get them.

Brilliant sunshine here too this morning but how long will it last? Our bedroom windows were all misted up this morning and running with water.

On rings again today and may do a couple of posies with candles in. I want to do a white and gold ring. I have some gold atrifical berries and ribbons and if I could find the gold spray I have some old walnuts from years ago I use in arrangement.

Wonder if Ann took anymore pics of the trees yesterday? It would be nice to see them.

Hope the meal goes ok today Frank. Happy cooking.

I've pmd you Mel.

Have lost this mornings post, so will try later, if I get time

Frank I do wish someone would show you how to copy and paste and then you could do that and you would'nt lose all the post. Ask Harvey to show you today or get him to get you Wordpad on your pc and write your post on there and then copy it onto the thread. It would save all the frustration for you. It must be horrid to do all that typing and then lose the lot. XXXXXXX

Have a wonderful day Frank .The meal will be great.Just make sure you get enough on your plate before Lewis tucks in LOL.

Well I nipped into town first thing and it was lovely and quite then.M&S was a breeze,then I popped into B&Q to get some soft white lights for the tree. I think I said before that I didn't like some of the really bright colours in our last lot of lights.All the lights are half price :-)...So the tree is in and up and drying off now before I get the lights on.It is a lovely shaped tree even if shorter than usual :-D

James and Jess are just off to Johnny's Happy Place as they have their Xmas Fair today.James owes me money so I have told him to put it in the donation box.I should go to the fair really but now I am home I don't fancy going out again.It is amazing how well JHP is doing .They are doing a grand job :-D :-D

I can see a cobweb stretching from the corner of a window right across to the other side!! :-S :-S.. I better deal with that before I forget.

Just having a break, I have cooked alll the stuffing balls and pigs in blankets a tip on tele the other day said to cover them in Mango Chutney, which I have done. They are all nice and sticky and look smashing. I am doing a starter ofa King Prawns, lobster tails, a seafood melody of shell fish and mussels for Lewis . Julia will have pate with warm rolls.

All the parsnips and potatoes par boiled, all other. Veg prepared and in the steamer. Turkey crown will go in about 4 30 pm .

I can sit and relax for a time,Ros has everything else under control.

Just having a break, I have cooked alll the stuffing balls and pigs in blankets a tip on tele the other day said to cover them in Mango Chutney, which I have done. They are all nice and sticky and look smashing. I am doing a starter ofa King Prawns, lobster tails, a seafood melody of shell fish and mussels for Lewis . Julia will have pate with warm rolls.

All the parsnips and potatoes par boiled, all other. Veg prepared and in the steamer. Turkey crown will go in about 4 30 pm .

I can sit and relax for a time,Ros has everything else under control.

Afternoon all

Dry here today but overcast and not very warm.

Sorry to hear you've lost yet another post, maybe you should try what Mel said Frank. I bet you're looking forward to the family meal? <3 Pleased to hear Ros is helping and you're having a break, you don't want to over do things. Your meal sounds lovely.

You've just reminded me Jane that I needed to go to B&Q for some compost as I'm getting a conifer tree off my sister tomorrow. I'll have to nip out in the morning if I don't forget again :-S It sounds like you got a bargain with your tree lights, I'd love to see a pic of your tree when you've done it. How are you and Chris feeling now, better I hope.

So you're busy again today Mel, hope you find the gold spray. Looking forward to seeing any pics you might take. Sandra was asking me about the mouse in the shell and if you have a pattern for it as she'd like to make one for herself. Did you get it off the internet?

I've not long got in from buying a new washing machine and went a bit mad buying a dryer and cooker too. We've decided to buy a new freezer and fridge after Christmas. The washing machine and dryer are being delivered on Thursday and the cooker the following Tuesday. OH made me laugh before he said I'll have to do a trial run on a cake in the new cooker so I can get used to it........the cheeky thing :-D I'm hoping everything fits into our tiny kitchen as I forgot to take the measurements before we left, the cooker will be fine, it's the washing machine and dryer I might have a problem with, luckily we have a bit of boxing in at the side of the dryer so hopefully if we do need a few inches more we can just take that away and they'll both fit into the space. I won't know myself with all these new appliances I'm getting LOL

We nipped into MIL's on the way home and it looked like Christmas day, the place was full of toys everywhere as she had her great grandchildren, 5 in total there, the house was full and you couldn't hardly walk around. It was nice to see a smile on her face, she spends such a lot of time on her own since FIL passed away, so it was nice for her to have so much company. Unfortunately she told us as we were leaving that my SIL has breast cancer and is going for treatment soon, my BIL has only just come out of hospital himself and needs to go back for more treatment, so not such a happy time for them at the moment. I did finally meet my other SIL's boyfriend, he seems a nice chap, although OH said, when he shook his hand, it was a limp shake, which made me laugh.

I took a chance and put the pork joint in the oven to cook slowly while we were out and glad I did as we're all starving, it should be ready in about an hour or so. I was a bit dubious about doing that as I don't normally like leaving the oven on when there's no one in, but luckily everything was fine and it smelt lovely when we came home. OH has to go to the hospital again later so it saved me some time, now he can eat before going out.

Going to get on with altering a top I unpicked yesterday and warm up a bit as it was quite chilly outside today, I popped the heating on when we came in so the place is starting to warm up now.

Wow you've been busy again I see Gill.

I saw the mice on the internet and just went from there. The hazel nut heads I had from the garden on my hazel tree outside the wall by our tiny copse. Oh bought me the red hazel when we were first together 19 years ago last August. |Just cut out two felt ears and markedthe face with a fine sharpie pen. Stick the head with the ears on in the half walnut shell and then find a scrape of small print material and make a cirleish shape and run a running stitch aroud the outside and stuff it with a bit of toy stuffing or cotton wool or half a cotton wool ball and draw the stitching up and cast off. then stick the little bundle in the shell making sure it comes around the head. O I forgot the string tail is glued in before putting the bedding bundle in.

Afternoon All,

We had an early night too as our backs were aching. Then we couldn't sleep as it was too hot so we got up to make a COT! Backs are a bit better after a hot shower so once lunch has gone down it's onward with decorating the tree. I've put the little red berry lights I got in the fireplace and they are just right for it, only £3 as well so may not last too long!

This morning we went to Lidl at Hinckley and also called at Morrisons for a few bits and bumped into MIL's neighbour from over the road so had a chat for a while. We drove by MIL's house later and it seems like lots of work is going on inside as only the little bedroom upstairs has curtains. The other windows are covered over in old sheets and have been since February when they moved in.

Yes I got some pics yesterday Mel so will see if I can send some later when I sit down!

It's really good that JHP is doing well Jane and is helping people. I bet Johnny would be amazed at what his mum has done.

Oh Mandy you will be having a Christmas of looking up to see your decs this year with Max into anything he can reach. I hadn't thought before, but he can reach quite high can't he!!

Your dinner sounds good Frank, even though I would be joining Julia with the pate and rolls starter. I hope that Lewis gets the dishes handed to him last or you won't get a look in!! ;-) Mel's right about you learning to copy and paste.....it would save you a lot of grief losing your posts.

Well, OH has hoovered and mopped where the tree is going so I'd better go and make a start with the decorations. BBL.

Right that is it now.Tree up and done and my hip and back have had enough. So far Thomas hasn't really noticed the tree !!!!!.No strands of tinsel or Lametta this year as it may well be too tempting for him to have a go at. Good luck with yours Mandy ;-)
Max may be rattling soon with baubles and buttons lol. Pets eh !!

Goodness Gill what a hectic day you have had ,what with visiting and buying lots of new appliances . I do hope that everything just fits in perfectly.A new cooker is great and just in time for cooking your Xmas Dinner :-D :-D
I hope OH doesn't have a long wait to have his dressing done.He will be pleased to be able to go back to the surgery next week and have that nice Nurse do his dressing.

Ann,I bet you would love to have a peek and see what is being done in MIL and FIL's old house.I expect it will look very different when the new owners have finished.

James said there were loads of people at JHP. There was all sorts going on , some animals for the children. Snakes,Hedgehog and even a Skunk !!!!!.Plus many other stalls ,face painting,etc etc. Yes Johnny would be extremely proud of his Mum and especially his Sister who has been the main one behind everything.I just wish that Johnny was still here and hadn't felt the desperate need to take his own life in the way he did.

2 sittings for dinner here tonight. :-S.James and Jess will eat soon as Jess has an early train home tonight. It is too early for Chris and me yet.

Jane your e. card awaits you!

Just look at that deaer little honey coloured face on Liz's post. Is'nt she just adorable.

Oh yes that is a lovely one of Cas :-D :-D....
Nothing arrived yet Liz !

Door bell went just now for us to take in a package for next door.Then 2 minutes later the bell went again and it was the same delivery man looking for Fitz's house LOL
So he has been given directions and I have rung Fitz to tell him to keep his eye open.
As Ann will know it is quite out of the way down that lane and trying to find the right property isn't easy in the dark.Even just driving down the lane for someone never having been down there before will have them wondering where the heck they were going !!!!!!

Strictly on soon and then the final of XF :-D..I am rooting for Saara Alto

I'll try again Jane! Thank you for all the photos one and all!

Well done finishing your tree Jane.........I see that drunken fairy has been replaced by a lovely Santa. :-D lol. I hope Thomas doesn't start climbing your tree!! I've just put the artificial holly and the red garland around mine and dressed the top around the star, all jobs that are the hardest to do and then I'll do the baubles tomorrow. I started decorating my little twig tree, but a nice fir cone bauble fell off when I was out of the room and smashed!!! :-0 Straightaway OH said I couldn't have put it on properly. :-P The cheeky bounder, the twigs are very flimsy, especially when they've been bashed on the sides of the loft hatch by yours truly.......I told him any more of that talk and he'd got himself a job!! lol. I think I need to get some more batteries tomorrow.

Thank you for your e-card Liz, it is lovely and uplifting!

Gill you did go a bit mad didn't you! lol. What make of washer did you buy and was it a range cooker you bought? Mum had one of those and it was brilliant. Mind you it was when she was cooking for 8 so needed plenty of oven space.

Better go now and get settled ready for Planet Earth.

Mel, don't forget 'My mother and other Strangers' later on! I think its the last one tonight! I fear fireworks one way or another!!! Modus was certainly action packed last night Jane! Next week it's the final two episodes! Just hope that someone is left alive!
I've resent your card Anne, also you Frank, but maybe it's not getting to you if you're not on your own computer!