General Chat

O Ann how lovely is that. It puts me in mind of the Detectorist program as a chap in that bought his daughter presents for Christmas and birthdays but he never saw her till she was older and he gave her them then.

I have done the Nordic Gnome and taken it down the shop with a candle arrangment but I forgot to take a pic of the arrangment. I did the Gnome though.

I have a chicken crown in the oven with roasted veg and its smelling nice now. I put a nice lot of mixed herbs on it and salt and black pepper. There are pots, onions,carrots and parsnips and tenderstream brocc in the sauspan. Mint sauce, redcurrant jelly and salt ont he table.

O and garlic stuffing for oh....... :-D

Morning all,

Another nice brightish morning and the suns coming out to play I think but how long for? There are some low grey clouds b ut blue sky and white clouds too.

I want to get the tree up today as I am all behind with decorating. You can only do so much when you're older I have found out. I don'y feel very Christmasy this year for some reason. They have a lot of fairy lights in the village and going there last ight with the Gnome they were all lit up as it was starting to get dark so that was nice to see. The tree is up in the village too.

Morning all

A bit damp here today so it must of rained in the night, the sun is trying it's best to break through the clouds.

I'm just on my way out so will catch up with the posts later. I've been in and out for three days now so haven't had much time to come on here.

I hope everyone is okay, BBL

We just had a Coot in the garden.

Morning All
I have been in bed since yesterday with a flu type of thing. Not full blown flu but bad enough to be in bed for this long. We were supposed to be going out for lunch today so that is off now :-( Chris is downstairs making more Cantucci . He came up just now with a mug of coffee and a glass of Tia Maria !!!!. Very nice thought but I don't really fancy the Tia Maria just at the moment.

When does Frank go? It must be any day now. Going to lie down again now as my head is pounding.

I am giving up, I've sat here for over an hour, and lost my posting. I am really cross with myself,

Afternoon All,

Sunny this morning but it soon disappeared this afternoon. We had a change of plan and I dropped OH off near the hospital, which saved queueing, car park charges and my poor knees, as it is a long walk right through the hospital to the clinic and often there is a change of clinic and more walking once you get there. I felt a bit guilty, as he comes with me to any hospital visits, but he insisted he would be fine and could ring me if there was any problem. He saw someone different this time but they were happy with his eyes but still want to see him in another 6 weeks to see if the blood in the bottom of his eye has dispersed enough for them to get a good look there. He said Mr Islam he saw the first time said Good morning Mr G again, and when he saw him going said Merry Christmas to him! He must have been an interesting case for him to remember him from the amount of patients he sees!!

That's tough being poorly Jane and you'd just had a cold before the wedding as well. It's a shame you had to miss your meal and I can quite see why Tia Maria had no appeal......nice and warming but a bit sickly when you aren't well. Hopefully some bed rest will help and at least with no house full in a few days means things you would normally do can be left!! Hope you soon feel better. <3

How is the tree looking Mel? I agree things take much longer as we get older and we are all doing that aren't we! I haven't felt very Christmassy either, but it was hot so late in the year, Christmas seems to have arrived so quickly.

It's disheartening when your posts disappear isn't it Frank.........especially if they are longer ones! When are you off then? Are you all packed and ready to go?

Gill seems to be on the move here and there lately. I hope there have been no more problems.

How is your SIL managing at home now Mandy, is she coping ok?

ternal gt gt granparents..................wait a minuet where the start of my post?????? I think there are gremlins on this site so perhaps it is not you Frank.

I'll start again. I also had an email from a distant cousin on my materal gt gt grandparents line. She is in Australia and finds it difficult to get info from there and also on Australian things too.

Have the tree up and some tinsel and a few baubles on it but had to go and start Em's ring as I needed the light. Its nearly done only the flowers and bows to put in and I am going round there tomorrow with her eggs and the ring as they will be out on Saturday cos the boys have to do a bit of shopping.

Poor you Jane you must feel bad to stay in bed as you are usually out and about for something. Shame you coould'nt make lunch but better to be warm and at home when you feel like that. Hope your better soon. x <3

It was'nt a coot in the garden but a Moorhen. Its been about most ofthe day and even had a stand up to one of the female pheasents. Oh said not a lot of people have seen that! I have got some pics but hav'nt time to download them yet.

Ann it clouded over here this afternoon too. This morning hwile the sun was out it started to rain a little and there was a rainbow over the garden again.

Must find something for dinner. It will probably be pasta in cheese sauce with turkey ham and toms and onion in it. I'll make some garlic bread to go with it.

Well I am up :-) Still in my dressingown . I cannot remember when I last never got dressed in the day. I could get used to this :-D. Ann, I never really shook off that last cold and cough after the Hen Do so I think it just was lingering ready to get me again. Last night I had the real shivers and shakes ,my hands and feet were like ice blocks . Chris found some old Antibiotics (very much out of date) but I am taking them . They wont do any harm ,just might not work as well . I wait and see :-D

I don't blame you not going with OH for his appoinment Ann.It can be murder with bad knees and hips walking all those hospital corridors. I always think they should have the odd chair in the corridors for people who just need to have a bit of a sit. All good new for OH then :-D. They are keeping a really good eye on him .That was nice that Mr Islam not only recognised him but his name too.

Hannah and Gareth are enjoy their Honeymoon,although slly Gareth got really bad sunburn on the first day :-S :-S. His legs and back look vey painful. He was told to pick the Aloe Vera growing to use the sap on his skin. Today they have been to a Turtle Sanctuary . There is a bit of ground/ sand with little markers .Under each marker is a Turtle Egg :-D
Tomorrow they are having a Surfing Lesson and another day Hannah has booked a Cooking Session for the both of them. James did this when he was in Thailand and they learn how to cook some of the local foods. They had a Gecko on the ceiling in the bedroom on the first night and were trying to find a way of getting it out LOL . It was right above the bed. I am sure there are lots of little creatures about that wont be welcome indoors.They have a little Kitchen ,Bedroom and Bathroom .
I have a video of `Hannah doing a little walk around so will send it.It will probably take a few minutes though to come through.

Frank I hope you come back again tonight :-D

You need to turn the sound up to hear Hannah

Mel I forgot to say how lovely your Nordic Gnome is :-D :-D. Its a cracker :-D
I am a bt like you and not feeling very Christmasy yet.I think probably because no-one will be here on the day. Plus not feeling well either. At least you have your tree up and done now :-D..
I just have Pizza and Salad for Chris and Me tonight. As we were supposed to be out for lunch I had nothing planned other than a Curry for James. The Pizza was meant for tomorrow as Fitz is coming . It will be Cheese and Biscuits now.

Evening all,

It's been a nice dry day with sun shine ,it was so bright i had to pull the blind down in the conservatory .
I have wrapped all the presents now and they are all in their christmas bags in the back bedroom ,as i put one of Lewis's in his bag i ripped the paper so i'll have to do that one again i could't be bothered to take it back down as i had had enough of wrapping by then .

Oh Jane i hope you can shake this flu bug off before christmas ,thank goodness your not having a house full you wouldn't want to be having to cook when you don't feel well.
Lets hope the Antibiotics can help.
It was nice to see where Hannah and Gareth are staying thanks for sending it .
Poor Gareth getting burnt on the first day ,they say put Natural yogurt on sunburn it helps to cool the skin .

I love the Gnome Mel :-D another year i'll have to have a go at making one ,i think the children would love one .
They have the naughty Elf on their tree ,he's sitting near the top of the tree and so far he's been naughty every day they've had him :-D
He's made paper airplanes and left them all over the floor and in the tree ,he's tied string from the curtain pole to the christmas tree and used it as a zip wire ,he's spelled out be good in breakfast cereal and rolled out toilet roll all over the lounge floor . :-D :-D
DIL said she's running out of things to do with him . :-D the children rush down in the morning to see what he's been up to in the night .

We're off to see SIL in the morning Ann but she's doing really well thanks .
We went to see my sister and BIL this morning he's now started driving again ,he does have an automatic so he doesn't need to use his let leg/ knee which is the one he had done .

Mandy I am glad SIL is still doing so well. Who would have thought just a few months ago she would never be as good as she is now.
I had to laugh at your 2 lbs of Butter :-D :-D

I am not quite up to scratch with this Naughty Elf . I have heard about it but see he is causing havoc with the children LOL What fun for them (not so much though for your Son and DIL !!!. Great that your BIL is able to drive again. Janice can do short runs now .She also has an automatic .

I love it that Hannah has Bananas and Pineapple from the trees..I think they might me moving on to the next place soon. Maybe just one more day where they are now. I think it has been a very relaxing place. They have a Safari booked somewhere . I think it called Yala National Park ,but not sure when they are doing that. Pizza nearly ready now(I am not really hungry ) so will probably just have a bit and a bit of salad.

Gosh it looks lovely where they are Jane. Nice to see where they are staying.

Yes Mel's gnome looked really good didn't it and was bigger than I expected. I like Moorhens and their chicks, little black pompoms on twig legs. When me and my friend used to see them along the canal when we were children they were always very shy and would hide in the edges of the banks amongst the reeds. They seem a bit tamer these days though and the ones in the village next to where I lived happily poke around in the brook that runs through the village. We saw a Barn Owl the other night, the first I have seen for many years. Do you still see yours Mel?

It looks lovely where H & G are staying, very tropical! I wanted her to slow down with the camera to get a proper look at the plants. lol. I don't think the Pineapple in the fridge grew on a tree. ;-) ? What is she like. lol. I would have the screaming habdabs at things like the Gecko and anything else that could scuttle across the ceiling! Fancy G getting burned and on the first day too! He looks as if he would usually tan quite easily.......just not straight after freezing London though. They have some interesting things planned!

I'm glad your BIL is doing well now Mandy. He will feel good being able to drive again, another step getting back to normal.

The Gecko reminded me I was chasing a bluebottle round the bedroom late the other night. It kept crashing into the bedside lamp and me! We both said there seem to be a few flies around this winter.

O I did'nt have the sound on so will have to do it again.

I'm pleased your SIL is doing well Mandy and I will ask oh if he can come up with other things DIL can do with the elf but he is outside having a ciggy at the mo.
Is this the one you knitted?

Oh said spill some cereal on the kitchen table and leave a half eaten mince pie on the floor.

What about biscuit hop scotch on the floor with numbers on the biscuits?

Move all the baubles to the bottom of the tree.

Chocolate wrappers left around everywhere. They will think he's eaten their chocolate.

Tiny bites out of an apple.

I'll see if I can think of any more.

I just looked up that park Jane and it looks really interesting! Apart from the animals and birds it would be great to see those caves with paintings.

I had not heard of The Naughty Elf Mandy!

I love the way she said a pineapple off the tree!!!!!!

What about pinches of cotton wool around as if it snowed?

When I was little dad would put pinches of cotton wool on the tree for snow.