General Chat

12 degrees here now but quite windy.

So do I anng especially for us on our own.

Fed the birds and chickens and got stuff out of the freezer. Need to do the Christmas ring for the birds and make some mince pies and pigs in blankets. I have some home cooked roast tatoes in the freezer with some parsnips so I shall be all set for the big day with no presents to open.

Afternoon Mel, Ann and all

All day rain here and I wasn't able to drain the water butt into the pond as it was frozen solid, that'll be another overflow :-|

I think quite a few people aren't posting cards this year, what with the expense and strikes. Mel, same here re cards from locals. :-( :-|

I hope you both have a lovely time whatever you do xx
I'm just looking forward to a bit more daylight.

Good morning Mel and anyone looking in.

Dry and grey here today. Off to collect the Turkey in a minute.

I have one card waiting at home apparently but loads missing. Luckily it doesn’t feel so bad with not being home to miss them arriving. But I really think it was a very mean thing to do to strike at Christmas.

Morning all,

Not a very nice mrning here at all its dull with just a glimpse of watery sun nw and then and its 12 degrees.

Iv'e not had cards from My cousins in Bideford at all.thats three cards I am missing. I have also had none from the locals which is really weird as We usually get at least three or four and they are not posted just local so they pop them in. Even Emm says it dos'nt feel like Chirstmas this year.

Mmm a lovely lunch.

Mandy.

Just seen the water problems in Hampshire and Kent. Are you affected by this. Not sure if you are under Southern Water. I hope not as they are suggesting no water for Christmas.

L

Sent from my iPad

But a nice ride out and lunch Anng. I finished oh's flowers and took the wreath down the village for Phyllis. Posty came again today with just the two things I had ordered from Ebay and a magazine.

I still hav'nt had Aunty joys card and she said she posted it ages ago.

I am now going back to wrapping gifts.

Just back fro a trip to Cold Fell standing stones so J could leave a wreath where his late wife’s ashes were scattered. Then for lunch, Fish and cups and share a panettone bread and butter pudding and cream with daughter in a pub restaurant called The galloping horse. Really nice it was too. Weather not very nice cold and Misty/damp so views were not good unfortunately.

Good morning all same here Mel, dark and dreary not sure how cold IPad says 7 degrees. Last day today for receiving any cards, strike tomorrow and Saturday..

Vera whenever you are going have a safe journey and a lovely time with your family.

The book I am reading is very lightweight, easier when rushing in and out doing things sort of family saga set in just pre First World War. I have others more interesting with me and plenty of thrillers on SiL’s book shelf to keep me going. Yes it is a shame that the hobbies thread has stopped, I think it is because there are so few people on GR all together.

Morning all,

Dull and dreary here this morning with a little rain in the air. Not nice but not cold either and pc says 11 degrees and cloudy which is dead right today.

Still have present to wrap and cover the Christmas Eve box for Em and the family and cards to hand deliver. I had one card yesterday from ne of oh's sisters so that three days in a row I have had the postman.

That carol service sounds lovely Gwyn. I hope there was a good crowd there.

Are you reading anything interesting AnnG? I’ll be taking my iPad and kindle away with me so I’ll have plenty to read as well. I miss the posts on the old book thread as I discovered some authors that were new to me from those posts but the Hobbies board seems to have gone to pot now.

We are all set to go now. We’re only going to be away a few days but getting ready seems to have been a major undertaking. I suppose it’s because of all the Christmas stuff that is going with us and then I nearly forgot my present to OH. I hid it away when I bought it and it was a case of out of sight, out of mind. I remembered it after I had put all the wrapping paper, sellotape etc away. I managed to find him a little job in the garage so I could quickly wrap it with him out of the way.

Then I went through the fridge and sorted out what will be past its best when we get back. About a third of a bottle of white wine is now frozen and will perk up the next chicken casserole, a couple of leeks are chopped and frozen for soup, and I made a large fruit salad with left over fruit. We both had 2 helpings tonight and there’s a bit left to have at breakfast time.

I feel shattered now but all I have to do first thing in the morning is shower and wash my hair. I didn’t sleep well last night so I’m hoping for a good rest tonight. I hope you all have a good night’s sleep and wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow.

Quite a dark morning here, but very mild still.

Vera, The forsythia is quite an old plant, in a side border. It was here when we moved here back in the 80s. Immediately to it's west there is a tall fence, so I suppose that protects it from most prevailing winds and we are not too far, as the crow flies, from the sea, so we do tend to have our own little micro climate sometimes.
I don't know about doing well with my garden. A lot of the time it thrives on neglect ;-)

Daughters and I went to a Carol Service yesterday evening. It is held annually in the courtyard of a castle, which is lit with a beautiful Christmas Tree. It was led by the Salvation Army and their band and had a really old fashioned Christmas feel...lovely.

I have a few more cards to hand deliver locally, so hope to complete that this afternoon. We are missing many cards from numerous friends and family, but I was surprised to hear that my card to a friend in USA had arrived there quite quickly. I think it was posted on 5th December.
Very few of our cards have had Christmas stamps on the envelopes. I guess everyone, like me, is using up their older type stamps.I have only bought stamps for overseas mail. At £1.85 a time, I'm glad there aren't too many of them for abroad. :-0

8 degrees here but it feels quite cold in the breeze and it’s very grey. We’ve had light rain on and off all morning.

Just 1 present left to wrap. I’ve been sorting out our clothes to take and have just stopped for a coffee. It takes as long to sort out all the different meds, eye drops etc and washing gear as when you’re going away for a much longer time but I’m nearly there.

Better get on. Might bbl

Its 10 degrees ere now and sunny and calm so I am going to clean out the girls. I had three eggs this morning.

Enjoy your read Anng.

Good morning all. Looks a bit grey and windy out there but not frosty. Off out for coffee this morning then daughter is out this afternoon so I will stay in and read.

O I meant to say its the shortest day today so the evenings should be drawing out after today. Hooray..... :-D

Morning All,

Quite a bright morning here today and there is blue sky mostly with some white clouds and pc says 9 degrees with a cloud and a red dot above it to the right? So whats that about I wonderAfter yesterdays trip to Hatherleigh and walking up the hill to look at a shop that was closed when I got there my hip is giving me what for, come to that the right ones a bit sore too so I am hobbling around this morning.

Slept well after all the driving and walking so that was one good thing.

So how are you lot this morning????? Anyone there to keep me company today?

Its present wrapping day today. I hav'nt done any yet but there's not much to do.

Evening all,

Another mild dry day and I nipped to town to get some bits and a nice F&C for our lunch .

Anng glad you arrived safely ,enjoy your pasty and chips .

Vera a Golf Trolley!!!! Could you have bought anything bigger lol has your granddaughter got a tow bar you could tow it lol probably wouldn't have any wheels left on it though by the time you got there. :-D

Gwyn that's early for the Forsythia, I didn't get my Geraniums out of the pots with my wrists as they were so they will have to take their chance ,they were from the year before so I'll probably get some new ones for next year .

We need to take a few cards out tomorrow and get some eggs from the farm .

Glad you all arrived safely AnnG. I meant to come on the thread first thing to wish you a safe journey but it’s been such a hectic day that the time has rushed by and I’ve only just found a few minutes free. Have a lovely time while you are away.

You’ve been busy Mel. It’s good you could get out and get your wreath finished.

You are doing well with your garden Gwyn. Are you in a very sheltered spot? I haven’t noticed any bulbs coming through here. I had a look in my little plastic greenhouse today to check on the geraniums I lifted a while ago and some of them don’t look happy. I always keep them dry but the soil in the pots feels quite damp I’m not sure why. I may be buying some new ones in the spring.

I’ve done quite a lot of present wrapping today and still have 3 to do. Mandy, I read out to OH what you said about shoving me in the car and he thought it hilarious. Having seen the great piles of presents that have got to go I think they will be shoe horning me in. One of our pressies is a golf trolley for goodness sake!!

We had a good evening at our Club yesterday. Lots of good food so we ate far more than we should have done, lots of laughter and a couple of silly games and our Secret Santa gifts. Most people had either been very clever or very lucky with their buying or they hadn’t stuck to the £5 we were supposed to spend as there were some lovely gifts. I must admit mine had both been half price in a sale so looked more expensive than I paid. I received a pretty floral garden set of a trowel and a hand cultivator and OH got a bottle of port so we were both well pleased.

Well, I’d better go and sort our dinner out. OH’s stomach is making rumbling noises.

Afternoon all Arrived at daughters ok. Five hour journey but that is good as we had two stops. Traffic was really heavy. I assume we have the rail strike to blame for that. But there were also a lot of lorries on the road.

It feels colder here than at home but the heating has only just kicked in so it will get better soon. Just going to have a cup of tea and mince pie which is nice. And this evening we have Ann’s pasties and chips, mail order from Cornwall. Mmmm!