General Chat

Mandy I always worry like mad if I have a frozen Turkey just in case it hasn't defrosted properly.Thankfully it is a fresh one this year so that is one less worry lol

Yes I imagine tomorrow night for the little ones will be a very exciting one.Mum and Dad will be praying they go to sleep so 'Santa' can deliver their pressies :-D

Jess will be arriving shortly with her Mum and Step Dad.Hannah has had to give up and go to bed so I will have to give her apologies.I have scented candles burning now to try and get rid of some of the curry smell.But I don't think it is making much of an impact :-S
What a load of rubbish on TV.I am looking forward to the Royal Family now but I expect Jess will be here before it finishes .

I'll say night night now xx

Evening all

Thanks everyone for the get well wishes. We're feeling much better now :-). So should be alright for Christmas. Hopefully.

Hope Hannah is ok to go to India on Sunday, these bugs doing the rounds aren't very nice, but thankfully don't last long.

We've watched all the DALLAS's now Mel, but I don't think they are making anymore, unless I've mis-understood what the guy said at the end of the last one.

Have you finished your Christmas tree yet Mel. How are you getting on with your new pooters ;-) ;-).

Sounds like you've had a busy time around the shops Frank. You were lucky to find the girls again given what you said about how busy all the shops were today.

How nice that you can all know the sex of the baby. That option wasn't offered when I had my children, it's so nice for her to be able to choose.

I'm like you Mandy I'll be taking our Turkey out of the freezer tomorrow so it will be ready for Boxing Day, that's the day I'm cooking it this year as OH has to work on Christmas Day.

I'll also be getting the small Turkey crown out at the same time to cook on Christmas Day for my mum, Sandra and myself. That should be thawed out properly in a day as it's not as big as the large Turkey. I also like to get as much done as I can the night before :-D.

Off to watch the final program of Wild weather with Richard Hammond now, OH likes that program. I've had it recorded since the 15th December, ready for him to have time of work to watch it.

Santa has come early to me..........Yes I am on my new pc. It is so different to my old one and oh has only loaded GR and ancestry for me so far.

Tree is all done and lit up but I may put a few more bits onit tomorrow and I also can't find the fairy I think she may have flown away. Perhaps she has seen what goes up her skirt this year. Instead of the usual one spire at the top of the tree there is a three pronged triangle. Most unfortable I should think...... :-0

Earlier I had found a bag with other bits of Christmas things in that I hang in the window.............do you think I can find it now??? and I think that may be where the fairy is hiding too :-S

Poor Hannah I hope she can get rid of this bug before she goes away on Sunday especially to India.

Oh Mel, you do make me laugh, although I don't blame the fairy for hiding by the sounds of what she's got to sit on :-D :-D :-D

Evening All,

Splinters in your bum Frank.......well your little garden friend at home manages all right with spikes in his!! :-D Glad you had a nice meal and that your daughter remembered your birthday.......girls are always much better at remembering these things anyway. Will you all be guessing what sex the baby will be before they tell you? As Jane says, no-one knew these things till a baby was born years ago A work friend of mine had a boy and wanted a girl next so much that she convinced herself it was going to be a girl. She had to dress her new little boy in in all the PINK clothes she had to bring him home from hospital!!

Oh dear Gill, I hope you and hubby will both improve quickly. I expect you caught the bug from Sandra who is probably well on the mend by now!

I think the hairdresser was a bit scissor happy this morning while she was chatting away........I need that neck wrap I haven't knitted yet! lol. There was hardly anyone at the carvery today which really surprised us, about 5 other lots of people, but no big parties. I expect most 'Christmas dos' were last week and now people are doing last minute shopping. Lunch was especially lovely today, as was the vanilla cheesecake with toffee sauce! We collected the turkey then and the little farm jack russells were all excited with everyone making a fuss of them. It is a really spick and span sort of farm (small) with everything reasonably tidy. You can walk about without treading in 'stuff'!! LOL. The outhouses where you collect your turkey have clean concrete floors and white walls and the turkeys are stored in refrigerated units in the yard. It's in the fridge now till I get it ready for the oven in the morning. :-D OH will do the veg if I tip out what we need on a tray for him. <3

We had a bit of good news from our neighbour this morning......he'd noticed on the council website that the planning people have today refused this second application from the builder. :-D It's still not over though as he will most likely go to the Building Inspectorate next and they could still allow it regardless. Still, it's a step further.

Mandy, I imagine it will be very difficult getting all the children off to sleep tomorrow night!! I can remember being excited, but wanting so much to go to sleep so I could wake up and it be Christmas!! I bet the ripping paper will be deafening when they get their presents.

I better get the washer on now......OH said he will put it out to dry in the morning.

Mel I hope you will soon get used to your computer..........I shall know where to come if I get stuck when I do mine. :-S I will start to transfer stuff over Christmas first before I connect to the internet. Like you I will now have to get used to a completly different system with tiles instead of desktop icons! I know I shall hate it till I find my way around, so I'm leaving my old one connected up at first! Fancy your fairy going AWOL, but who can blame her with those spikes!! I wonder if Jane's is tipsy this year.....she usually is!! :-S :-D LOL.

I read that as Jane being tipsey!! not the fairy, but then again like mother of the house and fairy of the tree!!! Good job she's in bed.............

Hello all,

I don't know where the time has gone this past week. I've been out and about every day. Five of us went down to Georgia yesterday to visit my grand-daughter. She cooked us a lovely meal, and we went out for dessert - I had something called '7th Heaven". It was a huge slice of cake; top and bottom layers were choc cake, and the centre layer was white choc cheesecake. It had thick cream frosting between the layers and over the outside, and then choc ganache over the entire thing. I'm so glad my diet starts on the 2nd Jan. :-D
It was about 140 miles each way, and I came into the kitchen last night at one minute before midnight. Had a really good day, but the weather was drizzly and cold all day - just like home :-D

Ann, it's good to know about freezing the roasters - I'll have to try that.

I saw the Text Santa skit on U-Tube with the cast of Downton Abbey, and found it very comical - very good.

This will be the first Christmas since I married, I think, that I won't be cooking the dinner. It does feel odd. Everyone are busy with their grocery shopping and tomorrow will be a big baking day, but not for me. I'm going to spend most of the day delivering presents. I'm going to hang out in other people's kitchens for a change, and see how they like it.

:-D :-D

Frank, I'm so sorry I missed your big day, but better late than never - belated Happy Birthday. I hope you have a good time down there in Devon.

I had an appt. today with the cardiologist, to get the results of the Holter monitor that I had to wear for 24 hrs.last week (Ann knows what that is), and he said that it showed no signs of A Fib. I asked if I was any worse than last year, and he winked and said "You're better than last year - you're wiser", and went off grinning. So, I assume I must be doing okay.

I am definitely starting a diet in Jan. - no flour and no sugar. I've been buying foods that I need. I;ve got lots of different dried beans and peas, also grains, lined up in jars in the cabinet. I brought in an old jar from my shed that came from a sweet shop, and have made cereal with toasted oats, fresh toasted coconut, pecans and raisins, and filled the jar up. Grand-daughter likes to organize things in my house-she's only just 7, but I let her do it. She re-did all the lower cabinets in the kitchen, and I ended up with lots of space :-S I can't get down low enough to see what has happened at the bottom, but I suspect everything is crammed at the back. Anyway, It gave me room for rows of canning jars which are now filled.

Gill, I hope you and family are well, and everyone else too.

I hope to go to the Christmas Eve service tomorrow. It is such a meaningful service and I love the carol singing.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas,

Love from Ruby.

Morning my lovelies, and David and William, Evening to Kim.

First I would like to say, I heard from my Daughter last night, on FB .She has MS and it's developing into something else. I will need to look on FB to see what it is. She has been off work for 9 months, so can't be feeling great.

Lovely to hear from our Kim and David. and thanks Ruby for your belated birthday wishes.

I am sitting in the kitchen at one of the units, with the sun streaming in through the windows. Got to get to the beach this morning.

That poor fairy, I didn't fancy splinters up my bum, I can just imagine a Christmas Tree :-| :-| :-|

Gill enjoy your day tomorrow with your Mum and Sandra, and even better for Boxing day for you all together.

BALDY BALDY ANN.. Conrad has a hair appointment for 12.00 noon, so I might get him to drop me off on the sea front and then pick me up when he is finished.
He now tells me it's local, so I will walk from here, it's not far. ;-) ;-)

Who mentioned our Jane being tipsy ?? She's normally roaring DRUNK this time of year :-D :-D :-D :-D Do hope Hannah improves before Sunday, I can think of nothing worse than having an upset tummy on a long flight. ;-) ;-)

The sun is so bright now, I can't see to type, so will see you later.

Morning/Evening All

Ruby that cake sounded GIGANTIC but very yummy :-D..It seems funny you saying that you went out for dessert :-D

LOL Mel fancy you remembering my Tipsy Fairy :-D :-D.Like mother indeed :-S.So true :-D
I have left her in the box this year as she was so drunk last year.it's her punishment.
I have a Red Star this time.Not sure I am so keen on it so Fairy could be back in top position once again next year :-D :-D

Have you found yours yet?

So new lap tops all round eh!.I have had this one a couple of years now and it's great.It's nice that it is portable so I can take it anywhere.

Gill I hope OH was fit enough for work this morning and that you are feeling much better today.I am up,showered hair washed and ready for the day.Chris has been and collected the turkey.(well Turkey Crown).We don't do legs and wings.It is now in a foil tray sitting in the garage as I can't get it in the fridge.
Hannah and I are going out shortly .She needs a few last minute bits for her trip ,then I think we will go for a coffee somewhere.She is off to a friends this afternoon for a Buffet.Not sure how she is feeling yet as she is in the shower and i haven't seen her.
James is at work and Jess is asleep.She has Uni work she wants to finish today so won't be coming with Hannah and me.

It is a lovely sunny morning.Just the perfect day for a stroll along a SEAFRONT :-D :-D....Hopefully it is just as nice in Torquay

Morning all and evenin Kim,

Dull and dreary here but at least it is dry at present.

I had an email from Kim this morning and she wishes all a merry Christmas for those who are not on facebook. She can't get on the thread and her pc is not a year old yet.

Also heard from David and replied to his email.

Well it is nearly here, the Big Day. I have a lot to do today like taking present round to my two little boys next door and going down the church to have a word with mum and put her posy on the stone. Yes I still talk to her as I know she is still around.

I can't beleive how quick this new pc is and quiet too. It hardly makes a sound and my old one was nearly deafening and we had to have the tely up louder to be able to hear it.

You are a good girl Ruby getting all ready for your diet. I too can't get down to the bottom cupboards and should make the effort as I am sure there are things at the back with dates that are well out. The only thing is I don't have a grandaughter to get down there for me.

Oh is trying to find out how to get my games I play on the new pooter as it dos'nt come with Solitare.

Better get on now as the only thing I have done so far is get the turkey out of the freezer and get dressed.

Thanks for the pic of the chandelier Jane. It now comes up as soon as it arrives. With the old pc I had to wait to open pictures or download them to be able to see them.

See you later.

Sun has popped out here too.

I think my hogs have gone to sleep for the rest of the winter now. When I looked in the ark this morning all the tinned food is still there but all the dried food had gone and there was a mass of tiny mouse droppings all around the bowl. So I shan't be feeding anymore and yesterday I bought a load more tinned food and dried!!! so that was a waste of time and money. Still it will keep till the spring.

Enjoy your time out with Hannah Jane and give her my wishes for a safe trip on Sunday and hope she is ok now.

I am glad that cold wind has dropped here and today is brighter now. I must put the washing on the line for a bit.

A wet morning to everyone, I hope your evening is better Kim :-D :-D

Just getting on with a few household chores, as I have Matteo for most of the afternoon , while Victoria takes Sofia to the cinema to see Tinkerbell, first time Sofia has been to see a picture , I hope she manages to sit all the way through it. better not forget that box of popcorn either.:-)

Our turkey is already prepared and in the oven Mel, OH did it before going to work this morning , all I have to do is remember to put on the oven about 1.00 and then it will be ready for OH to take it out when he gets home about 5.30, I don't think I could lift it out,

better get on with the hoovering, 1 room at a time otherwise I will be too tired to look after Matteo. Hoovering is the one job that takes all my energy away.

Hi all

It's sunny here today too. Enjoy your walk Frank, no skinny dipping in the sea lol.

7th Heaven sounds lovely, good job you don't start your diet till next year Ruby ;-).

Have you found your fairy yet Mel or is she still in hiding, at the thought of what she has to sit on.

Don't know how OH is today Jane, he'd gone to work before I got up, but going by the way he was yesterday I think he's probably feeling ok today. I hope so anyway.

Enjoy your time with Matteo today Fiona, I bet Sofia feels quite grown up going to the cinema for the first time, I'm sure she'll love Tinkerbell and enjoy telling you all about it. I doubt the popcorn will be forgotten, you can't have a film without it lol.

I took my two Turkey's out of the freezer today, but the label had worn away on the big one so I've had to borrow my mum scales (the one's to weigh yourself on) to put the Turkey on to see how heavy it was, so I know how long to cook it for.

You can all stop laughing now :-D :-D :-D. I must admit it did look funny.

Just fed our tame squirrel Rosie, she quite pudgy now, I think she gets fed by a few of us in this street, as I've seen her going from one back door to the other, it's so funny.

The weather has just change here it's really windy and has started to rain quite heavily, it's ever so strange, as it's still sunny too.

Got a few small jobs to do now, ready for tomorrow
BBL

Oh yes Fiona Sofia will feel grown up for sure.I think the first film I saw at the cinema was Bambi :-D
Gill I hate it when the labels have come off something as important as the Turkey or a joint of meat.I like them as they often tell you how long to cook without having to weigh.I always get myself in a tizzy if I have to weigh meat and then try and work out the timing.Out comes the calculator or I have to call of assistance .maths was my absolute worst subject.I didn't even get a CSE in it never mind a GCSE :-S.The shame of it ;-) :-D....

Hannah and I had poached eggs on toast when we were out,and then she got all the remaining things for her hols.So that is her done now.Luckily she managed to get a travel towel in Tes**
I dropped her at her friend Pollys and they are now walking here with Polly'd little dog Ted.He's a funny little thing and is not a people dog.He is just very anti social from what Hannah says.I will see shortly :-D.When Polly first had him his face looked like a Womble LOL

Just taken out the Turkey accompniaments from the freezer.I will do the potatoes and veg later.Then last thing this evening I shall get the table set and finally put the Carrot ,Mince Pie and glass of something out for Father Christmas when he comes to visit in the early hours ;-) ;-).I hope he doesn't burn his BTM as the Woodburner is lit :-S

I am sure father Christmas has his fireproof trousers on Jane.

I FOUND THE FAIRY HIDING IN MY WARDROBE :-D :-D :-D

She is now on the top of the tree but has'nt got the three branches up her botty. She is standing on the next set of branches and wired there. She has a smile on her face so I think she is happy now........ :-) :-)

Suns gone down now and I am just having a cuppa.

Hope Matteo dos'nt where you out too much Fiona and what a lucky girl Sophia is to be going to the cinema for the first time on Christmas Eve. Nice lot of mummy time for her on her own. She will always remember this special day.

Hi to Gill and Sandra.

I am just about to start making some sausage rolls.

Jane I saw Bambi with my grandad. He used to take me to the pictures a lot when I was young. I can remember it cost him 1/- for me to sit wherever I wanted.

Well here I am, all knackered. I went out at 10.30 am and got back at 1.30 pm I walked and walked I called in at the pier on the way out, and had quite a few rests on the seats. The sunshine was beautiful, the only trouble was, my glass's went so dark I could hardly see where I was going. I walked about a mile and a half, then turned round, I walked round both sides of the Harbour, and found somewhere for a coffee, before making my way home.

This afternoon I have boiled another GAMMON and baked it with my Mustard and Honey Glaze. It smells divine.

The girls have gone visiting Jan's friends and family, Je her daughter is also out with her daughter Ella, while Conrad and I are sitting around. He has loaded 1,500 books on my Kindle and still has another 2,000 to add. How he thinks I am going to read that lot, I don't know.

We have a Christmas Radio programme on, it has played Christmassy records all afternoon. It's so lovely background music, and a nice change from Television .

The butcher has just delivered the Christmas Turkey, Pork and Beef. He comes from Bristol, and is a client of Jo's. She will treat him and his wife to massages and wax's to the value of the meats. Just like the old days of bartering :-D :-D :-D

I assume you are already for tomorrow. Like us, what you haven't got now you don't need or want.

Chicken portions, with new potatoes and salad tonight.

I had hoped to take everyone out to a lovely restaurant I found on the Harbour, but they have things to do, so might take them before we go back.

Going to have a cold beer now,

See you either later or hopefully tomorrow AM.

LOL Mel as long as Fairy doesn't have a grimace on her face :-DShe sounds comfortable on the other branches :-D
We have so many presents around the tree I can't get to the curtains.I can just reach one to pull across the patio doors but not the other.I have taken a pic of them all.
I wish Chester was still with us.He used to love helping unwrap everything and get so excited.Dear old buddy I do miss him.
Hannah's friend didn't bring Ted as her Mum had just taken him for a walk,but she said she will try and bring him sometime in the next day or so.
Hannah and Polly have now just left to go to another of their friends for a Xmas Buffet.
Ham egg and chips tonight here :-D :-D :-D.Couldn't wait 'till after Xmas lol

Just before the light went outside a Sparrow Hawk landed on the bird bath !!!!!.Needless to say every bird and it's mother vanished pretty smartish .I did hear a racket going on in the sky a little earlier so it must have been around for a while.As much as I love my birds ...I do not want the Sparrow Hawk here.

I bet those sausage rolls will be smelling good soon Mel :-D

I hav'nt started them yet Jane!!

We had the hawk around too and as you say it all goes quiet and you can't see a little bird anywhere. Ours looks into the box hedge for the sparrows. Bl**dy thing :-|

Just remembered I hav'nt shut the chickens in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not feeding the hogs anymore.

Before I forget - Jane, Measham is about 40 minutes drive from us and is near Ashby de la Zouch if that helps.

Well, my dear wonderful friends of the thread (no, I haven't started on the wallop, loopy juice - or whatever they call it in your neck of the woods) I just wanted to wish you all a wonderful day for tomorrow and to thank you all for your friendship and support over this and the other years. I never knew I could have such a wonderful rapport with folks I've never even met, but there you go, such is life.

We haven't been in much even though I've had my snivelly cold, which thank goodness is clearing up today. Today, on such a beautiful, heaven sent day, we decided to miss out on the packed places and drive the 20 minutes or so to Lutterworth and have a browse around. We did well in the charity shops and even better in M*rrisons where they were reducing everything and Carmel was like a demented shopper. We then went into the cafe and had an afternoon plate of sarnies with some added chips, lovely grub. What struck us over the last few days was hope friendly and seasonal everyone we came across was (bad English I know, but you get the point).

Be back later, Carmel has just woken up after her nap - food time methinks :-)