General Chat

Merry morning for Christmas Eve all,

Dull and gloomy out there today and raining with it and I'd rather have a nice crisp frosty morning this time of the year.

I have to pick up a few things from the shop this morning as I forgot parsnips because I thought we had enough but used them in a tary roast day before yesterday so rang the hsop and Keith daid he had one big one so I told him to put it aside for me with some stsumas. I asked him about yogs for oh but he had'nt got any.

Better get on as he shuts at one today for four days.

You are ahead of the game Mandy and the Viennese biscuits will be nice, I love them. :-) OH is doing the veg here tomorrow. He was telling me that some antivaxxers were deliberately booking appointments and not turning up just to stop others getting the appointments. :-|

That's good you got your ears done Vera. It isn't free anymore is it? She was thorough wasn't she and you will be telling your OH not to shout now! That poor chap, it could happen to any of us, but these companies don't consider anyone not being able to use technology now. You OH is so good helping him. It must be such a worry for him after a lifetime of being able to easily sort these things himself.

Evening all,

We've had a dull old rainy day ,I got my gammon cooked and made son and family some Veinese biscuits I did a double mix so they will have plenty to go at Astley love them.

Anng lively photo of the cats all cuddled up on the sofa

Mel thats good you've both had your boosters now ,that was handy OH having an appointment at the doctors and asking about them if not you'd still be waiting.

How lovely to see your niece again having a sing song they were all really enjoying it weren't they and I loved her cheeky little grin at the end .

La.G and Gwyn Thank you and a Happy Christmas to you both .

Ann I don't think we will ever get back to having normal appointments at the doctors again, our doctors surgery has only one doctor on at a time now and two of the doctors have left and as far as I know haven't been replaced.
That's a lot of money for them to do a jab I bet all these nurses that are doing them don't get paid that .
Did you see where a lot of the people are not turning up for their appointments now they seem to think its because people think they'll feel unwell over Christmas if they have them.

So you can hear a pin drop now then Vera :-D sounds as if she did a good job .
How good of your OH helping the chap with his problems what ever would he have done with out him helping ,well done him .

We did the sprouts and carrots today they are all bagged up and in the fridge ,I have the two turkey crowns defrosting and I'll get them cooked tomorrow.

Thanks for the link Mel. Your niece looks happy and as though she’s enjoying herself. It’s good to see them all having fun.

It’s also good that you have had your boosters at last. You’ve had a long wait for them. We had ours nearly 11 weeks ago.

AnnG, that picture of the cats is sweet and reminded me of how much I miss our two (Mitzi and Molly). OH doesn’t want to take on any more animals but I would love another cat.

That’s good the doctor checked you over thoroughly Mandy and was able to be reassuring. At least you won’t have to spend all Christmas worrying. Just make sure you don’t overdo it.

I had my ear appointment this morning and both ears are now cleared of wax. I had both microsuction and the “water torture” and all sorts of prodding and poking and cameras in my ears. She was very thorough. I was pleased that I had gone to the company operating out of our local health centre rather than Specsavers. In the waiting room there was plenty of distancing, everybody masked of course and there were plenty of sanitizer stations. Outside the waiting room there is a courtyard and the big glass doors to that were wide open so lots of ventilation. It all felt very safe and it was worth the extra cost.

OH is still helping our acquaintance with his electricity problems and there are emails going back and forth between OH and the company. They seem at last to have grasped that the chap is deaf and they can’t talk to him on the phone but want him to email them himself in spite of the fact that OH has told them he doesn’t have any form of computer, nor a smart phone and anyway has no technical ability. Now the old boy has got in a muddle with his landline and keeps changing his provider and so OH is now trying to sort that for him as well.

Thank you for your good wishes La G. and Gwyn. I hope you have a lovely Christmas and here’s wishing for an improved year in 2022. Stay healthy and happy.

Ann I have pm'd you.

How nice to see them all enjoying themselves Mel. I like her Elf Suit and she's really joining in! :-)

Oh yes, they look lovely, all cosy together and Millie has certainly grown and filled out hasn't she. They obviously get on very well. I expect Inara will be excited to see the Christmas tree up.

That's good you are both jabbed now Mel. They say the booster starts to help your immune system after a couple of days, but obviously full strength after a fortnight. Did you both have Pfizer? OH feels the same as you as he has done most going out and in the chemist and post office as well as the schools, although they have been extra careful with wiping down, ventilating and spacing. You can concentrate on Christmas now. :-D A little while ago they said doctors would get paid £15 -£30 a jab for doing them. That's on top of their average take home pay of £110,000 and they have cut back on some of their other work to do it. I doubt we will ever get back to the service we had before the pandemic.

Oh I must check your link now.

Sent you all a link to our neice with her dance group.

The cats look very comfortable Anng.

All jabbed now and I must say it feels safer already. Silly I know but I am the only one who goes out and if I brought it back to oh i would never forgive myself.
there were other after us and they had about 6 or seven injections all lined up on the side in the nurses room and the doc was in there too.

Lovely to see Lagooner pop in and I wish you a happy Christmas and a good new year for 2922. <3

Back to my cake now I think.

I think it will be a relief for them to get their tree up although Inara has a small one in her bedroom.
The cats don’t seem bothered by the baby, Molly the tabby keeps out of the way, as she dies when most people are beret and Millie is not bothered by anything g.
Did you get the photo I sent of the cats? They always sleep curled up or cuddled up together.

Thank you LaGooner. Merry Christmas to you and I hope yours is a good New Year too. :-)

It sounds like they are nearly finished now then AnnG. What a relief for them and they will be able to get more straight for the New Year. How were the pussycats with the new baby........did they scarper and hide or are they used to her now?

How did your jabs go Mel? Any achey arms? I imagine you were quite quick with having appointments. I have recorded that prog to watch tonight. With one of my first Christmas Cakes I made I had a penguin on skis to put on it with some little trees. Well I piled on the icing to make a little slope for the penguin on his skis. It looked quite effective, but the slope set rock hard and it was so hard to cut, let alone eat!!

Good afternoon from Cumbria where it is very wet and not very warm.
Nice to be here with family and I have already seen the new baby twice. Will see her and big sister on Christmas Day. She is very good and yesterday was sleeping a lot. Mum and baby called in to collect Inara after we had taken her to Santa. Her gift from Santa was to make a mobile which has all the
Lanets on it daughter (nanny) was helping her, then she took it home to hang in her bedroom. Their kitchen floor was half done plus the replasgdrk g so hopefully it will be finished tomorrow.
Pleased you will have your jabs now before Christmas Mel.

Just popping in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Good New Year :-D <3 <3

Morning All,

Dull and damp here but no fog.

Thank you Gwyn and I hope you have a nice Christmas too with your son, then daughter.

Hooray Mel! At last you will get your boosters today. I wonder how long ago your surgery started doing them? It's good your OH had an appointment today and could ask them. :-)

I have been out to the garage freezer and put the pigs in blankets and stuffing balls we'll need in a foil tin with lid. The gammon is defrosting, but annoyingly the turkey crown defrosting instructions are not visible as the polythene where the instructions are is right where it has been twisted/folded next to where it has been sealed. It's a small one though, so shouldn't take too long. I will get it out later.

Better sort lunch now.

Great news for you Mel.
I'm so pleased that you can both have your booster before Christmas <3

Good news good news! Oh had an appointment for his bloods at the surgery today and he came home and we have to go back at 1.24pm for our BOOSTERS Hooray at last.

Sorry just had to shout that as I have tried to get an appointment for so long now its been driving me mad.

Merry Christmas Gwyn have a lovely holiday with your family. <3

Morning all.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and special time with those you care about.

Present wrapping for me today. Daughter will shop for last minute food items, when she goes to town later. Son is hosting Christmas Day and elder daughter Boxing Day, so we have already bought things like cranberry sauce and pickles etc and taken those to the respective homes.
Christmas Eve we often get together for a combined vegetable preparation session... not sure if that's happening this year or if we will all lend a hand on 25th.

A day pottering in the warm for me.

Morning a ning all,

Love dull day again here in Devon but no wind to speak of and its 11 degrees.

Need to defrost the turkey crown today as I am cooking it on Christmas Eve and try and finish the cake decorating.

Hope you all slept well as I did and got enough ZZZZZZ's in.

Sending love to all who are missing off the thread and hope you pop in soon.

No not done the decs on the cake top yet and yes if it turns out ok I shall take a pic and show you like I usualy do. Iv'e got a bit ambitious this year so it may not work.

Its good the doc has put your mind at rest and was good he did all the tests and bloods at the same time. You feel safer when its all done and can get on with things without worrying too much.

I have just found a little program on at 10.45am called A Countryside Christmas and its quite enjoyable. Its on BBC 1 so you could see it on Iplayer.

That's good the doc checked you over Mandy and you must feel reassured and better now as you say. I have had those flutterings at times since I was aged 20 and the doc said the same to me, that they are nothing to worry about, even though it doesn't feel like that! It's when a few come together it's worse! Yes poor Ted is still waiting patiently for his jumper! It is all finished except for the last half of a sleeve as well. I changed the pattern to shorten the sleeves, but lost the note of what I did, so I need to count the rows and note where I reduced the stitches. Either that or forget that sleeve and start them again, knitting the two them together, which is what I should have done in the first place. :-D Thanks for mentioning the Sewing Bee......I've just recorded it. :-D

Have you decorated the top of your cake now Mel?