General Chat

we have sunshine too and my windows are filthy but will remain like that as I can not clean them and OH has other jobs to do at the moment,

goodness Jane what a story about that little boy, if it had been my grandchild that was lost , daughter no 1 would never have heard the end of it.

Just set the table for dinner, we will have 8 again for dinner like we had on Christmas day, 7 of us plus Son in laws mother, she went back to Italy on the 30th now we have OH mother she goes home tomorrow.

OH shouts kettles on for a brew, better go.

I see you are making good use of your dining room Fiona! That's quite a gathering you have again today.

We are having Barnsley lamb chops later, with more pigs in blankets and stuffing out of the freezer!! Cabbage, broc, peas and more roast pots, then there are still a few goodies to finish off after. I must say it is nice to open the fridge again without the smell of turkey hitting you!! lol.

It was lucky you spotted that little tot Jane! I climbed out of the front window and squeezed under the front gate when I was 2-3. Mum found me on her way home.......she'd left me with dad and he'd fallen asleep in the chair! I think Frank is right about those little sets of reins being good. My sister and brother both had them, they had fleece backing on the pad and straps and lots of jingly bells. Some people seem to to not like them, but little ones hate holding up their hands to hold yours for long and it gives them more freedom and you know they are always close by.....handy for stopping them fall over too.

Mel, I bet you couldn't believe your eyes when you saw those daffs......Spring seems to get earlier every year. I'll be looking for my snowdrops now, but they were moved last year and I can't remember where I planted them!:-S :-S

I am writing a 'to do' list of all the things I need to get on with and as soon as OH knew what I was doing he started adding to it for me......sewing his holey pockets, stuff like that. I've told him I'm doing his 'to do' list for him next......that steadied him down :-D :-D

Have sent you all a pic of Deer that Chris took this morning.

It was lovely seeing everyone out and about in the sunshine earlier.Families with the children on their new bikes ,scooters and dolls prams heading for Wicksteed Park.Couples out for strolls with hats and scarves....There was me dashing into Sainsb**** in my flip flop sandals and short sleeves lol.People probably thought I was barking :-S.No comment Frank :-P

Oh dear I just had a call from Janice.Her daughters MIL has just passed away.She was only 55.So Janice and Larry have just collected Finn and Amelia as Will and Rachel are now on their way to Clipston(Market Harborough).Not a Happy New year for poor Will :-(...I have said to Janice that if they need to stay overnight to tell them to come to us.

I think I need to put a warmer top on now.'tis a bit nippy

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 A very happy new year to all my wonderful friends on here <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I stayed up until 1.30am last night !!!!!!!!!!! Daughter managed to stay awake for the last dong of Big Ben so it was just S-i-l and me, ended up watching John Bishop and he was really funny. Not so much stand up jokes more observational humour, only trouble is I'd forgotten little ones don't care it's new years day, they are still up with the lark. Early night tonight I think.

I wished I'd had my Auld Lang Syne tea towel with me then I could have sung the whole thing through word for word Shirl ;-) The fireworks were fantastic but I think I'm turning into my mother when I said ........... and whose paying for this lot ...........

I got your e.mail Jane, very talented nephew, couldn't make out the deer in the other photo though, perhaps I need my glasses on.

Reins for children are not really in fashion but my daughter uses them for Harry. I really feel for the mum of that little boy Ann, you only have to look away for a few seconds.

Do you not have anyone you can talk your problems through with David, sometimes when you say things out loud it makes things clearer, even talking out loud to yourself.

Well, I'm home alone now .........apart from the cats ............. I bet they think oh gawd she's off again everytime I go out the door, or they see all the extra bowls being filled.

Have a lovely day with your family Mandy, I have enjoyed spending time with all of mine but it is nice to come home and close the door and just please myself ..........shall I have dinner or shall I just pour myself another R & C.

Kim, hope the new year finds your health improving and yours too Fiona. <3 <3 <3

What's Barnsley Chops Ann?I too have more flipping pigs in Blankets and stuffing things.Plus this Turkey .I will be glad to see the back of turkey.I won't eat it again until next Christmas.James does like it so I sometimes by a small joint in a foil dish for him.
I know what you mean about turkey smell in the fridge :-S :-S
I had to have help working out how long to cook this bit of turkey.I read the instruction and it said so many minutes per pound etc ,but the weight was printed in Kilo !!!!! just to confuse me.I think we have got it sussed now. :-D :-D

Maureen I have sent you a slightly different pic..You might spot the Deer easier lolol

I too love John Bishop,but didn't see him last night.I did watch some of Jules Holland.'
Where is good old Andy Stewart???? 'Donald where's yoor troosers' (sorry about spelling there lol)

Hi folks, hope you are having a better New Years Day than us. We seem to have gremlins in the house! Carmel bought me a new desk diary, page to a day for 2013, as I write one up every night. Today she went to give it me and it seems to have done a disappearing trick! I was with her when she bought it in our card/paper et al shop. They put it in a white paper bag and that's the last either of us can remember of it. I've popped in today and asked if we left it behind but no luck there.
That's not the only thing to have gone missing. Our granddaughter was 30 in December and we received a joint birthday invite from her & her husband for a party in February, a fancy dress affair. Carmel put it somewhere safe, it's so safe, we now can't find it at all???? :-S I've had a word with my little statue of St Anthony, patron saint of lost things, and so far he's having no luck either. I think there must be a 'black hole' in this house!!! I'll keep you posted as to if and when they turn up.

You know by now that I absolutely love kids, very paternal as they say. But I've had occasion to see kids wandering off - or parents not taking as much care of them as I would wish them to. As you say, in this day and age you feel that it would be unwise to interfere in case it all gets misread. I sometimes think I'm more concerned about little ones getting lost or coming to some harm than their parents are. When I think of how we used to play out without anyone having to worry when I was young, the world has changed into such a dark place these days. Some of these children who disappear, like little Maddie for one, we never hear what happened to them and never will. I think that's worse than if they came to a tragic end. At least there woulkd be some closure, even if it was unbearable.
Ah, well mustn't let 2013 become too morbid. So changing the subject to food may cheer us all up. Or not if you don't fancy our meal for this evening. We are dumbing down and having fish cakes with chips followed by apple pie with cream. We still haven't cut into the Christmas cake our daughter made for us yet!

C Y A L

He's probably dead Jane :-0

My daughters love pigs in blankets, in fact eldest was giving everyone a 'don't take too many' look Christmas day, I didn't have any, don't like sausages or bacon much .............so fussy ..................

Who was it that used to get excited om Derby Day and shout Iv'e gotta horse.

My coal man has one,the rag and bone man had one.

LOL William .It's never a good idea to put anything 'somewhere safe'.Chris finally found the earphones that we bought for James for Xmas.....they will now be for his birthday on the 9th :-D :-D.I think we all have so much around the house at Christmas time it is not surprising we loose things.

David are you talking about the man who wears weird hats (John Maccormack) or something like that??.I call him the racing man
Does your coal man still actually have a horse????.Ours still has sacks but they are on a flat bed lorry.

No Jane,this was a larger than life coloured guy who was eassentially a tipster.

He used to go through a ritual to pick winner casting runes on the floor etc.

Prince Honolulu or Hashimoto or some one like that.

This was when you were a school girl.

Never seen a rag and bone man in donkeys years and the coal man drives a lorry.

Talking about coal men Jane.
When MIL was in care home about 9 years ago there was another in patient who when she was much younger has been a coal merchant.
Lived in Gosfotrth,the wealthy part of Newcastle.

David, you are thinking of Prince Monaluloo (not sure about the spelling). I saw him on the Underground when I was a boy and I we were off somewhere in London. You couldn't miis him, he was enormous.

Was it Prince Monolulu David? He was a coloured man that wore Ostrich feathers.

Jane, I think you may have been thinking of John McCririck who wore deerstalkers and had mutton chops and NO CHARM whatsoever!! I think he called his wife 'Booby'.

Got the pic of the deer. :-D I have never seen them in farmer's fields like that.

David, I just found him on Wikipaedia. He was David Carl MacKay, born West Indies 1881 and died in the East End 1965. He was known as Prince Monolulu, I nearly got it. It's a good article, worth a read.

Well I am stuffed now.I think I enjoyed this bit of Turkey even more than the one on Christmas day :-D
Now it is time for Miranda and then Mrs Browns Boys (if I can stay awake)

I had a wonderful blast of music earlier.Jess gave me a CD of The Who for Xmas.Oh the memories :-D :-D Just brilliant :-D
Night Night all x

Hi all have been busy in the kitchen. Made 29 sausage rolls and roasted a joint of beef and a joint of lamb plus all the things that go with a turkey dinner like pigs in blankets and stuffing balls.

Just going to watch Robin Hood premier which is just starting.

Will have a look for the pic of the deer.

Barnsley chops are double lamb chops Jane. They don't chop the carcas in half so you get a slice right through having a chop either side of the backbone.

Thanks William,Prind Momolulu wearing feathers.
Wonder if he made a decent living from selling tips?

That's it Mel, very nice they were too....from the farm shop. I must keep rooting in the freezer and see what there is and use it up. One of my resolutions this year is to waste less......oh and for my waist to be less. lol.

I have to nip out for a blood test first thing tomorrow ........I bet the surgery will be busy after the holiday. What I do then depends on how heavy the rain is. I'm probably best staying out looking for a few bargains while OH assembles the bookcases . :-, I couldn't believe it on New Year's eve, the garden centre just down the road had a few Christmas decs on a table at half price, but was packing all the rest away already!! They used to still be selling them off till February once.

Evening All,

Got home about 9.45 pm. TRhe house is like a FURNACE.I am sitting in my U/pants and slippers with a nice cold beer.

We had a great day with the family. Jo and Ellaq went back to Torquay this morning, so we didn't have to put up with Ella's noise and demands.

Harvey did a BEEF WELLINGTON for dinner one half with Pate the other with a french cheese. It was so large it filled a massive serving plate. If it cost £100.00 I wouldn't be over the top. All the veg in terines, Roast pots and Parsnips. Various wines, and fruit juices.. Ros made a Triffle to take down, there was olso various other sweets, followed by cheese and biscuits. That was about 3.30 pm. Then about 8.00pm out came a selection of various nibbles hot and cold. Salad and loards more Cheese. Talk about being stuffed, I still can hardly move.

Ros ate a good dinner today, also some supper (tea) Plus Harvey has sent home some fillet steak frrom the Wellington, which will be enought for dinner tomorrow.

I'm glad to see you all had an enjoyable 1st Jan 2013.

Will, it looks like the gremlins have moved from our house to yours. Still can't find the other slippers :-D :-D :-D

Good to hear your back home safe and sound and full bellied Frank.

Well that was certainly a different Robin Hood from others I have seen. I still quite enjoyed it though. Did anyone else see it??

Off now so see you all in the morning..........zzzzzzzzzzz