General Chat

Hello everyone,

Our first hot day for the month. The boys were having a swim this afternoon. I have been missing

in action for a few days. Sorry haven't got a hope of catching up on all your posts.

William I did enjoy your story about the tank and have pictured it in my mind's eye. I am very lucky to have missed the war years, but can appreciate growing up in the 1950's/60's and having a lot less, but appreciating what I did have even more. My father was always bringing home all sorts "off the back of a lorry". He was a lovable rogue and mum often talked of working in the munitions factory during the war times in Sydney.

I can remember my grandmother telling about a doll she got for Christmas when they lived in outback N.S.W. and how she cried when one of the brothers took it and melted it over a fire. How mean :-|

Hope Maureen is enjoying her time with the family.

To all you wonderful cooks on here, can you give hubby a tip for cooking the turkey so it doesn't dry out? We haven't had one for years and it's usually dry, so any help would be much appreciated.

Frank I hope you had a lovely birthday. The food sounded wonderful.

Jane the shops are staying open here too. It is madness, but I suppose the stragglers will appreciate last minute shopping.

I did read about Prince Charles, he has had some surgery (not very invasive). He did remarkably well on their tour out here. They both did and it was a gruelling schedule too.

All I want for Christmas is a new PM and change of government, not likely!!!!!

I will be back at midnight, so watch out for ME (no + or - ).

Bye for now. 8.04 pm DST

Evening Kim and Morning others,

Thanks for the pic of your tree Kim. It looks really lovely. I do hope your turkey is ok tomorrow. I usually cover mine in bacon after buttering it well. Sometimes I run my hand under the skin from the neck end and put soft butter under thae skin and press it across the breast. Pop a cut up lemon inside the cavity and only stuff the neck end so the heat can get in the other end.

Sun it in and out here today and I have heaps to do. Turkey out the freezer and mince pies and sausage rolls to make plus I may have to go out for a few bits and pieces.

Must take a pic of our little tree this year too and get the presents round the bottom. It is standing on my filing cabinet next to my desk. I have a small set of red berry lights round my pooter screen.

Evening Kim

Morning All

Raining and windy here, well I haven't much to catch up with OH did a bit of shopping this morning when he took daughter no 2 to work I was still fast asleep in bed.

I now have to hoover upstairs, then OH will do the stairs as I am not atempting to lift the hoover till after Christmas, Phisotheripest at the hospital said after my op that I was not to over strain my self till after the new Year and then I can go back to exercising.

Must gett on with the hoovering and have a shower.

BBL

Tis the season to be jolly Tra la la la la la la la la :-) :-)
My Turkey feels as solid as it was when I took it out of the freezer yesterday :-S :-S.
Lovely Tree Kim.Thanks for the pic.I must get one of mine .
Well I imagine Hannah and Sarah will be leaving London shortly so I had better just finish of the last bit of dusting and get some nibbles out.

It is quite chilly today so we have just lit the fire.I think it will be too warm tomorrow to have one.Remember what it was like this time last Christmas !!!

I need to make the starter for tomorrow but I think I'll do that a little later.
I'll be back soon.

Morning All Evening Kim

My Eldest son and family left about an hour ago..It was nice to spend christmas early with them and for them to have a fry up t.his morning,Other half doesnt do brekkie I only have cereals..Will be heading off soon to visit my youngest son and family for christmas..

All of you have a lovely christmas catch you laters..Here is alink the grandchildren were watching this morning on here this morning..They were tracking Santa lol..Hope it opens for you..

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track3d.html It takes time to open lol.




<3 <3

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track3d.html

Hi Jane Hope your turkey defrosts soon . :-(

Jane, Why not put the Turkey in a bath of COLD WATER, leave it a few hours, and you will find it defrosted. Dry it well inside and out before roasting.

Kim, I cook my Turkey, in a gravy about 1 inch deep. Lift the skin, and rub butter under, cover in stripes of bacon, and loosely cover with TIN FOIL. 20 minutes a pound and 20 minutes over. Take the Tin FOIL off for the last hopur to brown skin. The oven needs to be on about 160/180 degrees. I'm sure others will offer other surgestions, Also look on the WEB or a cook book. They all give different advise. A lemon and Onion up its back end helps with moisture and flavour. GOOD LUCK

I am beginning to sound like "FANNY CRADDOCK" this morning.

Lewis is getting a right little pain, so excited !!! He thinks today is going very sloooooow.

We all had a good lay in this morning, even I didn't wake till 9.30am.

I'm sitting here with a towel round me, We had a late bacon sarnie, and lewis wants smoked salmon for lunch. Little lord Fonteroy. Dind't know what smoked salmon was at his age.!!!

Have a great Christmas Pat with your family.

Here's another little story.

During the early 40is. We had a neighbour called MR Doubleday and very nice couple with a son a little old than me. He was a carpenter, and had a enormous work shed in his garden. I would spend many hours there watching him at his trade. Master with wood and tools. Unbeknown to me he build me a tiny wheelbarrow with a metal rim of tin round the wheel. He gave it to me for my birthday/christmas in 1943. I would sit in the "back room" as apossed to the "BEST ROOM the FRONT ROOM" spin the wheel round a cut odd pieces of wool and put them under the wheelbarrow. I would also walk to the local bus stop "THE WHITE HART"( you know it Mel)
with my wheelbarrow and meet my Dad from the No.10 bus. He always carried a small case with papers in . I would put it in MY barrow and walk it home. It was a good companion of mine. Together with my elder brother we would walk around looking for scrapnel, and load my little barrow from anything from shards of metal to ONLY ONCE a STAINLESS STEEL.NOSE CONE FROM A BOMB The envy of the kids all around the Bridge. That little barrow carried veg back from the allotments. sticks for the fire. Horse droppings from the trade horses. I never knew what happened to it. But what great memories.

Well it's 12.06 am, so Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!

Mel thanks for the turkey advice. I have shown OH the post. He has made a nice walnut stuffing, so will see how it turns out. Had a piece of his Christmas cake tonight and it was moist and rich. He did a good job.

Jane hope the turkey thaws out in time - don't panic!!!

Pat have a lovely time with the grandchildren and safe travelling.

Have a wonderful day with your families and best wishes from Australia.

Signing off for tonight :-) :-) :-) :-) 12.15 am DST

Frank did not see you there, snuck in whilst I was typing.

Thanks for the advice with the turkey. OH is asleep, but I will suggest it all to time before he starts cooking.

Best wishes to you and Ros and a great day tomorrow. xxx

Pat ,enjoy all the celebrations with your family.Safe journey to wherever it is you are going.Is it far?
I have just finished cleaning the glasses for tomorrow.No good having dust filled ones is there lol.Chris's job this afternoon is to polish up the cutlery.The ones that just come out on high days and holidays :-D

The girls have just arrived :-D :-D
Kim ,Sarah is from Sydney! Chester was very excited to see her again lol

Merry Australian Christmas to you and yours Kim. Seems a bit funny, being able to talk to each other like this, Years ago you had to "BOOK" your Telephone call to talk to Aus. New Zealand USA etc. Technology gone mad. Oh, what a lot has happened in out life time. and I am sure when our grandchildren get to our age, they will be relating stories of technology to their grandchildren.

Just rang Harvey, to see if he wants us to bring anything down this evening, From what he says, we will have enough food for at least a week and we are only down there for Christmas and Boxing day.!!!

Lewis is tucking into his Salmon sandwiches and playing on his DS.

Conrad, is on his way down to Torquay till Thursday. Then we will go up Saturday for New year and come back Tues/Wed. I think Jan is bringing back her G'Daughter Ella, and taking her back on the Tuesday after New Year. Ros will go will her for the ride and to keep her company. Conrad and I will just bum about for the day.

Forgot to tell you, Conrad and Jan got me two CDs full of over 800 books to go on my reader. Some are fairly new books that are just released. When he has them all loaded, on my Sony, if anyone would like to borrow them to load on your readers, let me know, I will send them on after Christmas.

Merry Christmas Kim to you and all your family, have a lovely time.

Have a great time Pat with your family . Merry Christmas for tomorrow.

OH and I just having a lazy afternoon, dozing just us to till about 5.30 when OH picks daughter no 2 up from work and her and boyfriend come for dinner,
Then relax till about 10 pm then get ready to go to church for the watchnight service at 11.00pm.


Daughter no 1 is working tomorrow from 6.30am till 10.00am, then she and her family will be down after lunch so we will have to wait till they come before we can open our presents together,

Jane have a great time with your family.

Afternoon Folks,

Well, it's hello from the sick bay really!! OH has been and bought lemon and honey for me and Bee*hams. He's done all the veg ready and I have done the gammon and sausage rolls, but he's eaten about 15 rolls already, so more will be going in the oven soon. The turkey is in the fridge in its tin with bacon strips and foil on ready and the bread sauce is made so I can take it easy for a while now. They say cooking a turkey breast down for most of the time keeps it moist, but I don't suppose the bacon strips would stay put!! lol

Hope you have a lovely time Pat.......at least this year there is no snow problem for travellers.

It's nice to be all festive where your desk is Mel.......or around your 'centre of operations' as OH said!!! lol I have nothing in here where the pooter is, so will have a rummage in the tinsel box to see what I can find.

I wonder if Prince Philip will be allowed out of hospital to join the Queen. I haven't seen the latest news, just that he has had a stent fitted to clear a blockage and that he may be out for Boxing Day. Apparently he is keen to leave hospital!!

Afternoon everyone and Happy Christmas Kim :-) :-)

Pat have a lovely Christmas with your family :-) :-)

Been busy cooking this morning ,and doing bits ready to take to sons tomorrow , now having a lazy afternoon .

We're having the rest of the beef for tea with bubble and squeak !! nice and easy !!

Been a lot cooler here today but at least it's dry .
Time for a cuppa
BBL

MERRY XMAS TO YOU KIM AND FAMILY :-)

AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY MERRY XMAS
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR ''BIRD'' JANE

HAVE MY SON AND GRANDSONS BEFORE LUNCH AND MY MONSTERS IN AFTERNOON AS THEIR ALL WORKING SO TAKE THEM WHEN I CAN.

HO HO HO :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Hi Folks, my last post before Santa comes. I had little sleep last night due to a gippy tummy, how ironic when most people seem to be giving me presents of food of one kind or another. I'm taking every remedy ancient and modern so I'm fit to eat a proper festive meal tomorrow.

Just wanted to make sure that I wish you ALL

A V E R Y H A P P Y C H R I S T M A S

Oh yes,

:-) :-) :-)Merry Xmas to you and yours Kim :-) :-) :-). It seems strange to think how hot it is where you are!! Mean boys melting your grandmother's dolly!!! I bet it was made of celuloid. I had dolls made of that and if you pressed too hard on it it would dimple and be hard to flip out again. Can I see a pic of your tree please?

Fiona, will you be able to eat the full range of Christmas food or will you still steer clear of some things for a while? What work does your daughter do if she works on Christmas Day? At least she will be done early.

That's horrid getting that at Christmas, William, at least I just have a 'throat and a cough'! I hope it soon wears off so you can enjoy your meal tomorrow.

:-) A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO :-)

Please tell us some more of your memories when you have time.

Thank you for your card Sheila.

Turkey sat in cold water now (thanks Frank).Still keeping everything crossed :-S.If it is not defrosted in the morning I do have a small Turkey crown in the fridge and some lovely roast beef already cooked in gravy(in the freezer) but can defrost if needs be.
My starter that I have just cooked is now in the bin :-S Lord knows what I'll do now.Maybe just have extra pudding or something (Ha Ha)!

Oh Ann,I hope you feel better in the morning.I think you can blame OH for this :-S.I remember last year I had just got over a horrible cold and had the most dreadful barking cough !

I'm sure we will all have a good day tomorrow with whoever we are with and wherever we are
I bet Kim is now fast asleep and waiting for Santa to call.

I saw Pats link think to tracking Santa..How clever !