General Chat

I'm pleased she's home now Gill and on the stronger pain killers which should give her more relief. give her my love and tell her I hope she feels better soon. She may have just twisted it when she got out of bed or something silly like that. Did she enjoy the cake she made? <3 <3 <3

I'm still awake so thought I'd see if Sandra was home yet and Hooray she is.?? Hopefully she will have a good night's sleep now with the stronger painkillers. She will just have to be careful not to aggravate it now till it has healed and enjoy her presents to take her mind off it.

Morning all

Sorry to see you were still awake so late Ann, I hope you managed some sleep in the end and wasn't awake all night.

Sandra has just had some more pain killers, it's still as sore as yesterday but I'm sure in time it'll start feeling better. She's adding some jewels to her jewellery box we bought her. It's a Jewellery box with pictures on that you stick the jewels to, but unfortunately the bigger ones need the double sided sticky tape which we're having problems getting off the paper either side of it. I managed to get some of it off on a long strip along the edge last night but the rest are small squares that are impossible to do, so I'm going to buy some double sided sticky tape on a roll which hopefully will work. The box is looking very sparkly now and she loves it. The next thing she wants to do is colour the flowers on a flower light kit we bought her. You colour the flowers and attach them to a string of fairy lights. She's very pleased with everything she got this year and like you said Ann all the presents are taking her mind off her sore knee.

I've got a pile of washing to do today so that'll keep me busy for a while and I'm going to run a warm bath for Sandra, that should help relax her and hopefully ease the pain she is in. At least she can walk so that's something good, but she said it hurts when she goes down the step to the kitchen so she's not doing that for the moment. I've been bringing her things to save her walking around so much so she's being treated like a queen now ;-) ;-) ;-)

Sandra's just come up with a good idea, there are butterflies on the box but no butterfly jewels so she's using her butterfly stickers and it looks really good. What a clever idea <3

I've just helped Sandra finish her Jewellery box, she used the Jewel stickers Mel gave her for Christmas and they blended in nicely with the Jewels that came with the kit. She's now put her jewellery in the box and it's in her bedroom. I'm going to run a bath for her now, then she's going to make a start on the flower fairy lights.

Morning Ann Gill and All,

Its sunny here again today but the sky is not as clear as it was yesterday but its dry and thats the main thing.

Gill a word of advice about those jewels, its best to stick them on with a bit f good glue as they tend to fall off after a while. I have done that with the jewels I used like I sent to Sandra. I used them on the smudge fans but they fell off so were stuck with uhu by using a cocktail stick.

Hope she feels a bit better today but she has her presnt to paint and make so that should take her mind off it a bit.

Had a long lie in this morning.

Must get on and find some homes for my presents I had yesterday. I want to clear a space on the bookcase behind the chimbey breast so I can get more of my plastic boxes on it.

I shall need one of the boxes for my immitation gold, silver and bronze leaf he bought me but I don't think the size bottle will fit in the box.

Morning All

Oh Gill I am sorry to see that poor Sandra had to visit A&E yesterday.But relieved to see she is home .Thank goodness her knee is only sprained and nothing worse which you were worried about. She sounds like she is very busy with all her presents :-D I hope that the strong painkillers will help relief her painful knee.

Well yesterdays Xmas dinner was a huge success :-D even though it was later than planned !!!!. I think we actually sat down at 5.30 rather than 2.30 LOL I managed to eat a tiny bit of Turkey , 3 roast potatoes ,some cauliflower cheese and a little carrot and parsnip.So I was really chuffed with that :-D :-D

At 1 Janice Larry Matthew Kelsey(Janice's son and DIL) and Gareths parents will be here for lunch.I just hope everyone is really hungry !!!!!!. They could go home with doggy bags :-D :-DIt is a miserable morning here but it looks so pretty in here with the christmas lights ,tree and log fire.

Have a nice day everyone :-D

If the jewels come off Mel, I'll stick them back on with some glue. I'll have to buy some though as the bit I've got in has gone solid and I can't get the lid off. Half your luck with the sunshine, we've got rain, that fine stuff that soaks you through.

OH has just had to brush up outside as a male Blackbird was happily poking at the grass and depositing it on the patio, right where the rain flows to the grid, so that's all cleared up now so the grid won't be blocked. Sandra and I laughed as a female Blackbird flew to the male one as if to tell him off and that's when he stopped and flew away.

I'm pleased to see you managed some Christmas dinner Jane, I know that's what you wanted. It sounds like you're going to have a lodge full this afternoon lol :-D :-D
It sounds very pretty with the Christmas lights, tree and log fire, just what you need to feel all Christmasy.

The bath is run so Sandra is going to have a soak now, her knee is starting to feel less painful now the stronger pain killers have kicked in and she's resting it. The bath will also help.

I'll be spending the afternoon getting through all the washing, we had almost ran out of tea towels because I didn't wash anything yesterday or the day before, so now it's all mounting up and has to be done.........happy days ;-) ;-) ;-)

Oh I meant to say Mel, I have visions of you shoving your things up the chimney. I can't seem to visualise what you mean by putting things behind the chimney breast. :-S :-S :-S Do you have a fire that shows in two different rooms, so the chimney is in the middle?? Hope you find homes for all your presents. Mine are still in a plastic box on the spare bed, so I'll have to find place for them, like you.

Like you Gill it is now raining and the Boxing Day Shoot has just this minuet started.

We have a big square chimney breast in the lounge and you can walk behind it and thats where the big book shelves are.

Afternoon all a very wet day here after the lovely sun of yesterday. We went to see Inara’s house about two miles down the road inara was a lot calmer today and happily showed off her chickens free range in the garden all ex barn birds.

We had to get back for lunch to see Out teo step grandaughters. Who were here for lunch.

Gill hope Sandras knee improves soon.

Mel sounds like you hsd some good presents.

Jane I am so pleased that you could eat so much well done and also pleased you have enjoyed your Christmas :-) :-)

I didn't think you liked cauliflower cheese with Lunch Jane, but the sauce may have helped you eat it which is good. :-) I hope your guests ate light yesterday as we could only face a bowl of soup for lunch today, although the turkey and ham will be making an appearance in sandwiches later. OH is at a footie match now and we did plan to go to the Boundary Mill sales for when they opened at 10.00am this morning, but were too tired to be up early enough and had a lie in instead like Mel! I may go next week as we are meeting up for beading in the morning and then we are collecting my new glasses in Nuneaton later.

I think it's only at Christmas that I miss a nice glass of chilled white wine. I always put a very small glass in the gravy for Christmas lunch as the heat burns the alcohol off and we like the flavour it adds. I was tempted to add some to my glass of alcohol free Schloer yesterday, but a quick google confirmed that doctors don't recommend alcohol with beta blockers. :-S It lowers blood pressure which beta blockers also do and my blood pressure and heart rate are already at the low end and I don't want to risk dizziness and fainting!! :-0 Schloer on it's own at least has the grape taste. :-)

I was recommended and have used Gorilla glue for sticking my pearl earrings to the posts Gill and they have never come off despite wearing them most days. Most places sell the little tubes of it if you wanted to try it. There's no mixing to do, just squeeze from the tube, but it sets quite quickly.The box sounds like it will be pretty when she's finished it and is a good distraction from pain with her knee. She could try going down the step like I do when my worst knee plays up. Bend the good knee to go up the step keeping the bad knee straight as she steps up. Going down the step stand sideways with the bad knee kept straight and gently lowered down the step sideways by bending the good knee. She could steady herself with her hand on the door frame if it helps. She will find it won't hurt doing it this way. :-)

I need some taller boxes for some of my things Mel, so I can stand bottles upright. Is the metal leaf stuff the sort you stipple on with a brush? I went through a shelf in my wardrobe while I was looking for something earlier and have started a bag for the charity shop!

Now I'm having another go at my jigsaw which isn't easy as it is all dark fir trees round the edge and the pieces all look the same, especially in artificial light!

Ann I use the Deep A4 plastic boxes for lots of thing and he bought me 4 new ones in total. Todaty I have had a spare speaker for my little cd player, and mould to make dragon skin some super duper glue the crafters use but it really stinks as I could smell it when I took the two bottles out of the plastic bag, A book on Chirstmas pom poms a whole load of small ordinary batteries and a huge box of acrylic metalic paints I think there are 36 colours in all.

Guess what I have now lost yet another present of oh's so thats three now.

Hope Jane has had a nice day today with all the family. Its so nice to see her pop in and send us pictures.

How is Sandra now Gill?

Oh I see what you mean about your chimney now Mel. Sandra's had a bit of a reaction to the stronger tablets Mel so felt a bit sick earlier. We've decided to give her one tablet instead of two and see how she goes as we don't want her to stop taking them altogether. I can't take the tablets she's on, not even one, so we think she might be like me but not quite as bad. Hopefully reducing the dosage she'll be okay and still have some pain relief. The bath earlier really helped so she'll be having one or two a day if needed. I think she's more relaxed in a bath. The doctor said it could take up to six weeks for her knee to heal so anything that helps we'll do for her. She had a bit of a shock today when she was in the bath and called me, she has a black mark on her other leg which we think is a bit of a burst vessel where she's possibly knocked herself, she said it's a bit sore but the skin isn't broken so we'll keep an eye on it just to make sure. I think seeing it gave her a bit of a shock, but apart from that she's okay. She said the pain isn't as bad in her knee now so the pain killers must be in her system and working for her, which is good.

Thanks for the advice on how to get up and down the step Ann. I remember someone telling me that you use your good leg to up to heaven and bad leg to go down to hell which is the way you described it, but in a different way, so I worked out what you meant and have tried to explain it to Sandra, she got a bit confused but I think if she stops and thinks about it she gets it right. She just needs to remember to go up on her good leg (good means heaven) and down on her bad leg (bad means hell) She's resting it a lot but is having small walks around every now and then, so it doesn't go stiff. It's just a point of finding what comfortable for her at the moment.

We're all really tired as she had to have her last pain killer at midnight last night so we've not had much sleep and Sandra even less with not sleeping properly the night before as well. We were all up early again this morning so we're going to have an early night tonight as she took a pain killer an hour ago so isn't due another one until the early hours of the morning when, hopefully she'll be asleep, then she can have another one before 9am in the morning to help with the pain tomorrow, if we can keep to that time then she can go to bed anytime she wants after 9pm at night.

We're just watching the end of "For the love of dogs" I recorded then we'll be heading off to bed. See you all tomorrow
Night Night

You had some nice gifts today Mel and the dragon scale mould will be good for your makes and the lovely paints too. I decided in the end that the present I couldn't find of OH's never arrived so have let the Amazon seller know.

I've tidied up some more of my craft stuff today and connected up a longer extension for the printer so the plug is on the worktop rather than under the desk in the corner. We have a weird printer that often won't switch back on if it has been off for a while until we pull the plug out and push it back in again. Scrambling on the floor under the desk to do it is becoming no joke,so OH was well pleased with me doing that. It means the cable is out of the way under desk too for when I get under there to make room for my trolley box.

I'm taking a bracelet I started ages ago to do more of tomorrow......that is unless we are practising our crochet!! :-)

Getting up just to walk around the room a couple of times every half hour will help and reduce any stiffness like you say Gill. I hope having just the one tablet works better for her and will still help with the pain.

I'm off to bed now, and OH has already gone. xx

Morning All
I hope Sandra slept well last night Gill and that her knee is not so painful today. Yes it is up to heaven and down to hell. Good leg up first and bad leg first going down :-D

We are all up now.Just having a cuppa before clearing the decks and emptying the fridge and having to leave here by 10. It is early to leave but there are other people arriving this afternoon so we couldnt get an extension.You should see the amount of bin bags we have filled !!!!!!!!. The big wheelie bin is full.Heaven knows when the bin men come. There is no more room .Loads of recycling stuff too like cans and bottles.

Yesterday was lovely with everyone here.We did a huge spread and still have too much food to take home. Janice even took a big bag of food for her daughter.

Ann you are right I don't normally like Cauliflower Cheese with a roast but H&G had bought it . I did actually love it and it was so easy to get down. It was a M&S one.

Mel I can't believe you have lost yet another of OH's pressies. Did he actually get any :-D :-D

I better get a wiggle on . Things to do.We shall be home by lunch time. Hannah is coming to stay with us for a few days and will travel back with James.But they are going to Gloucester Keys? first to do some shopping (is that right AnnG?)

Oh yes we had the Boxing Day Hunt pass outside the cottage yesterday.

Morning Jane and all,

Dull and dreary here today and wet too. So dark in fact I need the kitchen light on.

It sounds like you had a wonderful time at the cottge Jane. Shame you could'nt get an extension. Do you think you may book it again in the summer?

I decided I must have bought the more usful present for oh of a box of all different sized hooks and eyes instead of the one with the picture hanging things in. He was delighted with the hooks so thats good. Still not found the other two though. He's had in total four bottles off gin. three bottles and my litre. Three mini tool sets two mini bottles of gin with tonics four wood clamps and 5 small ones, a mobile battery charger for phones or tablets, a box of choccy biscuits, gin truffles and cream truffles, a mini moon light, a set of three set squares, a set of four rachet ties, a can of air dust for the pc, a box of mixed washers and a tin of Jaffa cakes and more that I can't recall at the moment.

I can't begin to tell you what he bought me as it would take all day but its mostly craft stuff and choccies. I have a box of Mon Cheri which i hav'nt had for years in fact I did'nt know they still made them. four boxes of choc brzils because he mistakenly pressed the button twice!!! That made me laugh. A pointed box of ferrero Rochet. four plastic boxes to keep my craft stuff in two books one on Christmas pom poms and the other just animal pom poms a hand warmer chargable and two huge lots of batteries in two sizes a rechargable lighter thats very posh indeed in gold turq and pink. Bottles of Jamesons whiskey and more that I can't remember. I have done really really well this year.

Hope our little Sandra feel a lot better this morning so please give her my love Gill and we are all thinking of her wishing her well. <3 <3 xx

Gloucester Quays Jane, outlet shopping we go there often, not bad shopping but parking may be difficult because of the sales, still the multi storey will probably be ok if they are not too late. Follow the brown signs off the Byepass first travelling as if going to Ross on Wye. Hope that makes sense.

Afternoon all

Dull and damp here today,

I've decided to take some Penstemon cuttings to make some more plants for Sandra. At the moment I'm warming up a pot of compost by the radiator before taking the cuttings and planting them up. I'm then going to put them in our bedroom as the two plants I put in there for the Christmas season have started showing signs of new growth, so if they are pleased with the extra light and warmth I'm sure the cutting will do just fine in there. The Penstemon will have pink flowers on them so Sandra is looking forward to seeing them, although they may not flower for the first year, so she'll have to be patient.

I run another bath for Sandra earlier and added some bubble bath that she got off her friend for Christmas, an orange scented one , so the bungalow smells all orangey now lol :-D :-D she said the baths are helping and even though she's now on one tablet every six hours that seems to be helping to, so we're on the right track as she's not feeling sick anymore,which is good.

Pleased to see you had a lovely time away Jane, I hope the journey home is a good one and the weather is okay, the last thing you want is to travel in wet weather. It's good the Cauliflower cheese didn't upset you and that you enjoyed it. I must admit I don't think I'd like it with a roast, but like you I've never tried it so you never know do you? I wonder how the next people are going to cope if the bins are full, I don't think I'd like to go away and not have anywhere to put the rubbish. Let's hope the owners have a system for changing the bins, they may have another couple that are empty that they can swap for the full ones, with it being a holiday let. At least you had somewhere to throw your rubbish away.
I like the photo's you sent, it looks like a lovely place. That's the way I was thinking of Mel's fireplace being in between two rooms, when she said she was putting her things behind the chimney breast. It looks a nice cosy place with the log burner and looked a good size for you all too.

I hope Frank is having a nice time away, it does seem strange not seeing him on here, I guess there wasn't enough room for him to take his PC with him. Does anyone know when he's back home?

Did Vera say she was going away, I can't remember if she was or not? :-S :-S :-S

Pleased to hear Inara was a bit calmer after her excitement of Christmas AnnG, how lovely to have some birds to look after. How old is she? Sorry if you've already said.

You and your OH had a lot of lovely presents Mel, pity you can't find a few of them you bought for him, maybe you'll find them in a few weeks and he can have them then. I remember Sandra opening her presents years ago and left one in the bag, a gold ring, which I found about six months later, she was chuffed to have another present in the summertime. Luckily I was sorting out my wardrobe which is why I came across it, she was lucky we keep the bags the presents go in and re-use them each year, otherwise it could of easily been thrown away. She's still wearing the ring now.

I've heard of Gorilla glue Ann and believe it's very good. I like the idea of it being in a tube, if it's anything like the duck tape, that's really strong and when I first used it joked with OH that it could take your fingerprints off it was that good lol ;-) ;-) ;-) Good idea to put a longer extension lead in, especially if you need to unplug and plug the printer in all the time, like you said it's easier to get to now and also gives you the room you need for your trolley box. Did you do your crocheting today, how are you getting on with it, have you mastered how to hold the hook yet? Is your bracelet finished now?

I've been helping Sandra with all her things so haven't had any time to look at my craft kits yet. Today I'm helping Sandra do her light up flowers. She needs to colour the paper flowers first then I'll help her assemble it together and she can have the lights in her bedroom, if we can find some space. She's decided to keep the wreath Ann made her up on her wall all year around as it's so pretty she doesn't want it to be taken down. It looks really nice in her bedroom and fits in with all the other pink things, it's the perfect colour match to the Flamingo cushion cover Mel gave her to, which is now on her bed. She loves everything everyone has given her and said you are all so kind....bless her. <3