General Chat

Merry Christmas to you all. Good morning, a very frosty start to the day but it does look Christmassy out there. Hope you all have lots of lovely pressies. and wonderful food (and drink of course).

Morning and all,

HE'S BEEN.

No where near as frosty as they said it would be but the bird baths frozen and some buckets of water around the garden.

<3 <3 <3 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE <3 <3 <3

We had a frosty morning it looked very pretty, the sun's out now but it's very cold.

Hope you all have a lovely day and Santa was nice to you.

Mrrry zchristmas Gill, I bet Sandra is happy opening all her presents <3 <3

A Merry Christmas morning to you all,

No frost here either, but the sun is shining now and is much better than the days of 'drear' we have had recently.

<3 <3Thanks to you all for being such good friends through this very unusual year and let's enjoy our tasty lunches/dinners today and relax!<3 <3 I bet young Lewis has been wanting to ride his new bike outside!

After noticing him mention cards he had had from people, a fortnight ago I sent a Christmas card to Terry, the piano man who played happy birthday for me on his youtube livestream in July. I have been watching his pub piano quest and church piano quest since last year before he started his livestream in lockdown. His signature is wearing red socks which he used to send to the winners of his 'name that tune' competitions he did. He had a pile of new red socks given to him by a pianist friend. After thanking him for the entertainment he has given us this year I said that if any of the red socks were still needing a home.....and just put my address. It was a bit tongue in cheek as he is so busy now with contacts all over the world. I never expected anything. Well a couple of days ago a packet arrived that I thought must be something I ordered. I opened it last night and a pair of red socks fell out, one signed by Terry and one signed by his 16 year old daughter Elsie who operates the camera and sometimes sings with her dad. Not only that there was a Christmas Card and also a signed photo of each of them! Isn't that nice that they took the trouble!

Aawe that was nice of him Ann something different.
Just off to serve up my lunch now. Do miss the smell of turkey though.

I remember my Nans brother Uncle Sid, showing me how to wrap presents, l keep telling Vic and he's fed up hearing it now, so you can all hear it instead... :) XX Have a wonderful day everyone..xx

Merry Christmas Jude.

That was nice of Terry and his daughter Ann.

Sandra had fun opening all her presents and is now texting her friends.

OH spoke with his mum earlier, she's home now but has had to have her bed moved down stairs as she's now blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, so it's safer for her to be on one level. OH is hoping to visit her after he's had his second dose of the vaccine, he has to wait a week after the injection so he's covered from the virus, so providing we're not in lockdown or tier 4 he should be able to visit her. He has only seen her once in over a year. His mum has also had the vaccine so they should be able to meet up once they're both covered, providing it's not breaking any of the Covid rules. He's not so worried about her now, so it's nice to see him more relaxed. He's gone to bed for a couple of hours as he's on night's tonight and again tomorrow night.

Going to watch the Christmas bake off now. Enjoy the rest of your Christmas day everyone <3

I'm glad OH's mum is at home now Gill. It will be easier for him to keep in touch with her at home. I know she had a bleed that has caused the blindness, but do they know what caused the bleed? I seem to remember her having her cataracts done a while ago. I hope it's not to do with having those done. I bet Sandra was up early to open her presents, Has she learned enough to be able to manage on her own now do you think?

Hi Jude, hope you are having a nice time too.

We didn't get much of the lovely Turkey smell this year AnnG. I don't know if it's because it was a frozen one or because I added water to the pan like it said. I had to cook it much longer than it said too as it is harder to tell when a crown is cooked with no legs to waggle and test! It wasn't as nice as the fresh ones we've had, but the second one I got that's in the freezer looks like a better one. Your duck lunch sounded very nice and a pud to follow too.

I've just been looking at the wildlife camera. I never thought about it needing batteries so better order some

We never did find out what caused the bleed behind OH's mum's eye Ann, maybe in time he'll find out but his sibling's haven't been in touch, he only knows what his mum has told him, which isn't much. At least she's home now and hopefully they'll be able to meet soon once they've both had their second dose of the vaccine, that is if we're not in lockdown or a tier that prevents them from meeting, but at least they can talk on the phone now which is good.

Yes, Sandra has learnt a lot so should be okay when she gets her flat, although she does spend most of her time on her phone, so whether she'll do half the housework is anyone's guess lol. I'm sure she'll soon realise if she doesn't do the housework it won't go away as they'll be no one there to do it for her, so she'll have to do it herself. She'll need a bit of help with form filling and finances but her social worker said to ring him if she needs help with anything and she can always ring OH and I if she needs us.

She's chatting on her phone at the moment and OH is still in bed with working night's tonight, so I might see what's on TV to watch.

Ann I was a bit upset with our turkey crown too. As you said no nice turkey smell filling the kitchen and I even covere mine in streaky bacon. The meat was tough but it may be better cold. I shan't be having another one of those. I miss Morrisons fresh turkey crown. There was'nt even the lovely juices you get with a fresh one. On the other hand the gammon was beautiful and so tender and not much fat on it at all.

What a lovely surprise to recieve those red socks etc he must be a very thoughtful person to do so much like that.

Gill my mum was told its just degeneration of the eyes as they get older.

Oh has dropped off in his chair......... and is gentley snoring.

Hi Jude, I keep telling my oh things I have told him before too. Reminds me of my nan as she used to do that.

Well I hope you all had a lovely Christmas as we did but I shall enjoy tomorrow better without all the cooking.

A

Dear All

Hello

Hope your Christmas Day has been a contented one.

Take gentle care
Lots of love
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

Exactly Mel. Ours was covered in bacon too and sliced more like pork instead of breaking apart and being more crumbly. I have a feeling we won't finish eating it as OH didn't want Turkey sandwiches tonight which is a first! I just hope the second one I bought (different brand and dearer) will be better. I will enjoy tomorrow more without all the cooking too. At least OH cleared everything away and washed the pans and stacked the dishwasher.

I hope you had a peaceful day too EOS.

Good morning everyone on a grey, grey day with the promise of wind and rain to come.

I hope you have all enjoyed your Christmas Day. We had a lovely day with our daughter and granddaughter. It was just the mental pick-up I needed. Everything was done as carefully as possible. The dining table was extended so we weren’t sitting on top of each other, there was no hugging and, although she didn’t say anything, I noticed daughter opening outer doors to the garden every so often which gave a bit of a change of air. Her turkey was so moist and flavoursome that I asked where she bought it. She had ordered it from a local farm shop. Everything she cooked was delicious.

I had lots of nice presents, vouchers, bits and pieces for the home and garden, socks that I had asked for and lots of photos made into a hardback book that dil had organised. OH bought me a new kindle as my old one stopped downloading new books a while ago.

I raised a glass to you all, especially to you AnnG as you were all on your own <3

Good morning all dry and 6 degrees here but very dull a complete contrast to the sunshine we had all yesterday. Hope you all have a good day. Nothing planned here of course, I suppose people will be rushing back to the shops (Unless in tier 4) as usual, never did go to the boxing day sales. When our daughter's family were young and we spent Christmas with them we did use to go for a walk on boxing day (a longish walk) Other than that is has always been a bit of a wasted day. Last year it rained, we were up in the Lake District and we had a visit from our two step granddaughters and Amber the dog.
You snuck in there Vera, I am pleased that you had the pick you up that you needed, it sounds as if you had a lovely day. I raised a glass to everyone but mostly to me :-D :-D

I am watching operation snow tiger, interesting programme

Morning Vera Anng and all,

Much the same weather here I think, grey sky and fine rain and they say we are in for 40 mile and hour winds later and up to 50 mile an hour winds tonight. Its 8 degrees out there at the moment.

Vera it sound as though you had a smashing day with you daughter and a lovely meal cooked for you too you lucky thing. If you've read the other post our turkey crown and Ann's was awful. I think I have said it before but I am not getting a frozen turkey again.
What a lovely pick up to have seen your daughter after all this time apart.

Anng I raised a glass to you too yesterday. Have you heard anything from T this morning?

Considering oh did'nt know what to buy me for Christmas and I only told him three things like a new diary, a skinny calender for the wall I can write our appointments on and the bin days, and some green and brown polyclay I seem to have so much more and some really good things too. I got a weed wand for the weeds in the tarmac I am always trying to get rid of and to use around the ponds as we don't use chemicals anywhere near the ponds or the chickens. Its a little lightweight one that runs on gas cans. He said he will always put the cans on for me as he saw a nasty accident with one years ago. Dark chocolate ginger sticks, love it and he knows I like my battery light so I have two new sets of snowflakes and best of all acorns. A new power pack for my CD player as I bought him one lst year and use it!!!! They are very handy to have in the car if your phone is running low too.

Well I better get on as I have to do the chickens yet.

Not good news about Tony this morning. Doctor called daughter to say he has deteriorated since being in Stroud and his voice is weak and soft, which explains why .i have not had a phone call. He is still not eating but is on a drip for fluids, he also has blood in his urine and again is constipated. Glos hospital on his notes stated they believe the lesion in his lung to be cancer, they are doing another chest X-ray to see if it has grown, he also again has an enlarged prostate. I am well aware that we are probably going to lose him but .i hate the thought that he could be in pain. So sad for him for the pain to have dragged on for four months.

I am so sorry to hear this. I can only imagine what you must be feeling now. Palliative care at the hospital should be able to keep his pain to a minimum. Sending love to you and your family <3 <3 <3

Sorry to hear about Tony AnnG, like Vera said the hospital will keep his pain under control, so don't worry. Sending a gentle hug to you <3 <3 <3

It sounds like you had a lovely day yesterday Vera, we decided to have chicken as OH didn't fancy turkey and I haven't had an appetite for months, Sandra had her sprouts with hers so she was pleased and of course we had the usual trimmings.

You did well for presents Mel, with lots of surprises. Is the weed wand one of those that burn the weeds away? I've never heard of them before.

I had a quiet Christmas, Sandra was on her phone most of the day and OH went to bed in the afternoon as he was working night's last night. He likes to have a few hours if he can on his first night shift and I like him to rest up a bit with him not working locally, that way he's not to tired driving home the next morning.

We're suppose to be having storm weather here today, the wind is picking up but not as bad as I thought it would be. Sandra is looking forward to Monday as it's forecast snow, but I think it'll be mixed in with rain, so no snowmen making. At least it'll look Christmasy if some of it sticks around.