General Chat

I hope you get two lots of presents Joan, one for your birthday and the other for Xmas.

I went to get my hair cut this morning, Eve came with me as it doesn’t take very long, then we took the holly wreath to the cemetery to put on my parents grave. She always likes to go and we take some water and a cloth to wash it down.

We always have a jigsaw on the go at Xmas. It is on the coffee table in the lounge and ever just has a go at it when they are near. We have been doing that for many years now, it has become a family tradition

Good afternoon peeps.
Well my visitors came and stayed for 2 hours. Was lovely chatting & laughing away. My friend has offered to take me out next Wednesday for lunch and a look around the shops. That brightened me up hugely. :-D

Joan hope your mince pies turn out ok and I dont suppose they will last very long, they dont in this house anyway.

At least you're getting your birthday cards early Joan, I'm still waiting for 2 cards sent in November. Is it on xmas day? If so do you have a set place for your birthday cards separate from the xmas cards? Always feels a bit unfair having a xmas birthday.

You will looking forward to seeing your son & his young lady too, will you make soup or something for them?

I just remembered about 1/2 hour ago, I was to make me xmas cake eeekk!!! I had completely forgotten with my visitors here but its all under control.
Fruit etc all boiled and cooling in the pan and then once its cooled properly shall add the flour, eggs etc and in the oven it will go for around 2 hours.
I wont put it in the oven until after we have had tea as I need the oven for tea first.

Then hopefully, its icing day tomorrow and job done.

No more washing now until Monday, I'm on holiday lol.

Its been a damp day and the gale has passed, almost too quiet for here! I think there is windy weather though on its way tomorrow and snow showers xmas eve, we shall see.

Ann, I ordered things like feathers, butterflies, washi ribbons of all sorts, bows etc I have plenty of cards left to keep me going for awhile. But thankyou for your offer of help, I shall indeed come to you if i get stuck ty.

Well better sort out another quick tea tonight. We are just eating very light meals as saving ourselves for the big one on Sunday!

Hope all ok with everyone else.

Florence in the hebrides

Joan better to receive them too early so you can keep them until the day, than getting them too late or not at all.

Hi Jude

I think Von is going to phone him maybe she will check we have the right address. Tell me about the M6/we were on it yesterday and will be travelling back down it before long. Nightmare, especially when there is a rail strike.
Have a good Christmas and hope despite the post strike you get my card.

AnnGloucester ....thank you for your message. IO received a card from Shaun the other day, but not sure if he received mine. I will write to him and give him my phone number. He did say he does'nt use his pc now.. :(

Wow Christmas day is sooooooo close!!
We went to Straford Upon Avon yesterday to meet up with our daughter Lynsey and family, they came from Dorset. I have to drive everywhere at mo as Vic had a cataract removed which left the eye too sore for lens to be replaced. Hopefully about 2 weeks to go. Some drivers on the roads are mad and dangerous, it was'nt a pleasant journey home!!
We are at Dans (son) for christmas, so still have that awful M6 to drive on.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and an even better New Year.
Take care everyone.

jude & Vic and Mindy Moo Bags the cat...xx

Very windy here and the wind is icy col. daughter out meeting friends this afternoon so,I stayed in reading. SiL was doing some book work in his office.

Florence what sort of accessories have bought for card making? Is this a new hobby? If it is and you have any queries, it has been my hobby for about twenty years. I am no expert but happy to help if needed.

Afternoon all.
Aw Linda, that was a shame about the ice rink melting. Glad Esme liked the panto. When I used to work with special needs, we always had seats near the exit incase the children didn't like the loud music etc and we could then slip out if needs be. But they always enjoyed the pantos and laughed a lot.

I had 1 xmas card today so far that's 13. 2 xmas parcels via royal mail have not yet arrived and I don't hold out much hope but......the Amazon things I ordered a few days ago, oh yes they were delivered just now!!

For some families like yourself waiting on gifts, just awful.

I have stripped my bed and tidied up in the kitchen. Tomorrow I have 2 visitors coming at 1pm which will be lovely. Thursday, I'm making my xmas cake and then decorate on Friday.

Daughter struggling to get some fresh veg as the shelves are pretty empty because the ferry didn't sail overnight for the freight! We shall just have to make do with what we have and that's it.

I have to admit, I'm frustrated that I cant do the food shop myself. I use to enjoy it and seeing lots of people in the shop ,stopping for a natter.

Well better make a sandwich as haven't had any lunch yet and as for tea later....who knows?

Take care all

Florence in the Hebrides

The girls had a great time at the outdoor ice rink, just as well they went earlier as it had to be closed yesterday as it had all melted with the warm weather.
Esme also, loved the panto, OH went and said that she was really joining in. They are an inclusive group and had a short session for special needs kids before it started when they explained to them what was going to happen and showed them that the bucket of water they were going to throw was just confetti

I am still missing two parcels and my daughter is short of two as well, all with the totally useless Evri. I dread to think just how many Christmassiest that company has ruined

Good afternoon peeps.

Yes like you Joan, the wind and rain came and the ice is all away now....for now. Our forecast is for more snow xmas eve, xmas day and boxing day!! Thankfully as its on a Sunday this year, wont be much traffic about, just the carers etc.

We made xmas cupcakes on Sunday which were lovely and gave some to my next door neighbour who was delighted.

I'm feeling a bit lost just now as everything is sorted really and up straight with laundry. So feeling a bit bored, that's what happens when you are super organised lol!!

But I've ordered and received some of my accessories for making other cards for next year, birthday, anniversary etc So once all of it is received, I shall have a new hobby for January to keep me busy.

I did get a surprise visitor earlier which was lovely, my old landlady. Haven't seen her in ages as she's not been very well but we had a good natter and she had a bag of gifts, so sweet of her. I had hers all sorted anyway and gave her a bag too.

Its really wild here this afternoon and the ferry isn't sailing again and maybe not tomorrow as high seas. Daughter is getting the fresh stuff tomorrow and then that's us all sorted.

Anyone watch Gordon, Gino & Fred, the unseen bits? Oh my was so hilarious, best laugh I've had in ages!

Well better go and sort something quick for tea tonight, maybe a pizza and wedges. Its so wild, I hope the electric doesn't go off anytime soon.

Hope all is well with you all.

Florence in the hebrides

It is soooo cold outside. I have just got back from the local town which is twelve miles away. I ordered something to pick up from Argos. Last year, I took Eve for a secret shop and let her buy things for her mum, dad and Esme I was going to do the same this year, but when she said what she wanted to get them, I realised that it would be easier to order them from Argos as well. She chose the things online and I went by myself. I did some supermarket shopping while I was out.

My daughter has booked the girls onto an outdoor ice rink tomorrow morning, you can take wheelchairs on, so that will be fine for Esme. Having booked it, their father finally got round to looking for train tickets and announced that he is coming tomorrow, but could only get as far as York, arriving at 5.50 pm.So she is going to have to keep them out all day . Goodness knows what they will do as it is going to be freezing all day.

I got four tickets for Cinderella in the town hall tonight. I assumed their father would already be here, but he isn’t of course, so either OH or I will go. It is only a hour, there are just three people who play all the parts, I have seen them before and the6 are very good

Yes Ann, the decs mean, its very hard to dust :-D :-D :-D

Thats my excuse now too.

Well it is 5 degrees here so hopefully the snow will start to thaw on the road and paths. Our bins have still not been collected from last /tuesday although I think I saw one of the refuse lorries in the distance this morning so they are back out. We have been told to leave our bins out and they will be collected and they are working over the weekend.

Not a lot to do today, always difficult with housework when the decs are up. That is my story and I am sticking to it. :-D I am just about to go and have some of the home made veg soup I made that should warm me up, not put the heating back on yet, I will do that after lunch, just on low. Main job today is sorting out the stuff to take away to daughters with me.

Afternoon all
It seems this whole parcel delivery service has gone down the pan!! It is so sad that many children will not be getting some presents this year because they have either gone astray or are stacked up in a PO sorting office.

It really is a national disgrace especially after the last 2 years with Covid etc. For some this is the first proper xmas in 2 years and already its been spoilt, so very sad.

I have had 1 card all week from the post and no other mail. Thankfully patient Travel did arrive yesterday but oh my at 10.45 and my appointment was at 12.30. So we did arrive in plenty of time. It wasnt particularly comfy sitting in a wheel chair for an hour!

Anyway My"bone man" was in a good mood and willingly gave me my jags into my knees but at a very painful cost! Oh boy, it goes into the bone and by golly for a minute, Im wanting to scream in pain but gritted my teeth.
Howveer today, already I have my smell back and sinuses are clearing(thats the bonus) so in a few days, i shall notice a difference painwise in my legs.

Today, I am decluttering and shoving things in cupboards and drawers as i do a week before xmas to keep the place all tidy. baking day tomorrow, cup cakes with green swirly icing and coloured decs so they look like xmas trees.

Linda, i feel for you re the missing presents. If they dont show, can you say Santa didnt finish his deliveries and maybe more will come soon after xmas or something like that?

Oh the bingo was ok not many 14 local ladies and no men lol. Didnt win but we had lots of laughs so enjoyed the evening very much.

JustGinnie, my mums probate was straight forward and took 10 weeks to go through. It just depends how busy the probate office is .

Ann, our service rd is like a skating rink with ice so daughter crossed neighbours grass and walked around the edge to get to the rd for the bus, was the safest way!

Joan if you are looking in, hope you are ok and taking care outside with all your snow and ice.

Its actually raining here and next week we have gales and heavy rain so the ice will all be away hopefully.

Take care all

Florence in the Hebrides

Linda Evri are certainly getting a bad press now. Did you see those parcels just dumped in a wood. Maybe they should look at how they pay the couriers and also take some of the pressure off. They are expected to deliver too many in a short time if I remember correctly. Glad you have got at least some of yours but something needs sorting or people will stop buying on line.

It is absolutely freezing here today as well Ginnie. We tottered slowly to the library this morning as they were having a thank you get together for the volunteers who do the home deliveries. I was glad we made the effort as very few people turned up. They kept offering more coffee from an urn, but we stuck to the one cup because it was pretty horrible stuff.

I was pleased this morning because the postman turned up with one on my missing parcels. It is Esme’s main present from us, so that is a relief.

That just leaves two more to come. The company who were sending my son in laws main present had been slow in sending it out but contacted me a couple of days ago to say they were going to use a courier instead of Royal Mail. I honestly could have cried last night when I got an email from Evri saying your parcel is at our depot. Of course this morning, they sent another email saying your parcel is delayed.

So it looks like he won’t be getting a present this year and Esme will not be getting the dolls high chair which they have also lost. Grr and double Grr

Hi everyone,
Hope you are all ok and able to keep warm. It's so cold out but no snow here thank goodness. We don't get it really bad here really I just can't imagine how folk cope in rural areas and Scotland with the awful weather and having no power
.
I wish I was more mobile as when we move around we don't feel the cold so much. We had a letter from Electric company saying our D/D is enough atm to cover our usage just hope the gas one will be the same.

Florence, everything is ready for my sisters house to go on the market now but can't sign anything over till probate is done. I will be glad when it is sold as it is a worry having a house empty although it isn't noticeable from the road side.

I used to love going to the school concerts when mine were young .and the grandchildren ones as well.

Take care all
Ginnie

I hope you enjoy your evening out Florence. Both the girls had their Xmas concerts today. My daughter went to Eve’s which was held in Ripon Cathedral, Eve is in the choir.

OH and I went to Esme’s which was held in the church next to the school. Poor staff, it was like herding cats. Some of the kids were in their wheelchairs, some sat nicely on chairs, but there were a sizeable number who careered round with their one to one helpers following them. They were all over the place, but no one minded of course. One of Esme’s friends spent all the time trying to get the baubles off the Xmas tree. Esme had gone in her wheelchair and chose to sit in it rather than get out, she got to hold baby Jesus for most of the time, so she was happy. She had a tinsel halo and angel wings.

We were allowed to take her straight home from the church, so stopped off at Macdonalds in the way back, she was really hungry. We also went into Next and she chose a present for her mum, dad and Eve. She decided on Xmas socks, so I let her choose what ever she wanted. It is a big secret and when we got back, she wrapped them and wrote her name in the tags. I have hidden them and it will be nice for her to give them on Xmas day. She hasn’t told them about it, so I am hopeful that she will keep quiet about her surprise

Well I had a nice call from my neighbour about 3pm. She asked if i wanted to go to a charity prize bingo at 6.30 tonight. Short notice but as I had showered and washed hair earlier, I said sure, would love to.

So dressed to kill with time to spare lol

So nice to have been invited out and i love bingo anyway.

I may be lucky but if not, it will have been lovely to see people and socialise.

Florence in the hebrides

Jude I have sent you a message on here. with Shaun's address, or rather the one I have.

When I got up the temp on Alexa was -11, it is now 0 so has gone up thank goodness. I am not going out though as the paths and road in our cul de sac are very icy.

Afternoon all.
Bright sunny but freezing day here and occasional sleety shower.
Home alone again(becoming a habit this lol) as daughter had to go and collect the rest of her presents. She had too many bags to carry yesterday!

Jude, I'm curious you hate where you moved to , where are you now?

I had the heating on yesterday from 2-9pm, longest time ever but the bedrooms were really cold so felt the need to warm them up before bedtime. I still have plenty of credit on my account so not worried at all, that's what it was intended for, a cold winter.

I washed my hair earlier so I don't have to get up at silly hour tomorrow as I'm off to the hospital around 10.30.

Not sure about food today as not particularly hungry. Might have crumpets later as still a dozen to use up lol

Hope everyone ok and keeping warm

Florence in the hebrides