What I did today.

Yes, jeni - I'm assuming the little stalks are supposed to make them look like pumpkins?

OGM sorry you're feeling down! Here's a {{ hug}} from me and some

gracesmum hopefully anything nasty has been nipped in the bud. He's in the best place at the moment. Look after yourself xx

Gracesmum Goodness me, haven't you had one heck of a night. It's comforting for you to know that your husband is in very good hands. Such a worry for you. I hope that the news continues to get better.

Dear Glass ...oops! Not the end of the world. Many of us know the feeling...and that it passes.

when such pretty wee girls. Adorable!

OGM I know how you feel. You have a happy, recent memory to embrace. If I could (hug) you, I would. And that goes for all the special people on GN.

Best wishes, gracesmum. Hope you have a less worrying day.

Thanks jeni and soop.
I'm off to an orchid show with a friend, soon, so that should be bright and cheerful. A local Sec School has a national reputation for growing orchids..... that is what an inspired and inspiring teacher can do! (Tell that to mr. Gove )

Orchid! Lovely! I used to grow them but DD developed an allergy to them!

I rightly judged that midday would be a good time to have a swim - most families having their meat and two veg. Didn't get cramp in my feet this time - maybe the tonic water (without gin) is working . This morning, I saw a flock of about 15 long-tailed tits in one of my now leafless trees. They are such lovely little birds.

Today I've bitten the bullet and purchased a pair of black trousers in a larger size than usual. Fed up with feeling uncomfortable.
Good news was, I got a £20 gift voucher to spend in the store!
Called in to wish my ds a happy birthday (and deliver the pie!) to find they were all suffering from hangovers!
Thank goodness I don't get them anymore [virtuous emoticon]

Getting concerned again about Smoluski, hope she's ok, she hasn't been around for a few days.

Ella I can reassure you that our Smoluski is fine. We've been in touch. She tells me that she's had a pleasant weekend away, and is looking forward to a hog roast at a neighbour's home tonight. She has been short-listed for a job. Tomorrow, she'll know whether or not she's been selected.

We'll be rooting for her, soop!

Spot on, Marelli! Being short-listed must have lifted her spirits. I hope that good fortune lies in store for her. She so deserves it!

Today I have wrapped up all the C presents to transport south this week - all of them purchased in charity shops for £10 or under (I am a convert to charity-shop-shopping - I'm on a roll ); turned up the hems of 3 pairs of trousers - it took forever and was the air blue ; did a pile of ironing; sorted out mounds of paperwork and made beds/cots ready for the DDs and GCs when they arrive back home with me next week. I am almost feeling virtuous. Out to supper with a friend tonight and then we will watch Downton Abbey together.

That would be nice and give her a well-deserved lift.
DH transferred to Royal Free in London this afternoon. I got the call about 10 that he was to go within 4 hours so rushed around putting together a bag with PJs, washbag, phone, iPad, chargers for both, today's paper, a couple of books etc and dashed over. He went around 2 and we had a good couple of hours, so I decided not to follow him to London, I will go down tomorrow by which time we might know a bit more. I suspect that you are right jeni that we caught it in time, but also his immunosuppression has been reduced to an absolute minimum as his liver is stable, so his body is much more able to do a bit of fighting off bugs by itself.
Feel a bit "after" shell shocked but not as worried as I have been in the past as he is looking much more comfortable ("look at the patient, not the machine") but also his obs are more like normal.
I am so glad we got our concert in Birmingham on Thursday !!

gracesmum You continue to be in my thoughts. I hope that tomorrow is a better day for both of you.

Much easier to knock something on the head at the start, than wait until its well dug in! (Very technical talk this)

Have a good trip, gally

gracesmum

nellie [Good Luck!]

sorry you had all that stress gracesmum, not sure what is wrong with your OH trying to keep up! do hope he is more settled now, just seen he has been transferred keep strong and all best wishes to you both

gracesmum

anno very envious of the long tailed tits. I have seen some less than half a k from here, but not in my garden.
Still if this cold weather persists, the siskins or redpolls may come back. Sadly someone reported cold and confused songbirds crashing into the N sea this week, caught out by sudden change maybe.
My key achievement of the day was to make an IKEA seed loaf. This is a kind of sourdoughy swedishy loaf that comes in a carton, like a milk carton. From the IKEA food dept, just after checkout.
add water and shake - well i had to stir mine with the handle of a wooden spoon as resident viking busy elsewhere. (it would have to be quite some shake)
Then you pour it into a loaf tin, let it rise a bit and bake. It is not a cheap loaf but dense. And a fun thing to do with GKds I'd say. Note - not a small loaf tin as it says on the packet, a full sized one is needed. I also tidied utility room a bit and made yoghurt and cassoulet, so a productive and domestic day.

Yes, JessM I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw one long-tailed tit, then another and then the whole flock. If they do come into the garden it's usually much later in the winter. Perhaps they know something we don't. Maybe redwings next!

to all of you who are down, worried, or feeling poorly.
Everything crossed for Nellie.

Heavy snow all last night so no signal for TV, but I can watch it on my computer via iportal so I won't miss Downton Abbey.

A few months ago I put a load of cobbles in a bucket; it then rained quite a bit. I tend to forget to put more water out each day for the birds in their special container but have kept the bucket topped up with water and they love it. A wren was having a bath in it today.

<head hung in shame emoticon > I am sorry for being very insensitive last night when grace & Phoenix needed our support.