soop's kindly kitcheners and pampered pets...

PS, DaphneB, snap, I`m sitting here with a rather large box of Black Magic across my knee, someone really ought to take them off me, but just let `em try!

Thank you charleygirl Grace had actually just moved as the fire was on and I think her bum was getting overheated! But she has been happy to retake possession of HER rug now all those people, children, babies and another dog have been seen off!

Morning all !!!
oooooh its chilly here !!

soop I love the wall hanging , what a work of art. I would love one but don't have those skills. I also like Macs gift to you, it looks lovely. He has good taste. How is his poor head ?

I thought the warranty was excellent too Charley I doubt it will last that long- we seem to do a lot of heavy duty hoovering .(I blame Sam)

Glad to hear you don't have much of a social life Daphne it will certainly mean you can recover. I don't think we realise how much all this Christmas organisation and management takes out of us .Chocs look good too by the way!! I too have missed the bickering by some good fortune as I am not in the mood for meanness right now !!

I'm very excited because today I am taking the Queen of the Universe ( aka Laura our 10 year old granddaughter) to the panto. We are off to see a performance of Sleeping Beauty at a local theatre.

We are putting on our glad rags and being chauffeur driven by Grampy ( who may have to wear a hat!!) It was one of our presents to her and I cherish the time we get to spend together. She can talk up a storm and I get to hear all about home, school and her take on life.

Afterwards we have to hit the supermarket. Tomorrow my sister and her family are spending the day with us with both my girls and their families . At last count that means 8 adults, 2 teenagers, 4 small children and 3 dogs.On top of that we have invited a couple of friends who have no family.

So it will be a houseful. Just a buffet for lunch so its ready made party food all the way!! ( Luckily , they don't come for the food !)

Have a relaxing day one and all x

Morning All. Admiring the beautiful frosty scene from inside. Just pleased I don't have to scrape the car!

Delighted to report the family all got here and we had a wonderful if frenetic time. . I just have to work out how to return all the 'stuff' they managed to leave behind . I do appreciate the efforts they make. Their schedules are so different. One family work in food retail and time off is always difficult (especially this time of year) and tends to be mid week, the other should work weekdays but weekends creep in. They are so busy we never assume it can happen. Wonderful when it does

There seems to be a lot of germs about still, take care daphne, think kitty is still poorly too and goodness knows how many others. I suspect we've been daft in not taking more notice of colds that arrived a month or so back, the symptoms are boomerang like, go and then return. You will all be more sensible, won't you? Chocolate does have healing powers .

soop, your Christmas gift is just superb, I'm obviously not practiced enough at hinting . So sorry that macs sounds to be really suffering. Wishing him speedy mending

The sale shopping sounds to be going well, like the sound of that warranty. I managed a M&S order at 50% off for a new duvet and some clothes for Mr C, collected in the local,store without hassle and even better nothing to return. My sort of shopping . Used to like a wander round the shops at sale time, hate it now. Too many people, too loud and just too frenetic. Oh dear, grumpy old woman alert

Cant decide whether to wake Mr C who is stubbornly asleep or get on with the tidying myself. Will have another cup of tea and then decide. Take care all. Have as good a day as you can.

Missed your post n&g, have fun at the panto with the Queen of the Universe. One of ours is 10 and aren't they just so delightful. Your day tomorrow sounds like ours was yesterday, without the dogs, hope it is as much fun. .

I agree it is lovely lookib=ng at my frost covered car and I do not have to do anything about it. I have bags to take to the charity shop but they can wait.

I would not let Tara out this morning when we came downstairs because I thought that it was too cold for her but she made my life hell. Amazed that none of you complained about the noise emitting from her little lungs.

N&G I hope that you and Laura enjoy the pantomime together this evening. That is some feast you will have to prepare for the buffet lunch tomorrow. I will look after the dogs as it is a cat free house until around 7pm!

It is so cold here that it is difficult to keep the house warm. The sun is peeping out here so maybe my car will be driveable in a couple of hours.

I should carry on with the general clear up but my enthusiasm is waning. Still, I have been at it, on and off for a week. Off being the operative word.

I would leave Mr.C to continue slumbering, enjoy your tea/coffee in peace and quiet.

I did charley. We are now sharing a coffee in the conservatory after the awakening, really should do some clearing up. Hmm maybe not just yet .

I have been doing something that I am really really good at and that is spending money.

I have bought a 13.5 tog king size silk duvet on line with 25% off, delivery date tomorrow.

My present one is 15 tog, heavy and I do wrestle with it. its only redeeming feature is that it keeps me warm even if I have mega problems getting out of bed.

I looked at many places and for some I would have needed a mortgage as they were so expensive.

I only hope that Tara keeps her claws firmly in place.

Good afternoon dear Granspals. It is a perfectly quiet day. We've had a walk. We've done a spot of faffin' with a broom and duster. Now it's time I caught up with you lot.

DpahneB You must be running on a near-empty tank of get-up-and-go-ness. I too was wondering why Grace isn't reclining on that posh rug.
What bickering? Where? I shall not go searching for it. Peace...that's what I enjoy above all else.

Charleyg It is the time of year for nasty bugs. I'm keeping MacSporran well clear. The bruises are horrendous. Not only his scalp but one arm and rib-cage are a vivid purple. He maintains that he's feeling no discomfort. Zilch!

callgirl1 A certain handsome fella is waiting to be painted. Hang on in there. You will, I hope, have something to smile about. Let's say...two weeks hence.

NanaandGrampy The visit to the panto will be the highlight of your granddaughter's Christmas. Oh the excitement. Sleeping Beauty is a classic. Laura will be thrilled, I'm sure, Especially if there's a moment when one of the cast says 'Where is she?' and the audience respond, 'She's behind you...'

corner It isn't cold hereabouts. No frost for a very long time.
You wouldn't be able to drag me to the sales. Those days are long gone. How about the folk who were camping outside certain stores at 10pm on Christmas night. I cannot find a word to describe my amazement.
I suggest that you leave Mr corner to sleep on. Enjoy some "you time".

Charleyg Keeping Tara off the luxurious silk duvet is a mighty big ask. Do tell us how she responds when you give her the perfectly reasonable order... "NO!"

The wee amber light is flashing at an alarming rate. This may mean that the internet connection is iffy. I also lost Gransnet for about five minutes. Anyway, we've had a wee blether. I'm a happy bunny.

soop I do not think that I will be able to keep Tara off the new silk duvet when it comes tomorrow. She is so used to lying on my bed it would be cruel to say no and anyway she would creep on the bed when I am asleep as she does now, when she fancies.

I should close down my computer and hide my credit/debit cards because I have ordered 2 pairs of trousers from M&S for half price and I collect them from a food store next Friday.

Charleyg

Mmmm! A silk duvet, there's posh luxury!

"Would you rather sin with Elinor Glyn
On a tiger skin
Or err with her
On some other fur?
Or with charleyg make hay
On a silk duvet? "

Hello all, have just popped in with a load of stollen to leave here in the kitchen, we seem to have a surplus of it ( from Waitrose, so very nice.)
Hope everyone had a good Christmas in spite of, bumps, falls, colds coughs etc.
Almost a new year now! (Another year older......as DGS always says of his own birthdays with great delight!)

ooh, half price trousers?
Must take a look

I have a large box of chocolate biscuits which I have left on the table because otherwise DH will pig eat them all.

A silk duvet sounds like the height of luxury. Purrrrr

DaphneB yet another fun poem. You have a quirky sense of humour. Most suitable for the likes of us lot

rosesarered I knew that we'd missed out on one delicious treat. Stollen cake! An absolute must that I've carelessly omitted to add to the festive fare. So...if you're sharing...I'm ready with a decent size plate and a real linen napkin.

Jalima Please note above message to rosesarered. We have no choc biscuits. I'll swap one of yours for a buttery shortbread, "hand made" in Scotland. Does that seem fair?

MacSporran has politely asked if he may use the computer. I've a few jobs to attend to. It's therefore time for me to wish you all a trouble-free evening.

Until tomorrow - and

Jalima they are nothing to write home about, just everyday ones for a tenner each.

My silk duvet was surprisingly cheap and with 25% off a positive bargain. I am hoping that it is light weight but will still keep me warm. After I had ordered mine on line an friend told me that others does not keep herself and DH warm. Marvellous.

Yes, I needed everyday ones but they don't have them in my size!
And the jumpers were all very odd on their site, I thought there would be more variety than in the store yesterday - yes, there were but nothing I would want to wear!

Our new duvet is not silk but feels like it and is soft, light and warm. It was half price from Debenhams.

I have been rather today, insisting we went to do a food shop ready for family coming at the weekend. When I was looking at the dates on cream etc and grumbling, DH pointed out that it was Thursday, not Friday . At least it wasn't as busy as it may be tomorrow.

However, we could have gone for a lovely stroll in the instead!

Soop, I will look forward to it!
I`ve been out tonight for a family meal with daughter 3, it will be her 50th on New Year` Day. But it was a very cheap night for me, my daughter insisted on paying for my meal to make up for me losing out on travel insurance when we didn`t go to Spain. Then other daughter`s hubby bought me a drink, as did my eldest son, so my money never saw the light at all tonight. Tomorrow I`m off to daughter 2 for tea, and on New Year` Day have been invited to son number one`s house.

Boomerang cold is back so here I am at 03.30 in bed with the iPad and a frustrating sore throat that's keeping me awake. Hopefully it won't last long, we've childcare commitments on Monday and Tuesday, really can't let them down. One of life's buggerations that's for sure. Freezing fog outside so pleased I don't have to go out until afternoon.

Your meal sounds lovely callgirl, family time is very special. I've also been on a jumper hunt jalima, mine have all seen better days, no luck so far, M&S were hopeless for me, on line and in our local, admittedly small, store. I plan an on line trawl to try to send me back to sleep.

You made me smile daphne, I always enjoy your rhymes.

Oh well, I'm off for that jumper hunt (not as much fun as a bear hunt though, did anyone else see the animation recently and love it?). Sleep well all.

callgirl how lovely that your family are looking after you so well. I missed the news that ypou didn't go to Spain. How's disappointing for you.

cornergran look after yourself and I hope Kitty is recovering from the flu, H and I have escaped so far but all the family have of have had bugs.

I am up at silly o'clock as I am having a new double oven delivered and fitted by JL and my time slot is 7am until 2pm.

Typos,me not the tablet, I am still bogeyed.

ann me too but I have not been given the luxury of a time slot by Yodel. I will probably be fortunate if they turn up. It is extremely foggy here so a good job that I am going nowhere. It is rather difficult to explain to Tara why she is being kept indoors- cold and fog.

ann as you are up and about the fellows will arrive at 13.55. Good luck.

Those of you looking for jumpers I would not hold your breath- for some on line items one would need a pair of sunglasses-hideous.

"Boomerang" lurgy indeed. I was thinking I could post about my cast-iron constitution as by yesterday evening I wondered what I had been making such a fuss about.
Then I woke up this morning and the brain fog, sneezing, streaming nose and cough are back.
I am so glad your family are looking after you callgirl as you need a bit of cherishing at the moment.
A new double oven sounds good any excuse not to clean mine!
We seem to have freezing fog here so I am giving due notice that I am going NOWHERE (ever again!)
Take care everybody and let's make sure we get out of this year without further mishap ???

Sorry I missed you out of the sickies Daphne it was rather early for me to function.
H and I have hardly been out at all these last two weeks I think that is why we have escaped it all.
John Lewis have phoned to say they will be her about 11" yeah".