Ta dah! We have loan of the neighbour's gizmo for as long as it takes to get this bloody useless internet of ours reconnected. I have noted Bagg's suggestion and we shall investigate further.
I would love to gather you lovely lot together for the entire afternoon. We would light the log fire. Pull up all the comfy chairs, plump the cushions, have a buffet fit for royalty and a bar to cater for all tastes. We'd have a waiter (a handsome young man with a fetching smile) and a corner for all the pets to lol in. Would I enjoy such a gathering? YES! I most certainly would. In fact, I am smiling at the very notion of such a get together. We would of course need a room in which our menfolk could gather to drink Port and reminisce about "the good old days". 
If only...
Now then, I did print all the pages of missed messages and I am bowled over by the support you have continued to share with each other. This is exactly what I had hoped for long ago when I first imagined a friendly place in which to meet on a regular basis. You lot have helped me through some tough times. Your companionship is priceless. Thank you. 
Doodle Our Baggs told me of Mr D's fall and six broken ribs. The thought of the pain he has endured makes me want an enormous whiff of morphine. I wish him a speedy recovery. x
Galen You've also had a rotten time as the old year came to a sniveling end. I'm pleased that you are clear of Covid. Another nasty fall was the last thing you needed. continue to take extra special care of yourself.
Charleyg Tara is a feline. How many more times do I need to remind you that felines have their own agenda? Like it or not, she will continue to do as she sees fit.
Fern has taken to climbing a tree in the copse. I gasped when I first spied her perched on the edge of a long branch. The sparrows flew by in a procession of sorts. I think that they were hoping to annoy her. She remained cool, calm and collected. Unlike me. I was thinking that we may need to call a fireman to rescue her. 
Flora How is your mother-in-law? Covid has turned our lives upside down and inside out. Naturally we all long to be by the side of family especially when they need extra support. I've often felt weepy when I think of all the families who are having the worst of times when it appears that some are living it up regardless.
GrannyGravy Tyke!
kitty Your message regarding the little boys who came to borrow snow, was the loveliest reminder of how special this season is for all the right reasons. Simple pleasures. 
Urm My memories of going to bed extra early on Christmas Eve and believing that I could hear the sleigh bells are wonderful, even though I'm almost eighty. Our parents dressed the real tree that evening. We stood at the top of the stairs on Christmas Day until our father called to say...come on down. Father Christmas has called. My sister and I almost fell through the door way in our excitement. The room that was ordinary just a few hours earlier had taken on a touch of magic. We were speechless. After we had opened our gifts, we would stand at the hearth and call Thank you, Father Christmas up the chimney. Such innocence. 
I apologise to all those of you who I may have have missed. It goes without saying that you are all very important peoples. As our grandson likes to say.
Photos of the view through the window. And the blurry cat sat on the mat. Followed by a good new year's rainbow.
Grandmafrench '^An orange, pink and apricot sky...^' I was there beside you as you painted the beautiful scene in my mind's eye.
corner How is that painful knee? My heart goes out to you. 
ann So sorry to read about your grandson's accident. Any form of head injury is serious and alarming. I do hope that he's recovering well.
