Good Morning Monday 20th December 2021

Morning Mick, morning All. Another cloudy day forecast for our corner of Somerset

Enjoyed a chilly walk along the river yesterday. Today a quick trip to local shops then finish the grocery order and perhaps ice the Christmas cake. Nothing fancy, my hands can’t cope with an icing bag now. Starting to wonder if we’ll be able to carry on with Christmas plans and will try to arrange to deliver gifts this week, just in case.

Fingers firmly crossed for the return of negative PCR tests. Thinking of those with health and other worries. Take care everyone. Hope Monday is kind to us all.

Good morning from Cheshire.
Last post I saw was your Matt one *Gwenisgreat" It gave me a laugh
Had hoped to do some cooking for the freezer to ease the post Christmas work as friends coming at New Year. Unfortunately , freezer so full there is no way any extra food will go in !
Shouldn't think family's freezers will be any better.
Like the card * Ash* My tipple !
Hope all the PCR tests return in time.

Good morning from a grey skied Colchester. My phone autofills that for me.
DS has his booster booked for this morning so I need to make sure he gets up.
Usual Monday here of this and that. I need to try to get my boots reheeled and get a food shop. Everything in the house is "hands off until Christmas" stuff.

All this illness and testing is turning into an extreme sport, so many plans dashed. I'm equally glad and sad that we haven't made any.

Love to all ? x

Morning Mick and all

It’s grey and gloomy here in S E Essex.

It’s DH’s birthday today, if my Waitrose order is in time we will walk up to our local posh Turkish restaurant for a late lunch with DD and the two GS’s (we should be between the lunch and dinner service so not overly busy)

Love the card Ashcombe I do have a penchant for sherry ?
I hope that the PCR tests come through soon.

Keep safe and well folks ??

Good morning all from Polmont. 5° here and very grey skies but it looks calm. What a nuisance for all those waiting for test results. Marydoll I'm sure you have put a lot of thought into your Christmas presents and they will be appreciated. As well as presents, I still do family stockings. They are filled with daft things and useful things. I suggested stopping them and there were howls of outrage. Urms you will have a lovely day with 'Little Miss' but a large gin tonight to look forward to.
Yesterday I pottered about and got housework done and recovered my equanimity. Some wrapping was done.
Today I'm off back to Stirling as a gift I ordered for ds has arrived so I need to pick it up. I have certificates to give to ds too. The benefit of a lawyer in the family! He's getting someone to sort something out for me. I still have a couple of gifts to sort out so a trip to M&S for their Christmas gin is on the cards. Then home to wrap. I'll get Alexa to play carols and get on with it. Have a good day all.

Good morning from North Wales. Dry and chilly here so good for a well wrapped up walk.
I am expecting a large food order today so hope my family can still come on Boxing Day. Things feel so uncertain these days. I hope all waiting for test results get a negative result and can get on their way.
Have a pleasant Monday everyone.

Good morning from a grey, damp NE.
Today would have been DH's birthday, I have opted to spend it on my own.
I saved All creatures great and small and started watching it last night, will aim to finish the series before the Christmas special is shown.
Washing day today, I will be able to carry on and get the ironing done too without interruption.
Fingers crossed for all who are awaiting test results.

Good morning all and it’s very still and dreary looking out there, - here in Essex.

Yesterday we had Dd, and family here for pre Xmas dinner. DD’s leg from the ops was very swollen so I’m a bit concerned about that. Today she will sit with it up and hopefully that will do the trick.?. She goes back to hospital tomorrow to have her dressings re-done. Who would have thought a little mole on her foot would have resulted in all this problem . ! ?

Today I’ll shop for the last time before Xmas (Except for fresh veg) . Just need three small presents for our lovely neighbour, ex SIL and an extra for little gd.

Eldest Gd home from Uni today and we will see her tomorrow. ?.

I really hope all your test result come through in time and you’re all able to travel to family/friends. I’ve just read Bel Mooney re: Christmas with family. I think she makes a lot of sense.

Take care all and enjoy the festive season as much as you are able to. ??

A very good morning Mick and all from a dry and slightly warmer Anglesey. Tesco due any minute so no time to read.
5 more sleeps
????

Good morning Auntyflo and all x

Grandmabatty, I do useful stockings too.

Last year I bought a stash of multifunction torches from QVC, which had a function to become a flashing warning light, if you broke down in the dark. My children looked at me, as if I was daft.
Roll on a year later and they are all singing the praises of the torches
DS2 lives in a Victorian cottage, full of nooks and crannies, the only way he was able to locate the mains stopcock, was by using the extending, flexible head, with light function, which can go round corners.

They have also had freezer bags, which can keep food hot or frozen for twelve hours. They were a godsend on our family holiday this year. Much to my smug delight, everyone turned up with theirs!
Always trust your mother , she knows best!

I bought the M&S gin for DIL, lost it, found it, then lost again. I thought I was going mad! It was found in a place, I had looked previously on the separate occasions. In fact, I am going mad!

Enjoy your trip to Stirling, I used to love a day out there. I prefer Stirling Castle to Edinburgh Castle.
DD and I had the best curry ever on a day trip to Stirling.

Good Morning All x.
Still dark with street lights still on, along with security lights. It smells cold out but isn't doing anything and so far as I can see, it's dry.

Expecting D to pop in for her card and gift since I didn't see her yesterday on her B/Day. She will be dropping off the 3 youngest children at a play centre while she does some shopping as her isolating finished yesterday so she hasn't had much of a chance.

The children don't know that they're being left for a couple of hours at the centre so I hope for D's sake there are no tantrums I had to laugh when she told me on the phone about a concert that was held in one of the schools. As she'd dropped them off, the two youngest came hurtling back to the car hysterical and crying.

Someone had a Grinch costume on and it scared the children . They got back in the car and remained the quietest that they'd ever been so D said she's getting a costume for when the kids play up, hahahaha. An elf too scared them so I told her to get an " elf on the shelf ". D has told them that Father Christmas will be sad if they're naughty.

My mum used to call up the chimney to Father Christmas if brother and I were misbehaving. That used to do the trick. Imagine if you did that today---you'd be carted off

Neighbours cards to be finished today so no excuse as I won't be venturing out.

Had a laugh at your cartoon Gwenisgreat1 Thankfully no such problems in this household.

Ruby will be driven down from Durham on Christmas Eve to join the family and siblings. She is no longer on any medication though her education leaves a lot to be desired, but never mind she's actually a sensible girl in herself and very empathetic so you can't have everything.

I've just spotted one of my cats giving poor old Tom a fourpenny one, how naughty ! Not a fight, she just hit him while he was eating. Worse than kids !

Must get a move on and get washed and dressed before the devouring of the crumpets. Also in case D calls early or she'll think I'm ill in my dressing gown she's not used to that, thankfully.

Hope one and all have a decent sort of a day and thoughts to anyone under the weather. Keep well and stay safe xx

Good morning everyone from a wet and overcast Northampton, 6°C today.

Sad news yesterday from DD - her father-in-law (in his 80s) has had a stroke and is in hospital, and so her DH is on his way over to Northern Ireland to be with his mum, and will stay there over Christmas. Difficult for her as they were hosting Christmas, but we will all pitch in and help out, that's what family is for.

My plans today are to put the marzipan on the Christmas cake, but knowing me more will end up being nibbled at than on the cake - I adore marzipan! No-one else in the family likes it, and they will all peel it off! And to give the cats their spot-on flea and worming treatment before they go into the cattery on Thursday. They will not like me for it and will spend the rest of the day sulking.

Will get a chilli out of the freezer for tea tonight, and make sure to complete my Sainsbury's order for tomorrow.

Hope those PCR test results come back soon; I have one arriving today, as I felt under the weather at the weekend. Did another LFT yesterday which was negative.

Have the best day you can everyone.

Good morning from a grey (again) East Yorkshire.

I’m up late today after being awake in the night. I couldn’t get the thought of the looming impending restrictions out of my head. I am also devastated for my GS who has his birthday party planned for Jan 2nd. Can’t see it going ahead and he is so excited for it. He’s told us Spider-Man is coming. It breaks my heart for him. DS says they will delay it until a later date.

Today I am out for an early lunch with my friend and then we are going to see West side story.

Love the card Ash I’m quite partial to one myself!

Sending hugs to you today harrigran ?

Happy Birthday to MrGG13
Hope those awaiting test results get the right ones.

Take care everyone.

Good Morning Mick and all his followers. Grey and still in Suffolk after overnight rain.
Gingster our family student tested positive when she got home - I hope your GD is clear.
Another one who likes sherry here. Always had sherry at my parents at lunchtime on Sunday, with several sets of neighbours.
Off for a click and collect which has been changed now that we are here for Christmas.
Hope all those PCRs come back negative and soon. I hope the day is kind to us all.

Grandmadinosaur my youngest grandwill be 4 on the 4th Jan and has her party booked for the 2nd. She too will be devastated if it is cancelled.
Let's hope they can go ahead xx

Good morning Mick and everyone for another dull day in Oxfordshire, but at least it isn’t foggy.
Housework today, the Christmas tree has a large cobweb (or cobwob as GD used to call them) so I have to do a thorough clean I think.
DD2 and the GCs won’t be up between Boxing Day and New Year, I thought it was wishful thinking, but common sense has prevailed as it’s a very long drive (and it looks as though the choice would have been taken out of her hands anyway.) so pleased we had our mini trip last month and took all the Christmas presents down with us and had some family meals together,
Harrigran a good way to spend a sad day, watching ‘all creatures’ have a restful day.
Hope all who are waiting get a negative test result and are able to see loved ones.
Marydoll don’t be too hard on yourself, you are doing a grand job and it’s so good to see that Soops fund is growing.
Have a good day everyone and hugs for those who aren’t feeling so chipper.

Another Gran worrying about a cancelled birthday party, our youngest GC is two on 3/01 and we have a party with his cousins planned. They couldn’t have a first birthday last year due to restrictions, so sad for the little ones.

My son has just messaged me. My CEV , wee Dollie has now tested positive for Covid, after daily, negative lateral flows and two PCRs. It was inevitable. ?

I’m sorry to hear that Marydoll and hope that Dollie will recover quickly.

Good morning everyone from yet another damp and grey north Kent coast. Think the sun is still up there, but wouldn’t swear to it!
Hope the PCR tests all come back quickly with negative results for everyone. My DIL tested positive over the weekend so that’s scuppered the Boxing Day meet up, but as they only live just round the corner can hopefully welcome in 2022 instead. Christmas lunch still on at DD’s, but I have all the ingredients in my freezer if that’s called off as well. We’ll be eating turkey at Easter!

Spent a couple of hours watching GDS1 playing football in a junior league match. They won a hard fought game with GDS1 scoring a very spectacular goal. Great to watch him play, but was glad to get in the warm.

Hope you all have the best day you can

Sorry to hear about Dollie Marydoll ; hope she recovers quickly and is soon back to her bouncy self.

Happy Birthday to Mr Gravy ??

Thinking of you harrigran ?

About to go to see DH who will probably not respond but I live in hope. Despite having asked to see DS he couldn’t respond to him on Saturday which was hard for DS. Just waiting for friend who wants to borrow the window vac - ordinary life has a habit of intruding itself and maybe that is as well.

Sad to hear about all the positive tests spoiling plans and will not be surprised if that happens here too. Can’t do much about it, and at least the immediate family is not particularly vulnerable. Hope Dollie is not ill with the wretched virus.