Good morning Friday 16th December 2022

Good morning from a very icy Black Country, with heavy looking dark clouds! Hope it is not going to snow! Hope Mick is enjoying his trip and it is not too cold out and about.

The walk yesterday, although very cold was done in brilliant sunshine. Only 8 of us, but it was very enjoyable with a hot drink in the park cafe at the end. I thought I would try a Biscoff Latte, but I couldn't detect any Biscoff taste

Today I must try a gym visit, as haven't been this week. Then we will put up a few decorations, but just don't feel in the Christmassy mood at the moment.

So sorry Grandmabatty hope you are not too unwell. It was like a head cold for me back in May.

Stay safe and warm everyone.

Good morning everyone from another very frosty day in Northampton, -5° outside. Will have to brave a short walk to the bus stop, as I would like my usual Friday trip out to the shops (and coffee and cake in M&S!). I have a pair of sparkly jeans to return to Sainsbury's; bought two pairs, (different styles) last week and have kept the better fitting pair. Then home and back in the warm.

Had two good dance classes yesterday which warmed us all up - our teacher taught us part of the Sugar Plum Fairy dance from The Nutcracker ballet, only the easy bit! No more classes now till New Year.

Hope that Covid treats you very mildly, Grandmabatty, get well soon.

Stay warm and have a good Friday everyone.

Good morning all from South Lanarkshire where we have a light covering of snow.

Lovely figures gMattie, like you I cannot bear sewing up which is why I never attempt anything like that.

grandmabatty such rotten luck, I hope you feel better very soon.

What a good idea Gala, glad you enjoyed your ‘works night out’.

I feel for your DGD Sar, one of mine is in the same boat and she had been so excited about playing a little solo in her concert and having an end of term lunch with her friends.

We have a little party for our volunteers later this afternoon so I’m hoping there’s no more snow so I can get there easily.

Thinking of Ashcombe, Marydoll and MrKalu and all with illness or worries of any kind. May you have a peaceful day.

Good morning from Leicestershire. There is thick frost and a pink sky here.

We had a lovely meeting with the golf crowd yesterday. We are going to meet up every month in future.

Not much on today, will pop to Next (again) and hope my tops are in having a coffee on the way. Then a Sainsbury delivery this afternoon.

I am panicking a little as I am so unstressed about Christmas and feel I ought to be!

Sorry to here you are poorly GrandmaBatty.
Hoping everyone has a good day.

good morning from s somerset, my outside weather station here is saying -7

Gm lovely cheery wise men, uplifting

I am listenening to radio about the terrible outbreak of flu, so am quite happy to stay solo indoors. Flu in 1978, husband and me, the worst we have ever felt

Eating well, sleeping well, warm home, plenty of hobbies and fully able to talk to myself, I feel blessed

Good morning all from East Yorkshire. Frosty and cold again.

Alarm switched off today so up late. I do have my cuppa though. Just skimmed the threads for now.
I’m so sorry to hear you have Covid Grandmabatty and hope you’re not too poorly with it. What timing eh?

Yesterday I stayed in the warm and did the wrapping up. GS here after school who announced when he’s a grown up he’s coming to live here!

Had a worrying evening when DS broke down in his car not to far away. Waited in the freezing cold for nearly 4 hours for the AA man. DH went and waited with him for a while and I sent a warm drink for him. A passer by also stopped and asked if he needed a drink or anything that was very kind. He got home just before midnight.

I think we are going into the city centre today. We will split up for a while and get the items we need. Will probably have a late lunch out.

Have a good day everyone.

Morning all from what looks like a very cold West Oxfordshire. I’m having another baking/cooking day today. Stuffing, sausage rolls, gravy and ice cream. OH will be out most of the day. Oh, I’ve still got more presents to wrap! Also, we’ll probably get a tree tomorrow so I’ll have a look through the decorations. Have a good and peaceful day.

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Good morning from beneath the duvet . I am sorry to hear you feel so poorly Grandmabatty - forget your Christmas preparations and just concentrate on letting yourself get better. The frustration of seeing our plans go up in smoke thanks to Covid is something we mostly thought behind us - I remember the disappointments and loneliness of lockdown Christmas 2020 and (nearly) lockdown 2021.
D1 is in your position this week and will miss our big family get together this Sunday. I am supposed to be spending Christmas with them but of course the children may succumb between now and then. I am not good at “going with the flow, but may have to work on that. It is what it is.
Propelled out of bed at lightning speed an hour ago by the unmistakable sounds of a dog preparing to be sick fortunately just a piece of undigested dog chew (TMI) but that’s a throw straight into the machine.! She is now curled up by my side sleeping it off.
Huge shopping due at 11 today, then I need to find somewhere to put it all and hope to finish wrapping the presents.
Finished dressing my little tree last night, I swear they get smaller every year! Just a tad smaller than D’s, but I remember the days when we too used to wrestle a huge tree into the house. And it usually cost no more than a couple of quid.
Wishing you all warm, well, worry free - and a pleasant day!

Good morning all from a slightly warmer Black country-5°.
Local shop and a trip to the bank then over to DS for tea, we are sitting tonight while they have a date night.
Sorry to hear you are poorly Grandmabatty take it easy and plenty of fluids.
Enjoy your Friday everyone take care and may you all find some 🌞.

Good morning everyone.
DD2 left early this morning as the gas man was coming between 8 am and 6 pm. to sort out the boiler. At 5 past 8 she had a message to say that the appointment was cancelled !
DGS2 has chicken pox , not surprised as it has been going around the school.
He and little brother should be coming here tomorrow. We have all had chicken pox and cannot contract shingles from him. We’ll see how he feels.
Lots to do today and have given DH a list as well. He’s happy with that and says he will do dinner too.
Kind wishes to all especially those who are poorly.

Good morning from Sefton’s ice rink. It’s nithering here.
Dusting and vacuuming plus trying to complete one of my nativity scenes will occupy me. (I have five for which I’m teased.) This time I’ve lost the star.
Your wise men are adorable grandMattie.
Thinking of our poorly Gmbatty and others beset by illness and troubles.
🌲 🌲 🌲

Good morning from Shropshire🥶

We are still reeling from the news about our neighbours.When I opened the bedroom blinds this morning and saw the bungalow it really upset me.It’s such a terrible tragedy.

A friend has invited me for lunch today so i am looking forward to that.DH will drop me off and hopefully H will fall asleep in the car.

School pick up for DGD at 3.DGS’s school has flooded so they are missing their last day.DGD and H don’t break up until next Wednesday.

So sorry you are feeling so unwell Grandmabatty and hope you feel better very soon💐

Take care Mary, Ash and everyone adversely affected by the cold.I hope Mick is ok in Scarborough, I imagine it’s bitterly cold there.

Have the best day you can everyone and stay warm.🎄🎅🏼

Good morning all from Glasgow. Only a slight frost, 2deg and wet here this morning although the forecast is, heavy snow later.

I have a parcel to collect from a nearby garage, part of DH’s C. Nothing terribly exciting, his choice of after shave balm which is becoming more difficult to source.
Foutering about indoors playing with decorations to add some finishing touches as I keep coming up with yet another idea! I don’t have so many presents to wrap now that both DGs are teenagers and prefer spends so no panic there.Lastly, I will take DH to the surgery to have some bloods taken, late afternoon and keeping everything crossed the heavy snow won’t have arrived. 🤞

Sorry to hear you have tested positive Grandmabatty, what a buggeration. If you are allowed to take them, paracetamol does help to relieve the symptoms. Nothing else for it but to take it easy and bide your time looking after yourself. Hopefully a mild dose and you recover quickly.
I had a titter at your darling Dollie, so appalled at this Star Wars figure turning up where he has no right whatsoever to be. She is a hoot. 😂

Best wishes to all for a good day and an easier day for all with worries, whatever they may be.

Good morning all GNs, and Michael in absentia. Hope you’re enjoying Scarborough, Mick. The heating is struggling to meet its target this morning and there is a heavy frost outside. I have a video appointment with the physio at the hospital in about an hour, to see how the leg is going. I could have had a face to face, but glad I haven’t - I don’t really want to go out until it warms up later. Pretty much more of the same today for me. I sat at my piano yesterday and found I couldn’t pedal with the gammy leg. It sounded very peculiar so I gave up! Shepherds stopped watching, chestnuts stopped roasting on open fires, and DS took his ear plugs out!
Grandmabatty sorry to hear you’re unwell. Covid is no respecter of seasonal timing.
Stay indoors today, Ash!
Have the best day you can, folks.

🤦🏼‍♀️ I missed out your name Marydoll but the only Dollie on GM belongs to you. x

Good morning everyone from Carlisle where it is a toasty -4C. Well, that's an improvement on yesterday's -8. There's a bit more cloud about so snow? We are rather near southern Scotland where it's forecast.
I'm staying in today and catching up with some housework and glad not to be out defrosting my car.
Yesterday I was out to my appointment with the podiatrist. We ended up having a fairly political discussion as he also works with the NHS. Yes, lots of staff are leaving, it's worrying.

I went straight home, so cold out.

What jolly figures, grandMattie...love the colours.
And a really beautiful sunrise Nannagarra.

Grandmabatty, I hope you get well soon and can enjoy Christmas. Coddle yourself and don't do too much.

Have the best possible day all.

Morning,
It’s very frosty here today, very cold. Meeting some colleagues today for a catch up. Looking forward to seeing them.
Hope you feel better soon Grandmabatty.
Pretty tree, Maw.
Have the best day possible everyone.

Morning from a crisp sunny - but very chilly - S Yorks.

My thoughts with Covid and other poorlies. Susan something that will take so long to come to terms with.

Greyduster I really appreciate Zooms or similar as well, have a regular one which if i drove to would take well over an hour. Hope you heal quickly re walks and piano.

Lovely figures GM.

I've a no "must do's" day so will probably head for the gym where walks can be done safely!

Here’s Matt.

Good morning everyone from south Manchester where it’s sunny but we’ve had a night frost looking at the rooftops. Currently it’s minus 4°C here according to Alexa and will be zero degrees later.

Himself has just gone up the road to collect our shoes from our independent cobbler in his den. We do like to support him but were a bit taken aback on Tuesday when he charged £45 for the soles & heels on one pair and soles only on a pair of mine!

We are picking the Boy Wonder and L’l Miss up from school as they break up today for Christmas and will be very excited, so their mum thought a nice change to go straight home and not to their childminder’s (even though she is lovely and the BW has gone every school day for six years now, for his breakfast and after school pick up till 5pm).

Later we have friends coming over this evening, from Bolton where they still have snow on their side roads. They are neighbours in our Spanish home and we get on really well. We will have drinks in the bar below us then come up to eat. I’m doing pies ‘n’ peas and they’re bring a pud (which I should only have a spoon of!).

Ah Himself has just come back in. He showed me the ‘tyre’ track soles & heels on his shoes and said when he said to the cobbler I won’t be slipping in these he laughed and said “if you do, you need to take more lemonade with it!”.

Good morning grandmattie and all. Today it's grey and -3° here - with a pretty line of blue sky over the distant snow-covered hills. Just a thick frost here, but DD has just sent me a photo of a good 6" of 'proper' snow in her garden table.
Your three wise men are so colourful grandmattie! And I'm loving all the pictures on the thread this morning.
Sorry to hear your feeling so poorly Grandmabatty - stay cosy and get well soon. Ditto all the poorly grandchildren upset to be missing the pre-Christmas excitement.
Yesterday's tai chi class was its usual lovely self, and then we wandered along to the hotel for our Christmas lunch which was lovely too. When I got home I plonked myself down in a chair and promptly fell asleep! No stamina these days!
Today I shall start ploughing my way through all the present-wrapping, washing, ironing etc that has to be got through before I go away on the 21st. At least there's no food shopping to do!
Susan, my thoughts are with you in the horrific aftermath of that fire. There are no words 🌹
Have the best day you can everyone and stay cosy and warm x

Maw I assume you are using litotes for comic effect in that the image of the tree featuring a back pack is your DD’s.
Star Wars figure’s welcome here, as is a spare star (one year the baby himself 🤦‍♀️).

Good morning all from the Scottish Borders.
Still bitterly cold but at least my heating is working again. My new boiler can't cope with severe cold!
It snowed in the night so my car is buried again. A kind neighbour dug me out yesterday so I could drive to a rural Christmas lunch.
I shall be volunteering at the community shop later on but just catching up today.

Sorry to hear you have covid grandmabatty such bad luck.
Also sorry about the DGC who are missing end of term fun..
Your knitting is gorgeous gMattie
Get well soon wishes to the poorly ones . Happy birthday to DGD Brook.

A good Matt today Urms, and I love your cobbler's humour!

Good morning from a frosty West York's,it's minus 3 at the moment. I am out with friend today don't think we will be going far ,it's her birthday on Sunday so came may fo like our lunch.Sorry to read you have covi D Gmattie .💐 to all poorlies .

Good morning from a sunny but very cold Staffs. After well over a week (lost track of time!) of bad cough and cold together with a day of fainting and D&V I actually feel as if I could eat some porridge this morning-yay! We’ve missed SO many meet up including one of my lovely choir’s carol concert last night after their Christmas meal the night before. DH and I are SO fed up but, hey ho, on we go!