Good Morning Monday 9th December 2024

Thank you for the kind comments about my tree, 🎄. They are a faff to put up but pleased we went with the real one now!

Thank you also Annypop for the helpful tip on hanging the baubles.

FGT do hope your visit with DH to hospital went well🤞

Taichinan😂

Good morning Mick and all from 7°C Sunnyside northwest coast.
I’ll carry on making my Christmas cards today, although my new printer irritates me. I’d be quicker drawing my cards again.
Hope the gardener makes it today for a tidy up. I never know when he’s coming.

My BIL in the south is delighted with the Beverley Nichols’ books I send him, this time Laughter on the Stairs. He’s in his nineties, so pretty much housebound and it’s light reading.
Christmas trees looking nice here and thoughts to all🌺

Good morning from a grey but dry East Lothian. I’m in a panic today as I’ve realised we only have a week left before we return to West Sussex and I haven’t done half the things I planned. DH and I did a linocutting workshop just before we came up here and we brought our tiles with us thinking that we’d make our Christmas cards. We didn’t have any ink so planned to buy some when we arrived but we haven’t been anywhere with an art & craft shop. Why did I not order from A****n? Now it is probably too late as the ink takes ages to dry. Maybe they will be next year’s cards.

I also planned to do some Christmas baking but that hasn’t happened yet either. I think I now have all the ingredients for the Christmas cupcakes so maybe that’s today’s job.

Thoughts with all those plagued with pain and other health problems. Hope all goes well for MrFGT at the Christie.

Good morning everyone, another blustery day out there. I love your Christmas tree GrannyIvy.

Cold and grey but the wind seems to have moved off after a trying few days. Apparently no damage round here, so we have been lucky.

Will take the cards to the post and plan meals for the next few days to make some space in the freezer, but expect a quiet day, unlike that recorded by Marydoll. Hope today is less stressful!

Good morning all. It's a very dark and still morning with no frost on the Angus coast, but the sun is due to make an appearance later.
After my Christmas Bah Humbug moan yesterday I actually had a very productive and enjoyable day. The checkout was interesting - my present-shopping marathon came to £970,000!!! The girl had to put everything through a second time and it turned out that three pairs of socks had faulty price tags!
I haven't had time to have a proper look at all I've bought yet as when I got home it was time to get ready to go out for a Chinese Banquet with our tai chi group. We've been going to the same wonderful Chinese Restaurant for a Banquet every Chinese New Year since our group formed 15 years ago, but this year it is closing - its lease is up and more housing is to be built on the rather large plot on which it sits. Anyway we just had to fit one last Banquet in, and it didn't disappoint.
Today I'm off to get my new hearing aids - with my expectations managed (😉) and fingers and toes crossed. After that I'm meeting my niece for a quick bite of lunch and an exchange of gifts - assuming I have time to get to Waterstones for vouchers for my four great-great nephews and nieces first. Come to think of it, I haven't written their Christmas cards yet, so I must love you and leave you and dash!
My thoughts with all of you in pain and lingering sickness and love to all x

Good morning from a dry NE, still windy but not so strong.
Decorated the tree yesterday, checked the lights before putting them on the tree and they were fine so arranged them, checked again and yes they were fine. Put on all the baubles and bows and the angel on the top, turned on the lights and phut. I am not stripping it and starting again 😡
Burglar alarm and CCTV maintenance today and that is all the jobs done for this year.
Hope those who are poorly start to improve.

A late good morning from Shropshire where it is dull, damp and windy.

We are hoping to have a quiet couple of days before a busy end of the week.

We went for a similar sized tree to you GrannyIvy.

Kalu I first had accupuncture on my shoulder twenty years ago.I have had several courses of treatment over the years and it is only this year I have had to resort to steroid injections.I hope you have a similar success.

Slow and steady Ash.

Thoughts with all unwell.

Have the best day you can everyone🦩

Good morning all from Glasgow, where it's 1 °C.

Mizuna, what an upbeat post.😚

Unfortunately, I had the most awful night painwise and have had so little sleep. It was relentless, my CD medication, does not seem to be doing anything . Thank goodness I have a rheumatology appointment this week.
I may have to avoid the public today, I am what we rerm here, a nippy sweetie 😠

It didn't help that yesterday did not go to plan. I wandered into the sacristy, planning a gentle day, to find my friend on duty and in a total panic.
The Chief Sacristan had asked him to cover, knowing he had never done a Sunday Mass before, but had given him no guidance. We couldn't figure it out, because myself or the young sacristan usually cover the Chief at the weekend, if required.
He has been behaving oddly recently, I am beginning to wonder if he has health issues.

Sunday morning Mass is a High Mass and we had three new altar servers into the bargain.
It was really stressful, especially one is rather lively and a lit thurible and incense were added the mix. The only way to describe it was absolute chaos.
The P,P appeared and he was in a strange mood, turned out he was on steroids! He had no idea that my friend was really stressed, until he explained that I had stepped in.

Having trained servers many years ago, I reverted to teacher mode and started giving directions, splitting up the experienced servers, who are prone to talking ( they were not happy) on the altar and re-arranging things.
My friend was astonished at how different Sunday procedures are for a weekday. He kept telling me how grateful he was and hadn't realised it was a totally different ball game from weekdays.

I was so annoyed at him being asked, because his new grandson was born in the early hours of Saturday and his seriously ill wife needed him too. He was exhausted, but felt he couldn't ask me, because I was unwell.
His son and DIL had experienced multiple miscarriages and lost a baby at a week old, earlier in the year. I wept tears of joy, when I heard the news on Saturday. DH thought someone had died! 😭

No rest today either. I arrived home to find DH had put up the tree in the living room it was carnage. On going upstairs, I found the spare room full of the conservatory tree and decorations, all throwing in with gay abandon. Today I will put up the tacky tree, as I call it. It will be covered in decorations, my children chose or made when they were children.

Before going to bed, I could not find my keys. No problem, I thought, because it has Tile attached. One hour later, I still hadn't found them. By this time it was midnight. I found them, in the spare room, inside my boot, hidden by a large Christmas tree. I am slowly going mad!

Have a gentle day folks and take care. I will read properly later.

Good morning Mick and everyone from calm, clear-skied Carlisle.

I had a better night's sleep last night, I did some stretching exercises once in bed and then again this morning before I got up. It helps. However, first thing I'm still walking around and feeling like a real old lady. I know I am one but until last week, I certainly did not feel like one!

Fairly shortly, I am off to the hospital for an annual review of my haemochromatosis. I shall be hoping more blood-letting is not on the cards. I go early because car parking is such a challenge. I must, must, must remember to take the Christmas cards with me to post. It's earlier than I usually post but they have second-class stamps on and I'm a bit cynical about the Mail's priorities.

Once home, there's bedding to change and the washing machine to activate but that will be it on the chores front.

I hope all you poorlies are on the mend and everyone has a pleasant day.

Good morning all from a dry but still windy Black country yesterday was nonstop wind and rain.
Housework today then I may put the tree up, all cards have been written and posted.
Will get me a cuppa and catch up with everybody's happenings 37 posts already.
Take care out there and I hope the poorlies are improving ☀️

Your 🎄 tree is beautiful GrannyIvy! Truly. Bigger isn’t always better. I think yours is perfect!

Such a beautiful tree GrannyIvy. I love the ballerinas. We use those wire hangers for the heavier decorations. They work much better on a real tree rather than relying on string or ribbon. Tends to prevent sliding.

Good Morning from a very still Co Armagh,
the washing machine is chugging away , I hope to get it hung out before walking up to Mass
Bit of shopping then I must get some of the squares sewn together , our Wednesday club excelled themselves and we are hoping to finish our blanket in January and donate it to a charity .
My hands have been too painful to do much sewing , I am sewing the knit Squares , another club member is sewing the crochet squares
It’s brightening up now so no doubt a chilly day ahead
Take care and have a good day

Phew so relieved it done!

Good morning all and it’s quiet out there with rain due later.

This morning I have Chimes group and we’ll have a little party. Music, singing , then nibbles and mulled wine. How lovely! Better than all the ‘posh’ dinner and dance balls we used to go to at this time of year. Not for me anymore!

oops take care with that toe.
My toes have been sore since I had a pedicure 10 days ago! 😳.
Ash take care with your hip.

Liberty thanks again for your kind pm yesterday. 🙏.

Have a ‘good’ day all 🌟

Good morning from a dry and still Suffolk after quite a calm if somewhat chilly day yesterday. We escaped the storm lightly.

December is a busy month for us apart from DGD4 becomes a teenager tomorrow. As DS and her favourite uncle says “ Heaven help us all,”DGS3 is 11 on the 17th,it is our wedding anniversary on the 22nd and DH’s birthday on the 28th.

I have to remember to organise presents and cards for these amongst the Christmas shopping.

Hope today is a positive one for all.

Good morning from Cambridgeshire where it is 6 degrees but wind chill factor and rain today.

DD2 is still struggling after her fall in the shower last week and needs help so I’m off to clean and iron this morning. It will be the school pick up later and little monkey has his gym class.

My tree made it up yesterday, we opted for a real one that smells so lovely but wish we had gone bigger it is quite small this year. Also my lovely wicker tree skirt would not fit over the stand we stood the tree in. Some of my baubles were too heavy and kept sliding off the tree. Most frustrating. DH gets very grumpy on tree decorating day his job being sorting lighting out😂

Wishing everyone a good day.🎄

Good morning everyone from south Manchester where it’s dry, quiet and seems mild enough. We are off to Christie’s at noon as Himself has an out patient appointment for bloods and review in clinic this afternoon. 🤞

Good morning all. We are promised a dry day with sunshine in Glasgow today.

Phoning the surgery first thing hoping my request for Tramadol is prescribed.

Thank you to all for your much appreciated support.
Grammaretto, I will make an appointment with a local acupuncturist. I have also added turmeric to my morning smoothie mix as you suggested. I am throwing everything everything at my body in the hope something works to return me back to a pain free existence.

An at home day foutering about and looking forward to DD1 dropping in for coffee after the school drop off.

Best wishes to all for a good day and a better day for all with worries and health struggles.

Jaxjacky thank you for the heads-up. I would have been disappointed ☺️

Good morning all from County Durham.
Yesterday we chose our tree and now it stands proudly in the living room. I love adding new decorations bought on various trips during the year as special memories.
A favourite decoration is a polystyrene bauble with bite marks from a toddler convinced she had found an apple some 11 years ago now. I shall never part with it and remind her every year.
Today exercise class then a Christmas lunch to look forward to.
School pick up later today, four again instead of our usual three. It should be fun!
Have a good day everyone.

Morning from a positively calm S Hants, just a breeze, yesterday we had wind and rain, MrJ went to watch Finley play football and came back chilled through.
Enjoy your company corner
Grandmabatty if it’s the Christmas RT I don’t think it’s out until tomorrow?
Voluntary phone today, I might play hookey for an hour, there’s a Carol service in the village church, quiz tonight.
🦩🦩

Morning Mick and All from a damp South Bucks.

It was so cold and windy yesterday, I can’t remember such inclement weather for a long time. I don’t know how our GN friends in the North and West cope with extreme cold. I think I have become a southern softie.

Dropping DH off at the Cottage Hospital, or whatever they call it now, to see the Voice Coach to improve his croaky voice brought on by covid