Good Morni9ng Wednesday 18th December 2024

Good morning from Durham. Black dark here and very windy.
Our troubles shared, weren’t quite halved yesterday, but my friend and I got a lot off our minds and chests - we know we must just go with the flow.
Today, I’ve a friend calling for coffee at 10, a delivery of logs and I’m babysitting DGS2 tonight , so I’ll have to be away by 3.45.
I’m sorry to hear the lurgy has descended on so many GNs and loved ones. Stay safe and warm.

Best wishes to all. X

Good morning all and it’s dark and breezy out there.

Yesterday I popped in to see my friend whose Dh has advanced Parkinsons. Oh dear life is very sad for them now. I always offer help but realistically there’s little I can do.😢.

I then went on to pick up another friend for Bridge. She had a cataract done over two weeks ago and hasn’t felt right since. Giddy, nautious and unbalanced. I’m taking her shopping today, just for a few vital bits she needs, and she can hold on to me. We’ll have a coffee in our usual place.

Dh has the chiropodist this afternoon .

Roses this current virus/cold is really hanging on . Lots of people round here with it too. We have escaped it 🤞for now.
Hope you feel better soon 💐

GM and Karma take it easy.

I’m glad Oldudders make it back with no problems.

Take care and keep cosy 🌟

After yesterday’s mammoth efforts by Wonderful Cleaner I have an immaculate house which will have to last for a fortnight though I can of course do something myself as the need arises. I have been spoiled, that’s the problem. Craft group this morning, last bit of present wrapping this afternoon, so an easy day.

Sorry that so much lingering illness is spoiling life, and hope today brings improvement. The depths of winter are so discouraging.

Good morning everyone from south Manchester where it’s dry and Alexa tells us it’s 12°C! Positively balmy.

I’m meeting Teacher Daughter at noon for a coffee. Be nice to have half an hour together. She’s on PPA and she’ll swing by on her way home (lunch) and I’ll pass her the bag I’ve been adding to which will be stocking fillers! Each time L’il Miss has seen a small treat and implored “please grandma? 🙏 “ I’ve returned to the shop after she’s gone home and bought said item. Father Christmas must just KNOW exactly the right things to bring on his sleigh! A week today “he’ll have been”. 😁

This teatime (early doors - why wait when we’re all retired) about 5pm we’re looking forward to meeting up with our friends from Bolton in the pub round the corner then a curry. They too have an apartment in Málaga in our block which is how we first came to know them. They’re such good company, we love catching up with them and they’ve become some of our favourite people. Lucky us making such good friends in later life.

Good morning all from the Scottish Borders where it's blowing a hoolie. I was lying awake listening to it. Yesterday my neighbour told me one of my trees had come down hitting part of his house, on Sunday.
Nobody was hurt but what a fright they will have had.
That tree has been removed and a tree surgeon has told me that 2 other trees will need felled.
Meanwhile in my newly plastered sitting room, part of the new ceiling has fallen down. The plasterer says it's never happened before in 17years.
😮☹️
I am glad DH is safely back with you Ash
Your church is very lucky to have that blueberry jam gMattie
😋
The nativity play sounds perfect joy greyduster
I hope you feel better soon Roses
I live on vitamins and turmeric all year round mind you I still get colds
Have the best day possible everyone.

Good morning from a still calm Suffolk. Sorry to hear of this nasty bug still hanging around for some of you. Apart from a lingering cough I still have,we seem to have escaped it.

I have my monthly all day meeting starting shortly and then have beds to think of making for the Bristol family arriving tomorrow for a few days………5 plus dog.

Hope today is a good one for all.

Good morning everyone from a wet and blustery Northampton, but supposed to clear up later.

Stayed dry for our well-being walk yesterday, our last until the New Year, so a three week break.

Out for lunch again today at the pub on the corner, so a 5 minute walk for me; I am meeting another teaching colleague from school in the 1970s, so an over 50 years friendship. Her husband is coming along too; they were very good to me back then when my DH was working abroad for long periods of time, and I was left at home alone, with invites for a meal every week, and outings at the weekend. I will invite them back to mine afterwards for a coffee and mince pies.

Hoping that all have a pleasant day.

Morning all from a grey and blustery West Oxfordshire.

It is the U3A Christmas lunch today so we are looking forward to that. We had to choose our food in advance - I am having prawn cocktail, pork and chocolate log. On the way back I will pick up a couple of click and collect parcels in Waitrose.

Still no sign of my food processor

Have a good day - some of you are so busy!

Ash Christmas together then for you lovebirds. 😁👍 🎄

Good morning from windy South Lanarkshire.

Grammaretto that’s awful, you’ve had such a hard time with your ceiling and now trees coming down to add to your troubles. ☹️

Sorry to hear that many of you are under par.

I’m having a frivolous morning, having my nails done then DH and I will head into the west end and reminisce nostalgically about our Christmases when we were first married and lived there.

Have the best day possible everyone.

Good morning all from Polmont where it's currently 11°, wet and windy. Susan sorry about your mum. It's a rollercoaster at times. Bellasnana dgs2 is a fan of hoovering too.
Yesterday was such a lovely day with dgs2. He was on good form and we played hide and seek three times, he painted, drew and we read books. I made slides with the couch cushions and he loved that too. So that's the full day childcare done, except for holidays. I have mixed emotions: I'm sad because I've mostly enjoyed it and glad because I'm not nearly as fit as I would like to be for two energetic boys. But not all change is bad.
Today I'm up later after a restless night. I have an appointment with the practice nurse who is going to take me to task. Then the last of the Christmas presents need bought. This afternoon I'll deliver the local Christmas cards -dgs2 had no wish to help yesterday - and wrap more presents. Have a good day all

Grammaretto that is indeed a buggeration for you. 💐

I had to look up Jerusalem artichoke karma! 🤣

“People also ask
Why does my stomach hurt after eating Jerusalem artichoke?
There's a reason sunchokes have attracted the charming sobriquet of "fartichoke," and it's called inulin—a carbohydrate that our bodies can't digest, leaving bacteria to pick up the slack and resulting in some pretty antisocial gut activity, including abdominal cramping, gas, and diarrhea.”

😮

Good morning Mick and everyone from dark, wet and windy Carlisle.
Another bad night for me, if it's a virus it's taking a long time to go. It's been a fortnight now.

I went into town early, collected my prescription and stocked up on the paracetamol which I have reluctantly started taking.
I avoided ogling the sweaters in M&S as I passed through encouraged by thinking they'd be cheaper in the January sales. Heaven knows where I'd put any more, my drawers are stuffed!
To think that once DH and I shared the fairly modest provision in our bedroom and didn't feel deprived.

The weather makes me feel lethargic mentally and physically. I am going to have to kick ass very hard this morning and sort stuff out as well as catching up with some admin.

Grammaretto I feel you will be so relieved to move out of that house! I hope you're not getting too stressed out with its problems.

Yes, I know all about the after effects of Jerusalem artichokes FGT ! I used to grow them as they were absolutely trouble-free and prolific. I used to love cream of artichoke soup but the after effects were horrendous, the Met Office would have given me a Force 10 gale warning! I eventually dug them all out. If you ever garner your worst enemies round your dinner table, give them cream of artichoke soup and send them quickly on their way to suffer elsewhere!

Here's wishing us all a bit of sun, have the best possible day everyone.

Good morning Mick and all from a breezy but brightening northwest coast.

Last meet up of the music club until next year yesterday, I read two of my poems and we had Christmas cake and mince pies.
Then dashed off to buy a convector heater recommended by a friend, a quick meal and a little rest before going to see the ballet Nutcracker from Covent Garden at the cinema. So beautiful and the refurbished cinema very comfortable with big squashy reclining chairs and tables.

Preparations today for travelling south to stay with DD, back on the 23rd. Probably will not see my Dsister as very unwell with what she thinks is Norovirus. A lot of it about and thoughts to all here with sickness🌺

Good morning from a very windy NE, been a noisy night.
Today is DS' s 53rd birthday, he will be celebrating with his family and I will see him at the weekend.
Long talk with DD on the phone last night about my sister, due to the fracture in her neck she has to wear a brace for 8 weeks. DD is on standby to travel to Germany but I will be very angry if they discharge my sister to a block of flats without a lift.
A neighbour went and collected essential items and took them to the hospital, she said the flat looked like a crime scene, so much blood everywhere.
SIL is coming to take me shopping today, I have to try and get enough to cover all eventualities because if DD goes to Germanay then he will leave too.
GD is home from university and her sister is on holiday from school so perhaps I will see them.
Have the best day you can.

Good morning from a very wet and windy Stockport.
A very regular reader here who had to comment on Greyduster’s nativity story.
Mt stepGC went to a Catholic infant school and a new HT came who was very dour and very unpopular and who regularly clashed with parents and the chair of the Governers.
I was invited to the first Nativity she was there.
She announced before the performance that this was a solemn and religious story and was to be received as such.
There was to be no waving at children etc and any little mistakes were to be ignored, certainly not laughed at or noticed in any way.
It was a very upsetting affair.
Part of the charm with young children is their interpretation and the little mishaps like the Angels halos hanging off and Mary dropping the baby Jesus.
To me it should be a joyous affair with Mums and Dads and GPs sniffing into tissues.
I miss those days of my own C and GC taking part.
I now have an 11 month old GGD but am unlikely to be around to see her at school.

Good morning from West Sussex - we arrived back from Scotland at 11pm. Train slightly late arriving in London, otherwise a good journey with trains not crowded. Blue sky here. Alexa says it’s 13C outside.

Sorry to read of so much illness and hope all suffering from these persistent viruses feel better soon. Harrigran, what a worrying situation with your sister in Germany. Will she be entitled to any support at home?

Grammaretto, what a pain that ceiling is. I hope your plasterer can give it a firm talking to.

I must go and get some milk and fruit juice. Then must finish the Christmas cards (I fondly imagined we’d do them while away).

Good morning all. High winds and more rain here in Glasgow.

I had a very busy active day yesterday which I enjoyed thanks to new pain relief meds. It felt good to be pain free and ‘normal’ again.
My physio phoned requesting I go to the surgery for bloods and urine tests to be done before she gives me a list of physio
exercises to follow. Having had a few full nights sleep has also helped immensely with my energy levels.

Grammaretto My heart sank for you. I hope the ceiling fiasco is dealt with rapidly. 🤞
Georgesgran Go with the flow is my daily motto. 💐

Have the best day possible all.

I nearly posted early from the north of Scotland where it is very mild. However all the neighbours were putting the bins out simultaneously and a very long catchup ensued.
While we were all chatting the cars were speeding through the village as if it was a race track in spite of enhanced signage.
However the good result is that we will all meet in our local cafe this afternoon.

I’m very late this morning. It was nearly 9 am when I climbed out of bed. I had my breakfast and then my daughter messaged to ask how I was and tell me she had sciatica. We then FaceTimed for nearly an hour.

Today I plan to tidy up especially my craft room so I can wrap some presents.

I hope all bugs are cleared up soon and if not bag them up and leave for Father Christmas to take away with strict instructions not to drop them down anyone’s chimney. 🎄

Usedtobeblonde she sounds like a right bundle of joy! There was lots of waving at parents going on yesterday before the performance started.