No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

Hoipolloi

Thanks for the welcome! Am sure to join in

flowertotmum

Hi all..wow its chilly here tonight..a clear sky and almost full moon..not much happening at FT mansion..we spent today learning all about Christmas traditions from around the world..fascinating..we also learnt about Victorian Christmas's..and how tree's became part of our celebrations..as well as crackers.

We then chose fabric pieces and cut out tree shapes..we are going to sew up the edges and stuff with cotton wool for hanging in the living room off the picture frames..i found a little template for origami trees..so simple and they look so cute..i used old books pages to make them..i was impressed with myself.

We just had a snack for tea tonight..beans on toast and Fern had spaghetti on toast..lovely..simple yet filling.

Candlelight did you have a nice lunch with your friends..your only as old as you feel..i feel like an 18 yr old most of the time..until someone shouts "grandma" lol..

Hoglet..o lovely fresh tomatoes..i hope your limes do well..i have just bought a bag full of limes and lemons to freeze for Christmas..have a lovely weekend..

MLW..hello my lovely..how are you doing..you going to see Nell tomorrow with the choir?..is Ezra ready for his first Christmas..its so exciting..

AOT..hello how are you? is your arm healing well now..

Kate..lol at the needles..i never liked them either but i have had some massive ones shoved in bum cheeks for iron injections..other needles are nothing compared to them..

Hoipolli..hello..welcome to the best thread on here..lovely ladies and friends for ever..

right got to go..hubby making me a cuppa..then bedtime
love to you all
ftm

candlelight_2013

:xmassign: Hello all,

A cold but dry day here today, but quite a heavy frost first thing.

I stripped the bed and put clean linen on, washed the bedding and a load of coloureds.

We went to Sainsbobs because I had £50 of nectar points to use, so stocked up store cupboard, and Himself found a pair of trousers he liked. Popped up to see DD for half an hour, and then came back and blitzed the bathroom.

We have just had a sandwich and Himself is contemplating an afternoon siesta:p

FTM I had a lovely lunch thank you, and it was good to catch up of their news. We go to a pub near to the office we worked in, and it has just been refurbished, so it looked very Christmasey. I had a mini fish and chips with tartar sauce and it was lovely, just enough for me.

Hoglet the garden sounds as though it is coming along nicely, there is nothing like a warm home grown tomato, is there? The wheelbarrow of meat you won has really done you proud, and what a saving.

Lyn I hope you are enjoying your weekend away, and the concert tonight.

DGD1 may be coming tomorrow. She is going to an Indian wedding today with a friend, but I said if she is too tired tomorrow not to worry.

I have decorated our fireplace with greenery, lights and baubles and DGD has spray painted some branches, and she is going to decorate these with lights and baubles when she comes. I was telling her that we did this the year before we married and she seemed keen to do the same.

I think that is all my ramblings, have a good weekend and stay warm.

Much love

Candlelightx:j:xmastree:

ArthriticOldThing

Hello everyone. Sorry not posted for a while but been 'silly busy' in RL. I've been having trouble with HRMC who send me nasty letters but won't pick up the phone or reply to emails.


My hand is healing but still tender and painful at times. It's not going to be as neat a scar as the other hand but I'm not bothered about that - as long as the tenderness goes.


It was lovely and sunny here this morning though still cold, but now its gone very dark and the sky is heavy with cloud - hope it doesn't mean snow!!


I'm supposed to be going out with my DIL today but she is running late as usual. She is a lovely girl but a very poor timekeeper.

candlelight_2013

AOT it is so good to "see " you, sorry about the nasty letters, how rude not to answer the phone. Sometimes you actually need to speak to someone to sort the problem out.

I have a friend who had both wrists done, and one was much better than the other.

Take care if you are going shopping becaus it is really busy out there.

Much love

Candlelighx

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone, the concert last night was wonderful and we went to have mince pies and a glass of wine for those who like it afterwards then walked home on a frosty very cold night under a full moon and saw all the Christmas trees lit in front windows, I got some of the Christmas magic back, it now feels like Christmas is underway. Today we went to a bigger town locally on the bus, quite a ride but a nice place to visit and DD treated us to a cream tea in a local hotel instead of us having lunch, lovely treat and much appreciated. Nice to be back home now with the woodstove lit, Christmas carols on and the Christmas tree lit. Tea in the offing in the not too distant future DD is trying to wrap presents on the rug in front of the stove and Pushycat is 'Helping Mummy!!!' so he'll be the one wearing the cellotape then!!!


Back home on the train tomorrow and looking forward to seeing my Docky dog again, hopefully he'll be there to meet me at the station when I arrive, Lyn xxx.

hoglet121

Good morning everyone :-)

Everyone sounds so busy!

FTM - how lovely learning about the different Christmas Traditions. Here people tend to eat a lot lighter food as it is so hot (or it's supposed to be at least!) - lots of salads, fish and of course the BBQ is fired up. Lots of family outdoor games - cricket and camping and the beach if it's nearby.

Candlelight - your fireplace decoration sounds so lovely, what a wonderful tradition

We had a RELATIVELY relaxing weekend - but honestly, where does the time go?

DH treated me to a little shopping trip in the cookshop (50% sale on :-) ) so I got some new tins to be part of my Christmas gift. He says there's no point him choosing as he'd get it wrong, far better that I go and choose. I lot a long thin tart tin, a deeper flan tin, a small baking tin of the sort for making mince pies and 4 little pudding tins that would make a pannacotta very well. Also the coffee and tea canisters I've liked for ages were half price so we were able to replace those at long last. The previous ones (bought in a fit of haste in Wilkos many years ago and I've always hated) have been passed onto my cousin who will either use them herself or pass them onto someone who will find a good home for them.

Yesterday we finally bought the final touch for our upcoming camping trip - a gazebo party shade which will a) stop the leak at the main tent zip and b) stop us going insane if the rain comes down like it did last year. We sat cooped up in the samll living area with DH saying how miserable a holiday this was..... until we accepted the weather wasn't going to improve and we de-camped out to see the local area. Anyway, it was almost half price, and I've been sitting waiting all year for the price to drop, so time to get it.

My cousin came round yesterday and we did the Christmas Day menu planning - divying out jobs to all the family coming. We all have something to contribute to the brunch, dinner and snacks, but only 1 or 2 items at the most for each person. Other family members had said they were happy to be told what to bring so we divided it out fairly and sent the list out, with the option for people to sugeest alternatives if they were unhappy. Everyone has said they're pleased so we can't have got it too wrong! It sounds like a right old mission doesn't it, but we try to make sure people's contributions are mindful of their circumstances at the same time as preventing 1 person being landed with everything. We also have some who love cooking and those that hate it, so the cooking haters bring a salad or garlic bread etc etc....

We'll be taking a tent and camping out, and my cousin's kids will be in their tent to make some more room in the house, so it sounds like it'll be a real family fun day. They have just started catching fish from the river estuary close to them so we'll take the fishing rods and try our luck for an extra something for dinner...

Anyway, managaed to fit in a wee bit of work yesterday and get the place hoovered, cats brushed, bed changed, washing done, soups cooked, ironing done, shopping topped up with yellow stickered fresh things (long sweet peppers - which I roasted and stuffed with tomatoes, cheese, parsley, garlic, olives and bread crumbs, - also found red kale, tomatoes, grains and seed sourdough and cranberry and walnut sourdough) DH made mince pies and I think that's about summed it all up!

I should be getting on wiht some work,

love to you all

Hoglet x

candlelight_2013

:snow_laug Hello all,

Very cold here today but dry. Took DD to do her weekly shop at As*a. and it wasn't too busy. although we did go early. shortly after 9.
She is taking us out to a carvery tomorrow, so that is something nice to look forward to and no cooking for me:j can't be bad.

HOGLET your Christmas sounds really exciting and how nice that each of you make certain dishes, and that you are kind enough to take into account their circumstances. Fancy camping under the stars on Christmas Eve, we can only imagine how lovely that will be.

AOT do you remember you told me about gluten free mince pies from M&S, well my DGD1 bought me a box when she visited yesterday and also a box from Te*co Have had 2 of the M&S and they are lovely, very short pastry. She is such a good girl, and I understand she has found some GF shortbread that I might be having at Christmas:p

DGD1 also brought down some tree branches which she had spray painted silver and she dressed it with silver and white decorations and fairy lights, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. She and her BF stayed for tea and we had a lovely time.

I have to go to the post office on Wednesday for more stamps and to send a couple of things off. I bought my piece of beef and piece of gammon today and they are in the freezer, together with the turkey crown so on track for Christmas.

Have friends coming for supper on Thursday and exchanging presents so looking forward to that.

Hope everyone is well, and the main thing keeping warm, I am miserable when I am cold:eek:

Have a lovely evening

Much love

Candlelightx:xmastree:

ArthriticOldThing

Glad you're enjoying the mince pies candlelight. I'm jealous as neither of the two M&S stores near me have them in. I've tried the Tesco ones though and they are quite nice as well.
I've been persuaded to spend Christmas with my DIL's parents this year and have had the 20 questions on 'what can we get for you to eat?' Have told them not to worry as I'll take my own treats and they eat fairly healthily in any case.
All the Christmas presents and cards are bought but have not yet started on wrapping or writing.:eek: I must get going though.

candlelight_2013

AOT how nice to have an invite. I think you are right, it is mainly the treats we need to be careful with. Meat and veg are fine, and I am OK with gravy as far as I can see, and I certainly don't eat as much bread as I used to. I find GF bread very dry so usually toast it.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas with DIL parents, I am sure they will look after you

Much love

Candlelightx