'supporting each other through really tough times'

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Had a great day yesterday with my parents and MIL joining us for lunch. The parsnips and sprouts were fresh from the garden half an hour before they were cooked. Mum and dad went home late afternoon and as they were leaving BIL, SIL and Oh's aunt arrived for a buffet tea and a bowling tournament on the wii. MIL and the aunt loved the shopping bags that I made fro them as part of their gifts.

MIL took us all out for a Christmas dinner today and then back to hers where she informed us she had prepared a buffet tea for us. When we left she sent us home with all of the leftover bits she did not want !!! Spent too long on my feet yesterday so paying the price for that today.

Back to work tomorrow followed by the big family meet up at tea time at my parents for my side of the family (2 parents, 4 sisters, 3 partners and 11 grandchildren :eek:). As you can imagine there will be a lot of unwrapping of presents and the paper will be flying everywhere. I have made gift bags of HM goodies for my sisters which include Christmas cookies aka twinks hobnobs with added cranberries .

Thursday will see me trying to finally start to make in roads into our leftovers.

Right better get off to bed if I want to stand a chance of getting to work by 7am.

Hope you all continue to enjoy your Christmas celebrations.

Mrs VP

Possession

Just popping in to say hello, as am pooped and will be off to bed in a minute. We've done both our family Christmases and both were lovely, the children all got on and loved their presents. DS didn't get to sleep until 1am on xmas day and DD woke at 3.30 and didn't get back to sleep so Father Christmas had a very small window of opportunity but he made it. Phew! We've barely been home an hour and the presents in bags have been dumped all over the downstairs so a bit of tidying up is in order, plus we need to do some food shopping, but other than that I'm planning to do exactly nothing for the whole day. Bliss. Am rather hoping for a lie-in too.

Popperwell

Nutty P,
Nearly 30 years ago we got our first Sony TV which we thpught was really swish probably because it had Nicam Stereo and it had to be purchased on credit coming in at around £500:eek:

Really it wasn't that big, I am guessing 21" inches but it was OK for us. We did not want one that dominated the lounge.

Earlier this year as things knowing how tight income is likely to get for all of us(and because like your TV it is playing up)I got a Samsung LED TV(I think)at Tesco and it cost £250(I think)cheaper than the old TV(I bet it doesn't last as long...but of course it is slimer and is the new shape they make them these days, it is difficult to gauge what size is suitable.

I think I went for 32" so not a massive one. As they always go on about those on low incomes or benefits as owning. My thought being I can always move nearer to it if I need to, I don't watch much TV anyhow...and should I stop watching I have not spent a lot on it.

Also if I have to downsize the room could be smaller than what I have now. Or it might have to go into a bedroom. And as they keep changing the technology it could soon be out of date. Mine doesn't have 3D.

Amazing to think how the prices have reduced.

monnagran

Wonderful day today. I spent it on the sofa, eating chocolates and catching up on Christmas TV. Dined on sandwiches and LOs. Back to reality tomorrow.

Pops: Your old TV sounds like mine. I also never wanted the TV to be a focal point, so had a small one tucked into a corner. Twenty plus years on it was kept together by gaffer tape and my sons teased me about it constantly. Then I moved in with The Rev and now we have a 48" monstrosity with about 600 channels (of which I watch about 5) which calls forth little cries of wonder and envy from visiting men - the women cluck sympathetically.

I'm off to bed with a new book. Bliss.

x

MrsCD

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

I'd prep'd the veggies on Christmas Eve so all I had to do on the day was turn the pans on and wait for them to cook, put the little turkey roast and pork roasts in the oven, then the little sausages, stuffing and pre-made (a couple of days ago), frozen titchy puds in last. Gravy made just before going to the table and voila! The easiest Christmas dinner ever. No stress or anything. I think I have used up my stress quota for this year.

Back to work today though. I must have been more tired than I thought because I slept in, sort of. I had to be at work for 9.45 and I woke up at 9am :eek: Just made it in time. Glad I only live about 10 minutes away.

Monnagran - you are a-maz-ing, in the words of Mr Craig R-H.
Enjoy your time off and put your feet up - you deserve it :A

ginnyknit

I got a free 19" flat screen with my insurance policy last month and I love it. I moved the old one - free from the same with Oh's policy last year, that was a 16" and everyone thought I was crazy having such a small tv but I loved that too. I only got the bigger one because it happened to be bigger one on offer.

Glad you got to put your feet up Monnagran, well deserved I say. I have had a thoroughly lovely Christmas. thanks to kidcats advice we took things low key with DGs,a few well chosen gifts spread out and a nice walk round the resevoirs with Mummy and daddy today so he wasnt the slightest bit stressed. Christmas eve morning they took him swimming which he loved especailly as grandad got to go as they chose a pool with a slope for access and excellent disabled facilities.

I am now off to bed with my 2p books that Ds got me off Amaz*n - I bet him he couldnt get them for less than 50p so he did me proud.

Prudence

Morning all (well it will be when you get to read this ). Have thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in all your Christmas plans over the past few weeks, and have a much better understanding now. So different to what I'm accustomed to!

Ginny thank you for your expression of interest in a different way of things, I'm never quite sure how the majority of you feel about the outsider in your playground.

No shopping for food in our house, other than tomatoes, bananas and watermelon. The under-generation all left town for parts afield, and I'm accustomed to OH working Christmas Day (and getting well fed into the bargain) so it came as a bit of a surprise to learn he'd be home this year. Coles brochure had a recipe for mango and peanut chicken, and as I'd bought a tray of mango's (18 for $12) a week before, it made good use of the one which ripened faster than the rest. Peanut butter I had because I hide it, otherwise it disappears leaving spoon shaped excavations in the jar. A kg of chicken pieces from the freezer cost $2.99 on special, and after marinading overnight, I just upended the lot into the slow cooker. Boiled rice, a bit of salad, and that was that.

I did buy OH a present this year: 5 videos for $1 from the op-shop, including the Star Wars trilogy boxed set. And I did rather well myself, as he gave me 'Claude Monet, Life at Giverny', a book purchased from the zoo docents, also $1

I think the temperature reached the forecast 40C, so we didn't bother going to the beach, watch Star Wars instead. As this is the first bit of hot weather, the house is still cool and the sea breeze was around most of the day, so it was not at all uncomfortable. Ask me again at the end of this week, as we have 40's all week and high 30's next week!

TV offerings are pretty much all programs you are familiar with...watched Dr Who and the snowmen last night.

Enough gabbing, time to turn my attention to the new year. I love the transition days between the end of one year and the start of the new. I'm thinking of making menu planning my resolution. I can plan holidays, what to wear, what to do, so why is menu planning so hard!

meme30

Prudence:- it's lovely hearing about things that are so different. It's a quarter to eight in the morning here and I am drooling at the Mango and Peanut chicken recipe! :drool: It's also lovely to visualise the heat and the sea breezes, I have sea breezes envy too.:D

Today is our quiet day, so the meals will be leftovers and a gastronomic hoovering up of the last bits of Chocolate Torte and the Lemon Cheesecake. Isn't it funny how after a couple of days of indulgence, 'plain' food sounds so yummy!
I am debating whether to cross the doors or just vegetate one more day. We don't need anything and I have plenty to keep me occupied. DH will probably have a look at the Airf*x kit I bought him. So there you go, it's a bone idle day for us!:rotfl:
Writing this listening to Carols from Kings, brilliant way to start the day.:)

mardatha

I'm having a very nice xmas. Not heard one single carol or watched one single xmas prog (yaaay lol) Just very quiet peaceful days floating around the net or reading. Got great book from my son, called "Witch Light" which is sort of the diary of a girl accused as a witch but who witnessed the Massacre of Glencoe. So a mix of spookyness and history, both subjects dear to me.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007321600/sr=8-3/qid=1356447472/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1356447472&seller=&sr=8-3
And thee best moment of xmas came yesterday when I found Most Haunted on TV Catchup - and got to yell at Yvette and tell them what I thought of them :rotfl::rotfl:

SDG31000

Hello Everyone

I am glad that everyone had such a lovely Christmas You all deserve it.

I went to DPIL's on Christmas Eve and got back last night, so no leftover Turkey here to deal with. I'm quite disappointed as now I have to think of things to cook. It was a nice Christmas with a few moments spent biting my tongue nearly in half thanks to my BIL. He brought my atheist DS1 a Manga Bible and a book answering questions about God as Christmas presents. Apparently he feels that my son needs "saving". I'm not sure what he thinks he needs saving from, but I was ready to tear his head off at several points during yesterday. I hope that DH's talk with him has made it clear that such things are not appropiate.

DH is back at work and I am surrounded by bags of presents that need to find new homes. Not as many as there used to be as the monsters much prefer envelopes with cash in now. When they were little I was still trying to put Christmas presents away when the birthday ones started arriving.

I had better go and put the washing machine on and find something to defrost for dinner.

Take care everyone ((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))