Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's harder to leave... addictive. Probably best/easiest to stay absent else you find a whole 2-3 years has slipped by and you didn't notice!

All the best to you for 2016.

Very easy for the time to slip by on here.

Hope you have a great 2014.

LydiaJ

Spirit wrote: »

I have a Christmas jumper . My first.

I have bought my first this year too. I didn't bother when work (remember I work in a school) had a "Christmas jumper day" a year ago, but when they had one again at the end of last term, I realised it was going to be an annual occurrence and therefore worth getting one for. I have this one from George:

Spirit wrote: »

DD bought it for me. She and her bf are taking us to the
pantomime tomorrow evening.

I find such things painful. Need to lighten up.

I have avoided "proper" pantomimes since I was a child myself. Before my kids started at primary school, they were clearly young enough not to realise they were missing anything. When they were at primary school, their school took them to the panto at the theatre in town. Now that they are at secondary school, DS isn't interested in such things, and although DD still wants to go to one, she gets to watch the staff panto at her school, so I am happily off the hook.

silvercar wrote: »

Isn't the problem with Xmas jumpers that you can only wear them in this time of year and need a new one each year? So don't want to spend fortunes?

Cost per outing for Xmas jumpers must be high.

Why would one need a new one every year? Now that I have bought one, I have every intention of wearing it every year until I wear it out.

SingleSue wrote: »

Not a huge Star Wars fan ...I'm more of a Star Trek fan.

Agree with you on that one.

LydiaJ

silvercar wrote: »

I'm posting from my phone - so can't find now. But somewhere in the great sea of this forum, someone started a thread asking for nominations for most helpful poster of the year, zag was nominated. To vote for him you need to thank the post in which he was nominated.

If someone can search all posts thanks by me yesterday you should find it. please link if you do.

Well done zag

Drat. Voting now over otherwise I would have voted. Congrats to zag. :beer:

GDB2222 wrote: »

As with all things religious, there are graduations. Some people would eat in a strictly vegetarian restaurant, for example. Whilst others might eat vegetables or fish in an ordinary restaurant.

If you recall the film Chariots of Fire, one of the runners refused to take part in an Olympic race on a Sunday because of his Christian beliefs, whilst other Christians might think that OTT.

IIRC Eric Liddell (the athlete in question) organised football games on Sundays for other PoWs when he was a PoW in Germany during WWII. I gather he thought he shouldn't break the rules just to win Olympic glory for himself, but it was OK to do so to build PoW morale and health for others.

Agree with what GDB says about all faiths having varieties of strictness of observance. Among Christians, the Sunday thing is, I think, particularly variable, and in most churches left entirely up to the individual to decide how to interpret. When I was a teenager and in my 20s, I chose not to do schoolwork and then other work on Sundays and, once I'd got used to it, absolutely loved the unpressurised oasis that Sunday became as a result. However, in my 30s I became a SAHM and it all got more complicated - too difficult to define what's "work" and what isn't, and too many of the things that subjectively felt like "SAHM work" had to be done every day anyway.

vivatifosi wrote: »

Perhaps Gen can help with this one. I was trying to remember what fruit and veggies my parents grew in Aus. In our garden we had fruit trees (plum, lemon, pear) and I think we grew root veggies as well. I'm trying to think of other exotic things that wouldn't easily grow here, but only the lemons can I remember being unusual. We used to have a lot of watermelon too, but not sure where that came from, I'm guessing locally grown.

I also have very fond memories of sitting on the steps to the verandah shelling peas. Simple times but lovely.

I think we had an avocado tree in the garden of one of the places we lived in Sydney in 1976.

Generali

Avo seems to grow like a weed in Sydney.

Spirit_2

Happy 2016 NP.Nice to see you Lydia.

NYE out was really good. I bought a new party dress which reminds me of a lace dress my mum had in the 60's and a pair of flat evening sandals. Had hair blowdried and wore make up:eek:. My existing party shoes all have kitten or high heels and when I tried them on, realised they were now only suitable to wear sitting down, I am a bit short on evening clothes as I cleared mywardrobe in the spring. Had a LBD and a couple of long dresses, but wanted something cheap and seasonal so a last minute trip to M&S sufficed. Shoes are a bit frumpy but I danced in them. Wont be on Strictly anytime soon but wasn't too hideous. Oh was thrilled. Could legitimately sit out the conga. Drank a bottle of Prosecco and half a botte of champagne. No hangover. Taxi there and back, so Oh had quite a bit to drink, he is usually the driver but last night drank beer, Champagne and a bottle of red. Merry but not pi55ed.

Main course was beef wellington. I have not had that in years and it was lovely. thought food quality would drop as it was Nye, but there was a good choice of dishes and cooked to order.

the staff worked hard to make it a jolly evening and keep up standards of service. We were in really good company, old friends and met a few new people. 2015 has had its moments for several of us but no one was wanting to talk about that. Although just about everyone new we met, had been on or were going on , a cruise . In response to the do you work question, It was the first function at which I could say I am retired. People always looked bored rigid when I used to tell them of my career so my small talk had a variation.

What has struck me this week is how busy everyone is, work and travel plans make the timespan between meet ups months not weeks. We made a return date to some guests..mid April. My parents did not have dinner parties, but they did have parties. Irish parties, with singing, vast amounts of booze, food, dancing and fights. People would be falling down drunk and the party would spill out into the street, where the fights always took place. We ate out from time to time the Berni Inn being the height of sophistication, or a riverside pub where we had chicken in the basket. Small compensation for the hours spent in pub gardens or worse, the car, with vimto and crisps.


Not sure how 2016 will go...arrived home to find dog had crapped on rug.

I am with Hamish and usually prefer doing things to presents. I am very happy to spend money on experiences, although OH has bought me some lovely things over the years to mark special events. I had opened almost all my presents this year ( cookery books, grrenhouse compost bin/seat, Jo malone ,Clarins, Clothes) and was very happy with what I had, then the last small box... a Rolex watch accompanied by a nothing special christmas card with a love letter inside.

I am up late tonight as I have a raised pie cooling.Thanks to GDB there is a vege tagine (sweet potato and chick peas) cooked and a lamb one marinading. DD has 20 guests coming,incl her BF's mum, whom we are meeting for the first time. She has the same first name as me so that will be easy.

Doozergirl

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I'd have agreed with you when I was younger but now I'd say the opposite.

I don't remember many of the things I owned 10 or 20 years ago but I do remember most of the experiences.

I'm one for accumulating memories - as a couple and as a family. The biggest Christmas presents last week will be experiences this year. Something to look forward to and remember.

Doozergirl

michaels wrote: »

I'm with you on this PN - sure taking the family to the Lion Ling would be a wonderful experience.....that would last all of two and a half hours whereas the £300 (more) that it would cost could buy us a table tennis table that would give many hours of enjoyment over 10 years - I just can't get the spending money on experiences rather than things concept.

I hope your table tennis table is more successful than ours

I took DD to see Hairspray last week in Birmingham. I could have paid as little as £25 for the two of us. She already loved the film so sat through with a constant grin, singing along, has the soundtrack now and has watched the film at least three times this week.

Kids Week in the West End last the whole of August and gets children in for free. I did Les Mis with DS this year and Mama Mia as a family. I spent about £200 on all the tickets but don't think I booked the cheapest. We were front row for Les Mis. You don't have to take the whole family, it's lovely to go to see ones that might be appreciated more by one child than another. That creates a special bonding.

I have wonderful memories of being taken to see Joseph and Annie as a child. The soundtracks were listened to constantly and I still know every word of every song.

Phantom was emotional for me as my mum went to see it on opening and we had the soundtrack, so I knew it by heart. I never had the chance to go with her as she became ill soon after. The tickets were bought as a gift for me by someone who listened to how much I wanted to go. I cried through the whole performance. It was wonderful.

I really do thinknthat musicals, particularly, are a gift that keep on giving.

Jazee

Morning all. I'm not a fan of musicals but do like other theatre, shows, visiting castles and museums and would always much prefer an experience spent with people I love rather than the ownership of things. Although some of the things I was given for Christmas will bring me hours of pleasure just looking at them and thinking of the giver.

Another leftie here also who was forced to eat rice pudding at school aged 5 by a militant dinner lady with my right hand - because I was rude eating left handed- still can't face rice pudding to this day.

silvercar

Lovely to see old faces. Lydia reading back is a review of the year!

We have a couple of friends who can sometimes get cast rate tickets for shows, that usually means good stalls seats for the price of the cheap seats.

best shows:

Miss Saigon
Les Miserables
Book Of Mormon (though I personally didn't rate it)
Lion King
In the Heights (saw this off west end)
Phantom of the Opera
Cirque de Solleil

zagubov

kabayiri wrote: »

Drive safe . How long will it take?

Eight hours if it's all smooth going.

Crossing the Manchester Ship Canal's the half-way mark.