2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

florianatwobob

Down 5 coupons (multi purpose blouse) 

Sorry to hear about the challenges some
have had today. 

Christmas dinner was lamb shanks and what felt like half an allotment of veggies (roastie potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brussels). Yorkshire’s and pigs in blankets also made an appearance. 

I’m notorious in my family for having issues with vegetable portion control. A trait inherited from our mum, everything was bulked out with veggies! 

Cherryfudge

Merry Christmas one and all (and for those of other persuasions, I hope you've had a lovely day too).

Great excitement and relief around this corner of the village as my granddaughter made a timely entry into the world a couple of days before Christmas. Between hospital time and arriving-home-exhausted and me having to be in work we haven't met her yet but there have been video calls and photos and she is of course very beautiful.

My Christmas presents included socks and a scarf so that's saved me a few coupons next year. I also had the opportunity to wear the gold shoes I'd bought not so long ago so I'm happy with that. A gap in the wardrobe filled appropriately. I did struggle for what to wear with my 'going out' top to DD's on Christmas Eve so I might be keeping a look out for smart black velvet trousers if @CAFCGirl doesn't spot them first! She seems to have a talent for finding treasures around our town! (CAFC Girl, don't worry about saving any you see for me - should you even want any. I'm unlikely to need them before next Christmas).

CAFCGirl

Cherryfudge said:

Great excitement and relief around this corner of the village as my granddaughter made a timely entry into the world a couple of days before Christmas. Between hospital time and arriving-home-exhausted and me having to be in work we haven't met her yet but there have been video calls and photos and she is of course very beautiful.

I did struggle for what to wear with my 'going out' top to DD's on Christmas Eve so I might be keeping a look out for smart black velvet trousers if @CAFCGirl doesn't spot them first! She seems to have a talent for finding treasures around our town! (CAFC Girl, don't worry about saving any you see for me - should you even want any. I'm unlikely to need them before next Christmas).

Wonderful news on the safe arrival of your granddaughter! Huge congratulations, and recovery vibes to Mum. 
This is most joyful!!!

HAHA I could have said the same for you! Should I find any, I'll drop you a line, no worries about me needing any, I find velvet a tad 'sensory triggering' so there will be no handbags at dawn between us on that one LOL

CAFCGirl

I hope everyone managed to enjoy their day yesterday, with whatever was eaten, and wherever it was cooked.

We had a guest from DH's work crew (who would have been alone at the station all day as they were on pagers but he doesn't live locally).
Since DH is in the emergency services, he's worked every Christmas since he's been in, which has been fine since I grew up with NHS parents so the concept of Christmas has always been a bit flexible. I digress, house guest and first Xmas cooking for about 6 years and DH forgot to tell me that our guest was in fact the man version of a MOUNTAIN. I fear he left here somewhat peckish.

Should anyone see a goliath of a man wandering the village whilst he covers for our boys in red (engine), sneak him a mince pie or two LOL

maddiemay

@Cherryfudge congratulations on the new arrival, wonderful news.  A little copy of a 12 week scan photo was included in our Christmas card, hopefully the full version will enter our lives (GGChild) towards the end of May.

We managed just the right amount of food and it was tasty, but the rest of the day was not great. I had a heavy fall on Christmas Eve, managed to find a slippery patch on the brick drive and hit the deck, v. painful shoulder and elbow, but not NHS involvement needed, then yesterday OH managed to break one of my two little Holme Gaard candlesticks, I have many things that I like, but I really love these, it has been mended, but not the same, the Queen's Speech particularly got to me too, being the first Christmas without mum.

Today is a new day and soon we will have the challenge of a new year so onwards and forwards it is.

I hope that you all have a sufficiency, but not too many tasty leftovers and that your stashes of fabric, yarn etc have some nice gifted additions.

Cherryfudge

CAFCGirl said: Wonderful news on the safe arrival of your granddaughter! Huge congratulations, and recovery vibes to Mum. 

Thank you. And I'm sure velvet trousers crop up quite often, I've just never seen before that they might work well for me (so long as I can restrict the mince pies and chocolates a bit more!)

CAFCGirl said:

Should anyone see a goliath of a man wandering the village whilst he covers for our boys in red (engine), sneak him a mince pie or two LOL

Keeping a watch out but he's not wandered our way yet! Mind you on a soggy day like this he's probably at home or work.

maddiemay said:

@Cherryfudge congratulations on the new arrival, wonderful news.  A little copy of a 12 week scan photo was included in our Christmas card, hopefully the full version will enter our lives (GGChild) towards the end of May.

Aw maddiemay, that's lovely! And what a beautiful season to be born.

I hope you soon feel better after your fall, are you very bruised? And what a shame about the candlestick. We broke an ornament here the other day that Mum had kept perfect for years. It's largely repairable but one bit is missing and several hands-and-knees searches made straight away haven't retrieved it. All part of the item's history I suppose: we have some inherited things with inherited glue lines that go back many decades!

And yes, the Queen's Speech can touch on difficult things and raise many memories. She does amazingly well when you consider her age and the loss of her husband, to find positives to look forward to time after time.

Laura_Elsewhere

florianatwobob said:

I’m notorious in my family for having issues with vegetable portion control. A trait inherited from our mum, everything was bulked out with veggies! 

A very common occurrence at meals with guests in my childhood and teens was a hissed, "Laura! Other people might want some vegetables!" as I cheerfully piled my plate high... 
And even I can see, looking back, that it probably was a little bit unusual when I was twelve and had some teeth out and was told that, as I'd been so good, once my mouth was better I could have *anything I wanted* as a meal, like on your birthday... and I chose a whole plate of Savoy cabbage that I didn't have to share with anyone else! I'm a huge carnivore too, but left to myself I genuinely forget potatoes even when I bought them and intended to - to the extent that when I moved in with M.I. I not only had no idea of portion sizes but had to learn how to cook potatoes, rice, pasta...! 

Laura_Elsewhere

Exciting news re @Cherryfudge's and @maddiemay's impending new relatives! I send all my best wishes for a truly boring pair of deliveries... 

maddiemay, you poor thing - it may not have needed NHS care, but all the same... it's nearly two years since I went down our building's stairs on what Gran called my 'sit-upon', bang, bang, bang, bang, at least six steps and at that time almost seventeen stone of me landing bang each time, and my elbow and shoulder against the brick wall too - it genuinely shakes you up - do take care of yourself and go gently for a few days. Star a new tradition of your OH cooking on the Feast of Stephen - or maybe a takeaway! And you relax with your feet up...

Nonnadiluca

Congratulations Cherryfudge, grandchildren are the best, ( even when they tower above you at 13!). And to maddiemay, at least you know something lovely will happen next year!
Our two household cooked Christmas dinner was great, the only thing we didn't manage to roast was parsnips - I only have a single oven and there's only so much you can do. (44 roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, 2 batches of stuffing and half a dozen Yorkshire puds) Today I only have to do the roasties again, the gammons are being done in slow cookers and hob veg only. If anyone should ever need to cook and transport roast potatoes I can heartily recommend putting them in a heated slow cooker, they stayed hot and crispy until needed.
I love Christmas, but 3 days is enough for me, I'm looking forward to egg on toast for lunch tomorrow 😊
Love to all x

PipneyJane

Good morning All

I’m currently watching the wonderful “The Snail and the Whale”.  Julia Donaldson and Axel what’s-his-name should be named joint poet laureate.

Congratulations @Cherryfudge on your new granddaughter.  I hope you get to meet them soon.  Ditto @Maddiemay - what a lovely way to share the good news!

As the resident Jewess in the village, may I say “Thank you” for your kind consideration.  Like many of my co-religionists, we purloined your celebrations because who doesn’t like a party?  One of my funniest moments was when I was visiting the Kosher butcher in the next town.  (He’s our nearest and his meat is excellent.). Every Christmas, he stocks up on turkeys and, usually, gets me a goose.  He sticks a sign outside the shop “Buy Your Festive Turkeys Here”.   Anyway, one year, I was collecting my goose when another lady demanded to know how to cook it and then announced to the world “oohhh!!!  I might try one of those next Christmas!”.  The shop went deadly silent.  Christmas is the festival that shall not be named.

Another year, when I placed my order for a goose, he apologised and said “they’re terribly expensive”.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that his kosher goose was cheaper than the non-kosher one I’d sourced the previous year when cooking Christmas dinner at a friend’s house. 

- Pip

PS:  It’s taken me 2 hours to post the above.  The signal is that bad.

PPS:  Yes, I agree, re HMQ’s speech.  She did a really good job, even though bits of it were visibly painful.

PPPS:  I can’t wait to go home.  I am spending quite a lot of time biting back my words and watching what I say.  A classic example was during the Queens Speech when my BIL crowed that HMQ didn’t mention Harry as an example of them falling out, while mentioning Charles and Wills during the bit about Climate Change and COP19.  She didn’t mention any of her other children or grandchildren during the speech, so why is not mentioning Harry a criticism of him but not mentioning Anne isn’t a criticism of her?