Chitchat thread #24

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all

Ah well…that’s the last Advent Calendar chocolate munched for this year!

I’ve just been watching a couple of woodpeckers getting stuck into the trunk of our wild cherry tree - it’s amazing they don’t end up with headaches!

Enjoy your day peeps - I can’t help but feel really sorry and concerned for those poor people in America suffering with the effects of the bomb cyclone. You’ve just got to count your blessings don’t you?

[greenishfing]

Good morning. I think we might even see the sun at some point today. .

For some reason the coffee tastes so good this morning. A good start to the day.

I really ought to give a quick going over with the vac later, but that'll be it as far as cleaning goes.

I'm going to go care home visiting this afternoon and take presents.

Nicos, I definitely count my blessings regularly and particularly on cold, wet nights when I snuggle down.... so many people have no safe, warm, dry place to sleep ..... let alone someone they love to share it with.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

Just nipped out for the newspaper and a few mince pies from bakery they beat any store bought ones, we seemed to have eaten the ones I'd got earlier.

Gran used to say, if your hearth, draining board and loo are clean the rest of the house will be fine.

Enjoy your day.

[lottie dolly]

Hell everyone,up early bit of a restless sleep,bed changed,clearing up done,washing under way,i had a bit of green and red roll out icing left,sooo,i got playing with it,added some mint essence to the green,cut out some small flower shapes,and just so not to waste the bit of red,made little round balls and stuck in the centre,now on a plate covered in icing sugar,home made after dinner mints,well i just had to do it,i cannot believe how well its all gone,only got the tiramisue to do,x2,1 for christmas day,and another to take out boxing day,invited to my new family early evening,so happy,just tired,then midnight church,if we can find one,with a start time,have a lovely day

[greenishfing]

Oh dear I got waylaid on my way to grab the vac...... I decided to just round up all the stray books that ought to be in the bookcase but are all over the place...when I had gathered them all together I found that I didn't actually have enough room in the bookcase......when I started investigating more seriously taking space in the bookcase were old Argos and Screwfix catalogues circa 2018, old BT phone books and other assorted rubbish. I then got out a duster and polish but the vac is still in the cupboard.....I'll get it out later after care home visit....

Bren, I like your gran's logic....off to clean the loo next.

Lottie where on earth are you getting your energy from?? You are like a whirlwind.

Still today's chocolate left in the Advent calender. Other than that I am chocolate-less .....unless any of the presents on my hearth are hiding some......if they aren't it will be the first time ever.

[lottie dolly]

evening,i have had a lovely day,spent a lot of with my man,he came with a lovely big bunch of flowers,how nice was that,we are for keeps,he coming to seem me in the morning,then boxing day we both feel so lucky to have found each other,and both our families are happy for us,
Well i have preped most of the veg,got the turkey tin dressed with veggies,for when it arrives shortly,yorkshire batter done and tins at the ready,stuffing ready to go,just got dig some parsnip up in the daylight,and make the tiramisues,i aim to be ready as i can be,family will be here any time,then we of to church,as i found out the time,it feels so good this year,not just going through the emotions,but feeling them,nigh night,have a good one

[Bren In Pots]

Morning and a Happy Christmas

Hope you've all been good and no ones got a lump of coal, mind you it would be handy to throw on the fire just now

Just a quick look around while I drink my coffee, have a good day everyone.

[bramble]

Good morning all. Happy Christmas from a sunny Dublin.
Looks like I've bern good and sants has bern very kind.
All under way here and sll the family will be arriving at midday,
Have a really lovely day all.

[greenishfing]

I've had a relaxing hour or two with coffee so far. I'll get my act together shortly. I am actually usually super organised when cooking so that I don't forget anything. Mind you in the past, even with organisation, I have been known to leave the cauliflower cheese in the back of the oven.

First jobs when I start: boil onion for stuffing, make Yorkshire pudding batter and make brandy cream.

We went care home visiting yesterday. The elderly relative seemed far more lucid than she has for a while which in a way seemed to upset me more than normal.

I'll be quite happy to spend this morning in the kitchen until time to go fetch Mr GF's brother at about 1pm. We'll eat at about 2pm.

I am trying to send good vibes to one relative with a toddler and husband who is having her first "family" Christmas at her house (8 guests). How on earth she is going to keep the peace between her family and her husband's and come through unscathed is beyond me particularly when her mother and mother in law are constantly playing games of one upmanship.

Heading for the kitchen now......

Merry Christmas.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
And a Merry Xmas from Normandy. Dull but at least it’s stopped raining for now- perfect to go and fill the wheelbarrow with chopped wood for the fires without getting soaked.

I prepped everything last night and we’ll be eating later on this afternoon. It really does seem strange with just the two of us but we’ve spent the morning WhatsApp texting and videoing….so at least we don’t feel like Billy No Mates!

We came down to the smaller of the two Xmas trees on the floor - I’m guessing Hibou must have tried a bit of tree climbing / assailing in the night!Shes been bringing up pontsettia leaves for our midnight snacks ever since I bought them.Beats live mice I suppose!
I finally found one of my Xmas, snowy jigsaws. I have a couple of unopened ones but can’t find them anywhere. I’ve done this one about 3 times so for a bit of a challenge, I’m intending on not looking at the picture at all. I’m sure it’ll get easier with a glass of fizz inside me!

Have a great day everyone!

[greenishfing]

Today was probably one of the most relaxing Christmas days ever. Very low key. The meal was generally a success apart from the fact that the crackling on the roast pork refused to crackle..... but it gave in after I took the blowtorch to it.

My presents mainly consisted of varying sorts of alcohol and chocolate, my family know what pleases me so well. Somebody even combined the two and got me chocolate liqueurs.

I stayed well away from alcohol all day as I was driving but once I had settled down for the evening I got a bottle of wine out and discovered how truly awful the choices on TV were. Most of the programmes could be nearly classed as antiques. The worst thing of all is that some of these programmes are actually more entertaining than any new programmes I have seen. This may be due to the fact that I hate reality TV, "so called celebrity" anything and all televised sport. Whatever happened to a decent drama or a proper comedy.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
Boxing Day already! Not a Bank Holiday here.
We have grey and drizzle but reasonably warm.

Glad you had a gentle day yesterday gf. I agree about what was on Tv….I imagine it must be difficult to choose what to put on over Xmas as it needs to try and appeal across the generations. No doubt many of the younger ones would have been stuck to their phones/ internet most if the day.
I recall childhood Xmas TV were Morecambe and Wise and the Black and White minstrels . ( the latter could in no way be shown these days)… oh and playing quietly with my cousins whilst the grownups watched the Queens Speech. (Seems strange to hear it now called the Kings Speech yesterday)The TV was turned on just for those …then back to interacting with family.

We have loads of left overs ( intentional) so no cooking today. Just more phone calls with relatives and doing a jigsaw in front of the woodstove for me today. Thinking of a campervan outing tomorrow or Wednesday as we are forecast some warm sunshine! If not, I’ll probably help OH chainsawing and splitting wood. ( Nah….I don’t play with the chainsaw - I can hardly even lift the darn thing!)

Whats everyone else up to today? I guess I just need to finish off making the trifle too!
Tea anyone?

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

No cooking today Nicos food just need warming up by the look of it there'll be roasters for the freezer as well. Plenty of mince pies left as well.

I don't use the chainsaw ether but I've used the splitter but usually its wheel barrow and stacking for me. One way to warm up outdoors.

Had to smile at you using the blowtorch to make cracking GF you're right about TV not much took my fancy so it was mostly recorded programs and a Box set we're working our way through.

Enjoy your day.

[bramble]

Good morning all from a very cold but sunny Dublin.
We are starting with a champagne brunch.
Celebrating 58 years of marriage.
We had dinner at our daughters yesterday so we will be cooking dinner tonight
I may start a jigsaw as it was one of my Christmas gifts.
Have a relaxed day after all business of the last few weeks.

[greenishfing]

Good morning all.

It would probably have been more sensible not to have blowtorched the crackling yesterday as we all ate too much of it and both Mr GF and I ended up with acid last night. When you add that to the wind created by the sprouts and stuffing ......... a rough night.

It's a lovely sunny morning here but according to the forecast it should be (76%) raining.

Not a lot of cooking needs doing today either, lots of leftovers and I'm definitely not short of chocolate.

Nicos, funny you should say that you used to watch Morecambe and Wise.....there was a Christmas special from 1972 on BBC2 yesterday! Mr GF watched White Christmas (again) in the morning and both he and his brother fell asleep to E.T. (probably required Christmas viewing) while I was washing up and tidying away. I agree that the "King's" speech sounds so wrong. I'm sure over the years it will sound more normal. Later today the BBC has got the delights of Mary Poppins which I couldn't stand when it was originally released....never been a fan of musicals..the songs just slow down the story.

I'll pop out later and get Mr GF a newspaper but may just snuggle down with a new book for a couple of hours afterwards. There are probably sales on but I can't be bothered ...and I really don't need anything.

Bramble, you sneaked in. Congratulations!