Hello Sue and Carol.  This won't be an easy day for your Sue so just wanted to say hello and am thinking of you.  Am guessing there will be quite a few sad people there today.    Carol, isn't it awful when a large quantity of something explodes everywhere.  Little bits that have been mixxed can keep turning up.  I am sitting here quietly and will try to spend a bi tof time here today.  Paul is watching noisy television in bed (I can hear it downstairs) but at least he is keeping warm.  Muffin is stretched out on the settee behind me (I keep it covered with an old sheet when nobody else is here so it doesn't get too dog-hairy and smelly.)    I am trying out varying ways of keeping the kitchen floor reasonably clean as Muffin goes out to the garden to do his toilet and tell the neighbouring cats to go away before running back in with muddy pawprints.  Haven't found an easy way.  Give it a quick mop every evening and spread sugar soap each weekend (I leave it for a few minutes then scrub) to try to get rid of the ingrained stuff.    I am not a good housekeeper so hate all the hassle.  Am considering employing a cleaner - like yourself Carol although you don;t sound as though you are having much joy at the moment - but don't want to copy various relations who always cleaned before the cleaner came in case they thought they were poor housekeepers.  Merry Christmas to anyone reading this.  Annie

Merry Christmas Annie I hope you have had a good day.  I ache all over from the big clean up but we've had a lovely day.   Norman has made it so we were happy with that.  The children's Carols around the Christmas tree was so uplifting,  it's what the event is about and their smiling faces say it all.  Today we went to Chris and John for drinks and there were about twenty of us.  I then drove to the pub and we saw friends there,  Keith had to put June in a home he was very tearful but I hugged him and told him that I understood his pain.  Then we drove to Luke and Hannah for lunch,  lots of great food, crackers and laughing.   We came back about 6pm as hubby is tired.  So Faye is here tomorrow and we've kept the gifts to open then.  Don't go missing again, you're part of our group!   So enjoy and speak soon.   Love Carol xx 

So the start of my Boxing day,  hubby looks dreadful because he drank too much yesterday  and has been up and down all night.   I slept well but know I have a lot to do, so I stick the bedding in the machine,  make tea and wash up, there's no hot water.  I go in the garage the boiler isn't working,  oh the joy of Christmas, mine is not going well.  I ring the Insurance company and someone answers the phone, wow I say that was good,  anyway the boiler guy rings has only seven miles away and comes straight to us.  This is the spirit of giving, we have heat and hot water and a dead blue *** removed from the top of the boiler!   So one deceased bird a lot of re wiring and compliments on my coffee, the best in County Durham,  Mrs. He says!  So we're both starving now, a bacon sandwich then the excited children will be here.  I'm not quite sure what else will go wrong,  but I won't hold my breath! !  Xx

Dear Sue, problems , problems!   You've made it through another milestone, and I admire you so much for not hiding away from it all.  The children carry us through and although yesterday was good the children were missed,  Christmas isn't the same without them.  So your Boxing day must nearly be over, we're waiting for the family to arrive.    We now have heat and hot water,  which is a bonus!   Lovely to hear from you.   Love Carol xx 

Thanks Carol.  Sometimes I just have to take a break from the forum - I kind of need to recharge my batteries.  Then the "few days" becomes a bit longer as I get involved in doing something else.  I would not mind if I had achieved loads of things whilst away!  I started on the spare room upstairs as it was rapidly becoming a holding room for thigns without a purpose so I started clearing that out - then something reminded me that I should have done something else so the original job gets abandoned and - long story short - total chaos ensues with heaps of things parked haphazardly around the place.  If it was summer I would dump everything at the front of the house - it is amazing how the most useless and icky stuff gets taken by someone.  But it has been so wet recently it didn't seem sensible to do that.   I will eventually get the rag-and-bone man (except they are not called that any more) to take away anything left.  He is a neighbour in my street and has built up a good business! 

Thank goodness you got  your hot water and heating sorted - you don't want to lose this at this time of year.  Annie  PS Thank you for missing me.

Hi Ladies, 

Annie, Christmas Day was very quiet here.  We did a Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve at my daughters. Bree and Jamie also came with their 3 children.  Presents were given then.  Christmas Day Deaan, Nick, Eli and myself had a picnic tea at Red Rock (which is a lookout nert here but has a lovely little grassed area with playground and picnic tables just down from the lookout).  I didn't want to do anything the same as previous years.  Usually we had Christmas either here or at Bree's.  It was bittersweet, the kids have a way of making it better though, their excitement seems to spread.  The kids  make Christmas.  Glad it's over though.  How was your Christmas?
BTW, we do notice when you aren't  here, you are missed.  Welcome back!

Carol, Yes Boxing day is over too as I type this.  So glad you managed to get the heating and hot water fixed, You must have good tradesmen there, not sure if I was in the same situation mine would be fixed as quickly.  Your family has probably arrived by now.  Enjoy, have a wonderful time with them.  Your Christmas day sounded very busy Carol, but sounds like you had a great day and I hope Norman has recovered from his over-indulgence.

Hope your Christmas was wonderful too Julie and Gloria.

Take care, love to all.  Sue xx

Dear all 

Merry Christmas to you. Just a quick message to let you all know....

Dave had his scan on Monday and as we walked back into the house there was a message on the ansaphone.  They want him in on Friday for pre-op, and providing everything is ok, they plan to operate on New Year's Eve.  Sudden, but what we've been waiting for since mid September.

Sue it was a good idea to do something completely different for Christmas, it was always going to be difficult for you. Thank God for grandchildren. X

Carol, Gloria and Liz hope you had a good few days.  Julie xxx

Julie, that is good news; surgery is always a bit of a worry but this is what you have been waiting for.  So you should have a good start for the New Year.  I spoke to my son in NZ on Christmas Eve (ours) which was nice.  Paul managed to make it down to the pub a couple of times though I insisted on driving him there in the cold weather.  I think he is a bit frustrated at not being able to use his new mobility scooter (well, it is second hand but you know what I mean).  It does 8mph which is twice as fast as his old one.  Has a seat belt and indicator lights; really swish! I keep charging it for him and he takes it round the block to make sure it gets some regular use (actually I want to give it a twirl too!)  I am just going to take Muffin out but wanted to say hi to everyone.  Annie

Well I stayed in the double bed for half an hour, it was like sleeping next to an old steam engine,  grumbles, whistles and then snores when he finally got to sleep!  I gave up and went in the bunk bed .  So I woke up with a bad back and a stiff neck , which was great because I was cooking for seven of us .  Anyway we've managed,  everyone has had a good day, Sue ended up cleaning blocked drains at Lukes house so that put my no heat and hot water in the shade.   Alfie said it was ridiculous only being here for one day, I am getting rid of them tomorrow,  time to tidy up then my other lot arrive !  So Julie that's a step nearer to the end plan keep us updated and I'll be thinking of you both.  Sue, that is very hot!  It's been a balmy 9 degrees here, we all want for a walk in the sunshine.   Annie Paul must be speedy gonzales, 8mph. Wow.  So signing off now as chatting to Faye before she leaves. Xx