Hi Sue,

Thanks we had a good family visit and Christmas tree now occupying a huge corner  (just as well I am open plan!!).  Everyone had a hand in making it look lovely and will add the chocolate decs to it on Christmas Eve (might eat them early otherwise ha ha). Just the front window to decorate so the kiddies get a surprise when they visit over the festive weekend.

To follow on from your mention of The Ritz I actually worked opposite for three years before moving branches to next door to the Play Boy Club!!  To say I saw some sights might be a little of an understatement!! Good days. One of these days will 'take tea' at the Ritz (has always been on my list of things to do).

I know how expensive varifocals can be - have worn them for years and did not take me very long to get used to them (blind as a bat without them now!!). Both my parents had them too.  Yesterday when family came my eldest grandson said he may be getting glasses.  His initial eye test showed the possibility but he is going back to have a 'relaxed test' using eye drops to make sure.  Not really surprised as all the family wear them though he is a little younger than we were when first pair required.  With that appointment making a dent in your pocket did you still manage any festive shopping?

Hope all is well with your shoulder and hope you are managing self service therapy okay.  Take care and chat soon. Jules

Hi Jules, there's a coincidence, I used to work for the head offices of Benetton which at that time was based a few doors away from Stringfellows so also saw some interesting sights! Tea at the Ritz sounds good though, definately something I'd like to revisit. We went many years ago when I was a child and had a lovely time.

Good to hear you all had such fun with the tree over the weekend, I bet it looks lovely too. Good thinking about the chocolate treats though, I daren't buy any just yet as I know they'll be long gone before Santa arrives!!

One of my colleagues has also just bought varifocals and managed to get used to them in a couple of days so I am hoping mine will be the same. Hers were not nearly as much as mine though as I seem to have chosen the most expensive frames in the shop, even though they are "frameless" so should really have been the cheapest?! Oh well, you live & learn..    Hope your grandson gets on ok with his re-test.

Had rather gone off the Christmas shopping after that so will probably end up wih my usual mad dash on Christmas Eve if I can't get myself going before then!

My shoulder is aching a bit now after a couple of weeks back at work but overall still very pleased with it, the range of movement is certainly much improved. I never did manage to get the therapist to show me the self massage technique for the other issue depsite repeatedly asking her but with all the scar tissue she discovered I'm not sure how much good it would do anyway. Am seeing the surgeon along with my nurse on the 30th of this month so will seek their advice then.

You'll be glad to hear that the roof is now all done, they did finish it off on Friday but simply forgot to post the keys through the door! This is being done tomorrow so, apart from the small matter of the bill (!), that's finally it. I can now put all the pots back in place and wait fo the bulbs to arrive, not a long wait either as with this mild weather some are already starting to sprout (or whatever it is bulbs do!)

Hope the next couple of days aren't too manic for you.  Take care  Sue x

Hi Sue

Wonderful that your roof is now safely repaired and though you will now have to face the bill (hopefully along with return of keys) at least you have peace of mind that you do not need to use brolly indoors!!

Hopefully your next appointment will give you some guidance as to how you proceed as regards massage therapy (maybe that NHS availability will become a reality!) and hope the surgeon has good news for you. Not surprised the shoulder aches but such good news there is an improvement after all you have been through.

Work has been okay, helped by an 'extra workmate' which I now have for two out of my three mornings until Christmas. Am looking forward to our work's meal this coming Saturday and then seeing my friends celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday. Am juggling the rest of my time between shopping, gym and day to day stuff though tomorrow morning will go and watch my eldest grandson singing during the school carol concert which hopefully will lift the mood and get a little more Christmassy - still difficult to ignore with a large tree taking up a big section of my dining area ha ha - it is somewhat relaxing sitting in the evening with the fairy lights glowing I must admit.

Wish you luck when you manage to do your Christmas shopping - it's easier once you  know what you are going for!!  My final 'on line' order arrived at the weekend (a replacement for damaged parcel) so just need to get it wrapped then I can sit back and enjoy the giving in a couple of weeks time.  My thoughts are somewhat mixed still and am grateful that I have some time to myself Christmas Eve/Day morning before entering into the making of new Christmas memories for us all. It will all be rather different to how we spent last year I know.

Washing up is calling before I set off to work so had best summon some energy and get moving.  Have a good day and thanks for listening to my rambling.  Take care.  Jules

PS  As and when I win that lottery the Ritz will be calling me!!!

Good morning Jules.

While out shoping this morning we popped into Wilkos. Found something that must have been especially desingned for Mrs B; a set of ten battery operated owl Christmas lights. Couldnt leave them them on the shelve could I ?????? They are now nesting on the new fireplace shelve I made her a few days ago. She was thrilled with them to put it mildly.

Last night was our last woodclub meeting for the year and we had what was supposed to be The Hurst Ringers and Singers. They told us they dont sing so one of our club member got that wrong. They are a group of handbell ringer and very good they were too. Made a lovely finsh to our year as they finished off by playing some Christmas song which our member sang along too. Afterwards we had drinks and nibbles and we had asked our member to invite their other halfs along. Everyone I spoke too really enjoyed  the evening. There was a wife of one of our members sitting in the front row who had a great big smile on her face all the time the bell ringers were doing their stuff and she told me afterwards it was one of the best evenings she has had in a very long time. Believe it or not, I just enjoyed watching her smiling.

The next meeting in January will be a very busy one for me as I start taking the club membership fees. Should be a little easier than last year though as we have had to increase the fee to £20 so wont have to bother with change so much. Plus I hope to have all our memnbership cards printed with members names and expiry dates which I am now doing my self.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to see your mum on Tuesday. Pleased you now have an extra member of staff helping; that must make things a lot easier. Sounds like you have another busy weekend ahead of you. I know like many of us, you will have mixed emotions over the next few weeks. Even now both Mrs B and I will have sad thoughts about those we have lost, even more so again this year. But I think we have to accept, those we have lost would want us to enjoy ourselves and not keep grieving for the past But as I am sure you will agree easier said than done.

Take care, enjoy your weekend and just know you will have a great time, Brian.

Hi Sue,

Pleased to read your roof is now waterproof. Hope your not geeting too tired at work. Hope you have a relaxing weekend,take care, Brian

Hi Brian, thank you yes, the roof was done just in time for it's first big test following last night's downpour and I am delighted to say that, although very wet outside, the kitchen was wonderfully dry so no indoor wellies or brollys needed, yeehaa!

After a few of days feeling relatively good, the swelling, pain & fatigue seem to have returned with a bit of vengence so I am very glad it's the weekend for sure.We were all invited to a colleagues 40th Birthday celebrations tonight, a movie themed fancy dress party no less, which will no doubt be great fun but I have had to cry off and will make do instead with seeing the photos on Monday and hearing all the tales of what they all got up to! A shame but there we go.

Hope you and Mrs.B are both ok and that your Christmas preparations are going well?

Take care  Sue x

Hi Brian

How lovely that you found the owls for Mrs B and suppose now it will be batteries in her stocking!!

I love the idea of 'singers' who do not sing  but you all obviously enjoyed the entertainment nonetheless and always good to get together with like minded friends at this time of year.

Time seems to be slipping by quite quickly at the moment. Mum was ok when I visited on Tuesday and had perked up enough to 'complain' about the boiler having let them down that morning leading to a rather chilly wash!!  Soon sorted out thankfully but it had put her off having her hair done.

Yesterday I went along to eldest grandson's school carol concert.  It was  a half hour of pure pleasure as the year group told the nativity through carols, all sung without prompting - they had obviously been rehearsing hard and those who had speaking parts between the songs did well too. Afterwards I went for a walk with my daughter and Zack and on the way back enjoyed a hot chocolate treat before  offsetting that naughtiness by going to the gym.

Today I have done the mile and a half round trip to the supermarket plus the gym circuit and then went into town to get some crackers (kiddies love them) before coming home for a lovely warming bowl of soup.  Our work meal is tonight so will do housework this afternoon as tomorrow am also socialising, this time at our great friends 40th wedding anniversary (pub lunch).  Have chosen fish for both occasions which will keep meal light (though will no doubt succomb to dessert if pushed ha ha).

'Dressed' the front window with Christmas stencils yesterday so all set now. Just need to dig out my Christmas earrings for work next week. I am sure there will be some stressed shoppers out there but will do my best to keep smiling through.

Hope all's well with you, Mrs B and the family and no doubt the resident squirrel is hoarding his nuts in readiness.  Take care  Jules x

Hi Sue

Really sorry to read in your reply to Brian that you are suffering the return of pain, swelling and fatigue.  Not what  you wanted I  know especially as you had been doing so well.  Such a shame that you had to give the birthdays celebrations a miss too - grrrrrr. Sending a big virtual hug and hope that by resting over the weekend you will feel better able to face the rat race again next week.

Enjoyed the carol concert so much (always a bit  of a 'lump in the throat' moment) and the 6/7 year olds did a great rendition of all the old favourities, actually telling the story of the nativity through song - lovely.  Afterwards went to the local high street with my daughter and little Zack  and on the way back could not walk past our favourite hot chocolate stop!!   As she walked home I dropped into the gym and did a circuit  before returning to finish off the Christmas window (front of house).  Spent this morning doing weekly shop and usual gym visit before going into town to pick up something from Debenhams and then returned home to a warming bowl of soup - light lunch as  out for work's meal tonight.  I did go last year but literally 'ate and ran' as did not like to leave hubby for too long (he had insisted that I went!). I suspect tonight will be more of a relaxed affair and hope the venue lives up to the good reports we have been hearing.

Stay warm, take care and chat soon.   Jules x

Morning Jules, the carol concert was a big hit by the sound of it, no wonder you enjoyed it (and the hot chocolate afterwards!) Hope your meal last night was fun too and that you managed to unwind with a glass or two since you were being chauffeured?

No doubt you are running about this morning before your friend's lunch and I hope that goes well too.

My nice neighbour went off on his travels yesterday morning so I will be popping in each day to check all is well while he is away. Mrs,Yappy remains in situ though and I suspect she'll be here for the duration!

I have a follow up appointment with the shoulder man tomorrow morning which will just be a box ticking exercise to sign me off. Good to get it out of the way though.

To compensate for not having a tree I have gone a bit OTT with lights instead this year (the LED ones are so much easier to put up since they don't need a socket to plug into). So far, there are three lots in the kitchen, one in the hall and one in the sitting room but I keep finding more "naked" beams so may have to get some more and really go for it!

Have a lovely day and take care  Sue xx