Diary - Friday 11th December

[Caw1]

Looks like I’m first up....

Once again on opening the blind instead of a sunny day it was raining....read for a while then had breakfast...
Did some tidying up ... we were going to get the tree and decorations out if the loft .... but neither of us felt much like doing it... manyana .... we’ve always had a real tree love the smell of them... it was OH and the children who would go off to a local place so they could pick the one they liked, chap would cut it down and so it was brought home... it usually had to be shaped so it looked symmetrical.... then decorated... they’d take it in turns each year to put the fairy in the top... aren’t traditions wonderful.... now our daughter does the same with her boys!
Our WI president turned up on the doorstep with hampers for the over 70’s or my OH! When I was on the committee we’d all gather at someone’s home and make them all up and then go out in twos to deliver... such a joyous experience... times move on so contents have too... This year it was a bottle of wine, cheese biscuits, truckle cheese, relish a bottle of Cold pressed rapeseed oil  ( actually made in the village by local farmer and sold widely in some of the best establishments!) and a box of chocolates.
Having bought two boxes of my friends home made chocs the other day I thought I’d take some out of each box as there were three of each flavour so ended up with eight, I made a nice Christmasy box used the plastic container that some mini mince pies had come in to put chocs in and all ready to send to my friend who works at Gatwick.... last year I sent her a little mini tree but thought she might like something edible this time... going to make some biscuits too for her...
Had lunch...
Thought I’d make a start on the boys Christmas cards... I knew what I wanted to do took me the rest of the afternoon to do one but now I’ve figured it out next one will be quicker... it’s a stocking, I’ve attached some little led battery operated lights onto the back and punched holes in the front to thread them through... made concertina side attached a piece of clear Perspex type stuff with a backing to it leaving the top open and I’ll put some chocolate money in attached to a felt reindeer with a pull cord so they can get the chocs out... pleased with how it’s come out and at least when T says to me ‘well what does it do Grandma?’ I can tell him it lights up and has chocs in it!
Got dinner ready a gammon baked in the oven with cider and slices of orange and onions. Which we’ll have with mash, red cabbage mixed with spices and apple.
Had a game of scrabble.... tables turned today I got soundly beaten! So back to three down again!😤😤
Watched last episodes of The Crown and then an additional programme about Diana...
Never really brightened up all day... pretty dreary really... now instead of talking about covid on tv we’re being subjected to brexit again!

Hope everyone else is ok...
Caroline

[Roobarb]

Real Christmas trees are lovely aren't they? As you say Caroline,  they smell gorgeous, so fresh. How lovely to have a hamper brought to you, all sounds very tasty. And what great ideas you have for the boys' cards, I'm sure they'll be very pleased with them.

My day (nothing very interesting):

Friday is the only day when I set an alarm, it's to make sure I'm up and presentable before my Zoom art class. I woke up an hour before the alarm and got up as I knew if I went back to sleep I'd feel dreadful when I had to get up.

The class was enjoyable, the last one until the new year. Wore my reindeer antlers to give everyone a laugh at the start, didn't keep them on though, they get on my nerves.
I was feeling lazy, wasn't going to start anything new but the teacher chivvied me into doing a watercolour of a winter scene, not snow. Watercolour is really not my thing but I dug out my paints and had a go. I fell at the first hurdle, got a cauliflower in the sky area, left it till I'd had enough for the day, sent a photo of the painting to the teacher. She told me how to rectify the problem and advised on other changes. I'll do the adjustments although I doubt that I'll be displaying this one. Class overran even longer than usual, we certainly get our money's worth.

Quick sandwich for lunch then out for a walk, not quite as cold a day. The rest of the day seemed to disappear doing bits and pieces. And now I can't sleep.......

[Mowsehowse]

Oh Roobarb! 3 a.m.   I hope you got some good sleep eventually!
I do admire you having such a gift with art.... I know a lot of technique is involved, but you do need a talent to start with.
Caroline your imagination is marvellous to come up with such a great design for your grandson's cards. Hats off and high 5.
Very dull and damp here which is not unreasonable for December. Walked to town before lunch to the health food shop and then a quick getaway.
After lunch walked to the surgery for blood tests to check liver and kidney function.
Apparently the heart medication could cause problems... but I feel ok so assume all is well.
While I was there they asked if they could take another sample so Public Health England can gather information regarding the background immunity of the population to Covid 19. 
Anyone having blood taken for any reason will be asked for an extra sample to be taken while the needle is already in place, thus causing no extra issues for patients. 
I didn't have to agree, and I won't get any information back, but it will be useful somehow, which is good.   
Nothing much else to report.
Hope everyone has a reasonable day.

[Annette7]

Another dull and dreary day weatherwise but not so cold.

Took a bag of rubbish to the black bin at the rear of the car park and it was around the time my grocery order is delivered.    Just got back to my door when the van drove in so timed that well.

Photos and a video sent by Jo/Scott of the twins.   Macy had her first attempt at breast feeding.   Latched on well and had 5 sucks so Jo was very happy.  Darcy's attempt after - Jo's comment 'Darcy had a lick'!!!!  Bless them.

Had to drop off Kieran's 15th birthday card and present as he was coming for a short visit on Saturday (birthday is actually next Wednesday).   Decided I would do that early evening once homecomng traffic had eased.  Was still quite busy but no hold-ups.

Started another jigsaw - scene of a night-time christmas market and sky starry dark blue/black.   I always do the sky first (whatever colour it may be).   Two thirds of Christmas cards written - will complete over the weekend and post on Monday.

Nothing else out of the ordinary.

Annette 

[Roobarb]

Thanks MH, I did get a good sleep when I finally went off.
Very public spirited of you to have the blood taken, people like you have helped such a lot in the fight against Covid.

Annette, good to hear that mum and babies are doing well.

[Caw1]

Roobarb - yes I do love the smell of the trees, now though we have an artificial one as in the last 7 years we’ve been at our daughters and away over New Year!
Glad you enjoyed your last art class of 2020... love the reindeer antlers... I have some too that have flashing lights... the boys usually have to take turns wearing them!

MH - I think that’s a great idea for an extra drop of blood is given for PHE to analyse for covid... hope your results for liver and kidney function come back ok for you.

Annette - thanks for giving an update on your two little dears... I have been worsening how they were. Lovely for you to see photo and videos of them too..

Hope everyone’s day today has been reasonable too... not heard from Viktoria so hope all is well with her too and Carol in NZ...

Caroline

[Viktoria]

You have all been  so busy again.!
I am not ill, just so uncomfortable and feeling tired.
Drs on 18 th.
So we will see.

More dreary rain today.
Meat delivered and in freezer.
They deliver almost every day  of  the week ,I am fed up with supermarket stuff !
Made three individual fish pies yesterday.
Had one for tea tonight and froze the other two.
The fish was from Morrison’s ,cod,smoked haddock and salmon .
Do you know it was processed in China!!!Caught in the Barents Sea ,what the heck is it doing in China?
Not all that nice. A cod liver oil taste in one or two pieces.

Well,my little rooted tree is smelling very resinous ,the Crib with the match stick legged donkey and extra cat ,is all set up.
Ribbons for cards hung and getting filled up .
Another rich Dundee cake to make .
Phoned  Grandson  re him calling here if possible for their presents if I don’t  get down to Suffolk.
Flash Harry’s  other Grandma, his Mummy’s mother lives up here so if possible they will visit but it looks as if it might not be.
Grandson said guess what the year was when Flash Harry was born ,had to be The  Year of the Monkey.It was!
Got him a little dog that will record what he says.
We used them in school  for reluctant or struggling readers ,on the basis if the child could hear themselves they would try again.
He seems to be doing alright but is a young one and such a busy energetic child ,they really like hearing themselves or think it is  the  toy actually reading.It lightens the situation.
They seem to be learning the phonics first , which is OK with a phonetic language ,but English is not always.
He will survive.
He likes his waterproof boots which were a present from me also but at his age won’t see them like that.
I send money but like to give small presents as well.
Have got Dairy Diaries for the ladies and a quick de frost tray each.Plus toiletries from the Body Shop.
Toiletries they wanted for the men.
Watching Whisky Galore, on tonight ,can remember the original, much funnier than this one.
Nice programme tonight about Christmas in the time of Henry The Eighth .Lucy Worsley said Ann of Cleves and Catherine Howard actually danced together at the post Christmas celebrations.
Well ladies must crack on , and get a bit more done.
Hope you all sleep well .
Goodnight,Viktoria.

[Roobarb]

Sorry to hear you're feeling uncomfortable Viktoria, hope you don't have to put up with that for much longer.
I'd never heard of the Barents sea, had to look it up. It seems to be about as far from China as you can get! So I'm mystified too. Hope things work out for you for Christmas, I know how much you miss FH.

[Caw1]

Nice to see you posting on here Viktoria.. I too am sorry to hear you’re feeling uncomfortable and hope your appointment on the 18th will help to sort things out for you...
You’re right about sine of this ore packed fish... doesn’t taste of anything resembling fish sometimes... it’s not meant to be the Bering Sea is it?
Hope you’re able to get your Christmas plans sorted as it’s unsettling not knowing quite what you’re doing...
I too watched some of the Tudor Christmas programme.... I’ve seen that version of Whiskey Galore before as you say not as funny as the original..... first time I saw that was when I was at boarding school when we’d have a Saturday afternoon film sometimes... they even showed us the St Trinians films too... which we all loved of course... thinking back it’s odd to show to a girls boarding school might have given us ideas.... not that we lacked for any of course!
Take care of yourself and hope you’re feeling better soon..

Caroline