Hi all, hope you're well

Haven't been around much over the last few days. Not sure whether it's actually the re-vamp of the forums, but somehow I'm finding it difficult to get into things lately

Actually I think that may have been the case regardless of the design around here. I am getting used to it although it still seems too white and grey....a bit like trying to meet up with friends in a derelict concrete factory!

Think I need to curl up with the cat and get some sleep. Still don't have my sleep smiley so this one will have to suffice

Hope everyone is okay. Sleep tight all.

Love, Lindy xx

PS Deck the halls with boughs of holly.......

Good Morning Hey new smilies

now they are a bit better

Think i might of got the hang of this Christmas thing
nearly got all the Christmas presents
spent the whole weekend shopping
but still need to write the Christmas Cards

So today i,m going to do that and have a little clean
hope all are well

p.s good result in the Celeb Jungle, well was pleased with the final 2
just really glad that joey or amy didn't win

not so happy with strictly , the news reader seems like a lovely lady, but i think she should of gone,
oh well but thats my thoughts on things

and i just used the cat smilies, only because i,m not sure, when i will ever use it again

Morning all.

Wow georgy, you are up early!

I too was delighted with the IAC result although I was hoping David would win. Still, awful, selfish Amy and idiotic Joey didn't get into the last three - Yeah!!!

Also agree with you about Susanna and Strictly. I really wish Natalie was gone - for someone with a supposed bad back - and of course she majored in dance at drama school - she doesn't look like she has any problems! Really want Sophie or Abby to win.

No news of John I see, I really thought that we'd hear something because of the Ashes, maybe he is too despondent to tweet. England have been pretty abysmal.

Anyone watch the Masters Tennis? So nice to see serve/volley used.

Off to the dentist today so best get going.

Still don't like all the white space.

Id tend to agree about strictly.......it was a shame that there is only one male left in the competition, when surely the male dancers are at a massive disadvantage, when usually its the men who end up leading?

I know what you mean about xmas, I am getting there slowly, but I too need to start to write some xmas cards and get them all sent....

We are having a tea party on Saturday for relatives, and I thought I knew roughly what I was doing.....tea, cakes, biscuits and sandwiches....now im starting to worry that I am missing something important...Its not even as if I am going to be able to bake or make anything much....it will all be bought ....but...am I missing something essential?

lindy I should imagine you are all over the place worrying about your move and everything .....

Its odd having absolutely no news at all about John James, but maybe he has just moved on , and is having the time of his life in Australia....

and I too want to use the kitty

Hello all

You are right, Augusta, I am all over the place

Apart from the possible house move, mum still isn't well (getting much less able to manage...but she is 92, bless her )

Haven't watched much of Strictly but think Abby's partner is yum!!!

Was pleased with the outcome of IAC, think both David and Kian are real gents

And then there were two LFC wins and some magnificent goals! Fantastic

Just working on a presentation now, not so good......

Take care all

Lindy xx

Afternoon all

Lindy, it sounds like you are doing too much again. Thought you had 'retired'!

I spent the afternoon trying out new canapes - and they are awful! What a waste of smoked salmon, parmesan and cornmeal! I want the final verdict from my o/h.
Such a disappointment!!!

Well, best go and get myself a cup of tea. I am fed up with recipes that promise much but don't deliver.

Morning all.

How are we all? Back really bad after a visit to the dentist - I must remember to bring cushions!

Having a quiet day today - a bit of cleaning and out to lunch!

See you all later!

Hi Nyannie - hope everyones well and enjoying the christmassy period, honestly I'm not a massive fan of all the pushing and shoving, and false emotions. But I did go to the Christmas market in Lincoln and loved it, lots and lots of people but well organised, a wonderland of talent with loads and loads of arts and craft stalls, how do people come up with such wonderful ideas and then have the talent to create such great items, never got those skills myself, I got the pretty good at maths gene, lucky me Spent hours wrapping presents though the other nite and enjoyed it lots of ribbon and bows etc very therapuetic experience, would like a job doing that, maybe in Liberty's - yes that would be great. Have a lovely time everyone and if your meeting up this year enjoy xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Good morning everyone, hope you're all well.
Sun's still shining if a little chilly.

Haven't been on for a few days and I see things have improved a bit, the smilies are looking a whole lot better but what is this ? It doesn't have a description.

I don't know about anyone else but there just isn't enough hours in the day at the moment, I'm beginning to disappear under the list of things to do.

This is what happens when you leave everything to the last minute.

I MUST write the christmas cards today ......without fail!!
I have a pile of emails to attend to as well. At least Amazon have delivered all the presents.

Have a good day all.

Nice to see you Deefs and Lena. How are you both?

I love Xmas markets. I love wonderfully wrapped presents. NY Department stores used to wrap presents free and at Xmas they use beautiful boxes. Wish they would do it here. I went to a Xmas party ages ago in Winchester and loved it. I wrapped all my presents in gold and red with gold ribbon - seems festive. Children also get a candy cane.

I am decorating the house now for our party next week. Have used some red ribbon and red tablecloths to liven things up.

Just watched Rosemary Schrager. Yummy eggnog recipe but I have a better one so if anyone wants it, PM me. Just made some cranberry bread and gingerbread as presents too. Cannot wait for lunch.

Somehow decorating and baking is so much more rewarding than housework!!!!

Back later I hope.

How lovely to see you Deefs, hope you are well.

I'm not a fan of all the pushing and shoving either, infact I've only made one foray into town and one was enough.

My son went up to London on Friday (the boys traditional annual outing) which used to be for buying presents for their girlfriends but has now become a day out without the girls.

He described people as drones, charging around without the ability to adjust their course or speed.

Have a lovely Christmas xx

Now I really must get on with those cards......

Hi nyannie, what was the verdict on the canapes? I thought they sounded delicious. All your baking sounds delicious, you put me to shame. Marks and Spencer here I come.

I really am going this time... will check in later.

Hi all

Am really impressed with all your Christmas preparations. I've got most of the presents I'm looking for - they are all sitting in brown delivery boxes under the stairs. Reminds me a bit of the brown paper parcels of old.....Will do decorations and start food at the weekend

Am still working this week but just took time out to listen to Barack Obama's speech at the Nelson Mandela memorial event (don't think you can quite call it a service). For anyone who hasn't heard it, I thought it was fabulous, one of the best speeches I've ever heard him make - and that's saying something!

Only he could have said some of the things he did, and get away with it

I would like to hear the Barak Obama comments, and will have to look for it. He has the ability to feel as if he genuinely was on the same wavelength as Mandela , which is something pretty important.


I love all the talk of craft markets and decorations, it sounds so festive. I do love the idea of doing things beautifully and wrapping them nicely, and have always loved shops like Accessorise that seem to do it automatically.

My biggest issue with the idea of presenting things beautifully is that to me some of the most beautifully presented things are the simplest...like brown paper with a hint of red, or white paper tied in gold ribbons. Now I could try and copy these ideas, but it might look as if I am just copying my friends, and I also love bright jewel colours which don't work as well, And of course...you have to be organised to get this all sorted in advance. !! And I am not the most organised of people ...ever!!

The canapes - smoked salmon, cornmeal and parmesan - were a disaster. Tasteless!!! What a waste of smoked salmon.

Going back to old favourite of roquefort and walnut biscuits. Tomorrow I am making 60 mini-toad in the holes, spicy parmesan biscuits - and some parsnip and chestnut soup which I saw on Christmas Kitchen with James Martin. Will freeze it for when we come home after Christmas.

Have done very little housework except to clean the loos. I do wish a fairy godmother would just wave her wand and the house would be spotless!!

Oh well, got to take the butter out for tomorrow - three packs, still - it is Christmas.

One suggestion. My mother had a friend who was a widow with lots of children. She used to wrap all her presents in white tissue with red yarn. They looked festive and striking. I do this when I'm giving Christmas cookies. Gold tissue paper also works very well with red or gold ribbon.

Over the weekend I am going to try to make some gingerbread (cake). Managed to find some molasses in Waitrose - solid though so hope it will work. I love gingerbread - one of my favourite cakes.

mmmm all this cookery is making me feel hungry..I might try and make some oat and syrup biscuits that are really simple. I tend to be a very wasteful and expensive cook....

I must write my cards this evening....I must , I must, I must.....


apart from all that its a cold and miserable day here...

nearly time for another round of CBB, will anybody be watching it?

Afternoon all.

Been busy - made a batch of mini-yorkies which my kind neighbour has frozen. Some broke but I will serve them anyway. Also testing some gruyere and walnut biscuits.

Had a nap too. Really needed it as I am not sleeping well.

Hope everyone is OK.

Morning all

Am I the only one on here?

I'm here nyannie, how are your preparations coming along for your party?

Yesterday saw the start of yet another cold. Woke with sore throat and left ear, hurts to swallow. This morning I woke to find a blood vessel had burst in my left eye, half of it is bright red I look delightful. (inserts rolling eye smilie)
Quite fed up now.

Did anyone see 'Lucan' last night on ITV? I wonder how factually correct it is? Amazing how these people seemed to live on thin air, how did they manage to keep gambling with no money?
Looking forward to part two.

The beach scene was filmed down here with our wonderful old pier in the background. Wonderfully grey, misty day they chose.

STILL, nothing from John? Not even a little rant about the Ashes? Maybe he's being ribbed mercilessly by his mates.

Off to write some Christmas cards.....still not finished.

Morning I'm here too...well, just popped in to say hello

Didn't see Lucan last night, wasted an hour watching the so-called IAC 'Wrap Party' ( inserts roll eyes here)

Then somehow don't know what I pottered about doing after that.....

Daughter is making canapés for her friends Christmas party ( a group of 15 or so ), so she and I will be making some on Friday evening. Not a patch on yours, nyannie, I am sure We are going back to the 80's book that I used to use for parties when they were small

Got to go now and get mum some lunch and take her shopping .....her frailty is more and more inescapable

Have a good day all

Lucan was a programme that his children and the nannies children weren't happy with, so I don't think it was that accurate!!!


Christmas cards have been written and sent, mostly, shopping has been mostly done for the weekend so everything is starting to come together.

Isn't facebook amazing, I was sending out some online emails to people for Christmas as well as checking addresses, and I thought I would look up some of my old uni friends who I hadn't spoken to for absolutely years.... today I have got replies from 2 of my closest friends from that period....and hopefully the contact details of someone else.....

jumps around in excitement....

Good evening

I,m Here poking my head out of Christmas wrapping, bows, labels and sticky tape

what a few days
you know i said, i thought i had Christmas in hand
well i was wrong, i think, i was a little optimistic
and just slightly......... ahead of myself

Christmas cards still not done and i started those on Monday

going to have a read back now

P.s i know i mentioned Skys Portrait Artist of the year and i do think Augusta tuned in
well i was delighted with the winner, a young man named Nick Lord, his Portrait of Lance
Corporal Johnson Beharry is well worth a look

Well thats great news,
i can see why you are excited, you're right facebook can be amazing

and slightly jealous, you have your Chrsitmas cards done, i think it is my least favourite
Christmas job

Hello Lindy
i also wasted a hour on IAC wrap party

Good luck with the canapes, i still love a bit of cheese and pineapple on a stick, i know very outdated of me, you just don,t get given them anymore