Don't Get Excited........

 
It's been a quiet week so not much to tell you. The weather has been really cold and icy, some wet some windy and very minimal snow so not complaining but I've enjoyed staying home in the warm. Probably it was the weather that meant only two neighbours joined us for coffee morning. We did get two couples let us know beforehand that health issues were a problem. 

I've spent some time repairing a soft toy panda my niece has had since birth and now after loving it for 50+ years it needed it. Nervous now of best way to get it clean. 

O, as I've said before, loves music and making music and now performing under the name of Charlie Blackwood is about to release his first full album. He was interviewed which was published in our local paper. 

On the same day Daughter also appeared in the same edition! So proud of my family. 

And that's about it, thankfully quiet as I've been dealing with a side effect of the cancer pills, even though I've only been back on them for just nine days! 

Stay home and keep warm if you can.

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2025 Without Resolutions.........

 
First thing Saturday Daughter messaged to tell us that the Red Rose Theatre Christmas performance of Pinocchio had a problem. Their cast of three were down to two as the actress who is Pinocchio suddenly has appendicitis so from now to the end of its run on 5th January R is taking her place. Of course she has had barely any rehearsal but thankfully as stage manager she knows roughly what should happen when. A friend of mine had tickets for R's first performance and reported back that if they hadn't been told she was a very short notice understudy they would never have known as she was brilliant. 

Sunday we hosted our annual family gathering as usual. This was the image from next door's window and there were three more cars arrived after this. 

We think there were 28 of us plus the dog but they all seemed to spread out at the time I did a quick photo sweep. 

We had two new adult members of the family join us for the first time and they both coped well with our noisy chaos. I really enjoyed it as I always do. 

 

Monday we still had coffee morning and some of the leftover goodies went on the table. Daughter and I had booked tickets for Monday afternoon to see R while she was Pinocchio but then I got a message to say the original actor was well enough to come back for the second show (thankfully it hadn't been appendicitis after all) so our tickets were quickly changed to the matinee (so lucky as there were only three seats left). R was brilliant and we knew how little preparation time she'd had and did five shows. So very proud of her. 

Hubby and I spent New Year's Eve alone, which I don't remember ever having done before, but I'd done enough hosting recently and glad I hadn't invited anybody. We did have our usual Chinese Tesco meals from freezer to oven or microwave. Tasty but lazy eh? 

Hubby didn't even stay up and was fast asleep in bed by the time I'd replied to all the well wishers on social media and watched the midnight fireworks on TV and out of the window shooting up from behind local houses. 

Now 2025! 1st January and I'm back on the evil pills after 20 days break. Having felt almost back to normal I now know which things are definitely side effects and hopefully we can adjust the dosage to lessen them. 

Social activities over it wasn't long before all the pretty stuff was down and packed ready for 11 months storage in the loft

We saw Daughter on her birthday as she had the morning free and Hubby offered to wash her car so it had a birthday treat too, it was filthy but brilliant white when she left. She stayed for lunch then left in time for O to be awake and E&C to arrive from Norwich. 

We've nothing really planned ahead of time and I'll make no promises now so let's just see what sort of year 2025 turns out to be and if there's choices to be made we usually pick the right ones. 

I hope you have a good year, meanwhile have a good week and wrap up warm.

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Family Time......

 
We started this week with Doggy Day Care for Daughter's dog as M had surprised her and O with theatre tickets in London. 

Sadly we also heard that Son's dog has lost her recent health battle. She had been so well loved and will be deeply missed. 

Christmas Eve and we had a little band of veg-prep Elves: Daughter, E&C, Hubby and me. I was enjoying catching up with E and forgot to take a photo.

Hubby and I set the table before we went to bed.  

Christmas morning always starts with playing the LP of traditional Christmas songs, I bought it for our first Christmas together 51 years ago. We keep the record deck especially for that. 

Daughter, E&C, R and O arrived with the dog of course. Sadly M was too unwell to join us and Son and fiancé were feeling very sad and also decided not to come.

O, as usual, did the prezzie distributions. Yes he really is getting taller and taller. 

Daughter had said she was doing all the cooking and brought with the vegan Wellington she had made for all those not eating turkey. 

There seemed plenty of time for some game playing, which took a lot longer than expected

So in the end I also did some of the cooking and we all sat down to two yummy courses and all too full to have dessert. 

But not to be defeated dessert was dished up and eaten while watching Dr Who (which was a load of rubbish, TV not dessert).

They didn't leave it too late before gathering all their stuff together and heading home, with a plated up dinner for M.

Boxing day Son and fiancé came for a quieter afternoon just the four of us. Mince pies and chocolate biscuits with mugs of tea, prezzie swapping and lots of chat was lovely. They decided not to stay for dinner so I wrapped up the vegan pigs in blankets and the sweet potato Wellington we had saved for them so they had dinner to eat at home. 

Friday didn't start so well as I needed to go for a blood test and sometimes I'm a tricky customer this was one of the tricky days. Two phlebotomists needed five attempts, but they got there in the end. 

So a lazy afternoon with the heating up and lots of TV. 

We've a busy Sunday ahead I need to get the house ready for, so I'll leave you now and get on with it..... but not before wishing you all the very best for 2025.

Festive Feasting with Friends........

 
Starting the week with a smile. I was bought an orchid last August and only recently all its blooms fell off, now suddenly it's blooming again. 

I'm always confused by this cactus that can't decide if it's an Easter cactus or a Christmas cactus. A lovely healthy plant but it only ever has one or two flowers at any old time of the year but none now. 

Thankfully I'm feeling a lot more comfortable this week, not totally fine but OK to take on the very festive week in our calender. 

Monday was our noisy coffee morning of course. 

Tuesday we should have been out at a late lunch meeting two couples in Chelmsford. Sadly friendL phoned in sick so her and husbandK couldn't come. Then friendsL&M decided we should postpone till January, so I cancelled our pub booking. 

Hubby and I took the rare opportunity to go round Tesco together. I just  about survived physically and we were pleased to have done so much with only the fresh stuff with short dates to get next week. Not sure Hubby would survive me shopping with him too often hahaha. 

Wednesday the usual gang booked the festive menu at the pub and it was all really good. 

Thursday the old work team gathered. Even after more than 15 years it's still my job to arrange things. We now prefer to have a lunch event rather than evening but it's still a full three course pig out. Mmmmmm 

Oops, you can now see I wore the same jumper both days, hahaha. 

With just a few days before the main event I'll wish you and all your families the happiest and healthiest festive season. 

And this year both religions can party together. 

In this family we always do!!! ❤ 

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Feeling Poorly.........

 
We swapped coffee morning this Monday for a local hotel Christmas lunch. Unfortunately I had been unwell over the weekend, with food making me feel yucky so I thought it best to miss this festive two course lunch. I insisted Hubby still went and he took this photo and reported it was all good. 

An added bonus was neighboursA&D paid for Hubby's as a thank you for the various jobs he has helped them with. 

 I was still feeling ill with lots of side effects ganging up on me, so phoned the helpline and later spoke to the Specialist Oncology Nurse, she is getting anti sickness pills prescribed and also recommended travel sickness bands which I'd ordered from amazon. She also told me to stop taking the meds for a whole week and we will review the dosage after that. 

These bands seem to help, which is fortunate as the hospital pharmacy doesn't appear to have received a prescription for me! 

We did manage to join my usual Wednesday evening friends and I even ate a little which was an improvement. 

I'm always so proud of Daughter and how she takes on all sorts of extras. This week E and her boyfriendC have moved back from Dorchester to Norwich and Daughter hired the big van and did the move with them. Taking O with for company and help they had the five hour drive down there Tuesday evening, loaded up about 11pm then slept over and drove back Wednesday morning. E&C have a fully loaded car and will meet them back in Norwich on Thursday, meanwhile here with Hubby, Daughter and O they unload half the van to store here, apart from their three seater sofa which was manhandled at Daughter's house but wouldn't maneuver into the bedroom space they had cleared for it so rearranged other rooms to fit it elsewhere. Phew! I had the easy job of keeping the dog out of their way.

Now I really need to muster up the energy to do the last of the gift shopping and wrap and sort menus so Hubby can shop. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star........

 
As with every previous year R and O traditionally have to start their Christmas by building and decorating our tree. They both get so busy with work and other commitments that this year it actually had to happen before November was totally finished. 

We all thought the lights looked better on R than the tree, tricky to keep her plugged in though! 

Finally finished and looking very festive. 

Hubby and I were left to clear up and then do the little tree in the dining room. 

And put up the extra lights. 

Hubby also attached the icicles to the guttering outside, so a good festive sparkle inside and out. 

I'd seen a recipe for air fryer bagels made with just Greek yoghurt and self raising flour. I couldn't get it to form a good dough and so it was sort of sticky dollops that landed on the baking tray that I threw into the oven (I've a very small air fryer that would have taken far longer cooked two at a time).

They didn't look pretty and I couldn't see any resemblance to bagels but they tasted OK. I won't bother making them again. 

Two days running we've managed a really short shopping dash locally and I've ordered a few bits online so I feel I don't need to panic just yet. All my cards are written, posted with royal mail or with our local scouts, and only a few left to hand deliver. 

So pleased I've always kept lists. Off to check mine again now and see what needs doing today. 

Enjoy your week.

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Amused and Amazed.......

 
This one kept Hubby busy for a long time, can you see how many people are crowding that beach? And the WASGIJ ones don't follow the picture on the box! 

Daughter came over on Tuesday as she had a strange car noise when she turned the steering wheel, well all Hubby had to do was open the bonnet and close it again for the noise to disappear. Now they are both head scratching wondering what caused and cured it. 

I went for a blood test this week and as we pulled into their car park another car had just parked and the driver was getting out. Hubby parked quickly but really badly and said "I'll repark when you beat that woman with her stick" hahaha! 

Another Doggy Day Care afternoon when Son and Fiancé did a little more Christmas shopping. I've had two small deliveries this week but really must get into gear with getting our Christmas gifts and food shopping done, although all my cards are written and ready to post.  

Good thing about having Son here briefly is he could help Hubby get the Christmas stuff out of the loft (saved me helping) as this weekend is the only free time R and O have to start their long held tradition of making our house festive. I'll put photos in next week's post. 

Nearly Ho Ho Ho time...... what's next on my list? 

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Good News Week........

 
Very early start last Saturday as M and O were off to a comic convention/ exhibition thing in West London so Hubby took them to the station just after 7am. Daughter and R are already away in different places so we are on Doggy Day Care again

When Hubby picked them up from the station late afternoon they were both grumpy and exhausted from hours of queuing only to be told it was mostly cancelled. They had paid for tickets, travelled and queued for nothing!

It was announced on the Red Rose Theatre page that their play Ungodly, which has just finished its London run, has been nominated for two Offie Awards! 

As I was lamenting that our beautiful tulip tree on the drive had now lost nearly all its leaves I was more than adequately consoled when I noticed our beech tree. It has been too cold for me to venture into the back garden for ages so this was a stunning surprise. 

Call from the consultant said the results of last week's CT Scan show some improvement as the tumor has shrunk a bit YAAY, not improved enough to allow me to reduce the dose but good news makes it more tolerable!

Hope you've had a good week.

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Cosy and Comfy.........

 
Another jigsaw completed (almost all by Hubby). 

CT Scan this week went well. Hope I don't have to wait too long for the results. 

Soda bread with caraway seeds. Yummy.

Another day was lemon puffs mmmmmm

Friday was a bit of Doggy Day Care when Son and fiancé wanted to make a start with a little bit of Christmas shopping. Fiancé still gets tired easily. 

Been nice having a quiet week and while I had the time I sorted some old stuff and got totally absorbed in old letters and events of my past. 

Enjoy your weekend.

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Reluctantly Quiet........

 
My favourite sign of autumn is definitely when our tulip tree turns gold. 

Problem for me this week is an annoying and very persistent cough plus I've lost my voice down to a very croaky whisper, not ideal for a week with two hospital phone calls and two social evenings out. Hospital said this is probably another side effect as I've no other symptoms and done a covid test which was negative. Let's hope it's another temporary problem. 

As friendM was on holiday on her big birthday there was a slight delay for us four to have a meal together to celebrate with her.

We ate at The Felixstowe pub we used to use so much in the past and that meant we could round off the evening at friendM's home to see the changes she had made there. 

Wednesday our usual gang plus friendHS. Afterwards to the snooker club and us three girls chatted while all four men bonded at the baize and laughed which was good to see. 

Not much else has happened, especially as I've lost a lot of sleep coughing, sorry Hubby! 

So that's it, but if you couldn't hear me I'm happy to repeat myself.

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