Soop's very welcoming kitchen...

No chocolate, I’m afraid, ladies, but I’m sure I can rustle up a very good chocolate sauce to go with some of the vanilla!
Ann I don’t enjoy wrapping presents either, and leave it to Himself, but he invariably gets into ham fisted difficulties and has to be bailed out, so I might as well have done it myself in the end! What he lacks in manual dexterity he makes up for in enthusiasm!

Evening all. Today has been freezing, all day. Have driven 50 miles to stay with DD1, SIL and DGD1. Daughter and SIL have gone off to the 02 to see Queen this evening and DGD1 has just gone up to bed.
I am going to the hospital tomorrow to see my new GC on a scan, only 4 weeks to go.
Hope DD doesn't do too much dancing in the aisles tonight !!!
Oh N&G poor you with no heating on this very cold day.
Soop have a wonderful meet up tomorrow.
Hope tomorrow is a warmer day for everyone.

It has been very cold today here, definitely not a day for the heating to break down.
I have pulled my finger out today and got the cards organised.
In my current frame of mind I just culled the list and more than halved it, I have left off people I haven't seen for many years and will never see again, also estranged SiL's family which I decided was pathetic keeping in touch with.
I feel so much better for doing it.
My S has shopped for my GC and now all I have to do is wrap them, another job I don't enjoy.
I am turning into Grinch.

Like New York, New York. The kitchen is so good I've named it twice

Nice to see so many people in the kitchen the kitchen these days but hard to include everyone in all the posts.

nellie it's hard to make yourself feel Christmassy if you don't and it makes things worse if others are jolly. It's a difficult time of year for so many people.

Thank you for your kind words gq. I think you've summed up how some people feel quite well.

Galen do NOT have a "right royal knees up" as soop suggested unless you are absolutely sure you have your knickers on

soop have a great time and enjoy yourself.

N&G hope you warm up soon. What a time to have no heating ☃️⛄️

Lovely pictures everyone.

I'd like to share the chocolate ice cream with corner if you've got any greyduster. Not too keen on salted caramel but will eat most other things

Any chocolate going greyd? It would be a struggle but I’d do it to help a fellow GNer. .

corner glad you had a happy lunch with your fellow GNer. It’s lovely to be able to put faces to names, is it not? Hope you’re sleeping better recently.
I was trying to make room in our freezer today and we seem to have a lot of ice cream! DH keeps buying it! So I’m afraid we must set to and eat it..... life is very hard! Salted caramel anyone?

Have fun, soop, I know you will . Love to all.

Oh n&g buggerations indeed. I do understand. Imprinted on my memory is the winter our power tripped, and tripped and tripped. No lights, no power to the boiler or it’s very flash control, no cooker, nothing comforting. Our wonderful electrician tried, and tried and tried. Eventually we had power, from goodness knows where, probably next door, to two sockets downstairs and three upstairs . We spent two days with very long extension leads and electric heaters.
After much muttering about weird wiring the fault was eventually traced and life went on with a much reduced bank balance.

I’m hoping you will be warm again very, very soon. At one point I spent a long while driving very slowly and then sitting in a supermarket cafe. Is there a nice warm swimming pool in the vicinity? Alternatively an even warmer hotel for the night?

Pleased your new freesat box is doing its stuff, Greyd, you’ll be an expert in no time, I have faith in you.

Enjoyable lunch with a GN friend today, the time flew by, even the rain I went out into couldn’t dampen my spirits.

Take care all. Stay safe.

Utmost sympathy, N&G. We have been in a position where our boiler packed up at the coldest part of a very cold winter. It is absolutely no fun. Hope that you and grampy are back in business and toasty again tomorrow. ?
We have just bid a fond farewell to the engineer who has just installed our new freesat box, which is very wonderful and does all kinds of very clever stuff that the old one didn’t do! As I did not know how to work it before, I haven’t a hope in hell of being able to work this one. End of! Problem is that this now does all the things for free that we are paying TalkTalk for..... .
It has been extremely Arctical here today again and ice is not moving, but hopefully temperatures are set to rise tomorrow. I hope so, as I am scheduled for a haircut and it will be a bit parky around the neck and ears!

While you have got the electrician there I hope he is fitting an immersion heater for you?
Yes they can be expensive to run, but with a well lagged tank probably less than the oil fired central heating and a whole lot quicker!

N&G Buggerations galore! Things can only get better from tomorrow on.

Will do, Galen

Charleyg What's that you said? Something about avoiding alcohol. Too late! I've ordered half a bottle of wine. Here we go, here we go, here we go ho!

Well my lovelies, I am about to log off. From now until I stagger through our door on Thursday, I shall be incognito. Somebody has to represent our up-market kitchen. I shall do my best to behave.

One thing that I shall be able to do - sleep without feeling guilty about leaving Rory for a wee while.

Look after yourselves. Back before you know it.

No hot bath - that's my worst fear.
Wrap up well Nana. Hope they get it going tomorrow.
Most people think SW France, always warm, but a few years ago we had a long cold spell here - minus 10 or so - and the pressure valve on our propane gas tank froze up.
No hot water or CH. But we have a log burner which gives some heat.

Just a quick pop in , and only so warm up!!

The boiler packed up in the night!! Typical!!

Then it seemed we’d run out of oil so Grampy had to head off and buy 2 25ltr containers as they couldn’t fill up till Saturday!!!

THEN it seems the boiler works and oil is leaving the tank but not getting to the boiler !!

And as if that’s not enough grief for one day .... the electrician arrived , shut off all the electrics including phone and internet and spent 6 hours in and out doing his stuff!!

I’m cold, I’m fed up and did I mention ......I’m cold!!

Boiler engineer will be here tomorrow lunchtime by which time I shall be an icicle !!

Oh yes...... I need a shower and to wash my hair.....shame we have no hot water either !

t word ! Pantechnicon , really sounds like a voyager accoutrement

soop I do hope that you have a lovely time but please keep off the alcohol.

soop give the GN mob my love

Galen

I keep a list in Pages and print it off each time.
Trouble is it keeps growing.
At this rate I’ll need a Pickfords pantechnicon to get my stuff to Southampton,and that’s just the champagne and anchovy stuffed olives!

Galen you have a spare room, pop a couple of items in each day or better still, make a list of what you intend to take. That way you are less likely to forget anything.

It's slightly milder today. The snow-capped peaks are looking a lot less seasonal.
I'm intending devoting myself to one hour of stag painting portrait. After which...tiddle with hair and pack my bag for the Gransnet do. I'm feeling excited. It will be a pleasure to see some good pals. I so wish that many more of you lot could join in the fun.

Galen Panic ye not! Go with the flow and remember...you will be on that boat and having a right royal knees up in next to no time.

Guess what? I shall be packing my one roomy bag this afternoon. Not going cruising but meeting some grans in Edinburgh tomorrow. I need to set the alarm for 5 a.m. Cor blimey and all that jazz.

callgirl is right galen, just prioritise .

Sorry, didn`t intend to repeat myself.

DON`T forget the pearls! They won`t know if you`re not wearing knickers!

DON`T forget the pearls! They won`t know if you`re not wearing knickers!