Chatbox 2

[Nanto2girls]

Hubby is decorating the smallest bedroom, i wanted it doing,but thought we would be getting someone in.
Anyway, the ceiling is done. It's filling in a bit of time for him anyway.
very cold here today. The fog hasn't lifted at all.

[Libra Gran]

Libra you have a busy Christmas planned 😊 enjoy it family time at Christmas is so special , how's Shiloh doing with the baubles on the tree ? Storm being really good he hasn't touched any so far but there is time 😊

Haven't decorated it yet Oma,left it bare to test him.Happy to report he hasn't shown any interest, might be different once its decorated.

[Daisy]

Nanto - I really could find your lovely OH lots of painting to do here if he's getting bored.

LG - when the GCs were toddlers I always put soft toy type decorations round the lower parts of the tree - perhaps you could put small dog toys round yours, if Shiloh can't resist! Although he's such a good boy, I don't think you will have a problem. Oma - I'm sure Storm will be a good boy, too. Or perhaps you could have some toys that look like cats to save him standing out in the cold looking at your neighbour's kitties.

We only got Eva a few days before Christmas last year and she was too occupied with minding her 'babies' (she had a false pregnancy) that she didn't bother with the trees, the decorations or any toys. This year, we'll have to wait and see!

[Oma]

Daisy he has 3 kitties of his own at home , tally allows him to lick her till she's soggy , Buzz beats him up so he's afraid of him and Jasper when he decides to come home ignores him 😊 but he is desperate for next doors cats to come out and play 😀

[ZIZI]

I have done the Christmas food shop today. There is an online butcher called Donald Russell (sorry for the advertising) which I have been using for over a year and, yes, they are more expensive than supermarkets but the quality is superb. It is all delivered in polystyrene boxes, frozen wthi dry ice. Our butcher does not do goose or duck etc and husband wanted goose for Christmas Day but it is so expensive, way too expensive and I have been on lots of sites, so we are having a turkey crown. I am not too fond of turkey to be honest but I usually get my own way for Christmas lunch if we are at home so we will have turkey this year. I have ordered duck breasts for our NYE dinner and also some party packs for the family day. Delivery is morning of 23rd December. One is "finger food" for 8 - 12 people and the other canapé quiche selection. I have also ordered a few bits from Sainsbury for delivery 23rd December as well. That way if something arrives that I am disappointed with or, in the case of Sainsbury, they don't deliver at all if they are out of stock. I can go early morning on 24th to Tesco and get what I need. When I say early morning I am talkng 5am. Rather that than queueing to get into a car park!

So that is the food sorted. We are not big pudding people so I will just get some good vanilla ice cream, I always have Elm Lea cream in anyway for emergencies, and I will make a chocolate fudge cake, I have time.

I am am still battling with the gift side of things which annoys me as I am usually on top of it way before now. I have bought husband a new "man bag". He had one given to him for his 60th but when we were in Barbados this year he left it in the sun and the leather has scorched and lifted which is odd and looks awful. He takes his bag as he has to have the travel documents (clearly I am capable of booking all the travel and hotels and printing the documents but being in charge at the airport is a no - it is fine 😜). I got the bag for half price but it was still expensive. As he is NEVER going to retire, otherwise we will lose our priority on our free tickets, he will be needing a bag for a long time 😂 So it is worth so spending money on. I am going to have a new iPad but we have agreed not to buy it until after Christmas. I do not need the latest thing just something that does not crash as much as this one does! Anyway this one is quite old now and my dil said that there is only a finite period of time where it will be supported before Apple withdraw and you get no further updates or support, it has happened to the one she let Ben have when she bought a new one. Mine is five years old so I think it is quite old in gadget years.

I did ask for a kitten for Christmas but husband will not let me. He says when we get to the stage where we are no longer rushing around we can have a cat again. He is a spoil sport........

[Libra Gran]

I have bought a lovely reindeer to stand at the bottom of the tree on the snow blanket, hmmm might be interesting to see his reaction.

[ZIZI]

LG I remember years ago when we were still in the house and we had five cats, we had a new supplier of soft toys for the shops and they were very life like. I bought a white "Persian" cat home and put it on the ledge where the cats went out of the back French Windows. There was a lot of growling and "low lurking" going on from the older three and, surprisingly, the one I would have least expected (a black and white delicate little ballerina cat) leapt at the white toy and tried to kill it, rolling around on the floor with it. At the point of the rolling around the second least expected cat, big fluffy tabby with such a sweet temper, joined in. The fiercest one, a giagantic ginger tab., sat back and watched. It was a very funny five minutes. I removed the toy and everything settled down but whenever "snowy" came out there was more growling.

I found the the toy again a while ago when we were putting things in the loft for the kitchen refurb. I washed it and gave it to a charity shop.

[Nanto2girls]

Good morning,still foggy here.

ZIZI, i have looked at the butchers site you mentioned,but always been a bit wary of ordering meat online.

[Oma]

Morning ladies very very frosty out this morning wrap up well when you go out ,
Plant you be careful we don't want you falling and breaking anything again as soon as I saw the frost I thought about you
Gem thinking about you xxxxx

[Nanto2girls]

Will be thinking about you Gemini. XX

[Mimi]

Morning all, it's very foggy here this morning also.

Zizi ,I wish I were as organised with Christmas as you are. I do not have to cater Christmas lunch as we are going to DSs and DIL but I'm still lagging behind in the food and present shopping. In my mind I have done it all but in reality I've barely scratched the surface. Hopefully today I should finish the presents as I'm off town this morning.
You never know you might get your kitten 🐱. OH hasn't a clue what to get me but that's not unusual. He is one of these men who needs lots of hints and even then he doesn't always catch on. One year he brought me a baby blue cable knitted jumper. I was only in my 30s at the time , it was something I would have brought for his nan. Even now, many years on and as a nan myself I still consider myself to young to wear it

Take care out there every one, especially if you are traveling on the roads, beware of the fog

[Gemini]

Be careful in the cold and fog everyone. I drove home from DD1s in dark and fog last night, it was no fun.
Still very foggy this morning, but OH will drive us and she is a very careful driver and much more experienced than me. We only have 4 miles to go anyway!

[ZIZI]

Nan2 I have used them for a couple of years and have been very satisfied. Everything is delivered frozen in big polystyrene boxes with the date of packing on them, they are shrink wrapped as well. I remember some years ago we would quite often go to markets and car boots and there would be people there selling meat, now I would never buy from them, very dodgy I would imagine.

[Clover]

Rather dreary here this morning.

I'm thinking of you Gem and sending love.

I'm more or less sorted for Christmas. Cards ready to post,stamps bought (what a price!) and most presents wrapped.

Have a good day ladies.

[Nanto2girls]

Nan2 I have used them for a couple of years and have been very satisfied. Everything is delivered frozen in big polystyrene boxes with the date of packing on them, they are shrink wrapped as well. I remember some years ago we would quite often go to markets and car boots and there would be people there selling meat, now I would never buy from them, very dodgy I would imagine.

ZIZI, i would never buy meat from a car boot sale. I'm not fussy about buying it at the supermarket either.