Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Good afternoon,

A much greyer day today and very cold - the kind of damp which eats into your bones (I can definitely feel it in my knees). It was necessary to put on the room lamps at 3 pm today .

I wrote some of my Christmas cards, the ones for abroad, and got them posted on the way back from a funeral (one of the coffee morning natter group). Goodness, the post was more than the cards cost, but hey ho, it is what it is.

I’ve raided the freezer today and found a beef stew (I tend to make a double amount and freeze half), so we’ll have that for dinner tonight, with extra mashed potato to stretch it out, as we must have been hungry first time round as there’s not quite half).

I might go back to writing cards if I can stir myself, or I might read instead. Decisions, decisions .

Enjoy the rest of the day.

 

Good afternoon all. I promised you a story about little shoes, and now is the right time to tell it. As @Blue arbour mentioned, similar tradition is in Germany and Austria. Getting presents at Christmas is recently new thing in Croatia. Children here gets their presents at St. Nicholas day which is 5th December, so tomorrow. By tradition children must clean and polish their shoes and leave them on window sill night before St. Nicholas day. Next morning they will find presents in and around boots. Also all towns organize gift giving on main square or in the church if the weather is bad for all children. In the shoes they also get Krampus birch, which is only decoration, but it's indispensable part of this day. Sorry for the long post, now few pictures, and you still have time to prepare your shoes, or wellies. Next, and my favorite tradition will be on 13th December.

People can buy Birch everywhere few days before St. Nicholas.
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Fascinating,@Ante1. When I was a child, we always put our shoes at the bottom of our beds on Christmas Eve ( my dad was from Europe and we had a lot of non British customs at home)

As our family grew, ( I was one of six children) my parents decided that it would be better if Father Christmas didn’t have to bring our presents to the bedrooms, so we were instructed to leave our shoes downstairs in the sitting room - we each commandeered a chair or part of the sofa, and headed off to bed in great excitement!
One year, I had asked for a desk, and when I came down on Christmas morning, there was a lovely little desk, with its two front legs wearing my shoes! Never forgotten that!

 

We met friends at the Dog and Pickle (great name). First visit for us all. They brought their pooch, so we were placed in a rather cool spot. Once we'd chosen, we settled down to the serious business of "catching up". Good job we had a lot to catch up on, as we waited... and waited... we were told that, because A had ordered a steak and ale pie, it was made from scratch for him, so we all had to wait an hour!!
The food, when it did arrive, was excellent. We ordered desserts, but were then informed that our choices weren't available, so we reordered... guess what, they weren't available either. Food 9/10, service 2/10.
It has recently been awarded a Blue ribbon in this year's good food awards.
Not going back there.

THank you @Ante1. Lovely to hear about your traditions.
@Ergates that's a lovely story

 

Hello there everyone. Lots of posts to catch up on. @Allotment Boy I'm pleased you got your car sorted out eventually. As you say, a lesson learned and good that you passed on that experience to us all. @Goldenlily26, I felt my 'Victor Meldrew' emerging when I read of the run around you have had with your surgery in trying to access a physio appointment. It is just so frustrating when you do everything right and they treat you as if you are the awkward one.

 

Thank you once more @Ante1 for the description of the boot tradition. @Ergates, you created a sweet picture of a little desk wearing your shoes in my head. Such a wonderful memory for you. @Penny_Forthem, I would have been most unimpressed with that service too. I certainly would not have been prepared to wait for an hour for my food and then rubbing salt in the wound by not having two of the desserts mentioned on the menu. A poor do!

 

I had a lovely time at the GC this morning after an horrendous drive through thick fog in the rush hour traffic. It was lovely all of us meeting up and nattering before having a mooch. I was strangely drawn to the Jurassic corner where I mingled with wonderful ginormous models of velociraptors, allosaurus, triceratops and diplodocus and others. Unfortunately I couldn't get any pictures because there was a nursery school group there and they were milling about like little ants = very cute but I did not want to start waving my mobile around. The Jurassic corner turned out to be a crazy golf course but it was closed because of the inclement weather. I managed to buy some more Christmas cards and I think I will copy @Blue arbour and get some written tonight. See you all tomorrow.

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Lovely tradition @Ante1 , thanks for the reminder. I’ll be looking at my shoes in a different light now for the next few weeks …. Keeping watch
@Ergates , that was a lovely tale about your shoe wearing desk, I can quite imagine your delight at seeing it for the first time.

 

Interesting re physio. comments. Recently I heard of a very good physio. at the local MS Centre so I may resort to trying him.
My day today did not improve.
I phoned the local hospital physio dept. first thing to be told they are no longer issuing paper application forms. However, I could post mine, 85p, take it to the hospital by hand or redo it online.
I took Rob for a walk before continuing to the vet where I discovered I was a day early so have to take him back tomorrow. I continued across town to deliver my physio form, to discover I had picked up the wrong papers. I stopped off at B&M on the way home to stock up on dog and cat food for C*******s, bought some Gorilla glue to repair a coffee table and some fire lighters for the forthcoming cold spell. I bought a large Swiss Roll as a treat, not, it turned out to be really leathery. I have just completed filling out an application form for physio on line, it has been accepted so now I have to wait while it is verified with the GP and an appointment sent to me, hopefully. I am really fed up with the whole thing.
The bad weather has come in and it is blowing a hooley and raining again, which has not improved my mood. I cannot be bothered to cook a meal so I am going to make some duck and salad with Hoisin Sauce corn wraps to munch on.
Has anyone tried the Baileys Extra Thick Cream, not the drink. It is yummy!

 

Evening folks.

I’ve enjoyed reading today’s stories and adventures.

I worked today so I feel an early night coming on. Catch you all tomorrow.

 

Sleep well @AuntyRach. Feeling dozy myself now but will wait for Shetland before going to bed.

@Penny_Forthem I hope you go online and post a suitable review. It is ludicrous, especially at lunchtime, to accept an order for something that takes an hour to prepare and not mention that and bad form not to have the desserts advertised on the menu.

@Ante1 Possum, born in Belgium, still insists on a St Nicolas/Sinterklaas prezzie and some chocs. In the Netherlands and Belgium there's a whole load of traditions including his arrival by boat and his sidekick, Zwaarte Piet - Sinterklaas - Wikipedia

Cosmos has been hiding on Possum's bed all day so had to be fetched for his wound cleaning and eye drops. He's now slinking around and being very suspicious of any movement towards him but his wound is healing nicely so that's OK.

 

I enjoyed your post @Ergates. I was one of six children too, the eldest. We used to put our stockings on the ends of our beds. When I had four children I instructed them to put them in front of the fireplace. Far less hassle! The bigger family presents were put under the tree. My children now do the same. Their French spouses all like the way we did Christmas.

 

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Good morning everyone. I am another one of six children (I'm the oldest) and we used to put our stockings at the ends of our beds. It was always so exciting on Christmas Day feeling the lumps and bumps in the stockings and guessing what they might be.
@Goldenlily26, I get the Baileys thick double cream every Christmas - its a 'must' with warm mince pies. @Obelix-Vendée I enjoyed last night's episode of Shetland. It is getting very interesting now. Good to read that Cosmos is healing from his wound.
Off to Bestie's today and I'm taking some mince pies and mulled wine. I'll also take the scarves I'm knitting in the hope that she may have some blue wool thats a closer match than the wool I have. I only have about 5cm to go to complete them all so might have to make do with a little ombré border on the blue scarf.

 

Morning everyone.

In my childhood we used to have a present at the end of the bed so we knew “he’s been!”, then a stocking under the tree. Poor Santa - must have been a late night and a military operation! I know I am a bit of a Grinch these days, but making a magic experience and memories for children is a wonderful thing.

Have a lovely day all.

 

Good morning all.

Enjoy your day with Bestie, @Ladybird4.

We'll have to wait until we go back to Norfolk to watch Shetland as we missed the beginning. No iPlayer in France. I record everything here as 9pm is 10pm.

We are going to Périgueux, capital city of Dordogne, today to do some Christmas shopping and have lunch.