Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Good evening all.

I'm still catering for 10 each day - the grandsons from York get on so well with their cousins from Galway that the families are meeting here each day. Unfortunately we can't put both families up at once, so the Galway brigade have to drive an hour each way every day. It's lovely to have the family all together, but definitely tiring! I'm a bit of a worrier when it comes to catering for large numbers, but the adults have been great at helping with food preparation (and doing the washing up!).

OH is leaving for a fortnight in the UK late on Wednesday, and the rest of the family on Thursday morning, so I'll be rattling around an empty house by the end of the week, eating leftovers and clearing up Lego...

 

@Liriodendron , I can't even begin to imagine catering for 10, let alone each day. You'll probably collapse in a big heap come Thursday and as you say eating leftovers. Peace and quiet!

 

'Evening all.

I've had a busy day today, pottering all morning then a raid on the SM in La Roche this pm as I needed spring onions for tomorrow's dinner (t'other pair want Peking duck) as there were none in Luçon on Friday. Mission accomplished and then Possum and I started melting down old, battered candles to make new ones. I've mixed organic essential oil of cloves into the melted wax in the hope that they will be less chemical and offensive than commercial smelly candles @Ladybird4 .

Had a bit of an accident tho and ended up "ironing" my ceramic hob thru kitchen paper to remove a wax spill. I'm going to try red myrtle oil for the next batch but first I need to find my white string for the wicks.

@Liriodendron it sounds like fun but you'll appreciate the quiet later.

 

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A very good morning and happy New Year's Eve to you all. @Liriodendron give me a shout next time and I'll come down to help!. I love catering for big numbers - hate catering for just me! In the past when we have had February halfterm holidays with all the family in the Lake District we have had as many as 29 to cater for.
@Obelix-Vendée, I agree that natural essential oils are probably the answer for me but I cannot get close enough to read the labels! If any of you remember our lovely friend Joyce from GW who sadly passed away, her daughter Sameena (a doctor) who I keep in touch with told me that there is a substance called linolool (spelling?) in many scented items that has proved to be the 'trigger' component that can cause sensitivities.
@Ergates, I am with you in that I cannot be bothered to stay up and see the 'New Year' in. To me, every day is a New Year's Day! I'll get my coat!

 

Good morning all. The last morning in this year, and it's calm, sunny and warm. This year was very unpredictable, and hope the next one will be much better for all of us. As usual I have my tea, pets are fed and again sleeping. It will be an easy day for us here.

 

Good morning @Ante1. My pet is fed too and has just exited through the cat flap to go and do who knows what in the neighbourhood. At least he seems to have grown out of the head wrestling!

 

Good morning @Ladybird4. Let him enjoy wandering around.

 

Good morning all.

I remember Joyce, so sad, sad about your friend too @Ladybird4, her sight and her husband's illness.

We don't stay up for New Year either. Not worth watching on French TV and English TV is an hour behind.
Yesterday I cleaned upstairs, today I'll take down some decorations and start cleaning downstairs.

I rarely see spring onions for sale in Dordogne, @Obelix-Vendée. I make the pancakes and I use confit de canard for the duck - that's easy to find here, being a speciality of this region. I use sliced red onions if I can't find spring onions. Rarely do it now as we are in the UK so often.

Off to daughter's on Thursday to pick up grandson, then ferry on Friday. Must plant my tulips that son gave me, but it's so cold.

 

Morning everyone, dry and a bit brighter here today.
@Liriodendron we had 12 of us on Christmas day but that was only one day I don't think I could cope for a week.
Anyone else noticed the birds seem very active in the garden, Christmas day and today , they seem to think it's spring, I hope they can cope when the forecast cold comes.

 

Our bird feeders are very popular at the moment, but there is certainly a lot of chasing around in pairs. Surely that’s too early? I was hoping to get a lot of shrubs and hedges trimmed back before nesting season.
We are up at the Donkey Sanctuary for breakfast, and a decent view of the horizon. Although we love living amongst the trees in our village, it does mean that a lot of sky and sun are hidden for much of the year. OH has noticed that their excellent festive sandwich is on the menu for lunch today ( turkey, stuffing and pigs in blankets) Just the thought was enough to make me feel rather queasy! I have half a turkey crown in the freezer, originally destined for a New Years Day lunch, but I’m thinking maybe for my birthday in March will be early enough!
This afternoon will be taken up with laundry, spare room bedding and towels to process. We will have to stop off at the diy store on the way home, and buy a new sink plunger, our shower has been emptying very slowly for the last couple of days, and threatening to overflow. I’ve searched the garage for the old one, but suspect it got sent to the tip for looking a bit perished, and inhabited by spiders!

 

We have a windy, but dry morning so far. We will not stay up - we used to, but the last time we did, at neighbours, was 2019, before Covid and illness.
We don't have any more catering till Monday, but that's just the 'normal' routine of having family for a meal. I shall be quite glad to get back to 'sensible eating'.
I noticed the same thing, re the birds, @Allotment Boy.
I was given some daff bubs for my birthday, but, due to my cousin's illness, I didn't get given them till just before Christmas. Is it worth planting them?
I hope the last day of 2024 is kind to you all, your family and friends.

 

Afternoon all,

It’s very breezy here, but brighter than earlier. However, rain is forecast for later.
I’ve got tonight’s meal cooking in the slow cooker - lamb shanks in a red wine gravy. I’ll serve mashed potato and finish the sprouts to go with it. We’ll have cheese to follow (was supposed to have cheese Christmas Day, but with the red wine incident, didn’t get round to eating any, too busy blotting up the wine (stain still not completely disappeared, not sure what to try now, other than get the professionals in unless anyone has a good idea).

We will probably welcome in the New Year, but then go to bed. Our days of going out to celebrate ceased a number of years ago, and the friends we usually visited, or they came to us, are away this year, so it will be a very quiet affair.

I wish you all the very best for the New Year.

 

Good afternoon everyone. @Allotment Boy, I was just saying to my friend yesterday that I have noticed the blackbirds being territorial in my back garden. There were two males and a female and I mentioned to her that it seemed a bit early. I have also noticed starlings going under the tiles on my neighbours house. They don't have dry verges so over the years the mortar has been pecked out and various feathered pairs have moved in. As well as the starlings, house sparrows like the gaps. @Penny_Forthem I would go for planting the bulbs - nothing ventiured and all that!

 

I agree re the bulbs, Garden Which did a trial and showed even planting as late as the end of January, they will still flower, just maybe not as tall and the flower might not last as long, but still worthwhile. They did say that after Feb was not really worth it, but mostly because the bulbs will deteriorate. Fortunately for us most plants really want to grow, we just have to help them along a bit.

@Blue arbour Lamb shanks in red wine, followed by cheese, what time can I come round.

 

Good afternoon everyone!

A shout out to you all for the last day of the year! Grey, dismal and cold here. My friend likes to stay up to see the new year in - we have bought some seafood for tonight.

I popped a good bottle of prosecco into the fridge last night and today at 12pm, here opened it and saluted the New Year in, in New Zealand with my family (those who were staying up)! A little tradition we have kept throughout the years. I thought it may help to encourage a sleep this afternoon and stay awake for tonight - but the more I thought about it, the less that sleep zone came!! Grrr!!

Relaxing in front of a film and then a last walk with the dogs before lighting the fire and settling in for the night.

I wish you all a super evening!!