Early Risers.

[5 C]

Morning all.

 

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate and Happy December 25th to those that don't.

 

A nice leisurely one for me this morning. I'm not due parade until late afternoon on the Staffs/Salop border, so a nice relaxing morning, a walk in the nearby park before a hopefully traffic free drive north.

 

This year will be a muted affair with just a small gathering at my aunt and uncle's and a Boxing Day buffet at another aunt's a few miles away.

 

I called into Luton town centre yesterday for a couple of non-Christmas purchases, following an earlier gym session and it felt no busier than a Saturday afternoon. I was in and out in double quick time and and able to return to my Christmas-free zone without too much trouble.

 

The end is in sight!

[45156]

Morning All

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ERs.  Hope that many of your presents are train shaped.

 

Been awake since about six this morning, as we were both so cream crackered that we were a-bed by ten, having reached the limit of how much Christmas TV crap we could tolerate - thank the great TV maker for the recorder as we spent most of the evening watching old recordings of A touch of Frost and the like  - and will do so again today.

 

So why was I late on parade - well 30747 has been waiting for the Swarovski sale to start, which it did at midnight, at whch time we were sound asleep so it was a six am visit there to order a couple of Christmas ornaments, then there were all the Christmas messages on Facebook, and visits to various other websites (there are some out there other than RMWeb, it appears).

 

So today, we have the usual dinner, which we space over about three hours, with a starter of prawns in my own recipe sauce and smoked salmon - while  putting the chicken on (best Lidl free range corn fed), then as the chicken and veg are being consumed, put the pudding on to steam for an hour, then a nice glass (or two) of port with a bit of stilton.  Doing it that way, we don't get so bloated, and as there's only two of us plus the dog, it suits us.

 

30747 has undertaken to walk Lily, who is currently cuddling up to the radiator, as we have left the heating on a little longer than usual.

 

Christmas Regards To All

Stewart

Edited December 25, 2019 by 45156

[Andrew P]

Merry Christmas one and all on this rather damp and somewhat cold Christmas Day. 

 

But it's times like this, that I also think of those whose property's have been flooded etc, or in Australia where they are devastated by the Fires.

 

I / We are the lucky ones.

 

Have a good Day, doing what pleases you most.

[grandadbob]

Good morning and a very Merry Christmas to all,

Dry start to the day and a clear(ish) sky. Should be a nice day with some sunshine.

Dentist visited yesterday and errant tooth repaired.

Kids and grandkids all arrived safely and a good time had by all with absolutely no TV and quizzes and games played.

Breakfast is being prepared as I type and after that there will be present opening. Every year we say we won't do as many and guess what? That didn't happen. I suspect we will spend most of the morning ripping up paper!

Hope you and yours have a great day, I know I will.

All the very best,

B. Igkid.

 

 

 

 

 

[leopardml2341]

So as not to offend the awl:

 

Happy Humbug everyone

[Barry O]

I hope you all enjoy the day!

 

As chief cook i shall shortly set about checking the s p r o u t s (they have only been on since October so may need some extra work to get them boiled to pperfection!

 

Mugatea drunk..coffee machine needs to be loaded and switched on.

 

Breakfast today will be bacon banjos..with red sauce or brown sauce, no sauce at all or mustard (the mustard is for her indoors).

 

Very positive thoughts to all who ail!

And especial thoughts to her Debship and Gabe!

 

Now carpe diem folks!

 

TTFN

 

Baz

[Ozexpatriate]

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night (for me as I head off to the land of nod).

 

Christmas Eve festivities are concluded with sons, daughters-in-law and thirteen-year old granddaughter (who hand made the Bûche de Noël).  Dinner prepared, presented and consumed along with dessert and dice and card games. Most all went swimmingly well.

 

For food we have an odd family tradition. It began with a casual Christmas luncheon where (after a big Christmas Eve dinner) we had decided to have a pot of chili (con carne) on the stove for our guests staying with us to nosh/graze at their pleasure on Christmas Day. (That was a fabulous white Christmas in the windy city with heavy snow on Christmas Eve and lots of sledding on church grounds across the street.)  The boys still request chili - so that is now the dinner. Chili (with beef, pork and ribs and chipotle peppers), salad and corn bread was the fare.

 

Tomorrow will see Christmas morning with the younger son and daughter-in-law still in attendance.

 

It was all very nice, except for my leg. In the middle of fishing cutlery from the sideboard my right foot got caught up in the handles of my son's (gaming) duffel bag, located where there is normally a clear space. This bag was full of gaming consoles and was very heavy. When I attempted to step away my right leg was impeded and despite my efforts to recover I fell. Now I did fall (mostly) safely but have re-aggravated an old muscle pull in my right calf (originally acquired playing volleyball on grass at a company picnic more than 25 years ago) and subsequently aggravated a couple of years later by attempting to play tennis without stretching first. It hurts to walk on it and climb stairs on it. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

In the spirit of the season, here's my Merry Sithmas tree.

 

Edited December 25, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[Oldddudders]

Morning all. 

 

A rather short night, but it is bright and still outside, so being awake isn't too bad. Tea being finished, and then we need to crack on. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with bucks fizz to start - a tradition Deb and I enjoyed over many years - and then we are off to a hotel near the theatre for lunch. We stay the night and return sometime tomorrow. 

 

Her Debship has been spotted on Facebook within the last hour, posting a supportive message - one of many on there - for Coombe Barton. 

 

May your day be joyful with whomsoever you spend it.

 

Sherry & Ian

[roundhouse]

Merry Christmas.

 

 

Last night after getting back form Haywards heath and Brighton we finished off with Harveys Christmas ale then food in Spoons.

 

No beer for me today as I will be driving to Mums for Christmas dinner. She enjoys cooking so will be happy today. Tomorrow brother will come up from Devon so again that will keep her happy whilst go to other halfs mums.

 

Breakfast now ready, must dash.

Edited December 25, 2019 by roundhouse

[81C]

Morning All 

Bright and cold

Done breakfast, greeted Lady Horsell she sounds on good form I have an invite at last it's a Christmas surprise and wont tell what or when it is now.

Lady Ewell an old flame is calling later she is on her own today, we talk regular but she doesn't want to get involved till the slapped #rse has totally 

gone out of my life I might end up at hers this evening with breakfast later.

Tomorrow I have the crazy hound all day till my daughter gets home from work to make the dinner.

Enjoy you day and I hope you got the present you wanted. O.N. Myowne 

 

[Kingzance]

Good morning all,

 

Whatever you are doing and wherever you are going, I hope it is enjoyable, safe and memorable for positive reasons. For those who I know have unfortunately had their circumstances changed this year, you are not forgotten.
 

The turkey has been introduced to the warming embrace of the eco fan oven set at 160degC having had some minced pork and herbs shoved into its neck and a couple of clementines up its bum. As I didn’t wish to attract the Animal Rights activists, I allowed someone in Bedfordshire to decapitate it and remove its coat. Spuds were pre-cooked yesterday so only need finishing later, gale force 8 sprouts are shredded ready as is some methane-rich cauliflower cheese, global warming starts here later - as you can no doubt imagine.

Now, where’s that bottle of Christmas spirit?..................................

 

 

 

 

[Kingzance]

4 minutes ago, 81C said:

Morning All 

Bright and cold

Done breakfast, greeted Lady Horsell she sounds on good form I have an invite at last it's a Christmas surprise and wont tell what or when it is now.

Lady Ewell an old flame is calling later she is on her own today, we talk regular but she doesn't want to get involved till the slapped #rse has totally 

gone out of my life I might end up at hers this evening with breakfast later.

Tomorrow I have the crazy hound all day till my daughter gets home from work to make the dinner.

Enjoy you day and I hope you got the present you wanted. O.N. Myowne 

 

That ball looks screwed beyond fixing!

[Oldddudders]

7 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

When I meet anyone called Lydia I have to suppress an urge to ask if their surname happens to be Teapot.

Her married name is Sweet - the same surname as the owner of a very popular RMweb layout thread. When I first met Deb in 1973 she was just leaving skool, and she had a friend called Lydia. A chap they knew thought like you - except he used dustbin! He was last heard of driving trains on the Brighton line, and apparently as whacky as ever. I was told on more than one occasion he staggered out of the mess room to the train, to the alarm of passengers, but was of course completely sober. I think he had at one time driven trams in Blackpool, too.

[Robert]

Morning all!

 

Just a quick visit to wish all ERs a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2020.

[New Haven Neil]

Another quick fly by, to wish a Merry Christmas or a Happy Non-denominational Holiday Period.  Having friends from many religions and those with none or wish to have, we wish to be inclusive.

 

There are those who are having a difficult day, and to them our thoughts in particular are aimed this morning.

 

Pannier unwrapped..... 

[Debs.]

Seasons greetings and best wishes to awl......even those mis-Christmas-creants who have been abusing my continued bouts of illness and absence and posting proscribed content......you know who you are! 

 

........take it easy on the sprouts, pies and pud, today, people.....there'll be a long wait in A&E. 

 

Click here!

Edited December 25, 2019 by Debs.
Picture clicky thingy added.

[PhilJ W]

Best wishes to all from Estuary-Land. Breakfast has been eaten and tea drunk. Stayed in bed this morning until nine. Christmas dinner is ready to go on in a couple of hours time and should only take half an hour at the very most to cook. 

9 hours ago, AndyID said:

Get back to bed! It's not time to open your pressies yet.

My pressies were opened a few days ago when the postie delivered them.

[BoD]

41 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

There are those who are having a difficult day, and to them our thoughts in particular are aimed this morning.

I think you speak for us all there, Neil.

[81C]

1 hour ago, Kingzance said:

That ball looks screwed beyond fixing!

It's not punctured he's big enough to pick them in his mouth eight months old now.

 

 

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

This morning has involved:

• Getting two mentions on Essential Classics in Radio Three - inordinately pleased.
• Lots of supportive messages from friends, including on here
• Needing a bigger oven
• Needing a bigger kitchen!
• Visit from neighbour bearing wine, but I had to decline as driving
• Dancing round kitchen to Nutcracker - you' don't want to se, but now you can't unsee

Now need to get back cooking. Thanks to you all

[Simon G]

Happy Christmas all,

 

I am a little tired this morning after a family visit to midnight communion, which meant that I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked.

I am having a brief moment of respite while the rest of the clan prepare vegetables, pigs in blankets, mushroom stuffing and also do some washing up etc.  My tasks have been to get the turkey into the oven and get breadcrumbs ready for the bread sauce.  No 2 son swears by my bread sauce, but somehow can’t recreate it himself!.

[Barry O]

Bacon butties consumed. Champagne.. drunk..meat is cooking...pressies opened.

 

Oh dear.. this present could be a step too far!

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

I was up early to make tea but dropped off to sleep again but was woken as phone calls started to come in. Had a brief chat with nephews in Enfield. The girlfriend of one is returning to Brighton at the moment to work tonight. She is a nurse but not A&E. 

My brother is in the QE hospital in Birmingham where is wife is having bone marrow transplant treatment. 
Presents; food hamper from Aditi’s sister, mysterious package from the girls next door, looks biscuit shaped. 
Just to be festive I actually purchased something in the John Lewis clearance sale last night. Shows the power of targeted emails , as it was something we nearly bought earlier this year but decided we could manage without. As we since have given one of our items (lightweight suitcase) to Aditi’s brother it seemed too good an offer to refuse!

We will be going for a walk while the turkey crown cooks. We nearly didn’t bother to have a Christmas lunch and I would have happily had egg and chips but Aditi decided we would eat it whenever it is ready rather than a specific time. 
It is bright sunny weather here. No idea of temperature yet. I have been given a job at last, sort out the coffee maker, needs some cleaning. 
Best wishes to all.

Tony

[Coombe Barton]

Daughter in law feels better if she can stay close to a hospital at the moment, so I'm cooking and taking it across to them. I half expected this and planned it this way. She's been failed by so many agencies over her life that I can respect her decisions, and I'll accommodate. When I come home  I'll cook mine. That way I can have a drink, as there's a peculiar drought on at the moment and I'm feeling it.

I'm also baking tonight and taking part of the product round to neighbour.

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2019 by Coombe Barton

[petethemole]

Season's Greetings, Hail to the Reborn Sun, and Happy Birthday to Horus, Mithras and Jesus*.

(* In chronological order)

 

Not doing much today, apart from some laundry.  I will cook a hearty beef stew later with seasonal veg.  Mrs mole is in bed with flu-like symptoms.  She appears to have caught a bug over the Solstice weekend when she visited friends near Leicester to celebrate.  Two of them have also gone down with it.  She went busking in Southampton City Centre yesterday but didn't do very well, then she and Martyn went to see the new Jumanji film.  Martyn explained the plot to me; it seemed very complicated and confusing.

 

Martyn has been doing the Xmas post at the Eastleigh RM depot, his first actual job as opposed to volunteer work.  He has managed OK and enjoyed it, apart from sore feet from standing for 7+ hours.  Being semi-nocturnal he was pleased that there was a 2-9.30pm shift available.  He has a shift on Friday and is on call for the next week.

 

Our furry visitors took some time to eradicate.  The poison you can buy in hardware stores isn't strong enough, but the Council's pest control guy has stronger bait which worked.  The aftermath is going to be a new kitchen to replace our rather tatty units.  We were going to do this next year anyway but have brought it forward to take advantage of the Wickes sale and get it done while Mrs mole is in NZ for a month in March.

 

Have a good one,

 

Pete