So bizarre !

[Spamar]

Hi everybody!
Ann, as so many others have said, welcome back. So nice to see your feet under the table!
What a lot has been going on! I had to go back a couple of pages to catch up.
Ann, IT needs firm words, it’s the people like you who are suffering.
Love the photos, glad you are using one as an avatar.
Love the loo!
JM, my goodness, you are certainly living up to your name this week. I have a friend who’s dau is thirteen early next year, must warn them! Glad the tooth is sorted, hoping you have recovered from the lurgy.
Slugsta, 2Jays, glad things are reasonably well.
I’ve been to our singing group ( for dementia sufferers and carers) Christmas dinner today, still full! Huge great raffle, I won a basket of Dove products! The friends who were with me also won good prizes. The only problem was, I was cold, didn’t take my fleece off at all. It’s a very difficult building to heat, but it seemed colder than ever to me! Please don’t tell me I’m sickening for something.
Road into town has closed, burst water main, again. Wish they would repair it properly!
Then our local concert hall will be cut off from the south by more road works on Saturday and Sunday. And this their busiest weekend of the year! Santa Claus coming ( by boat, not reindeer), things for kids, concerts for adults, etc. It shouldn’t affect me except for the fact that everyone has to come one way. I’ve got a concert tomorrow and one Saturday ( and only realised this week that it clashes with the Strictly final). Depending on the weather, I may/may not go.
No snow or ice left, but cold. See what tomorrow is like. My best plan is to go shopping early, but......
Keep warm!

 

[Ann Mac]

Thank you for the welcome back, everyone xxxxx

JM, you really are having a rotten time at the moment, between teen tantrums, the aching tooth and everyone being ill. It's incredible how these teens can be adamant that its all 'someone else' fault when they strop. There have been a few rows here - though nothing quite as bad as what you've had - with youngests' complete inability to deal with the mess she makes, much less help around the house in general. She - like OH and myself - has a cold at the moment, and yep - she feels rough (though no worse than anyone else) - but who knew that having a cold is a perfectly acceptable excuse for not tidying bedroom, leaving crisp packets and dirty socks on the sofa, stock-piling used bath towels on the bedroom floor, leaving the dishes in the sink when you have had a snack . . .

As Amethyst says, the girls are definitely harder work than the lads!

I hope thast removing the tooth sorts out the infection finally for you - last thing you need is being in pain and feeling ill at Christmas (or at anytime really) and that you were able to get to last nights Xmas do, and enjoy it x

Amy - hope your Mum's Xmas do at the CH went well xxx

Nice raffle prize, Spamar And whether you get to one or two of the concerts, hope you enjoy x

Rather cold and wet than snow, tbh, Slugsta - hope you enjoyed your carol concert too

Day off yesterday, the first one that OH and I have had off together where we have been able to hit the shops - between 10 and 3 yesterday afternoon, I went from having just one stocking filler each for the kids and dogs, to pretty much all the gifts I need being bought. I have some stuff coming via the internet, but other than a gift for one of my two BFF's, a gift voucher and half a dozen more stocking fillers being needed, present wise - I'm done. A huge relief - now got the wrapping to face, though!

Project this morning - then testing out the new laptop this afternoon - hoping to get my expenses done, and catch up on more admin - wish me luck!

Take care all xxx

 

[2jays]

Project Loo-dec is planned for today

May even put a tree up... tho how anyone is going to use said loo is anyone’s guess

 

[Amy in the US]

Ann has started a major loo decorating trend! I agree with not blocking the toilet with the tree if you can manage.

JM, sorry to hear about the convergence of lurgy, tooth, and teen troubles. Bleah.

Ann, here's hoping your IT gremlins are all on Christmas leave and you get the work completed easily. Well done on knocking out the shopping!

The Christmas do was well done, as it always is (hard to believe this is our third). Any upset or distress was solely on my part. My mother knew who I was at one point, but mostly had no idea who I was, but was happy to have company. She seemed to know OH was someone she knew, if not quite how. We sat with her friend Miss T, whose family didn't RSVP, although they may have been coming for the later seating (we chose the earlier time).

But my mother enjoyed the meal, the carol singing (she knew a lot of the words), and especially Santa Claus. He is very good with the residents and has a very impressive outfit indeed. It's the second year for this Santa. She just lit up when he came in the room, which made me tear up.

Today I've only a couple of errands, then mostly cooking and wrapping presents and cleaning, and the tree still needs decorating, so plenty to do, now where is my Christmas spirit? Maybe in one of these boxes, along with my motivation, no doubt.

No significant snow but chilly again today, currently 24 F, and I'm too lazy to check the conversion on that. Hope everyone is warm and well, much love to you all.

 

[2jays]

My phone misbehaving

Trying to list but it keeps uploading stuff to post that I don’t want it to

 

[Spamar]

Amy, just leave it at cold! Exactitude not important! Have not been out, except with rubbish for the bin, but it’s not gone below 0 C today, with occasional light rain. Now that’s good!
Thrill of the day, so far, I saw a Jay In the back garden!! First time since I’ve lived here! Yippee! Ive seen them before, just not here. The first one was from a train many years ago, just caught the flash of blue. Fortunately I keep binoculars on the kitchen windowsill, so I could check.

Keep bird spotting!

 

[Amy in the US]

I saw cardinals in the back garden again this morning, and again they eluded my camera.

Also a small, not flashy, but very appealing looking bird whom I must look up in my bird book. Perhaps some sort of finch or nuthatch type bird.

No jays so far today, but I'm going to put some more seed out and see what happens. There's a lot to do in the kitchen, and I'll keep my eyes open to see what I can spot.

My phone says it's now 27 F here, and I'll be energetic and look that up regardless, Spamar...that would be negative 2.7 where you live. The high today is predicted to be 31 F, so just below freezing, or negative 0.55 Celsius. But it's supposed to warm up over the weekend and maybe be as warm as 7 or 10 degrees C next week.

So there is your weather forecast you didn't need to hear. I'll keep an eye out for the birds. I really have to go get on with the cleaning and cleaning and so forth...and would really rather not!

 

[jugglingmum]

Had hopes to cycle today but ened up working

Hospital appt for dau, sorting out stuff son needed for food (choc swiss roll, cooking chocolate and decorations - guess what we now have) and getting it to school have also taken my time!

 

[2jays]

This morning Rob robin seemed to stamp foot with annoyance when still no food

Got bird food

About midday, Put out yummy mealworm and suet pellets and yummy seeds in his feeder

Any sign of him??

Not a feather!!!

Greedy pidgeons eyeing up the yummy stuff

Later in the afternoon, saw a Jay in the garden. No sign of Rob

Put some more food out...

ROB!!!

He looked at food, had a chat as if to say “about time” and started to tuck in

 

[2jays]

Cold enough to freeze a brass monkey here

 

[2jays]

Had hopes to cycle today but ened up working

Hospital appt for dau, sorting out stuff son needed for food (choc swiss roll, cooking chocolate and decorations - guess what we now have) and getting it to school have also taken my time!

Sorry you missed out on your cycle

Yum yum choc Swiss roll

 

[jugglingmum]

Sorry you missed out on your cycle

Yum yum choc Swiss roll

It was yummy. And I wan't meant to do any exercise for 24 hours after tooth came out I suppose.

So somehow we have a decorated tree, pic to follow on tree thread, dau had a stiff stern talking to last night, and reined herself in several times to not get cross with her brother tonight

 

[Slugsta]

Evening all,

Ann, I'm sorry you are all feeling unwell. Teenage strops on top of that must be very hard to handle I really hope the behaviour improves PDQ!

JM, I really don't know how you cope with everything, especially with toothache too I hope the extraction will put an end to your dental problems.

Amy, I'm glad the Christmas do went well, I understand the feeling of sadness that accompanied it. I meant to say that my tinselly hair is/was not in any way 'tasteful', it was about a dozen strands of multi-coloured metallic shiny stuff (we would call it 'lametta'). I say 'was' as I have only about 2 strands left now

Spamar, I hope you get to your concerts and enjoy them. I am also missing the Strictly final as I am out tomorrow evening

We have some wooded land opposite our block and it is quite common to see a jay there (Amy, I think our jay is different from yours). Hubby has seen an owl but cannot remember which kind, I certainly heard tawnies when we first moved here but have not seen one.

I went to the grammar school carol concert with BFF yesterday and, as always, had a good sing. My choir have 2 gigs tomorrow; a small one at a local library and a big concert tomorrow, so it will be a busy day. I anticipate being knackered on Sunday!

(((Hugs))) to all, it sounds as if they are needed!

 

[2jays]

dau had a stiff stern talking to last night, and reined herself in several times to not get cross with her brother tonight

Told ya. Told ya you great parents and that she has manners

Not easy tho

 

[jugglingmum]

Lamentta in hair sounds like good Christmas cheese. Possibly more tasteful than ann's toilet

 

[2jays]

Lamentta in hair sounds like good Christmas cheese. Possibly more tasteful than ann's toilet

Errrr yes

maybe...

Eh???

You been on the grape juices like wot I am after 8 days..

 

[Ann Mac]

Project Loo-dec is planned for today

May even put a tree up... tho how anyone is going to use said loo is anyone’s guess

A tree!!!! Knew I'd forgotten something
Actually, what I really think would be the final touch would be a motion activated 'something' that would blast out a Christmas song, or a jolly 'Ho ho ho' each time the door is opened . . .

Morning all,

Amy, Im glad the Christmas lunch went well for your Mum's sake, but like so many others, I also totally get how hard it is to have a parent or other previously close relative not have a clue who you are. For me, it's Mil not knowing her Grandkids that gets to me everytime, even though it's been happening for quite a while now. Oh, she knows she knows them, from somewhere, usually - but when I think of how she absolutely doted on them, how close all 3 were to their Nana, I still find it heartbreaking when she introduces youngest as 'this is my neighbours daughter', for example. {{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}

No jays in my garden, sadly, though I have plenty of other garden birds so I should't complain. I think a long tailed tit visited yesterday, but this time of year, the area around my actual feeder is often backlit by the position of the sun in the early part of the day, and it tends to turn the birds into silhouettes, which makes it hard to make out details, or to photograph them.

Slugsta, when I was on the Welsh course, one of the groups were lucky enough to have an evening with a couple who rescue and rehabilitate bird of prey, including owls. It was for the more advanced Welsh learners, but I sneaked in to peep at the birds and the chap told me a wonderful story about the last tawney owl he had rescued.

First off - just in case anyone doesn't know (cos I didn't) - when you hear the 'twit-twoo' call of a tawney owl, you are actually hearing a pair of birds, not one. The female makes the 'twit' call and the male instantly responds with the 'twooo' - when they pair (and they pair for life) the male learns to alter the tone and pitch of his call to match the female - which is why they sound likie just one bird. Sometimes, if something happens to one of the pair, the other may go on and find a new mate - but sadly, if its the female who is lost, the male will often pine away and die

That being the case, when this gentleman and his wife were called to rescue a female tawny who had been hit by a car, they as usual would have preferred to get it well and then back into the wild within 2 weeks. However, this poor bird had badly injured an eye, as well as sustaining other injuries, and it took 13 weeks before it was well enough to be taken back to the area where it had been injured and set free again

So, they released the female, who flew to a near by tree and instantly started calling 't-wit , t-wit, t-wit . . .' and the couple were amazed that within 3 or 4 minutes, in the distance there was an answering 't-wooooo'. The couple told me that the female didn't move from the tree, just called and called, with the males response getting louder every time, and that finally, after some 20 minutes, the owls were reunitied and flew off into the dusk together.

How lovely is that? Got me all choked up as the couple told me about it

Glad your tree finally got decorated, JM, and that the stern talking to seems to have put dau on her best (or at least, better) behaviour. Really hope it lasts! Just need to cross fingers that the tooth troubles are now over for you!

Hope that everyone has enjoyed/will enjoy their concerts and that the weather doesn't stop anyone getting anywhere! We are pretty much clear of snow now, though its bitingly cold - however, Shrewsbury - which isn't so very far away - is still suffering, with the local news reporting that some poor souls were still snowed in yesterday, and that an awful lot have been without power since last Sunday. Flooding is apparently causing some additional problems as the snow melts, too.

I finished at 2 yesterday, and on my way home picked up the present(s) for my friend, and added to the last of the stocking fillers for my son. Just a couple more stocking fillers for oldest two to get now, and I'm done. Struggling with Mil this year - I've got her 3 CD's, a DVD and a jumper - but it feels as though little thought has gone into her gifts. Common sense tells me she probably won't really grasp Christmas at all now (she is oblivious to the decorations and preparation going on around her) but still, it would be nice if I could find something that would really please her . . .

Right - better get moving. Present wrapping awaits today, plus going to see Mil - we left it so far this week, due to OH being absolutely rotten with his cold (I'm not too bad, thankfully) but one or both of us must go today.

Waiting eagerly for all the decorated loo photographs to be posted

Take care everyone

 

[Ez2610]

Gosh I relate to all of this! I'm lucky, of late my mum is not concerned or anxious when confabulation or hallucinating and I am so grateful for that. She too has lost interest in the Tele but tuts away when I watch cooking programmes which she hates. We have had mum haul herself up my stairs with every layer of clothing on she could manage. She looked like a balloon. She looked at me horrified, I mean really horrified... "Why aren't you ready?", "Ready mum?"... "Yes, we're being evacuated in 5 minutes!"
It took a moment but then I remembered I'd left her watching Foyle's War. I told her the evacuation had been cancelled and when she was assured she told me "I never liked this coat anyway"?!

Another time she came to me very excited. She had just learned how to make a bomb apparently and she needed some string, and did I have any? A good friend of mine and someone who has looked after mum to help me still chuckles when I served the carved lamb and my mum piped up '"is that the cat?" Or the time when she came to tell me she did not approve of her gentleman caller, she had sent him away with a flea in his ear and then in all seriousness told me she had not kissed him, or "done anything else... " he was good looking but too short. She asked me not send any more.

I think my favourite was when she conspiratorially bid me close whilst her carer was ironing in the background. I did as she bid and went closer. She whispered to me that the carer was not suitable any more. I asked why. Her and her lover were Nazi sympathisers says she, and even though mum was not English, she would not consort with Nazi sympathisers...my mum is Irish BTW. When I told the carer, she said the same had happened at her house, they had all been watching a WW2 drama with a portrayal of Hitler in it and suddenly Peg declared she wished to be driven home from this nest of vipers...

And so on... perhaps it's only me but I find her stories amusing, and as long as they don't distress her, I continue to wonder what she'll come out with next. Unfortunately she's on a hospital ward right now, and her stories are less through little or no stimulation but she has thought the ward was a ship and she was jolly surprised to see me, "How did you get here!?"... "In a helicopter mum".... Ah says she, as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

 

[RedLou]

Just quickly - battling off the 'flu - Ann, your story reminds me of one we were told when we visited the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, 10 years ago. As you may know Daphne Sheldrick started by taking in one orphaned elephant and releasing it back into one of the Kenyan national parks. She discovered that these little elephants were so traumatised they needed one on one care, so the keepers even sleep with the babies, at least in the first week. Then they socialise them with slightly bigger orphans and gradually get them ready for release. This original elephant adapted successfully and became the lead 'Mum' of her group in the wild. These days, the shelter often releases their orphaned little ones into the same national park. If they are lucky as they do this, they will come across 'Mum' and her herd. She always, always approaches and greets thoses who cared for her and she always takes the little one into her herd because she knows exactly what they are doing and why the little one needs taking care of. *got something in eye just thinking about this*

 

[2jays]

Actually, what I really think would be the final touch would be a motion activated 'something' that would blast out a Christmas song, or a jolly 'Ho ho ho' each time the door is opened . . .

Got one of those

When I broke a “musical Christmas mug” I kept the light activated thingy that was in the bottom of the mug... the thingy that every time the mug was lifted, a Christmas Carol played

This is the one thing I have always put on the shelf at Christmas time, so that when people used the loo, music would play....