Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Sue, DNA, yes I know they get better. It was a while ago but I am not convinced enough to spend the money! Your friend sounds like an interesting woman!
Tidy job Ian, as usual.....
Visit from Susan this morning.......

[Sue]

Craft this morning, a little sewing this afternoon, meal out with Bob at teatime followed by a U3A wine tasting meeting in Todmorden. Its a wild grey morning here, after the most magnificent sunset last night


The jacket is FINISHED! I shall put a photograph up later.

[Stanley]

A full day Sue as usual. So glad to hear you won the battle with the brocade! It's not a competition, but I had a success yesterday.



It doesn't look much but I managed to make a good fit for my locking ring in the body of the broach. It's 52 threads to the inch, the finest thread I have ever cut and it turned out better than just OK. A big relief, if I'd cocked up it meant scrapping something! (Possibly the turner....) So like you I am enjoying a warm glow.... Perhaps we are more skilled than we allowed ourselves to imagine.
I shall be in the shed today moving quietly forward!

[Sue]

Hair dressers this morning. Claire may pop over with Erin this afternoon. I had hoped for a nice day to carry on doing the front garden but it looks like that won’t happen, probably a good thing as I seem to have hurt my side, around tbe rib cage. Looks like I may have pulled something!

[PanBiker]

Today I have been mainly observing the 2 minutes silence at the war memorial signalled by the maroons at 11am. Followed by a trip over to Clarion House for the AGM of the Friends of Clarion House. Sally and myself were re elected as trustees and the officers remain the same. The group goes from strength to strength. The AGM was followed by Pie and Peas for lunch with a nice selection of cakes to follow. We then had a talk on the making of the short film "The Women's Peace Marches" followed by a showing of the 20minute film. Good banter and networking of new friends rounded of a pleasant early afternoon.

[plaques]

Made sure I was alone in the garden for my two minutes. Always get too emotional to be in company.

[Stanley]

I like to be alone as well P because I get quite angry..... Such a bloody waste and all down to the incompetence of politicians who never saw it coming. By the way, I came to that conclusion after years of studying European history to try to understand the logic. I didn't find any!
More high attention work on my tiny wobble broach!
07:30. I have just spent half an hour preparing for my Sunday morning cook in on free leccy. I have a hob full of four pans. One has two rib steaks cut up and in olive oil ready for frying brown and then simmering all morning in cider down to a gravy. The veggies are spuds, carrots, sprouts, cabbage and celery. The washer is full and ready to go. I shall take a view on vacuuming later....

[PanBiker]

I will be attending our remembrance service in the Town Square at 3pm and then laying a wreath on behalf of Barnoldswick Branch Labour Party at the memorial.

[Stanley]

Good Ian. I shall be doing a lot of thinking as usual.



Langemark. Ours weren't the only losses.

[Sue]

Pedicure this morning, this afternoon we are off out to buy some new more comfortable chairs for our conservatory. Its very much a plant conservatory and overflow toy room but lovely to sit in when its sunny even in the winter. It has no heating.

[Marilyn]

I packed up a 2000 piece jigsaw I was doing. Hadn't finished it, but it was so big I had to reach over all the time and I was feeling the strain on my back. I wasn't that interested in it anyway. I bought it second hand at the markets - box looked a bit battered but that was ok. When I started sorting the pieces I came across a few torn ones and the box seemed to contain a lot of strands of human hair! That kind of creeped me out...
A friend dropped off two 1000 piece jigsaws for me a fortnight ago, so if the mood takes me I can start one of those.

I keep hearing from people who have their Christmas trees up and decorated already. I'm just not motivated in the least!

[Stanley]

Sue, the U3A foot spa is still going strong! I have no difficulty in reaching my feet to do my own foot maintenance.
Maz, hear hear! Xmas trees are for small children. I must find my Xmas Tree article and bump it!
I shall be slowly and carefully moving towards drilling square holes.....

[Sue]

Sue, the U3A foot spa is still going strong! I have no difficulty in reaching my feet to do my own foot maintenance.

Ah but do you have a nice shade of purple on your toe nails Stanley

Yoga this morning and pilates at teatime...a good opportunity to show off my purple nails .

Hospice shop this afternoon. Inbetween I shall tidy my sewing sewing room as we shall be putting a bed in there for Julia this weekend

[Sue]

I keep hearing from people who have their Christmas trees up and decorated already. I'm just not motivated in the least!

As far as I am concerned nothing Christmassy, apart from making a cake, is allowed before December 1st. I do like a Christmas tree Stanley but mine will go up about the 16 th. We used to put it up the weekend after the school nativity plays and kept the tradition. It will all be down on January 1st, another tradition as Julia’s birthday is just after Christmas and it never felt special for her with all Christmas stuff still up. I buy presents throughout the year as I see them so no last minute rush there, but they won’t be wrapped until after the 1st, and cards won’t be written till after the 1st or posted till about the 10th.

This year I am going to try to encourage people at the various groups I attend to make a donation to a charity that brings art to refugee children, rather than exchange cards which I have always thought was a bit silly giving cards to someone sat next to you.

[Marilyn]

My great hate is Christmas cards that say "To "X"
From "Y".
Nothing more! Are you kidding me? We haven't heard from each other for a whole damn year. Do you not have ANY news?
I think my hate of such Christmas cards, especially from family ( who continuously spell my name wrong - grrrrr-) has, over the years, resulted in me only getting one card in the post now from a dear friend.)
And she gets a cheery card from me, with a letter.
Much preferred from those "to X " cards!
You are supposed to be "close" for heaven's sake...but I feel no love.
It is such a false time of year....

[Stanley]

I've just about abolished Xmas and presents, my problem is that I can think of much better uses for my money! (I don't have much so I look after what I have got!)
Like you both, I see so much money 'wasted' on cards. I send an email or phone them up on the grounds it is good to keep in touch..... So many people salve their consciences with a card a year!
I much prefer giving people surprises during the year when they least expect them.



I shall be re-making my spindle again.......

[Marilyn]

Well it's almost as if they are worn out by the time they write your address on the front and theirs on the back of the envelope. There is less writing in the card than there is on the envelope. Don't bother, I say!
If you can't personalise it in some way, it is not worth having.

( turning into a Grinch....)

[Wendyf]

I enjoy getting cards and enjoy sending them, even if the are just to "x" from "y". I love the ritual and keeping contact, however tenuous, with people I haven't seen for years. Each card that arrives reminds me of the person it's from. I leave putting a tree up till as close to Xmas Eve as practical, but again enjoy the ritual of getting all the old decorations out and putting them up. We give money to local charities instead of giving each other presents and limit family presents to under a tenner....
It makes me sad that our family group is getting smaller rather than growing with grandchildren, but it's much cheaper!

[Sue]

If you can't personalise it in some way, it is not worth having.........


My cards are made. Either hand made or copies of one of my paintings, done specifically for the card. I do an email version of the same card, which says FOLD HERE so it can be printed off. I always try to write a short message in most of them. Bob usually does his family and friends, I don’t think he writes much but he doesn’t write much anyway, he never has. I do like to exchange cards with some old friends and contacts even thought we never see each other any more, but our list gets cut every year. What I hate are the round robin letters with no attempt to personalise. Dear. BLANK..... I do a round Robin for some people but everyone has extra or different paragraphs that refer to the person I am sending to.

[Sue]

We give money to local charities instead of giving each other presents and limit family presents to under a tenner....



Claires new hubby and family, do a Secret Santa. They all only buy one present ar £20 , except for 95 year old Nana, where they all club together to buy something special. The other year they all bought her a new TV.

[Stanley]

Spend the money on the kids I say.... But I realise I am a lost cause as far as Xmas is concerned even though I love the carols and in particular, the Messiah! One annual treat used to be Freddie Grisewood reading his short story, 'The Celestial Gardener'.
I shall be in the shed pressing quietly forwards. I solved my problem yesterday, I now have a perfectly made spindle fitted into the body. I investigated what happened on Tuesday and it was my fault, I made a mistake. No excuses beyond the fact that it probably stemmed from my deficient eyesight.....

[Sue]

Art this morning U3Ameeting this afternoon. I shall then finish making the bedrooms ready for my weekend visitors

[Wendyf]

Coughing, sneezing and catching up with the history society accounts.

[Stanley]

Poor lass Wendy! (Touches wood.....) Have you had the flu jab?
I shall be doing the shopping and then I'll go into the shed and puzzle over the next stage in my current project. The way forwards is not clear at the moment...... But resistance is useless, I shall prevail!

[Wendyf]

Yes i had a flu jab, I blame it for lowering my resistance to the common cold!