Countdown to Christmas 2021 (Thread 3): Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey, isn't it Christmas yet?!

[WeeDonkey]

Here we go. The LoD season finale tribute thread!

I am worried about my apple trees. This is the first year I can expect a crop but the blossom is threatened by the mix of wind and rain.

235

Morning!

It's a beautiful day here. Our towels were washed last night and are on the line, and we have a dark load washing at the moment! Thank god for a large capacity machine, so it's all fitted in.

Constantly, I have 3 apple trees in bloom. I hope they've held tight to their blossom!

Morning. I've been up and am now finishing a cuppa back in bed before getting back up to start work.
It's cold here today. Haven't checked the forecast so not sure about rain.
The wind was so bad yesterday that it brought down a tree just over the road. Missed houses by less than 30cm but took down a fence!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your apple tree Constantly

234

Morning!

We were woken by a heavy downpour at about 5.30 this morning. Thankfully it didn't last long!

It's sunny now, but I think it's forecast potential showers all day.

My hayfever is really bad this week. It gets worse as I get older. Something else to fall apart! 🙄

Where is everybody?!

Frosty here this morning. I'm here just busy with work and not a lot else going on! Parents Eve last night dd doing fabulously and ds just scraping average but he's happy and that's the main thing.

Maybe it was hail. There are piles of ice all over the garden! 🤔🤔

Morning!
I was wondering where everyone is too Wee

It's dry here (for now) but it's grey and awful looking outside so I'm sure it'll rain too.

I was exhausted yesterday, not sure why. I went to bed on my own at 9 to cross stitch and relax - was asleep by 9:30 and struggled to wake at 6:30. I still have this awful cough which is wiping me out I think.

Now I'm going to ask for some advice to help me with a friend please. She split with her husband over 2 years ago but hasn't really moved on (despite having a boyfriend). I know that's up to her but she messages me pretty much daily and it is at least 80% negative, about how much she hates her ex, how hard things are for her emotionally and financially.
I've tried being nothing but sympathetic, I've tried giving practical advice, I've tried being blunt and I've tried pointing out the positives in her life but nothings changed. I don't know what else to try - her life if hard but a lot of it is because of the choices she's made (she won't settle finances with ex so she's living in a house that's too expensive for her with just her part time wage - she likes the area but if they sell she won't be able to buy here and she won't consider either renting or moving somewhere cheaper), her ex wants more time with their DD and she has refused so he's now taking her to court and she thinks he's being mean because she can't afford a solicitor etc.
She's lovely but I'm drained. Help!

Hi folks on third shift of four later. At the moment I am currently sat on the edge of my bed after drying my hair because I can't be bothered to move 😆

Crazy that sounds very difficult. I would be tempted to back off for a bit and delay answering her messages. Perhaps suggest a free half hour of legal advice or say to her that you appreciate how hard things are for her but you are not an expert in that area and say you are not qualified to make any suggestions. In all honesty she has made a rod for her own back and will have to get on with it. She will have to live with her own bad decisions however lovely she is.

Thanks why. I hope you've managed to move from the bed!

It's so hard - I understood completely when they first split because he had an affair and she was devastated, but since then it's like she's obsessed.
He pays his share towards the house, he pays more maintenance than he has to, he's now talking about taking her to court to force the finances because at first she he needs to buy her out and now he's trying to finance doing that she's refusing to discuss as she wouldn't be able to buy (low wages) and doesn't want to rent.

She asks me for practical solutions, appears to take them on board then will message me days later saying the exact same thing. She's lost a lot of friends since he left.

I tend to back away for a bit, things calm down then it starts back up again. It's so frustrating!

Crazy. I suspect she just wants someone to say she is doing the right thing, hence the repeated conversations. I don't think many people have the headspace at the moment for that kind of situation and they would rather back away than deal with it.

Crazy, send her the link to this post: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/divorce_separation/4237448-MNHQ-here-expert-divorce-separation-advice-from-a-barrister-three-videos-for-you

I'd end up telling her how it is by now. I'd have lost my patience!

I have Fluffy - we've actually had a few minor arguments about it. At one point I actually said I couldn't listen to the complaining anymore because one bad thing has happened to her in her lifetime and things aren't that bad. She still has all her family, she's never been poor, had to deal with serious illness etc. She had a relationship that ended badly and she needs to deal with the fallout of that for her DDs sake. Her response was about how perfect my life is so I didn't understand (despite her knowing about some of our financial issues, my fertility issues, the fact I lost 2 aunts in 3 years etc).

I've given up on offering serious advice now. She was forced to get a solicitor when ex took her to court the first time about their dd (she would only allow him access for a few hours on a Sunday). She was told off by the judge and it was settled on one full day and one evening each week, building up to overnights - she hasn't stuck with this which is why they're going back to court 🙄

Anyway - to a happier subject. I realised yesterday that in this house I can have garlands at Christmas because I have a mantelpiece and a banister for half the stairs. Very exciting so I've been looking online. Have also decided I love red tartan for my table.

I'm thinking of things like this....

Oh no crazy I can't be doing with people like that. Sounds like she thinks everyone owes her something and she's hard done by. Love the garlands!

She definitely feels life has been unfair, which I understand to some degree as she made the decision to work part time when she had dd but she seems to have decided she should be allowed to live in the house (it's not massive but it's a 3 bed semi in a nice area with double drive and huge garden) while still working part time in a low paying job. Her choice obviously but Can't handle the constant complaining!

Anyone else have any Christmas decs planned or is that just me?

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Morning, it's a lovely sunny day today. Though sun was forecast yesterday. Until they changed their mind without telling me. I was on an important call as the sky got blacker and blacker and blacker, then whoosh. Wet washing. Sigh.

Crazy, you'll never help that kind of person. They like to moan but actually just want validation, not help. Block her; walk away. You won't be the only one.

Does anybody have exciting weekend plans? Housework here tomorrow as it's going to Chuck down. I'll probably do some baking as we have a critical mass of eggs right now!

Sunday will be allotment day.

Sunny here too. Looks horrible tomorrow doesn't it? We don't have any plans. Today I'm going to the gym then have a Morrison's delivery coming, it's free delivery for nhs and £10 off first order so thought I'd try it.

Yeah, it's mostly 90+% chance of heavy rain all day, dropping to 80% in the evening and then to 50% by midnight. We're getting the kids straight out of uniform so it can be washed and on the line by 5.30 today. It should dry in a couple of hours!

That's a good discount from Morrison's. I do love all the first delivery discounts. We've exhausted them all now!

Morning.
Lovely sunny day here so I'm going to try and get 2 loads of washing on the line (which will clear the basket)
Just check the forecast and it is awful tomorrow here too (95% chance of rain all day).

Fluffy I've backed away from her at the mo, just wanted to see if there was something else to try before I quietly back away further.

No plans for the weekend except lunch at FILs on Sunday. Forecast so far is 14degrees and cloudy which I hope doesn't change as we have to sit in the garden 🤞🏼

Crazy that sounds hard. Hopefully you can withdraw a bit and she'll get a bit less needy.

No exciting plans for the weekend here Fluffy - just a trip to the butcher and the supermarket and building an ark

I had my perm this morning. It's a bit fluffy but has given my hair the body I wanted. I have avoided the poodle look so I am happy.

I've had a pretty good week. Lunch with friends on Wednesday, the house to myself on Thursday, a hairdo today and I've booked a dentist appointment for next month and dinner out with DH later this month. Normality! And I've lost 4.5lbs since my birthday which feels like a great achievement for a post menopausal old lady like me.

Well done on the weight loss woolly!

I did manage to get 2 loads washed 🥳
Also received my appointment for Covid jab 2 next month.

I'm a bit tipsy I had my annual review with my manager today and we indulged in some rum which I've kept going since we finished at 7.

My plans for the weekend are doing the cleaning, dying my hair, visiting the parents and I want to make a carrot and crystallised ginger cake. I have a request for a lemon drizzle cake at work as well so may try to make one of those if time allows.

I've ordered a new cooker
I have a milk loaf in the breadmaker ( as the name suggests , it has milk not water but I used some Marvel +water , thats what the sweeet dough recipe used ) . It's rising nicely , bake within the next two hours .

I've got some new plants in the greenhouse and after tomorrow (when we're promised a skyfull of rain ) I'll plant out the sweetpeas .

DD has convinced me to go shopping on Sunday with her .

232

Morning!

I love lemon drizzle cake why 🤤

What cooker did you go for 70?

Rude awakening an hour ago here by ddog who still has an upset stomach which we think has been caused by his medication which finished yesterday.
DH is still in bed, I'm up and just about to start cross stitching to stop me drifting back to sleep.

I woke up really early after going to sleep really late. I am less than impressed with myself!

We've started the dough for naan bread and the fruit for DS' spicy fruit loaf is soaking in orange juice (a new method I decided on last time as he liked the orange-based one I got in the shop; the juice is then used in place of some of the water in the recipe) and that will go on straight after. And once that is done, it's time for pizza dough!

I'm also going to make DS' fruity muffins (I use Nigella's Christmas muffin recipe but use any dried fruit, not just cranberries).

I also need to go to the shops briefly.

Then it's cleaning time. Wooo!

New white goods are exciting, 70!

I hope your dog starts to feel better soon, Crazy. Poor thing.