Spring has sprung...let's Countdown to Christmas 2024 (Thread 2)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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For the forgetful of thinking AKA me tomorrow, repeating the countdown!

Our garlands / lights are still up around the banisters as we love them!

They look lovely magnolia. How tall do they get?
I've got 2 square planters that will sit under my living room window so I can manage tall-but-not-too-tall plants

Love that you can identify a starling based on my whistle description Fluffy

Hi GingerPirate 👋

I'm not a lover of summer at all, although I will admit the nicer weather does make me appreciate the garden.

I've had a git of a day. Didn't finish work until 6:30 then a half done task was niggling at me so I did another 45 mins after tea and have just finished.
Going to put my feet up and work on my Christmas cross stitch

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Morning -
I think (crosses fingers) we might get a day without rain, not sunny but at least dry . Alexa said 7-17c ( 7c that's bloody Antartic )

I have a pile of clothes/shoes to recycle
I went to Costco yesterday ( I have to say I didn't have much in my trolley for the ££ I spent but it did include my renewal fee and essentials that I only buy every couple of months so not as bad as I thought once I;d whittled through )

Costco had all the trolleys outside which could only mean Something Else was in the covered trolley area . Which it was . Plants .
Loads of them- climbers , trees , olive trees....................I didn't even go and look , it would've been too tempting and I really don;t need any more plants .
Their bulbs are good though when it gets to autumn.

It is raining here yet again and I am quite chilly. Big fluffy hoody on.

Starting HRT patches tomorrow after taking tablets for ten years this could go either way 😂

I could see my breath when I went outside with the dog. Unimpressed! 🥶

We don't bother with Costco as it's a trek to Liverpool docks to get to it!

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I've been watching some of the "Sorted" YouTube videos -they're a group of friends , one chef, three "normals" they call themselves ie non chefs . They've known each other since school. Sometimes it's like ear wigging on a group of daft teens even though they're in their 30s . There are two other Chefs than join them periodically .

They do various Christmas food videoes , taking odd things , testing if they'd buy or bake . Leftovers .
And they aren't afraid to wear Christmas Jumpers or pyjamas

They do lots of other Non Christmas Videos but obvs I;m biased

I don't really do YouTube, but I can easily get lost in Instagram videos.
I've clearly spent enough time doing that because the algorithm now tends to show me a mix of craft, Christmas, gardening and lovely houses (I have a soft spot for American posters who set up Instagram to show you their huge wooden houses in the countryside full of antiques, home baking, homegrown veg and who waft around in flouncy long dresses - their posts from November are Christmas focused and amazing )

It's cold today, and I've just had to switch the light on as it's gone all grey and dark. Makes me want to finish work and either watch a Christmas film or a scary crime one.

Ah , I don't do Instagram, Facebook, X or TikTok (or whatever these platforms are calling themselves now !)
The main chef Ebbers (Ben Ebbrell) gets equally cursed and quoted in our house , usually What would Ebbers do with this or Ebbers you lying b'stard (he said use a dishcloth not an oven glove , I still burn myself )

Loving everyone's garden photo's. Mine is still a right old mess and waterlogged.

I've ordered a coupole of these to put away for my son in laws. I think the bottles will still be in date at Christmas

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CB728WB3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

QVC do some really good Molton Brown offers belgium often a gift pack of full size (300ml) and the travel size (100ml/30ml) good if you want to try out different fragrances .
I only like Orange and Bergamot , bought some in the MB store a couple of weeks back ( I did debate getting the QVC one but it was 3 items and I only wanted the shower gel)

Rudolph Day tomorrow (again, how quickly the come around )

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Morning!

We were up early today to take 🐕 to a dog field. The only time we could get today was 6am. He had a brilliant time though! He can run so bloody fast...he sounds like a racehorse at full pelt!

I had said I was going to paint the hall today (the side I didn't paint dark blue). I need to get motivated!

Ooh he's a lovely boy @NoWordForFluffy sounds like he enjoyed his gallop round the DogField

Hopefully he's now knackered and snoozing so you can get on with your painting .

I'm sitting with the doors open, I can hear something like a digger (low pitch but quite loud ) birds (noisy) and a whingey child (thankfully nought to do with me )
My Non-Whingey Adult Son is pootling off to the gym now (just to put the rest of the house to shame )

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Biblical overnight rain here , DH was going to mow the lawn but there's a nice impromtu pond in the middle !

Much to the cats delight there are flying ants at the door (they are easily amused and will happily spend an hour pretending to be stealth panthers destroying the evil foe )

Laundry , make dinner, watch a film or something .
Quiet Sunday

We're due that later on, 70! Plus thunderstorms, apparently. It thankfully stayed dry for the dog gallop this morning.

I'm taking DD into town to get some sandals ahead of going to Portugal on Tuesday. We have beach inflatables arriving today from Amazon as they didn't find anything in town yesterday (bonkers, seeing as we're by the bloody sea!).

I need to get some holiday cash too. Not much, just enough for if we need it rather than cards.

ooooh a Portugal holiday sounds lovely Fluffy. Have an amazing time.

Your cats sound like mine 70, he isn't much of a mouser but can spend hours stalking a fly 🙄. His brother (sadly deceased) was the chief resident mouser and once actually caught (and ate!) a squirrel 😖. Gross.

Meeces those astilbe can grow to about 60cm. Sorry for late reply, I've had brain fade.

I've finally done some gardening today. Repotted cucumbers, tomatoes and geranium seedlings soon to go into borders and also repotted 2 huge indoor palm type things that I have been putting off for 3 years. Was not looking forward to doing it and it took no time at all so that will teach me.

Sainsburys have 2 40 litre bags of peat free compost for £8 - its the cheapest around i think.

Happy Bank holiday everyone.

Aldi has a decent peat free ('enriched with seaweed') compost for £3.99. It's the one I use. It's not as good as a peat one, but not as shite as some!

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Palindromic (is that a word?!) number today!

Weather is hit and miss. Shat down in the early-ish hours but mostly sunny, with occasional showers, now.

I'm trying to get the pre-holiday washing done, so it's a bit challenging!

Enjoy Portugal @NoWordForFluffy

We went to Lisbon on one of our tours from a Cruise so saw only a tiny part of the country .

We got some Pastel de Natas (custard tarts) from a bakery (probably the Portugese equivilant of Greggs but loads of people were queuing here ) they were so nice I cannot eat one in the UK as my tastebuds have been spoiled .
I don;t even like custard

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Morning! What miserable weather we have today! I'm currently in that godawful limbo where you're waiting for the time to move along so you can head to the airport.

I'm hoping EasyJet let us drop our bags early as I have special assistance for the kids. Then we can just go to the lounge and chill a bit. Hopefully!

DS is excited but also suffering with dysregulation due to it being a new thing we're doing. DD seems better, but she masks more in these situations. I'm half dreading the trip, but I'm also hopeful that they'll surprise me! 🤞🤞

Have a lovely holiday @NoWordForFluffy 🏝

Happy holiday @NoWordForFluffy ☀️

I'm at the airport in the shittest Aspire lounge known to man! Ah well, 90 minutes til I'm off! ✈️

Happy hols Fluffy, at least youre; escaping the crappy weather, it will be gorgeous in Portugal!! 🏝

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Hotdogs for lunch Fluffy?