Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...and ramping up those Christmas preparations! Countdown to Christmas 2024 (thread 3) (title edited by MNHQ @request of OP)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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(Saves us checking the old thread tomorrow!)

Here goes, folks. New thread to see us through autumn!

I'm out of whamaggedon. Walked into the swimming pool yesterday and it was blaring.

Taking the dogs to see Santa Paws tomorrow and get a cute festive photo! The kids are very excited.

Settling down with a Kir Royale and Die Hard 🎄🎄🥂

DD and I just watched Eastenders on CatchUp , they were playing loads of Christmas Music ( FairyTale pf New Yprk, Saviours Day , Step Into Christmas ) , I did think "Ahhh they're bound to play it" but either they didn;t or I missed it ,

Still Winning

I picked DS up at station and was listening to Radio 2 and Sara Cox said "next up it's a Wham classic" I've never turned the radio off as quick in my life. Still in but definitely dicing with danger.

I haven't heard a Christmas song yet. Still going to Amsterdam tomorrow. Still haven't packed. And someone else has just grabbed next Sunday (for a local driving lesson - which I do appreciate, but I have a lot to get done!!). But my early morning train is booked and I have a face mask on the spare bed beside a mostly empty suitcase so it will be a retreat...

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The weather here is atrocious just waiting (hoping) to see if kids fixtures are cancelled.

Later I'm off to a wreath making class if I don't get blown away first.

Happy Saturday everyone.

We're in the amber zone. I think Meeces is in the red zone. Thankfully no government text warning here.

It's bloody loud, I'll give it that. We keep hearing bits of rubbish blowing along the road. We also thought we heard a man yell out earlier (the dog barked too) but DH couldn't see anything outside.

Trying to work out what's best to do with the dog as there are very few tree-free routes here.

Sorry I have been AWOL. Have been suffering with daily headaches, exhaustion, sleep disturbance, aching body, health anxiety etc. finally after a hot flush I went to the GP on Monday and got a referral to the menopause clinic. Have also had an eye test and booked a brain MRI to rule out anything sinister with the headaches as they are really affecting me. Am also seeing my amazing clinical psychologist again for the anxiety. Have been feeling very sorry for myself and not Christmassy.

however yesterday I did a wreath making workshop which was lovely and today is the village Christmas fair. Need to finish my Christmas shopping today also.

hope everyone is staying safe in this weather! I got an email last night from the area I used to live in near @NoCheesesForUsMeeces warning me to secure my bins so assume she must be having it bad. Was woken in the night by Alexa informing us of a power cut but everything back on this morning.

Have been enjoying my cross stitch advent calendar :) I don’t play whamageddon. Would be way too easy where I live as no shops to play the music other than the village shop and they don’t play music. I listen to audible in the car not the radio so it wouldn’t be hard for me to make it to Christmas Day.

Hope you're ok @Hopingforno2in2024

Very gusty here in the SE.
Hoping the rail network isn't affected..we're going to London to day for some shopping and to see Stranger Things, a surprise for the DCs.

Wishing everyone badly affected, the least amount of wind damage.

Hope you feel better soon, Hoping. Sounds like a hard slog for you.

I'm just back from the dog run. It was hard going running into the wind. We stuck to more open places where possible. Loads of people out with dogs doing the same thing!

Hoping sounds really tough going ,

We have the edges of Storm Darragh here , windy and raining

DS Birthday today , we're going out for a meal later .

We are indeed in the red area warning Fluffy - although DH got the warning and I didn't 🙄
It's been awful, LO woke a lot due to the wind and things banging about. There are a few trees down and I saw a post on local fb about sheds being damaged at the allotments.

We were up for the day at 5 - I think LO was just scared and unsettled so we have essentially forced a nap in the car. Will have to wake them shortly.

I've been productive - decs are fully up now and boxes are upstairs to go back in the attic later. One set of lights to go which DH will do as I'd break my neck trying to reach.

Just putting shopping away then will shower, finish cleaning and have a chilled Christmas film afternoon with an early bath and bed for LO.
Big plans tonight to put addresses on cards and not much else as I feel rubbish (TMI - peri and periods, just 😩😩).

hoping sorry you've been feeling so rubbish and fingers crossed the menopause clinic and the psychologist are able to help 💐
What are you listening to on audible at the moment? I tend to go to autobiographies. Only fiction I've managed has been the Strike books but I haven't chosen anything new apart from a Julia Donaldson collection for LO in ages.

I hope you start to feel better soon @Hopingforno2in2024 peri is horrendous with the amount of symptoms you can get.

I watched the new Christmas animation on Netflix this morning and it is really good. Well worth a watch in my opinion.

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"Sunday" wrote Mr Kipling .............

We went the see "Red One" last night . Suitably festive and silly , Dwayne The Rock Johnson smouldering as per (he does smoulder very well )

Still wild here but calming down , hopefully

On way home from London. Our train was cancelled due to a tree on the tracks but we've managed to get on another slower one.

I grew up in London and have visited it a lot since moving away but I've never seen it as busy as it was yesterday..Covent Garden/Soho area. And the tube...I could have fainted.

Anyway, Stranger Things was good.

When we get home DH is going to put up the outside lights and put m going to catch up on Strictly 🙂

Morning!

Beautiful day here today. Still a little breezy, but much calmer than yesterday! We have two loads of washing on the line (the lighter stuff will be dry already in the breeze) and one more has just finished to go out.

70, Red One looks brilliant. My friend told me about it. Sadly she isn't close enough geographically to go and watch it with!

DS is going to see Red One with his school friends after they break up this week. I might be able to persuade my DDs to come with me to see it.

I can highly recommend "Conclave". Visually stunning and great acting from Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci.

Afternoon everyone. Gorgeously sunny freezing day here in my part of Scotland.

Off to a garden centre to find some more christmas lights for outside of the house. On the hunt for a giant star, ideally over a meter, for the top of the pointy bit of the roof.

Have a good day all!

We have an 80cm star: https://www.christowhome.co.uk/micro-led-double-christmas-star-light.html

It looks dead nice lit up.

oooh that does look nice Fluffy.

I'm out - that pesky Christmas wreath class yesterday, It really was just a matter of time.

Had the family over yesterday so suffering today after too much festive cheer last night. Got to decorate the tree today but might have to have a nap first!!

Just back from Costco ( it was the only day I could go and DH volunteered to go with me )
I make him push the trolley until it gets too heavy for his poor hip. If I go with DS he insists I buy him pizza and a cold drink from the cafe as a reward .

There was mayhem in the car park. Drivers parking up waiting for a space to be available if another car was being loaded up . Blocking everyone else .

There was a Queue For The Queue to get in.

DH was eyeing up Big Televisions - no we don't need one

And ....and ...they played Last Christmas . The turds .
So I am Whamageddoned out .
<sulk>

The attraction for my DD was Chris Evans ( Captain America not the presenter of TGIF and Don't Forget Your Toothbrush)

He;s better looking than Ryan Reynolds but not got the 'spark'

The Rock was just as you'd expect him to be , smouldering and not taking himself too serious .

A friend of mine had a Twitter (it was Twitter then) jokey 'spat' with The Rock a few years ago. It was too funny!

I'm still in...it's only 8th though. I bet I go out when I go to hospital on Thursday!

I'm out as they played it whilst I was in the car earlier. I never usually remember to play but it was fresh in my mind 😂

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How can it only be 16 days to go??

Got the tree done, I don't recommend doing it with a hangover. Those damn lights, I did a lot of under the breath swearing. DH said "can I pass you anything?" I said (with gritted teeth) "just leave me".

I did let them all come and put baubles on when I'd finished wrestling the lights. Then rearranged them later when they were watching TV.