**the 7th Tamoxifen Thread **

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we are...

Sparkle- please tell us how you are xx

Yes let us know when you feel up to it Sparkle - we are all thinking of you xx

I like the idea of being new and sparkly, so will shamelessly cling onto this thread.

I popped to see if we'd heard from Sparkle too. Been Come back when you're able, Sparkle. Am still hoping the news is okay though. xx

So much going on at the end of the last thread; broken oil tanks, frozen pipes, scarily grown up jobs and flu to name a few. All I've achieved today is to marzipan the cake, then bus through the snow with DS on the search for the perfect Christmas cracker. Am seriously hoping to avoid the traditional domestic disaster this year, but sadly it looks like you're all having them for me.

MAS you deserve a medal for all that selfless shopping.

Cakes, really hope the flu thing goes soon - nasty bug if it's the thing we had last week. I was shivery for two days and had a hacking cough. DS got so skinny his pants fell down.

Better go - cat's biffing baubles. I can hear him..

Checking in! Glad ds's hair is OK MAS!

SR - your post to sparkles was fab - well said. And I think you are very wise to spend money on fab times and nice memories rather than on shiny appliances. Who needs 'em?

Tell us what's happened, sparkles... Think I'll leave the pooter on and check back later..

Thanks Cakes.

MAS ginger in syrup lasts for years - trust me I never throw it away! Yummy with pineapple I think!

Forgot to mention I lost a pound last week - That's the same pound I'd put on the previous week! However am 1lb lighter with 6 more to go by Saturday?????????????????????

Can't understand how I've lost anything with all the chocolate I've been tucking into. But thawing out frozen pipes and dealing with HR emergencies burn up something obviously.

Sparkle - where are you? Please see my message on last thread.

Poor ds, smee DD's pants do that when she gets ill - weight just drops off

And on that front: another pound has gone here too! But I am not going to make another 5 ny the weekend, especially as I feel too crap to exercise and we now have the Christmas drink in. Maybe in the new year? Hope springs and all that.

PS Don't forget Miranda - last in the series tonight.

Poor DS Smee he'll have to scoff lots of treats over Christmas.

SR - I have to admit I completely forgot the weigh in . I will do it tomorrow morning - I get the feeling I will have gained - DS gave me a tin of spicy German biscuits for my birthday and I've eaten rather a lot!
Very well done on your pound though and very well done to you too Cakes - I am going to be the weakest link this week I think

And DH has just informed me he has won a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat - I won't be able to resist those

Fear not; DS is definitely not in dire need of smaller pants. We're busily scoffing the box of belgian chocolates he won in the school raffle. They were vaguely ear marked for Christmas, but DS reckons Grandma needs saving from them..

Am mighty impressed with weight loss. Though it does seem a hair shirt time of year to be trying. When do you switch dietary intentions for festive indulgence then? Must be soon, surely.

SR, Cakes is right, your post for Sparkle was spot on. Still hoping it doesn't apply to her though.

And Miranda, ooh yes. Am baking a cauliflower cheese - will shovel it into the oven just in time.

BTW, what's the matter with the girls in the MOnsoon ad on the right? Are they out of Twilight or just naturally creepy? Or perhaps they're ill....Mind you we've all been ill and we didn't look like that...

Gah, SIL had a bright idea today... lets travel 50 miles to Shrewsbury and do all our christmas food and pressie shopping in one go- oh and we'll take your car because it's 4wd!
The roads were horrendous, the pavements were even worse, and we're only on day 5 of potty training! BUT dd came home in the same set of clothes we went out in- no accidents at all, and we were out for 11 hours [proud mum] so the suitcase sized bag of spare clothes/towels/plastic bags were all in vain!

So christmas is now done, we filled a seven seat 4x4 to the brim with goodies and i think other than the fresh stuff we've got all we need for a fantastic festive season (first year without MIL is going to be hard for dh and sil, but i'm making this year my 'one to remember'!)

any news from Sparkles? thinking of you, when you feel ready we're all here x

oh well done RWU and especially little dd - clever girl
MIL's heating is mended-was snow and ice affecting the pipes -phew. Had a v nice evening with some girlfriends round the corner- cava and cheese footballs and some very lovely home made florentines.
Well done too to Mr KK on his latest win !
Hugs to Sparkle today.

oh,forgot to say- surgery rang to say that my GP isn't happy with prescribing branded tamoxifen for me (my last prescription was signed through by a doctor covering for him while he was away and she wrote Wockhardt on it) Anyway,has asked to see me..wil go at beginning of January..I imagine it's a financing thing `?

I imagine it is, MAS - if it's any consolation my latest prescription is half Wockhardt and half something else - they seem OK so far. Glad the heating has been sorted.

And impressed both by RWU's shopping and by the strng bladdered dd!

Monsoon ad girls are surely vampires - twin ones at that.

Bet you're glad you aren't spending Xmas here - I was just sorting through the fridge for some kiwi and got caught by surprise by a massive cough. Don't think I'll tell the family I've coughed over all the provisions.

Well done on getting all your shopping done RWU - I'm sure it will be a Christmas to remember - and how brilliant is little DD going all that time without accidents.

I can't see the Monsoon ad (disappointed).

MAS - I am of the cheese footballs

DD went to visit a friend from school yesterday and was rather upset. The poor girl has had a serious arm/shoulder injury which they've been trying to fix at the hospital for over a year now. But the nerve damage is too great apparently and they've told her they can't do any more, she'll just have to be on strong pain killers for the rest of her life. And she won't be able to do what she wanted to for a career (she's always wanted to be either a police officer or a fire fighter). DD goes to visit her because she can't go out for long because the pain's too bad

Hugs and thoughts for Sparkles today xxxx

Ooh just spotted the Monsoonettes - very scary!

God God what a sad story. So young to be in so much pain, and to have her life constrained like that.

I think RWU's family's Christmas is shaping up to be just fab - it's even looking odds on to be white! I'd hate to see the size of the shopping bill though - there's a lot of very nice shops in Shrewsbury, if I remember right.

I am getting a bit worried about sparkles though - I feel confident the diagnosis will prove manageable, just worried about how she's feeling in herself

cakes- it's certainly a well into a 4 figure sum and i don't think the total starts with a 1 but it's worth it, new house, new found family realtionships, new memories!! After a difficult year we are all spoiling ourselves (as MIL would have wanted us to do with some of the inheritance!)

me and sil treated each other to the new Radley picture bag, dh was a bit that we bought the same bag for each other! and i chose me an eternity ring from dh (he is useless at shopping, he bought me flip flops and a food mixer for my birthday )

i am shortly going to deliver the supplies to sil's, we left everything in the car last night and flopped, got up and emptied my stuff this morning and the turkey is still frozen solid (yes we're peasants- frozen turkey because the butchers is 15 miles away and i don't want to go over there on Friday!) Duck, Goose and pheasants being delivered by farmer on Thursday, fresh veg being brought by nephew on Friday, so all i need is milk, cream and fruit from the local shops on friday and we're all set!

I have 4 christmas cakes to ice, one of which is yet to be made... i thought eon were coming to replace our meter today, so didn't bake it this morning as the electric needs to be turned off for an hour or so. Phoned eon to check that the appointment was still on because of the weather... and it's tomorrow! So i'll do the last cake later and start icing tonight.

Sparkles, thinking of you... when you're ready x

Treats are absolutely the way to go after a tough year, and I am very over the bag and ring as well. Enjoy every moment.

have you a picture of the ring RWU ?

'tis much like this but with half a carat of diamonds and in platinum... cos i'm worth it ! he's been promising one for years but we've never got round to sorting it, so i took it upon myself to make up for all those years and buy something beautiful (i have very little jewellery, even my wedding ring is unwearable now since i've lost weight)

ahhh,beautiful- and you are worth it

That really is lovely