ELEVENSES - the next chapter

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

Am not thinking about triangular patches - far too complicated and fussy for me! But I like that style of paving and the idea of having patches of plants set within teh paving. Perhaps the perfect compromise for dh and I....
I get to look out onto a tree (which is why I want a taller specimen - need to see it when sitting on the sofa) and he gets his gates and paving so we can wheel pushbikes in and out easy. We found that bikes were our main form of transport last summer (especially as we can cycle into town along the canal) but dragging them down the narrow side path was a struggle (I either got my handlebars scraping along the wall whilst I was in the hedge or my handlebars got stuck in the hedge whilst my shoulder scraped the wall)

Will keep thinking though, and if you come across any nice front gardens (be they paved or otherwise) on line or in a magazine which would suit a small Victorian semi then please let me know the link

Right, off to get a coffee, watch a bit of tv and wait for dh to come in from work. He was on a late one today.

Tomorrow we have to collect the school Chrismas tree (how on earth did I manage to get volunteered for that job ) and MIL is coming for lunch. A belated birthday celebration

it sounds great - lovely to have a tree or two and I always think that pots and nice containers look great -we have a very large patio-type area which is full of them,looks quite Mediterranean in an English garden way -plus the old bath is full of stuff,lovely in the summer. Will keep an eye out for anything interesting !

Hello Sorry I haven't been around to join in the house and garden discussions.

FWIW, I've been telling everyone this week that I dream of a brand new, no low maintenance house too. I'm very bogged down in having a house that's only partially decorated and no money to do the things that urgently need doing. Don't think having hyper critical MIL here has helped... She's the type to get a man in to repair anything, has brand new furniture etc etc and can't understand why we're not cracking on with things. Grrr. BUT I do agree that an old house can be comfy and cosy and friendly, rather than sterile and characterless.

About the front garden. I can see both your points, but am on your dh's side about keeping the parking space tbh. I think people do value having the possibility of parking even if they don't necessarily use it. When we talked about selling our land/parking at the bottom of the garden, there was overwhelming opinion that we were mad and would sell more easily with the space still there... I think a compromise of paving/gates is a good one, and you get the best of both worlds. You could ahve a couple of enormous pots with trees in that are moveable and maybe some furniture?

Sorry about poor old cat, I really hope he turns up soon. Hopefully he's found a nice dry warm shed and is staying there while the wild weather is here. Glad work is going well.

We had a lovely day at Winchester Christmas Market yesterday so I kept my eyes out incase you happened to be around MAS!

Hi hotcross,

Thanks for your input I have come round to dh's idea of paving - he too believes the house will sell better. So it is going to be smartly paved and we will put gates up and have lots of pots with lovely green things in
Don't know when though - it is going to cost a fortune and we don't have any money....

My house is really gettign me down at the moement - I currently have a half painted hall and landing, broken bathroom cupboard doors, a bath with broken plug (the pop up mechanism is kaput), all the woodwork in the house needs doing, bedroom curtains are to go up, Oliver's velux blinds are broken and to be fixed, the living room has needed to be decorated for the past 3 years, now getting desperate, our sofa is tatty and broken, and and and...sob...
There is no money to get anyone in to do and dh is always working so is never here to do any of the jobs that need doing...

Mad day at work today, head is spinning. It was th edress rehearsal fo rthe play so I found myslef doing hair, make-up and last minute costume adaptations...

Winchester market sounds nice

garden plan sounds good compromise hippi - please don't feel down about the house - everyone gets like that,things kind of spring into focus and bother away at you.
Winchester sounded lovely hotcross - we didn't set foot outside all w/end -except for dh who had hair cut and went shopping - also the parking would drive me mad - I hate trying to find a space there at the best of times.
Forgive me for sending you both an email with my latest pictures on folksy - you never know you might need a guinea pig or hen picture for someone !! I hate bombarding people with my stuff, but I guess that's how you market yourself !
T has done his exam - think it was ok -will have to wait patiently now.
My internet/computer is being agonisingly slow- every word I type takes an age to appear -is driving me mad. Dh says the hard drive is probably overloaded and we need a new computer but God knows how to afford it !!

Glad exam went OK MAS, these things are always daunting. Thanks for the website email - I'm not offended in the least, it's nice to be able to see your work

Don't be too down about your house Hippi, but if it's any consolation, I know exactly how you feel. We have such a long to do list, neither of us are vaguely DIY proficient, but can't afford to get someone to do it for us. Grrr.

I'm still ringing round all my card companies cancelling my cards. Any ideas who I might have forgotten???

Hello
Thanks for email MAS - I love the hedgehog. E's class last year was hedgehogs so it would have been a lovely teacher-end-of-year present.
She is in seal class this year (hint hint )

Glad exam went well.

Have finished work for the day, am just having a quick lunch (tuna crunch on toast) before rushing into town for a bit of Christmas shopping. My sis is here on Thurs so I need her present as well as those for my parents as she is off to see them at Christmas.

hotcross, have you heard from B's ballet exam yet??

hippi -it's a guinea pig !!!!
do you have lots of cards hotcross ? I only have one cc and a debit card - I use the cc mostly but pay it all off every month.

LOL Do you do a hedgehog?

No news from the ballet exam - the teacher said it might come next term sometime... Seems a long time.

I only have a two debit cards(single and joint accounts) but there's the nectar/clubcard/National trust type cards. Also library etc etc. Very time consuming and boring.

I can do hedgehogs !!

Snort!! I am sooo sorry - of course it is - I have looked again and yes it definately is
Ignore me, am sooo tired can't think straight.

But can you do seals?

arf !! poor hippi I've never drawn a seal,as far as I know,but I guess I could !

If you can grapple with an axolotl (and what a cutie he was!) then I feel confident you can do a seal
But he won't be needed until July...

Have a killer headache adn am soooo tired. Early night tonight I think.

I could have sworn I posted on here yesterday... Am losing my mind!

Hope you're both OK? I'm begin ing to feel that panicky tight feeling about Christmas now. Too much to do, too little time and too little energy. Hmm. Will have to press on!

I had my dsis on the phone last night. We're spending Christmas with her family and apparently her 7 year old son is getting a Wii... We don't even know what to get B this year, but we have a tight budget, and I'm panicking there will be a huge mismatch in the wow factor I know I shouldn't worry, but I would hate to see a crestfallen face - she wouldn't complain, she's not like that, but I'd know... Have you any ideas? What's E getting Hippi?

We're off to see the BFG tonight, which will be great. We only told B this morning so she's gone to school very excited! She loves the film but I hope it's not too scary in RL.

Hope you're having a great day (so cold and foggy though).

Hello

Ahhh, hotcross, you won't want to know what E is getting for christmas...
We are buying O and E a Wii to share (actually, it is for all four of us)
On top of that she is getting two long sleeve tops I have just ordered in the Boden sale, some new felt tips and that is it!
Her stocking from Father Christmas will contain satsuma, chocolate coins, a traditional knitting doll and wool, a craft kit (wire and fabric puppies), a duck shaped eraser and some hello kitty lip gloss. And perhaps some new hairslides if I can find some nice ones...

Went to see O's Christmas show last night. It was AMAZING! The whole yeargroup really worked hard, the show was very professional and they all shone on stage! O and his friend H who played Fagin were outstanding - and I was sooo surprised to hear O sing; he was loud, clear, and most importantly, in tune! I was like this and then I had a little happy-cry
It was fantastic. Most of Y6 this morning were very disappointed it is all over. They have had 7 hectic weeks of rehearsals and the build up to 3 performances, and now it is all don But it was great!! Dh took some pictures of O on stage, will see if he can upload them.

Busy weekend coming up - E's party on Suncay [fret]
Will be glad when taht is over too.

Then on Tuesday is the school carol concert at the local church. O has been selected to sing in the Y6 chamber choir ( again) so that is something to look forward to

BFG sounds exciting hotcross - have a great time!!
We are going to the pantomime in Woking on teh 28th (Christmas present to all 4 of us from FIL and stepMIL ) Am looking forward to it!

Right, off to have some lunch and then I need to go to hobbycraft to buy the paper plates for E's party.

BFG will be fab I'm sure - enjoy it !- I bet B will
Can't think of suitable girls' presents though...T is hard enough to buy for ! Lucky O and E - H , P's boy loves theirs and they all 3 children play their various games for hours.
Brilliant O Congratulations -what a star !! he acts AND sings !! and the chamber choir too ! you must be dying of pride
Hope E's party goes well - good luck -am sure it'll be fab.

Hi MAS

Yes, I am very very proud of O Mostly though, I am just delighted that he has a hobby which he enjoys and at which he is quite good I think at secondary school, 6th form college and uni, whereever he goes, there will be amdram groups so he should meet likeminded people and be able to have fun
The whole show was great though, honestly, all the kids were brilliant!

I hope O and E will love the wii - whenever we go round to a friend's house where there is one they have a great time on it
And our ancient old playstation is slowly dying a painful death so it seems to make sense to replace it with a new games console..

Out for a meal with the school staff tonight - even the head teacher is coming [gulp] Looking forward to it.

Hotcross, I can't make any suggestions for B's Christmas. I struggle thinking of things for E. If it was not for the Wii I would have no idea what to buy her...

I can't wait for E's party to be over. I find parties sooo stressful! This is the last big one I am doing though, it has been a nightmare and is costing a small fortune

Hi ! Hotcross -thanks for your text, I only switched my phone on today -where was your axoltl ? I've never seen a real one - aww !
How was staff meal and E's party hippi ?

Hi HAPPY BIRTHDAY E! Didn't get on here over the weekend, but I hope the party went really well and that E had a ball!

The axolotl was at a garden centre near Haslemere MAS. It was very very cute, with lots of wiggle bits and it looked like it was smiling I texted you because I knew I'd forget to tell you, if I didn't do it immediately!

The BFG was amazing! I hadn't realised it was the theatre's own youth group doing it, and tbh I wouldn't have guessed if it didn't say on the programme. B was mesmerised, if a tiny bit terrified at times

We have our tree up finally, the house it half decorated, I've two Christmas puddings steaming away, so I feel half way ready to accepting that Christmas is round the corner! We have ordered the Playmobil circus for B, with the horse show to go inside. I'm really hoping it'll be a hit, and it was a bargain!

Right, must go and post the last of my cards.

Oh, which garden centre? I would love love love to see an axolotl in the flesh!!

Thanks for the birthday wishes for E. Party went well yesterday - very chaotic and a touch stressful but the entertainer was great and it all was great fun!
Today she gave out sweets at school and we did her presents just before dinner (when dh was home)
Any moment now mil and her partner and sil and bil should arrive. More tea and cake

Glad the BFG was good - would love to see it

so glad the party went well hippi !HAPPY BIRTHDAY E
Am totally impressed by the 2 christmas puddings cooking hotcross - you are a domestic goddess ! Circus sounds fab present !

Two puddings That is brilliant! We have got as far as buying a tree (which is in its net on the patio waiting for next weekend) and ordering our beef, gammon and sausages from teh butcher

That is as far as Christmas has got in this house - dh's birthday cards are still up but am about to take them down and put E's ones up. Next weekend I will put the Christmas cards up.

The playmobil sounds great for B. E loves loves loves playmobil! It is brilliant stuff!

Hooray for the party going well! You must be so relieved The axolotl is at World of Water near Brook/Haslemere - if you decide to visit a) I hope it's still there and b) please please pop in here for a coffee or we can meet you there... You've got my number, haven't you?

I'm a long way from being a domestic goddess, but if I want to eat Christmas pudding/cake at mums then I need to provide it. She would happily serve up a nut-stuffed pudding and tell me it didn't have any nuts in

We have B's Christmas play this afternoon, which I know will be drowned out by shrieking siblings, but I'm sure it'll be lovely!

Off to put on a third jumper

I have your number - will let you know if we decided to venture down that way Although, seeing you and B and possibly an axolotl, it is very tempting

B's play will be lovely. We had the shrieking siblings too but it was still lovely

We have the school Carol Concert in the local church tonight. Should be fun!

Need to dress warm though, church has no heating and is big and cavernous and well... church like. Brrrr.

I have not done anything Christmassy yet - am about to take dh's birthday cards down so I can put up the rest of E's ones. Then next weekend we will bring the tree in and begin to get all festive

Oops, have overdone the but they are lovely!

Morning Oops, no it's afternoon now

I have B home coughing and with hardly any voice. She feels fine in herself, but I'd quite like her to make it to school tomorrow as she's playing recorder at the carol service, so have taken a strategic sickie! She's been busy all morning, but definitely has a horrid cough...

How were the carols Hippi? Gorgeous I bet. I wish our school used the local church more, but it's not a church school, so I guess some parents might get iffy about it

The Christmas play was the best yet! It was a proper Nativity, great singing, and B did her bit nice and clearly. Phew.

It would be lovely to see you and your lovely family Hippi, and if we could tempt MAS, it would be even lovelier But if not, we'll definitely organise coffee early in the New Year!