Bringing in some light

[Lidlfix]

It's hard for everyone right now, by varying degrees granted, and sometimes it's nice to blether. I'd like a thread that doesn't turn into political debate. A Chat if you like with a Scottish perspective that has a gentler vibe. I admire the posters with strong political views, knowledge, interests and thick skins - qualities I lack. But it's not for everyone.

My fig and blackberry candle is lit and my nice coloured gin bottles have wee LED lights in. I feel refreshed after my two week hols but worried about the term to come. Come share what you're doing to bring in some light, your wee treats, autumn booze concoctions or just blether.

I’m liking the dog cushion, knitwear and twig thing.

This weekend I have put up my two new £12 from Lidl garlands and they are looking fab, though I say so myself. One is red and the other gold - got to stick to my colour themes and coordinate with the trees.

It’s been a useful distraction from the shit load of paperwork I should have been doing. #procrastination

I’m also trying not to kill my 5th year who has a mediocre report, prelims just after Christmas and is doing sweet FA 😡😡😡. Every single teacher said the same thing ( do past papers, use the resources on google classroom , come to supported study ) but apparently they say that to everyone so he doesn't have to do it.

Ah, I've been there, mine did get his arse into gear eventually and got into Uni but you can't tell them anything.

Deccies sound lovely and there might be a rush on cushions after this!

I love that fair isle jumper @prettybird - I looked up having one knitted but v pricey.

lidl my dd2 keeps insisting it is nearly Christmas as the shops have their lights up, she finds it so exciting. I don't know where she gets it from!

I may borrow the gift card idea too, I've one dc who is 10 but honestly, when I ask her what she wants she says, helpfully, minty things.

A young woman in Glasgow has done a really good deed for my DM today.
She’s a total stranger and did it out of the goodness of her heart.
Feeling a bit teary.
It’s great to remember that there are some genuinely kind folk out there.

@WaxOnFeckOff glad it’s not just my kid. I can’t get over the arrogance

Is your mum ok @BusyDreaming? You sound upset .

S00LA she’s fine, thanks.
Nothing’s straightforward at the moment, though.
I just felt so touched by the kindness of a stranger.

I’m loving the chat about the fair isle jumpers.
I remember the hand knitted Icelandic jumper I had in my teens. Starting to break out in a rash just thinking about it.

BusyDreaming - that particular pattern was one I found when looking for an Icelandic pattern, didn't want to buy a book to get the pattern and then realised that it was the same as one my mum had knitted for me when I was myself a student and checked through the patterns I've inherited from her - and found it

....difference being that I knitted ds' jumper in chunky merino wool, whereas mine was knitted in Lopi Icelandic wool. Which to be fair, does soften and is water resistant, but it does take time to "break in", unless you wear a long sleeved top underneath

@BusyDreaming it’s lovely to hear about the goodness of people.

At the start of the first lockdown I couldn’t get my old relatives a food delivery for live nor money. A stranger from Facebook offered to get it, and delivered it to them 😊💕

In other light news, I’ve ordered Christmas crackers with kazoos in them, and a guess the tune game. Sure dd and ds will love that 😂

Those sound fab @WouldBeGood. I've gone for ones with a quiz - we might all have fallen out by the evening :o

And the kindness of strangers is great to hear about.

I've bought Christmas jokes - my dc love telling jokes but don't really get humour yet. My 6 year old thinks any joke you can slip the word 'poo' into is comedy gold.

@prettybird. Snap!

My current wip! Mine is in lopi, though, and I also knitted myself the same pattern on the early 80s.

The one I had in the early 80s was in off-white with the pattern in shades of blue. I wore it to death.

I'm still wearing the cardigan in Lopi (shades of brown) that my mum knitted herself, but it too is beginning to wear out. Now that we've had the new heating put in, I don't need to wear it as much (Wore it this morning to have tea with SIL out on the patio).

@prettybird

My 80s one in that pattern was grey with black and off-white if I remember correctly. I did another in a different pattern that was off-white with brown and grey and a very long baggy one in a third pattern in bright red with off-white and black.

Ah, your jumpers look great.

I’m not sure what kind of wool my gran used when she knitted my Icelandic jumper in the 80s.
Character building is probably the best description for it.

It will almost definitely have been the Icelandic wool Lopi - I don't think washable chunky Merino wool was even a thing back then. And yes, it was really scratchy It was very warm though

Oh snap, I’ve got a great lopi sweater courtesy of a knitting pal who put on weight 😁 and handed it down. I find every year that it’s almost unbearable even with a thick top underneath, then it gets better, and soon I don’t even notice the scratch. And it’s brilliant for a sunny, dry, but freezing cold walk, don’t even need a jacket. Must dig it out!

I am currently doing that thing in my house where I'm trying to clear/sort/tidy but feel as though I'm really just lifting stuff from one room to another...

Have ordered snowflakes for the windows, crepe paper to make old fashioned garlands for the ceiling and battery powered lights for our Acer in the front garden. We don't normally do outside lights but the whole bloody neighbourhood started with the christmas decs from 1st Nov and two weeks on I'm accepting defeat and will join in the madness when we do actually decorate (probably 6th Dec)!

Was pleased with the v cheap M&S kids pyjamas I ordered for niece and nephew cause they are tied up with a sparkly ribbon - doesn't take much to please me really

Join the early decoration madness! My dh thought I'd lost a part of my marbles when we decorated our windows for Halloween.

Sparkly ribbon is always good, and a nice bit of tissue paper to reuse for something else.

I am trying to tidy but struggling to get rid of stuff - think everyone else beat me to the charity shop! Thankfully the art department at my daughter's school seem willing to take all sorts so we're working through 'could you ask if they could use this?'. At the moment the bay window where the tree goes is full of bags of stuff.

I must look out my colour changing ornaments - have a selection from M&S over the last few years and I really like them.

If anyone is looking for light by way of food, take a look at the offerings from Eusebi’s Deli in Glasgow. And they deliver!

I got a pot-grown tree for the front step a couple of days ago and have now got it in a proper pot with compost ready for DS to decorate this afternoon along with my niece and nephew. Just need to get DH out of bed to fetch some of the decorations out of the attic!

I also bought some Havana Club and limes during the week so this evening will be all about the mojitos...

@WouldBeGood

If anyone is looking for light by way of food, take a look at the offerings from Eusebi’s Deli in Glasgow. And they deliver!

Damn you ! I was hoping to see a little light this week by losing a few pounds before Christmas. Lockdown has not been kind to my waistline.

Eusabi's is amazing. Many an otherwise grim weekend camped out at Tollcross for swimming was cheered up by a trip to the Shettleston shop. I have some cheats mulled wine from Aldi and thinking about hot spiced gin to (force) DH to sit outside with me and glug. I am feeling low due to level 4, Dsis and DPs are level 3 so can't see them at all and seeing pupils and colleagues being sent home in substantial numbers . So please keep the tales of Havana Club , deli delights and absolutely not too early decorating coming. They are so uplifting and my snowmanesque figure is coming along nicely!