In the bleak midwinter, frosty Crepes may moan

[Collymollypuff]

Earth stood hard as iron, my heart like a stone.

Morning lovely ladies, just jumping on to say thanks so much to my Secret Santa for my GORGEOUS smellies. Love them, and will be perfect for upcoming trip.
Peace and goodwill to you all.
Happy Christmas!

I too am aghast at the mince pie gluttony, Mrs S.

Knackered already. Have played games, made train sets and done 'art'. Might go back to bed for a bit before going out.

Thank you so much SS! I love the candle smell - it's very 'herbaceous'! I'm v fussy about smells, and anything remotely unnatural makes me feel headachy. So this is great.

My best present of course has been the arrival of my first period for months. Yay!

I have opened something gorgeous for my SS...beautiful herbal bath oils which will grace the bathroom here for me to use when away from home and properly relaxing. Thank you! We have also opened a parcel from our lovely polish neighbours containing chocolate marshmallows and something MrsS may be interested in...which roughly translated on google, seems to be hazelnut vodka!!!!

Happy Christmas to you all. About to leap in bath before present opening begins at 11. Kids climbing the walls unsurprisingly. Told girls about their trip to the strictly live tour and they actually squealed with excitement. So a big hit.

We had a huge party last night for our neighbours and then I had to do wrapping so I am feeling rather jaded. Dh and I had an almighty row too so not a good start. Never mind! Had a good chat with my mum this morning who is very chipper.

Huge hugs to anyone who is missing a loved one and get well soon wishes for the sickies. Much love to you all xxxx

monty hope it blows over... xx

My SS clearly knows me very well! A "Famous Five" book, Frizz Ease and a miniature of Good Gin! Thank you very much!

Have got children tidying the kitchen before I start cooking. My mother has called me, I missed the call, and she has now, very typically, turned her mobile off, so I can't call her back. I left a message, but don't think she knows how to retrieve them...

I have Champagne and am having a bit of a rest before second round of cooking. And am not making more mince pies. There were actually over 40, and at least a dozen left when I went to bed last night...

Monty - hope you've made up xx.

Here DH is entirely down with the vicious lurgy and I am OK although still a bit wobbly. The DC's have been brilliant and the dinner is in the oven. BUT this is going to be the first ever alcohol free Christmas - proof of how ill DH is feeling if anything.

Happy Christmas and keep hanging in there crepies.

Venison sauce is cooking. Pots sliced, herbs battered for the herb crust, soup defrosted. Dog manic (no change there) - inspected my dining room wall which has been scratched beyond belief. I will now fret about that.....

About to do Christmas walk with dog...

Drinking prosecco. Had little sniff earlier but now coping. Xxxd

Prosecco is your friend, my darling. I know it's hard. Much love

I had a cry in the bath this morning but am ok now.

Thank you SS for my alc's as DD would say There seems to be a theme with a few of my presents...

Sorry to hear of sad Crepeys -

We have been down the pub with friends for the annual Christmas Day bevvie and I am now back to turkey cooking. Just wondering if the oven was hot enough - think it might need servicing

Paracetamol and a ten minute lie down before we play Quirkle. Then 'turns.' Dd1will be playing Super Massive Black Hole and This Charming Man. Not sure about sis Mum and Dd1. I am rowing DH in to do a slide display with the projector of Dad's slides 1960 -1964 from when sis was a nipper. Prob should have gone through to edit out any lingering ones of the Spanish au Pair's thighs but will do it on the hoof.

Herbs - would Kidzania be good for a 12 year old? Dd2 is interested.

Had shouty phone call from my mother - "I've been trying to call you all morning to wish you a merry Christmas!" (snarled down the phone). I said I had one missed call from her on my mobile, had called back immediately, but she had turned the phone off and I left a message ("I don't know how my phone messages work on my mobile phone!") and the home phone hadn't rung. It turned out she had been calling the number in MK where we left in 2009... But this, of course, was my fault. She couldn't stop, as they were going to have a five course Christmas dinner, and it was all very festive there, with "entertainment" in the afternoon and evening - "I expect you'll be sat round doing nothing as usual..." Yep. Dinner cooks itself, kitchen tidies itself. I spend most of my life doing nothing.

My jeans are feeling a tad tight, so think I might take them off. DH is asleep with his paper hat over one eye. The DDs are watching a film in DD2's bedroom. I have the room to myself and it is blissful.

I feel oddly split between cleaning up one Xmas lunch, lighting Hanukkah candles and laying up the table again for the next sitting, when BFF plus her DH and DDs arrive for Xmas lunch leftovers.

I had my little blub when DS1 arrived and DH, DS2 and DD sat arguing fatly about who should buzz him in, the lazy buggers, whilst I wrestled with that moment when the turkey comes out, the gravy must be made and the spuds/parsnips are behind schedule and the mulled wine needs stirring

mrsS your DM was bound to kick off I guess. . MI Monty hope you and other tearful Crepeys have rallied and are now full of
booze good cheer. I am lying on the sofa with bake off in the back ground. wondering if my feet are on fire.

My darling crepeys - wherever you are, whatever you are doing you are the most amazing bunch of people - why oh why do we not run the world?
Thank you this year for your support and propping up and dragging me out of my pit ( yes looking st you Stropps). I have had a lovely day with lovely presents and ds is not disappointed with Namibia (phew)

Heading home. It was OK. I can think of approximately 1,001 ways I would rather have spent the day and I still rather wonder what I can do about this wrong turn in my life, but it was OK.

Cross-post with BD: and thank you for making it possible for me to say all this and for being generally marvellous.

Exactly MI - the ability to say my dad gives me the rage for leaving the loo seat up and reversing my loo roll cannot be understated...

Having a lovely day at DB's - no rows yet, although a few have been bubbling under, as always happens when DB and our DPs get together for any length of time. I was up early (perhaps not as early as Herbs) to drive DS to work, only to find the worker had overslept - he jumped into the car in his undies with his clothes under one arm and his breakfast clenched between his teeth. This was followed by a leisurely and unhealthy breakfast and a spot of packing before we all headed off to Colchester.

SIL's turkey was fabulous, and my pavlova was well-received, despite the fact that I overwhipped the cream and it was only a few moments from being butter. I have done very well gift-wise, in fact I have that uncomfortable feeling that others have been far more generous to me than I have to them - case in point being DH - he bought me not only the Boden clutch bag I'd asked for but also this Coach bag that I'd requested for my big birthday in February. I'm very lucky. And thank you Secret Satan for my prosecco bath goodies - you know me so well!

DB's house is bristling with tech - he has a curved TV the size of a cinema screen, lights that change colour, a coffee machine which rivals the local Costa and these little "Echo" widgets in all rooms that you speak to and they do/tell you stuff - play music, tell you what the traffic is like, dim the lights....great fun. It doesn't make you tea, though. And his dishwasher is broken!

Am an absolute wreck.But a lovely family day. Dsis completely outdid herself, and dd managed to keep dm sat in a chair and not meddling in sister's absolutely fabulous arrangements.

Glad Namibia ticked boxes BD. Same here with Marrakesh ( booked for dh)
Herbs, hope you are having an hilarious time with the IGs and glad ds loved his trains.

Some small tears shed here too. ( dd and I still associate Christmas with sad times)
Am about to fall into a fragrant bath followed by fresh Pjs and Midwife recording.

Rose ai cant believe you have a round two tomorrow.

Hi my lovelies!
Lovely if quietish day here - mainly revolving around food in large quantities - just the 4 of us and my ddad wh is a model guest and makes everyone behave just a leeeetle bit better than they would if it was just us.
Fantastic long walk on the marshes (quite near your hood Herbs) and a big late lunch which dss helped cook and clear up. My spanish almond tart (Torta de Santiago) was a triumph and easy peasy to make.

Greetings and hugs to all. I can only echo what others have already said about my Crepey friends - I love chatting and moaning and cheering and sobbing with you all on here - it is a real home and a refuge to me and something I value enormously - in a way that would be hard to articulate and explain to an outsider. XXX

Well crepeys, I had quite possibly my most enjoyable Christmas day ever. Well, since I became a grown-up, anyway. Though it has gone on for about 45 hours. Lunch at IG's was brilliant, with great company, four Christmas trees, super-lavish catering (inc bottomless quantities of Pol Roger), and DS seemed to delight and entertain. There was an utterly adorable dog there - a cocker spaniel called Terry - who kept him, and us, entertained.

Shagged beyond all measure, so off to bed and hoping that DS doesn't wake us up before 7.