In the bleak midwinter, frosty Crepes may moan

[Collymollypuff]

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

Sorry to hear about flu- it's vile. Love to BTM, it's so painful to see a loved one with dementia.

All good here but WiFi dodgy. Our best friends come out on Monday to join us for the last week which will be great. 4 weeks of undiluted DH might not be so Good!

Packing dad up to go back home - think the dog has driven him mad! I am having a 'what have I done with my life' moment.

Think once we have got past today and the in laws tomorrow will take some time to reassess.

Cv you need to wait until at least one Dc has decided to go to NZ on a gap year. Then at least they earn to pay for their own flight!

It's a biggie holiday for us... We usually do a week on a Norfolk beach come July or August.

I'd love to go. Actually this was the Christmas we had pencilled in to go, many moons ago. We had some lovely Kiwi nannies who we would love to see again. We actually have her sister staying with us at the moment. They are North Island girls though.

I can't see a Christmas without exams pending for quite a time though....

FYI, my cold has moved from my throat to my head and I've just remembered I'm hosting a NYE party! That's in 2 days! Best get sorted....

Morning all - still down but not out. Thanks for info MI - I wonder what would have happened this year if I hadn't had the flu jab, very happy I did. Re TB - doctors are very iffy about RER because of people who not only cough but spit (ugh) - it appears there are pockets of TB in Paris which have come back, it having been absent for years, although I take your point about prolonged exposure. As for the flu - DS crossed Paris entirely West to East on our equivalent of the Central Line. Spent the day at Disney and developed symptoms 48 hours later.

Hope you're enjoying the sunshine MI and Cocoa. I'm trying to think of somewhere sunny to go next Christmas - has anybody done Mauritius?

I can't wait for the meet-up where Cocoa and BTM compare notes about NZ. Definitely something to look forward to in 2017. January is good for me, and so is March, as suggested by Crem (although both my dc have birthdays then, so the second half of March, please, if possible. And do come and stay, Crem, if it suits - you can be stunned by my Kondoing. Which might include dh being in the bin rather than on the subs bench.)

Cheers Molly!
Yes will have a a look at dates soon.

Bring your kitten... And the goats, of course.

MI so glad you arrived safely and are unwinding nicely! Glad also to hear Cocoa's and MM's trips are going well.

Sorry Crem, that you lost the option of that sweet little bundle of fur....

Hatty real flu is such a vile illness, isn't it?....most people who have heavy, feverish colds say they have flu but they don't know quite what a tough gig the real thing is. I hope they turn the corner soon...and that you look after yourself whilst being Sister. Was it 10th Jan you're around for brunch ? Where and what sort of time.?...might be able to nip up near the Eurostar terminal if that's where you're travelling from....

Tilly How are you and DS now you're home? I'm sorry your DM was so confused

Herbs What a cute photo of mini herbs....definitely a choir boy in the making.

BD I understand that feeling....but I'm sure you have no reason to think you haven't done anything in your life. I often wonder what my relevance to anyone or anything, these days.... [Fhmm]

GGG it wasn't the M23 although we pass nearby on the A24 north. The first collision was just outside Roehampton on the A3, and the next one was on the A406 near the junction with the M1. I still ache from the tension of it all. And I'm about to drive down again probably tomorrow...

I am waiting for DD and her mate to get home from Westfield. They are cutting it very fine...they have theatre call for 6.30 and need to change and eat supper. She is replying to texts in mono syllables...mostly "No". However I am not in too bad a humour, as she was out most of the day and so was DS2, who went to sit in Costa somewhere to write an essay. DH and I had lunch in a nice country house hotel and sat there long enough for it to merge into tea

Ooh Rose country house lunch sounds lovely. Hope DD has arrived back. It would be 11th Feb for brunch or 10th for evening. Would love to meet up either way.

Have had to send DH out for more sheets as cannot keep up with changing fever drenched rags. Have made a big stew in the hope of boosting everybody but DS reckons he cannot eat.

Rose, that sounds so relaxing! Hope DD gets back soon. Good that she's off out with friends though

Had a hosp visit this morning, including ECG and bloods. Not making much progress so they are looking at other options including possible long-term hospital stay if things don't improve. So not surprising, but worrying.

Hatty, we were meant to be going skiing then but we are going to have to cancel, so I might be able to make it!
Hope your DC start to rally soon - poor them and you being ill in the holidays.

BTMabout DS and holiday. It would of course be lovely to see you if you're around xx

Hatty - if the consensus is brunch on the 11th I can join you and meet some of you at last. I can't do the evening of the 10th as it's my birthday and we're going to the theatre. Somewhere near Eurostar would work for me too.

In cat news the cat sitter has reported that he is feeling much better and is now objecting to the injections - which is a nuisance but still good news. Hope all the poorly humans rally as well.

Oh sorry Hatty...yes 11th during the day...I'll pencil it in as a possibility!

]] Tilly I'm so sorry you have this anxiety but it sounds as though the hospital are on it, and I'm sure they have seen it all before and are used to trying other approaches until they find the right one.

DD has managed the train journey with aplomb and DH is picking up about now-ish. I must learn to trust DD more ...how does anyone stop being hyper vigilant about a child about whom we have worried so much?

lovely hotel for lunch and tea AND its near a tube station

would love to meet you Mrs W.

Would like to meet up for brunch, but sadly will be teaching that day, so 'I'm out', as they say.

Just spent day traipsing around London with some American friends of DP's, and their two kiddies. Blasted heck - the west end was heaving. Unless it's always like that, and I have just forgotten. Full of rude bastards who walk into you, stand about looking vacant and, worst of all, don't 'allow others off the carriage first'. I came home in an ill humour. Not helped by my hip giving me terrible gyp. It kind of gets 'out of joint', then all the muscles around it spasm, and I end up limping like an old lady.

AND sis has annoyed me. We arranged to have family xmas day on 30th December mainly because she was on holiday (in Barbados, no less) until 27th. They were all going to stay over night, jollity, etc. Now she's not getting there until midday, and leaving again about 5, as they're hosting NYE at their house. She has given me and mum a load of grief in the past about not 'putting family first' then barely seems to want to do that very thing herself. It also means, selfishly, that staying the night will be much more boring for me! Rant rant.

11 Jan for brunch? I'd like to come, but will have to check work diary and book leave.

BTM - so sorry about your DS. It must be very anxiety making.

We have visited the outlaws today and exchanged Christmas gifts. More gin.

In S & B news, I bought a Nyx BB cream in the US (probably available in Boots here now) and it makes my skin look amazing. And it lasts all day. It doesn't look "made up", it just looks like my skin is better than it really is.

DH's Rash of Badness continues. The doctor basically said "shut up and deal with it" and said it would go on its own, and these things happened for no reason. I laughed.

5.00-7.00 drinks just concluded as one of the party had to be carted off to hospital. Do not arm wrestle when you have drunk too much - it will only end badly.....

will catch up tomorrow...

Lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then horrible cold/cough/migraine wipe-out for four days. DH did all the driving to get us home. Feel a bit better this evening but just loading the dishwasher left me limp.

Apprehensive about NY visit from DSis2 & family. Boys & their gfs will be fine but DSis2 is remote and her 'D'H is grumpy to the point of hostility. Must focus on fact that their visit won't be for more than 48h and just try to make it work.

Bon voyage MI and Cocoa; better health to all the sickies (including me) and peace of mind to the worried-about-others.

Morning all:) count me in for brunch!

Hatty, is it brunch on 11th Jan (Wednesday) or 11th Feb (Saturday)? If Feb, then I can come!

MrsS, your DH's rash reminds me of a story MIL told us of the time she had something similar. The GP went out to his car and got a book, opened it to show her "similar" rashes on mens bits
It wasn't till she got home that she thought it was a bit odd

BTM sorry about on going trauma with ds :(

Brunch- (or even lunch)
11 FEB (Sat).