In the bleak midwinter, frosty Crepes may moan

[Collymollypuff]

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

Whizzing on from work to say.....

Cocoa, you poor darling, you are under so much stress. Vent away. We are all here and are listening. Much love XXX

BD, I noticed the time of your post - so sorry you are needing the matchsticks. Huge hugs.

BTM, huge hugs and positive thoughts

Beachy, some good suggestions re the South Bank - there is also a Brasserie Blanc and a HUGE P express, both of which can be booked (online)

Herbs, how are things at home with DMIL? Thinking of you.

Crem - so glad you feel better for sleep. Good luck with tooth.

So much to do here - must fly. Back later. Huge hugs to anyone else who I have missed XXXX

Crem off to NZ to see DS. He's busy throwing himself down every steep slope in the vicinity on his BB. (Beloved Bike) Gap Yah...

Trip was planned 12 months ago, so don't start on the guilt I'm feeling leaving DM and DBro for Christmas. Am already planning big event here for next Christmas. When it comes to it, I'm not wild about spending Christmas away.

Just can't wait to see DS again. I need one of his hugs. DH comes very close (when prompted and I'm crying my eyes out). DS just 'knows' and administers them at regular intervals. I have trained him well.

I'm going to check out Rosewood. I'm a serial applier of 077 Asia by Rimmel.

BTM - so sorry. Rotten to be back to the same levels.

Huge symps with the non-sleepers; what hell. (semi-colon pass or fail, Herbs? )

Cocoa, DS sounds lovely.

Girls, I am here to tell you that it IS possible - even if you feel you've passed the point of no return - to wiggle back from the brink of zumba-ing out your UCAS form.

MI - Moomins, lucky thing.

You lot were right

BTM {{ }}. Still up for a D'n'S next week?

Did someone say DnS?

Yes MI :) I will be down back end of next week and was thinking it would be rude not to....

Is that just you two, or can we all come?

more the merrier - no firm date/time yet...

MI they look good to me. What's the problemo?

Ah Cocoa, in that case , It will be good to get away I think. How's the sniffling?

Tooth repaired. Great relief I can tell you.

Waf was there ever any news from the last publisher?
Rosewood tested in Tesco here. Very similar to a Mac one I have. Will check the name. I like it. Very wearable. I have resorted to Lipfinity for work as it sticks like glue all day.

BTM, oh flip. I'm so sorry you are back to square 1 or 2. I think it goes like that, back and forth for a while unfortunately. Damn it on your behalf. Hope the cardiac appt isn't too frightening. Just awful for you. Not surprised Dd is acting up. It must be horrible to watch your dB get so ill. No doubt she has cooked up manys a way to wind you up. Just bolleaux.

Wave to Monty, the intrepid traveller. And busy lady. Tis a wizzy time of year.

In goat news, Rameses our borrowed ram is worrying the Reindeer , so will have to be removed until after Santa goes back to the North Pole. Poor startled elfy faced critters.
A bit meh with today's M&S offering. A number of these things also have no instructions. What do I do with the cleansing balm? With water? Or dry cotton balls. Not sure.

Oh btw the Mac colour is called Verve.

No I meant right to tell me to get them - they are fab. What is the cleansing balm?

Cocoa, you have raised a good 'un there. Be proud. And not guilty - it is booked, you are going, no-one will be happier because you feel bad. But what a whirl of emotions you are grappling with.

Oh BTM, I am sorry. Crossing everything for this afternoon.

MI, lovely shoes. And feet.

What on earth do reindeer have to worry about?

Apparently they fart a lot, reindeer. I interviewed a specialist in albino reindeer once.

I think I may have just found my spirit animal.

Rameses, sex god that he is, is there to make baby goats with my does but snorts and pretends to run at the Reindeer ( from behind the wire ) He has made them skittish and panicky. The doe goats are glad of the attention. To keep the peace I am sending him back to the farm until next month when we will be sans biches, as it were.
As if I don't have enough on. Dads Christ-mas shopping to do as well. When I am to fit this in I don't know. It amazes and annoys me in equal measure that Christmas comes as a complete surprise to many people.

Found you ladies, I can't keep up with the fast moving threads - are you all posting on iphones? I have to wait till I get near my tablet - also as you know, I'm prone to millions of typos if I even try to post on my phone.

NU - lovely news about the new baby - something positive in all this gloom.

Cocoa - hang in there and focus on the trip - the change of scene plus DS should be just what you need. In the meantime, feel free to vent.

MI - like the sandals.

Here - I have DD1, her BF and the rest of the family - all expecting meals etc. Have told DD1 tomorrow she can cook as I am off out for the next two nights for various Christmas meals.

DD2 seems to still be suffering from culture shock - apparently she has witnessed such delights as peeing into the glass in the nightclub and individuals being so drunk/drugged that they lose control of their bowels. I think I must have gone through uni in a bubble as a bit of binge drinking and vomiting was the worst I encountered - there seems to be a huge drug culture and she is clearly not comfortable.

Mrs S - I would be so angry about the school but also with DD. I don't know why they don't get it at that age. I have read the riot act to DS who has had a lazy boy's school report and is slightly below the class average in everything except English in which he is top.

I have finally sent my Secret Santa - (a day late). I really hope it gets there in time, it will not be secret as it is covered in French paperwork because it is more than 3 cm wide (who knew). Also the computer "said no" to British post code which apparently it should have accepted!

I have also received my Secret Santa who has been very naughty -I know who you are and I'm PMing you!!

Right - onwards and upwards.

By the way - what are people getting their DH's - I have the traditional jumper but would like to be a little more innovative.

Oh and MM - have a lovely holiday xxx

... and Stropps - fantastic re DD completing her term.

I haven't sent my SSit is sitting on my desk.

After being utterly hopeless DP finally identified a rather lovely print and I got it for him.

Ah yes, D&S's Let me know when - I am free all those evenings and will very much look forward to a drink after a long day!

Sandals look good MI.

Cardiology appointment was fine, but we have to trek back for a 24hour tape thing after Christmas. Hopefully DH can take him!

Cremo, one of my boys told me earnestly that reindeer aren't real - I think you will need to make a trip over with one to prove he is wrong!

Dp has a bifold door, half a deck and some solar lights.....
I have done ds (thanks evil amazon). I need to buy nephew (tie), dad (lamp) and BFF (god knows) and I am done.
Cards written = 0
Secret Santa = 0 (dropped out this year)
Christmas parties attended = 0

Ahh poor reindeer Cremo

BDI'm not sure what my DH would make of that lot. I haven't written any cards yet either.

BTM - I'm so sorry I missed asking after DS - I am reading the reports and keeping my fingers crossed though.

We had the horrible child who said loudly in class that Santa was not real (they are only six).

They are a bugger to wrap Hatty

BD !

Technical term for male goat is buck. Sorry if 'ram'confused anyone.

Dh is getting a trip this year which covers February Birthday as well. Also small stocking with baking things and chocolate and an electric toothbrush.

We have nothing big' for dd. just the usual socks and stationary combination. Am waiting for dh to come up with something that isn't just money for her.
Nothing for mil or ddad, of fil for that matter. I am done though. Dh and dd can do the rest.

Tilly about the set back but glad you can be home.

Excellent feet, MI. I might be temped by those sandals...I love Teva.

Crem will check Mac Verve...I have Mac Plumful which I like but am very pleased to have found the MF Rosewood...and it seemed to stay on through a Costa panini...

Hatty DS2 also hates the drunken drug culture that he encounters at Uni but has developed a philosophical attitude to it and tries to go out with people who don't do drugs...even though it's going all around them, iyswim.

I am still waiting for the gift I ordered from an online shop to arrive...so I can send it to my SS. So if you haven't got yours yet...it's probably me and its coming.... before Xmas

Ds2 and DD took themselves off to Cambridge today for a day trip! I have taught and then went shopping and sat in Costa happily for ages. I think I will now watch some Netflix....

If you can provide instructions for wrapping half a deck BD I'd be very grateful as surprisingly enough that's what I'm getting dh too (the other half is for his birthday in Feb) - although technically I suppose it's not actually a new deck but a reconditioning of the existing one so maybe present etiquette does not require the complete package.

And in reports from Vienna day 2 I can confirm that the magic continues. We had a lovely day at the Hofburg and the Belvedere with an obligatory stop for cake and coffee at the Hotel Sacher. It is cold enough for snow but there isn't any which is probably just as well as dd3's only footwear is a single pair of converse. Visits to the Lippizaners and the Crown Jewels planned for tomorrow plus the purchase of lebkuchen. We have been assessing the options at the various Christmas markets but not yet found perfection. Almost every square seems to have a market of some sort, except for Rudolphplatz which seems to me to be a missed marketing opportunity. This has been a wonderful trip and I can't get over what a fantastic companion dd3 is. I'm living in hope we've bypassed teenage angst and she's not just a late developer.