Pop in for a chat! Showing 1,351-1,400 of 18,142

[Jim]

Benjamin wrote: "Morning all! Tried to donate blood today but they've had no spaces left.

Hope you feel better, Desley."

I'm not allowed to because I received blood in the 1980s

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Will wrote: "Is it Christmas yet?"

No, 2 more sleeps.

[Will]

Okay. If I go and have a little sleep on the sofa, will that count?

[Kath]

Morning, each. Just.

Must go and cut my greenery shortly. I do natural decs rather than bling. Got some winter jasmine in flower too. I'll have a bit of that.

Then - mince pies!

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Will wrote: "Okay. If I go and have a little sleep on the sofa, will that count?"

Sounds like if you keep this up you'll be sleeping on the sofa for the next week!

[Patti (baconater)]

I've gone right off min spies.

Apparently, we have to shopping cuz the bread has gone mouldy. Bugger.

Think I'll get a tin of biscuits, too. The book I'm reading has got me craving them.

Has anyone else read The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr?

There's a couple things about it that are niggling me.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

Come to my house Will. I told Grandson that Father Christmas was coming tonight. I got that wrong didn’t I? It feels like Christmas Eve anyway.

[Patti (baconater)]

Well ASDA was a bit chaotic. Got in and out in an hour, so not too bad, I suppose.

We're having our Christmas dinner tomorrow night. Dave will go spend Christmas Day with his mother in the hospital. I'm making their Christmas lunch to send up.
Rather looking forward to having the telly to myself to watch all the Christmas shows.

[Tim]

Afternoon. Off to see the new Jumanji movie in a bit. :)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Crikey, am exhausted. The other fundraiser didn't turn up and it took the shop 2 hours to find me a chair, not good with a clingy dog, she got most of the donations. Not eaten or drank enough, only just finishing lunch. Shops weren't too bad and got two lots of choc as presents today. Think I'll leave the housework.

According to Greggs, its 2 days till Christmas Will. Sorry Dave's mum will be in hospital Patti, I don't think there is anything decent on TV Christmas Day. I'd love to give blood but no one can decide if I can due to one of my medications

[Loretta]

I don't think they'd want my blood. The recipient might not appreciate any ME left in it.
And gastric flu wasn't high on my list of Christmas gifts! Spent half of yesterday curled up in a duvet on the bathroom floor vomiting into anything I could reach without moving. That pheasant we have in the freezer doesn't look quite so appetising now. Still, two more days to go - I might be able to eat a little of it with some bread. Better than nothing. Not sure a nice greasy roast potato is gonna work though. Still a little pheasant is better than nowt, eh? Proper scuppered my trip to Mum's for the big day, though. I don't want to risk her catching it. Let's hope Iain doesn't get it as soon as I'm feeling better.
Merry Christmas, ho, ho, ho.

[Loretta]

Kath wrote: "Morning, each. Just.

Must go and cut my greenery shortly. I do natural decs rather than bling. Got some winter jasmine in flower too. I'll have a bit of that.

Then - mince pies!"

Winter jasmine is lovely. I cut some by accident, put it in a small vase and it bloomed and bloomed. Some of it is still putting out shoots, so I threw the dead bits out but kept the new sprouts. Urgh. No. Sprouts would not be a good idea atm.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Sorry that you are not well Loretta, I do hope you feel able to eat something by Christmas Day

[Alicia]

Jim wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "I'm not allowed to because I received blood in the 1980s"

I'm not allowed to because I have ME/CFS. Which the majority of doctors still think doesn't exist or is all in my head. Doublespeak.

[Loretta]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Sorry that you are not well Loretta, I do hope you feel able to eat something by Christmas Day"

Thanks, Desley. xx

[Loretta]

Alicia wrote: "Jim wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "I'm not allowed to because I received blood in the 1980s"

I'm not allowed to because I have ME/CFS. Which the majority of doctors still think doesn't exist or is all i..."

You too, Alicia? But at least my doctor believes in it. She has to, mind, because her cousin has it.

[Patti (baconater)]

It's recognised in Canada. My brother's wife was recently diagnosed with it. She's had several viral infections over the past few years, culminating in this. But, according the email she sent me a few days ago, she's feeling better now than she has in a couple of years.

Sorry you're poorly Loretta.
Not good to not want to eat when there's so much yumminess about.
Oh well. You'll lose a few pounds then not feel quilty eating reduced goodies.

[Will]

Lynne (Tigger's Mum) wrote: "Come to my house Will. I told Grandson that Father Christmas was coming tonight. I got that wrong didn’t I? It feels like Christmas Eve anyway."

Is it Christmas in the morning? I've had a little sleep, and another sleep tonight ... and then it's prezzy time.

I told my Mum and Dad that they didn't have to get me a bike for Christmas after all, cos I've just found one behind the wardrobe.

[Loretta]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "It's recognised in Canada. My brother's wife was recently diagnosed with it. She's had several viral infections over the past few years, culminating in this. But, according the email she sent me a ..."

Lol, I'm one of those annoying people who's usually trying to put weight on! Waaahaaaa!
Still, there's plenty more pheasants in the butchers. I'll get my roast pheasant and roast potatoes yet. I think I might be on the mend. I just managed a bit of toast. Might not be up to the full dinner, but I should be able to nibble some nice things, I hope. We'll see if the toast stays where it's supposed to go.

[Loretta]

Will wrote: "Lynne (Tigger's Mum) wrote: "Come to my house Will. I told Grandson that Father Christmas was coming tonight. I got that wrong didn’t I? It feels like Christmas Eve anyway."

Is it Christmas in the..."

Soon - but don't let Father Christmas see you peeking or he'll take your bike, Will.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

I ordered duck breasts from Tesco, since I have had them before and they are dead easy to cook. But they gave me a whole duck instead. Now I have to do all sorts of research about how to cook a whole duck :(

[Patti (baconater)]

I'd just rub it with oil, salt it lightly and bash it into a hot oven, as I do a chicken. I've never roasted a whole duck, though.

We're having roast pork for Christmas dinner.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

I hope its has all its insides removed. I wouldn't know where to start with them!

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

The year our daughter had a bike we had open wooden stairs. We crept upstairs with it and husband tripped up - , the noise we made would have woken the dead and we laughed like fools but she didn’t wake.
Ginger lily, Ducks have a lot of fat. If you’ve got a trivet to stand it on in a oven tray it helps. If you’re feeling brave you could cut the breast meat off and cut the carcass into bits separately, I make a sauce from plum jam and ginger as a glaze. It’s lovely.

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

No giblets in supermarket birds GL, I’m sure.
Roast it up on a grid because a lot of fat comes out :) ( I roast them in my grill pan )

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

I was considering the cutting it up thing, but I am not sure if I dare. I don't have a trivet either. I may have to improvise...

[Elizabeth]

Gingerlily - The other Stroopwafel Sister! wrote: "I was considering the cutting it up thing, but I am not sure if I dare. I don't have a trivet either. I may have to improvise..."

Grill pan plus rack but in the main oven should do it.

[Loretta]

Lynne (Tigger's Mum) wrote: "The year our daughter had a bike we had open wooden stairs. We crept upstairs with it and husband tripped up - , the noise we made would have woken the dead and we laughed like fools but she didn’t..."

Sonds yummy. Duck makes me nervous because it spits so much in the oven.

[Alicia]

Loretta wrote: "You too, Alicia? But at least my doctor believes in it. She has to, mind, because her cousin has it..."

Unfortunately, yes. My doctor doesn't know anything about it, and has never helped, but I have the remaining needs of an adult human, and had to have someone. I've learned to cope with most of the symptoms (except the constant lack of energy), and the pain specialist sees pain as pain.

My previous doctor was the same, but she filled in the paperwork that seemed endless for disability, and that was all I reallly needed from her (and the routine stuff).

Must be nice when you get a knowledgeable one; would be even nicer if they figured it out. 28+ years is too much. I still have hope - there's been a bit more awareness lately - but I have books to write meanwhile, a tiny bit at a time.

My debut novel has a CFS main character (of three) - I send it to people like us if they have the energy to read. And normals, too. I don't think the illness part is intrusive. It's just there.

[Alicia]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "It's recognised in Canada. My brother's wife was recently diagnosed with it. She's had several viral infections over the past few years, culminating in this. But, according the email she sent me a ..."

I pray your brother's wife DOESN'T have it.

[Loretta]

Alicia wrote: "Loretta wrote: "You too, Alicia? But at least my doctor believes in it. She has to, mind, because her cousin has it..."

Unfortunately, yes. My doctor doesn't know anything about it, and has never ..."

My doc doesn't actually have any treatment for it, but at least she believes I have it. I've had it about the same length of time as you. You live with it, don't you? I try not to think about what I can't do, just focus on what I can.

[Will]

Is it Christmas yet?

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

No Will. Still 2 sleeps. And naps on the couch don't count.

[Alicia]

Loretta wrote: " You live with it, don't you? I try not to think about what I can't do, just focus on what I can.,..."

With no cause, and no treatment, it's that or...? Whine a lot, I guess, which is unseemly, and not particularly useful.

I write when I can, do whatever keeps me from going stir-crazy in the house the rest of the time.

Writing is the gift.

[Patti (baconater)]

Not entirely sure what treatments my sil is going but I know she's on a paleo diet, as much exercise as she can handle as her muscles have atrophied and anti-viral meds.
She's really been through the wars, poor thing.
She's also doing some naturopathic stuff to build her immune system.
It all seems to be working.

Gotta say she had some weird shit in her fridge when we visited summer before last. Tasty, but weird. I quite enjoyed exploring what she's eating, as you can expect.

Good morning!

Wake up Will! Only one more sleep!

[Patti (baconater)]

Gingerlily - The other Stroopwafel Sister! wrote: "I was considering the cutting it up thing, but I am not sure if I dare. I don't have a trivet either. I may have to improvise..."

Could you do it like a beer ass chicken? All you need is an empty tin to shove in its arse.

Yeah and do be careful to not set your oven alight. You'll also have the joy of cleaning the grease up afterward.

Perhaps you should just boil it. :D

[Patti (baconater)]

Oh and I really need someone else to read The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr, please.

You won't regret it, especially if you enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

15% to go but I'm 99% sure I'll be giving it 5 stars.

[Jim]

Loretta wrote: "Sounds yummy. Duck makes me nervous because it spits so much in the oven...."

My late mother always cooked duck in a roasting tin with a lid. I always remember them as being pretty standard

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Morning all, despite being exhausted yesterday, I was still awake at 1am, woke up at 6.30am, turned over but then got woke up at 7.30 by Lucy. Hoping to get back to sleep, then plan is a bit of housework before my Christmas Eve tradition of going to the rescue Lucy is from with treats and spend some time with the cats. Then drinking before my other Christmas Eve tradition of opening one present, it's something we've always done as my nan was German

[M.T.]

bought it Patti. ;-) its on special for 99p.

I rub duck in garlic granules, salt, pepper and as little chilli powder fill body cavity with some cider or wine and cook it fast and hot. Then you get lovely crunchy skin. Tried beer arse chicken but the gravy was horrible and tasted of can. Made me wonder how many chemicals had leeched into the chicken via the paint. I find just tipping the alcohol into the body cavity is better as it does the same as beer arse without that frisson of, what poisons am I eating? :-)

happy Christmas eve everyone.

MTM

[Patti (baconater)]

Yeah, I use a de-labelled bean tin, for that reason.

Haven't done it in years, though. The over-the-road chicken is too nice to bother cooking from scratch.

[Patti (baconater)]

We have sunshine!

I'm bloody freezing. Mr Bright Bulb turned the heating down to 60. 60! What is that in real money? 10 degrees?

Fixed him. I've put both space heaters on. And the oven.

[Patti (baconater)]

Oh, pleased it's on offer and you bought it, Mary. I hope you have time to read it soon,

I'm just off to give it a 5 star review.

[Will]

Happy Christmas everybody!

Hope Santa has brought you lots of nice things. I think he must have forgotten my house ...

[Patti (baconater)]

Go back to bed, Will.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

Good morning, we had a light bulb catch fire in a wall light last night. We saw a sudden drop in the power and assumed it was the supply then OH smelled burning. Daisy the spaniel was staring up at the light and I looked and saw wisps of smoke. The light was still working but the plastic was burning. Thank goodness we were in the room. It was one of those energy saving coils. It’s made us think twice about leaving a lamp on when we go out or on a timer when we are away. I looked on Google and there’s plenty of incidents of those bulbs. We were lucky.

Happy Christmas everyone. Xx

[Patti (baconater)]

Hate those bulbs. We've had several explode in Baku.
I don't buy them anymore.
Careful changing it if it's broken, Lynne.

https://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins...

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

No it didn’t break, it was still working even, just melting and dropping hot plastic - fortunately it was an uplighter so the burning bits stayed in the shade. We’ll change all ours. I usually leave that light on when I go out in the mornings early so it could have been quite nasty. Lessons learned.

[Jim]

This morning I saw the sun for the first time since Monday.
Not all of it and only through a narrow gap in the cloud.
It was reassuring to discover that it's still there and that we haven't left orbit to plunge into the infinite blackness of space

[Kath]

Morning! Few little jobs to do but I'm relaxing into it!