Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

sharmaine

Dear Friends

I'm getting in early to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and I hope that the New Year brings you good health, wealth and lots of happiness.

A couple of messages:
Elna - I hope your operation goes well at the end of January.
Vonski - are you home yet? Take care and I hope everything went ok for you at the hospital.
Everyone else who posts regularly.... Skezier, Pixy, Chris, Mike P etc take care of yourselves and have a grand time.

We're spending Christmas with my OH parents/family. Christmas Eve we'll we spending it with my son and his wife.

I'm off to make a Christmas Pudding - I know it's late but it should be fine - I'll lace it with brandy. I've got my ingredients all lined up on the kitchen counter and my perching stool positioned! While that is steaming away I'm going to wrap a few presents.

Warmest wishes
Sharmaine

mellman01

Hi sharmaine best wishes to you as well.
I'm at my sisters this year but I'm not having Turkey ( they will) I'm probably going to have steak or something like that, I find turkey is a bit bland, I wanted to have goose but I got voted down so it's fast grown synthetic bird again!.

Oh and a merry crimbo to all those who know/argue with me on here!.

sharmaine

Hi Mellman
I think we're having goose... not sure but I'll enjoy whatever is put in front of me. I don't mind turkey (if I cook it!). Enjoy your steak.
Relax and enjoy it! I'm going to have a day off from the meds so I can enjoy a couple of glasses of wine.
Sharmaine

mellman01 wrote:

Hi sharmaine best wishes to you as well.
I'm at my sisters this year but I'm not having Turkey ( they will) I'm probably going to have steak or something like that, I find turkey is a bit bland, I wanted to have goose but I got voted down so it's fast grown synthetic bird again!.

Oh and a merry crimbo to all those who know/argue with me on here!.

chris7

Hi Sharmaine

Think your message has got a little lost on LW, but thank you.
Happy Christmas to you and your family, I hope you enjoy it and manage to keep the pain levels down.
That Chrismas pud sounds nice, what time shall I be there?
I go to my sis next Monday and can't wait to catch up with them all there. Do hope the New Year is a good one for everyone.
Take care
Chris xx

mellman01

Hi Sharmaine
Goose is nice, had it a few years ago mine was very wild and fresh in fact I shot it, I wll be going down to our local Waitrose Chrismas eve late to grab a bargain, last year they were practically giving meat etc away, so this year me and Hannah my nipper will be going down for a bit of a scrumage!.
Have a good one enjoy the wine I'll raise a glass to you and all the people on here and hope we all have a good pain free'ish new year.

Mell

sharmaine

Hi Chris
I think I should have sent everyone a personal Merry Christmas - never mind - it'll get lost amongst all the serious postings.
I've been invited to my former school (had to give up work last year) for mince pies etc and a Christmas concert. I'm happy to attend as long as I can park near the school. I can't wait to see all my old pals!
Have a nice chin wag with your family - I love all the chit chat!

Regards
S

chris7 wrote:

Hi Sharmaine

Think your message has got a little lost on LW, but thank you.
Happy Christmas to you and your family, I hope you enjoy it and manage to keep the pain levels down.
That Chrismas pud sounds nice, what time shall I be there?
I go to my sis next Monday and can't wait to catch up with them all there. Do hope the New Year is a good one for everyone.
Take care
Chris xx

frogmorton

Thank you Sharmaine!
And a very merry Christmas to you too and anyone on here who has not seen the Chritsam thread on chit chat
I hope you all have a great time.
I will be in Scotland (my sis lives there).
Love
Toni xx

sharmaine

Hi Toni
Have fun in Scotland - they certainly know how to bring in the New Year! I love the Scottish traditions!!
Sharmaine

frogmorton wrote:

Thank you Sharmaine!
And a very merry Christmas to you too and anyone on here who has not seen the Chritsam thread on chit chat
I hope you all have a great time.
I will be in Scotland (my sis lives there).
Love
Toni xx

woodbon

And a very Happy Christmas to you Sharmane. Have a lovely time. The thought of you makeing your Christmas pud with everything lined up, takes me back to my Mum doing that. I'm too lazy, I buy mine. :oops: :oops:
Love Sue

sharmaine

Hi Sue
I've got so used to making ours - hubby is allergic to dairy products and eggs along with preservatives!! They're easy to make and taste so much nicer. My mum-in-law is a good cook. I normally have everyone over but this year I just couldn't do it knees are too bad.- I said I would contribute the cranberry sauce (I've made it already) and the Christmas.
I've got to wrap a few presents but will do that on the weekend.
Enjoy your Christmas.
Sharmaine

woodbon wrote:

And a very Happy Christmas to you Sharmane. Have a lovely time. The thought of you makeing your Christmas pud with everything lined up, takes me back to my Mum doing that. I'm too lazy, I buy mine. :oops: :oops:
Love Sue

elnafinn

Dear Sharmaine

I wish you a peaceful time during the Christmas period and a happy, painfree, fun-filled 2010. Thank you for your good wishes for my forthcoming TKR at the end of January. I do so hope that you get a date through soon for the first of your TKR's very soon.

I take my hat off to you for making your christmas pudding. I have never made one as my dear MIL who is 91 years old, has been making them for all the family for years and in the past 33 years we have always been given a homemade pud. As the years have gone by and the family has grown she makes more and more and this year she made 12. She is wonderful. She makes loads of mince pies too for everyone and would never dream of buying ready made pastry - tut! tut! like I do!

Your happiness and contentment shone through in your posting and long may that last.

Lots of love
Elna x(())

sharmaine

Hi Elna
Thanks so much for your message. I was praying for a letter or phone call from the hospital and I did get one but from the Breast Clinic!!! Not the letter I wanted - it was just a follow up letter telling me to come back if I discovered any more lumps. So, I'll start my prayers once more!! My husband is taking a few days off work over the festive period so he can take me for days out - in the wheelchair. Both knees are as bad as each other now. I'm sure I'm shrunk about 3 inches in height! I used to be 5' 6"!

My father was a chef; and both sets of grandmothers wonderful cooks - so cooking to me is not a chore. I enjoy it. Your MIL sounds like a trooper - such energy. I've just finished making some marmalade (thank goodness for the perching stool) and later today I'm going to make some pickles and some blueberry jam.

I hope you have a lovely time over Christmas Elna and that things go really well with your next TKR.

Regards
Sharmaine

elnafinn wrote:

Dear Sharmaine

I wish you a peaceful time during the Christmas period and a happy, painfree, fun-filled 2010. Thank you for your good wishes for my forthcoming TKR at the end of January. I do so hope that you get a date through soon for the first of your TKR's very soon.

I take my hat off to you for making your christmas pudding. I have never made one as my dear MIL who is 91 years old, has been making them for all the family for years and in the past 33 years we have always been given a homemade pud. As the years have gone by and the family has grown she makes more and more and this year she made 12. She is wonderful. She makes loads of mince pies too for everyone and would never dream of buying ready made pastry - tut! tut! like I do!

Your happiness and contentment shone through in your posting and long may that last.

Lots of love
Elna x(())

elnafinn

Dear Sharmaine

Aw, it is such a disappointment when the letter you are waiting for does not appear on the doormat isn't it? I so hope it arrives for you soon. You really feel you are nearly there when you see a date in black and white.

I too have lost height in recent years!! I used to be 5'8" and am now a mere 5'4 and a bit and that "bit" is very precious to be too!!!! Mine is due to a slight curvature of the spine and also the spine condensing with age :shock: :roll:

It is so good to hear that you get such joy from cooking. I too like making soups and baking simple cakes and things like that. It is a good feeling and a great achievement to see what one has made and to know it can be frozen or stored and used over the coming months.

Enjoy this time of year with your family. You certainly deserve to do so.

Love
Elna x

sharmaine

Hi Elna

That's quite a drop in height! I suppose there's no chance of an extra inch or two when the next knee is done???? Does that slight curvature of the spine cause you any problems? Everything seems like it's condensing - I like that word! Glad to hear you're a fellow cook! My husband has just polished off the last of mince meat and bramley apple pie. I always have a cake on the go - much nicer to make your own. He likes cakes with lashings of icing but I don't give him much of those. He would have a fit if he knew that I used low fat margarine to make his cakes!

Sharmaine

elnafinn wrote:

Dear Sharmaine

Aw, it is such a disappointment when the letter you are waiting for does not appear on the doormat isn't it? I so hope it arrives for you soon. You really feel you are nearly there when you see a date in black and white.

I too have lost height in recent years!! I used to be 5'8" and am now a mere 5'4 and a bit and that "bit" is very precious to be too!!!! Mine is due to a slight curvature of the spine and also the spine condensing with age :shock: :roll:

It is so good to hear that you get such joy from cooking. I too like making soups and baking simple cakes and things like that. It is a good feeling and a great achievement to see what one has made and to know it can be frozen or stored and used over the coming months.

Enjoy this time of year with your family. You certainly deserve to do so.

Love
Elna x

elnafinn

Yes, Sharmaine, the curvature has come back to haunt me in my old age (noticed it when I was about 14 year old). I have had sciatica for over one year and it is mainly caused by discs L4 and L5. I was meant to have 2 injections 2 weeks ago but the consultant could only do one as he could not inject L5 as there was no space anymore. He tried 15 times as my hubby counted the marks on my lower back!! :roll: The consultant told me he tried for half an hour and in the end gave me a shot of steroids there instead. I knew nothing about it thank goodness as I was sedated! Another consultant is willing to do a small op but says he has to be careful because of the curvature, that is why I opted for the injections first to see if they work. So far, so good and it has been fantastic but I am not too sure that it will last for long ..... I wait and see.

We do have to look after our husbands don't we? My husband has a very sweet tooth as he has aged so I have to ration him.

We keep on the best we can though, don't we? I count my blessings and am grateful for what I DO have, as I am sure you are too.

Love
Elna x

sharmaine

Elna
15 times!!! It's a good thing you were sedated. Glad the steroid injection worked. Yes we do have to look after our men as they look after us. My husband cooked 2 days in a row last week - how I suffered........he must have used about 20 cloves of garlic in the curry he made! We must have reeked of garlic for days. He likes having a play but sometimes his experiments with flavours are a bit extreme!!! I really enjoy a curry but even authentic idian recipes never use that much garlic!
Sharmaine

elnafinn wrote:

Yes, Sharmaine, the curvature has come back to haunt me in my old age (noticed it when I was about 14 year old). I have had sciatica for over one year and it is mainly caused by discs L4 and L5. I was meant to have 2 injections 2 weeks ago but the consultant could only do one as he could not inject L5 as there was no space anymore. He tried 15 times as my hubby counted the marks on my lower back!! :roll: The consultant told me he tried for half an hour and in the end gave me a shot of steroids there instead. I knew nothing about it thank goodness as I was sedated! Another consultant is willing to do a small op but says he has to be careful because of the curvature, that is why I opted for the injections first to see if they work. So far, so good and it has been fantastic but I am not too sure that it will last for long ..... I wait and see.

We do have to look after our husbands don't we? My husband has a very sweet tooth as he has aged so I have to ration him.

We keep on the best we can though, don't we? I count my blessings and am grateful for what I DO have, as I am sure you are too.

Love
Elna x