At The End Of 2020

A "lockdown" jumper

You’ll probably know that I started seriously doing this blog in the run up and during the pandemic.  Initially as an easy way to keep family and friends informed of Ferretfingers’ broken ankle and how things were progressing.  Then, as the pandemic closed around and lockdown isolated us, as a sort of message in a bottle to friends giving at least some virtual human contact to those on their own – or just bored witless and desperate for something to read.

This is how we ended that year

 

From Facebook Archives

31 December 2020 at 16.01

Before we all hit the sherry can I just say a big THANK YOU to all those who have made this past year just a bit more bearable including and especially:

All the staff on Ward 24 of the RVI.

Lane End Surgery's and Lakeside Centre's receptionists

The staff at LD:NorthEast

Those people who've been kind/mad enough to read my blogs and say nice things about them

The friends who have kept in touch here, by text/phone/email (and the one who has winkled me out for the odd walk despite my foul mouth).

I'm not going to tempt fate with any optimistic predictions or hopes.

Just please do everything to stay well, look after yourselves and each other and know I appreciate you.

Mrs Lasagne  Happy New Year Ben and thanking for making me smile xxxx

Mrs Jeremy  I absolutely second that - the blog posts etc have sustained me and made me laugh out loud at times, and shed tears at other times but the real belly laugh moment of the year for me has to be the now infamous 'emoji error' in the tweet to North Tyneside Council! I need say no more...

Miss Doozer  Happy New Year and keep the blog posts coming; I love reading them x

Ms Exlibris  Happy New Year to you Ben.

Ms Stephenson  Happy New Year Ben

Bess Cavalier  Happy New Year to you Ben, Fester and the boys.

Mrs Bursar  Happy New Year to you & yours Ben. Lots of love and hugs. xx

And from a few years earlier

31 December 2011 at 22:21

My Dad gave this Carmarthenshire Blessing as the toast at my wedding so, at the end of the year when he finally went home, it seems fitting to share it with all of you for 2012:-

"We wish you health, sufficient wealth,

A happy home and freedom,

And may you always have good friends,

And never have cause to need 'em."

 

Now, 2012 was a year when we found out how many good friends we had, but that story’s been told before.

Goose Stew

From Facebook Archives

30 December 2015 at 19:09

After two days boiling, stripping, liquidising, mincing, peeling, grating, chopping and more boiling we now have 16 portions of goose stew in the freezer, had a portion each for tea and half a portion in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow (a portion = 3 ladles = 1 chinese takeaway ricebox).

And we still have most of the Christmas cake left so friends very welcome to pop around for coffee and cake at any time.

 🤶🎄🎅

Today’s situation is much the same.

Fester and I had goose stew for tea last night and the rest is waiting to be portioned into Chinese takeaway boxes.  Preparation time was reduced this year by getting Thunderthighs to strip and mince the meat off the boiled carcase and Ferretfingers to grate the carrots and parsnips..

Most of the Christmas cake is left.

The washer is running.

Thunderthighs and I are planning a trip to the Byker charity shops for next year’s cards, and to Tesco for some necessities but mostly to raid the best-before and end-of-line offers.

Insinuated Apostrophe

From Facebook Archives

29 December 2011 at 17:09

Yesterday boiled the goose carcase and it's gravy. 

Today drained and added water to the stock, boiled it up and put in: grated carrots, celeriac, swede and potatoes, chopped celery and leeks from garden; pulled meat, skin and other stuff off bones, minced and put that in too. Tomorrow I shall serve some and freeze the rest in individual portions for goose soup for the rest of next year.

Whilst I was occupied doing this Ferretingers, assisted by Thunderghighs picked off and ate ALL the icing from the Christmas cake.Mummy is not amused!

Bentonbag  an apostrophe insinuated itself into its 😞

Ms Exlibris  Tut tut!

Mrs Jeremy  Oh dear Ben, I bet you were extremely unamused!!

Ms Telyn  My enduring faith in you is once again justified because you knew about the apostrophe. Joy!xx

Bentonbag  "There's gey few like us, and they're all deid"

Playing With Dollies

A few years ago my fellow LD:NorthEast knit’n’natter volunteer Carrie and I got into making dementia dollies.  One day we were discussing the outfits we were creating, and which doll they would suit, when I had a realisation.

“We’re really just playing at dressing dollies like when we were little girls, aren’t we?”

“Yes” she replied gleefully “but now we can do it properly.”

From Facebook Archives

27 December 2021 at 13:42

Now I know my great-niece has opened and seen her Christmas box I can show you all what I knitted for her.  

My first idea was to dress one of my naked Barbies as Elsa, but rootling around 

St Oswald's Hospice Shop I found a naked Elsa and Anna (from Frozen).   

Fortunately they are a similar size to a Barbie so I could easily adapt some fashion doll patterns I have, after taking a look at images on Google.   

The Elsa clothes are quite flowing so relatively simple.   

Anna's, on the other hand, with that dropped waist decorated bodice, was another story entirely.  The flower motifs around the bottom were the easy bit.

The Barbies are staying with me as dressing up dolls should always have at least two outfits.

Christmas Eve Thoughts

For quite some time now I’ve done an email Advent Calendar with cartoons I save on a memory stick under Santa pics.

In 2018 they got a little extra...

From Facebook Archives

24 December 2018 at 08:42

Opening the twentyfourth window of the Advent Calendar on Christmas Eve.   

Just the cake to decorate and gifts to wrap and tidying to do and I've no idea where I stashed the stockings last year.  

Remember if it doesn’t get done today, it wasn’t meant to get done and it doesn't matter.

24 December 2018 at 22:51

And finally ... just when you thought it was all over ...

and (despite the vulgarity) at the special request of Mrs Quilt ...

With gifts wrapped, boys in bed, stockings stuffed, Christmas mugs out on the mug-rack and the cat fed ...

Here’s how Santa’ll feel tomorrow.

See you on the other side

Goodnight & God Bless