Today I shall be Mainly...

[PanBiker]

We have both our Granddaughters with us at the moment, Ruby while Sunday and Isla is on "sleepover". Ficks this morning to see Paddington Bear, joy of joy. Sally and I qualify as seniors now so it's a bit cheaper but a long way from the 6d's

[Stanley]

Long while since I heard that word 'flicks'. Used to be commo0n. You are showing your age!
Playing out in the shed......

[David Whipp]

Ian, saw Paddington the other day; worth a watch (though Lucy did have to shake me when I started snoring...).

After more decorative duties this morning, off the watch the last instalment of the Hobbit with Tom this afternoon.

[Marilyn]

Whilst I haven't seen the movie, Paddington looks all wrong to me. I think they have taken some liberties with his appearance. He doesn't look like the Paddington I remember fondly...something about his face that is not as endearing.
He doesn't pass muster!

[PanBiker]

In the eye of the beholder Maz. He looked OK to me (especially once gifted with his duffle coat) and the girls didn't complain about his appearance. The voicing seemed to fit and he was suitably inquisitive and good mannered (which gets him into bother of course). Hugh Bonneville played it up well as Mr Brown. I've seen much worse kids films.

[Marilyn]

Some things are sacred and mustn't be messed with...Paddington, Winnie-the-Pooh, Rupert Bear etc. ( even Wombles)

[PanBiker]

We have a 4ft high (full size?) Womble in our attic, unique and custom made by the firm that did the original merchandising. Manufactured and imported for the firm Sally used to work for doing commercial Christmas decorations.

With all these "sacred" characters I think the problem is that as adults we have been brought up with them as illustrations in a book. CGA brings them to life and allows much more definition in the charcter. Isla and Ruby had no problem accepting the bear (from darkest Peru) on the screen as the same as in their books or indeed the small Paddington Bears they had each taken with them to see "his" film.

One of the trailers was for a film called "Pan", It looks good but you'd better not go and see it as you would probably melt down Maz. Mind you you would also be missing a treat I think.

[Pluggy]

Long while since I heard that word 'flicks'. Used to be commo0n. You are showing your age!
Playing out in the shed......

It coined the term 'chick flick' which I consider to be relatively recent. But referring to the cinema as the flicks is definitely old school.

[Stanley]

Or 'chick lit' referring to books?
Not sure about today. I got the new ballast yesterday, installed it in the lamp and it works. Mo says he will call round next week but I might crack and shift the lamps myself. On the other hand, what if I fall off the ladder? Probably best to be patient...... I am undecided.....

[Wendyf]

Going for a walk up Weets this morning.

[Marilyn]

Wait for me, Wendy! I'm coming with you!
( eeee...I need a walk in a brisk wind...I've had one of those days)
To cut a long ( long!) story short, we were given a gift of Foxtel ( satellite T.V.) as a Christmas gift. ( which we didn't really want but what can you say when it's a gift)
Anyway...after our return home from holiday late Friday night, I reminded Febby to set the alarm, as installers would be here 7am.
That was the night son rang at 2am to say he had been evacuated due to bushfires and Cathy too...and we kept watch on TV and radio all night to know the latest ( so little sleep). I had a bath at 6 am, and was ready for these installers!
By 4pm ( yes...4p.m.) they had not materialised, but they did call in just before sunset and said...well...too late to crawl about in our roof at that time of night...see you in the morning!
Today they were half way through installation when power went out. Seemed to be an outage as both power and lights gone. What rotten luck! They popped off to another job and came back 5 hours later, by which time we had sussed it was not a power outage at all ( after suffering cup of tea made on BBQ).
Turns out they had screwed through a wire somewhere along their installation.
Electrician coming tomorrow at their expense.
Power to one side of the downstairs so cord running to freezer etc.
But what a carry on.

Wait for me Wendy! ( alright if I bring my glass of wine along??)

[PanBiker]

Taking Ruby back down to Stratford then going to find my sister Jenny who is moored up in her boat on the Shropshire Union Canal. Not seen her for three years or so, a bit of catching up to do. There are moored not far from Gnosall which is about half way between Stafford and Telford, she should be quite easy to find, 100 yards or so from a 5 star dining pub. No point in wintering miles from nowhere although Jenny's partner Ted is a Master Chef himself having spent over 20 years in the military, what he can do on a single burner wood stove is amazing. I hope the M6 is kind to us today.

[Cathy]

Marilyn, like I said - they are Cowboys - sue them. They shouldn't mess with Electricity.

[Wendyf]

Sorry Maz, we left the house at 9.25am before you asked me to wait!! I was vaguely aware as we set off up the road of a strange woman running behind, wearing shorts and waving a glass of wine around in a dangerous manner.....if I had only known it was you....
What a lovely day we had though, a nice walk over Weets with our friends from Blearaside, then a tasty lunch of pumpkin soup at their place followed by a couple of hours working outside, me tidying my garden shed and Col filling the car with stuff to take to the dump...(or should I call it the household waste recycling facility). Mucking out done, hens and ducks shut up, ponies stabled & fed, cats & dog fed, wood fire lit and now its time for a glass of wine.....where is that crazy woman in the shorts when you need her??

[Stanley]

She's sending me strange pictures.....



The curse of the cowboy.....

[Marilyn]

How fortunate we had a Safety Switch...to save their lives.

[Sue]

Today is back to normal. Tree and cards down and all tidy. Aquafit this morning, french this afternoon, art tonight and a somewhat smaller diet I think

[Stanley]

My aim over Xmas has been to keep things as normal as possible. It gets much easier on the first day back to work for everyone when the country starts to function properly again. The shed goes on as usual of course.... I love doing stuff with my hands and head, I reckon it keeps you young!

[Sue]

Just got back from a long day in Anglesey. We left home at 6.25a.m and got back home at nearly 10.00pm. We are busy doing up our little cottage there and had to meet the central heating engineer at lunch time. I then painted the dining room walls, filled a lot of holes and crevices with polyfiller and Bob took off all the bathroom tiles ready for a refit. He also managed to hit the cold water pipe... it was an exhausting day. We were going to eat when we got home but ate at Chester services instead. I think my bed is calling me.

[Stanley]

I don't do days like that Sue but I too had a long day yesterday but for a more prosaic reason. Doc called in and we spent the afternoon calling instead of me having my afternoon sleep. I had a job staying awake till bedtime....
Going to the butcher's this morning as it could be better weather than tomorrow.....
Janet in the area from today until Saturday so I am watching the horizon......

[Marilyn]

Stanley, what is Doc doing these days?
Did he ever do his big ocean trip, or just shorter runs closer to UK?
And what are his dreams now? Has he come back to live in Barlick?
( I often wonder if his big seafaring, island hopping, days in the sun worked out for him and his wife)

[Moh]

You were a day early Sue - Jan. 6th is the day to take down trimmings etc. to avoid bad luck during the year.

[Sue]

We always do it early, Julia's birthday is the 4 th and as a child we took decorations down so she could have her own birthday stuff displayed by itself.Old habits die hard. We always tried to make Christmas and her birthday two different events.

[Stanley]

Maz, he and Carol are still living on the boat at Preston. She has retired and Doc has got all his affairs in order for the trip which he says is definitely this summer. He will be delivering Margaret's engine to Fremantle. They did a big trip this summer across to Ireland and up into the Western Isles to shake the boat down and Doc says it was fine. Carol soon got her sea legs and is entranced by sailing. The boat is all sorted now and maintenance done. The house is almost finished but they won't move in until they get back from the big trip. He looks well and is a happy relaxed man....
Lovely visit by Susan and Janet on Thursday, we had a good conversation and that triggered off the three articles I did yesterday.....
Shed today!

[Stanley]

Shed. I am reaching an exciting stage in building my cylinder.... Small things.....