I think you will deffo need those warm tights SUNNY!enjoy these final days of Turkey Holidays ( til next time)
*~ It’s snowing! So lovely to watch it fall!
*~ Thankful to be warm and cosy at home over the last few days when it’s been so cold and stormy outside…brrrr…
*~ Had lovely Mum and Daughter day yday and DDs hubby had Dad and Lad day! DD came over to mine ( only one minute walk away) We had a good catch up,nice meal, a few gins. Was lovely to see DD lie on my couch and read a book! She’s a workaholic so rarely reads for pleasure.
Have a good week everyone! Looks like we’ve just started a new page to fill with our fun and happy thankful positives! 💕
⛄️❄️ “ ~ Snow flurries began to fall and they swirled around people’s legs like house cats. It was magical, this snow globe world.” ~* ⛄️❄️ ( Sarah Addison Allen)

You’ve rolled us over onto a new page of positives, Yowser! Sounds like you and DD had an idyllic time, all most definitely deserved after the cr**py time you’ve had recently.

Only one positive from me today, but it’s a big one. OH very unwell last night and a couple of our Turkish friends spent the early hours of this morning in A&E with us. So grateful for their caring, help and support, it was invaluable and humbling. Pleased to say OH is recovering at home … fingers crossed 🤞a consult with a specialist will not be needed tomorrow. 🙏

Oh SUNNY! so sorry to hear this! What a worrying time for you…hope OH continues to improve! XXX
sending gentle hugs to you both. take it easy 💕💕💕💕

Hi folks,hope all good in your ‘hood. XX
*~ Weird day today! I hurt my foot,sister admitted to hosp,won’t go into details,nothing serious and the two things unrelated, but it’s a funny old day, and also 20 th anniversary of the lovely George Harrison’s death..RIP.
Don’t mind funny old days,they’re not great,but they do make you appreciate non eventful days!
*~ Lovely to watch tiny little birds in the garden this morning eating up the food I had put out.
*~ I should be in a theatre tonight …so glad the artiste ( Roger Daltrey) postponed it…after today’s shenanigans,I don’t feel like heading out,plus it’s something to look forward to next July. Much prefer to go out on a balmy summer evening instead of on a freeeeezing night!👍👍👍
Take care,keep happy and well!xx
A thought for the week..
⛄️⛄️“ If the plan doesn’t work change the plan,but never the goal!”⛄️⛄️xx

Anybody home?Hellooooo?
*~ First December! Yay! Love the build up to Christmas more than Christmas itself!
*~ Successfully resisted offers of cake and chocolate THREE times today.
*~ Received a late birthday present..lovely box of Lush Snow Fairy toiletries ( other brands available) and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
Hope everyone well and happy xx 🥰🥰

I’m here, Yowser, sorry not to have posted in a couple of days, but things have been hectic. Well done on resisting those naughty ‘treats’.

My positives right now are …..
🌸 our lovely Turkish friend, who had helped us arrange surgery for OH, which will happen tomorrow.
🌸 all the other lovely friends and acquaintances here, who have offered help and support.
🌸 grateful that OH will be getting the treatment he needs, quickly without months of waiting.
🌸 online shopping …. going to be doing plenty of that in prep for Christmas.

That’s it for now, really for me the focus is on getting OH well again, so that he is out of pain and can travel home in comfort later this month.

Hope you are all experiencing some positives and that some of you might take time to share a few with us as well.

Hi all, and a happy December. I thought I would pop in since it is a bit quiet here. Yowzer you have been doing a fantastic job!!
1) Got my booster today. Very relieved since the Dutch are being a bit slow with the roll-out. In good time for my next UK visit – if the quarantine rules don’t change!
2) The sun is shining in between hail showers. Bird food is about to arrive for the goldfinches – love watching the sunshine and the birds in the garden.
3) Looking forward to lots of Christmas carols on my online singing site.
4) My boots have been delivered – logged on by accident on cyber Monday and got a 25% discount and free postage. Genuine bargain!

Very best wishes to SunnyB, and wishing your husband a speedy recovery. x

Hi Sunny just want to say hope all will be well with OH and that he will soon recover from his surgery, and you’re able to travel home again. Take care of yourselves. Thinking of you and sending good wishes.
Yowzer …. we’ll done you for ‘keeping on keeping on…. ‘ especially when all around you were ‘sinking’!
Sorry I’ve not been contributing but just been busy and time has slipped by but …. I promise to come back and post my positives soon!

Hello! Hey! Good to see my pals here!xxxx
My positives today.
.*~ Following storm Arwen,some people are still without power a week later. It’s the small things that are really big things..grateful I’m warm,have lights,hot water,food,cups of tea,my bed,tv etc etc…all my things around me. Hope will be the same v soon for all those suffering at the moment,and staying in community centres etc for heat and food.
*~ Filling fell out today,no pain ( fingers crossed) Was relieved to get a dentist appt even tho it’s not til 10 th Jan,half expected to be told they cdnt see me,ever!
*~ DD had flu jab today,I’ve got booster tomozz ..thank you NHS!…also thank you NHS for looking after my sister after she fell in the middle of the night,cdnt get up but didn’t alert anyone til next morning ( “ didn’t want to bother anyone” )… thanks to the care of the doctors,nurses,etc ,she’s ready to be discharged home.
SUNNY thinking of you and OH,hope all has gone well and you can enjoy the rest of yr time in Turkey before coming home sweet home for Christmas xx
Goodnight/ Good morning all! Stay well and happy! 🌷🥂🌷xxx

Thank you for the good wishes, OH is doing very well. Caronl and V, great to see you both posting…. come back soon with some positives Verano.

My positives are ….
🎉 seems OH’s surgery was most timely, as the surgeon said if left much longer the gallbladder would have burst.
🎉 back home now and recovery is going well … fingers crossed OH will be properly ‘back on his feet’ before we head back to UK on 14th.
🎉 glorious sunny day here today, was able to read whilst sitting on our terrace sunbathing …. bliss.

Hope your weekend has been a good one, bring lots of positives your way. We’d love to read about them, so pleased do post a few here.

Oh that’s fab news SUNNY! am so glad OH got sorted before anything worse happened! Enjoy the rest of y r stay…we have wind,rain and storms,so make the most of that sunshine! xx
*~ No after effects from boosta yesterday! We went for lunch afterwards, just to the Carvery almost next door to the vaccination centre..it was really empty which suited us fine. Better than anything it was warm and cosy looking out at the pelting down rain and raging winds!
*~ After lunch,veggy Carvery for me,king prawn sandwich for Beau,we got coffees at Starbucks drive thru ( other coffee sellers available!) Never been to any sort of drive thru before,so it was exciting, and the coffee was delicious!
*~ I’ve never celebrated Saint Nicholas Day before,doesn’t really happen in UK. But inspired by my Dutch friend, I decided to wrap a few St Nicks Day presents for DD and SIL..they were so surprised,it was lovely to see their happy little faces! Ditto Beau,he was delighted with his prezzys.
Have a grrrreat week every one…may your week be filled with peace and love,joy and laughter xxxxx⛄️❄️⛈⛄️❄️⛈

Hiiii friends,how’s it going! Hope all are feeling tippetty top ! 🥳
My positives…
* ~ Hair done and lunch out today,then a sit by the park lake ( in the car,the rain was belting down)
Really enjoyed. Went to a large eatery and they have reverted to only allowing a certain number in at a time,so it felt safe. Lovely smiley staff,nice food,great coffee,what more can you ask for!
*~ Just feel so fortunate to have so many lovely days and happy times in my life! Life is so good despite all the anxieties of this crazy baffling era we’re living through!
*~ Give yourselves a pat on the back,we’ve gone through a lot, but we’re still here to tell the story. We might get knocked down,but we get up again. Keep rocking everybody! 💕xxxxx
“ Happiness is like jam,you can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself” 😁😁😁 xxx

Great quote as always Yowser! So glad you are loving the life you’re living right now … so important to recognise when that happens and really embrace it.

Not much new to report from here…. OH continues to improve day by day. He has a bit more appetite and energy.
One definite positive for me, I have a hair appointment tomorrow morning, to renew the colour and have a trim, prior to our return home.
Rained almost all day today, but we took advantage when it stopped briefly, to get out for a walk.

What positive was there in your day?

Good morning!
Sunny good to hear OH is improving.
Yowzer sounds like you had a lovely day yesterday hope there are many more great days for all of us ahead.
So I thought it was time I got back to sharing my positives too …..
1. 🥗🍗🥂Lunch here yesterday with some friends we’ve not seen for literally ‘years’ and it was such a joy to spend time with people just enjoying some food and chatter. Let’s hope we all have more of these ‘normal’ days in the months to come.
2. 🎋🪴Planted an amaryllis yesterday and I’m sure it’s already starting to spring back into life.
3. 👩🏻✂️☀️A little ray of sunshine has brightened my life. About four months ago my hair was getting really thin and dull. Very upsetting, but this week for the first time it seems to be back to ‘normal’. Three pronged attack: a vitamin, new hair products and a shorter cut. So good to have healthy hair again.
Hope Wednesday is a good day for everyone full of bright ‘spots’.

Hi folks,SUNNY so pleased to hear OH is improving day by day💜 got to be better for Christmas!👍👍
VERANO isnt it great to see the sun today! Lovely news about your hair. I think if your hair looks good,you feel good all over.X
My offerings for the day…
*~ Bright sunshine and cold and crisp..my favourite kinda winters day! ☀️🦆☀️🦆☀️🦆☀️

*~ Went with DD to hospital yday for her second scan. Had to wait for her in coffee shop. My sister an inpatient there at the moment and was having a heart scan while DD was having lung scan. Thank you NHS for all that you do.
It felt like a bit of an afternoon out,sitting in the coffee shop watching the world go by! Not allowed further than the reception area,lots of sanitiser everywhere,face masks on,distancing,so it felt safe ( ish!)
*~ Also,will never cease to be grateful for NHS dentistry. I think I usually pay £20 -£30 for routine teeth check. At the moment I can’t get an appt with my usual dentist til 10 th Jan. Have lost a filling and while thankfully I haven’t got toothache,a jagged edge of the now unfilled tooth is now rubbing painfully against my tongue and inner cheek when I speak or eat ( upside : I’m eating less!)
To go privately ( and still with a wait of over a week) will cost me at least £150. Will have to do it otherwise my tongue will be in ribbons… Need to go out busking to pay for it! Makes me realise just what a blessing NHS dentists are! 💕
Thank you 🙏
Have just read this,made me smile,and it’s so true!
🌷🌷🌷“You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to!”🌷🌷🌷xxx

Hello … I’ve started so I won’t finish ….. I’ll do my best to post everyday …..
A quiet day today which is always good ….
1.☀️🏚 Looks like a trip to a Country House hotel is on the cards for mid January ….. wonderful to have something to look forward to.
2. 🎋🪴Convinced my amaryllis has grown overnight …. could be my imagination!
3. 🧀🫑🫒 Really struggling at the moment to eat ‘the best I can’ but the positive is that I could be eating one heck of a lot worse!
Now and again we have to cut ourselves a little slack from the totally strict ‘regime’ we follow. As long as it’s only ‘ a short diversion’ all should be well!
Have a good evening.

Good afternoon!
Well thought I needed to pop in and find some positives on this dark, wet afternoon so ……
1. 🎋🪴 The amaryllis is growing at a pace. I thought I was imagining the growth so I measured it yesterday and it’s grown 1cm today. A bit of a worry … could be a triffid!
2. 🌶🧄🌶 Thai curry tonight. I love spicy food but we had a Thai takeaway a few nights ago which I had a “little hotter” . WOW it was hot so tonight I can adjust the heat to suit me.
3. 🥂👗🎉 Should have been party time tonight, but not that fussed to be with lots of people in crowded places just at the moment, so looks like a night in with the TV instead!
Hope all are well and having a good weekend.

Oooh V a Country House sounds good,.always nice to have sthing nice in January,it can be a gloomy month otherwise!
My positives…
*~ Just watched Scrooge,Albert Finney version,1970. Saw it then at the cinema with my two best friends. Still my best friends today,and we watched it today,only in our own homes and on tv this time,not together. Fantastic songs and dance scenes in it,lovely and Christmassy. Ate a home made mince pie while watching
*~ DD gave me a lovely poinsettia today!
*~ Funny coincidences between V and me today,people we have in common! This big city is really a little village!
🎵 🎈 💕🎵🌷💕🎵👏🏽🎵😀 🎵 🎈 💕🎵🌷💕🎵👏🏽🎵😀 🎵 🎈 💕🎵🌷💕🎵👏🏽🎵😀
Keep happy minds BSD peeps! xxx

Verano, Yowser, thank you both for keeping things ticking over here on the positives thread. Yowser, glad you enjoyed you nostalgic movie watch. Personally, my fav Scrooge is easily Alastair Sim. Amaryllis are one of those plants you can almost see growing V, quite incredible.

A few positives from here …
😌 visits from various lovely friends to check up on OH after his op. And it’s been so humbling, how many have said if we ever need help, to please call them.
👍all clear from surgeon yesterday at OH’s follow up appointment, so just need clear covid tests tomorrow, for us to be able to return home on Tuesday.
🍲 enjoyed a meal out at one of our fav restaurants this evening. Most OH had been able to eat since op and he feels fine.

Hope your weekend is bring some positives into your orbit …. whatever they are, no matter how small, take a moment to acknowledge them and if there is tone, please share them with us too.

So happy to hear yr OH is well now and got his appetite back SUNNY!
Good luck with yr tests and safe journey home. Wrap up warm!XXXX

Hi all,so sorry haven’t posted on this thread for yonks(though I read it regularly),I will make an effort to rectify that!Yowzer and Sunny your posts about Scrooge made me smile,my Dad loves Alistair Sim and he was always his favourite Scrooge.Yowzer how lovely that you and your best friends watched it all again,together in (Christmas) spirit🎄I hope your lost filling gets fixed soon though,as you say,dentistry is so expensive when you have to go privately.I remember laughing watching Bob Mortimer on Would I Lie To You talking about his DIY dentistry and bet he saved a fortune over the years!
Sunny I’m pleased your OH’s follow up appointment went well and hope that you are home soon.Verano,Thai curry sounds lovely,they’re DD’s favourite kind so think I will make one soon.A country house in January is a lovely thought for you to forward to.So some positives from me:
😀 have woken feeling a lot more positive than I have in a while about sticking to healthy eating so 🤞 that lasts
🌺 some friends who we haven’t seen (apart from on a couple of doorstep visits)for two years came round for tea last weekend,it was so lovely to see them.They brought a poinsettia (we are matching Yowzer! ) which always brightens the house.
🤞My sister and I have managed to book a visit to see my Dad on Christmas Eve (hoping they don’t have any cases of Covid before then,or ever again in fact! )
Will try to post more positives during the week.Dawn X

Sunny, so pleased to hear that OH is recovering. Such a relief.

– I am feeling positive about two small changes I have made this week. I start the day with a big glass of water. Since I am useless at drinking water, this is making me feel very virtuous! And I have decided to use the nice face and hand creams that have accumulated over the years – and can already see and feel a difference. And it is for free!
– Finished a 3000 piece jigsaw last night – Breughel’s arrival at Bethlehem. Thought I would get seasonal! The positive news was that there were no pieces missing – always a risk with second hand ebay puzzle purchases.
– There are still nearly two weeks to Christmas, so still time to make a difference. I have decided to avoid Christmas creep and cut back on carbs in the run up. Then I shall enjoy the day with some lovely luxury and just a little (planned) carbage. That’s a plan!

Happy Sunday to all.

Thank you to everyone wishing my OH well … he’s doing great.
Caronl, lovely to have you posting again, sounds like you gave a solid plan for controlling festive consumption. I really need to get my head in the game, so will try my best to get focused before the festive season hits.
Dawn, great to see you here again too. I will keep everything crossed that your visit with your Dad on Christmas eve is possible. That would get your festive celebrations off to a lovely start.

Positives from me today ….
🌸 really pleasant evening out with OH last night. He ate more (though still modestly) than he has since before the op, to no ill effect.
🌸 packing pretty much done, just a few things to organise tomorrow, before we start our journey homeward late afternoon.
🌸 looking forward to being home again and catching up with family properly, in person.

Whatever you are doing, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hello
Good to ‘see’ you again Dawn and Caron.
Dawn do hope you get to see your Dad … such uncertain times.
Caron I’m in awe of you …. 3000 pieces WOW. I did a 2000 piece earlier in the year and I really thought I’d never live to see the end! Well done you.
Sunny, glad to hear all is going well with OH. Hope you have a safe and stress free journey home. As Yowzer says…. dress up warm… you’ll need to!
Yowzer I love Albert Finney but Alistair Sim is definitely the ‘ Scrooge’ for me too!
Well, I have had a revelation this week, which is my first and probably biggest positive for a long, long time …..
1.☀️💡🌈 At my ripe old age I have finally learnt how to say that little word ‘no’! I know lots of people find it a difficult word and I’m no different but this week I’ve had a breakthrough.
Firstly, I was asked to continue supporting someone who needs professional help, which I can’t give. I’ve provided them with information/ help if they want to take it up. I don’t feel guilty!
My second was refusing an invitation to a social gathering ( or could that be a party!) which I really did not want to go to. Despite the pressure I stood my ground and said ‘No’, even after two phone calls!
So, yes, I’m finally taking charge of my life.
2. 🎓📖💻 Have now managed a 16 day streak on my Spanish online course. I did an OU Spanish course about 16 years ago and I’m surprised at just how much I can remember. Don’t know if I’ll be able to put it into practice though should the time come in the future ….. please, please, please! Can’t wait for a trip again.
3. 🥦🍆🌶 Thai curry last night was lovely, better than takeaway, even if I do say it myself! Tonight it’s salmon with asparagus and mashed cauliflower. I experimented a few days ago by mixing cauliflower, broccoli and celeriac to make a mash which was really lovely and a better texture than cauliflower by itself.
So, hope you have all had a good weekend with lots of positives …. even when they’re not obvious they are still there, but sometimes we just have to dig deep to find them.
Thank you all for posting it really helps me to dig deep.

Hi folks!
VERANO! Knowing a bit of background to your “saying No” story, I heartily applaud you!👏👏👏👏 Youre right to step back and help by being signpost,and best of all,not feeling guilty,knowing you’ve done what you can and that there’s no point exhausting yourself any further 👍👍
SUNNY Yay! It’s lovely to know you’ll soon be back on our shores!x
DAWN..ahhh, fingers X’d for Xmas Eve,a lovely start to the festivities!🎶🎶 I love Bob M,I’ve just listened to him read his autobiography in an audiobook I borrowed from online library.
CARONL.. I too am bad at drinking water. Well done! Ditto I tend to accumulate hand and face creams,so I’m taking a leaf from your book and making more effort on the “:drink water and dig out and use up stuff” front! X
Positives for Sunday..
*~ Went for a walk and it was dry and quite mild! Made the walk a real pleasure! Birds were singing,think they were enjoying it too.
*~ Dd popped her head out as I went past to give me two early crimbo prezzys….a lovely velvety cushion with a fox embroidered on it in gold thread ..and a quite posh Bee Tidy holder that matches my Bee towels and bathmat. It’s now in the bathroom holding cleaning stuffs.
*~ it feels very Christmassy today..the big days getting closer! My lounge is like Towering Inferno as I’ve lit candles and tea lights galore.
*~ I’m listening to one of my favourite songs..Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten…”
“Today is where your book begins,The rest is still unwritten!” I love that thought that each day is a fresh start and another chance to create a really great day 🌷❄️🌷❄️🌷❄️🌷❄️🌷❄️🌷xxx

Yoohoo! Back again..!
Just wanted to post this inspiring poem I read today..it’s called The Dash,by Linda Ellis
“I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?”

Oh Yowzer …. you brought tears to my eyes. I was so moved I sent the poem to my children …. hope they take note! But as they say youth is wasted on the young so they probably won’t!
I have had a really ‘low’ day today and think it’s all this ‘news’. So I guess this brings me to my first positive ….
1. 📺💉🔬The news might be miserable but I have an answer …. just switch off the tv!
2. 🍅🍞🐠 Tonight I have a real treat …. kippers! Kippers, tomatoes and hovis bread
( well Livlife and butter) takes me back to my childhood. My mother loved kippers and I have the same ‘love’. A rare treat for me and I’m really looking forward to it!.
3. 🙋🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻 so looking forward to family coming on Saturday which will be our Christmas celebration together. I’m not making a traditional spread but they are insisting on potatoes …. so giving in …. frozen chips!!! Just for them! Hope they enjoy!
Only the beginning of the week and already we have so much uncertainty ….. so much more reason to find the positives now.

I have posted separately on the weekly thread re an ethical issue I have. Can a “dash” apply more widely to a putative “life”? It is really not religious; I am at best agnostic. I am finding it all rather hard…

Just calling in to say,SUNNY! Safe journey home tomorrow and welcome back to jolly old England! 👏👏X
My positives today seeing as I’m here…
*~ So relieved my DD and SIL had their boosters last week!
*~ I know I’ve said it a few times probably,but I’m finding the twinkly trees in peoples windows very cheering when it’s dark so early now..it feels like people are making an extra effort this year
*~ Making a last push to stay low carb this week and next and doing well so far.
Always remember though, it’s ok to eat broken biscuits (the calories fall out) and a slice of cake leaves the calories in the rest of the cake.. and of course any fruit in anything contributes to your 5 a day! 😁xx
🎶🎶 Christmastime! Mince pies and Wine 🎶🎶 🥳 xxx

Hello.
Yowzer … great philosophy!
So my very first positive is ……
1.🍅🍞🐠 Kippers last night were ‘magnificent’ just as good as I remember them being.
2. 💉🩺💉Annual blood tests today and despite my really, really crappy veins they managed to get some blood the first time. Mind you I still have the usual terrible bruising. Just need to see if my HbA1c is as stable as my occasional finger pricks suggest …. fingers crossed!
3.🥘🌶🍅 Chicken curry tonight with cauliflower rice.
A few weeks ago I discovered a book, The Spice Tree, by the owner of Mowgli and although I’m not that fussed on the recipes it gives a wonderfully clear picture of how to build a ‘tree’ of spices for meats, vegetables, pulses etc. The book for me was like somebody switching on a light bulb …. gone are the 101 spices to be replaced by a ‘core’ depending on what you’re cooking. Great book if you like Indian food. Although somebody may tell me differently!
Sorry, my positives all seem to revolve around food again but over the last couple of years, with little else to do, my mind has focused on cooking!
Today was less ‘dark’ than recent days which makes me think ….. just one more week to the shortest day THEN … rundown to spring and clocks going forward!
Have a good evening.

Hi.
Sunny hope your journey home was good and OH managed well.
Well really difficult for me to find positives today ….. granddaughter has cough and cold, daughter was in meeting yesterday with somebody who has now tested positive, so my birthday lunch on Saturday is ‘on hold’, desperately hope she doesn’t end up ill.
I also have a cold so our plans are also now all on hold …. BUT …☀️🌈💡… looking on the bright side …. Scrabble delivered today, Trivial Pursuit due tomorrow, we already have Rummikub so we are all ready for a winter ‘lockdown’ full of games!
So sad we can’t deliver our presents to our grandsons in person but we have a Plan B ( not Boris’s !), so we have decided we are going to drive the 60 miles or so and leave them at the bottom of their drive! Strange times call for even stranger manoeuvres!
Hope everyone is coping.

Yes VERANO,not long now til the shortest day then they’ll slowly get longer again! Yahooooo!
We love Mowgli,I’ll tell Beau about that book,he loves to cook.
SUNNY hope you’re home and happy to be. Home sweet home! 🏡
My positives…
*~ It was so mild and sunny today,it was an absolute pleasure to be out and about
*~ Got my tooth sorted this avvo,it was expensive having to go private as cdnt get an appt with NHS dentist,but it’s nice to have it fixed ..and able to eat normally again!
*~ Sent away for a book and it came today,looking forward to reading it ..V it’s about the history of Lark Lane. ( a quirky little place full of shops,eateries,coffee and wine bars and pubs. It leads to an absolutely lovely park. Today the guitarist was playing by the lake,which was a nice surprise,usually only see him in the summertime
‘“always try to have eyes that see the best,a heart that forgives the worst,a mind that forgets the bad,and a soul that never loses faith ‘“
Festive hugs to all xxxxx

Hi V,sorry only just seen your post..,we must have been typing at the same time!
Get well soon,and I hope your plans can go ahead x
Oh I love games at Christmas..scrabble,trivial pursuit,even snap and happy families. Best of all for me,charades! X

Hope you and your family will all be fit and well again soon, V. Sorry your celebrations have been so disrupted.
Yowser, really pleased you’ve get your tooth sorted out on time for the festive season.
I too am excited that the shortest day is almost with us, as I need to see bright evenings again.
Thanks for all the best wishes for our safe return home.
My positives are ….
💐 Good journey home from Turkey, if a bit arduous, but all went smoothly and OH coped very well.
💐 our arrival covid tests came back negative …. phew!
💐 house is warming up nicely now, after being an icebox when we got home last night, and the aga is alight and slowly coming up to temp.
💐 Christmas cards written this evening, so can get them in the post tomorrow.

Think that is all for this time… hope your day has presented a few positives too.

Hello.
Sunny glad you got back safely.
Yowzer I got ‘The Spice Tree’ on offer on kindle but to be honest I’ve never been happy with recipe books on kindle, they are definitely better in the ‘flesh’ so you can flick backwards and forwards through the pages.
1. 🩺💉🌈 Pleased to say LFT was negative today as it was yesterday and ‘cold’ seems to have resolved itself.
2. 🩺💉🌈 DD also negative today …. just keeping fingers crossed that she manages to evade the virus.
3 🥦🐟🥣 Smoked haddock for dinner tonight …. not my favourite fish but I do enjoy it for a change.
Hope there is no further ‘bad’ news tonight but either way enjoy the rest of Thursday.

It’s such a relief when covid tests are negative isn’t it, V. Hope you shake off that cold soon.

Here are a few positives from me today…..
💐 seems that my indulgences whilst away, didn’t do as much damage as it might have. Thought I’d need to opt for my ‘big’ jeans once home, but find I can comfortably wear my size 10’s. Haven’t yet braved the scales though🤭
🛍 christmas shopping is going well. Seem to be managing to knock something off the list every day. Wrapping is going well too.
📮 all christmas cards written and posted.
🎉 looking forward to a visit from youngest GD and her mum tomorrow.
🎄 christmas tree will go up tomorrow morning and the living room straightened out … will be glad to that sorted.

Whatever your weekend holds, I hope it will bring positives your way. We’d love to hear about them.

Hello.
Sunny, forget the scales if the trousers fit all is well!
Bitter sweet day for me today …. it’s my birthday …. lots of wonderful cards, balloons, presents, chocolates (dark!) and amazing floral arrangements …. BUT … no family!
Last year I thought it was a ‘one off’ because we couldn’t see family … but here we are again in the same place,
Anyway this is a ‘POSITIVE’ thread so looking towards the positives I’ve had the best
day I could, under the circumstances, but hopefully next year will be even better with ‘real life’ hugs and kisses!
The weekend is upon us …. enjoy… and even though we haven’t the reached the shortest day just yet, tonight it seemed to be lighter for longer! My imagination?

Just had to pop onto the thread to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, V ! ! 💐

Sorry you couldn’t celebrate with your family. It’s so tough for everyone. Maybe we will get to the UK in the Spring. It’s hard to plan in so much uncertainty.

But we are all still here. ! Hopefully next year will be a more satisfying celebration for you, V.
Enjoy the festivities everyone, whatever they look like for you.
SG….you WILL get to the UK ! We are all rooting for you !

Happy Birthday Verano!
I’m wishing you the best, even though the family bit was missing! (Very sorry for that — it is so sad that our deepest family connections are hard to reach right now)
I always love your gentle spirit here on the forums. Best and warmest wishes for a wonderful next year,
And Merry Christmas!🎄🎄🎄
Julia

Sorry to be late ‘to the party’, but really hope you had a lovely birthday V, despite not being able to celebrate as planned. Here’s hoping things will be very different for you next year and you’ll be able to have a wonderful, huge family ‘do’.

Hi folks! V I was just watching local news on tv and sbody was being interviewed outdoors with a ‘ Cafe VERANO’ in the background…googled it but couldn’t find it and didn’t recognise the area.
My “Pre Christmas Saturday” positives…
*~ Christmas Day top arrived and fits nicely,a bit of wriggle room in it to allow for Xmas pud!
*~ DD tracked down my favourite reindeer decoration,I couldn’t remember where I had stored him,and he’s now twinkling and sparkling in pride of place.
*~ Looking forward to a drive out to Formby tomorrow..lovely red squirrel reservation.. we usually go on the Sunday before Christmas. We have a festive drink and enjoy admiring all the impressive Xmas trees in the windows of big posh houses! 🙂🙃

Hello.
Thanks for all your good wishes. Yes 2022 will be a better year for us all ….. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 But in the meantime I wish everyone happy festivities. I’ll be back with NY wishes later in the month.
Yowzer hope you have a good day tomorrow. I couldn’t find that cafe either but Verano is Spanish for ‘summer’. I was in Tenerife when I discovered THE book and this website and there just happened to be a ‘Verano’ edition of a magazine on the table. So I became ‘summer’ in Spanish!!
And so to some positives for today….
1.😀🥰 Nice to hear from some friends here, and from elsewhere, who I’ve not had contact with in a while. Celebrations are always better shared. Next year I have a ‘special’ birthday and I have everything crossed that by then we will all be able to celebrate our momentous events with our families and friends.
2. 🎋🪴News about my amaryllis …. it’s growing like mad and now has a flower spike about 4” tall.
3. 🥦🐓🥙 Easy night tonight food wise …. left over roast chicken, mashed cauliflower, broccoli and celeriac and roasted asparagus. I adore asparagus and have it most days.
4. 🍲🥣⌛️Have treated myself to a ‘birthday present’ …. a soup maker. Might not sound like much of a present but I make the same few soups, in large quantities and freeze them, again and again. I thought it would be nice to experiment with some new, to me, recipes. Looking forward to ‘experimenting’.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend and manage to ‘keep your heads’ whilst those all around us seem to be losing theirs!!

Yowser, glad your fav Christmas dec was located. Enjoy your traditional trip out tomorrow.
V, well done on treating yourself to a little birthday present…. you deserve it.

Today’s positives for me are ….
🎄 christmas tree is up and twinkling.
😌 kitchen tidied and looking more presentable
🤗 lovely visit from GD and her mum.
🧍‍♂️OH continues to make really good progress, almost back to normal.

All in all, it’s been a good day … hope your’s has been too.

Hello.
Good to hear your news Sunny and glad OH is almost back to normal.
Yowzer hope you had a good time with the squirrels but if the weather was the same as here …. misty, murky and foggy… you may not have seen any!
There’s so much doom and gloom around at the moment, apart from the weather, so I’m determined to try and find some positives everyday. The threads have gone so quiet but if you could find just one positive in the day and post it, it will not only brighten your day but everyone else’s.
And so to mine….
1.🥣⌛️🥣Soup maker arrived so that’s me busy for the next few days!
2🎋🪴 Amaryllis seems to be on steroids!
3.🍽⚖️🗒 This is probably the most bizarre time to start weighing, counting and recording food but I started doing just that yesterday. Guess there’s no time like the present for taking control of the things we can control.
Sorry my positives are so boring at the moment but at least they make me smile.
Have a good week ahead and try to keep all things in proportion, but if all else fails do as sunshine-girl says, just keep on keeping on…….

Hi folks! Hope everyones having/ had a good start to the week!
My positives…
*~ Christmas is coming! Looking forward to the week ahead- ( and the next one ! Twixmas! 🎄⛄️🎄⛄️)
*~ Got my Christmassy bedding on now and so has DD 🥳🥳
*~ Winter Solstice almost here..after tomorrow,the days in Uk will get longer again,very slowly,but surely! woohoo! Xx
🎄🎄🎄 “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree”.🎄🎄🎄

Hi.
Well my ‘soup maker’ arrived today but when I read the instructions, having to weigh and measure precisely all the recipes, I decided it definitely was not for me, and certainly no way would my OH be able to use it! Part of the plan had been for him to start making soup! Best laid plans and all that….. So it’s been returned.
Yowzer did you get to see the squirrels yesterday?
Anyway, I do still have some positives ….
1💉🩺🙏🏻 Fingers crossed think DD may have avoided the virus. Daily testing, all negative, for the last 6 days give hope. PCR yesterday but no results yet. She feels fine so fingers crossed all is well.
2. 🎋🪴🎍Amaryllis now has two flower spikes!
Best till last …..
3.🎉🥂🍾 Wonderful present of luxury food goodies, in three separate packages, arrived this morning from a very, very posh London grocer …. 🎶🎶it’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas🎶🎶!
Hope everyone is well and not too stressed …. for any reason.
Last miserable short winter day tomorrow ….. hurrah🎉🎉🎉
Let’s try to stay positive and look on the bright side no matter the next few days mght bring.
Have a good evening

Lovely news VERANO! It loooks highly likely that the PCR will be negative doesnt it..the only sort of negatives we want on this thread! 👍👍👍
and those Christmas goodies will be very welcome ! Are the initials F and M! Many years ago living in London,I worked in selfridges offices taking Christmas goody orders! It was quite exciting as several famous people rang to make an order.
Yes! We did see a few squirrels! It was weird driving there,in places it was very misty,other places clear. It was a bit hairy coming home as it got very foggy and a bit disorientating in parts.
Have got another positive to add to today’s …
*~ Long story short….just in the last hour or so I’ve reunited an old lady with dementia with her daughter. Very happy that a strange chain of events led to this happening,it’s very cold for anyone to be outdoors lost and confused.xx

Yowzer glad you managed to see some squirrels.
And yes it was F&M … how spoilt are we! We have a very generous son and daughter in law!!!

My positive thoughts: happy winter solstice!
I know this is a difficult time for many, but just for a day, enjoy how wonderfully weird the solstice is! Tomorrow is the darkest day of the year but it holds the seed of the return of our sun — the return of life giving warmth and power.
It’s a wonderful moment for a spiritual reset, to set new life intentions and to speak aloud how you want your life to unfold.
Enjoy the day!!! Keep it as dark as possible — light candles, walk in the cold winter day and evening, burn some incense and drink a tiny bit of hot mulled wine ( it IS the holiday) or some port.
Allow the darkness to settle in around you. Enjoy the dark-night skies.
And on the 22nd, throw open your drapes! Start the holiday and greet the returning sun!
Merry Christmas to all!
And to Sunshine-girl, happy happy UK holiday!

CaliforniaGirl, how wonderful to see you here and with such an inspiring post. My grandson’s birthday is 22nd Dec and he’ s a real shining light for me. Subsequently, we’ll certainly be celebrating on Wednesday, but I think I will take your advice and take the time tomorrow to embrace the darkness and think ahead to brighter days.

Yowser, sounds like you were completely in Christmas mode and revelling in it …. enjoy!
V, really hope your DD will get a negative result. As Yowser said, those are the only negatives we absolutely want to see here.

Now to a few positives from me ….
💐 visit from old friends today … lovely to catch up in person. We’ve made arrangements for a weekend together in Feb …🤞it will be possible for that to happen.
💉 had our covid boosters this evening…. yay!!! Really pleased to get that done and very grateful for our NHS working so hard to get jabs in arms.
😌 reconnected with a friend after a disagreement and pleased to say we have been able to resolve the issue.

Whatever little positive has dropped in to your day, please remember we’d love to read about it, so take a moment to share it with us.