Oh poor Star, although I'm glad to hear she's improved.

We didn't cycle but parked and scooted instead.

You looking at toys too, Mini? I have a few ideas - a new scooter for Carys and a balance bike for Michael. Michael's easy really - anything with two or four wheels and an engine.

It's really cold today but I'm resisting putting the heating on ... so far. Steve is coming home for lunch so I will take Loki out for another walk. He's doing so much better now - back to his naughty self.

Morning Harvey.
Thats you all set warm and toasty for winter then. We will have quite a few fires I think to sit round on the dark winter evenings for our chats.
Glad the girls have now recovered for the big frightening monster.

Morning Carole. Poor Star glad to hear she is feeling better and you have been able to delay the x-rays.
Lets hope she will not need at them at all now and no more reason to be starved. Poor girl.

Very heavy rain this morning, so no one venturing out, Cariad been on the paper I left down, she would not under any circumstances go in the garden, she wants a walk or nothing, and she can't have one, end of. So she does it on the paper or puppy pads when I am not looking. Crate all cleaned out and fresh pads, vetbed and a clean sheet on top, all the stuff in the washer, although I will need to change the sheet again at lunchtime I expect. She had chicken mince for breakfast and it went down like a shot, so much better than this time last week, I was losing my mind!!!!
Been on the phone most of the morning, so need to heave myself into the shower and go to the library and download my piccies, got some lovely ones of them this morning, and then go to the bedroom place for offcuts to burn, because I think it will be a sit in front of the fire and do nothing day today
Wonder what Gordon has had for breakfast remember to ask him when you are on skype. .sounds like he will be back before you know it, and with pennies in his pocket, can't be all bad can it
Hope you get the kitchen lights sorted Helena, I'm wanting to do my kitchen, but thinking about emptying the cupboards puts me off. Anyway there's babies in it at present
Hope nobody gets too wet today, it really is heavy here and glad I don't have to go out, or sit in rush hour Monday morning traffic, I do not miss work one bit

Scootering sounds good.
How are you managing with no heating on ? I must be a wuss.
Want to swap Loki forr Dillon I have offered Malka a swap but I think shes avoiding me
Not Loki or Pereg can possibly be as bad as Dillon has this morning.

Morning June.
We are starting to get spots of rain now so it won't be long I don't suppose before it chucks it down.
Glad to be reading Cariad is doing so much better.
A day doing nothing in front of the fire sounds like an excellent plan to me.

Hi Linda only little ones, I love looking at them all but they are so expensive I think I will give the three babies money this year for their school fund.

Being single and retired I can't compete with a Nana and Grampa who work and bought the twins battery operated small cars last Christmas

My gifts tend to be in kind, babysitting and home made food.

Afternoon all

I'm liking the sound of your day there June, and your scooting Linda Glad you've got all that coal in for the long winter Harvey that's one job out of the way then. So sorry to hear about Star, and hope she maybe got a bit of concussion going on. Zena head butted the big patio door when we first moved here, thinking I was going out into the garden to throw her ball when I picked it up She actually bounced off it with her head, I was so worried, but she was fine, so hopefully Star will be fine in a day or two too.

Well, an uneventful morning for me here. My head is spinning with transformers/drivers for my cabinet lighting, I've been into no less than 3 electrical wholesalers and one said they'd have to order it in special like, one said never to order anything off the internet coz it always comes back and bites you on the backside, and the other one said "good luck". I'd spoken to the internet company first, luckily I got the customer services manager (that's a result!), and he apologised profusely that I had been linked to the wrong transformer for our lights, and somebody was gonna be getting their backside kicked in customer services over that. Now he's mailed me, giving me detailed instructions on returning these 2 which are no good, plus I have to do an explanatory letter to go with them Jeeeze, why have I got to do ALL this work, find the old e-mails and print them off where this guy had sent me the wrong link etc. etc. etc. wasting MY time when I'm busy Anyhoo, it's all done and I'll send them back tomorrow, but of course, I've now had to eat a bit of humble pie coz I can't get them locally (which I told him over the phone I would be doing this morning) so I don't want a refund anymore, I want the right ones. Hmmmm wonder if they'll be able to manage that then???

Went to look at some Astra Estate in a garage that Dave wanted me to look at, so that he knows whether I like the new interiors of them or not (last one I saw I said it looked like a bladdy van inside ya see). Took me ages to park up on a busy road, walked around ALL the cars, could see no Astra Estate at all, but what I did see was a little 4x4 thingy a Kia Sportage and it was cheap only £2495 a 2003 and would suit me fine. Got home, Dave said they're pants, and he got it wrong, it wasn't an Astra estate they had for sale but a normal Astra, so no wonder I couldn't find it on the forecourt lol! I'm currently trying to persuade him about this Kia, but he said it's all bits of old Mazda and something else, that they've thrown together to look like a real car Doesn't look very positive does it, and he said they're expensive to repair and it will go wrong (leaving him to fix it of course!). Astra's never go wrong, that's his way of thinking.

Went to see the lovely man in the carpet shop about the van. Changed the date from next week to March next year, and arranged for the bathroom to be done in lino - sorted! Then I asked him about rugs, and he said they're all downstairs, so I clambered over the "no entry" chain on the top of the stairs in the dark and had a good rummage around down there, and then he suddenly remembered about me in the dark and kindly came down to put the light on for me I bought a rug for the hall and a runner to go next to it, coz this hall is blooming 21 feet long so there's still more to cover. I hate this carpet here, the underlay has gone to nothing, and although it's clean, it's old and smelly, and I want new carpet but Dave said "not yet" coz of course, there's still lots of work to do, so rugs it has to be for the time being.

Hey ho, took Zena out again and it rained, then it dried up when we got back - typical! Had roast chicken and now I'm off to the recliner for a well earned feet up job

Busy little bee aren't I!! Somebody make it stoooooop

I have to move about a lot . My thermometer says 17 degrees so not that cold but it feels so chilly. I've been leaving windows open to help with condensation but it's too cold today. I'm determined not to have it on - it's so expensive. We've just arranged to have our fuel fixed until 2014 with prices going up.

Aw that's what I need - Dillon to snuggle up to and keep me warm. Loki's very snugly but he's wet at the moment after our walk.

Have you considered a Seat or Skoda? They're all under the VW wagon now but Skodas have had some great write ups recently and are the cheaper ones and very reliable too.

Skoda Fabia Estates are supposed to be good and not as big as the Octavia:
http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/sk.../estate/review


Aw Mini - you know what? Your gifts are perfect. My parents are in a similar position and the children would rather see them and spend time playing, cooking and colouring with them than be given expensive gifts anyway. They soon ditch gifts anyway and end up colouring and drawing.

Carys has seen this Polly Pocket Colour Change thing on tv but it's around £25!!! Eeek! And there's not much to it from what I can see, so I'd prefer to get her a new scooter because she will use that most days and enjoy it much more. I've talked her out of Polly Pocket.

Hi Linda the scooter sounds great .
I have a big box of toys but the Children soon get bored with those.
The other day Barnaby spent ages with the tube from the cling film and a tissue trying to suck it up and hold it there..

Good Morning Dogsey peeps.......
Monday bleurghhhhhhhhhhhh 6.30am and hubby is gone off to work, I am sat here with my first coffee of the day, just looked at my work emails and realised I seem to have reached the top of the workload and am on the way down for the moment that is Hurrah!!!!!! I only work part time and I work from home so I have NOTHING to complain about, but sometimes my boss seems to think I work full time and have nothing else going on in my day!!

Anyway its raining this side of the pond too - pouring infact, today I shall walk the doglets, work and try to get on with some bracelet making, craft fairs are looming!!

Going to put a lovely beef curry in the slow cooker for tonight, love my slow cooker as dinner gets sorted early!!

Happy Monday!! x

Clever Barnaby! Tubes go down well here too. Carys likes to decorate them so I have a box full of bits and bobs for sticking. Even stuff like foil.