This week's Beach
and by the way, I think that sometime today...certainly sometime this week, we will all pass the milestone of 15,000 comments.
And with thanks to Simon Worrall, Jonnie and Anne P - here comes a guide to The Beach - ideal if you've come to this Blog and are, understandably, wondering just what the hell is going on...
Welcome to the beach. For new visitors, here鈥檚 a quick guide provided recently for Molly by Simon Worrall.
Sometimes it is fairly quiet, but you can leave your footprints for others to find later on. Othertimes it is the home for a real party, with constant gossip, rumour, innuendo, chit-chat and so on.
There is no direct answer to your question about finding your way. The beach is a moveable feast, literally. It will be renewed by our Lord and master Mr. Edward de Mair each Monday morning. This is because we have found in the past that when the number of posts exceeds about 600 the entire thing becomes unwieldy and unstable.
If this were a forum (and it sort of is because we post responses to each other, not just to Eddie, hence our term for ourselves 'Froggers', a combination of forum and blogger) then the beach would be the off-topic area. It's a tropical location, no matter the time of year it's always warm and pleasant there. Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular and the evenings are balmy. It has a number of different locations; the Nick Clarke waterfront bar; the smokers corner; Fido's Run for the dog-walkers; and others. Froggers often leave bottles / glasses of their favourite tipple on the bar for others to sample, not to mention big / small eats. For example last Thursday I left a bottle of Talisker and some crudites there, which were well received in some quarters.
There is a herd of camels who frequent the sands, which froggers are very fond of. Lately a bunch of reindeer have showed up from who-knows-where. There are sun-loungers, so you can take it easy and catch some rays. Quite often the late-night attendees will have a barbie.
It's a fun place, with only one real rule; Be nice to each other. To answer another point you raise; we are ALL chums here.
The real debate happens on the other threads. The beach is a place for banter, whimsy, relaxation and friendship, where jarring comments are not particularly welcome. There are certain very mild protocols, which you tend to pick up as you go along. So slip your shoes off, feel the sand between your toes, relax and enjoy.
And by the way, if you are interested the froggers have also created their own site at https://www.pmblog.co.uk/ .
RSS feed
Email us
Listen to PM
Belinda...Belinda... BELINDA!
Right - so I now have your attention.
Look down in front of you and you will find an oblong object with the letters of the alphabet arranged in a somewhat haphazard fashion. This is a "keyboard."
Use the letters on the "keyboard" to spell out the following message - "I'm back,"
You will find that the rest of the message will come very easily.
RJD.
What a lovely morning on the beach today:-) It certainly makes up for the grotty weather back in December. I'll start collecting things from last weeks' beach to bring them here...
Welcome to the beach. For new visitors who may wonder what it is about, here鈥檚 a quick guide provided recently by Simon Worrall for Molly.
Sometimes it is fairly quiet, but you can leave your footprints for others to find later on. Othertimes it is the home for a real party, with constant gossip, rumour, innuendo, chit-chat and so on.
There is no direct answer to your question about finding your way. The beach is a moveable feast, literally. It will be renewed by our Lord and master Mr. Edward de Mair each Monday morning. This is because we have found in the past that when the number of posts exceeds about 600 the entire thing becomes unwieldy and unstable.
If this were a forum (and it sort of is because we post responses to each other, not just to Eddie, hence our term for ourselves 'Froggers', a combination of forum and blogger) then the beach would be the off-topic area. It's a tropical location, no matter the time of year it's always warm and pleasant there. Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular and the evenings are balmy. It has a number of different locations; the Nick Clarke waterfront bar; the smokers corner; Fido's Run for the dog-walkers; and others. Froggers often leave bottles / glasses of their favourite tipple on the bar for others to sample, not to mention big / small eats. For example last Thursday I left a bottle of Talisker and some crudites there, which were well received in some quarters.
There is a herd of camels who frequent the sands, which froggers are very fond of. Lately a bunch of reindeer have showed up from who-knows-where. There are sun-loungers, so you can take it easy and catch some rays. Quite often the late-night attendees will have a barbie.
It's a fun place, with only one real rule; Be nice to each other. To answer another point you raise; we are ALL chums here.
The real debate happens on the other threads. The beach is a place for banter, whimsy, relaxation and friendship, where jarring comments are not particularly welcome. There are certain very mild protocols, which you tend to pick up as you go along. So slip your shoes off, feel the sand between your toes, relax and enjoy.
And by the way, if you are interested the froggers have also created their own site at .
Oops! Sorry Eddie, thought you must be too busy to post the explanation. Ah well, now it's here twice over.
Wonderful value you get here folks.
Hi folks,
Great beach...
Made Spag Carbonara last night, River Caf茅 style, it was so nice I had to make a second portion from scratch and I鈥檇 already washed up! Quick recipe鈥︹ melt butter in frying pan, add preferred meat, I only had bacon but a posh ham is best, once it鈥檚 cooking add half a glass of white wine and reduce, (start boiling pasta) separate two egg yolks, combine with a fork, add pasta al dente to sauce, also now add grated parmesan and another of your favourite cheeses along with another knob of butter, take off heat and pour the egg yolks on top, mix in and let them cook in the residual heat of the pasta鈥. lemon, basil, salt and pepper, if you fancy and serve. Delicious and not a drop of cream in sight.
Cheers.
I'm staying in today... got a bad sunburn yesterday. Use suncream!
Thanks for the recipe, Chris! I'll have to give that one a try myself....
Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning,
Thanks for the recipe Cris - sounds yummy - is it really only 10.30? Could do with having lunch now!
I stayed in last night. My better half is away until friday night (and I'm out friday night with work - it's a No Partners Affair). So when I got home last night I also cosied up and made myself some pasta! Macaroni Cheese for me though. With loads of mustard and hard boiled egg in the cheese sauce. I made so much I couldn't finish it!
Was strange being in the house without my big fella to look after me - it felt a bit too grown up so won't be getting used to THAT! The cat was good company though.
Risotto tonight - the only good thing about big fella being away - I get to make all the food he won't eat!
Have a great day all.
The more observant among you will notice that I'm wearing a wetsuit today. That Speedo incident the other week was soooo embarrassing!
Still, the wetsuit looks the part with this surfboard. I might actually go in the water one day soon.
Can anyone help with my campervan? It's a bit stuck in that dune over there.
And who was the comedian that changed my "No Fear" sticker to "Some (perfectly justified) Fear"?
For those who have been wondering about the ominous silence from regular frogger Mrs Trellis, I have news:
Her pearls are away being re-threaded, and the twin-set is at the cleaners. She sends you all her best wishes and will rejoin us for fun and frolics as soon as she can.
That's a neat carbonara recipe Chris! I think we'll be having that for lunch today...
Hello Chris,
Welcome to This week's Beach.
Thank you - your carbonara recipe was mouth watering - mange tout et chaise longe.
Must be something about the weather in December - I had a request from second daughter yesterday to cook macaroni cheese for them all on Christmas Eve!
Careful, I nearly drank This week鈥檚 Bleach...
From a Snow Ball last night, to a beach today, where the main complaint is sunburn, I can confirm that this is where I want to be.
Shame on you Charles, for bringing motor power to the beach. May it remain stranded in sand (in the nicest possible way, of course)
xx
ed
Right, I've just brewed a cafetiere of strong Java, a fragrant, evocative freshly ground bean mix that I'm sure NC would approve of. Help yourselves as you pass through
whoops, should've been 'of which NC would approve'.
Aunt D - what serendipity, I've just finished washing the kitchen floor in December because I knocked over my coffee mug, just as I was getting to the good bit! So a refill will be just the ticket, thanks.
We-ell this beach is looking good, I'll go and nestle on that warm rock over there and do a smidgeon of relaxing before starting on the Christmas Cards in December. Still, at least I know now what to make for tea, thanks Chris.
Anyone around from North Wales (apart from Mrs Trellis), I heard some awful reports about the recent rain earlier?
Rain rain rain rain!,
Thanks for the Java coffee Aunt Dahlia!
I'll never make the outside look festive with this rain
The beach has the power to restore us to ourselves. A day spent watching the waves or a long walk along the water's edge can bring us back to our center and remind us of the wisdom that resides within us all the time. At the ocean, it is possible to forget your daily worries and reconnect with your true self.
Go in the water, even if it's cold. When you catch a wave, ride it. Just when you think it's getting too deep, you'll find a sandbar. Sometimes the best thing is to jump right in. Remember to find the best shells, you have to walk slowly. I think this is a rather nice beach.
Ed (15).
Sorry Ed! As a carbon-emitting townie I hang my head in shame ... Perhaps I'll just leave it there.
How did you come to live in Scotland?
Tumbleflump Holly-Hippoface (formerly valery p);
I was in North Wales over the weekend to photograph a wedding with SO. We stayed overnight at Pengynon, between Welshpool and Bala, where the Bride's family own a holiday home.
An enormous amount of rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours. The Severn was still up over its banks right throughout that section of the river. Lots of fields bordering the river looking like lakes. Roads were substantially flooded, at least on the flat sections. Rivers were all in spate.
And then they had over four inches (fnarr, fnarr) more between Saturday/Sunday midnight and Monday morning.
The locals don't appear to be developing webbed feet yet, but it can't be far off.
OMG: I've been used as a guide to the beach. I'm all flustered... Must lie down for a while on one of the sunloungers with a cold drink. Just hope that this sudden fame doesn't go to my head. Has anyone fed the camels recently? And where have those reindeer got to?
To celebrate there's a BIG jug of Long Island Iced Tea on the bar, with a large bowl of cheeselets. Help yourselves people, there's enough for everyone.
Eddie, many thanks for using this as an opener. I personally thought that it needed refinement by some of our more erudite and experienced beach-bums, but there you have it.
Si.
Eddie,
Have you seen the report to-day that one in ten 'Brits' live overseas and at least the same wish they did? Britain has gone to the dogs we are one of the most popular countries for economic migrants and treat most of them better than we do our own pensioners.
Charity should begin at home and if we spent as much on policing our country as we do policing other countries we might get some where.
Charles,
I hope it's relatively level and can still be used as accommodation.
When I first came to live here, the local kids asked, "You come frae America, right?"
"Yeah."
"How d'ya come here?"
"In that Volkswagen Camper."
"Aye, but How?; America's great!"
"Maybe, but Palnackie's better."
As to how, it's a matter of serial good fortune, partially spurred by being fed up with American behaviour as long ago as the mid-sixties....a long story I'll tell y'all sometime. Despite being American, I'm not totally immune to the irony of finding myself exiled in the land of America's best buddy....
;-)
ed
RJD I don't think Belinda wants to be found...
Simon Worrall, Jonnie and Anne P; great work people & a fine welcome mat to roll out to newcomers methinks & Simon you are a most erudite frogger, if not quite a beach bum perhaps.
Hi Chris (5) welcome to the beach, it's particularly lovely to have someone around who can cook; I limit myself to making the coffee/aperitifs depending on the time of day & that's not always the way round you might think for some folk! Come to think of it I don't remember being offered anything edible ever... Tell me though, do you make the carbonara twice every time, or am I getting d茅j脿 vu :-)?! It must be good either way, perhaps you could leave me some to heat up for my tea.
FF, I did bring some things over, so hopefully there isn鈥檛 too much for you to do. Charles (9) also put some in the campervan, but it鈥檚 stuck in a dune at the moment, & I need some extra muscle to move it. Ed (15) might help when I鈥檝e had time to update him; I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 aware that Charles converted the engine to run on lemon juice & potato peelings. I think Charles seems to have forgetten as well, which might be why the thing ran out of steam/starch.
BELINDA, when you pop in, & I really hope you do, I hope you can鈥檛 resist that delightful invitation to return from RJD (1). Scrolling back through a few threads will reveal to you that none of us were particularly enamoured of that very busy person with extraordinarily high standards, but she has far more important things to do than lounge around on the beach! Ok, I shall be blunt, we saw off the troll right, nicely as one would expect of froggers, but still group dynamics at its best!
Valerie P (17) I just heard on the news that the rainfall has exceeded expectations, here in the flatlands, we were having some furniture collected by the council* this morning, & couldn鈥檛 put it out for them last night for fear of it blowing around & killing a cow.
Fifi (10) thanks for the update &for the funnies this morning, they were lovely with my cuppa. Do you really have time/energy/inclination to make spaghetti carbonara for lunch? Maybe you can be more restrained than Chris & leave the second helping for me to have for my tea?
* It is a desperate shame that an olive green velour 3 piece suite, in fine condition, had no other takers. Seriously, I have assiduously tried to avoid it ending up as landfill, but it doesn鈥檛 meet current fire regs & we couldn鈥檛 give it away, I tried very hard I promise!
Just been reading through the threads from the end of last week and realised that the only reason my name is up in lights is down to Anne P. (305 on last weeks beach).
Thanks Anne. I love you. *Big hug*
Si.
gossipmistress (24)
I've just had to apologise to somebody here for laughing out loud when they were talking to me.
Now I've got to know - did you find the picture and think of the joke or was it joke and then search?
Fifi (10), many thanks for the good news about Mrs Trellis - look forward to seeing the re-threaded pearls. Perhaps I'd better knit her a new twinset?
I don't know if anyone's seen Eddies newsletter today, but he asked "When did you last see a water vole?" Well, I saw one at 7:08am and 8:08am this morning. Admittedly it was on the TV, but does that count?
Chris (5) Thanks for the recipe. I always like the "Easy" ones.
Charles Hatton (9) So many speedos last week. Can you point me to the right gallery number?
Helen (25) - It was the capable Ed Iglehart himself who did the conversion, which is probably why I forgot. I do know what a spanner is, but I'm not sure which bit I'm supposed to whack with it.
I think I will leave it there on the dune, though. It's at quite a jaunty angle.
Ed (23) - Best buddy indeed. But if we think that America's foreign policy is crap, what must the rest of the world think?
RJD (27) - the wonders of a google image search, when I should really have been working....
Vyle 30
well spotted tee hee
Helen (25) : Inclination but no gumption. I ended up boiling some rice for SO to have with leftover chilli, and I made the rest into a risotto to use up other leftovers for me.
Standard fare.
Hey, does anyone here get Anglia TV? Apparently the charity toy run to Grantham that I was in yesterday was on the regional news this morning --- and I was spotted!
Just in case you get the chance to look, I was on a wine-coloured (of course!) Triumph motorbike, Santa was driving, and his helmet was dark red. My armoured jacket obscured the top half of my Santa outfit but the red trousers were visible and my helmet was a tasteful grey.
Next year we're going to decorate the bike with tinsel. We felt positively drab by comparison with some! Brilliant day out, other than happy* weather on the way home via Melton.
* Fifi Rhyming Slang
Anne P (21) : I'm sure Mrs Trellis would love a new twin set, upon her return. Not sure it'll be any time soon, though, so no rush. You have enough to do!
Weeeeeee! This hang glider thingy is wonderful. You get a great view of the whole beach and all the froggers look as small as water voles. AND it's envirnomentally firendly. There's only one problem! I don't know how to land. I might just have to ditch in the sea. If you hear a loud splash in the next 10 minutes don't be too alarmed as I have a large wooden case to keep me afloat; it contains a mixed selection of award winning wines. Glasses at the ready.
Hi All,
Charles, please put your Speedoes back on your head - I like you like that...
Hello, fellow beachfroggers, back from long exile in miserable old Decemberland. Good news is that my Mum will be moved from hospital in Oxford to a sort of getting-better-but-not-well-enough-to-be-home-yet place a couple of miles away. She is delighted, I as No. 1 Daughter am relieved (and delighted).
Sun had just slipped over yardarm in Dec as I left. Macallan, anyone? Busy evening, so can't get Auchentoshed.
btw, re water voles, I have a small pic of one above my head as I speak (type?). Reason? A very much ex once nicknamed me 'vole'. I will NOT tell you why. I got rather fond of them and didn't destroy pic after ex-ing happened.
Ap
Got it! You should never have filled in the Christmas Name Generator. Can you see my smug grin?
Welcome back, Frances, and a Macallan will do nicely. There really are very few bad whiskies, just good, better and excellent. A Guinness to go beside it and keep the thirst at bay? Are you there, Brian?
I'm working up some Pizza dough, and the oven is warming. Did anyone bring any anchovies? I've got capers and olives and some bacon, mushrooms, and of course plenty of garlic and tomatoes. Oh, and some jalape谩帽os and mozzarella.
厂濒谩颈苍迟别
ed
HelenSparkles and any other Midlands froggers:
Anglia TV have sold the footage of the charity toy run to Central TV ... presumably because after Grantham we brought Melton Mowbray to a halt as well!
I'm half a Santa (authentic trousers), riding pillion with a 'proper' Santa.
See you. Or do I mean, see me??
;o)
Frances O
Oh Frances! Oh Frances! Now come on - I mean, do you think that there is any chance that you will get away with it? Really?
Surely with your knowledge of the inquisitive nature of your fellow froggers you can't imagine that the vole name is not going to be the subject of some discussion.
Now is there anything that you would like to share?
Before I begin, I should say that I am not,at ttgethis moment,inLeeds-that is another Molly who has her oown views (22)-just hope we don't get mixed-up.
On tomore important matters-I'm thrilled to bits that Simon's brilliant welcome/info piececan be of benefit to other new frogers(got it right!).It certainly helped meas you can se by my new found confidence-found my way here and didnt havee to ask once!
My daughter has just informed me that SHE WAS ON PM a few weeks ago, talking about the tiny amount of time she gets ,as a student at Bristol Uni to have contact with her tutor.I can't believe I missed it-I always listen toPM-how else can I know enough to argue with a politics student!
Hope I'm
I ' don't believe it-pressed something and there it was,gone! unchecked! almost illegible!
Sorry,Frogers--maybe someone should draft a list of do's and don'ts when drafting entries(to go
with the conceptual map).Only joking....
Molly
Really RJD? Yes, I can see your grin, but how so sure?
I think I sent you an email in the other place about this but I'm not sure it worked. Blame the wine...
Oh Frances O! Yes, we need to know!... (How poetic...)
Frances O - if you don't tell us we will have to imagine that you have a big nose and very long whiskers on your chin! And you wouldn't want that sort of gossip, now would you?
Fifi, what time shall I watch for you, am in front of the radio not the TV!
Simon (26) I know Anne P blew your trumpet, how on earth will you repay her?
RJD - no.
re NEW PHOTO
Dear froggers
You may notice (if I've uploaded it properly) a new team photo - it's Rupert's desk. Not sure what it says about his organisational skills. Is he a) super-organised or b) extremely forgetful? It's like a fluorescent halo round his head from where I sit.
L
Hi guys,
God, I have missed you all and obviously have some catching up to do.
Anne P. thank you for the offer.
Fifi.
Words cannot express how much you have helped so I will simply say, publicly, Thank you.
Right, to the bar and I would love it if you could all join me for a drink. Cheers
Gossipm, you can think what you like, but as this
will show you, I have a cute little nose
Aperitif
No, saw nothing in the other place. 100% certain though and happy to leave it at that if you are. And having cracked one subject we move on to another . . .
. . . . Now, Fances O
You do realise I didn't start this - you did. I suspect that you mentioned it because subconsciously you wanted it aired. Now, have another Macallan and relax and talk to us.
According to the chappie on PM tonight, a water vole is to be distinguished from a rat by its lack of bad habits, so by my reckoning I guess you must be perfect, Frances O?
I'm sure your Mum thinks so!
We need to know all about voles & Mr Naughtie!
I've missed a lot today!
I missed the coffee for a start. Still there's a wonderful recipe for me to try out sometime this week, or maybe it's a good Christmas Eve one!
Oooh, Ed I is doing Pizzas! Great! I've got some olives in feta cheese - will that do as a topping?
I've had a bit of a day, well a bit of a weekend really, well a bit of a whole last week and today. So I just need to chill out on the beach for a while and loose myself in the scenery!
Oh Hi All!
Mary
RJD is right, sometimes we are our own whistle blowers...
Mrs Trellis! Brilliant to see you!
Mary
I occasionally see a vole in the water hazards (where I spend quite a bit of time), when I play golf. Do they eat golf balls as I never seem able to locate mine?
This is my first visit if anybody wants to say hello.
My post got lost on the way to the beach!
Oh well.
Hi guys. I need a drink and a hug please. Would that be OK?
Mary
Welcome back Mrs Trellis - lovely to have you with us again.
Sorry to be brief but must dash back to December where knitting for Christmas is getting out of hand i.e. not enough of it finished. However, Mrs T. I'd be delighted to add a new twinset to the list - just let me know what colour - I have some lovely cashmere waiting.
On top of the not yet finished knitting, I now know that 60 metres of hedging plants and a large number of fruit canes and trees will be arriving by the end of the week and must be planted before I drive south to collect aged Mum middle of next week.
A time machine or a magic wand might be helpful at this point.
Erm, hello?
I miraculously had some time to myself, so instead of writing Christmas cards, I thought I'd get my flip flops and make my first trip to the beach - but it's very quiet here now. Just the lapping of the waves and the occasional squawking gull. I did bring some gin - never travel without it - and limes, which I'll stick on the bar for sharing, and I think I'll sit here in a contemplative manner for a while and see if anyone else shows up. Oooh, that warm sand feels great between my toes.
Lissa PM blog personality of the year - well of course you ARE the PMBPotY, but when was the vote?
Can Rupert's desk really be said to be a member of the team - as in 'I have posted a new team photo'. Perhaps you are trying to say something about Rupert - is he not a teamplayer?
Actually what I am most curious about is the size of the post its. Are they special 大象传媒 ones, the only ones I ever find are about an inch square.
Very quiet on the beach tonight, no-one here since just after 7 it seems. I can see a few people asleep in hammocks among the trees. Won't disturb them though.
I'll just leave this 12 year old Talisker on the bar and a jug of pomegranate juice for those who'd prefer it.
Tiptoeing away so as not to wake the sleepers.....
well I posted something on here hours ago and it hasn't appeared.
Note to moderator - I was being jocular, not rude if you're trying to decide.
Anyway I hope you're all in the mood for some bubbly as I have brought a dozen bottles of Lanson Black Label ( not Moet, but then I like the Lanson so you'll have to make do) as my son has just come back from a holiday in Canada and announced his engagement. Apparently he proposed in Butchard Gardens in Vancouver, where there was still a sprinkling of snow and all the lights were on for Christmas.
Bit more romantic than his Dad then!
Frances O I can indeed appreciate the cuteness
of your nose, but the question of why you are likened to the water vole remains unanswered.
Could it be because:
"They have chubby faces with blunt noses and short furry ears "
or....
"The voles leave small piles of droppings to mark the edge of their territories"
or..
"They may build small platforms of grass and twigs on tufts of weed where they sunbathe" (I'm sure I've seen one of those down on the beach)
or...
"The water vole is active by day and night, and spends most of its time eating"
..click to verify
Helen Sparkles! Shall we see if we can find Mrs Naughtie and get her down here for a drink? It could be on the pretext of celebrating 15,000 on the blog. Maybe she will loosen up after a little tipple or two.....
Personally I think that ruperts desk makes a perfect member of the team. It is haphazard enough to fit in with the rest of the posts here!
Madmary. *Hugs* a nice pale blue would be wonderful thank you.
Right, who's up for a night cap? I have a lovely Laphroag to share.
Doh! Sorry I meant Anne P. Pale blue please. As in:
Little boy blue
come blow your horn
the sheeps in the meadow
the cows in the corn
but where is the boy who looks after the sheep
he's under the haystack with little bo-peep
Perky - Hello and welcome! Fancy a swim? It's lovely and warm. And if I may I'll have a glass of that Lanson Admin A thank you!
Welcome chLuke - I suspect lost golf balls go off to the same planet as odd socks?
Hi to Mrs Trellis - was getting worried about you m'dear. Keep on keeping on. the same goes to Bill'n'Ben'n'Brian, on another thread - keep on trucking!
Chris, London - the carbonara was superb and that was with me doing my level best! I have an aversion to recipes, so usually do adaptations depending on what's in the larder. So your spag carbonara was ideal, what with not having any given dimensions and so on, and me getting half way through and realising that you had made it for one, and I was still only using 2 eggs. All that, plus the fact that I used wholewheat pasta, didn't use butter, but stirred in some garlic & herb boursin at the end, and, erm, I didn't have any basil. So, there you go then, variations on a theme, and it still went on the please make it again wish list from SO.
Hearty congrats to the son admin annie - wonderfully romantic, sniff
I also meant to say, welcome to Perky - so do you like the Beach then?
Hi Perky
Gin with limes - you've got taste! Mind if I help myself?
I think we've just had one of those time suspension periods - this is getting more like an episode of Lost.
Frances O
or can I call you One Scarf? You did bring the subject up of your own voleition you know
Re today's strapline - are Lady Penelope & Mrs Naughtie one and the same?
Hello chLuke and Perky. Oh yes! I see Talisker, how thoughtful; don't mind if I do, and there's still some Liffey Water.
Ahhhh,
There's still some pizza and a couple of balls of dough and the oven'll warm up in a jiff with a few sticks on the coals.
Munch, munch, siiiippp.
Valery P
Are you still there? You said a long time ago that you never could get good anagrams of your name. Can I make a few suggestions? I have some already prepared.
Hello chLuke and Perky. Hello everyone.
RJD, I have just read - and replied to - your bit about my moniker on last week's beach. I think you're over-confident as you had at least part of your theory about-face. And yeah, we probably should leave it there... ;-)
Anne P (60) your cashmere sounds delicious & I want I want I want!!! Please.
Admin annie (62) lets get them all doing Myers Briggs, including the desk, find out exactly how they do all work together! Fabulous news, & I don鈥檛 like Mo毛t at all, my preference is for Verve Cliquot so Lanson will be just dandy. I would really like Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque, but that is mainly because the bottle is so href="https://www.drinkon.com/Details/MCG1335/Detail/Champagne">pretty
& I only actually had it when someone with more money than sense paid for it at Annabelle鈥檚 or Tramp鈥檚 or somewhere. Before you or any other froggers are pulled up short thinking I am not who you thought I was, I have managed to find myself in some upscale but somehow incredibly cheesy venues all of which are either down to the ex or a friend鈥檚 father who ran jazz clubs in pre sex trade Soho & we kept him company sometimes when he hung out in the same haunts he had then. Back to the point, not sure what that was all about but what a lovely son; he must have got it from somewhere?
Hello everyone,
It's a bit manic here at the moment, especially tomorrow but please feed me stuff (Fifi and Ed) et al and hopefully on Wednesday I can update things.
I even had to utilise the 大象传媒 'listen again' facilities to hear PM!
I'm so happy that David Cameron is so Family minded.
BTW : Did our Eddie have 'Sister Sledge' in mind when he was asking about Sisters living together ???
Valery P (70) so not really carbonara at all then (-:?! Do you know I think that was Chris Evans posting, a while back I told Eddie he should get out more and maybe go for a pint with Chris to see how his blog works. Actually it seems to have the same problems as ours with the pace of posts appearing. I do hope unmasking him doesn't prevent him from popping back, but I did once read href=" this">/blogs/chrisevans/2006/11/mummys_coming_to_town_quick_ti_1.shtml">this on his blog which made me think! See what you think.
I must admit I only read his blog at all because he said he might tell us a celebrity secret & I make no secret of my hidden shallows. I was tuned in to R2 because my in car entertainment system (happy* radio) wouldn't let me listen to R4, but it was a great show, & I'd like to think of him & Eddie as pals on the beach. He seemed lovely when I sat a sofa away from him once, my friends were sitting closer, next to him in fact. That could be because they actually knew him, probably still do, but I suspect I was on the periphery on purpose because that was the night I鈥檇 set my sights set on that nice young actor鈥
Ap
Agreed. I've made a a visit to the other place.
gossipmistress
Re today's strapline - are Lady Penelope & Mrs Naughtie one and the same?
No, Miss, certainly not.
Lady Penelope (as was) is a charming young lady, whereas Mrs. Naughtie is, by her own admission, none of those things.
Her Ladyship assures me that while she has a certain sympathy for the raddled old crone, she has never met her and takes some comfort from the expectation that this circumstance will not change.
If I may be of further service to you, please ring the bell.
My first visit to the PM blog, and I'm left wondering how much of my license fee is spent on crack.
You're all mad. Keep it up!
Simon
Good morning Parker, you offered further assistance - may I have a cup of tea please?
Now then Parker, thank you for the tea - no don't go straight away, sit yourself on the end of the bed and tell me all about Mr Naughtie....
Good Morning old and new members!
The tide went so far out last night that I fell asleep before the champagne and gin arrived, my two favourite tipples. Will there be any left for this evening do you think.
I'm going to work today and dream of Eddie Mair proposing to me in a snowy park near an outdoor skating rink. We are wrapped up nice and warm and the Christmas lights are tinkling. Oh No!!! Aperitif where are you?
Mary
Helen Sparkles (47);
Naughty, naughty!
Si.
Simon (82) more worryingly perhaps, this is all natural... welcome to the beach!
Morning all. I appear to have a small man just behind my left eye trying to escape from my skull with a pickaxe. I love single malt but I fear that I may have overdone it last night. Sympathy please somebody;o)
There, there Mrs T - just have several pints of this restorative, here's a glass, just hold it under the jug....There you go, now drink and then relax :o)x
Sparkly Helen, thanks for the link, you learned how to do that just in time to stop me making more of a fool of myself it would seem? I think I'll have some of what Mrs T's having.
RJD, I caught a couple of them on last week's beach - and have replied! I bet Ap's spotted one of them as being apt...
Mrs T. (88);
Tish, tish. First time back on the beach for a while and overdoing it. You're not as young as you used to be you know.
Try this cure, it'll help with the queasy tummy. Go on, get it all down. Well done.
What was in it? Oh sorry, did I forget to mention? Two raw eggs, tomato juice, tabasco and ...
Mrs T. why have you gone that funny colour? Oh, I see. Well good job that I have a bucket with me too.
Ooops. Too late. Never mind, the tide will wash that away by this afternoon. I won't tell anyone who did it if you don't....
Now come and have a good old-fashioned fry-up brunch. Oh, you've gone that funny colour again.....
Si.
valery p. Oh! That's lovely. Thank you, I think I shall have a wee shut eye and hopefully the bad man will go away.
Mrs T - I'd shut them both if I were you :o)
Well, did I pick the wrong night to go out singing silly songs in a pub!
1. ChLuke, Simon, Perky, Parker (did I miss anyone?) have joined us. Hurray, and welcome all! Help yourself to some of this salsa I made earlier. Tortilla chips are on the bar, sour cream's in the fridge underneath.
2. Admin Annie's son engaged, and so romantic too. Wow! Con-gra-too-laaaaaaa-shunz!
3. Mrs Trellis has returned, amid many group-hugs and exchanges of alcoholic fluids.
Can today get any better?
Certainly makes up for Lord Mair's inability to tell me apart from Fiona ...
By the way Aperitif -- after the bike run on Sunday, SO and I were treated to Pirates of the Caribbean on dvd.
I am now your deadly rival for the affections of Monsieur Depp, should he ever set a dainty foot on this Beach.
He has a gift for physical comedy -- and facial expressions -- that's irresistable!
Sorry, I have to go and lie down now...
;o)
Re the discussion above about my relationship with Mrs Naughtie, I don't have one. At least I don't THINK I do, but as even my computer appears to have forgotten me (first time this has happened to me, tho I know it has to others) I can't be entirely sure . . .
BTW Si Worrall (currently 90), I wish you hadn't mentioned that. Back in December I have to go and clean some walls my son redecorated on Friday . . . :-(
xx
LadyPen
Still Fifi 93ish
Oh no you don't, brazenish hussy,I'm next in the queue
You found a hungover cure yet then Mrs T? Pass it over.... please.
Valery P, you were never a fool, and the carbonara recieved many more mentions than yours!
HelenSparkly, ta :o)
now now Fifi, I think I was the first to mention Mr Depp. But I could be wrong. And I can't be bothered to fight. BTW there are some seriously disturbed people who have a site for the delectable Mr Armitage; sometimes the web can be so reassuring, however daft you are you can easily find people who are much dafter, and even some who must be a long way off the end of the sanity scale.
As regards the engagement, the good news I supose is it gives me an incentive to start losing some weight for the wedding pics, although son has done me a favour by telling fiancee they can't possibly get married before summer 2008. The bad news is it means I'm going to be a mother in law which is a bit of a shock to the system, but possibly the arrival of granchildren will be even more so, however I am sure that is a long way away.
Welcome to the new beachcombers, please make regular visits. we are always happy to extend our merry little band here on the beach.
It's very nice to see Parker and I'm sure he's going to come in terribly useful, but we're not going to be invaded by the Tracy boys as well are we? Please no.
Looks as if JDepp esq. will be pounced on by a bunch of female pyranhas, making the Harrods sale look like a morning-after on the Beach!
Should he ever appear, probably emerging from the waves with the sun behind him, I shall stand back, ladies (and gentlemen, if needs be) and try to look aloof while you all fight over him.
It won't work but it'll mean fewer bruises for me. ;o)
Till then ... pax! (My Latin teacher Miss Barrie would have been so proud of me...)
Fifi
xxx
I tell you all, you can look but you cannot touch - Johnny is mine, mine, mine (once I've sorted out what to do about Vanessa).
Fifi, was it the first Pirates? Swoooon You know the part just near the end when he shoots Geoffrey Rush with the single bullet he's been saving for him, and GR says "you wasted your shot" then Orlando Bloom says "No he didn't" and drops the last coin back into the treasure chest thus lifting the curse and so GR dies, and all the time JD just looks at him with "I was right all along and finally I have my revenge and I'm very calm about it" written on his face but without saying a word? You know that bit?
I let out a near-orgasmic sigh in the cinema at that point.
In fact, back when I've had a cold shower...
Fifi (99) - what does a loof look like?
xx
LadyPen
Aperitif : oh YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
LadySnorkPenMaiden : a bit like a lert but more loofy.
I had a shock this week. Saw what Viggo Mortensen looks like when he's not being Aragorn: geeky. What a disappointment!
Gisborne is my first look at Mr Armitage and I am now anxious that, bereft of the dodgy leathers and bad haircut, he might turn out to be ... ordinary.
But those eyes....................! Surely not.
Must pull myself together. I'm not usually this hung-up on looks. I don't even know if any of them can sing or are taller than me!
Aperitif 100.
I think I may be able to help you out with the Vanessa problem. In fact it would be my pleasure ;o) Now all we need to do is entice them to the beach...
Excuse me you lot - do you mind?
I'm having a late lunch here!
Hello all - I just had to nip down to this beach for a very short breather as life in December is just awful. Moreover the rain it raineth every day. Soooo gloomy!
Lots of new froggers down here - great to see you! And many congrats to Admin Annie and your son - if he has time, perhaps he would be good enough to drop by my son's flat and explain how it's done. I do remember all that losing weight business for the photos, though, for my two girls.
Hope Mrs Trellis' head and LadySnorkPenMaiden's walls are better now.
Here's a couple of bottles of Waitrose's own brand champers which is actually very nice and makes an excellent hair of the dog, so please all help yourselves. I'm off to that quiet bit of the beach over there so I can build a small sandcastle before the tide comes in.
Mrs Trellis, don't forget the children, do we have a cr猫che under a palm?
Oh yes. My son is there as we speak and he would love some more friends to play with.
Fifi still not Fiona, Mr Armitage is 6'2 or 6'3. I don't know if he sings but apparently he plays both the flute and the cello vey well.
And are you right about those eyes......!
and now back to normal life, but before I go I'll just have a quick tipple of that Waitrose champagne, thank you Sara.
LadySnorkPenMaiden (now 101) : how odd. My reply to your perfectly reasonable question has evaporated.
Let me try again. Perhaps it will attract the original answer back and we'll end up with a pair.
A breeding pair?
Sorry, my brain's going all Cubist. [pulls self together]
What does a loof look like, you asked?
Easy. Much like a lert. Only more loofy.
Fifi xx
Oh boy! I go out for Chrimbo lunch at work, only to come back to find the ladies of the frog-beach almost drooling over the thought of J. Depp! Ah well, I think I should refrain from putting this bottle of champers behind the bar, I think you lot have had enough already!
:-P
A slightly squiffy FFred
Admin Annie (108) : comfortably over 6 foot? Cello and flute would go nicely in the band, too.
* thinks carefully for all of one second.. *
Okay, I hereby relinquish my claim upon the person of Johnny Depp.
Now, does anyone know anyone who knows Richard Armitage?
Gosh I'm fickle today!!
Fi-ckle-fi xx
Right, home again, home again, jiggardy jig. See you all on the beach after PM
Hmmm. I'm sure it was Monday evening when I was here last. It's all the alcohol-sharing going on round here, I think I must have spent the best part of 24 hours behind a rock. It was only the mention of Johnny Depp that awoke me from my none-too-unpleasant slumber.
Thanks to everyone for such a warm beach welcome. I shall definitely be visiting more often - I just need to pop home and freshen up.
Thank goodness for the Beach because the news tonight is so gruesome. All those dead women and no sign of it stopping. Let's not talk about it here though.
Somebody, cheer me up will you?
We are invited to a CPRE branch Christmas party tonight (last year's was more fun than it sounds!) and my suggestion of a guitar and some carols has been snapped up eagerly.
I desperately need to get 'in the mood'. Instead of which I have cold shivers and a sense of dread.
Not like me at all, at all, at all. :o(
Rant! Rave!
(you can cover your ears/eyes now)
It drives me flaring MAD that people given the job of answering phones in the UK can't blooming well speak or understand English at even a basic level. Yes, I know, I'd be lousy in any language other than my own, but if they're being PAID... I hope this isn't racist. It's just about competence. Don't mean to offend.
(you're ok now, uncover)
Phew. Can I have a nice cup of tea, please?
I'm sure all you lassies will be glad to hear Neil Mu帽oz (spelling?) is on continuity duty just now...I like his voice too.
xx
ed
Waitrose champagne! It is very nice! Is there any left for me? I missed annie's last night.
Yummie!
Mary
Loof? It's as plain as the palm of your hand.
As Burns wrote: 'O lay thy loof in mine, lass'
and it's also in 'Killiecrankie'
Other Burns sites are available
Fifi (@ 102) & admin annie (@ 108) can I have Ioan Gruffudd then please? I'll have Alice Evans to offload if there are any takers!
Sorry to follow Frances Os' rant with another, but here goes....
Some of you in the past will remember what I said about why I don't get the bus to work, seeing how I'm less that 15 mins drive away. Well, as it was the work Christmas Lunch today, I thought "Let's be a responsible FFred, and not drive to work. I don't know how much alcohol there'll be at lunchtime." (Turned out to be not as much as previous yars in the end, btw). So I decided to catch the bus. I live 8 miles from the office. I can drive it in between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on traffic. I caught a bus at 7:10am, paying 拢3.40 for a single ticket. I got to the office at 8:30am! The only direct bus from my town to the largest business park in the South of England takes over an hour and 15 minutes by the timetable!!!. I'd planned on catching a taxi from the restaurant back home, on the way back, thinking that we'd be going on the same length of time as normal. But no, we finished early, so it was back to work for an hour or so. I managed to persuade my boss to let me leave 25 minutes early so I could catch the only direct bus back home (not really a problem, as he's a good boss). It's taken me 1hour and 45 minutes to travel the 8 miles for 拢3.40! Even if I bought a season ticket, it would still cost me something like 10 times the cost of driving my car, and would take an extra 2 1/2 hours out of my day, sitting on a bus. I would love to support local public transport, but while it takes this long and this much money to travel from a reasonable sized town to one of the major local places of employment, I just can't justify it, sorry! Gaahhhhh!!! I feel like I'm turning into Angry of Surrey!
Quick, someone pass me something mellowing and squiffifying...
Fifi
If I could take your troubles
I would toss them into the sea,
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me.
I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend that is always there.
*smile*
Fearless! What a journey! Have some champagne! Gin and Tonic? Both!
BTW everyone, I recommend Helen Sparkles blog (click on her name). It's fascinating, beautifully written and deserves lots of visits.
Mary
admin annie - not quite sure what we were to do about the book group. Seem to remember BigSister saying to post on the first thread for the 11th which is actually this week's beach.
Will try to gather my thoughts off-line and post somewhere sensible in due course.
Dear Eddie
That camper van (a faint whiff of vinegarette surely) certainly came down with a bit of a bang, enough to dislodge some of the nearby boulders and reveal a section of the beach previously obscured from view. I was as surprised as my cat Grey, who had woken me for an early morning stroll, to see the remains of what must have been a fine (in its day) vessel. Some 17 tremmets overall lying now at a jaunty angle, the transom trailing and but a thin wisp of smoke at the funnel.
The flaked and pickled paintwork looks ashen in the early morning light, suggests she was bleached rather than marooned. A remnant of her name remains but all we could make out was "Sa" and "obster".
Grey carried on past with scarce a comment, and I must do the same before Lenny stops serving breakfasts.
Listener #B4
Oh my goodness mary, I really didn't think it was any of those things, so thank you so much, I love my visitors. I have one of those stat counters that tell me where everyone is from, only down to region, but it is fascinating to see where around the world people come from & how they found me. Hardly anyone ever comments, except for you of course, so I had thought I was just amusing myself!
OOO a vessel, not that we want to escape, but might be nice to restore it, if we can & get a sea breeze?
Many thanks for the various welcome comments - and if I have read another newcomer correctly, Simon (82), it seems that the lunatics have definitely taken over the asylum - which is the way it should be!
Have just emerged from a delightful swim and left a botle of lime juice at the bar (Very good for settling hangovers I'm told, mixed with a little water - something to do with acids and alkalines I think.)
Frances O (115): sorry you seem to have had a bad experience - presumbaly on the 'phone? Being totally devoid of any linguistic talents, I can forgive almost anything so long as it is not injected every few words with "You know what I mean.." I forecast that the letter 't' will eventually disappear entirely from the spoken language and harbour huge admiration for those who can say the word 'butter' without any lip movement whatsoever.
Whoops! seem to be getting a bit serious so I'll just jump on my Hobby Horse and ride of down the beach.
Ta Ta!
PS Who's Johnny Deep please?
Dear chLuke, I think I'd faintly resent being called a lunatic if I wasn't desperate to get off and find the limers, I know theres a bottle t the back of some cupboard or other.
FFred - chill - I had a tyre blow out on me last night.
I reckon whatever means we use has its drawbacks. My mate Dave reckons the only answer is for us all to have motorbikes. 'Ever seen a motorbike jam' he asks.
I was thinking more of pony and traps. Unless I could have one of those Hells Angels tricycles. oo and all that leather, yeah
I don't know who Johnny Deep is. Appy, Fifi, ValP - admin annie - any ideas?
Fifi (various) . . . I shall look out for loofs and lerts and report back. In detail. Graphically.
Acksherly I think there's either one or the other lurking behind the third dune on the left . . .
Oh! It's JDepp! Shall I point him at you? Would that help?
xx
LadyPen
PS My house is currently (in December) full of Anguses, Johns and Alexes and I had a v special hug tonight from daughter Annie as I did such a good job cleaning up the s*ck on the walls before they all (plus a couple of Laurens) arrived.
PPS Hysterical . . . moi? Can I come and sing with you?
chLuke I can see that you're going to fit in round here just fine! :)
You're allowed a couple of hobby horses I think.
Welcome.
Mary
In the absence of Big Sister to kick off the Book Club, here is my review of the first grown-up book. Don鈥檛 want to give away the very powerful ending, but I鈥檇 certainly recommend it as a 鈥榞ood read鈥. It鈥檚 a real page-turner which drags you along at a fast pace, and I certainly couldn鈥檛 wait to get to the end. Sacrificed a whole day鈥檚 Christmas preparations in the process.
My Sister鈥檚 Keeper by Jodi Picault
The action, set in the USA, takes place over a period of a few days with each chapter narrated by a different character, throwing a fresh perspective on events. Thirteen year-old Anna was 鈥榗reated鈥 to provide life-saving cells from her umbilical chord to cure her sister Kate鈥檚 rare leukaemia. The trouble was that as Kate grew up further life-saving procedures were required and at no time was Anna really consulted about donating blood, bone marrow and so on. Now Kate needs a kidney transplant from a perfect match donor and Anna employs a lawyer to argue her case to be allowed to refuse.
We get to know Anna鈥檚 family - controlling mother Sara who was once a lawyer, father Brian who is a fireman, tearaway oldest brother Jesse who takes out his frustrations through drink, drugs and arson attacks. There is Anna鈥檚 lawyer Campbell, a man with a 鈥榮ervice dog鈥 and a line in self-protective wisecracks; and the guardian ad leitem, Julia, appointed by the court to support Anna. Campbell and Julia are brought together for the first time since a passionate teenage affair was mysteriously cut short, deeply impacting both. Now they have to work together to understand Anna鈥檚 situation and help find the best solution for everyone.
The only voice we don鈥檛 hear is Kate鈥檚. Everything we learn about her comes from those around her. Immediate sympathy for Anna鈥檚 plight and realisation of how it also impacts Jesse and Brian contrast starkly with the apparently unsympathetic mother, Sara. To save Kate, she has pursued ever more desperate medical procedures involving Anna who seems only to exist to save Kate. Family life is dominated by emergency dashes to hospital, interrupted holidays, ruined birthdays. As Campbell and Julia investigate in order to represent Anna we learn more of the background and the novel moves from past to present, gradually filling the story in for us. Sara seems ever more driven and controlling as she tries to pressure Anna into giving up her legal case and donating a kidney at risk to her own life. Finally Sara is forced into representing Kate against Anna in court.
At one point Brian, has to rescue a child from a burning house and first checks that it is safe for himself. 鈥淭he safety of the rescuer is of a higher priority than the safety of the victim. Always.鈥 he says, and this seems to echo the decision that Anna wants to make, finally to be allowed to save herself. But there is a twist to come.
Curiously as things become more desperate, we realise that everyone including Sara has really struggled to do what is best. While Brian fights fires in real life, Sara fights the medical fires for Kate, and even delinquent Jesse is secretly donating blood for her.
There are three twists to the tale. Smugly, I 鈥榮olved鈥 the mystery of Campbell and his dog, but was quite unprepared for the denouement in court and the shocking event that follows.
Listener #B4 (124): Tremmets? Trailing transomes? Is it you flying training missions over the beach at about 7.5 feet as we speak? I can hardly hear myself think.
xx
LadyPen
Aunt Dahlia (currently 128) - motorbike jam? Is that like lemon curd? Or orange marmalade?
Or liquorice?
xx
LadyPen
To add my two pennies worth to the book club I would like to recommend Floence King: Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady.
This is an autobiography. When Florence King was born, her Granny, a blue-haired 200 pound woud-be Virginia Grande dame moved in.
She wanted another shot at raining a Perfect Southern Lady having failed dismally with her own daughter, a chain smokin, baseball playing tomboy. Florence was Granny's last hope and was brought up to be the ideal Southern girl. But as she discovered: "like charity, schizophrenia begins at home".
From her first tentative steps in school (I was miserable. I wasn't sued to children and they were getting on my nerves. Worse, it appeared that I was a child too. I hadn't known that before, I thought I was just short"), to her college days were she discovers women in the form of the beautiful Bres, this is a sensationally funny bood that reads like a novel.
"No matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the street"
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Enjoy
I'd like to recommend Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scene at the Museum. There's a bit in it about a younger sibling and a rocking horse. It was as if I was reading about my own life, save for the fact that my younger sibling was a brother not a sister.
I can't go into detail about this book.
These are her words
It's the story of Ruby Lennox from birth to the age of 40, her family, and the secrets hidden in the family's story. It also contains flashbacks to other members of the family -- in the past -- and so builds up a story/family tree that spans four generations. It's about history, time, loss, coincidence, self-knowledge. (It's also about cupboards -- but no one seems to notice that!)"
I noticed it was about cupboards.
I commend it to the blog!
Mary
Lady Pen (132),
Motorbike Jam is easy; Like all jams, you take equal weight of motorbikes and sugar, and you end up with 5/6 the total weight of jam. Pectin may be needed to make the jam set.
Firstly gentily boil down the motorbikes, then add sugar, sturring etc, (pectin - or apples if you prefer, adjust the weight of motorbikes to suit - if necessary), then when down to the correct weight, pour into *heated* jam jars, and seal. I remember doing this bit with waxed paper and candlewax! Screw-lids are now normally available.
Perhaps we'll not try it on the barbeque tonight, it's a bit late.
Anyway, G&T for me after another trying day...
Dear Helen,
you can have Ioan Gruffud and welcome. He is on my list along with G Clooney and various others headed up, 'but why do people swoon over him?' Still it takes all sorts and it's a bit less competition for Depp,J and Armitage R.
Aunt Dahlia, tut tut all red blooded women should know who Johnny Depp is; in deference to your apparent gender chLuke we will allow your ignorance! but people have been know to adopt opposite genders in their froggy personae.
Have you ever seen Chocolat, Donnie Brasco, Pirates of the Caribbean, the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Fractory, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, the biopic of Ed Wood whose name escapes me, that thing about Don Juan (ditto re name) with Marlon Brando...Mr Depp was in all these and more. In addition to being one of the sexiest men on the planet (despite, sadly, pace Appy being a smoker) he is apparently a very nice man as well.
If you are not already familiar with him Aunt D I suggest you obtain a DVD of one or more of these films and watch them, because somehow I just know you'll love him. If you want to feel maternal then Scissorhands is the one to go for, although it will break your heart, so if you want something a bit less harrowing Chocolat. If you enjoy tongue in cheek action films and can cope with seeing rather more of Keira Knightley than some of the rest would like ( how irritating is that little snorty grin? ) then go for Pirates.
oh and how could I have forgotten the wonderful 'Finding Neverland'. It brought a tear to the eye.
Just had a thought, will Eddie remember to post a new beach in 25th Dec? I found that vintage bottle of Fonseca port I was looking for. Its just been nicely decanted and the stilton is ripe. And as my kinds call them, there are also some Wallace and Gromit Crackers for the cheese.
Don't forget to pass to the left and gent's must pour for the ladies.
Stewart, I think I've got some walnuts to go with the port and stilton.
You've reminded me, I am still waiting for people to post me their Christmas pressie list.
I did email PM and ask the team to suggest pressies for wrapping under the tree on the beach. Presents to be opened on Christmas day. I will post a list of those presents that I've been able to identify owners for on the big day, whilst stuffing my turkey. Others will have to take lucky dips.
Mary
I'm still rooting for My Antonia by Willa Cather, great piece on her in The Guardian reveiw section last weekend, actually now I realise I didn't read it but just thought it was great someone was writing about her! It seems the family theme is resonant in our choices & this is no exception.
Aaah, yes Finding Neverland - wonnnnnnderful!
Madmary (135) did you know "Behind the Scenes" was also done as a play a few years ago, at York Theatre Royal? It was adapted by Bryony Lavery from the book. I don't knoew if it ever went anywhere else after that season. I was one of the on-stage musicians, & it was one of the best jobs of my life! Apart from the incrediby harrowing denoument, which I couldn't bear to watch, as my daughter was at that stage the same age as Pearl. An incredibly moving & emotional story. Kate Atkinson came to the first night - I watched her in awe from afar!
Sorry I haven't been around much lately - work calls, & the next 2 weeks is back to the cake factory, this time in Leeds.
I'm not one to namedrop (apart from Kate Atkinson, obviously...) but can I just share with you that in the last week both Hayley Westenra & Katherine Jenkins have had the inestimable privilege of sharing a stage with me? The only problem being that while I knew their names, they sure as h*ll don't know mine!
Have a nice glass of wine for me on the beach tonight. I may have to find one here, I think. Incidentally, someone in the bandroom tonight was making mulled wine by boiling it up in an electric kettle. Does this seem like a good idea? Has anyone else ever tried it? (I think it was his own kettle, luckily.)
madmary (140) Serious pressie lists or silly?
This port is going down far too well. Thanks for the Nuts!
I want electronic OS maps to go with my PDA and GPS thingy. I can't really justify it for the amount or walking I do but I just think it's a great idea.
GPS is great because you know exactly where you are when you are lost! Its also great for getting round the beach.
How many of us do a "standard" letter to put in with the christmas cards. Does anyone want to publish them on't beach?
"Words on our world" around and about Christmas 2006?
chLuke, you have soothed my fevered brow. It was a series of people on the phone as I tried to contact my Mum, now back in town after a sojourn in Oxford. Went to see her later and had same problem getting through on intercom in where-people-who-aren't-ill-enough-to-be-in-hospital but-not-well-enough-to-go-home place.
Arrrrggghhhhh!!!!!!
Anyway, a bit of Rabbie Burns helped.
Walt disney, btw
It's just a hitch Frances O, hope the place is ok though & your mum might even make some friends, I'm sure she has some already, but apparently social net networks are as important as physical health to our wellbeing in our older years.
Can I just share that I have had to get up at 6.30 to get my hair done because of this thing called Christmas! Apparently other people are busy looking pretty so they can go out to play. I mean, getting up for work, getting up for a plane, but getting up to get my hair cut?! I work from home a lot BTW, so am a spoilt brat who can wear her pj's all day, I do realised everyone else has probably been tasked with a 2nd project/case by this time, but hair /i!
Stewart M -(145) yes I do the standard letter thing, but have recycled the rats story from the blog, so there's no way I'm posting that again.! I get depressed reading friends letters which are a roll call of their & their children's stunning achievements & their action-packed year, so I usually try to make ours sound as downbeat as possible in opposition. Hence the rats reappearing!
Stewart M, pressies can be fun or serious but must be in principle wrappable (sp? word?) or capable of being presented eg in a gift voucher format so that they can be placed artistically under the tree for Christmas Day.
My list is growing but it's not long enough. Some regulars are missing. RobbieJohnDo, you have yet to post your Christmas wish list.
Mary
madmary, wishlist not very long really as life is already so full of stuff. But wouldn't say no to a chunky knitting machine or one with a lace carriage and lots more cashmere in lovely colours...
and of course world peace....
actually I'd happily forgo the presents for the latter, but I guess it's rather difficult to wrap.
Fame at last! I'm in recent comments list!
Annasee (145) I don't want other peoples letters but yours. See no harm in recyling blog stories. But I too try not to play down things. I had a great paragraph about our kitchen refit nightmare that was cut by SO to one sentence. This was so we could pit in a short bit about the kids.
My caveat with a christmas letter is ONE SIDE OF A4 and normal 12 point font. Plus two small piccies of the kids. It is only a brief summary to try and encourge communication with friends/colleagues/relations you realise every christmas you never see.
And madmary. I'll hunt out my full pressie list for you.
Admin annie, Yes, I know who Johnny Depp is, and you missed ''The Libertine''), but I was making a feeble pun at the fact chLuke was seeking info on one J.Deep. A lifeguard I suppose.
Hey! we need lifeguards on this beach, for safety. and I've just spotted a couple of surfies, this place just gets better and better. Despite the jam on the way here.
Coffee coming up - no LadyP. I mean I am in the process of brewing it, not recycling it as is your current lietmotif.
xx
Fifi
you OK?
RobbieJohnDo (1): Now how can I resist a plea like that??
"I'm back" as written on the long oblong object.
Hello Belinda - glad to see you back.
Beached whale in Wapping.
You put your posting in
they take your posting out
you put your posting in and they shake it all about...
Aunt Dahlia (152) - I promise I shall never mention it again :-)
Belinda (154) - hooraaaaaaaay! Welcome back :-)
xx
LadyPen
Mrs Trellis (121) : ah, I knew I could rely on you! Such a lovely poem, and just for me.
* blush *
I shall file that away in my little hidey-hole behind the mixers in the bar and take it out for a look whenever I'm feeling down.
The 'do' went better than I expected, and I have accidentally been booked to play at someone's next birthday party...
* * *
LadySnorkPenMaiden (129) : Thank you, that's very kind of you. And if I'd known how soon JDepp was going to appear on the Beach I would never have dumped him in favour of RArmitage!
...I wonder if he switches to leather shorts for Beach wear?
Belinda
You have made my day! What's been happening?
I've just has 2 hours of driving and 45 minutes of totally inconsequential meeting and am having a quick relax before getting back to December.
RJD
Dr Hackenbush (156) - that wasn't referring to me was it?
Thank you all for stomping on the head of that troll who was too good for the rest of us. I didn't feel strong enough but my comrades did a fine job.
I watched a few minutes of Eddie on that Politics Show. Forgive my ignorance but who is Lauren Booth exactly? The running caption thing said that she was the sister of Cherie Blair and opposed the Iraq war, but surely she didn't get on the programme just for that!
Belinda
As far as I know, and I use the words very very loosely, she is a writer and journalist last seen making herself extremely popular in the celebrity jungle thingy in Australia, I鈥檓 told. I think I鈥檓 joking about the 鈥渆xtremely popular.鈥
Welcome back Belinea, ane I'll eo iz properly when I gez zhis eamnee zricky special effecz Eoczor Hackenbush szarzee me zampering wizh my keyboare ouzpuz.
xx
ee
I hope iz wasn'z me who hae any parz in eriving you away. (Proszrazes self in abjeczly)
Aunt Dahlia (153) : just spotted your thoughtful concern, newly arrived in my time zone.
Yes I'm fine thank you, dear heart, just very frazzled trying to get things sorted before last posting dates and all that chap*.
See that blue streak, flying past the window?
That would be me. ;o)
* Fifi Rhyming Slang
Hey froggers, I've been playing golf on 'This weeks Beach'. Great fun!
Do you ever get a waft of magic鈥
鈥.when I was little, when we were all little, I imagine we all had very few possessions but how much did we love the things we did have ?
I used to get extremely excited about a brand new golf ball. I used to get one for Christmas. A tangerine, an apple and a golf ball, the last three things in my Christmas pillow case, right down at the bottom. I loved that golf ball. Just thinking about it now makes my tummy go funny like thinking of a past love. There he was in his wrapper.
The Dunlop 65 ddh, his dimples perfect, his skin, soft and shiny, his coat whiter than the freshest snow. This ball was to be my friend, this ball would win me a competition, there was no way this ball could be involved in an ugly shot. I wouldn鈥檛 be playing with him for a while yet. It would have to be a special day and of course we would have to prepare ourselves for the chance we might be parted.
Whenever that day would come, as come it must, nobody would know just how special that first tee shot would be, for there would be my ball putting his life on the line, a brave soldier volunteering for the most dangerous of duties. We鈥檇 spent many hours together.
If I woke up in the morning, there he would be right by my bedside, as I drifted off sleep, he鈥檇 be the last thing that I saw .
So why did it all mean so much ?
Because like the golf ball, I felt so little, I felt like the world had no idea how much this golf ball meant to me and how I didn鈥檛 have another one and how if I lost him that would be it, he鈥檇 be gone for ever, I would have lost my little friend.
I felt like the world didn鈥檛 understand.
And so, inevitably, the day would come, the feeling would arise that today was the day. And then the shot would come, the duff or the hack or the slice that would cause us to be parted and I would be sad and the rest of the round would mean nothing because he鈥檇 be gone, on his own somewhere, deep in the rough grass, left to fend for himself, his shiny white coat beginning the long and painful process of decomposition.
I鈥檇 betrayed him, I didn鈥檛 have to hit him that morning, I could have kept him for ever. I could have handed him on to my grand kids, in my will, the most valuable thing on the list. The golf ball that was never hit. But this, I suppose, would have been to have deprived him of what he was meant to be鈥 for a golf ball that was never hit, was never a golf ball at all.
I still miss the little fella though..
Gosh Chris, what a lot of balls
you must have lost
Chris (164)
I hope you never lose your balls.
Chris,London
Not a ball in sight. I used to get books, little toys, quality streets, tangerines and nuts stashed in my Christmas (pillow case) stocking.
It took me years to try to get mum to let Father Christmas put our nutcrackers in there with all the nuts though!
I'd do all the colouring-in in my new colouring-in book, eat the tangerine, eat the choccy (one)...and then sit there in total exasperation with the uncrackable assortment of almonds, brazils, walnuts etc etc for the next 6 hours til' we were allowed downstairs, or one particular year, let out of the Air Raid shelter. Still, happy days!
Cripes! It's 4.47 and Lee V's no 167, posted at 3.47, has just come up...
see you all at the end of today's programme
Cripes! It's 4.47 and Lee V's no 167, posted at 3.47, has just come up...
see you all at the end of today's programme
Well, your carbonara may have been a success Chris, London, but nobody, but nobody is going to get me excited about getting a golf ball in my stocking........
Well, that's what happens when you get het up about the time delay. Sorry for the repetition.
Note to self: remember not to eat too many gherkins
Evening all!
Is there any champers left? I feel like celebrating!!! Yep, I've just had my last session of sock-wearing, and tomorrow is my last day in the office 'til next year, so I feel a little squiffification is in order :-)
Oh No!
I've just typed out a huge post about Christmas present and past and pressed the wrong key and it disappeared! Apologies if I repeat myself then.
Chris London, I know exactly how you feel.
My stocking (best bit of Christmas) always contained a small orange - possibly a satsuma - and other small toys but my favourite thing was the 12 new pennies (old money). They weren't valuable to me because you could spend the money but because they were "treasure"!
I still love Christmas. I don't have children to buy for but I do buy my husband toys. He's had in the past Airfix kits, mecanno, remote controlled mini cars, badges with his name on shaped like a bear and so on.
This year he's getting a really special toy. I'll let you know on Christmas day if anyone's interested.
Anyway the beach Secret Santa is progressing but there's still a way to go. Santa tells me he's particularly exercised over RobbieJohnDo, LadySnorkPen, Annassee, and a good few other regulars.
Time to put up my sorry excuse for a Christmas tree!
Mary
I need a drink. I just got upset my some character on the flip side called Rhys on the "Helen" thread and need to calm down again.
Congrats FFred. I don't finish until Tuesday, Boo hiss, so have to endure another four days of the grindstone and the commute from hell.
Valery P
From another thread - "that's my gas at a peep."
Please explain.
madmary
Secret Santa - I think I said something about that ages ago but I've missed out on what's happening. Should I have done something?
Sweet post Chris honey (165) I can鈥檛 pretend to feel exorcised about golf balls, but did used to feel exactly the same about new shoes, I used to put them by the bed so I could see them as soon as I woke up. I particularly remember the red ones with the gold buckle, not sure how those happened, we didn鈥檛 have any money.
I think it was because, although I did get new things, most of my clothes were home made, & those that weren鈥檛 were 2nd hand because we were poor. Which while I think of it, is something I should have told a social worker I was working with recently; she was concerned that I sounded posh & that people would find it hard to relate to me because my clients would think I was wealthier than them. Well yes, I am a professional so am likely to earn more than a teenager who isn鈥檛 even entitled to benefits yet (my user group) & what is so wrong with speaking proper like/clearly? I know she had middle class do gooder in her mind, but I felt discriminated against whilst in the next breath she would be defending diversity鈥 oo er beach isn鈥檛 the place for a rant really is it, but a nice G&T now & I鈥檒l have a paddle to chill!
My stocking was also a Satsuma madmary (177) shop chocolate coins, a toy & some nuts. I was always so excited, even though I knew what was in it really, & I was a tad miffed when my stocking was returned to me for the SO to fill鈥 was only 35!
Mrs Trellis (175) I'll have some of what you're having. I felt I had to reply to Rhys also and have likewise a need to calm down a tad.
BTW has anyone noticed a touch of the deja vue on the blogs this evening - double postings all over the place. I had real trouble getting it to accept anything earlier and then found that in spite of having warned me off it had actually accepted twice over.
Either it's very quiet on the beach tonight or the moderators are off at the office party.
Anybody out there?
Here, just to tempt you onto the sand, I've brought some extra soft beach towels to lie on, a big jug of fruit punch and an 18 year-old McCallan.
OOO going over to see what you have said Mrs Trellis (175) I've seen the words enforced adoption & imagine I may have something to add myself!
I just mixed a vodka martini in the pitcher on the bar, I used those olives we found in Sicily & the vodka from Russia, or was that another thread... I may have dropped a stitch, anyway help yourself to the bliss that is a good dry martini!
FFred,
Well, I'm happyish for you, but I'm in over xmas and the new year, for we have to deliver on the first day of the new year, and the machinists still have not finished the parts yet (only a few months after he got the free issue material)..so I need a drink.
I've brought this crate of Porter with me, anyone who wants a change to liffy water or bitters...
Mrs T I don't finish till Friday, well Saturday after I've taken the staff out for the Christmas meal.
All sorts of problems regarding my home arise just in time for my time off - typical. I've a fault on my telephone line, there is damp in the flat which needs attention before I have to throw all my furniture, clothes and carpets out and a few light bulbs need changing. I fully expect that my Christmas tree lights will fuze and Oh I need a new toilet seat.
My world is crumbling!
Is there a drink out there?
Mary
I had a rush of blood to the head today and did some Christmas shopping.
Still haven't written any cards yet though. Eeeek!
Trouble is... too many Christmas parties to go to!
I do talk a load of chalk* sometimes...
* FRS (but it only works in a Scottish accent)
Sorry folks, bloggage seems to be continuing.
Catch you all tomorrow.
Mrs Trellis, well I went over there, but Rhys left me speechless, if he comes to the beach I might be tempted to throw sand in his face!
Oh good, Belinda is back, the lesson we have learnt today froggers is always to peek back if we have been discouraged!
Fifi, I love your poem, Mrs Trellis is lovely to write such a thing.
Johnnie, I like your kitchen & I would like you to make my breakfast one day! I think we should all mail our pictures to the Xtra gallery, & you didn't edit me???! I am afraid I do usually have too many words & it's a verbal condition as well.
Um where did my last post get to?
Serious problems on the blog tonight methinks!
Mary
Thank you helen, I read your blog today and you have a fan. Me.
Eoczor Hackenbush - zhank you very much ane I zake greaz eelighz in rezurning zo zhe frog. You eie not erive me away in zhe slighzesz.
I got my tree today - it is about 4ft too tall for the ceiling and is currently tied to the bookcase with my husband's tie (he isn't here to know this), so that it does not fall over. I need to ingest a few bottles of Christmas Spirit before starting on decorating the darned thing.
Does Santa know the way to the beach BTW? He'll need a new set of directions sent to Lapland every monday.
Ah, Belinda, but Santa just knows where all the good boys and girls live, even if we are on the beach! Good to see you back btw.
Deepthought, I become more and more curious about what it is that you are forever delivering?
RJD, I answered re peeping gas on the other thread, and I also asked you what you're doing rummaging around in my local Council?? Though the latter question hasn't appeared yet.....
I guess it must be time to hit the hammock, I got carried away watching a feature about good sherries, and I've just got the taste for a nice Fernando de Castilla PX, if anyone knows where I can pick one up? The website suggested, only seems to sell in half-cases and it's 拢20 a bottle!
Mrs Trellis I was a fan of HelenSparkles blog first! So that's two of us. I truly hope other's read Helen's blog as it is wonderfully written and beautifully presented.
Just another thing in this world for me to envy, but enjoy at the same time.
Belinda welcome back. Sants knows the way OK, but he's asked me to remind you and others that he still needs some inspiration regarding suitable pressies.
Mary
Thinks..... Mmary, if I never indented for a present other than my original rather introspective first suggestion, then a bottle of the aforementioned sherry would be lovely, ta!
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I've just been to see James Bond......I need a cool shower and a drink to calm me down!
This can't be right. It's after midnight, I am stone cold sober (no! YES!!!) and my SO is still sat at his desk, finishing off a job that he hopes will enable him to 'sack' a timewasting, energy-vampire client tomorrow.
Yes that's right folks, I have been writing Christmas cards. Or rather, envelopes. I used to have all the addresses so you could print them out on computer. But that was way back when we had an Amstrad!
Cards will have to wait at least another day, as I have an evening meeting tomorrow.
No wonder we all get so fed up with Christmas.
Mrs Trellis, pass me that glass of bubbly will you? We shall toast each other (and anyone else still up!), ever so slightly out of focus, and pretend that nobody has an early start tomorrow..........
And as I leave the Beach I will turn out the light.
;o)
Anne P (180)
A serious question. Do Mr and Mrs McCallan know that you have that 18 year old with you?
Night all. Love and kisses. just watched Caberet and drank 2 bottles of wine! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Just back from the land of Yarg. After 'time with the inlaws' I need a good rest on the beach. Just as well I had Sean Bean with me - well, in my dreams! Memo to self: must stop dreaming about Sean Bean and Eddie Mair.
Is there a lounger left for me? Sooooooooo many newcomers, along with the old mates. But newcomers = new mates, doesn't it? and it's really good to see them here.
WoyW seems to have inspired something really special, and the sparkle is wafting over onto the Blog (as well it might), so - Hey ho! it's a wonderful world here under the benign gaze of Lord Mair.
I'm off to the bar now for a nightcap, then will have to sling a hammock between the palms. I need a long sleep. Tomorrow there's a lot to catch up on here in Eddieland.
Good to see you, guys!
Big X from Big Sis
Hello
Have finished the Xmas lights in the garden and Simon (SO) has done two trees :-)
Too late to check through all the entries but will do with a coffee in the morning.
Checked the emails and have put this up on Fifi's bits from Brian.
I gave up in the end. :-(
Re: 187 (Helen)
Oh thanks -- it needs a clean.
You have FAB pictures on your blog. I'd like a few more Hi-res ones from you as could hardly make out the stamps!
For fellow froggers who have good resolution photo's I'll keep anything e-mailed as they are as sometimes the compressed ones (for obvious reasons) on the 大象传媒 site loose some detail -- what's on the monitor etc...
I'll give you some Panto goss tomorrow :-)
And, just to keep some gender balance, I'm also a fan of Ms Sparkles - a BIG fan. I'm a bit concerned that she can get exorcised by balls, though....
I'll have a drop of that Macallan, thanks Anne.
zhanks zo er Hackenbush for some ieozic fun (no, noz erozic!). I coule gez usee zo iz. Imagine zurning ze whole keyboare inzo a cypher...buz how zo gez iz back?
xx
ed
Deepthought (John W) (136) - not perchance related to the Johnny Deep I am seeking?
Belinda (161): I think somebody has already mentioned that Lauren Booth appeared in the ITV reality show "My brother-in-law got us into Iraq - get us out of there!"
Chris (165); One of the most moving monologues it has ever been my privilege to read - it left me quite moist eyed! The mere mention of an individully wrapped golf ball (my father spoke of them), left me feeling quite weak at the knees. Do you think the other beach users would object if we took our sand irons down for a bit of bunker practise before a quick sundowner?
sweet dreams all
Hello everyone (again)
Peace and quiet in the kitchen at 01:10.
All the outside lights are up and now sipping one of Mrs' T's leftovers -- what's new!
It's been so manic. Anne Charleston (Madge) is gourgeous, and was telling us all about he up's and down's in Neighbours tonight. Between us and the gatepost it seems that Anne and Harold aren't the best of friends at the end of the day! - but that's all in the past! .. maybe
Chris Jarvis has been quiet but is up to his eyes still at Tunbridge Wells. He's promised to Fax us the nasty message which I'll put on the Extra site. He has also requested that if any of us go we have to shout out
''EDDIE MAIR" -- however as he now reads the blog, anything from Big Sister to Helen Sparkles will do the trick!
FINALLY! For those that want a fave pic published ( or one in High resolution) don't forget that we are putting them up on the Froggers site at
so post them through to
jonnieATcransley.com
substitute AT for @ to try and kerb the spammers.
I'll try and get a celeb photo soon for you all to see. Brian Cant is especially a very sweet man.
Night while I still have some space.
Brilliant test, Jonnie!
Another Macallan and to bed
xx
ed
Sweethearts, you are all so lovely, & there was me having blog envy of other bloggers! Thank you. X
Morning all :-)
Sorry if it sounded like I was rubbing it in about when I'm going to finish work. That wasn't at all what I meant, honest! It was more a celebration that the sock-wearing is now over! It's been eight long weeks of that, so you can imagine that it's a relief for it all to be over...
*Yawn* Oh dear! I think I might've overdone the unoaked chardonnay last night. Anyone object to my taking that unoccupied hammock and having a snooze?
Well the tree is practically decorated...although it is still attached to the bookcase and everything is tilted (I suspect that is due to the Scotch which facilitated the procedure).
Exactly how organised are the froggers regarding Christmas? I haven't bought anything or prepared anything. I still haven't finished by roll of film to send in my WoYW masterpiece/mantlepiece. Mentally, I am still at the beginning of November I think...which means that I will be celebrating the new year around the middle of February. Come and join me!
Morning all! Just off out to work, but couldn't resist a little catch up on the midnight owls.
Ooops I'm going to be late.
See you all later.
Mary
Morning all,
Glad last night's postings got through eventually.
I'll just make a large pot of tea before popping back to December. Mugs on the bar counter, milk in the fridge.
But quietly - don't want to disturb FFred.
Did anyone listening to the Today programme this morning notice the legend Geoff Boycott calling Sonia McLaughlin 'Love' on three (?) occasions?
I'd be surprised if she wasn't spitting blood after that kind of condescension.
Are us chaps permitted to call ladies we are not in a long-term relationship with 'Love' in this PC age without suffering a sharp pain in the nether regions immediately thereafter?
I reckon that what saved Boycs is that he is in Western Australia, she was in the London studio....
Si, the cricket nut....
Monty Panesar 24-4-92-5 hoorah at last!
SO is now officially on holiday, and started off the day by making a to-do list 19 items long (so far), hope I don't get roped into any of it, because I have one of my own.....
Next year, could we have Christmas a couple of weeks later please? 3 sets of nasty tree lights have been unearthed, all in working order, but the new set, the one I want to use, isn't. Trouble ahead?
Interesting developments in the 'Primate testing' story;
Animal testing researchers have announced that as of today they will no longer conduct vivisection and other tests on monkeys or apes. They have found a suitable substitute. All future testing will be conducted on Accountants, Solicitors and Estate Agents.
A spokesman for one of the biggest companies gave this statement;
"Testing on these new categories of primate has many advantages over testing on monkeys. They share 100% of their DNA with humans. Their physiological responses to drugs or vivisection exactly mirror those of humans. Moreover their are many milions of them out there and the researchers don't get attached to them or have any sympathy for them. We foresee no problems from animal rights campaigners in future".
Si. :-}
Just going to have a large black coffee over at that tall bistro table in the shade before heading back to December.
Anyone recommend a biscuit that's really nice with coffee?
Si.
Belinda (207) : How prepared? Not very!
Finally panicked myself into town late yesterday for an hour's very concentrated shopping. :o)
Came home feeling smug and remembering all the people I'd forgotten to put on the list. :o(
SO was working late, so I dutifully wrapped what I'd bought and broke the back of writing the envelopes for the cards. :o)
Finished just before midnight, and then realised I had somehow missed out A and B from my address book. :o(
Then had to clear the whole lot off the table, in piles according to a) abroad, b) hand delivered locally, c) maybe letters, d) people I'll see at a meeting tonight, e) people I'll see at SO's bellringers' Christmas dinner on Friday, f) people I'll see at acoustic night on Tuesday including a birthday card oh clucking* fit*!
...because I had foolishly agreed to a 9am meeting with my top client today at that very table! :o((
My front room looks like a glitter-bomb's hit it, you can't sit down anywhere for unsigned cards, and I don't have any stamps.
Do you feel reassured Belinda? ;o)
A little something from Anne P
re 180 and 196....he's 18, his parents don't need to know, the towels were nice and soft,it was my first visit to the beach, the waves were crashing.......I've left a cake of Porter to go with the crate of Porter, and a pan of mulled wine, to which you can add the fresh oranges and lemons from the trees just behind the beach.
re 204.....yipee! He's brought his brother with him....how old is this one?
I tell you I'm running round like a demented duck with a 'to do' list as long as my arm. I am cancelling Christmas next year; I'm going to leave everything to my husband and see how much actually gets done. No cards for a start. He cooks Christmas dinner, which is great. but seems to think that absolves him from everything else, from coming up with ideas for what his family might like, to choosing, buying, wrapping, taking to Post Office, opening cards we receive, putting them up, ordering turkey in good time, seeing about cake, making arrangements for the day etc etc etc. Sorry guys I'm ranting, but I'm totally feed up.
I'll just get myself a large vodka and tonic and take myself off, muttering loudly, to a quiet part of the beach.
And yes I did hear Boycott calling that woman 'love'. I could just imagine her seething and it getting worse every time he said it. Of course GB is a professionally unreconstructed Yorkshireman.
Off now for early lunch before spending afternoon concocting seasonal dessert for party this evening. Mince pies? What do you mean mince pies? They were done between two separate trips to the post office this morning
Jonnnie (215) I loved it! but it wasn't me that sent it to you.
Annie,
At least your man cooks dinner. All I do is keep the fires burning and do quality control....and lead long walks. Ah, the solsticial break! Anyone fancy a pint at the local?
xx
ed
Anne P has kindly pointed out that that great long posting of mine (still not up at 1.55pm) about car-jacking is a hoax.
And here is the convincing proof of it.
... more convincing I'm afraid than what I've skimmed so far of the Dodi/Diana inquiry on another thread.
Although I'm deeply embarrassed to have foisted yet another email hoax on you all * deep deep blush * I stand by the advice about vigilance generally.
And also recommend everyone to reverse into parking spaces so you can drive out.
I know it's harder to reverse in than drive in, but at least you have already checked the space you are about to move into is empty.
Reversing out, other vehicles and pedestrians can appear out of nowhere.
I'll just away to the bar now, to toast a few slices of banana against my cheeks!
Ready for Christmas? in a word - no.
The trouble with no longer being in paid employment is that you set yourself different goals and instead of a mad last-minute dash round the shops, I end up trying to knit or make something individual for all the world and his wife/partner/girlfriend/pet poodle.
Gillian (216)
You'll find the cold showers in the annexe down behind Ed's pizza oven.
Ed (219)
A pint? That sounds great. Let's go!
Ed
I'll have a pint although, going by the rate that postings are getting through today, the barrels will probably be empty by the time I and this post get there.
Not very conducive to the to and fro of debate is it?
btw - I have inadvertently managed to display all the the formatting icons within Word (Return symbols etc) and it is driving me demented. Anybody know how to turn the darn things off?
Simon,
Apologies for excessive use of italics on another thread - obviously got the tag in the wrong place!
The best biscuits for coffee are those little individually wrapped ones they sometimes give free in good cafes. I've never found out who makes them!
Fat lot of help I am today.
Fifi - that does make me feel better although you are still light-years ahead of me by actually thinking about christmas cards.
My current grand plan is to go out on Saturday and buy everything - that is: Presents for 25 people, all the food, cards, trimmings, alcohol and tranquiliser darts.
I do think that someone should start selling glitter-bombs though, they sound like fun.
Re: Anne P (218)
Yes - sorry it was Valery P who sent the Welcome to winter one.
RJD @ 177, yes you were supposed to leave Santa a Christmas wish list.
We don't have a chimney on the beach and I don't recommend you put it on the barbeque! I suggest that you leave your list on the bar under the sherry bottle and next to the mince pies. Santa will always find anything left out with the sherry and mince pies and anyway he has to come and check on how his reindeer are getting along.
Mary
Oh dear Simon Worrall! You are suggesting that I become a labrat? I am a solicitor and am heartily sick of people suggesting that I'm a lesser being because of the profession I chose.
Sorry for the sense of humour by-pass! It's nearly time to go home!
Mary
And we can be back in time for supper, eh Lee?
Anyone else? We might as well get out of the way of the women.
See y'all down there.
Belinda - good luck!
RobbieJD (224) assuming this gets to you before you've found the answer for yourself - there is an icon in Word that looks like a paragraph mark, which is two narrow vertical lines with a black bulbous semi-circle top right and a thin line across the top. On my display it is just to the left of the box showing the percentage size of the document. It is a toggle so one click displays all the punctuation marks and another turns it off. You may need to have Word at dull-screen (sic! meant 'full-screen' of course) to see all your toolbar icons
Hope this helps.
Belinda (226)
That is far too early to start shopping. I never start before 23rd December. Remember "work expands to fill the time available"
Anne P (180 and others)
I am confused. Did you bring that young McCallan along as company for yourself or for Gillian? (216)
Anne P (232)
You are a star! Its sorted.
RobbieJohnDo: That is far too early to start shopping. I never start before 23rd December. Remember "work expands to fill the time available"
I thought it was "Frogging expands to fill the time available". Work is just something which gets in the way.
admin annie - thanks! I think I'll need it...badly.
Mary (228)
I think that when you are on the beach your head, as my mother used to say, is away with the fairies!
I also think that on the serious threads you make me feel inadequate when you cut to the point and share your opinion.
I have left you one of the magic-wrapped bottles. You have to offer a glass to Simon who has the courage to take a position, start a proper debate and remain open to other opinions.
Good-o RobbieJD (234) - now I'm just off for a walk along the strand with young McCallan - such a nice boy.
RJD my head may be away with the faeries (a nice place to be actually) but it's completely necessary at this time of the year, what with Santa and the elves and everything. I still don't know what you'd like for Christmas.
As for making you feel inadequate that's a sweet thing to say, but you are truly the gentleman blogger, you are polite, funny and kind and you rescue lost bloggers and bring them home which is wonderful!
Simon, I applaud you for voicing your opinions knowing they won't be popular but never in a way which is anything other than an honest attempt to debate. I would be honoured to share a glass with him.
I've taken the magic wrapping from the bottle, so hold out your glass Si!
And you RJD!
Cheers
Mary
Message for fifi. I sent you an email but I haven't had a reply. Have you received it? Or are you busy singing and such.
Mary
Ye gods! what a day.
If nobody minds I am going to settle down and get quietly sloshed.
To tired to talk.
Love to all
*HIC*
Whato all,
I've heard a a rumour that we're running out of beer, so LOOK what I've got. a Barrel of Fuller's ESB. Brain damage in a barrel.
One of these day I will get into the book club, but in the interim I'll curl up here with a pint of the aforementioned and have my THIRD attempt at understanding "Sophie's World".
chin chin
BTW, Its nice to see you back, Belinda, have a pint.
Hi Bill'n'Ben. Hope you're feeling so much better now. Have you posted your Christmas wishlist? Santa needs to know!
Mary
What a day. One order off, and I come back - "Oh No! Not *another* order". Colleague was hissed off today, turns out he's not started his share of xmas shopping yet, his SO was letting him know about it (but then, neither have I, and I don't have someone to help me work out what to buy 4 and 6 year old nieces who have half of Ireland as relatives on their mother's side).
I'm now convinced our customers order just before holiday periods, so they have their holiday, ruining ours to get the stuff to them at the end of the holiday period.
Hum, porter cake, that looks interesting...but young McCallan is also a very interesting prospect.
Someone (cannot find it for the moment), no, I look like a slightly older Jonnie Depp. On a dark night.
I'm struggling already, I'll blame it on the alcohol.
Mrs T, Go for it.
Annasee, I saw you name dropping earlier in the thread, and one of them is the love of my life. I heard the programme about the Harp Festival, in Caernarfon, on Tuesday. Were you involved/invited? Oh, btw I'm doing another "posh" one on Saturday, but I don't even know were it is yet, I'll keep you posted.
Now if all you ladies are going to get excited about J Depp Esq. et al, once again I'm going to have to stake my claim on sea green.
How about another pint. Sounds like a good idea to him.
cheers
madmary,
Your post just popped up. In answer to your question "sort of", I'll leave it at that
Wishlist? yeah? Ask any sound engineer that question and they'll say I could do with a new rig, about 20K will do.
But I won't be that daft. Earlier on somebody said World peace, got to agree with that, but my wish would possibly be even more difficult. A little bottle of FREEDOM would be nice.
Brian
Oh B'n'B a long time ago I stipulated that world peace and stuff like that were taken for granted, but they can't be wrapped.
A rig! Not an oil rig then?
Mary
madmary, Ok then, a 20k PA RIG, so then Aperitifififi can blow everybody off the beach (possibly not a good idea) but Fifi and the band would be heard in a pub.
Jonnie, Brilliant re-mix ofEd and Jim in a cell. I think you're madder than I am.
Another pint then curl up with Sophie again.
Brian
mad mary, my wish list is
an infallible but easy to follow diet
a painless and enjoyable exercise program
ingmar Bergen's film of The Magic Flute to come out on Dvd.
oh and an extra 3 hourse in every day adn an extra day in every week.
and Johnny Depp. Or Richard Armitage. Or Sean Bean. I'm not grteedy, I just want one of them.
Hi Billn'Ben, where've you been?
Which one of my name drops is the love of your life? And why?
Re Carnaervon, no I didn't go though I was sent the info about it. I'm afraid I tend to avoid harpy get-togethers, mainly because I'm usually working (and you know what self employed means - no work no pay!), but also because if the other harpists are:
a) better than me, I'll be jealous (most likely)
b) worse than me, why would I pay to hear them?
Of course, there is always the interesting possibility of :
c) So much worse than me that schadenfreude renders the listening experience pleasurable, but that is a dreadful and unprofessional attitude with which I would have no truck. (ahem)
So now you know...
Aww shucks! I finally get a strapline!! Can you all see the blushes rfom here?!?
btw, A very good friend (and fellow frogger!)has advised me that the reference I made to sock-wearing may have been misconstrued to be something to do with being on holiday. I'm sorry if I confused anyone with this. The reference to sock-wearing came about as I was trying to describe to my fellow froggers what I was going through as part of my treatment for a case of psoriasis. It involves wearing a sock. Not a pair of socks, a sock. I won't go into any details, except to say that it's taken 8 weeks to go through this, and I'm now very glad that I can relax and not have to think about having to cope with Oxford ringroad at 5pm three times a week.
Anyway, I probably won't be around much before mid-evening tomorrow, as I have to attend a funeral.
ttfn
FFred
Thanks B&B&B, don't mind if I do. Just the one, mind, 'cause we already had a few down the road. Did Lee make it back?
Where's my tea?
zzzzzzzzzz
Wishlist for jonnie :-
Can B&Q try and keep at least one set of xmas light replacement bulbs in stock from the previous year.
It's a nightmare! Only last year I spent 拢30 on a set which I can no longer get spare bulbs for!
Bill'n'Ben! Thanks for the compliment but It's not a worthy example.
Please send me some more audio though. I love your bits - so to speak.
BTW The Bournemouth Panto company manager is whingeing about the sound guy because there is constant feedback (howl-round) and he is eq'ing out all the mid frequencies to try and correct it.
Hence it's loud but muffled. Oh dear -- long story but seems to be causing grief! I'm not trained in PA systems and mixing to a live audience but suggested from starting with a flat EQ from square one -- slowly edging up the output until it starts to howl and then bringing in the backing tracks.
Long story but any hints would be handy as the sound guy is a bit of a novice (I gather) and the Sound director has gone now.
Simon, those biscuits are called cantucci & you can buy them online from Carluccio's, or any Italian deli.
Oh my God I've been curled up on the beach with Sophie all night.
Annasee, The one with the Welsh accent.
Must rush, got to go to work, see you all later.
Brian
Morning All,
Well that walk last night with young McCallan proved very useful. It seems he's on a gap year and he's a qualified life saver. As someone mentioned a few days ago we really should have one on the beach. So we've built a small Lifeguard Stand complete with all that's necessary and young Jamie will be on hand whenever he is required. But please don't go taking any unnecessary risks just to gain his attention!
B&B. I loved Sophie's world but much preferred the Solitaire Mystery. It is quite, quite beautiful.
Morning B'n'B. Is this a rumour we can start?
This is officially my last day at the funny farm before Xmas. Yay! Although I dare say people from work will phone me about stuff.
Just having a nice coffee on the beach before drying my hair, then off to work where the receptionist will skillfully apply the straighteners so that when we go out tonight for our Christmas meal I shall look moderately passable!
Morning everyone else. Great strapline today btw.
Mary
Jonnie (253),
When I buy such things, I also buy spares at the same time, and keep them all together. Then, at least, you are normally able to get more than one season from them.
It may be me, but I find incandescent lights much more attractive to the light emitting diode types (which have a hemi-spherical top - usually - and if you look carefully, all the light comes from one tiny dot deep down), possibly because that's what I grew up with. Not very green, though.
Thanks for the offer of the pint last night, Bill'n'Ben. The consequence this morning was that my alarm went off and I went immediately back to sleep, where I was dreaming about some naked adonis doing the gardening.
I'm not sure what someone put in that pint, but can I have some more?
Who bought the inflatable Santa Claus to the beach?
FF (251) I have been wondering about the sock reference actually, I envisaged you casting off such restrictive garments as you escaped (albeit temporarily) the grindstone & ran down the beach for a paddle or just wandered around your house barefoot. It didn鈥檛 seem odd to me at all because I don鈥檛 like socks! Nothing particular against them you understand, I launder SO鈥檚 with care, & try not to lose the odd one to the sock monster (they live behind the washing machine you know), but they are not for me & I take them off at the earliest opportunity!
RJD (236);
** Blush **
madmary (238);
My glass, and thank you.
Sparkles (254);
Ta. Will investigate.
There's a big vat of Mulled wine (complete with added Cointreau) on the bar, with mince pies and single cream. Help yourselves!
Si.
Jonnie (253) : I will ask our bass player for suggestions re PA trachles.
Although the band's PA kit ("Nigel") lives at my house I am too busy rustling up refreshments for the band to have learned anything about how it works myself.
John's on another double shift today but he might check his emails when he pops home between shifts for a snack.
Fifi xx
For those who are feeling 'bah' about the forthcoming festivities, I humbugly offer this:
Jonnie, I have emailed John about your friends' PA woes. Fingers crossed.
Mary, I have emailed you separately. Yours never arrived.
And now, lunch!
Hello Beach, Just popped in. Like the nice Life guard hut but obviously we also need a lady life guard. I remember Bay watch :-).
Helen mentions taking socks off. The thing I always take of when not at work is my watch. I need to know the time at work, but at home there are plenty things withthe time on, TV, digital radio etc etc. And on holiday the only time you need to know is when to arrive at the airport/port. So from 11.00 next Saturday till Thursday when I'm back in work I'll have no watch on. But will have socks.
Mulled wine, mince pies and cream! Yummieeeee!!!!!!
I'm starting to feel a bit Christmassy at last!
Thanks Si!
Mary
Got your email fifi, I've replied with my original text. Hopefully you will get it.
Mary
Woe again. I loved the youtube clip, feefs, but it crashed Firefox.
And jonnie (215), not having Windows, I couldn't open your link.
Sometimes it's lonely out here in Macland.
Mary, the only wrappable thing I want for Christmas that isn't practical is a pair of long black leather gloves. Silk lined. And lonnnnnnngggggg..... and butter-soft.
Posting under the Suffolk thread has made me think, as you all have a tendancy to do, I would really appreciate knowing what you think about some research I am doing. It is about paedophiles, so excuse the seriousness of this post on the beach, but I thought you would all see it here. I have now set up a link to email me from my blog (success - hurrah; I couldn't do that before!) & wonder if I could post there & ask you to contribute?
Just rushing through. Have been struck down with a virus which is robbing me of my voice (in the real world - though I seem to have been a bit vocal in Suffolk!). Today is SOs birthday, rather grim for him as everything he says to me is replied to with a croaking grunt. Still, I suppose the croak is appropriate here on the Frog!
I like the way Eddie now speaks of us as froggers, btw. He is a grand lad.
Now, where are those mince pies? Oh, Simon, there they are! Thanks, pal, they look lovely. And mulled wine? How you spoil us!
Where's my lounger ......?
Stewart M - I too am a non watch wearer on every possible occasion. Like you say there are loads of things round the house that have the time on and if you have R4 on a lot of the day that sort of keeps you right - as right as you need to be when you work from home. In a way it's a bit of a shame as I have two nice watches, but if you don't need them strapped to your wrist you don't need them.
I woke up this am feeling distictly off but HE persuaded me I would feel better if I went to work - my voluntary job at the CAB so I went. And I didn't. And I had to walk to the car park to get home in a howling wind and hail that had sharpened edges and was coming straight at me.
So now I am wet and cold in addition to feeling ill so I'm taking myself off so that I don't infect the rest if you. I will however take some mulled wine, a moince pie and some cream, all fo which will amke me feel better.
Have a nice evening all, I hope I'll feel up to running around the beach tomorrow.
Frances O, (268). What about trying Opera for Mac? I use Opera on my PC's and my Mobile phone and it works well. Only snag is it won't play with a certain supermarket's on line shop.
Big Sis and admin annie get well soon.
Hot toddies is what you want. I'm off out this evening, but I've left a kettle boiling on the bbq, some honey, whiskey, and cloves and some glass cups with spoons so that someone who isn't feeling so poorly can brew up the toddies for you.
Mary
Admin Annie,
Here, have a specially prepared hot lemon, honey and whisky, but sit down first, 'cause it's a guaranteed dozer... Wrap up well. You too, Sis, here's a toddy for you as well.
Now is there any of that excellent beer B&B&B brought. And a drop of nice malt to go with it (separate glasses, of course. Warming up the oven for pizzas (or nan breads, etc. A few large onions softening and some herbs...
Pull up a lounger and watch the stars come out.
厂濒谩颈苍迟别
ed
Helen I couldn't see any email link on your blog. Can we have directions please?
As you might imagine I have stuff I wouldn't mind contribute.
Mary
Frances O. (268) You have reminded me that I once had just such a pair of gloves, until the day when, at the end of a picnic, my father bundled us into the car in a hurry because an 'abnormal load' was heading in our direction (days before many major motorways you understand). Only later did I discover that one of the gloves must have dropped out of my bag in the rush - devastated I was.
Invalids (various) - do hope the hot toddys have helped.
As for a female lifeguard, Stewart M., I think you'll have to find your own - I've asked Jamie but he doesn't have a sister.
Ah well, back in December a large consignment of trees, fruit bushes and hedging plants is expected tomorrow, so weather permitting a lot of planting to do.
'Time for bed', said Zebedee.
Thanks, Madmary and Ed I. Just what I needed.
I wish my head would stop spinning, too! I'm getting very dizzy as I look up at the stars. Hope I'll feel better tomorrow as I feel it's been very odd this week. And so hard to get by with no vocals.
Lots and lots and lots to do before the festive season truly begins, no energy and no voice - hard to fulfill all that's needed. So I'll lie back in my lounger with my hot toddy and a good slug of Islay single malt, forget about the madness of the world and just r - e - l - a - x ..............
Re: Fifi (264)
Thanks -- you are good to us all x
Re: madmary and the e-mail link.
To specksavers with you !
It's just underneath Helen's clock on the right.
Ooooooooooo. Another strapline! Am going to start having Ideas Above My Station soon.
Back in December, it's raining. The hole in my roof is leaking, and all the lovely Anguses, Bens, Johns etc have gone home. Offspring are going to have a LOT of collateral damage to clear up tomorrow . . .
So I'll just pull up the bejewelled hammock wot I just knitted, embellish it with a few interesting findings, and have a lie down.
Love to all
xx
LadyPen
Glad the hot toddies did the trick. I'm just back from a really nice Christmas meal with my staff. We went to a hotel and had a private room and I sang songs from the shows to their delight and my embarassment. And no I wasn't drunk!
Helen S, I know I need an eye test, just one of those little jobs I never get round to.
I'm going to lie on the beach squint at the stars and finish off my nightcap.
Night night fellow froggers.
Mary
Morning Froggers! I've come down to the beach for a few moments to take a break from decluttering my flat. I live in a small place which needs decluttering from time to time and today's a decluttering day. Several things have motivated me to do this. Christmas being one, I need space for cooking in my kitchen. Another one is that I'm expecting a BT engineer to come to see why I haven't got a dialling tone. He won't be able to do that unless I clear a space for him.
Decluttering will involve SO moving from his usual place by the table drinking copious amounts of tea. So until he moves I've come to the beach to drink copious amounts of coffee and stare out over the waves.
Lovely!
Mary
A at Christmastime.
Adjust your budget accordingly.
Season's Greetings!
ed
Afternoon all, I've something interesting I brought along here for the BBQ.
I was in this well known, (smaller chain) supermarket, when this packaging leapt out at me (metaphorically; it would be worrying if food packaging really did start leaping of shelves of their own accord as one walked by, although I am beginning to suspect something like this happens every time I'm at the checkout when the huge total is revealled ~ but I digress):
"Aperitif's at the ready"
Mind boggling as to whether Aperitif had gone into the prepared food market, I investigated. In fact it was indicating that the contents, these indoneasian style rolled pancakes only take moments to heat up. But I thought I would bring some to the beach so others could laugh at the packing.
Johnnie (279) I must salvage mary's reputation & tell you I only just put it there, I tried before, & couldn't work out how but were are in email touch now! What I would like to know though is why the clock et al. have all slipped down the page, they've never done that before.
BTW, do you have a quiet time when we could have a froggers convention @ your lovely B&b?!
DeepThought - does it really say "Aperitif's" ? Typical, mumble grumble....
Deepthought & Valery P
"Aperitif's at the ready."
The temptation is to leave the apostrophe in and treat it as a headline. I could work on that story. Mmmm.
thank you Ed I and mad mary your pick me ups or comforters of whatever worked and I feel much better today. Have had a very relaxing time making Christmas cards and will write them tomorrow. Then they can go in the box on Monday and I'm done. Thank goodness.
Now I once worked for a short while in a jewellers shop and whoever it was that was saying how they didn't start shopping until 23rd December - oh boy, did we love people like you. You were panic-ed, quite often had been drinking, and were therefore hugely suggestible. Think on that and then maybe start a bit sooner next year.
Anyway glad I dropped in, but have to go0 and make tea now so we are finished in good time for the X factor final.
admin annie glad you're feeling better. You've reminded me I must write my cards. Tomorrow then after decluttering the bedroom, and hallway.
For HelenSparkles my remedy for toothache is a straight whiskey. Take a sip and hold the amber liquid over the pain. A few swigs later and you will find the pain subsides.
Now like aa I'm settling down for the XFactor finals. I'm only sorry the lovely Ben and Robert aren't there!
Mary
well I didn't like Robert who was as mad as a brush, but I would have liked to see a Ben/Leona final. Anyway am now going to fill in the gap with an old episode of ER before the results show. Go Leona, that's what I say, but obviously I'm not bothered enough to actually pick up the phone!
Valery (286),
OK, I'm not entirely sure, (I did not actually buy it, just brought it for the beach, if you see what I mean), but I have a feeling it was with the apostraphie; althought that may have been added by my warped mind in the context of the beach. I will be at another branch tomorrow (doing mother's shopping as well as my main shop ~ today's was just a stop gap, at what happens to be my nearest supermarket), and will report back.
Leona is clearly the better performer, but she warbles too much for me, Ray is an overgrown child star and there's something not quite ... can't put my finger on it but ...
I loved Andy from last year, singing "Me and Mrs Jones".
Robert was a bit manic, but he had a lovely rich voice. I also quite liked Ashley (a bit full of himself but a huge potential).
Best of all tonight was the gorgeous Sean. I could adopt him.
*sigh* it's all over till next year. I think I'll audition for the "over 25s"!
Mary
..obviously all the moderators were watching X-factor...
oh yes wasn't Sean great - such a shame that he couldn't overcome his nerves and be a proper contestant.
I'm afraid I think Me and Mrs Jones is one of the ten most boring songs every written...
We share a toothache remedy, Mary.
Evenin all. Trying to get to show images. Frustrating stuff. It seems everybody else can see my blog complete with pictures, but I just get little frames, on which right-clicking will open picture.
I see the same when I look at , so the problem is at my end. Some 'security' feature of browser, (firefox2), no doubt. GRRRR!
Time for useful work
xx
ed
Admin annie, I love that song, never mind.
Yes little Sean used to make me cry. Whenever he cried so did I. It is a pity that he didn't overcome his nerves during the early stages.
I remember him saying that he sang on the way to and from school everyday. I used to do that.
Oh I'm becoming a tad sentimental. Must be the mulled wine!
Now what am I going to do for the next seven months on a Saturday night when I'm not working?
Mary
What is this X factor business, new washing powder or something?!
Ed (295) my blog doesn't always work, they are really unstable sites, I am sure you know more than I do anyway, but have you compressed the images? & jpegs seem to work better than anything else.
mary, no whisky or whiskey in the house, going to have to open the Christmas fizzy pink stuff because the cellar has run dry... how did that happen... oh SO doesn't drink so that'd be me then. What Saturdays when, do you need a hobby?!
just to say that I didn't mean to sound quite so dismissive of Me and Mrs Jones (obviously other, and more favourable opinions are available) but I had to cut the message short as husband was hovering behind me as he had been siezed with the desire to sort out the problem that I have had lately playing DVDs on my computer. Now I was grateful that he did it, and the problem is now sorted out, but as with a lot of these things, he doesn't always pick the best moments to turf me off my machine. No offence or cast nasturtians intended on your musical taste Mary.
BTW his cure for toothache is salt, and I was naive enough to try this once. It certainly works, if you can leave it there long enough to kill the nerve while you whimper with pain.
I am ridiculously pleased with myself this weekend as I have just read the Norwegian Ladybird book of Hansel and Gretel, and although obviously after one term I didn't understand every word I certainly managed about 90%. Sadly the Norwegian section of the library offers nothing between this and Agatha Christie , so from tomorrow I shall be struggling with 10 Little Indians in the non-original Norwegian. For tonight something a little lighter perhaps, but anything to keep me from the horror that is the current test match.
Valery P
I am very concerned to read on another thread that you think I am ignoring you. This is certainly not intentional. I have replied to you here at (287) and I am sure at other places.
What have I not responded to?
RJD
Well DeepJohn (284),
Apostrophe or not, I am entertained. I always think of an aperitif as an alcoholic drink and have never considered myself pancake-like (I would like a pancake-flat stomach, but usually have a girly curve).
Anyway, I am now at the ready: What's happening guys?
Hi Appy - where have you been. Not working I hope, not when there's blogging to be done!
There's a game of Namedropper's Top Trumps going on on another thread, though I forget which one, someone will tell you. I think Jonnie's ahead at the moment. I bet you've met some "celebs" you could mention, haven't you? Nothing libellous, of course. (or at least not so far...)
Re toothache, (who was it suffering?)a hot water bottle on the pillow at night helped me after the last lot of work. The pain went on for 6 weeks after it, I'm sorry to tell you, but did eventually stop. Thank heavens.
Aperitif, I have bad news. Eddie loves Roberto more than us! I'm sulking on the beach now, drowning in coffee.
Nothing wrong with loving Roberto, he's a lovely blogger and has a romantic sounding name and is from "abroad" all of which makes him infinitely more attractive and interesting than me!
I think we'll need a lot more candles Aperitif, I'm planning an all night withdrawal group for the Eddie Mair Spurned Fangirls Club.
Join me?
Mary
Oil of cloves.
There, I've said it!
Hey, Sister Mary, Eddie came to your rescue! What a love. And he adores us all.
Now I can relax with my Margherita. What do you think of my new bikini?
Very fetching Big Sis. I think I might have a gin and tonic. I don't usually at this time of day but hey it's been quite a day!
What it is to be adored!
Mary
I've mixed a few G & Ts and left some canapes for anyone popping into the beach.
There is no card writing to be down on the beach, but if folk would like to place a little decoration on the tree that would be nice.
In the interests of H & S the tree is lit with glow stick type candles. They don't blow out in the breeze either and I've put some fairy lights up around the Nick Clarke Bar. It's all looking very festive.
Mary
I've been cutting Holly sprigs and making wreaths with willow, heather rope and cedar fronds (smells nice!) I've never seen so many berries on the holly as this year. I'll leave a few spare branches behind the shed.
I'm too mean to buy stuff when the best of materials are in the forest, and for free. Thank God(s) (generic) we're not overpopulated around .
I'll just take a pint of the black stuff and go back to my twig technology.
ed
Are we really talking about bikinis and curvy stomachs in December? I鈥檓 trying to relax.
I too have noticed berries on the holly this year, pity I can't really cut any of the stuff around here. Ed I think some of your decorations would look lovely on the beach.
Mary
Thank you for all my toothache cures, pain has now re-located, a bit like when you have gas & air. I suspect the good doctor could tell us all about why that is better than I, but I think it alters ones neurological pathways. Anyway, I now have unexpected pain in the pectoral region which followed a headache. I am not a hypochondriac so am finding this all a little bewildering!
Ooh Err, I think I got caught in the trap back there, or perhaps it was my croaky voice ....
I've planted a Noble Fir (specially bred to withstand hot temperatures and continuous sunshine) over near the bar. But not so near that we'll knock off its balls when we're a bit worse for wear.
Now, would Sparkles like to climb to the top, or would a frogger care to knit us a star/fairy/Twinkly Eddie instead?
Sparkles:
If this is allowed through, you might like to laugh at these:
Hope they won't make your pecs hurt even more, though!
Big Sister; Sparkles isn't very sparkly at the moment so will defect to a cashmere fairy should there be such a thing! Luckily laughing doesn't hurt, thanks for the funny.
One consequence of all the berries on the bushes seems to be that the birds have little need yet to visit my feeders. Though I did see a hugely fluffed up greenfinch this morning (overnight frost in December).
Hey, girls! There's a party on at 17 December Street! All welcome!
Bit of a delay on posting (314) as I pressed the go button and left the machine only to come back much later to find malicious posting warning.
I really need the beach this evening - pre-Christmas is getting too much, though I have finished most of the machine knitting (and got repetitive strain in my shoulder as a result) and packed up a lot of presents. Husband did most of the cards thank goodness and will I hope get the house generally sorted while I go off to collect aged parent on Wednesday. All those plants have still not arrived. Supermarket tomorrow, where's my list....aaaargh
Ignore me, I'll just clamber into this hammock and ask young Jamie if he'd kindly bring me some of Helen Sparkles' fizzy Christmas pink stuff....mmmmm
Valery (286), RobbieJohnDo (287), Aperitif (300)
It really says "Aperitif's at the ready".
To prove it, I took my camera in, and took a photo. As I cannot post it on the frog, I've posted it on my blog, where it will be on the front page until Tuesday 19th, and then in the December Archive.
I did feel a little self-conscious at taking this photo, so I turned off the flash, this was taken by the lighting alone, so sorry it's not the clearest of pics, but it's clear enough!
I will repost this on the new beach tomorrow, so all who have read the story so far can see the conclusion.
The company concerned, Bighams, have a web address that is pretty obvious from the name, I think it's dot com.
I just had a look at your blog Deepthought, and I'm fascinated. I must take some time out and read from the beginning. I caught stuff about machines and metal and squirrels and it was intriguing.
Mary
RDJ. don't fret, i think I was just feeling unloved, nothing personal intended. It was something to do with the gas at a peep expression, and it got left behind on an untended blog. I didn't mean to moan, accept my apologies please?
On the December party thread - I think - I mentioned that our fairy needs a new frock, and once I've done that then the tree and other festive adornments will be complete! Time to celebrate.
madmary (281). I will not go into the reason why its important to have an Eye exam. But I would in december. I am somwhat biased in this topic. The only optics important on the beach are those on the bar. I'll bring along a pair or two of menu reading specs.
Hi All,
Annasee, I have indeed been doing a lot of work but also a lot of preparing for December 25th, which feels a bit wasteful but for some reason Has To Be Done. I've got so much to catch up on here, but I like idea of Top Trumps so I shall have a look around for it.
Tia Maria & Lucozade anyone? (Well it is almost time for the 'Fools & Horses' repeats...)
Hi all,
just a quick note to say Happy Christmas to you all and that I will be away from the beach until Jan 2.
I hope you all have a wonderful festive season and that Santa drops into the beach with everything you wanted. After all, you have all been very good, haven't you?
Have a very Happy Christmas, Mrs Trellis. See you in the New Year.
xxxx
Anne P.
Stewart M. I will get my eyes tested in the New Year. I'm only a couple of months late.
I hate having it done as I know my eye sight is getting worse and the nice woman tells me this is a sign of old age. I hate hearing that. Oh well as least I can still hear!
Now, I must get on with my decluttering. The hallway is practically impassible with shoes and a bike and stuff.
Mary