Free for All on Friday

Hi, and as I've posted already this morning, just a very brief reminder that today is free for you to post off topic if you wish. Please just remember to observe our Community Guidelines, as always. Thank you and thanks for all your support throughout the year. 👍😊💖

[sassy59]

I’ve had physio on my knee and have exercises to do. I’m hoping they will help. I’m having an x-Ray next Thursday so I’ll see if it shows anything up. We’re keeping as well as possible and hoping to enjoy Christmas with family. Our nine year old grandson is recovering from covid so we’re keeping everything crossed that our daughter and the rest of the family don’t get it. We watched our youngest grandson, four yesterday, open his gifts indoors while we sat in the garden. He was happy and enjoyed his day.

I wish everyone a happy Christmas and please stay safe. Xxx💜💜💜💜

[Lynd in reply to sassy59]

Hope you have a good Christmas x

[sassy59 in reply to Lynd]

You too Lynd. Xxx

[Byron2020]

Hi Callendersgal, I just thought we could spare a thought for those lovely people of the Philippines who have had to endure a super Typhoon Rai yesterday which as left thousands of people without home's and no electricity and water . X

[Hidden in reply to Byron2020]

Of course Byron2020. Sadly the Phillippines is very vulnerable to hurricanes and this appears to have been a really bad one, as you say. What an especially horrible time for this to happen, when life is already quite bleak in many respects and with what would have possibly been a bright spot at Christmas. Thinking of all those people who have been affected by this terrible storm.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It's always the way isn't it how these horrible things come at the same time!

[Hidden]

Today we have decided to order in a Chinese to celebrate finishing off our 2 week pantry challenge where most meals were eaten from pantry ingredients bar a breakfast out last Tuesday, Sunday lunch last Sunday and a pub lunch last Wednesday and most of the pantry items have been emptied out and we found it a lesson in making the most of what's available rather than being full of complaint over what isn't and how fortunate we are in this country to have the freedom to decide what we eat and drink when plenty in the world do not.

Back in the summer we had decided as a family that there was no point in having high expectations of it as now isn't the time or the place for that as all they do is upset us and like one of my friends had said how the best thing to do is to forget those things if all they do is upset us!

The summer was a great example of making the most of what was available as we went to some new places we wouldn't have gone to if the usual things had been available like Neath and Neath abbey, lido ponty and the ynysangharad park in Pontypridd, renewing an old friendship up there, sitting on the beach at Barry Island having sandwiches after going in the sea for a swim there, sitting on the beach at Swansea after visiting the museums there as well which was enjoyable and rearranging days out to Taunton and Weston from last year as well back in the spring which we had all enjoyed.

In November I really enjoyed a weekend away at a b and b in Weston which we will visit again another time as the last time we had a weekend away had been back in February 2020 in Exeter just before everything closed down in the March and I had ended up saying how these high expectations and climbing career ladders don't matter to me anymore so best thing to do is to forget them and not upset myself over them!

I am feeling loads better in myself after I decided to put my job hunt on hold until 5 January as it was getting ridiculous and feel that by accident last Thursday they did me a favour when they were rude to me at that place where I rang them and there was no interview but at the time it had felt like the world had ended though!

Christmas Eve here hopefully we will be going out for lunch at a place called Viva Brazil where we went back in October for my birthday party where the staff remembered me from when we had last gone there back in December 2019 for a Christmas treat when they did breakfasts there and when I look back at 2019 it feels like a bygone era nowadays.

If viva Brazil does get put off it won't be the end of the world as we have alternative ideas say for example getting a take out or something delivered and then see Viva Brazil another day if the whispers about omicron are true.

Lesson in this never expect you are getting anything and put in alternate plans to help take the sting out of disappointments which is a useful life skill to learn as sadly we can't have everything we want on every occasion can we?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I agree that, at the moment, it's enough to just take a day at a time and not to be too ambitious about life changes or excelling. It's quite challenging just treading water right now.... swimming comes later!

[BrentW]

I painted a Christmas card (Cerdyn Nadolig) for my Welsh language class (Dosbarth Cymraeg).

A view of a hillside with pine trees.

[Hidden in reply to BrentW]

I love it BrentW. What an unusual Christmas card!

[thara9643]

Christmas Lunch sometime next week at a local pub. My mom called today from her house and decided to take me out for a nice classic festive lunch on Wednesday to a recommended pub near the hospital. She lives not far away. Cannot wait. I had my weekly French lesson via Zoom earlier this week, all went well. Christmas tree is up too and presents are being wrapped tomorrow onwards too. Merry Xmas all.