BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 03:41 PM

Probably easier to do than achieve peace on here Donuel :-)

Thanks for the idea!

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 03:00 PM

"holiday hugs have been reaped" call the authorities

Dave, start small like peace in the middle east.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 09:42 AM

I was hoping it would be more than a 'festive thread' Ed! I would like to bring the warring factions on here closer by providing some common ground with which they can establish better relationships.

But maybe I was over optimistic and how could I hope to compete with fragrant sports bras?

:D tG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Jan 17 - 02:14 PM

I suspect most of the, "bubbly" holiday hugs have been reaped from this yearly, festive thread, as many are recuperating from the friendly hang over (booze often leads to temporary friendships). Some of the low hanging, though firmly wired, have moved over to much greater posting opportunities in the, more fragrant, sports bra tread.

Just my observation, for what it is worth.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: DMcG
Date: 03 Jan 17 - 07:26 AM

A whole lot. Naturally it was the uncorrected post that 'took'.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: DMcG
Date: 03 Jan 17 - 07:25 AM

While I agree in many ways, perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere, becuase it brings a while lot of contentious issues to the thread. As a thread specifically set up to find common ground, that would be a shame.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 03:53 PM

You can get a second-hand copy including postage for about a tenner on Amazon market place. I notice that I reviewed it years ago!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 03:44 PM

Capitalism doesn't allow happy mediums to be sought. The great god Profit sees to that. "Efficiency" is everything when it comes to that. The happiness and enjoyment of the workers at their work doesn't get a look in. Get your hands on a little paperback by John Seymour called Bring Me My Bow if you can. John was never what you might call a leftie, but he was bloody good at exposing the absurdities of capitalism and gigantism, whether of state or of industry.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 02:31 PM

I remember seeing a documentary many years ago showing a group of men digging a new road in some backwater place. The interviewer suggested that the work could be done with one quarter of the men if they used powered mechanical equipment. The foreman thought for a few moments then replied "But what will the rest of the men do then?"

Not saying we shouldn't use technical innovations but it did make me think :-)

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 08:52 AM

Ploughs to wake grass in every field,
Chisels men's hands to magnify.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Ed T
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 08:36 AM

"I knew a man who, in the age of chain-saws, went right on cutting his wood with a handsaw and an axe. He was a healthier and a saner man than I am. I shall let his memory trouble my thoughts."

Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: DMcG
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 08:10 AM

Ditto from me, also without caveats or exclusion clauses.

We are nearly back to normal, having waved off the last but one visitor about an hour ago. Had some good times over the break, beginning with visiting a friend of a friend who turns out to be a Cambridge educated biochemist by profession who is also a concert level cellist, violinist and is currently teaching herself guitar. Whole thing ended up with us dueting a cappella Sheffield carols and various classical motets she dug out, and discussing some research in the breaks.

Then as I said we had my nephew (research scientist) and his partner (recently qualified nurse) over for New Year, so more science and medicine, but completely different branches.

I did also explain Newton's equations of gravitional attraction to my 8 month old grandchild, but I don't think he got the subtleties.

Fortunately my wife is used to this sort of behaviour, since her father used to take her round power stations whenever they were on holiday...

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 07:29 AM

Happy New Year to EVERYBODY here!
No exclusions.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: David C. Carter
Date: 02 Jan 17 - 06:03 AM

I have never visited Janes Rainbow thread?Guess I screwed up;)

Happy new year anyway.


David

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 Jan 17 - 06:49 PM

Happy New Year, David C Carter:
Sandra in Sydney
posts on a regular basis to Jane's Rainbow thread
and one or more of the ongoing Weather threads.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 01 Jan 17 - 06:31 AM

Happy Nrew Year to everybody other than Trumpites and Farragos
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Jan 17 - 06:13 AM

Hoppy new beer!

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Dec 16 - 07:25 PM

Same to you wi' knobs on! 🍾🍸

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: fat B****rd
Date: 31 Dec 16 - 06:49 PM

Happy New Year everybody !!!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Charmion
Date: 31 Dec 16 - 08:50 AM

Spare time, Dave? What's that? Surely you remember what an all-encompassing time-sink moving house always is! And we still have to eat, so there's cooking and washing up, plus we go through underwear and socks at a fair old clip. But the greatest commitment of all is the activity we call "keeping the cats happy", which consists mostly of providng lap space. In fact, I'm doing it now, with both cats settled in tandem on my outstretched legs while I hold my iPad clear of Isobel's ears.

This task could keep me busy until lunch time -- theirs, not mine.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Senoufou
Date: 31 Dec 16 - 04:15 AM

I too would like to wish Keith a lovely time on holiday, after so much worry.
I expect people know quite a bit about me as I'm always rabbiting on in the BS section. But in case you don't, I'm a decrepit old thing, a long-retired teacher, living in Norfolk UK with my African long-time husband who is from the Ivory Coast. He's a British Citizen and has been for many years, but we speak French to each other most of the time. We have three Siamese cats, one of which (Minty) is very ill at the moment but is just back from the vet's and hanging on by a thread.
We adore watching Morris dancing, Maypole dancing, Punch and Judy etc and going to village fetes. Not to mention the Royal Norfolk Show (a large agricultural event) We spend our time trundling around Norfolk and having cups of tea in small villages, fish and chips at the seaside in Sheringham and Cromer and posh coffees in Norwich.
I eat far too many toasted crumpets dripping with butter and like an occasional half of Adnam's ale.
I'm so glad I found Mudcat quite a few years ago. It feels as if the 'usual suspects' are my friends, although I've never met any of you in person.
Wishing everyone here a Happy New Year, and a big thank you to those who run this forum.
All the best everyone for 2017. Onwards and Upwards!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Janie
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 09:01 PM

I semi-retired the first of December. Left the full time paid job at a non-profit clinic but at the same time doubled my private practice. Haven't quite figured out a sane routine that allows me to feel semi-retired. However, did get to spend several days at Christmas with my mom, sister, nephews and grandnieces which was very lovely. The grandnieces put the excitement back into Christmas for this otherwise shrinking and aging family. Was also the first Christmas in several years when I was actually able to stay several days instead of rushing up Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and then having to rush home again to return to work. Sorely missed my son and his lovely partner, but it was her family's year, and I know he was surrounded by people of good cheer who hold him in high regard.

Having several people, including my son and a couple of Mudcatters over for supper New Year's Day. Has become a bit of a tradition. Corned beef and cabbage is my family's tradition.

Weather, spine and finger joints permitting, will resume a former tradition I had to abandon for several years of spending New Year's Eve and/or New Year's Day planting tulip bulbs and daffodils. Haven't been able to garden much to speak of since I moved in 2008 so see this as a promise to myself to make time to do so again. I know I can not manage gardening on the scale I once did, but eager to add it back into my life and routine again.

Looking forward to having the time to become more a part of the immediate community to which I moved 8 years ago but which has only been the place where I sleep at night for the most part, and already getting to know a little better some local folks who are also folkies. Excited that Amos and his lovely 'better half' will soon be local denizens.

So, hoping the New Year will herald new beginnings of some old traditions, bring new friends into my life and offer the opportunity for me to volunteer and contribute to the life of the town where I have been 'camping out' for the past 8 years.

Immediately, looking forward to beginning the new year in the company of old friends and family I hold very dear.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 06:18 PM

Thanks for the expansive post Acme, so much came to life. It seems I am a bit thin on empathy right now but hope rebounds.

Comrade Genericov, if we all had Russian names call me Rudolf.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 11:12 AM

Sorry - Cheese and fish, not bread and fish. I think I had a bible story in mind :-)

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 11:10 AM

Lovely Charmion. With all the spare time you will have you can spend half the year on the Cote de Azure to buy as much fish and bread as you want and speak French to everyone :-) Can't help you much with the house apart from to say that we have had 2 x downsizes in the last 15 years. Life laundry can be very enjoyable and liberating :-)

Good luck and happy new year.

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Charmion
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 09:16 AM

New Year's Eve chez nous will be celebrated with The Brother and his lovely wife at a fish restaurant our family has patronized for something like 30 years. Himself will join us when he has completed the Resolution Run, an annual 10-km foot race that he will walk (as fast as he can) for the benefit of his wonky back. OC Transpo, our esteemed public transit system, offers free rides on New Year's Eve to keep the drinkers out from behind the wheel, so the First Foot will arrive at our house on the Number 1 bus.

Himself will retire from the Canadian Army in March, and soon after we will leave Ottawa for sunny Stratford, the seat and beating heart of Perth County, Ontario. So this is our last holiday season in Ottawa as we approach the end of a 20-year groove of family routine. Just as many of our contemporaries are contemplating a gradual letting go of responsibilities as they age, we are looking forward to Himself starting up a criminal law practice in a small town with almost no military presence. That's about as different from our current situation as we can get without actually leaving the legal profession or the province of Ontario.

I keep wondering about silly things: Where am I going to buy cheese and fish? Who speaks French in Stratford? Will we find a house with enough cupboard space?

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 07:30 AM

Thank you, David. I second that move and wish all a happy Hogmanay too:-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: David C. Carter
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 06:47 AM

I'd like to wish Happy New Year,to those who no longer post:

Bobster,Little Hawk(Chongo),Bruce(Guest999),Georgian Silver,Jenny O,

Sandra in Sydney,Giork,Liz the Squeak,Lizzie and anyone I may have

missed.I know that some of these people still look in now and then.

Plus:A Happy New Year To You All.And the best of health to you.




David:)

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 05:45 AM

Yes, good luck, Keith. You need a break and I hope it goes well. I did not know anything about it until it was mentioned here so, there is another good reason to keep the thread going :-)

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 05:29 AM

Thanks. We are so looking forward to our first holiday for a while.
Best wishes to all in your travels in 2017 too!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Dec 16 - 04:22 PM

Don't forget that Keith A of Hertford announced (on an earlier thread) plans to travel with his wife in January, health permitting. Bon voyage!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: DMcG
Date: 29 Dec 16 - 02:20 PM

So on towards New Year. As a child, this used to be a big faniily event, where many of my father's cousins and siblings and their children gathered , but these days we don't do so much. Nevertheless, one of my wife's nephews will be with us along with his partner: they are in their early twenties and you might think they'd prefer to celebrate New Year elsewhere, but as we are flattered they choose to spent it with us. (His parents live some 250 miles away, hers a mere 150 or so. ). We will also have a few other relatives, neighbours etc so there will probably be between 8 and 15 at various times of the evening.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Dec 16 - 09:43 AM

Thanks for all the contributions and good wishes. Let's see if we can continue getting to know each other better in the new year:-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 28 Dec 16 - 03:57 PM

Love to you all.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Dec 16 - 03:45 PM

With our son Robert back for school break the house there is lots of laughter. Imagine a gregarious curly blonde Tim Conway. He made a compete duck dinner that was divine with all the fixins.

As for fashion I consider it merely a cure for nakedness, I have no standard jeans & flannel outfit. I guess I have 3 levels of laundry for sweaters and everything else is priority. If my "fashion" makes a statement it would be how brave to wear 'that' or some kind of bourgeois proletariat.

My best half made prime rib roast beast for Christmas and although we have a winter heat wave we've mostly huddled inside. Our youngest Dean made an appearance on Christmas morning and reminded me that the new year promise has to be to trust more and make new relationships. Without them Dean has vanished. otter resolutions include volunteer work and no more cigarettes ever.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 11:59 PM

Eggplant is what I consider a Mediterranean vegetable, happiest in hot weather and then, when the plant is robust and going full tilt, it puts out a great crop in the fall. Joe visited when the plants were happily producing, so I felt a bit like a wine steward, I picked the purple orb then let him see which one was selected for dinner. It was on our plates within the hour.

Amos is coming to visit one day soon, along with his family on their migration east. I have some frozen breaded eggplant in the freezer so we might start a mudcat visitor tradition.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Janie
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 10:13 PM

Lovely thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 07:50 PM

My head says not, but my digestion says Definitely.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Raggytash
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 07:06 PM

Is it possible to have TOO much chocolate?

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 06:22 PM

We are not travelling this Christmas, thanks be to Whomever Is In Charge. Himself's sister, the acknowledged Niner of the kin group, took a bit of a spell on Friday and spent several hours in A&E, where she was told to cancel all Christmas commitments and Rest with a capital R. She phoned us to say Stay Home, It's All Orf.

I'm sorry she had a bad scare, but I'm not at all sorry to not be spending the week between Christmas and New Year's Day on the road in what can be the most dangerous weather of an Ontario winter. It's not as cold yet as it will be by mid-January, so the risk of sleet is high; indeed, we skidded home from the Boxing Day sales yesterday with rain freezing on the windscreen faster than the blue goo could dissolve it. Today was not much better.

Best of all, Christmas dinner was at The Brother's house, so, not only did we eat excessively well, but also my kitchen never developed into that bombed-out bordello state, and I did not have to spend half of Boxing Day over the sink, washing stemware.

And we got luverly prezzies and far too much chocolate. Life is excellent.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Pete from seven stars link
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 03:50 PM

Been pretty hectic over Xmas . Lots of family and friends . Glad it's quitter now .

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Mr Red
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 05:04 AM

with fresh eggplant from her garden

eggplants should be for Easter - surely.



But in the spirit (I'll have another one!) of this thread:

Peace and goodwill to all men (and menesses)

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Will Fly
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 04:51 AM

I prefer to post above the line most of the time, on musical topics, with just the occasional foray down here, but I thought I'd add a little to the thread (glad it's a civilised one).

On Christmas Day there was me and Mrs F., her mum (age 90, lives over the road), our son, his partner and 3 grandkids for much of the day. They all went home to respective houses around 3 and I settled down to a double stint with the dishwasher and a gigantic kitchen clean-up! M-I-L had had a bit of a strop the previous day, as she does now and then, saying she wanted to be alone and no-one ever talked to her and it was all too much fuss, etc. (Shades of Dickens's "I'm a lorn, lone creetur" in Pickwick Papers!). But, after a bit of a talking-to from Mrs F. - She Who Must Be Obeyed - all went well and she enjoyed the day. Whew!

I bought myself a s/h Martin guitar a few weeks ago, so that was really my Christmas present to myself, but I was also treated to a wonderful book by Christopher de Hamel (Fellow and Librarian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge) called "Meetings With Memorable Manuscripts" - which takes the reader on a journey to meet twelve medieval illuminated MSS in various libraries across the world. Superb scholarship mixed with wit and clarity and fantastic illustrations - what better combination could there be - and I spent a huge chunk of Boxing Day reading it, in between cooking the venison steaks with dauphinoise potatoes and enjoying more washing up (!).

I see that many people here wear jeans. Not for me - I wore my last pair of jeans about 40 years ago - but good old moleskins! I stopped wearing jeans while doing a lot of walking in all weathers - Pennine Range, Dorset coastal path, Langdales, etc. - and realised that the old-timers were right: wet denim gets you chilled very quickly. So it's moleskin in winter and white cotton in summer.

My son, who's in the wine trade, bought me a small bottle of Japanese whisky - apparently the Japanese have produced some really good whiskies - and I had a shot on Christmas Day. Very smooth - and 50% ABV. But I'll finish the bottle of Jura before I really tackle it...

The music gigs finished about a week ago, but I've been playing as much as I can in all spare moments - when not gawping at Mudcat threads!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: DMcG
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 04:15 AM

Daughter managed to break in with minimal damage so I think it will turn out cheaper than a locksmith would have as they have also got the fragment of the key out of the lock.

Family lunch went well. Only seven of us, including 8 month old grandson who is off on his first flight in two weeks to Milan to meet most of his mother's family for the first time. Today we are off to see her mother and that part of the Italian clan that live in the UK.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Amos
Date: 27 Dec 16 - 12:49 AM

A quiet day at home, reunited with our son Tucker newly arrived from the Bay area (San Francisco).

We are in a flutter of preparations for a family move from sunny Southern California to the nippy but welcoming breezes of North Carolina, with a new house and a new array of dear friends awaiting. Needless to say, the bumpy tides of change are giving us all the collywobbles but we are brave adventurers and shall persevere!

If you have been using my san.rr.com email address, it will expire in a few weeks. PM me for the new one!

A bountiful season and a happy year to all my Mudcat friends.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Dec 16 - 07:40 AM

We had a good Christmas day too. 9 adults and 2 children! First time in years we have had the whole family under one roof. It was really enjoyable. Pressies, good food and drink and culminating in the traditional fall asleep watching something on TV :-)

So, what are we learning about each other? Loads I think and doesn't it make a big difference when you can see that everyone is a real living person rather than an adversary! We all have our little quirks and foibles (Good morning Quirks and Foibles solicitors... :-) ) and we all human! Shame we have not had more from everyone but that is their choice and must be respected.

I'd like to see the thread kept alive so we can celebrate our similarities rather than our differences. It is far more fun :-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Senoufou
Date: 26 Dec 16 - 06:08 AM

Oh crumbs! How maddening DMcG! Could an emergency locksmith not come out to at least extract the key and get the door open? I expect they charge a mint, but it would save the expense of repairing a smashed window.
These things always happen at the most inconvenient and troubling moment don't they? Hope you can get it sorted.

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Dec 16 - 04:40 AM

Finished of the day with a nice touch of drama. We left home around 6pm to drive for a few hours to meet up with eldest son, leaving daughter at home because she has to work on Tuesday. Around 10:30pm we get a phone call that she has snapped the front door key in the lock. It is her only key to the house, since she is normally abroad. Now to puzzle out whether we can avoid a 4h round trip to get her in and still be back here in time to visit other son, throw presents and then drive them to the booked lunch at 12:15, which also involves picking up eldest son and his wife.

(The lock concerned is a security one and it has taken months to find anywhere that can cut additional keys cut and the firat set they cut didnt work. So no neighbour has one.)


In the end we decided it was simpler if she broke in...

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Raggytash
Date: 26 Dec 16 - 03:39 AM

Charmion, Many years ago I made a Rumtopf through the summer. The Rum by November was fabulously infused with the flavours of all the fruit and I strained in off to drink at Christmas. However I was left with a bowl full of the fruit infused with rum that tasted great but didn't look very nice.

I stuck it in the freezer and at Christmas made a trifle using Blackcurrent jelly to "hide" the fruit.

My Mother had some on Boxing Day ........... in fact she enjoyed it so much she had three helpings and was decidedly inebriate by the end.

Recommended helpings were one per person after that!!

Subject: RE: BS: Best wishes - the usual suspects:-)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Dec 16 - 03:14 AM

I have to add something to what Acme said above - she makes the best eggplant parmesan I've ever tasted, with fresh eggplant from her garden.
-Joe-