Exciting times ahead Yogi.  EL I hope you and your brother have a great weekend and make the most of whatever time you have together.

Thanks everyone.

El, I hope you and your brother have a good weekend together, even though it's cut short a little bit.

Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ros and Velvet 

*night owls*  

good evening everyone! its good to be back on English soil I've had a fabulous time and have no broken bones or bruises- yippeeeee!!!!!!! 

I enjoyed the skiing, but really loved the apres ski! My cousins friends have been hilarious, I've enjoyed their company I did fall over a few times, but it didn't hurt  

i can't wait to catch up with you all properly this weekend, I've missed you all  

Good morning everyone

Cloudy here and a bit murky, yesterday's rain has ceased.

Thanks everyone, we are having a pleasant weekend. I see that there are last ditch talks to try and avert tomorrow's strike on the tube and the mayor of London has instructed TIL to continue talks throughout the weekend. My brother will have to assume though that the strike will take place unless it's called off today.

Summer, I'm glad you had a good time and am back home unscathed

I hope everyone has a good day

We're all waiting for the fog to lift. 

Good morning everyone. 

Looks like it's going to be a damp day.

Summer, I'm glad you had a good time, and no bruises.

El, I hope you enjoy your time with your brother. It would be good if the strike was called off.

Joe, I hope the fog lifts quickly. I assume you are waiting to go out cycling?

Have a good day everyone.

Good morning I'm on the train heading home, some train services through London have replacement bus services on today 

El I hope you & your brother have a great weekend, happy new year to you both  

Good morning everyone, still very misty, I think it's set in for the day from the looks of it.

I am glad you had a great time with no bumps or bruises Summer I'm glad that your weekend is going well too EL, what on earth have the tube drivers got to strike about? I know someone who drives a tube train and he is very well paid indeed.

Enjoy your day everyone

Exactly squiggle. I'm sure they have they're reasons, but surely they can come to an agreement so it doesn't affect people's travel. For some people, it's a rare treat to be going away so it has a big impact on their holiday when these strikes occur. 

My cousin is on her way home too and she's having to get the bus replacements 

Summer, I think the replacement buses in London today are more likely to be being caused by engineering work on the lines - the Crossrail project is a massive project and has had a substantial effect on trains. I wouldn't have thought that it would be connected with the threatened strike as that doesnt start until 6 pm tomorrow. The RMT union has just walked out of today's meeting though another union is still in talks. Assuming that the one day strike goes ahead there will be problems for those workers who commute to London on Sunday to work in London during the following week.

Evening all 

My middle son and DiL visited today and stayed for tea.

Goodnight and sweet dreams. Night owl hugs for Velvet, Ros and Summer.

*night owls* gooooood evening! I'm in my own bed and it feels like a big fluffy cloud!!!!!

i got home smoothly, picked up bramble, sorted the suitcase, put laundry on, took down most of the Xmas decorations, had a long hot bath and made the biggest fuss of Bramble ever! Home really is sweet  

velvet, the apres ski certainly is what it's all about imagine a pub crawl style tour of the mountain, with ski lifts and lots of hot chocolate! 

I hope your new year has started well

night yogi summer-lovely to see you back and glad you enjoyed your holiday velvet

EL-hope you enjoy your time with your brother

Good morning everyone

Cloudy here and a bit murky.

Summer, I'm glad you are back home in your own fluffy cloud and with Bramble again

Thanks Ros

My brother and I have been playing a computer adventure game called Anna's Quest. It's one of the best we've played in some time.

I hope everyone has a good day

We are awaiting the freezing fog to lift! I'm glad you managed to relax with your brother and am sorry the tube strike has curtailed your plans.

Good morning everyone, it was a little misty earlier on but has cleared away now, although it is very overcast.

There's nothing quite like getting back in your own bed, I know exactly what you mean Summer, all that hot chocolate sounds gorgeous.  I know in Switzerland it really is made with melted chocolate, was it like that where you were?

Enjoy your day everyone

Good morning everyone.

It was foggy here, last night. Fortunately, it has lifted this morning.

Summer, it's good to have you back. I love the idea of a hot chocolate tour.

Squiggle, the Swiss hit chocolate sounds yummy.

I hope the mist lifts and you can get out on your bike, Joe.

El, I'm glad you and your brother have found another game to enjoy.

Out and about - hoping for a visit to the garden centre.

Have a good day everyone.

Good morning ah it's good to be back Bramble and I are still laying in I feel a tiny bit bad because I see the sun is shining outside, but it does feel really good to be relaxing 

squiggle, I don't think it was made with melted chocolate, but it was very nice. They serve it with a straw, which is peculiar but when in Rome...

yogi i hope the garden centre is full of delights, the thought of spring coming excites me  

I posted in December a Youtube clip of one of Katie Melua's pieces of music from her latest album In Winter.

I've just heard another piece from that album on today's Songs of Praise. It's Nunc Dimitis from Rachmaninov's All Night Vigil. It's in Russian but the words have formed part of the Anglican Evensong for hundreds of years and are:

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen : thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared : before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles : and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

This must be one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard and is more than just good.

Such a beautiful acount of Simeon in Luke, who said those words EL

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord

 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

And the Magnificat is also in Evensong and precedes the Nunc Dimitis in Luke.

quick hello! I hope you're all having a good Sunday  

ive just put all the Xmas decorations back up in to the attic- by myself! yippee! just having a quick rest before I go wash my very messy hair  

Evening all.

I went to the garden centre to check out their bay trees but they all had little patches of black spot, so I'll hold out till I can find a healthier one.

Well done on putting away the decs, Summer.  It always takes me a few days to get used to the bare look.

Evening Velvet.

Sorry to hear your mum's not well. I know you'll look after her.

All is well, thanks. Got the two tiddlers tomorrow, on a sleepover. I'll be shattered by Tuesday night.

velvet donkey posted:

Hope you have a great time Yogi  

I'm sure we will.

velvet donkey posted:

I think it's great     

 

Think I was brought up by my maternals till five during the day. Paternals still give me the shivers. Dad walked out when I was 11 - tosser. He couldnae handle a strong woman.

 At least you got a good 'un with your mum.

Off to watch Endeavour, goodnight and sweet dreams, Velvet and Ros.

Night owl hugs for Summer

Sorry to have just missed you yogi, enjoy the show

velvet, I hope your mum feels better soon she sounds a real gem 

night yogi summer velvetsorry to miss you tonight summer

Good morning everyone

Cloudy here but yesterday's murk has gone.

Yogi, I watched Endeavour as well.

I hope everyone has a good day

Good morning everyone.

Just a flying visit as I prepare for the tiddlers arrival.

Hope you have a good day and I should be back on Tuesday night.

Yogi, I hope you have a good couple of days with the two tiddlers

Good morning everyone, heavy rain and quite breezy here.  I hope it's better weather than that for you Yogi so you can get the wee ones out in the fresh air, I know you will have a super time with them.

I hope your weekend with your brother was a happy time EL, to make up for your disappointment at Christmastime.

Enjoy your day everyone

Thank you Squiggle, it was a pleasant weekend

Yes! I used to love singing psalms. The choirmaster occasionally slipped in a different tune and fitting in the words became a great mathematical issue.

Meanwhile I'm back in bed waiting for the rain to stop. I'm in the last parts hopefully of the Queen's illness. My mum hasn't been well. My son has tonsillitis. It's all a bit stressful.

GJ, I hope you, your mum and your son feel better soon There do seem to be a lot of bugs around this winter,

I think some of my clients have woken up to the fact that the 31 January deadline isn't that far away. Quite a few of them have been contacting me today.

Will they never learn El? mine was submitted months ago and I paid the bill several weeks ago.

good evening all a busy first day back at work here, a good catch up with my mum on FaceTime (who still puts the phone to her ear until I tell her I can't see her ) and I forced myself to do a workout DVD 

El I hope your brother had a good journey home and I'm glad to both enjoyed your weekend  

i hope it does snow a little this weekend, that'll be good fun!