Only 12 weeks to Christmas
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Don’t I know it, little ones already telling us what they want and their other grandparents already planning their xmas meal to which they do not invite me, not that I would go anyway as can’t stand them.
I couldn’t believe it when my cousin told me he was a fan. He’s never danced in his life, and he is about 20 stone, some of which is still muscle (ex SAS reserve). I can still dance, in spite of a duff hip, and haven’t seen it since the first series. I think the rock n roll and a bit of break dancing I was still doing at 65 didn’t help the old joints much. My last outing with the floor-drop and spinning stuff took 2 days to recover from. I think I could still do that but it would require alcohol and I’ve been TT for some time now 
I once nearly bust a ligament doing the splits, I was 50 then. I drove to the hospital the following day with the leg taped into a newspaper splint so I could depress the clutch.
The consultant said the ACL was held by a thread and that I would need surgery. I said cheerio and that was 20 years ago and it never received the knife…I’ve even forgotten what leg it was, only the driving reminded me it must be the left one!
And already the shops are putting out stuff! In September ffs!
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I had a mince pie the other day 
No change there then!
[Ducks for cover, not least as someone who used to make this sort of absolute and utter crap, but at least my absolute and utter crap was the biggest show in the world at one time]
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Not my turn to host family for Christmas this year, I’ve just got to wriggle out of going else where and that’s me happy.
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Be careful out there.
More money grabbers so I’ll take your word for it and be aware.
Yes, especially those who live isolated and alone. Some nasty people about these days with no scruples or respect. There was a 14/15 year old in this dept who stabbed his mum to death last week and then tried to commit suicide but failed and always stories in the local press of neighbours shooting or stabbing each other over silly things
Always wise to be sensible, but this is very rare. Not much comfort of course to this man’s family, but to me people shouldn’t feel overly alarmed. Murder rates in rural areas are low, especially outside family conflicts, and overall rates have dropped too. We continue to feel that the best protection is other people, and not locking ourselves away behind high gates so no one can see what might be going on and we couldn’t call for help.
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@David_Spardo et al
read the story for free… seems like a couple of men were at the chap’s home (presumably they attacked him) and they ended up stealing his car and driving it away … later abandoning it when the gendarmes tried to do a standard vehicle check…
when the gendarmes tried to investigate at the registered address … they discovered the body…
I agree.
This was just a reminder, especially to those who leave their doors unlocked, that the countryside isn’t as safe as we might like to think it is.
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After the murine invasion and having to partially clear the larder we agreed to fully clear it and then clean up & repaint. I originally ran a water and waste pipe through there and then built the shelving in during our first year in the place, so around 1990. It’s not had significant work since, so a little redec. is not unreasonable.
The good is that the paint on the beam in there mostly scraped off easily. The less good is that it’s just a dirty, grotty job and downstairs is filled with the enormous amount of stuff that we stored in there. I’d never have thought we could get so much in such a small space AND still being able to walk in.
It’ll be nice when it’s done.
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I found that standard French homes were extremely well fortified .. with iron railings on any door or window which doesn’t have strong shutters …There is even hidden steel in the decrepit hall door. My place has these very old steel shutters and extremely difficult to open from the outside (. And after 70+ years from the inside also. ) .We are on the outskirts of a village and after 10pm there are no sounds ..so even a person walking or a group talking would be noticeable.
In our 26 years , there was apparently only one attempt at a break in .. where they attempted to gain entrance via a leanto shed … .and gave up ..Is it embarrassing when ones garden tools and bikes are not even worthy of stealing?. Therecwas one incidence of theft over all those years …I had left an unlocked trailer in the garden and it was gone over winter.
Commiserations, but it’ll be worth it! 
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Please take that down and come and put it up in my ‘soon to be made’ larder, thank you. 
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The shelving was mostly from old planks found in the shed and ‘slabwood’ off cuts from the local sawmill (when we had one) that we used for fuel. Some of the wood wasn’t good enough for sale but was far too good to burn, and I built lots of shelves, fences etc with it.
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I like open shelving in kitchens. I know some people think they are dust traps but at least you can see what on them!
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