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Good evening, Rusty!
We are home again!
The birthday tea went very well.
The cake was superb and the candles a huge success!
BB loved it and YB was fascinated by the entire procedure.
BB loved the set of Beatrix Potter books that we gave him.
The drive home was like being out in fairyland...everywhere is already coated in frost.
Those are some very good ideas of Rosalind's for h-w gifts; but I didn't suggest any of them as I knew you had already covered such things as tools and torches!
I am sure you will think of something ultra special for her!
I thought your idea of a doormat sounded good?
Right, I had better look to preparing dinner....if we have room after the cake!

Ibet she hasn't thoughtof a door mat, rusty. You can get some really funky ones, like Next's Henry hedgehog or many saying things like "Come in if you have Prosecco"

Hello, Elle!
I am glad you enjoyed the birthday tea.
Frost?
None here, still mild!
Yes, the doormat may be a goer.
I am pleased both Rosalind and you agree!
I got her several tools which she seemed pleased about and especially the torch.
Wondering if she has/would like, a slow cooker?
I think they are great and relatively inexpensive.
Maybe has one from her student days.

Hello, Rosalind!
I had to Google Prosecco!
I know nothing about wine, at all.
There is a winery several miles from me called Cairn o'Mohr, a name I liked because it is pronounced "Care no more".
I understand it is very popular, with many different wines from local fruits etc.

Hi, Rusty!
Now, I know nothing about slow cookers!
I have never had one!
Nor , to be honest, have I ever thought of buying one......
I do not know why that should be, as it sounds like a good idea!
But you have one....and you like it and use it a lot...so why not go by that?
It would save your granddaughter lot of time - and effort.
She could leave her meal cooking whilst she is out.
And I believe that one needs minimum preparation?
I think you have hit on a winner there...?
You can easily check if she already has one ...but I doubt it's a student "thing" so possibly not?
You could always get the doormat , too!

Hello, Elle!
I am a fan of slow cookers but not sure if my granddaughter is.
They are pretty much foolproof, I think.
I would much rather purchase something she wants and does not have.
May have a word with her Dad.
Young ones do not think the same as us.
Broadband would be far more important than cooking!
I will get my thinking cap on!
Still 7 degrees here.
Quite mild!

Good morning, Rusty!
Yet another glorious day!
But in my book, bitterly cold!
It is -3C at the moment.
It was lovely out walking though!
I have a "free" day today,
I shall spend the morning doing a few jobs and .......the crossword!
And then hopefully , have another walk this afternoon.
The sunshine is like a magnet , drawing me out...................
What do you have planned for your day?

Good morning, Elle!
Great day here, too.
We have 7 degrees.
Good luck with the crosswords!
I have to stay in for a Royal Mail/Waterstones delivery.
Hopefully it is a morning one.
I see Lucie Sarafova has got rid of the "Nike nightie"!
She is playing Serena just now.
The kitchen floor is being laid in the new flat today.
That should be it just about done.
Miss ATW is moving in at the weekend!
I wonder if I am involved?!!!

Hi, Rusty!
You are certainly being lucky with your weather!
Mind you, I am not seriously complaining.........I would far rather it were cold and dry than warm and wet!
Miss ATW is indeed lucky to be able to move into a flat that is newly decorated and fully shipshape....
I remember all those years ago when we bought our present house...
What a mess it was in......
We had to camp out, using one of the bedrooms as our lounge, as the downstairs wasn't fit for habitation!
We had nowhere else to live as we worked on the house, because we couldn't afford to pay both the rent on our flat and pay the mortgage on the house.
So we had to move in and live amongst the chaos whilst we did the work!
I am sure there were others in a similar boat!
Ah, those were the days........
What books are you expecting from Waterstones?

Hello, Elle!
Young ones have different expectations than my generation.
So the flat is being done to a good spec before she moves in.
Do you ever watch "Homes under the Hammer"?
Some horrors on the market there!
But, they sell, and the new owners do a great job on them.
I received a Waterstones gift voucher at Christmastime.
Three not very exciting books on the way, whose titles escape me, but one is an Australian true crime one.
Waterstone's website is not up to much, In my opinion.
Thank goodness for Amazon!

Hi elle

Your post about your house reminds me of mine. I get rather fed up with hearing beefs about how we had it so good! It is true in a way, of course, but nevertheless I had no cooker for 6 months and then got one from a second-hand warehouse, have never had a new washing machine and our TVs were discarded ones my husband repaired. Nothing wrong with any of that.
The hall and stairway was painted bright orange and the tiny kitchen dark blue and green, but I had to wait until we could afford paint and paper. Can still remember that dreadful "tango" colour! This isn't a complaint, we were lucky to get a house at all. The mortgage was half my husband's salary when our eldest was born; I have to admit that inflation soon altered that.
I am aware that today's youngsters have to find a huge deposit and many in the SE may never own their own home, at least until their parents die.