I was beginning to think that myself, KatieN, we need to get a really healthy enjoyable debate going, and how about you start us off....you have a way with words.....go on, see what you can come up with?!

LOL, that's a tall order, Lizzie! But I do wonder where all the lively banter has gone...

Yes, I agree, it is very very quiet.....they do say February is the down time of the year, and they may well be right.

Well, my "little girl" turns 21 tomorrow so I have just spent most of the afternoon wrapping up her pressies with my husband....we decided to use up all the leftover Christmas wrapping paper instead of wasting what little money we had buying birthday paper...it just gets ripped off anyway, doesn't it, and it will bring a smile to her face because she knows her mum and dad are a bit skint right now and it will reminder her of the lovely Christmas we also had!! did I do the right thing though?! am beginning to have doubts now.....but got a lovely little birthday cake for her and some nice pressies.

That is really practical Lizzie, i hope she has a lovely day, its whats inside isn't it, and the loving thoughts behind it. My husbands daughter used to wrap our Christmas presents in tin foil when they were short of money, it always brings back fond memories when we all talk about those little sort of things now, we all have a little chuckle, but in a funny way we appreciated them more because of the ingenious ways she would try to make them look nice, Bless her.
Yes Katie it is a little quiet on here? I will have to think of a few topics to add and help get everyone chatting. Give me some time and i will also try to think of some?

I'm back but lacking the banter side of things after reading about George's dad.

Lizzie, I've just seen your post about your daughter's birthday - I hope you all had a lovely day! I'm sure (if your daughter is anything like yourself) she will have see the humour in using Christmas wrapping paper....Let me tell you a little story about my parents....

When they first got married (centuries ago!) they didn't have a lot of money, and were trying to save enough to buy a farm. When my father had a birthday during their first year of marriage, my mother sent him a birthday card from herself; the year after that my eldest brother was born and my mother wheeled out the birthday card and added his name to it, not out of meanness, but because she knew my father would see the humour in it. The year after my second eldest brother was born and she wheeled out the card adding his name to it...then when my eldest sister was born the following year - same thing again! Anyway the joke wore thin and there was a gap between child number 3 and child number 4 (there were 6 of us in total), and so the card was put in the box with all the other little family things, until.....My eldest brother has his first child and was rooting through the old box of cards/photos etc and found 'the' card. Guess what he did? Yep! He added his son's name to the card next to his own, and gave it to my father on his birthday, lol! That was 40 years ago and the card was wheeled out every year with different names added to it (more than 30 names in total) and became a huge family joke. To think that the card made its first outing 63 years ago ;-)

Just like a family bible, now, Katie, isn't it? What a wonderful story, that is so lovely.

Yes she did have a lovely day and really did see the humour in the Christmas paper and said it reminded her of what a lovely Christmas we all had!!

Thanks Serena, too, I know you will all think up good things.

I have been feeling really really tired and going to bed very early which is why I have not been on so much recently... isn't it quiet when I am not around yattering on?!

I wondered where you were, Lizzie. You're bound to still feel tired after your illness - I hope you're not overdoing things!!

I have a check-up on Thursday after work to discuss the results of the chest X-ray I had on Tuesday last week...it takes them forever to obtain these results, apparently!! I have been going to bed around 8.30pm each night after work and sleeping right through so I think I am finally getting myself back on track although I feel just like quietly reading instead of going online....I have such a PFC full of survey invitations you just wouldn't believe it!!

Thanks for asking Katie....you have been very busy keeping us all entertained, you and Serena.....you are both so kind and thoughtful and a pleasure to have around! Thank you.

Aw, that's so lovely of you to say. Shucks!! ;-)

Getting to bed early and relaxing with a book sounds heavenly! I try to do it once or twice a week, but I'm afraid I'm a confirmed night owl!! But it is nice to read in bed, even if you lay awake for a long time - as I tend to do.

I hope your results are good, Lizzie, do let us know.

What's a real pain, though, is if it is a great book and you can't put it down and you have to get up early to go to work next day!! Thanks for your kind words.

Lizzie, we do miss you when you aren't around though ;-) Your input is greatly needed!

As an aside, there's a Mr Gomaz posting links to something asking that an app be downloaded to your computer....I'd be very reluctant to do anything like that. Thoughts, please.

Yes, put in my thoughts...at the right place! nice to be missed too!

Sorry Lizzie, i did not check this update until today, i hope your results were fine x
What a lovely story from Katie ahh how sweet, and in years to come what a nostalgic and precious thing to own... Lovely.

Thank you Serena - I love telling that story to people. :-)

And, Lizzie, I hope your results were good??