RATS !!!!

[Patricia W 74]

Love the picture!  Happy New Year too. All the best to everyone for 2019.    (Just wish they’d switch to silent fireworks...) 

[The Dogmother 120]

Bright Blessings to you all; peace and much metta in this new year

Me too re the fireworks - were going off here from 5pm... not fun when you have a dog that's terrified of them 

[Cat tails 158]

Happy new 2019!!!

Well... what can I say.... the Dutch and their fireworks... here you can buy them from the 28th on and only light them on the 31st from 18:00 till 02:00 on the 1st. I have been in a something resembling a war zone all day yesterday. Red didn’t like it one bit... He was hiding in his rabbit hutch.  iPoes doesn’t really care luckily.

[Cat tails 158]

This is a rather funny “warning” video made for foreigners visiting the Netherlands during New Year. But sadly rather accurate too.

 

[patsylabrador 67]

There were a lot of fireworks here but loads less than normal and they stopped relatively early. 

[Valkyrie 126]

No fireworks here whatsoever!!!!  Happy New Year!!!!!

 

[Ursula123 10]

Fireworks were not allowed here in Lot et Garonne last night, I think they were also banned in the Dordogne. Happy New year to you all

[Patricia W 74]

That’s the answer then.  Move in with Valkyrie or Ursula for the New Year!  Seriously, there is a move to silent or low noise fireworks.  Apparently they are more colourful too.   But we are not there yet.  Unfortunately. 

[soapdragon 89]

I woke up  at 11.59pm not because of fireworks but because OH had nicked the duvet and I was cold! However, it did allow me to 'enjoy' a few bangs and crashes from the village but I don't think I'd have noticed if I wasn't already awake (and freezing!) I think that the firework noise has decreased in recent years but personally feel that there should be a ban on sales to the public (apart from sparklers!) and more in the way of organised displays at Guy Fawkes Night and  New Year. It's more fun to share, anyway!

 

Happy New Year, everyone - hope 2019 brings you all health, happiness, contentment and love (not to mention chickens!)

[Patricia W 74]

Interesting, Alison.  We live only a few miles apart but our experience is very different.  Maybe because we are very close to the airfield which seems to be being used for very large displays.  In November it boasted it had the largest firework display in Oxfordshire.  I’m sure it did as the ground reverberated with the bangs at the end!  Needless to say, the animals were terrified!  Goodness knows what the wildlife  made of it.   We also have a specialist Firework shop nearby which is open and advertising all day long so many celebrations end with a bang.   A few of us are lobbying the local authorities to promote silent or low noise fireworks.  

Maybe we should move nearer you! 

[soapdragon 89]

We are two villages away from Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saissons - old Ray White's place - and do hear bangs and crashes from there although mostly on summer Saturday evenings so I would guess wedding celebrations?  There's also a firework 'shop' at Wheatley which sells the megga bigies (presumably to Le Manoir ). I do hate to be a killjoy but am of the opinion that general firework sales should be either hugely restricted or even banned with organised, pay as you enter or some such commercial arrangement by licence. Fireworks  can cause such damage, distress and injury. It's a bit like the caffeine, alcohol and tobacco arguments.....if you tried to introduce any of these as a completely new concept in the 21st century there would be enourmous protests and you'd never get past Elf and Safety!

[Purplemaniacs 10]

Happy new year everyone. I hope 2019 is a good one and all your hopes and dreams come true. 

I hope you've all had a good Christmas  we have had a lovely one but rather strange as it's the first Christmas since DD graduated as a paediatric nurse. As a student she'd always had leave over Christmas but this year she offered to work it as her girls were at their Dads.  DD worked a long day on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but the littlest granddaughter couldn't go to her Dads so she was with us and then eldest asked if she could come Christmas Day.  So the quiet Christmas I'd rather dreaded became a lovely family Christmas.

On Christmas Eve I did lots of Christmas craft things with little one (5), we both enjoyed it and it reminded me of all the clever crafters on here. We did simple kits but it was great fun  I wanted her to remember this Christmas as being a fun Christmas with us not the Christmas that Dad couldn't have her despite agreeing the arrangements back in September.

Happy 2019 everyone xx

 

[soapdragon 89]

That's so sweet. PM! Sounds like you had a lovely time in spite of arrangements being  bit out of odds! Hope your DD had a rewarding time at work too!?

[mullethunter 112]

Happy New Year everyone 😁 I hope 2019 is kind to you all x

[Alis girls 14]

Happy new everyone. X

[soapdragon 89]

Odd how people are SOOOOOO much less keen on taking down and putting away decorations than they are on putting them up  Have spent this afternoon packing the decs away and wondering what is in store for us all  over the forthcoming year and what adventures we might have before seeing them again next time round  Not sure whether it's exciting or depressing.....or am I just an old pessimist 

[Valkyrie 126]

My decs are still up!  I'll take them down on the 6th, which is the norm for our family.  I'm not a fan of the bright LEDs - as much as I love green it seems to outshine all the other colours!  I think I'll be hunting around a bit more next year for something that is nice and warm without being too red or white!  Although I do like the small size of the lights.

[Geoid 2]

I have started cycling to work, it is about 10 miles each way and most of it is along a paved canal towpath. 

Yesterday, I was cycling home and I was about 3 miles into the journey my front wheel clipped an errant bit of wood causing it to give way and causing me to fly off and almost end up in the canal! I got up and decided to continue as I couldn't see that much damage to the bike and no ripped clothing or any sign of blood. I continued for another mile and the bike started making this strange clicking sound, so I stopped at a nearby pub to inspect the damage....

Bike handlebars completely bent in the other direction, gears knocked out of alignment, no skin on my entire right elbow and my knee had swollen up to the size of a large grapefruit! What makes it worse, it was only the second day of cycling! 

[The Dogmother 120]

Oh lordy F

I am sorry to hear that.... both sets of damage. You used to cycle a lot - I remember your videos and rants about bad driving. Don't let it put you off, and i hope that injuries to yourself and the bike are soon mended.

[Luvachicken 109]

That sounds nasty Geoid.

So glad that you didn't fall into the canal, it would have been freezing.

How is your knee today ? I hope some of the swelling has gone down and that you don't ache too much from falling off.

[soapdragon 89]

Ouch! Hope both you and bike recover quickly! Thank goodness there was a pub nearby to retire to!

[Valkyrie 126]

Oooh!  Ouchie!  Hope you are not too bruised today.  Better the bike broken than you!

[Geoid 2]

Bike is fixed! Graze on elbow is healing nicely and the swelling on my knee has gone down a lot. 

[Valkyrie 126]

Good news!

[Patricia W 74]

Just had to tell someone!  Our 8th grandchild has just been born!  A girl, Skylar, 8Ibs.   Obviously the most beautiful baby in the world!

I was one of 4 girls, and I had 3 boys and a girl and now have 6 granddaughters and two grandsons.  The boys belong to my daughter.   Strange how gender works between generations.