You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

What's on your mind? What are you doing? Need to vent? Need to laugh? Here's the place to let it all hang out.

Happy New Year everyone. I rang in the British New Year at our local pub. Did you all hear me cheering in the UK? Then went for supper at Earl's which has the most amazing festive decorations.

I think I should go pass out now.

Happy 2020 everyone!!!!!!!

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and/or New Year’s Day depending where you are in the world.

I had a quiet New Year’s Eve at home and should be sleeping now, but I’m messing around on Goodreads instead. Off to bed I go!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! I rang in the New Year on Goodreads "playing books" as my hubby says. I wouldn't have even known it was midnight except I heard fireworks, lol.
Anyway, Happy Reading in the New Year!

Happy New Year everybody 🎉🎉🎉 Welcome 2020 😃

Happy New Year! We stayed home and our current neighbour came around for drinks. It was nice to not have to go anyway. Not feeling too bad this morning either ehich is a bonus.

Happy new year all! May it bring you whatever you are hoping for.

Happy new year!!

I went to bed at 3.30am but couldn't sleep, and I feel super tired. I want to do some reading but I'm afraid I'll fall asleep.

Happy New Year! We went to dinner at a favorite local Indian restaurant Masala Bites and then came home. Early evening since Henry has to fly out today for work.

I spent my evening adding my yearly challenge tasks to my yays and nays. I finally have something to work with and can do some planning.

Happy New Year everyone!!

Happy New Year. We have friends who every New Year throw a feast/party. Each year they pick a country or style of cooking. This year was Norway. I admit I was worried. My only experience with Norwegian cooking was lutefisk.

But their was salmon an cod and wonderful dishes I cant spell. It was delicous

Janice wrote: "What's on your mind? What are you doing? Need to vent? Need to laugh? Here's the place to let it all hang out.

Happy New Year everyone. ..."

Whew I could swear I saw "2030" there for a minute!☻

Debra and I rented a motel room and spent the evening with cocktails and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve" aka Ryan Seacrest.

Had a difficult time staying awake for midnight.

Watched the ball drop, telephoned "Happy New Year" to deadbeat friends and read ourselves to sleep.

Real party animals!☻

Almeta wrote: "Janice wrote: "What's on your mind? What are you doing? Need to vent? Need to laugh? Here's the place to let it all hang out.

Happy New Year everyone. ..."

Whew I could swear I saw "2030" there f..."

You did. I was a little... um... inebriated when I set it up last night. But I caught the error and corrected it. The error wasn't there for very long and I was hoping nobody would notice it. Ha!

Renee wrote: "Happy New Year. We have friends who every New Year throw a feast/party. Each year they pick a country or style of cooking. This year was Norway. I admit I was worried. My only experience with Norwe..."

What a great idea for a New Year's party. How do they pick the country each year?

A co-worker of mine used to do that with friends on a monthly basis. I suggested she write a recipe book with their experiences.

I used to have a special meal one Sunday a month where I everything I cooked was something I'd never made before. There were some spectacular misses, but there were some recipes I still cook today, like Beer Ceddar quick bread. Yum!

Happy new year everyone!

Janice wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Janice wrote: "What's on your mind? What are you doing? Need to vent? Need to laugh? Here's the place to let it all hang out.

Happy New Year everyone. ..."

Whew I could swear I saw..."

You've caught me so many times when I thought no one would notice. So quickly that I felt I was being stalked!☻

I couldn't resist.

Almeta wrote: "Janice wrote: "What's on your mind? What are you doing? Need to vent? Need to laugh? Here's the place to let it all hang out.

Happy New Year everyone. ..."

Whew I could swear I saw "2030" there f..."
LMAO at Janice’s comment.

Almeta wrote: "You've caught me so many times when I thought no one would notice. So quickly that I felt I was being stalked!☻

I couldn't resist..."

LOL! Who's the stalker now?

I just finished my mom’s Christmas gift (hers is at the bottom the wall art). We (hubby and I) were busy making wood gifts for the family. Here are some photos. The 5 ornaments on the paper towel were for my employees and they loved them. We made the wine stoppers and extra ornaments for our “secret Santa” gifts. The cigar humidor was for his uncle for Christmas and he loved it. This is why I never did finish my last book!

Wow! Spectacular wood work, Jannene!

Looks great, Jannene!

Thanks!

That's amazing Jannene!

Nice, Jannene! I bet everyone loved them.

I had the best NYE in years.
I was/am sick (well, that is not the good part :D) and my boyfriend and I cooked a 3 course meal (also based on a single country, Italy). Then we just spent the evening on the couch and just went outside to see the fireworks and then went to bed. That was honestly so much better than always partying.

Amazing skills Jannene. They are beautiful gifts.

Sounds nice, Fiona! Aside from the sick part, of course. :)

I'm glad you had a nice evening, Fiona. I'm sorry that you're sick.

Thanks Kristie and Sarah. Mom hasn’t received her gift. I’m hoping she will love it. Dad thinks it is beautiful.

Jannene wrote: "I just finished my mom’s Christmas gift (hers is at the bottom the wall art). We (hubby and I) were busy making wood gifts for the family. Here are some photos. The 5 ornaments on the paper towel w..."

EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL!

Janenene, those are all absolutely beautiful!!

Janice wrote: "You did. I was a little... um... inebriated when I set it up last night. But I caught the error and corrected it. The error wasn't there for very long and I was hoping nobody would notice it. Ha!"

I spent all day (after the migraine) waiting for the time to get close to new years in NAm so I could set up the threads for you so you didn't have to. I walked away for 30 mins, and you did it. And wrong lol

Renee wrote: "Happy New Year. We have friends who every New Year throw a feast/party. Each year they pick a country or style of cooking. This year was Norway. I admit I was worried. My only experience with Norwe..."

That's such an awesome idea, Renee!! Glad you had a lovely night.

My friends pick the country in various ways. Sometimes its inspired by a book. This year it was inspired by a heredity test kit. One of my friends found out he came from the area. His mother had some recipes he thought were Norwegian. So this year was Norway.

Janice wrote: "Renee wrote: "Happy New Year. We have friends who every New Year throw a feast/party. Each year they pick a country or style of cooking. This year was Norway. I admit I was worried. My only experie..."

It's my first real day of semi-retirement and I'm doing something fantastic. I'm reading in the middle of a week day! Feels so naughty but I could get used to it.

Haha, enjoy it Roz! It's well-deserved!

Jannene wrote: "I just finished my mom’s Christmas gift (hers is at the bottom the wall art). We (hubby and I) were busy making wood gifts for the family. Here are some photos. The 5 ornaments on the paper towel w..."

wow!!!!

Happy New Year all!

Your wood presents are beautiful, Jannene!

My granddaughter and I had a quiet day. We had a glass of bubbly at midnight and then went to bed. I read most of the day yesterday and stayed up too late, My furnace is still on the blink but we managed to keep warm enough. Thankfully, the weather is cooperating. I am waiting for a call back to see when someone can come out and check on what is wrong. I suspect that it may be the old programmable thermostat, but I am not sure. I am at work today.

Yikes - the best Sears could do to come check out my furnace was Tuesday, next week. I am down for an emergency call, if they get a cancelation though. I am going to go purchase a new programmable thermostat and a small electric heater for the kitchen/dining area, maybe one for the hallway between the bedrooms. Destiny's idea to set the electric oven at 500 and leave the door open is good for a short time, but it cannot stay on all the time that way. I almost had a melt down when I got home on Tuesday.

I'm sorry, Cherie! It might get problematic if the weather cools down. Hopefully not.

Rusalka wrote: "I walked away for 30 mins, and you did it. And wrong lol .."

Oops! LOL! I probably made a few other mistakes, or missed things. Hard to say at this point.

Renee wrote: "My friends pick the country in various ways. Sometimes its inspired by a book. This year it was inspired by a heredity test kit. One of my friends found out he came from the area. His mother had so..."

That's such a great idea! I'm glad you had fun with it, and that the food was fabulous.

Cherie wrote: "Yikes - the best Sears could do to come check out my furnace was Tuesday, next week. I am down for an emergency call, if they get a cancelation though. I am going to go purchase a new programmable ..."

I hope they get to your furnace sooner than later. Stay warm!

Sorry to hear about the furnace, Cherie. I can't imagine not having heating in winter! Particularly your winter.

Roz wrote: "It's my first real day of semi-retirement and I'm doing something fantastic. I'm reading in the middle of a week day! Feels so naughty but I could get used to it."

Live it up, Roz! You earned it!

Just a heads up for you all if I disappear for a bit.

Tomorrow is a pretty full on fire day here in Canberra. It's been a bit downgraded from where it was yesterday. But we have extreme fire danger, the temp will be 42C, it hasn't rained for about 6 weeks at the least, and the winds are going to be super strong from the west.

I live on the western edge of the city. So there is a potential if any fire starts on the west or the south west of the state (which to the south and a bit of the west is mainly national park) it will hit were we are first. We are buffered by a few suburbs, but Canberra is built around nature parks around mountains, which we live on the base of one as well as the western edge.

Currently, there are no fires threatening Canberra or in the ACT. But I know how fast these things move. We have spent the day prepping - my work is closed for 4 days because of the smoke and fire threat - and we have so many buckets, bins, kegs, etc with water. We've started packing.

I hope the worst that happens is the air quality goes to 20 times more than hazardous again (smoke has started blowing in again from our just hazardous air today that felt like the best air ever) and all is well.

I don't know what may happen with power or internet. The South Coast which most of you have seen on your TVs have been without mobile, landline or internet access until today since NYE. But just in case. That's where I am. We will evacuate with the 4 chickens if we need. It's only possessions, these things aren't necessary as much as it will hurt.

I am so so so so hoping this is overreacting and we can laugh about it later :D I'll let you know how we go as I can.

Be safe, Rusalka! Big hugs!