Ali, what a great post!!! I’m having a bit of a pity party the last few days, and reading your bold affirmation really gave me a needed wake-up. I hope you DID sleep in the Tiara–I can think of nothing that would have suited you better!
And of course it is exactly what the camel needs. After all, she’s going to visit a VIP, she should be wearing ALL her finery.
Ali this is the kind of post that makes we wish there was a ‘LIKE’ button on here… yes, hope you did sleep in yout tiara and dream wonderful dreams. If nothing else this whole cancer experience has taught me to grab life by the throat and live it to the full! Although life is now much more routine again, and work very busy, I am much more spontnaeous than I used to be.
Day off from work (again!) today, which feels really weird - I love doing the Advent services but this year has been so crazy that I didn’t get a ‘free’ weekend until… the end of August! So had to squeeze a few in at one a month for the rest of the year. So writing cards, making prototypes of crafts for kiddies acitivities in Land of NED, and practising my triple toe loops, salkos and stag leaps here in Benchland. Kind of tricky to skate and juggle knitted sheep and sing and do the dance of the forty fleeces all at once… but it will be worth it!
Soo envious of that tiara, all I have is a paper crown out of a Christmas cracker…
Ali, so glad to read your post, can imagine you dancing to Bon Jovi in your tiara.
I hope I will be doing the same next year in NEDland
kay x
Finished making 40 christmas cards and at a bit of a loss so I’ve made us all tiaras they are in the Lost Plottery shed over there
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They’re not as nice as Ali’s but hopefully they’ll help us share her joy at being here!
School market went quite well. It was indeed a market. Visitors paid to have a stall. There were none of the usual second hand toys/videos/books stalls, so some of the kids were disappointed - everything was too expensive for them. I tried to win the booze hamper raffle (LARGE Baileys, 2 x 75cl Whisky, 1 x 75cl Vodka, 1x brandy and 3 x 75cl wine (1 red, 1 white, 1 rose)) I thought that would be excellent for the JM, but unfortunately the school secretary won it (she only bought ONE ticket!) AND a large hamper from one of the visiting stalls which was full of pampering goodies, including wine and chocs! (She only bought ONE ticket for that too!) I live just around the corner form her, and she’d already gone home by the time the raffles were drawn, so I had to deliver them for her. They filled the boot of my Fiesta (other small hatchbacks are available!) I resisted the temptation to detour via my house and Benchland/The Woods to snaffle some of the contents! 
One stall was selling these: I have got some to decorate Benchland for the panto - they can move to the Woods afterwards.
JCJ I just love the tiaras you have made and want to ask can I wear it when I’m in role? or will that look just tooo silly? I am still practising my lowing for the cattle stall though. My grandson had a bit of ‘lamb’ practice at the rehearsal for the chuuch nativity yesterday - didn’t stay still very long though and it wasn’t helped by his 3 year old brother being the shepherd ‘in charge’ of him. Wonder what will happen at the performance? my 4 year old GS is playing Joseph and he is very likely to tell them off from the stage if they don’t do what they should be doing at the right time.
Ali H I loved your post.
Ahh, just love the wooden reindeer! Which of course will be come real once the woods have worked their magic on them! There was a childrens christmas fair in our local park last week and these were being made then. Along with larger reindeer made out of willow.
I’ve come down with a dreaded lurgy (sniff) so took to my sleeping bag in my tent last night at 6pm after capturing a sleep fairy, I let it go at 11pm and managed to get up and do some t’interweb shopping. Feeling a bit better and tempted to have an early glass of glitterberry juice to see if that boosts me up a little.
Thanks for the tiara - I picked out a pink sparkly one.
Going off into the land of NED now to trim up our dinning room and get it looking Christmasy.
Ooooh my knees ache! And the combs holding the tiara in have given me a teeny headache, lol…because I only had one glass of wine. Oh, and then this bottle of fizz arrived…it would have been rude not to…and then the ice bucket looked sad being empty so we bought it a bottle of wine…and then we won the quiz so we won a bottle of wine… I hasten to add there was a large (and giggly) group of us not just me drinking! Was really good fun though, must go to more parties 
Ps am still wearing tiara
Oooh, so many gorgeous tiaras to choose from… may I have the silver one with turquoise beads?
Love the reindeer they are amazing and will live happily in the Dark Dark Woods after the play is done.
♫ ♪ Onwards flushing soldiers skating on the ice…
Look out for the camels twirling once or twice ♪ ♪ ♫
Yipee! A mitre with a tiara on it - guys -eat your heart out! all sounding Fab-U-LUSSSS!!
You can choose whichever tiara you fancy, but save the extra glittery one for Foxyferet, I’m sure she’ll appreciate that one! Mine is ‘silver’ with ‘saphires’ and ‘diamonds’ all over it.
Matching necklaces coming soon (was going to say thongs - but the thought made me feel slightly nauseous! 
).
I love the idea of a gender-bending “Daddy” in this red and platinum tiara and necklace. I have never been a “red” person, but since last year it’s become my celebratory colour of choice. I even bought a slightly (!) OTT red winter coat. I think they are garnets, but they may be rubies. So pretty and will tone with the dirty blue bathrobe.
Have you been to the woods lately?–There’s a lovely poem not written by RC or FF. Worth a visit–it’s inspired me to light a candle for absent friends.
One extra glittery tiara now being worn with great pride. Many thanks.
I have been Christmas shopping today .Left home at 9.00am and have just got in, so I am resting on the cream crackered bench with well deserved glass of wine.
I’ve walked miles and lost many pounds. Unfortunately they are ££££’s not lbs.
Shopping is now …done, ended, finished, concluded…YAY!!!
Love the reindeer and also the thought of them running around the Woods 
!
Bit naughty here, was out on Fri and had venison, oops!
Tiara’s and matching necklaces we are going to look glorious, am thinking of gold with garnets, yep that’s def for me.
Busy cleaning today, beds done, hoovering done and around 40 ton of washing done, where does it all come from??
Quick jaunt into town salmon tag for tea, yummy yum, tummy still bulging nicely…
Off to find the “cosy down and not doing another thing” bench it’s near the “CBA” bench xx
Been to daughters for dinner, always nicer when you don’t cook it. Wore my tiara, I chose the pearl and diamanté one. Thought it goes with most things.
Still got shopping to do. needing a few gaviscon shots to get me through this week!
kay x
No need to apologise Nannabarb, just glad you are OK. Glad, too, your friend is out of hospital - it sounds as if it is still very tough for her, but she has you and other friends to support her, so she will be well loved and helped. Send her our love - if she can cope with the idea of our capers.
Now then - have you chosen your tiara yet?!
Gremlins at it AGAIN have to eidt to get my post back under yours otherwise it’s a Two Ronnies sketch yet again…
Hiya all, Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet, been on the ‘headless chicken’ bench followed by the ‘bloody knackered’ bench for the last fornight, and am now on the ‘hot water bottle’ bench for a sore back after all my moving shenanigans. (two houses into one, then a rental flat to sort out at the coast) BUT I’ve still been practicing my lines… ‘The cleaner missed that bloody spider again! have I got to take the hoover to it myself???’
OMG 127 posts I’ve just had to catch up on, and I’ve snorted and sniggered my way through the lot!!
Katytc, hope your daughter is alright, JCJ, songs are amazing, Clutch, hilarious!
Ali H, FF, RC and Grumpy, thanks for concern, I’m fine
My friend is out of hospital now, but still poorly, has oxygen supply at home, is having weekly chemo which is leaving her very weak and tired and is on constant steroids and painkillers including oramorph. We are all hoping and praying (even us atheists, as she believes) that she can pull through xxx
GRUMPY, we got a new (old secondhand) campervan too recently, have been refurbing it for about 3 months now (not that you’d notice too much) and we are planning a nationwide tour next year, maybe we will cross paths
When is next rehearsal?
Oh I’m confused… gremlins have put my post above nannabarb’s … I am so not prescient!
Im sure you are RC - whatever it is:/ Yes, mine is silver and sparkly with sapphires and diamonds, to match my eyes (although in that case there ought to be a few rubies too… Off down the path to the woods and the JM now for a nightcap xxx
Sooooooo glad you to see you back, nanna, hope your back is ok and you are less frazzled this week, good that your friend is out of hospital ! Seaside flat that sounds wonderful!
It’s freezing here but am happy to note my nose will match the garnets on my tiara, am going to add lights, now can’t make up my mind whether to have flashing or just stay on, coloured or not!
Going to try on my costume so I can get the whole picture, glittery bed sheet, tea towels, skates with bells, water balloon and now the tiara (gone for coloured flashing), yep looking fabulous…may just keep costume on today xx
Hello Nannabarb! Glad you’re back. Loving the blingy necklaces, silver with rubies and sapphires please