Another day

 Good morning all.  Well I for one will not be unhappy to see the end of this year.  I am hopeful that the new vaccine will be the answer to a prayer.  My thanks go to all the people who have tried so hard to keep us safe including the scientists who have worked their socks off to get the vaccine up and running in double quick time. Apparently there has been a bit of a mess with the vaccine in Germany as 8 hospitals were dishing out 5 times the correct dose.  Oops! As far as I know we will be starting the vaccination program on Monday.  I get my ordinary flu vaccine on Thursday.  We can only hope that everyone gets vaccinated as we need 80% to be vaccinated to ensure herd immunity.  Anyway I don’t suppose next year could be any worse than this year. I am not one for new year resolutions as I never manage to keep them but I am going to try and make sure I buy British to help us through the next hurdle Brexit.  Some of my veg are from France bu...

 Good morning all, sorry for my absence.   I had a day in bed feeling very rough nothing in particular just everything in general.  Then I slept for 12 hours which is unheard of and now I feel ok I think I was just over-tired. I think it also fueled my anger, I have fished people out of crashed cars on the motorway on more than one occasion so I felt guilty and helpless not being able to do anything with what was happening on my doorstep. Fortunately, we have a disused airport runway which became a lorry park once the motorways were full. Ironically, that is were many of battle of Britain aircraft took off from and saved us from the Germans. It looks like the Brexit is going ahead and in 5 years we will have our fishing waters back and hopefully an end to throwing dead fish back into the water assuming the Spanish trawlers have left us some.  Which may well be the only good thing to come out of the whole debacle. There has been a big earthquake in Croatia just next t...

 Good morning all.  Sorry about yesterdays tirade but I felt so bad for the drivers catching rain off their lorries to drink. Had I been a bit younger and not confined to barracks I would have been hanging over the motorway bridge with something to help out as they are less than 10 miles from my house.  I was also shattered after two consecutive sleepless nights. Anyway, that aside I did get some sleep last night but woke at stupid o'clock this morning.  I am bundled up in a fleece dressing gown and cosy slippers as the heating is not yet on and the house is perishing.  I have a Tesco delivery coming this morning as I managed to get a slot.  Nothing exciting just silly things like toothpaste, bleach and dog food.  However, I have also made sure I have the ingredients to make the vegetable stock paste in the new toy.   By the way Joy, the shopping list facility is really useful it does put in all the ingredient, but it is easy to remove things...

 Good morning all, another sleepless night but at least I now know why.  I did something stupid and watched the news.  When I saw what was happening to the lorry drivers I became so angry I was spitting fire and nails.  It is a very good job I am not in charge because no French lorry would be allowed to cross the channel until every other countries lorries were safely back and on their way home.  I really hate spiteful mean spirited political manoeuvring.  I have nothing against the French people it’s not their fault I sincerely hope they remember this piece of absolute meanness when he comes up for re-election.  Right that’s got that off my chest.  There have been some lovely comments for the people who also gave up their Christmas to take food and water to the drivers and being British they made gallons of tea which as you know is what the Brits do in times of crisis. James had a bit if a disaster with his gnocchi but the soup was to die for so ...

 Good morning all.  I hope you all survived the day and if your house is anything like mine there is food everywhere a d now all we have to do is eat it.  My small turkey only took one hour 45 minutes and a 20 minute stand.  The three of us managed to demolish about half during the course of the day. Today my first job is to pull out the carcass and get some soup on the go. I got a real surprise when the door bell rang and there stood Tak’s husband with my embroidery in a frame. .  It is very difficult to photograph as it is very reflective and this morning the sun is shining, anyway it is going on my bedroom wall when I can find the picture hanging stuff.  I don’t know if you can see but the frame is like a box so the glass doesn’t squash the 3D effect. We did a lot of chatting on the phone with friends and family and I was in contact with my friends and family in Italy with the obvious notable exception. After the birthday fiasco that was no surprise. It ...

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 Good morning, it is nice and cold here which makes the garage a walk-in fridge which is very useful at this time of year. Of course with all the bank trouble the electrician can't get his money as the cards have all been cancelled. And just to put the tin lid on the chaos my email has gone down so I have spent an hour on the phone trying to get that sorted. I think this is a case of ”it never rains but it pours”.   So to hell with it all, I am going to play with the new thermomix.  I have lots of nice shellfish so I may look at making mayo first.  I also need to inspect my defrosting turkey and make some bread sauce. Then all is ready. Denzil is working a short day and will be home for lunch which is all cold so easy. Well, that's about it for today have the very best day you can tomorrow. Stay safe and well.

Good morning all, well what a day I had yesterday to cut a very long story short I had my bank account hacked so the account is now frozen and I am awaiting a new debit card and have had to completely redo everything.  It took all day ringing various banks and fraud departments etc.  What a total pain in the posterior. Anyway, the good news is I have lost no money and even better my new Thermomix is due to be delivered today.  My stuffing is in the oven as I type so all it will need is warming up on the day.  The turkey is merrily defrosting in the fridge.   Today, I have to go and collect our fish for tomorrow and buy a bit of salad stuff to go with it and of course, some lemons for the smoked salmon and maybe black pudding to go with the scallops. You will be delighted to know Denzil and I have a flu vaccine booked for Jan 6th at the doctors but I believe there is a huge shortage of vaccine.  Goodness only knows how they will be dealing with the covi...

 Morning all so far there has been little good about it.  However, I did get my electrics sorted so I have a washing machine but no pumps in the pond.  This morning to make my life complete the mail refused to down load so I have spent a good time getting that sorted.   Shiona said she would like my thermomix which means I could buy the new one.  It seems to do everything but the shopping.  Anyway now I have my internet back up and running I might just buy myself and the family the new one.  Shiona wants to pay me but neither of us has the remotest idea how much it is worth.  She is going to see what price they are selling for online.  I hate selling things because I never know what to charge. Well that's about it for this morning I have loads of niggling little jobs to do so I had better get on.

 Good morning.  It is a ghastly day here wet and cold and we are awaiting the electrician who will hopefully mend our problem.  I had a chat with Shiona and her boiler has packed up and they are waiting for parts.  There is something about Christmas that makes things pack up for the holidays.  I'm just glad my boiler is ok so we are at least warm. My box of Christmas vegetable box has arrived with all the necessary things for the Christmas meal I am putting in the garage which acts as a giant walk-in fridge during the holidays provided it is cold outside. I am now approaching the swan's wings which are going to be difficult but I enjoy the challenge.  Given that we are in tier 4 it is a case of batten down the hatches and keep as safe as possible. I think by the time we have eaten all we have a diet might be required to shed the excess weight I'm sure I will have accumulated. However, I don't care right now as one of the few pleasures we are allowed is eati...

 Good morning all. Today we have sun after a deluge yesterday but it isn't cold.  You will be delighted to know that I have an electrician en route.  Don't ask how much, it's my Christmas present to the household. I will just be pleased to be back up and running. James has pizza left from yesterday and I have a fridge full of bits so I won't starve.  As I don't trust the weather I am going to use the sun while it is available for sewing.   Have a good day and I hope your plans are succeeding we are now tier 4 which is basically total lockdown.  Thou shalt see no one, thou shalt stay in thy dwelling.  You get the general drift I must say that I am glad that I abandoned all ideas of Christmas long ago so my plans are not disrupted at all.

 Good morning all. Yesterday I waited all day for the electrician who said late afternoon well that came and went and guess what?  No electrician and I said oh dear me *********.  James is going to try a friend as we think it is just a blown fuse in a fancy box we don't understand but it has trip switches which keep tripping out.  This is something I find very frustrating when all it would have taken was a call to say can't make it be with you on Monday. Or not accept the job in the first place and let me find someone who can. Fortunately, it is not life and death I can manage for quite some time.   I did the fennel and I ate it all, it was lovely, and it had lost the very strong aniseed taste once braised. Today we are having pizza for supper when Denzil comes home I bought some ready rolled pizza bases and we have lots of toppings in the fridge. The weather is cold but not frosty and at the moment it is very dull but dry though we have been forecast lots of w...

Good morning all.  It is a horrid damp and cold day but I have an electrician coming this afternoon and hopefully, we will then be fixed.  Sadly the electrical supply also keeps the pond pumps running so it needs to be sorted out.  According to the weather forecast, we are in for the beast from the east so snow for Christmas maybe. This morning I have put a couple of fennel bulbs to braise in the hope we might like them that way. None of us is fond of aniseed flavour and I usually make a salad with fennel but it really isn't salad weather. Anyway, nothing ventured and all that. The Internet seems to have settled down a bit now which is good news I switched it all off and rebooted which may have clear some problem who knows anyway it seems to be running well now. I have put my order in for Christmas Eve so we will be having a shellfish extravaganza which will require minimum work unless you call making some mayo work.  What I must do is take the turkey out several day...

 Good morning all.  This mornings drama is that the electrical connections to the washing machine have tripped out and we cannot fix it.  I rang my friendly window cleaner who was a fireman and is now an electrician.  His wife answered and told me he was only just out of hospital after a month in ICU following a terrible motorcycle accident which broke most of his ribs and perforated his gut and collapsed his lungs.  So a real mess he is going to have a rubbish Christmas.  He is such a nice guy and has been cleaning my windows for years. Anyway I am now without a washing machine as well as a tumble dryer.  I am sorely tempted to take the laundry to our local laundry and get it all done for £7 it might be worth it.  In the mean time I will look for another electrician. Why do things break at the most inconvenient moment? Today we are trying Aldi click and collect I put in an order a few days ago and James is going to pick it up.  I have also o...

 We are having some problems with the internet I think with so many working from home I think the servers are struggling.  Anyway I have a connection so I will make hay while the sun shines.  Sadly there is no sun just a lot of cloud. I ran my embroidery up to Tak’s husband to see if he can frame it. I know he is busy so I suggested June next year as a completion time. I have been demoted to kitchen porter so I get all the veg to prepare. James is enjoying cooking and today he is making cottage pies and cauliflower cheese. One pie to eat today and one for the freezer.  He does make me laugh he is very tired after preparing two meals in one day of course I would have no comprehension of the work involved! Well the sun has broken through so time to gat some sewing done as I have completed my chores for the kitchen if I am very lucky I might get the washing up something else I know nothing about! Have a lovely day and I hope you have some sun to lift your spirits.

 Good morning all. It is bright and sunny today but who knows how long that will last.  I got on well with my mad stitching and I also had an idea.  My neighbour who painted the portrait of Basso has an art background so I rang and asked him if it would be possible to put a frame around the latest embroidery.  So today I will run it up to him for an opinion.  It is difficult to find uses for these embroideries which was always my concern.  However if framing is on then they can go to the charity shop.  The butterfly one is out of stock until January so I have ordered the swans by night.  This is relatively easy so far but I still have the swans wings to go and they are the most difficult. Well that is my exciting news for the day.  There is no Denny as we are all in lockdown but purely by accident I discovered that Aldi do click and collect so I have put in an order for Thursday which is to be collected between 12pm and 1pm  and James ha...

 Good morning all. Yesterday was filthy wet dull and cold.  It was so dull I had to wear my magnifying and lit glasses which made it possible.  Then I hit a real problem I broke my needle threader no problem I must have another somewhere.  After much searching and an hour trying to thread without success I found one which promptly broke.  Now what? 1) send for needle threaders from Amazon to arrive tomorrow 2) move to using a slightly larger needle which I can thread. Panic over.   Elly came and collected her embroidery which was packed in the original box. Her daughter is working in the mass COVID-19 testing station and all her family were tested as negative so she felt safe to go on a delivery run. 5 minutes ago the sun was blazing but now it has disappeared from view.  James is making bubble and squeak with yesterday’s left over cabbage and potatoes they will get frozen and come in handy when we are stuck for a meal before the big day. Today I ...

 Good morning all.  It’s raining what a surprise!  It is a horrible day out there and I feel for Denzil out delivering all the goodies to folks who are stuck at home.  He will be very tiered when he gets home so we are making some lovely meatballs and salad for supper.  James and I will be having pasta putanesca for lunch as Denzil hates olives and they are an integral part of the dish. I must say that the Italians have some interesting names for dishes. Putana is Italian for prostitute.  Then there is a dish of pasta called priest stragglers and for desert there are angel farts.  It really is a very colourful language.  The answer to a tall story is “ yes and if my grandmother had wheels she would be a wheelbarrow”.  Where we would say pull the other one it’s got bells on it. Yes I really have got the embroidery bug and I discovered that Amazon has the butterfly one I wanted so I have ordered it but it will be quite a challenge as it has som...

 Good morning all.  It’s a bit of a nothing day but we are forecast lots of rain later.  All pinned and wetted, I must say that once dry I iron the edges to remove the marks left by the ring.  Now what do I do with it? I have nothing planned for the day but yesterday I watched the whole of the first series of Picard which Denzil had on his old phone.  As his new phone finally arrived he has lent me the old one to chrome cast to my TV. I have no idea how he has got all these good programs and I am not asking it is some kind if internet magic which is beyond my comprehension. Ok so have a good day and Joy you will be pleased that your knitted nativity has pride of place in Margaret’s home she was so delighted with it.

 Good morning all, it is still cloudy here and we had rain overnight.  I know this as I was awake most of the night and finally dosed off at 4.30 only to wake again at 6.  That is not enough sleep I may try to have a sleep after lunch or keep up and have an early night. Well I have finished my embroidery and the next one is mounted and underway. They do this same design but they are black swans. I quite like it but much depends on how difficult I find this one. If it work out well I might do this one to make a matched pair however I have another I would love to do but it does look difficult and it’s out of stock. At the moment I have a box of yarns but not a complete pallet this one has a range of purples and the black swans would give me some nice dark colours.  Then I will be able to buy just the printed linens and make up my own colour scheme. Well that is the theory anyway. James has the catering under control, there is a load of whites on so I will pass a bit of...

Good morning all.  Well who was a lucky girl yesterday?  I have about 2 days of my current embroidery to finish and the new one arrived in the post.  Having a new one is a great incentive to get on and finish the current project because I am now itching to start the new one.   The weather has been about right for this time of year but somehow it seems worse than usual coming on top of all the other problems.  James is organising the catering for to day which leaves me free to sew and drink coffee. The place with the best light is my bedroom where I can sit right in front of the window but it only lasts a short time as after midday the sun goes over the roof and I am in shade.  Anyway now you know why I am often so late when I remember to scribble a few words. I hope Denzil will be making appointments for us to get our flu vaccinations then hopefully it won’t be too long before we get the COVID vaccine. Well that’s about it for this morning nothing much to s...

 Good morning all, cold and wet here today but not cold enough for snow.  There are odd glimmers of sun trying to break through. I have another fascinating day planned but at least I am comfortable so for that I am grateful.  It is going to be a very bad winter for lots of folks as the unemployment figures climb. Anyway I may be bored but that is a small price to pay during these hard times.  Let’s hope it will all prove worthwhile and the vaccine works. So for amusement I shall continue my recap of Star Trek and get some embroidery done. We have a vat of vegetable soup left from yesterday and I have got out some chicken thighs. I’m not quite sure what I am going to do with them yet the options are endless. Denzil is picking up the prescriptions this afternoon so that relieves me of another chore. Have a good day.

 Good morning all, it is another nothing day weather wise.  Which I guess is better than feet of snow. I managed to get a delivery yesterday evening and topped up on lots of odds and ends and plenty of dog food which should keep us going into new year.  Mind you I must say that putting it all away at 10pm was a bit of a chore but given delivery slots are hard to come by I took what was on offer. The highlight of yesterday was unpicking some embroidery which is as difficult as sewing it in the first place and took equally as long.  The other excitement was my hearing aid which started to play me a tune! Time to change the battery, it is a bit fiddly but not difficult. I have just had a delivery of vegetables so I had better go and deal with that then there is also laundry to be done.  Life goes on even if we are relegated to home.  We now have the highest Covid-19 in the country just the sort of news you want. Anyway we are muddling along as best we can as I...

 Good morning all. Another foggy misty and cold day.  I have changed my morning routine more out of boredom than any other reason.  However it does mean writing this has taken a lower priority.  Besides at the moment it is hard to tell one day from another.  Today’s high point is a shower and a bed change. Did anyone see the program about the great plague the parallels are scary but the remedies are almost the same, however at least we have an idea of what we are dealing with.  And no it was nothing to do with rats as we have been led to believe. Well having done my exciting chores I am going to immerse myself in yet more Star Trek and embroidery. Oh the excitement I can hardly contain myself.  Have a good day if the weather allows.

 Good morning all.  Well it is another dull day here and quite chilly.  James is making a big batch of bolognese sauce some to freeze and some for a lasagne for supper and he has also made his own pasta. I guess he is his mothers son! Marjorie I know what you mean about the phone I leave mine to the answer machine. Yesterday I cleared 8 useless calls.  James has had some fun with cold callers he told one lot his name was Pol Pot the Cambodian mass murderer another lot he gave his name as Rudolph Hess.  Now if we get a call for mr.Pot or mr. Hess the first comment is sorry he’s dead.  If that doesn’t put them off they are treated to a history lesson.  Oh well it is nice to have some fun at their expense. Today looks like a Star Trek and embroidery day much like every other day.   That reminds me this will make Joy laugh, I have made a new discovery it is better to comb your hair BEFORE putting in the hearing aid. The sound of the brush nearly blew ...

 Good morning all.  We have sun shine this morning but it is cold and they are forecasting snow. That really is all we need to make our lives miserable.  I love snow when it is new but the slush that follows is not such fun. The internet is playing up this morning and it has taken ages just to get this up and running.   James is making toad in the hole for lunch with peas and onion gravy sounds fine to me.  I had a rocky night and slept in this morning.  The one good thing about being retired is you can have a more sleep when you need it. Well that’s about it nothing exciting to report.

 Good morning all.  Yesterday it rained the whole day, today we are back to just dull and quite cold I suppose just right for December. I think this is going to be a difficult month especially as we are tier three so basically locked down for the foreseeable future.  I feel so sorry for the people whose livelihoods are being destroyed. But I suppose better unemployment than dead.  Anyway in the same vein I will not be sending cards but donating that money to various charities.  These are the ones I have chosen Red Cross, the Sally Army, guide dogs for the blind.  We have decided to do away with much of the Christmas stuff as we are all grownups so Christmas here will be eat and drink and make merry. Denzil only has a couple of days off over the whole period so it will largely be life as usual.   Ok time is marching on and I am gasping for a coffee.  Have a good day.

 Good morning all.  It is raining here nothing exciting just wet. Denzil took both dogs for a long walk yesterday and they both came home knackered and are both happy to stay in bed this morning.  I wonder if dogs get stiff just like us though they never show any such sign. I know when Basso had been working all day the next day he ate twice as much and slept all day. Yesterday I finished the stag in my embroidery I don’t think I have ever done so much stem stitch and there is plenty more to go. The legs were pigs to do but I hope they look ok.  I still have acres of stem stitch to do over the remaining design.  The instructions are done by type of stitch hopefully I will move on to the more interesting stitches soon. Oh and I have been very bad and ordered another which I think will be a real test. That should keep me out of mischief for a while , those wings are going to have to be perfect or it will look awful and my closed fly stitch is not my best.   W...

 Good morning all sorry about yesterday but I was still asleep when Denny arrived which kind of threw me off balance.  I put my hearing aid on before I was fully awake which was not a fun experience.  The noise of the dogs on the hard floor is amazing.  However it was just lovely to take it out and go back to the quiet muffled life at bed time.  I have persevered every day but it is lovely to switch off and sleep.  I am sitting on the edge of my bed writing this on my iPad and Dan has commandeered the warm patch. I managed quite a bit of embroidery as the sunlight was perfect, yes we actually had some sun it makes a change from all the murky weather we have been having.  Today we are back to thick cloud cover. James made a big cottage pie and there should be enough left for lunch especially if I do some buttered cabbage to go with it.  Our area is in tier three which is the most restrictive we are not allowed to mix households even outside in the ...

 Good morning all.  We have been forecast rain but as yet it is the usual dull nothing weather. The bamboo is murmuring so there is a tiny breeze. Today James is making arranchini with the left over risotto from yesterday but he has hit a problem the risotto is too wet so he has spread it out to dry off a bit. I must say he is brave to try, it’s not the easiest thing to do. However just as he ate my mess ups I too will eat his.  Today I am going to give my room a bit of a birthday and tidy up all the bits of yarn that are liberally scattered around making cleaning impossible and Denny is due tomorrow. The new design is nice but it has acres of stem stitch in close rows to fill in large areas which is tedious to sew.  Anyway I will leave it until this afternoon this morning will be devoted to a shower, a bed change and put on a laundry load. I don’t know about you but it is Groundhog Day in this house.  For those who haven’t seen the film the main character wakes...

 Good morning all. We are still stuck in our cloud but it is a bit less foggy today.  Today is Denzil’s long day so it is just James and I and he is going to make us a mushroom risotto as we have some mushrooms on the blink.  My menu plan is eat it before it goes off!  I had intended to get on with my embroidery but the light is dreadful I will have to have the lights on all day I think. I had few few fruitless hours trying to get my hearing aid to connect to my phone but although the Bluetooth can see it it refuses to connect.  I have given it up as a bad job for the time being. My only reason was so that I could manipulate the volume from my phone. Well that is it for today another thrilling day in prospect.  Our COVID levels are very bad and things look like they will get worse before they get better.  Have a good day if you can.

 Good morning all.  It is damp and foggy this morning but not too cold. Yesterday was a successful shopping tip for James.  I am keeping a low profile as the infection rate here has become quite a problem and they are going to start mass testing in December.  We are abandoning Xmas and are just going to hunker down and eat and watch garbage.  To that end James bought a nice large panettone which is necessary for my Xmas morning coffee before the kitchen duties take over. I turned my hearing aid down as Joy suggested and it was much more comfortable without the screeching sound of the higher pitches.  It seems that the higher pitches on the TV are the major problem.  I have no problems with speech. I was chatting to Sandy and we were both moaning about the fireworks.  Her youngest dog is now terrified of all loud noises.  Not much good on a shoot if he is now gun shy.  It is so distressing to see the terror but be completely unable to giv...

 Good morning all, another boring day in prospect, no sun and no weather just deep grey clouds. James has taken a drive to Macknades to buy coffee as we are desperately low. I have waited in for a delivery from Waitrose.  There are some bits that only they stock so my orders are infrequent and we don’t have a store nearby.  This must sound ridiculous we have Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison, and Asda you would think that would do.  However Waitrose stock a read made gazpacho which is Spanish in origin and as good as I can make myself.  We all love it. It is not exactly the weather for a cold soup however it still makes a good starter.  Denzil is a day off so he is relaxing and catching up on missed programs.  In my order there were some lamb burgers so they will do for either lunch or supper. This has reminded me that I caught up on the rugby, sorry Marjorie but Ireland look like they have a good team in the making. I have no plans for the day just more hear...

 Good morning all. Another no weather day here not even the bamboo is stirring.   I slept in late as I had a poor night.   James is busy in the kitchen making a chicken curry for lunch.  I on the other hand am getting on with some embroidery.  This latest effort is proving rather more of a challenge. It comes from a different company and the instructions are not as easy to understand.   I am trying to make sure I practice with the hearing aid but I must admit it isn’t easy.  The magnified sound can be quite off putting. Who new their hair is noisy?  Anyway like most things a bit of perseverance is required. Life here is pretty boring and thank goodness for the telephone and the internet at least we can stay in touch even if we can’t meet. Have a good day and stay safe.

Good morning all.  Well I am now wired for sound.  I am finally the proud owner of a shiny new hearing aid.  I had it fitted at the hospital and wore it for the rest of the day.  It is going to take some getting used to as of course it is an amplifier and magnifies all sound.  I think it may take some time for my brain to readjust.  Anyway I had my TV volume much lower so everyone was happy. We have no weather today just a deep dull greyness.  The gardeners came and basically just tidied up the fallen leaves.  Not that it stays tidy, the first gust of wind and the garden has a new layer of leaves. James is making a chicken curry for us today.  We are very fortunate that one of the corner stores is run by Indians and they have a large Indian section which means we are never short of spices etc. And we all like curries. There is no further news at the moment we are just hunkered down waiting for time to pass and things to improve. James tried t...

 Good morning all.  Sorry about yesterday but I got my self involved in other things and the clean forgot. My new embroidery is more difficult and as such need more brain power and levels of concentration.  However, I do like a challenge.   To day is medical day Denzil has a blood test, James has to pick up a form from the doctors and I have to go to the hospital for my hearing aids. I think lunch may be a fridge raid.  One thing I have discovered now that I have reintroduced carbs is that I have also introduced wind which was largely absent when I was carb free. Well not exactly free but as low as I could manage. The weather is mild and dull but currently dry.  I’m not sure when this current lockdown ends but as I don’t frequent pubs and restaurants it makes little difference to me.   Have a good day and stay safe and warm.

Good morning all.  Thanks for your kind comments about my sewing.  It has been a life saver during the lockdown.  It takes a lot of my limited concentration so it fills in the tedious hours.  James seems happy cooking now that he feels better so I am happy to hand the baton to him.  Today for lunch we are having smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.  Last night I had a chocolate mousse it was delicious but it is the first dessert I have had in months which made it a real treat.  Because I am so un used to sugar I can taste in unexpected places like smoked mackerel which has been cured in a salt and sugar.  Commercial bread tastes like Madeira cake. The rugby was exciting and I am not commenting on the results as it may be televised in France today and as it was England v Ireland I would hate to spoil it for my French friends. Well my coffee cup is empty so time for a refill.  Have a lovely day we are dry here but very dull and overcast.

 Good morning all. It is a dull day and looks like rain there isn’t even a glimmer of sunlight.   I got my latest embroidery finished and blocked and it is now drying.  I think that the wetting allows the fibres to relax and evens out the tension. Once dry I usually put an iron over the edges where they are marked by the ring. The new embroidery is now mounted and I have made a start. This new embroidery is from a different company and is a step up in terms of stitch skills. This is proving to be quite a steep learning curve.  However it does keep me occupied and before I know it 4 hours have elapsed. James is much better and he made a very nice cottage pie yesterday using up the last of the veal joint. What at first I thought was an expensive piece of meat actually has kept the thee of us fed for thee days and I have put my name on the last portion of pie which I will have for lunch today so when you divide it up it is actually not expensive at all. This is the new ...

 Good morning all.  Sorry about yesterday but I just got side lined and then forgot.  I could see the end of the embroidery so I got stuck in while I had daylight.  Fortunately we had leftover veal and today the last of it is going into a cottage pie for supper.  James had also made a big pot of vegetable soup which was very substantial but it’s all gone now.  As a family we all like soup and there isn’t much you can’t make soup out of. Given that everything is so deadly dull at the moment I find that I don’t have much to write about, the days just roll into each other with the usual things that you need to survive.  I am not cooking anything exotic.  I spend a lot of time on the embroidery which is a good thing at least it is stopping me going crazy.   I have brought us all on to the same food I just don’t eat the carb component or at least very little of it which I hope means I shouldn’t put on too much weight.  However I have every in...

 Good morning all.  The sun is shining and it is relatively mild.  Yesterday went according to plan and I managed to get in the back door of the hospital but they won’t let you in until 10 minutes before your appointment time.  Sadly I have to return next week when finally I should get the hearing aids. However I am pleased that my hearing hasn’t deteriorated since last year.  I think the boys will be pleased as I’m sure my tv is very loud for them. By the time I came back from the hospital no one fancied eating so the veal has been put off until today’s lunch.  I have some curly kale and potatoes to go with it.  There will be lots of leftovers so a tuna sauce is called for so with that in mind I am off to hard boil some eggs.   Have a good day and I hope you get a bit of sun to brighten your day.

Good morning all, it is still dark so I can't see what the weather is like but I hear no rain.  Dennie is coming today though I didn't expect her because of the lockdown.  Anyway, I have no problems with a clean house.  The lounge is currently draped in wet washing after yesterdays laundry day. I normally leave the washing for after Dennie has been as she uses lots and lots of cloths which I put in the next batch of laundry. I got on quite well with my embroidery, I must say it is an ideal occupation for the hands while you listen to a good book being read.  The best of both worlds I think. Today I have an appointment with the audiologist but I know that the hospital is in lockdown so I am not looking forward to the experience.  Audiology is as far from the main entrance as possible so I am going to try ducking in the back door which is very close. I would like to spend the minimum amount of time in the hospital and spend the minimum time mixing with others if t...

 Good morning all.  It is quite mild this morning and so far it is dry and once again I am glad we are high above the water line so we are safe from flooding. Quite a few lower lying places are under water.  You would have laughed at me trying to change my duvet cover, some how I got it all wrong and then after much struggle I decided it was the same as when you reverse into a space wrongly.  There is no putting it right you just have to start again. As tomorrow is our Sunday lunch day I have taken a nice veal joint out of the freezer which will be slow roast with garlic, lemon zest, rosemary and butter.  The vegetables arrive tomorrow so I should have a good selection to choose from. As yesterday was so awful I got on with my sewing and have now managed to organise the lights so that I can see to sew when there is no sunshine.  I also sat up late watching a great film “The man who would be King” Rudyard Kipling staring Sean Connery and Micheal Cain. I have...

 Good morning all.  It is hosing down with rain this morning and looks pretty bleak outside. It looks like it is going to be a sewing day.  By the way congratulations to the Irish rugby team on a well deserved win.  The tv schedule is very strange you don’t expect rugby on a Friday.  Every thing this year is strange!   Denzil is working a long day and we have some chicken for supper when he comes home. Lunch will have to be a fridge raid. Have a peaceful day and stay dry.

 Good morning all.  The weather looks pretty miserable this morning.  I had a chat yesterday with my poor friend who has had a terrible fall and done significant damage to her right hand and arm.  She has asked if ai would do an embroidery for her niece.  Of course I agreed nothing like an excuse to do another embroidery.  The one I sent to France has arrived and I hope it is reasonable as I am just learning so I hope to improve. This one still has a way to go but I think a week should have it finished. Fortunately we have some leftover cauliflower cheese which will do for lunch.  Interestingly, since putting some carbs back in my diet I now get ravenously hungry.  It is one of the best parts of the Keto diet that I never felt hungry.  At the moment it is just too much hassle.  I would still like to loose another few pounds but it is not a priority. Well that’s about it for the day time I got on with the sewing.  Have a lovely day d...

 Good morning all.  Well yesterday was a good day my ears have stopped messing me about.  However the best bit was when Tak sent me down some delicious fried chicken Japanese style. The dogs were very disappointed as there was not a morsel to spare. I also managed to get some embroidery done.  I had had to postpone it while I was feeling nauseated.   The consensus decision is to try and manage without  the tumble dryer to which end I have ordered a second drying rack so all our laundry can be accommodated.  I have held off putting my clothes back in the wardrobe as I am not convinced that all the fireworks are over yet. I managed to get a delivery from Tesco so I have topped up my supplies.  All diets are on hold for the time being while everyone gets on an even keel.  I also pushed the boat out and bought some ready made bone broth and was delighted as two teaspoons in a mug of boiling water and you have a delicious soup to enjoy. I have a l...

 Good morning all.  I feel so much better today yesterday was not too bad and I even got some embroidery done.  I have a Tesco delivery coming this afternoon nothing exciting just the usual things like soap powder and dog biscuits.   James has just taken himself to the hospital for a blood test but currently ambulances are waiting up to 5 hours to hand over patients so we hope to see him around Christmas.  In the meantime I had better organise something for lunch.  At the moment all diets are off while we recover our composure and get ourselves on an even keel.  At least I feel well enough to throw a few ingredients together so the first port of call is the freezer. I must say though I don’t really approve of take away or ready meals  there are times when they can save the day.  We are very lucky to have a kebab shop at the top of the road and of all the takeaways I think grilled meat and salad must be the healthiest. The lads that run the pl...

 Good morning all sorry about yesterday but I was none to good and decided to spend the day lying flat which kept the nausea at bay.  I slept well and this morning I feel almost human.  I haven’t been able to sew which is frustrating but I have watched almost all seven series of Star Trek Discovery.  James made some vegetable soup which was heavy on mushrooms but was very delicious and exactly what we all needed.  Last night we had a Chinese take away so no one had to cook.  I hope today will be better and I think the fireworks are dying down now.  Only a few went off last night and the dogs managed well.  I wonder if their terror was made worse as the pack was missing a member.  Who knows how dogs think? Anyway I hope this has brought you all up to date I am now going to see what I can rustle up by way of food for the day. Stay safe and have the best day you can.

 Good morning all.  I had a bit of a rough day yesterday me ear is playing up which generally means I am dizzy and nauseated.  I will keep this short as I seem to be better lying down.  I hope a bit of rest will see this pass.  In the mean time have a good day and stay safe.

 Good morning all it is very damp and misty but the sun is trying to break through and it is much milder. Last night the house was battened down ready but the fireworks started before dark and just kept going, it was like living in war zone.  You can’t explain to a dog that they are not bombs and bullets. I can confirm that the tumble dryer is dead so now I have the choice do I try to get it mended or just buy new.  In the mean time the house is draped in wet washing. As the dogs completely trashed my wardrobe I have had to put everything out to wash.  However, it does give me the opportunity to do a bit of clearing out while I am at it. Denzil is working a long day so it is just me and the dogs who are exhausted and still sound asleep. I am hopeful that we may get some news regarding James after the doctors have been around on Monday morning. Well the sun has made an appearance so I am going to take advantage and get some embroidery done so first fill up the coffee ...

Good morning all, yet another night of fireworks but though the dogs took cover I think they were less afraid.  Dan took over the wardrobe and Tubby hid in Denzil’s room.  I don't want to be a killjoy but night after night is getting a bit much and of course, now it is the weekend, great.  It is so annoying that almost every item in the wardrobe will have to be washed clean of dog hair.  As far as I am aware James is hopeful of discharge on Monday but I guess that will depend on how he has fared over the weekend.  I am much less concerned as they are talking about discharge I hope he will be a bit more communicative when he gets home and is feeling better.  In the meantime, I have leftovers for lunch today.  I got some sausages out of the freezer and didn't realise it was quite a large pack so its leftover sausages and leftover vegetables.   The American election has as usual turned into a soap opera which I must admit I am trying not to watc...

Good morning all it is very cold this morning.  Last night was miserable the dogs were very distressed and as Denzil was working I was trying to manage both dogs. Tubby finally chose a book shelf he deemed safe and Dan was in the wardrobe. Needless to say there is a bit of a mess to clear up this morning.  Books all over the floor upturned waste baskets, clothes scattered far and wide.  Not much fun for anyone. James rang last night to speak to his brother but he was working. He didn’t want to talk to me so I am not much wiser.  He has some liver problems though that is insufficient information for me. I am finding it difficult with no information but I’m sure I will find out in time.  Sadly I am still the wicked witch may be when he starts to feel better I might get promoted! Denzil is off today and I have made a sort of vegetable mixture which we will have with sausages for lunch.  I must say I am really pleased with the results of the water fast the 3.5 ...

 Good morning all cold enough for frost last night and this morning we have no weather no sun, no wind, no rain.  Last night was dreadful with both dogs in a dreadful state.  In the end they both managed to climb into the bottom of the wardrobe.  Needless to say there are hangers and clothes scattered far and wide in the end Dan fell asleep exhausted half in and half out of the wardrobe.  I sincerely hope we are not plagued by fireworks tonight which is bonfire night but also lockdown.  It is horrible to see the dogs so distressed and there seems to be no way to comfort them.  At first I tried to stop them getting into the wardrobe then I realised “resistance is futile” to quote the Borg so I gave in and let them hide in there.  I think I might move a few things so if they need to hide tonight it will not be as chaotic. No news on James but at least I know he is in the best place.  Typical gone are the day when there was a bit of joined up th...

 Good morning all.  I had a lovely brunch with Elaine and got home around 12 midday to find Denzil had taken James to hospital with chest pain.  They discharged him via a GP service so probably indigestion rather than heart problems.  However, we are in the dark because he didn’t come home last night so I am assuming he went to stay with a friend.  I rang the hospital this morning and this is all the information I have.  As you can imagine I am pretty worried but he is an adult so I mustn’t chase him he can do as he pleases. Both the dogs were in melt down again last night even before we heard any fireworks I don’t know if their hearing meant they could hear them when neither Denzil nor I could hear anything. Strange! I might be deaf but Denzil isn’t. Well I guess I had better get myself sorted out and get something for lunch underway.  I always forget to take things out of the freezer the night before.  Microwaves are great but I need an instant ...

 I have made a big mistake I reached out to my sister and sent her birthday greetings but it has resulted in yet more vitriol.  She always thinks I am up to something and is paranoid where I am concerned.  I guess I had better not try again and accept I am the wicked witch of the west.  Oh well nothing venture nothing gained. It was a mistake. to poke a hornets nest. She is still too angry to approach.  I sincerely hope she has not found this blog. Or I will be getting threats of legal action again.  I feel very stupid I should have let sleep go dogs lie. Any way I thought I would write tonight as I am out to breakfast in the morning and may not have time.  Have a good day.  I will tell you of my breakfast treat in the next edition.

 Good morning all.  Last night was quiet apart from one bang thank goodness for wind and rain.  I really didn't fancy another night with the dogs so distressed.  However, I know we are not out of the woods yet. I have an invitation to breakfast at Elaine’s tomorrow so I am deciding if I should water fast today then I can eat with a clear conscience.  If I leave it till after the event I might chicken out or find some rational excuse to avoid it altogether.  It should be easy enough all I have to do is miss one meal. I made some keto scones yesterday and played about with the recipe so that they contained lots of cheese and ham.  They have the added advantage of staying moist because they are made with almond flour.  So if I get desperate there is always a scone. I must say I am very surprised that none of you has questioned my sanity. It is very self-indulgent to play like this just testing various theories to see what works for me. I am a firm ...

 Good morning one and all.  It's still blowing here but the rain has stopped. There was a feast of Rugby on the box yesterday which finished off the six nations championship for last year.  Sadly things got a bit difficult as soon as it was dark.  Fireworks damn fireworks both dogs went into melt down.  Tubby was in such a state he managed to get inside my wardrobe looking for safety.  Dan decided he would dig a shelter but the bedroom carpet was very unforgiving.  There are so many contradictory ideas of how to deal with this.  It's a bit crazy when you can fire a 12 bore and Dan dosen't even flinch.  However, just one banger and he goes into meltdown. It must be something about the sound of fireworks that maybe we don't hear not forgetting that dogs can hear higher pitch than we can. Nothing seems to comfort them. I tried hugging Tubby like a thunder shirt but all he was determined to do was to stand on my bedside table.  Needless to s...

Good morning all I am a bit late this morning as I had a bit of a lie-in.  Yesterday saw the end of the stag embroidery which is pinned out and beginning to dry.  So I mounted up a new design which I will start today.  I have only just realised that because the work requires very close inspection it always looks messy but at a distance, it doesn't look so bad.  I also have to remind myself that I am new to this craft so perfection may take some time. And now for something very exciting I found that Amazon sells a very low carb bread, it costs a fortune but it is actually delicious so much so that all I ate yesterday was a ham sandwich.  And today I am going to have scrambled eggs on toast to see if it toasts ok.  When you haven't had bread for months it is quite a treat and coming off my water fast I was quite happy with just a sandwich.  I must say that I am amazed that people can do 21-day fasts when all I managed was 2 before I was prepared to rip t...

Good morning all. What a miserable day it was yesterday.  I broke my fast at the 50-hour mark and I am down a pound and a half, which no doubt is all water.  I got hungry at 24 hours but it passed easily however then I  began to worry that once I started to eat again I wouldn't be able to stop.  However, I didn't blow the carb budget.  I must say that I felt fine not at all what I expected my body adapted fine to having no food.  This might seem weird but this is the first time in history that there is enough food to eat not once a day but 3 times.  So a little fasting will not harm it is amazing how easily I have moved to just the one meal per day but I do sometimes split it into two portions.  I also know that I eat out of boredom more than hunger. Well, surprise surprise it isn't raining yet. it is very dull and overcast with glimpses of the sun slipping through the gaps in the clouds. There is a stiff breeze blowing which is bringing down yet ...

 Good morning all well it looks like a wet one today.  It isn't really a problem except I prefer decent light to sew by. As you all know by now physiology is a subject I am fascinated by so following listening to a lecture from a nephrologist I am trying out a water fast.  The last time I ate was Tuesday evening.  I must admit I was hungry for a little while last evening but have woken this morning feeling fine with no need or want of food. Strange indeed.  I know some  people do 21-day fasts but I will just chug along until I feel the need for food. I am taking care that my electrolytes don't  get out of kilter. Coffee tea and Bovril seem to be fine and of course, water. I am in no way recommending this but I will be interested to see how it goes and if I find it beneficial.  I believe it is the ultimate detox by just giving your body a chance to do repair work instead of constantly processing food.  Any way we will see how this pans out....

Good morning all well I had my audiology appointment and my hearing is no worse than the last time it was tested but it still warrants a hearing aid so next, I will have an appointment for having one fitted in a couple of weeks time.  The hospital was like the Marie celeste which is quite eerie and disconcerting I sat alone in the huge waiting room where there was a big sign saying audiology closed.  Then I spotted a sign saying to wait if you had a booked appointment.  I was pleased that I finally got on to the hamster wheel that is health care here at present. I have a letter for my GP which I may just throw into the post as far as I can tell they file letters so no doubt this one to will not see the light of day.  I know I shouldn't be so cynical but years of dealing and working with the health service have left me a little jaded, to say the least. Yesterday was a wet one it rained all day and the light was not good for sewing so I didn't get as much done as I had...

Good morning all my head still hasn't come to terms with the hour change I'm sure the older I get the more it affects me.  The dogs dislike this change as they get everything late but when the clocks go forward they think it is Christmas everything is early.  I must say I really don't see the point of all the clock changing. I remember being on nights you worked the extra hour but no extra pay or time off you were just expected to work for love, not money.  Sadly we had bills and rent to pay and money was actually important. Today I have an order coming from Tesco, my veg box arrives and so by tonight we should once again be fully stocked.  I have ordered a few goodies towards the feasting like a whole tin of sweets/chocolates.  Funny as it may seem I am quite happy to put them away in a cupboard as they don't tempt me a bit. I also have an appointment at audiology this afternoon at 5pm and now I have a road-legal car I can drive myself to the hospital.  I ...

Good morning all and today we have sun well at the moment we do but things are very changeable so who knows if it will last. It is, however, a chance to sit in the sunlight with my coffee.  I also have a piece of the embroidery which I am unhappy with so I know I will have to unpick it and have another go. The hour change really threw me yesterday because I woke normally so that was an hour early and it just got worse from there and I was ready for bed at about 9pm worn out.  I had made soup for lunch with the remainder of the guinea fowl which was very light and then I was going to have my fried eggs and spam for supper but I ran out of enthusiasm and ended up with a kebab and salad which I consider to be fine for my dietary requirements as the pitta bread goes out for the birds.  Sadly the kebab shop is only 200yrd from the front door and there is a second one about a quarter of a mile away and they deliver.  We have more Indian,  Chinese and Thai not to menti...

 Good morning all we had a very stormy evening which will no doubt bring down tons of leaves.  I always think it is such a pity that the autumn storms put pay to the lovely colours of autumn as the world turns into a sepia print until the first green shoots of spring bring back hope.  It must have been very difficult to face winter after a bad harvest.  It is no wonder that I feel the need to conserve things.  Yesterday I got a small meat delivery which included a calves foot which spent 16 hours slow cooking I now have my own jellied stock and the dogs thought the we're in heaven when they got the meat for their supper.  In that delivery were some chickens feet so I gave one each to the dogs.  In a complete reversal of roles, Dan munched his but Tubby spat his on the floor and walked off in disgust.  I picked it up and put it on a low table the watched as Dan noticed it and helped himself.  He has never stolen anything in his life but this w...

 Good morning all so sorry to be so late but I had a computer problem which I hope is now solved.  It needed fixing as I couldn't get into my email.  I am rapidly running out of new passwords.  I love my computer when it does what I want and hate it when it doesn't. It was driving me crazy before the clean up now it's driving me crazy in a different way. I decided to risk the scales this morning and am pleased to see a small fall which I am delighted about.  I am still happy with the food so I will just keep going.   We have a lovely sunny day so I will be eager to get on with my sewing.  The men are sorting out their own lunch and I am roasting a guinea fowl for supper.  I think we may have to have it with a salad as I am out of most veg I may have to use frozen. Well having wasted so much time on the computer this morning I had better get a shift on and get my chores done. Hope you too have some sun it does make you feel better. I think I have ...