Another day

 Morning all.  Yes, I'm still alive but only just.  I have been poleaxed buy something. Not covid but some other nasty. Denzil became concerned and rang the respiratory nurse who has succeeded in kicking my GP into touch and ordered some meds.  As I was not eating I have been force-fed buckets of sweet tea so I am being well cared for. Then just to put the tin lid on things my very good friend who had a total knee replacement at shoinas instance called the vet and had her dog put down.  She lives alone and her dog was her life she is now in pieces.   Personally I blame the vet this dog should have been put out of it's misery some time ago.  Just because you can keep it alive doesn't mean you should.  It was blind with a heart condition and paralysed back legs and 16 years old.  Anyway not being able to help in any way I have sent flowers and let her cry bitterly on the phone. What else can you do for a broken heart? Ok, I am running out of ga...

 Good morning all.  First some good news Chrissie is through her surgery and not feeling too sore. I on the other hand feel like death warmed up. I think I slept most of yesterday and now feel guilty as I should have got on with the embroidery.  My hearing aid is on the table as I have ear ache so I am giving it a rest for a couple of days and hope it all settles down. I have an appointment for my flu vaccine on the 6th of November at 11.21 not 20 or 25 but 21 how daft is that. Anyway at least it is booked. James has gone off to do the shopping and hopefully get some mackerel fillets for lunch.  I am now going to get stuck in to the embroidery while I still feel vaguely human. Have a good day stay safe.

Good morning all. It is still pitch dark so I have no idea what sort of a day it is going to be according to the forecast it should be dry. I had a minor technical success yesterday I manage to pay a cheque into the bank using just my iPad.  Now I'm not sure what to do with the cheque itself I guess I will just file it in case of disaster. Dennie is due any minute and for once the house is none too bad.  James did us proud with a shoulder of lamb for lunch which he slow roasted which rendered most of the fat.  We were so stuffed after lunch we only had a tomato sandwich for supper and I could quite happily have done without that. The dogs who did a little clearing up were a bit confused by the mint jelly  "Why is the dessert with the meat course?' Well Dennie is here and chaos reins so I will close and get out of her way.  Have a good day and be safe

Good morning all.  Is it me or is life getting more difficult by the time you get hold of a human being your frustration levels are so high you want to scream at them.  My sarcasm levels are off the charts and it's easy to see how people lose it and start hurling abuse. Marjory, you have my empathy drowning in  bureaucracy is infuriating and it isn't even possible to just throw in the towel you have to battle on.  May I suggest that copious amounts of chocolate are called for and to hell with the consequences? I believe today is Chrissie's scheduled surgery I do hope that things work out well for her and at least that will be one hurdle dealt with. I am struggling with my embroidery at the moment it is proving much more difficult than I anticipated but I must soldier on and get it done. James is cooking a boned and rolled shoulder of lamb today which will make a nice change from chicken.  It is in the oven slow-roasting now all we need are some vegetables to go ...

Good morning all there is something wrong with my blog on the computer it has taken me ages just to get this up  and working but it keeps freezing. Fine it seems to have cleared.  I have just waited one hour 10 minutes on hold to get through to my GP receptionist.  I need confirmation of my medical status to renew my blue badge.  Sadly it will have to be collected from the surgery on Friday as they don’t have any postal facilities.  It just goes from bad to worse.  I asked if the print off could be e mailed but apparently not.  Is it any wonder casualty is filled with people with minor complaints.  I am now seething with irritation so I will close before I disappear into an endless rant.   Have a good one I am going to drink some coffee and let my anger subside.

Good morning all and many thanks to Annabeth I have found a place close by that will suit me fine so it is on next weeks to-do list. I spent quite a while yesterday embroidering I have been set quite a challenge as it is by no means easy.  sorry about the shadow but you can see that it is going to be quite complex. I have just about finished the big F so onward and upward. Once that is done I have to add more bling before I can post it back to Bristol. I also need to factor in the three days it will take to dry once it has been blocked. I am going to keep this short as I need to make a start with the good morning light not that there is any sun just cloud and I believe we are in for lots more rain. Have a lovely peaceful Sunday 

Good morning all.  I think I am turning into a bear and going into hibernation, all I want to do is sleep.  Perhaps I am just so relaxed with both boys at home I know there is nothing for me to do, who knows, but I am going to make the most of it while it lasts.  Denzil goes back to work tomorrow but it has been lovely to have him home for a fortnight. I really must get on with my embroidery as this is a commissioned piece and time is of the essence.  I made a start yesterday but had to stop when the sun was blinding me.  Of course, the sun is very low at this time of the year and though I need good light the sun in my eyes is not so good. I really must get my vaccine sorted out but as I seldom leave the house I feel pretty secure. Who knows I might even get a letter calling me forward if I can't find a walk-in venue. I will keep this short and sweet as I must get on and make the most of the daylight so it's time to fill my coffee cup and make a start. Have a lo...

Good morning all or is it nearly lunchtime?   I slept in very late this morning but I was awake for several hours in the night but refused to get up and finally fell back to sleep just when I should have got up. First I texted Chrissie to see how she is doing and as you would expect she is pretty nervous but hopefully it will all soon be over and she can concentrate on getting well. Angela has sent me back the Christmas stocking so that I can add some more bling and get the name of the child embroidered.  Then it can go back and her seamstress can finish it off.  I really need to get it done as time is marching on so I will get it mounted up and make a start this morning as we have beautiful sunshine.  It is however jolly cold outside so indoor work is ideal. James has the base of a mushroom risotto made so I guess that will be for lunch.  I put a meat order in yesterday which includes a big chunk of beef rib which can live in the freezer until the festive ...

Good morning all it is very autumnal today with lots of rain forecast and the temperature has plummeted. Yesterday was gorgeous once the morning rain had passed and it was really quite warm. Has anyone heard from Chrissie she must be getting nervous as I believe her surgery is due on the 26th?  Anyway, I do hope she is getting all the support she needs.   My good intentions to phone the chemist got forgotten yesterday and I am going to take Annabeths advice and look for a walk-in centre as waiting to be called may never happen.   I had a nice chat with Angela yesterday and the Christmas stocking will be on its way back to me so I can finish the embroidery.  She has organised a seamstress to finish the job and has chosen some suitable materials for the backing.  I will have to ask her for a photo of the finished article.  It's a pity she lives some 3 hours away which makes meeting up a bit difficult. James is making a cabbage and bacon extravaganza...

Good morning all.  We have started the day with a downpour but the sky is clearing so it might yet turn into a good day.  Keith came yesterday and cut back loads of shrubs which had put on a lot of growth over the summer months. He also trimmed up my bay trees so they look nice and are not obstructing the paths.  He only has two more visits then he packs up for the winter. Today James has made a sort of chorizo and vegetable stew for lunch and after his shopping trip yesterday we have a fridge full of bits and pieces ideal for the odd sandwich or two. Following on from the comments yesterday I was sorry to hear of Marjorie's family all down with the covid hopefully it will just be a mild attack and not land any of them in hospital.  It is us older folks who are at significant risk.  Anyway with winter coming and not having had my booster I am being particularly careful.  Today I think I will chase the chemist regarding my flu vaccine as I don't want that ei...

Good morning all I am up very late having slept like a log for a change.  Today is the first big blow of autumn and there are leaves falling everywhere.  Soon the trees will be just bundles of sticks and all the beautiful colours will be gone.  Next door but one has a holly tree that is loaded with berries I'm not sure if this means we have had a good summer or we are in for a hard winter either way it is a picture at the moment. It might be blustery and damp but it is much warmer than it has been with blasts of sunshine. Dan came home from the groomer looking very beautiful and smelling delicious but completely exhausted.  He guzzled an entire bowl of water ate a large supper and then lost consciousness.  I must say the ability to just lay down and pass out is something I have always envied dogs. They also wake instantly no wandering around in a daze as they come to. As the covid numbers are high at the moment and I haven't had my flu or booster shots I am bein...

Good morning all. I woke this morning to a tiny bit of good news overnight I have been promoted to the Latin Safire league as I finished in the top three of the gold league. Talk about little things please little minds! Anyway I now feel I need to make some sort of decision do I plough on or should I switch languages. My Italian grammar could do with some brushing up as I do write in Italian to my cousin and he replies in English so we both get to practice.  I have done a minimum of an hour a day of Latin for the last month and I have no intention of becoming a Latin scholar. Dan is off for a day of pampering/torturing as he is having his hair cut we think it is pampering he thinks it is torturing. The groomers say he is a fidget so he is good practice for the students.  Anyway, he will come home exhausted and smelling like a fairy. We have the last of our frozen red mullet for lunch today and I have a fennel bulb to prepare and can't decide whether to cook it or do a salad. E...

Good morning all.  I had a very rubbish day yesterday as I had a banging headache almost the whole day.  I'm afraid I did a very good impression of a vegetable I managed to do a bit of my Latin but I was making loads of silly mistakes so I put that away.  I really didn't like the light so no embroidery got done.  Talking of the light it is very noticeable that the days are getting shorter, it is only just light now at 7.45. Dan had a bit of a limp after his walk but he is fine this morning both he and Tubby are prone to going crazy when they have acres to run in. I had a quick scan of the headlines this morning and it is all bad news as usual with dire warnings about the coming winter.  Nothing like it to set you up for the day with a healthy dose of doom and gloom! There are times I envy the dogs for their lack of concern. So long as they are safe warm and fed that is about all they care about. Well, I have no real plans for the day just a quiet Sunday with lot...

Good morning all. It's a cold morning down to single figures but with just light clouds so we might be in for a decent day. Denzil's face has subsided by itself so it was probably an insect bite I myself had a couple of mosquito bites but the culprit is now deceased. I am a devil with the fly swat.  It is one of the drawbacks of open windows, I really must have a word with the spiders they are not doing their job! Yesterday we ate really healthily clearing up the curry sauce with some chips for lunch and a bacon and egg sandwich for supper. I'm sure all the health gurus would be very impressed and it was of course calorie-free. I had a long chat with Sandy on the phone only to hear that since we last spoke she has lost 4 very dear friends.  I guess this is something we all have to look forward to as we and our friends get older.  Anyway, she was pleased I was still alive. I watched some cosmology program yesterday and was devastated to learn that the sun will burn out in ...

 Aren't we lucky, sometimes we fail to see what is on our doorstep?  This is one of several local parks showing off its autumn colours.  It is very popular with anglers, dog walkers and horse riders as it covers a significant area. Apparently, we are also finally going to get a Lidl store despite strenuous efforts by Asda to stop it.  I for one am delighted as I am not a fan of Asda. Now the only thing we are missing is a decent hospital. The current hospital dates from 1902 when it was a naval hospital.  Since then they have bolted on various structures but it really isn't fit for purpose and hasn't been since I worked there many years ago. We really do seem to have things backwards perhaps they should open surgeries in the supermarkets! Denzil woke up with a fat face yesterday which is really quite swollen. He has given it 24 hours but it is still very swollen this morning so I hope he is going to seek some medical attention today though his chances of seeing ...

Good morning all it is still pitch dark at the moment but if yesterday is anything to go by it should be a lovely day. James survived his dental appointments but there is still work to be done.  We all enjoyed the soup and Denzil and I had a pasty each.  Our local baker makes lovely pasties for which I have a passion. He makes them with puff pastry so they are more like stuffed croissants than true pasties but delicious nonetheless.  I set myself some rules yesterday to stop me from getting completely carried away.  The rules are only one hour of Latin and only one hour of the wretched stem stitch in the morning when the light is good. I am having a problem with my iPad in that it refuses to install an update so I will have to have a trawl on the internet and see what I can do about that. My computer skills are severely limited so I really have no idea what I am doing. Dennie has made the house all sparkly and the laundry is up to date even the window cleaner came....

Good morning all. Today is going to be a busy day, Dennie is due any moment and the kitchen looks as if a bomb has exploded.  James did a full roast chicken dinner for supper last night and the detritus is scattered far and wide.  He is off to the dentist for one of two appointments today so it will be up to me to sort things out. I carved all the meat off the bird last night so I can get the carcass into the pot this morning and I have a butternut squash so I will make some soup for him in case he has a sore mouth. Tubby was off-colour yesterday and refused any food but he was eager for his morning dental stick so hopefully whatever it was has passed. It is now light and it looks like a lovely day ahead anyway Dennie is here the carcass is in the pot and I need to get going.  Have a good day and stay safe.

Good morning one and all.  It is cold and dull so far this morning but it warms up later in the day when the sun breaks through the clouds. I had a quiet day yesterday and have tried out a new shampoo which doesn't sound very exciting but I have had a persistent fine rash on my forehead for weeks which I treated with an antihistamine cream.  Then I remembered that my dad had developed an allergy to sulphates in shampoo and it suddenly dawned on me it might just be the same thing.  I bought a sulphate free shampoo and the rash is subsiding nicely so I think I may have found the cause.  Fortunately, the rash isn't itchy just ugly and a nuisance. I also made a decision to abandon looking at the Latin league tables and have concentrated on revising from the beginning to try and make sure the 550 words I have learned actually stick.  At this stage in my life, I am very well aware that I suffer from Teflon syndrome [nothing sticks]. James has defrosted a chicken so I ...

Good morning all.  Please feel free to congratulate me on finishing in the number one slot in the silver league which took me until midnight.  I managed it by a whisker and now find myself in 5th position in the gold league.  It could be worse at least it's not bingo! Now, whether I can maintain my enthusiasm is another matter. Needless to say, I have woken with a thundering head that is totally self-inflicted and no one to blame but myself. I think I will treat myself to a quiet day and give the grey cells a rest. Today we don't have any weather it is calm cloudy and cool in fact it is down to 9ºC which is quite chilly. The house has a lovely smell of slowly cooking onions which James will make into onion gravy for our Cumberland sausage ring and mash. Not much to report this morning so I think I will get more coffee and head to the bathroom and see if I can soak away my headache.  Have a good day and stay safe and warm.

 Good morning all.  I am very late this morning but I woke at 4 and didn’t get back to sleep for ages.  As you know I am a bit nuts so I spent some time keeping the top slot in the league.  Well what else can you do when everyone is asleep and you are wide awake? I have no idea what the chef has planned for today but I’m sure it will be good.  I think we still have loads of diced chicken which needs cooking. The weather is very misty and autumnal but I like autumn and watching the leaves change colour before they are all blown down by the storms.  I also love fresh snow but only for a few days.  The dogs love snow and go mad chasing each other round the garden. I hope we are not in for a hard winter especially with gas prices rising.  I am lucky that my house is very well insulated so hopefully I will not have problems keeping warm. My GP surgery has call me for a flu vaccine but I’m not sure I will live long enough to make an appointment so I thi...

Good morning all.  The weirdest thing happened yesterday morning I woke up with a word bouncing around in my head.  It was Nuvolari which is the name of a famous Ferrari driver of the 30's which is before I was born. Now, where did that come from? goodness only knows what my brain was up to while I was asleep. You might wonder at my keenness to learn Latin but I think there is a history to this. When my parents came home from Nigeria they rented a cottage in Wiltshire.  I was moved to yet another primary school just in time to sit the 11+ I had done half of it and passed when they moved to Surrey where they had finished their exams so the school didn't know what to do with me.  They solved the problem by putting me in the second year of the secondary stream and my friends went into the first year of the grammar stream where they learned Latin and I did not. To this day I resent their decision as my mother had demonstrated how useful a knowledge of both Greek and Lati...

Good morning all.  Well, there is good news and not so good news.  The good news is that after considerable work I made it to the top of the leader board. However, this morning when I checked I was back down to 3rd so not such good news.  Anyway, it amuses me and I guess I must be learning.  I do have the advantage of medical terminology most of which is either Latin or Greek-based. Today James has the bit between his teeth and is cooking up a storm.  I bought him a Japanese deep fryer so karaage chicken is on the menu. However, I have some deboning to do first so I will be very popular with the dogs. I had a long chat with Elaine yesterday and she has had her fair share of problems of late with a sick horse and a dying father in law and a distraught husband. Sadly these problems befall us all at some point. Anyway, sometimes it helps to offload to a sympathetic ear. Well, that's your lot for today I am off to improve my league position and bone some chicken thi...

Good morning all.  Tragedy, I have dropped to 5th place overnight while other parts of the world have been awake.  I guess I will have to put some effort in to regain my status.  I took a screenshot to show you what it is like.  Sometimes it speaks a sentence and you have to select the correct words from the list given. Yesterday I learned some very useful phrases like "the cook hits the drunk parrot" I'm sure it will come in handy some time!  This puts me in mind of an occasion when my Mum got craved up in the car which really scared her and her response was to yell "che Dio ti raddrizzi la parrucca" which translates to "may god straighten your wig" I queried why she said this and it was because I was in the car and she didn't want to swear in front of me but to an English ear it sounds terrible and the other driver was stunned.  So who knows when drunk parrots may be useful. We are having a fry up for lunch today with chipolatas and black puddin...

Good morning all.  Today we are starting with sun and wind but that may change at any moment. Poor Dan is all confused. So when Denzil left at 5am he started howling I think he thought Denzil had retired when he was at home for so long due to the petrol crisis. Fortunately, he understands the command "shut up". A couple of James friends are sick and positive for covid and I'm afraid I have little sympathy they are both unvaccinated so what did they expect?  Fortunately, James is double vaccinated so if he does get it he is unlikely to be really ill.  Of course, it is the season for colds and flu which can easily be confused with Covid.  Anyway, they can stay well away from me I don't want to catch anything just now. Another student took my third position in the Latin league so I had to work really hard to regain my position and finally made second place only to lose it again.  We will have to see how well I do today so long as I keep within the top 15 for 5 days...

 Good morning all what a downpour we had at about 4 this morning.  It was noisy enough to wake me as I had fallen asleep with my hearing aid in.  Everything in the garden is still dripping but we now have brilliant sunshine but a miserable 12ºC. On the Latin front, there is a league table and I am now in the third position, I'm chuffed, how pathetic is that. I'm not normally a competitive person but I do like to think I am good at whatever is my latest fancy. I do tend to attack something new like a bull at a gate.  I'm sure the enthusiasm will wear off in time or when I find something new to occupy my time. Keith the gardener is due this afternoon and I hope by then things will have dried out a bit.  My cherry tomatoes have come to an end and need to be disposed of but they have been very good while those in the greenhouse got blight and were got rid of some time ago. James has his pork dish for lunch so that is all done and merely needs reheating. Denzil is of...

Good morning all.  We have started the day with a downpour but it is now clearing and looking a bit brighter.  The days seem to be a mix of lovely sunshine and pouring rain.  It is a chilly 9 degrees so the heating has kicked in. I believe the army is going to start delivering fuel better late than never.  I'm sure we have lots of lorry drivers who would come out of the woodwork if their pay and condition were to significantly improve! I believe the phrase you pay peanuts you get monkeys applies. James is making an interesting concoction with some pork loin and beans which I'm sure will be delicious. I did chuckle that Joy has painted her nails a similar colour, mine are horribly long which makes for some interesting typos especially on a touch screen.   Today I intend to make some sewing progress and continue with my Latin.  Duolingo is a bit like a compulsive computer game and certainly doesn't feel like study of any kind.  I just hope it is kee...

Good morning one and all.  Yesterday was absolutely filthy with continuous rain and wind however there was a silver lining Denzil actually got £30 of petrol so he has managed to get to work today.  However, the situation around here is still dire.  In a way, it isn't a problem for me as we have a good parade of shops within walking distance not that I can walk that far but the boys can. Like Joy, I spent time on myself, you know hair nails etc.  I decided to paint my nails to match my iPad in rose gold what do you think?  I also persevered with Latin which is actually fun.  I did the Italian with Shiona who wanted to be able to speak when on holiday and we even did a shopping trip making sure she knew all the food words.  There are many likenesses between Latin and Italian not to mention Spanish and English.  My French is rubbish but I bet there are some similarities there too. Today is going to be a quiet day I am having the last of the smoked sa...

Good morning all still no petrol available at the local garage. This is becoming ridiculous there is plenty of diesel but that's no use if your car uses petrol.  Denzil is getting very frustrated but there is nothing to be done but wait.  I don't see why the army was not brought in at the very beginning after all they are sitting in barracks they might as well do something useful.  Ok, that's the morning moan over. Yesterday was a mixed day of frequent showers and intermittent bursts of sunshine and today looks much the same.  At the moment it is cold and dull but dry.  We were down to single figures in the night and it has just made it to 10ºC so pretty chilly. Denzil has just returned from the bakers with some pasties for lunch and James is still asleep.  He made us a delicious curry for supper last night.  I had skinned and boned the chicken thighs so I was very popular with the dogs.  Tubby will eat curry but Dan isn't keen he is a bit of a fu...

Good morning all.  Much better today and thank you for the good wishes.  It finally dawned on me what had happened the day before I tried to breathe a cup of tea which sent me into paroxysms of coughing and I have pulled muscles I didn't know I had.  Anyway, a day emulating a sloth has done the trick and though I am still sore I am not in pain. We had a lovely lunch yesterday as the boys got a fish platter from the fishmonger.  It had a multitude of shellfish and a dressed crab each.  James made some mayonnaise and a tomato salad and Denzil got us a French stick to go with it.  There is still loads left so it will be on the menu again today with an assortment of salads. The garage at the top of the road still has no petrol they have had two deliveries both of them diesel which is not much use if your vehicle uses petrol.  Denzil has no choice but to wait until they have petrol as he is running on fumes at the moment. I have been tasked with deboning so...