Saturday, 11-03-23

 Morning, everyone.  I've had one of my wakeful nights, getting to sleep easily but waking up middle of the night, wide awake.  I know better than to fight it at times so I came down, flipped up the heating (it's a chilly night), got myself a coffee and have done a few things.

Yesterday was really lovely!
I had a nice loss at SW group (phew) and also got the Slimmer of the Week hamper.  I wasn't the actual S of the W but they didn't stay for group and I was the next one down.  It was a good one with plenty of canned goods and fresh fruit; I was very happy with it.
While I was weighing people, I happened to glance out of the window and was gobsmacked to see that it was snowing heavily!  Where did that come from?  It was very pretty but nowhere near cold enough to settle or even slush so that was OK.  By the end of Group, it had pretty much stopped and then out came the sun.

When I got home, I pottered around for a bit before leaving to pick Alex up.  We were going to make out own ways into town but heavy rain had been forecast a couple of days before so I arranged to pick him up and drive in.
We had to wait for a short while before getting into the car park I wanted to use but, once in, it was easy enough to find a slot.
We enjoyed our lunch at Prezzo and then we attacked the shops.  The reason we were in town (apart from lunch together) was to get Al some new trousers as he needed a smaller size after losing some weight.  We (he) ended up getting a couple of pairs of smart trousers from M&S and some joggers from Next.  We did look in Primark but there wasn't really much and he didn't like the ones he tried on.  I broke my no-more-clothes rule by getting a pink hoodie in Primark which I'm going to wear with jeans today as it's supposed to be quite a chilly day.

I took Al home and had a quick chat with Beth.  Then it was home, James, for me where I warmed up properly before a bit more pottering about, doing not-a-lot.

Today really starts with an early morning SET class online.  Because I missed Groove on Tuesday, I asked could I join today's class.  It's not Groove but that's OK.  Once that's done, I have a few little plans, nothing big or exciting, just stuff I'd like to get done.

I was wondering if I could bake bread in Nellie.  Some say you can and some say you can't so, as my smallest loaf tins fit into the trays very nicely, I thought I would just give it a go and see.  
The other thing is that my herb and spice shelf really does need a good sort out and clean up.  Some of the contents are very, very old and just need chucking.  I plan to dispose of the really old stuff and, if I feel it needs to be replaces (if it's that old, I haven't used it so probably not), I will add it to a list and get a replacement from the market stall that sells herbs and spices by weight very much more reasonably than the little jars you get in the supermarkets.

I also have some washing building up now so I'll get that done.  Maybe it will be bright enough to peg it out - I doubt it will dry completely but it will freshen it up which is always nice.

I had written in the diary about a food shop, seeing as it is ten days since the last one but, actually, I still have plenty to be getting on with so there's no need.  Maybe next Wednesday, I'll see.

So that's today - a homey day and, I hope, productive in a small way.
How are things your way?  Any unexpected snow?
Take care, stay warm and have a lovely Saturday.  xx

Friday, 10-03-23

 Morning, everyone.  Welcome to a very gloomy and wet Friday morning here which is a bit sad but infinitely better than a shedload of snow.  You never know, it might brighten up later on.

Thanks very much for your questions.  I'll probably do an answer post on Sunday so keep them coming.  The relevant post is here.

Yesterday was pretty energetic.  I attended the online SET class - I always enjoy that - and then did the usual homey stuff before going over to Lindsey's for my personal training.  It was hard work as it is the start of a new block and she's upped the ante somewhat.  I really liked the new stuff though.

As I missed Groove on Tuesday, I've arranged to join her early morning Saturday SET class online.  Eight thirty sounds a bit early, I know, but I'm always well awake before then so why not?

Today, being Friday, is Slimming World and, as always, fingers are crossed for some sort of loss.  Then it's home for a while before I set off into town to have lunch and a shopping spree with Alex.  I call it a shopping spree anyway - Alex calls it 'buying some trousers and slippers'!

I've made sure the house is nice and tidy for the cleaners so that's ticked off.  Apart from that, I think that's about it really.  When I get home, I will sit and knit, read and watch telly.  Nice and relaxing and gives me a chance to recover from however much the day has cost!!

I think it will be a lovely day and I'm looking forward to it.  How about you?  xx

Questions

 Hi.  I was wondering about having a Q&A session in my blog.  Some of you have done them and I have always enjoyed reading the answers and getting to know you a bit better.

It may be that, as I rabbit on so much, you don't have any questions but, if there's something you would like to ask, please feel free to ask in the comments below.
I can't promise to answer every question, it depends what it is and, while I talk a lot in my entries, there's a lot I don't say, but I will answer as much as I can.

So, please, ask away.  xx

Thursday, 09-03-23

 Morning, one and all.  What a miserable day it was yesterday.  snow, sleet, rain, sleet, more quite heavy snow that just melted on landing, sleet, rain.  Yuck and double yuck.  Today, they say we will have rain, rain and more rain.  Not nice.  What's it been like your way?

I ended up not going into town yesterday.  The snow stopped before nine, temporarily, but it was still jolly chilly and very damp and Ray (Hire a Hubby) asked was I going to be through the day as he might finish the job he's on fairly early.  I want to get something organised in that way so I decided to stay in anyway.  I'm glad I did - it may not have been dangerous snow but it was cold and horrible!
Ray turned up at ten to one (letting me know first) and I'm now waiting for a quote.  We went through what I wanted doing and also some other projects that are coming up, before he looked at what I had already got together in the way of light fittings.  Fortunately, he thinks that everything I have got is suitable so phew.  I only have a few bits and pieces to use.

It's been one of those weeks.  I didn't hear back from Maxine regarding the garden room queries so I hope I do today.  I did hear back from the solar panel company though and it looks good.  Expensive, yes, and I have to add VAT on to that, I think (must check that) but actually not quite as bad as I thought it might be and I do have the money tucked away in my medium term savings so that's good.

I finished another dish cloth < grin > and now have just one more ball of yarn to use up.  I was a bit bored of dish cloths (as you probably are reading about them) so I've started crocheting some more squares with the four ply.  After sorting it all out, I have far more than I thought, and it was bad enough to start with, so plenty of colours to choose from.  Nice.

Today is what Lindsey calls a 'double whammy'.  I have the usual online SET class this morning and then I have the deferred personal training session later on.  I should sleep well tonight, don't you think?
In between those things, it is the usual, daily stuff.  No need to even think about going food shopping yet, though, which I'm pleased about.  As the storage jars I ordered arrived yesterday, I can put them to good use today and find some space for them.
A fairly busy day, but a very nice one too.  xx

Wednesday, 08-03-23

 The north wind doth blow and we have had snow . . . not a lot, just enough to be a pain underfoot.

See what I mean.  Contrary to what I said yesterday, the snow has reached us.  It started early morning, has been heavy for a short while and is now turning to sleet, I think, much to the relief of primary teachers everywhere who would have visions of Welly Parade eight times a day if it stayed around (and indoor play for those foolish enough not to have brought wellies) plus radiators laden with wet gloves, hats and scarves, not to mention hyperactive children and newspaper all over the floor to catch the drips!

On the other hand, the children will have to abandon hopes of six foot high snowmen built during fifteen minute playtimes, etc.  Bless.

Morning, everyone!  Brrrr - a chilly start to the day, right enough, and I truly didn't expect it.  However, it is very wet, the temperature is above zero and I am sure it won't lie for long.  On the paths and pavements, it is just slushy; quite slippery at the moment but not icy.

I got quite a lot done yesterday, starting with a drive to pick Alex up and then on to Trinity Church hall.  Trinity is the big Methodist church in the centre of town and, like many central churches, is very active in the community.  They have a very active operatic society that does really good local shows at the Civic Theatre and  a coffee place open at times during the week.
The hall was very well appointed with a good kitchen, an urn that was sort of plumbed in so no filling, etc, needed, and the lady who opened up was absolutely lovely and very helpful.  If I ever need a hall for anything, I would seriously consider that one, the main problem being only a small parking area.

Vincent was already there and, between the three of us, we got the place ready.  Tables, chairs, flowers and so on, plus the refreshments I had in my car - M&S sandwich platters and a selection of luscious cakes, washed down with tea or coffee.

When Beth arrived, Alex and I vanished.  She told me later that it went very well, the hall looked great (phew) and she knew the nice lady as they had done voluntary work at the food bank together in past times.  Small world.

That being done, I came home, had breakfast and decided that, as it was pretty damp, to stay home.  I braved the shed for a purpose - I knew I had bought some light fittings in the past but never got the work done so I fished out all I had and I was right, there's not much I have left to get.

Then I got busy online.  I moved deposit money across (for the garden room), fired off an email to the solar panel company Seth recommends and uses and contacted Hire a Hubby!

I think Hire a Hubby is a franchise (could be wrong there) and Ray (the 'hubby' of the title) has done work for me before - nice chap and good worker.  I want him to do the lighting work and I also want to discuss painting when the garden room is finished - the room and also the fence panels.  I also have a few other little things that need doing.   Last time I saw him, he suggested that, as there's a call out charge, I should wait until I have several things that need doing and he can then do them all together.  So that's what I have done.

There was an email back from him this morning when I looked, so that was good.

By the end of the day, that bit of inheritance that I mentioned was in my account and there was a nice, long email from John, full of chatty bits and bobs.  Lovely!

While browsing through Facebook, I saw a post about dishcloths, would you believe.  It happens - Google and Facebook 'talk' to each other and, if one searched for something on Google or mentions it in email or blog, up come related posts and adverts all over the place.  A warning not to mention anything you don't want to get out there!
Anyway - this person had used a crochet stitch called lemon peel stitch.  I looked it up and basically it is a row of one dc, one treble and then the next row is the opposite so you do a dc into the treble underneath and a treble over the dc.  The crochet version of seed stitch, if you like.

I tried it - it grows very fast and I have another dishcloth made, but it is heavy on the yarn, using pretty much a whole ball.  Not that it's a problem, given I started off with four of them, I'm just saying.

I was planning to take the bus into town this morning but, in the time it has taken to type the above, it's turned back to all snow, the flakes are bigger again and it's quite heavy so I guess I will shelve that plan for now.  Maybe later on, if it clears a bit and, if not, no problem.

Poor teachers!!

There's no personal training this afternoon as Lindsey is going to a funeral so, unusually, I have a free day.  I'm hoping that Ray can come over to discuss the work I'd like him to do but am waiting a reply from him.  If the snow clears by about eleven, I might go in but, if not, no problem.

I will finish my seed stitch dishcloth, tidy round my living room which is looking a bit superficially messy and enjoy watching the snow (assuming it continues for  while).

I'm assuming that if we have snow here, it will be fairly widespread so take care, everyone, stay warm and be safe.  It's likely to be quite nasty underfoot so go steadily!  xx

Tuesday, 07-03-23

 Morning, everyone.  After a not that cold but damp day yesterday, today looks like being colder and just as wet, on and off, although it looks OK at the moment.  Possibly a bit of snow overnight too, although I'll believe that when I see it.

Yesterday was quiet.  I did houseworky stuff as needed, including changing the sheets, washing them, drying . . . etc, etc, etc.  It was too wet to do any shed clearing - well, too wet to want to, anyway, so I didn't.

So the height of my exciting life was finishing off one dishcloth and starting another.  Seed stitch this time.  Google tells me that seed stitch is when the knits and purls alternate in each row and moss stick is when they alternate every two rows.  So now I know.

This morning started well.  I had an email from brother John regarding sme more of Mum and Dad's slow release investments.  It's all accounted for with the IR, etc, we just have to wait while it is released in dribs and drabs.  So a bit more should be landing in my account by the end of the week.  Most of it will be saved but I have a couple of wants that are almost needs - a few more storage jars and a new keyboard for the PC as the one I'm typing on keeps cutting out on me.  I was going to wait until the end of the month but I won't now.

It's going to be a busy morning.  Without going into details, I am helping out at a funeral by getting a hall ready for when the attendees come back from the crematorium.  Once that is done, I will come home and catch up on my exercise with a Lindsey YouTube thing as I will be missing Groove class.

After that, I have to move some money (garden room deposit) and discuss something with Seth's company.  Then, I may very well pop over to B&Q to look at light fittings I need to get.

That should all keep me happy and occupied, don't you think?  What's keeping you happy today?  xx

Monday, 06-03-23

Morning, everyone.  It's cold, the clouds are high, we might get some sun later - pretty much the same as it has been all week really.  :-)

As hoped, yesterday was very quiet and easy.  I got all the ironing done and put away and that was about the limit of the housework apart from the daily stuff.

I finished the little red and black 'Dennis the Menace' give-away jumper I was working on.  It's really quite cute!

It reminded me of when Beth and Dave were little.  They were both addicted to the Beano and Dennis the Menace in particular.  Unbeknown to me, Beth wrote off to Timmy Mallet and WAC to say they had written a Dennis the Menace song (not that I would call it a song, more a shout) entitled 'I Wanna Be A Menace' and would like to be on Talent on the Telly (anyone remember that).  Someone from the show phoned - which was the first I knew about it - listed to them performing it down the phone and invited them to take part.  They got time off school, the head got them to perform in assembly, they performed wearing their matching black and red sweatshirts (I think they were from Clothkits) and we spent a day and a half in London.  I still have the clip of their performance on video somewhere.
For me, the funniest bit is after their slot and after the adverts during which time Timmy got Beth to draw a DtM picture on the board. After the break, he went OTT praising it before ushering her off screen while Beth muttered in slightly disgusted tone of voice 'It's not THAT good!', loud enough for the sound to pick it up and broadcast it out.  It was a live show, of course.
Happy memories.

Anyway . . .

I thought I might go back to the four ply crochet but then I remembered that I had found four balls of dishcloth cotton when I was sorting through the bag of stuff I got from Mum's stash so I decided to knit some dishcloths instead.  I often use sponge scourers for washing up but they do go smelly after a while and then you have to chuck them.  Proper dishcloths go on and on for ever and, being pure cotton, wash like a dream.

I did a corner to corner approach, increasing at the start of every row to sixty stitches and then decreasing back to one.  Knitted dishcloths go out of shape very easily but maybe this will hold its shape better that a straight up style.  Time will tell.
Anyway, I finished one (to be put to use today) and started another.  I think I will get two from each ball.

And that really was about it for yesterday.

Today, there's circuit class and I think I will change the bedding today too.  Then I guess it is more shed - if it isn't too cold - or, maybe, the dumping ground, aka the box room.  There's enough to keep me busy, for sure.
Have a lovely day, whatever you have planned and stay warm during this cold snap.  xx