Monday, 23-02-26

A very good morning to you all.  It's not raining, the ground is almost dry, it is mild and we had some lovely sunshine yesterday!  Isn't that great!

Yesterday was, as expected, a bit of a lazy day.  I finished off the loaves though and took Beth and Alex's round in the afternoon (in sunshine!) and stayed for a lovely natter and a coffee.  They have plans for reconfiguring the flat and it was great fun talking about them.

Apart from that it was just the usual 'little' things.

Lindsey is back home now so classes are f2f again.  Today is circuits and I bet I will be still afterwards.  Then it is the usual stuff.  It's not a Kay-week so there's that, plus washing and so on.

Sadly, I am going to hold off from crochet for a short while.  I'm getting quite a pain in my right thumb joint and it's probably due to too much crochet - I suppose I have been doing quite a lot, one way and another.  I'm just hoping it is a strain and not RSI although I suppose that, at my age, it might be a touch of arthritis.  How can one tell?  Anyway, it hurts to crochet so . . .  I might get some sort of thumb support and look up exercises, if there are any online.

I was getting on great guns with my concentric circles to use up loads of scrappy bits too.  Oh well.

Better go and get ready.  
Happy Monday everyone - have a great day!  xx

Sunday, 22-02-26

Morning!  Guess what!  It's raining.  Surprise!!

< sigh >

Yesterday, I ended up a bit busy in an easy, weekendy sort of way.  

Neil came round, bless him, and now I have a working oven light again.  I also have a semi clean oven and intend having another go today using trusty bicarb paste.  I don't use my oven nearly as much as I used to so it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been but still a bit embarrassing!  :-)

(I'll tackle the other oven next week but it's fine really, I mainly use it for heating plates, keeping food warm, etc.)

I dug up several white bell bulbs and they are now in the shed in a tray.  Come the warmer weather, I will pop them in a pot and see what happens.  :-)

And, this week being over and Lindsey coming home this weekend, I started off this coming week's sourdough.  It's now in two loaf tins, slowly doing it's proving thing before baking.

I did some Googling and it looks as if there's plenty to do in St Albans.

The museum and gallery

The clock tower

Verulamium museum

A hypocaust

A cathedral

A street market (the second oldest in the UK after The Shambles in York, apparently)

And loads of nice looking places to eat/shop.

All within a pretty small area too.  Nice.

I've printed off a few pages from a visitors' guide and can pick up the hard copy when I'm there.
I'm looking forward to this.  Even if it is raining, there's plenty to do by the looks of it. and I do love a bit of history.

While I was checking my banking online (to see how much those oven bulbs were), I was surprised to see that not only was my teachers' pension in, it had also gone up a bit.  It should go in every 23rd unless it's a weekend or a bank holiday so why it is early this time, I have no idea.  The increase might possibly be a tax code change, I don't know for sure and I'm not that fussed really.
Anyway, it does mean that I can do my end of month reckoning good and early.  Any St Albans expenses can go onto March's sheet!!

Today I have Beth's loaves to bake and take over to her this afternoon and I may get round to the oven.  I guess there's also some washing and some sheet changing but I may leave that for tomorrow.  I'll see how I feel.  If it wasn't raining, I might drive out to Hyde Hall - I haven't been there for ages.  Perhaps it will clear up.

In the meanwhile, take care, have a good day and stay warm and dry.  xx

Saturday, 21-02-26

Morning, everyone.  Welcome to another weekend!

Yesterday didn't quite happen according to plan as Alex wasn't able to come over.  Not to worry, there's always another Friday - they come along quite regularly, after all.

In SW group, David gave me the sheet with March's walks on them.  When I looked in my diary, I realised that there are some coach trips coming up.
Coming up next Saturday, last day of February, I will be in St Albans, somewhere I have never been before.  I need to do some research, don't I, but if you have any info about things to do there, please do post it in the comments.  I'd be grateful.  I would much rather have too many plans than not enough.  It's one of those trips where you just pay for the coach and organise your own day so . . .

The following week, the date of the first walk, I should be in Cambridge for the same sort of day.  So, as above . . . 

When I defrosted the freezer, I realised that the light had gone so I popped onto Amazon and ordered a replacement - three, in fact because my oven light has been dead for ages.  They arrived yesterday and the freezer now has a light again but the oven bulb broke as I was trying to get it out and I just couldn't get the rest out so, hopefully, Neil next door will be over later to do the necessary.  He is in that line of work (handyman, not just replacing light bulbs, obviously) and should have an appropriate tool.

It's worth mentioning because, quite apart from having nice neighbours, I have this tendency to ignore things like that - the oven light has been out for absolutely ages - so getting my act together deserves a halo polish!  

Have a lovely day, everyone.  Stay warm and dry and fingers crossed for warmer, dryer days to come.  xx

Friday, 20-02-26

Good morning, one and all.  Welcome to Friday - a bit damp and very gloomy but it feels just a little bit warmer so that's great.

I had my little list to work through yesterday and, for once, I did it all.

After a cheerful chat and laugh with Chris over coffee, I made a yummy breakfast and I'll show you the photo because I've been very short of photos recently, haven't I?

Here you go - I didn't make the yogurt but I made the chia seed jam and the waffles and enjoyed every mouthful.

I pootled off to Morrisons and came back with three semi-full bags plus cash to replenish the window cleaner pot - although I don't know why he bothers in this damp weather.
Anyway, as soon as I pay him, I replenish the pot so I don't get caught out!

After sorting out all the shopping and making/enjoying lunch, I set to the main task - the freezer.

To be fair, it wasn't all that bad.  The ice scraped off reasonably easily with the air of my hair dryer (I was VERY careful, I promise) and it wasn't that long ago that I sorted out the baskets and bags so it was still reasonably organised. 

And now it's all shiny, clean, back down to the right minus number (it really didn't take long to get cold again) and a pleasure to look into.

That's that for this year now, as far as defrosting is concerned!

I asked in our Governors' WhatsApp group because I noticed there was something in my diary about Monday but that's for staff, not for governors.  Can't say I am all that sorry!!

Today, I will be off to Slimming World shortly and then Alex is over for more cooking.  That will be nice.

When that's all done, I can make my dinner, get the coming week's meal planning done and chill for the rest of the day.
I can do my shopping before planning at the moment because I'm using what I already have and noting down on the following shopping list, as needed.  For example, I have chicken in the freezer but when I'm down to the last one or two bits, it goes on the next list.  Works for me and I don't do much top up shopping nowadays, I just substitute or change the plan.

Right, well, time to wrap this up and get ready for SW,
Have a lovely Friday, everyone.  May all go well.  xx

Thursday, 19-02-26

Morning, all.  How are things this morning?  Annabeth, I hope your back is better now.

I didn't get the freezer sorted yesterday!  Just didn't feel like it!  I did finish off the ironing and do various other little chores as well as taking the loaf over to Beth and having a jolly good chat about home improvements!

I must do the freezer today though because it's supposed to be getting warmer and the whole point is to do it while it's cold!

I also need to do a weekly shop today.  Last week was all about spending that voucher and was shelf stable things, cleaning products, etc.  This week I am low on perishables and dairy, etc.  I have my list so all's good.

So today's timetable is . . . 

Chris round for coffee
Breakfast
Weekly shop, putting away, sorting out, etc.

Lunch
Freezer!
Chill.

That is do-able!

What's your list for today?  xx

Wednesday, 18-02-26

Good morning, everyone.  Apologies for being a little bit late.  There's overnight roadworks going on near here and I think it interrupted the connection.  Anyway, all up and doing now.

Yesterday, Chris popped over first thing and we did Groove together - very nice too.  Then Kay arrived for Kay-day so downstairs is now shiny and clean!  And all the while, outside, 'they' were replacing my water meter.  They've left a mess and will (they'd better, anyway) be coming to make it all good again in the next few days.  I've already had a lorry here but they didn't seem to do much.  I guess it is like a factory line . . .

It was pancake day so I enjoyed pancakes for breakfast - yummy!

And I finished the loaves.  I'm taking one over to Beth this morning and the other is sliced and in the freezer.

That's probably the most exciting thing for today.  I have ironing and I'll probably sort out the freezer while it is cold enough not to do the frozen goods any thawing damage.
Don't I live an exciting life!!

Better go and get myself ready for the day - everything is running a bit late but it really doesn't matter today so no stress.  
Have a lovely day, everyone.  See you tomorrow.  xx

Tuesday, 17-02-26

Morning!

 

Yesterday worked out well.

I got two loads of washing done and, to my delight, I was able to get some of it out on the line for a blow in the sunshine.  There was enough of a breeze to make it worth doing for the first time in months.  I love how the ironing smells when it's been drying outside.

I sorted out a few cupboards - getting there, slowly but surely!

I had a good look at the February finance.  I know we are only half way through but nearly all the regular outgoings have been paid now so it was worth working out what's left and estimating roughly what I could save.
Next month will be a good one (I hope, fingers crossed).  The car is full so I won't need to get any more petrol until April and I've paid for Lindsey's classes and personal training until after Easter plus no rates or water.  So, what with this month's and March's savings, I should have enough put by to pay for my car insurance at the beginning of April without dipping into short term savings any more.
I wouldn't matter if I did have to - that's one of the things they are for - but it would be good if I didn't. 
If that makes sense!!

Today, Chris is coming over so we can do a pre-recorded Groove class together which will be nice.  

The loaves I started yesterday and which have been cold-fermenting all night should be ready to bake at some point this morning and I might then take one over to Beth if she is not super-busy.  If she is, I can slice and freeze it until I can take it over.

Apart from the usual, daily stuff, that is it for today.  This week seems to be all about the gentle stuff but I have set aside tomorrow for another freezer clear-out and defrost, seeing as it's pretty chilly out there!

It'll be good to get that one ticked off.

Better go and get those loaves shaped and into tins!  All the best for today, everyone.  xx