Tuesday

Good morning, everyone.  After a pleasant day yesterday, it looks promising again this morning.  Cold, of course, but it is November after all.  It's actually bonfire night tonight but the celebrations have spread out all week with muffled bangs and zoomish sounds at odd times once dark has fallen

Everything slotted nicely into place yesterday. 
Mr Windows-Man came, measured, wrote everything up and went again two hours later.  After years of 'thinking about it', I am finally getting those house improvements done.  It's giving me a very satisfied feeling inside.

After he'd gone, I prepped all the veg for dinner and made some pink fluff (basically a sugar free jelly and a mullerlight) for dessert.

At one, I arrived at school having taken the long walk there and it was nice to see people again.  Increasingly, though, I see unfamiliar faces who look oddly at me when someone else shrieks 'Joy, how lovely to see you, you look great', as invariably happens at the moment.  I guess people will eventually get used to the weight loss but it seems to be taking a long time.
The littlies seem very settled and organised in their class and were very friendly.  A good start, I think.

Then I did my tuition hour before coming home and getting started on the dinner.  A simple roast dinner is lovely and also one of the easiest things in the world to make.  Meat in early, potatoes in the actifry to roast, veg in the double boiler . . .  I'd made some cranberry sauce earlier with a few frozen cranberries I found lurking in the freezer, some sugar, orange zest and a small slug of cointreau and it was lovely!  The only last minute thing to do was the gravy and even that wasn't so last minute as I like the roast to rest for a while.

It all went down really well.  I thought I'd done way too many potatoes and veg, hoping for leftovers today, but by the time Dave had finished, only chicken and gravy was left.  The chicken got stripped and the carcass went in the instant pot overnight.  Now I have some lovely stock, a pile of meat and a house that smells gorgeous!

Obviously it is early days and Dave's arm/hand was well wrapped and protected with plaster, bandages, etc, but the surgeon said that the op went well and, apart from a continuous ache, Dave felt fine.  He's being good and taking the pain killers, of course, but is hoping to ease up on them from today.

On to today.  I have a parcel to pick up as whoever delivered didn't see fit to leave it behind the bin.  However, the main event is a Heart and Sole walk at twelve, this time around Writtle, a local village that just escapes being joined to Chelmsford by a 200m or so strip of countryside.  I'm looking forward to that.

Then there's tuition followed by a nice, quiet evening.  I think I'll take advantage of the fine weather and get some washing done and out on the line so there will be ironing to do as I watch telly.

I think it will be a very pleasant day; I hope yours is as well.  xx