Monday 17 October 2022

Monday

Morning, all.  The start of a new week and isn't the month accelerating away now?  It'll be November before we know where we are.  Yesterday, the weather was OK, I think, but we've had rain overnight and it's still drizzling now at nearly eight am.  Oh, well, I wasn't planning to do any gardening . . .

A bi8g thank you for all your lovely messages yesterday.  I was feeling a bit dismal and you cheered me up no end.  I'm feeling loads better this morning after sleeping from just after eight thirty yesterday evening to nearly seven this morning with a couple of very short wakes in the night.  I think the phrase is 'breaking up' - in other words, snuffly and disgusting but feeling so much better.
I exchanged a few messages with Chris yesterday and she told me that one of the ladies from school that I was with last weekend at the wedding has been poorly with the same thing and that lots of staff at school have had this non-covid cold type illness too.  So I suspect that's where I picked it up.

Yesterday was very much as I planned - a very slow, sleepy kind of day.  Despite several snoozes I was ready for bed after Strictly and, as already mentioned, definitely feel so much better now.  The tight cough has gone, the aches are better, the 'pressure headache' (is that what it's called) has eased and I feel ready to face the world again!  Yay!!!

Thanks also for the nice comments about the hot water bottle cover.  One thing about being unwell is that I can sit and craft easier stuff without feeling I should be doing something else and I managed to get the second cover made too.  Each one took pretty much one 100g ball of cheapo yarn which was great.  If I could set up in business, I'd soon work through some of my stash!!
Now I am really pondering on using some of my chunky yarn, of which I have a fair amount collected over the years, to make a faster growing blanket.  One of my Facebook friends has made a side to side blanket using so many different crochet stitches, a bit like the baby blanket I made but more 'random' and it looks amazing.  She is thinking of getting some fleece and lining it for extra warmth.

Talking of warmth, the longer (and cheaper) not-oodie was worth its weight over the weekend.  Warm and comforting, great for snuggling into and non-restricting - lovely.  I tried the proper Oodie this morning and survived for five minutes before feeling too hot so that's definitely going to be a blessing on those much colder days, especially if the heating really does go off.
For warmth I have the Oodies, for light I have a couple of strong torches and a solar powered floodlight, for warm food I have the camping stove and I also have a couple of power packs for technology.
Knowing my luck, none of them will be needed (apart from the Oodies) - which would be a Very Good Thing.  :-)
Cherie - I LOVE your wood burning stove and am following it/you as you post about it on YouTube.  It's so lovely and cosy.

I found the Christmas channel, thank you to whoever mentioned it.  I have a vague feeling I watched a few things from it last year or the year before, or was that Netflix?  Anyway, I have it now so thanks.

Eileen - would you be so kind as to look at this on your phone and let me know if the text is easier to read now, please?  If not, I will change the picture.  Many thanks.

Today I need to be a bit busier.  I have a whole pile of washing to do and, given the weather, both drying racks, the heated one and the non-heated one, will be brought into use.  I also have circuits and yesterday I wasn't going to go but I feel so much more with it today that I'll be there, doing what I can and marching out during what I can't.  It all depends on whether the cough starts up or not.  I'm really looking forward to moving a bit more again.
When I get home from that, there should be clothes to iron so that will keep me occupied well.

I've been caught out!!  It's the 17th October and in two days it is Christmas Cake Day!  Some of you will know about this - it is a personal tradition of mine.  When Mum was still with us, she always started making the annual family Christmas cake on her birthday, October the 19th.  When I took over the responsibility, I carried on with this.  So today I need to dig out the recipe I use (Delia's, adapted) and do a stock check as I don't think I have enough of everything I need.  Then I must go to Morrisons and fill the ingredient gaps, dig out the appropriate cake tin and generally be prepared.  It's a two day process and Wednesday will be devoted to prepping the fruit and putting it all in to steep in Cointreau (which I use instead of brandy).

Well, I do seem to have rambled on way too much so I'll stop now.  (did I hear a muffled cheer???).  Have a really good Monday and I hope everything goes smoothly and happily for you.  Stay well and stay safe.  xx


20 comments:

  1. Is everything ok with you and Beth? Xx

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    1. Yes, absolutely fine thanks - why ? xx

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    2. You dont seem to mention her as much in recent times. Pleased all well.😁

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    3. Oh, I see. Well, she's pretty busy nowadays what with her work and other interests. A couple of years ago, she has her workroom round here and came pretty much every day so we saw loads of each other but it isn't so easy nowadays. It's very caring of you, thanks, but we're absolutely fine. xx

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  2. The hottie covers make good Chr....s presents. Glad you found the channel, there was one on Channel 5 yesterday afternoon, but it was just too silly, even for me, so I gave up.

    Happy cake making. Last year I soaked the fruit for a week in the fridge, couldn't tell whether it made a difference though. However the cake was a bit of a disappointment, not the flavour, which was lovely, but the texture just wasn't right, very crumbly and I don't know what I did wrong. I was told that it might be the flour didn't have enough gluten. Who knows, just have to hope for the best this year.

    S'bury have Taste the Difference morello cherry flavour marzipan and as I can never resist cherries I bought a couple of packs. But where has all the ready rolled icing gone? Can't find any.

    Glad to hear that you're feeling better and the cold has almost parted company. xx

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    1. I give it about a week of soaking but not in the fridge and I give it a mix each day. Like you, I have no idea whether it makes a difference but it's all part of the fun.

      What a shame about the cake. It might have been lack of gluten, how can you tell? Good luck this year - to us both.

      I didn't notice cherry marzipan - how yummy. I've seen ready roll but maybe people are buying early. Thanks for the tip - I will get some when I see it, I think, to be on the safe side.

      I laughed re. the silly Christmas channel comment. They do tend to that side of the spectrum, I agree, although I love looking at all the OTT decorations in the background.
      xx

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  3. Glad you are feeling better but be careful at circuits! Catriona

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    1. I was, thanks. It was good and I'm glad I went. Tired now though! :-)
      xx

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  4. Yes, it's must easier to read on my mobile now. What did you change?

    I'll post my recipe for Christmas cake tomorrow, just in case you'd prefer to try something different this year!😂😂

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    1. Er - I'll have to go and look.

      It was via Photoshop Editor and I just sort of clicked on and back until it took away all the black which, I suspected, was making it so hard to read. Black on black - not a great idea. *I can't now remember exactly what I did though, sorry.l

      I'll look out for your recipe, thanks. xx

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  5. What a lovely Christmas cake tradition. My mum , who died this year , loved to make the Be-Ro cookbook Christmas cake recipe - maybe I'll use that this year in her memory. Glad you are keeping warm
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. I think that would be a lovely thing to do - I believe that was the recipe Mum used until she discovered the Delia one - goodness, that's a long time ago now!
      xx

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  6. You'll never hear a cheer when you stop rambling .... we like your rambling, carry on!!

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    1. lol - how kind, thank you. I don't half rabbit on sometimes though . . .
      xx

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  7. Glad you are starting to feel better. Stay warm! XXXXX

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    1. Thanks, Maureen. It's a lovely sunny day so the living room is delightfully warm. :-)
      xx

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  8. I am glad you are feeling better, and ready to make your Christmas Cake.

    You sound very prepared in case the power and heat go off. Keeping my fingers crossed that does not happen.

    God bless.

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    1. Indeed, it would be much better if it doesn't happen at all but it doesn't look good right now. Time will tell. :-) xx

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  9. Glad you're feeling better. I think rest is in order when you're not feeling well. It's better to give in and sleep if possible so the body can heal! Wow, another hot water bottle cover. You have been busy despite not feeling the greatest!

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    1. I like to keep my hands busy, you see. :-)
      xx

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