Diary > Saturday 3rd October

[Roobarb]

Have carefully checked the date before posting!

It was a Marti Pellow day today (Wet Wet Wet). Forecast was for heavy rain all day but it was quite light this morning and when I went out to the bin late morning it wasn't raining at all so took the opportunity to go out. It was pretty quiet, the field wasn't too wet but had been cut a few days ago so I came home with lots of bits of grass stuck to my shoes.

Had lunch, did a few things on the computer, felt a bit restless. The rain had got much heavier, a grey and gloomy afternoon. Did a tonal sketch for my new painting. Roasted the chicken I had got with my Tesco order. It was supposed to be a large one, it looked pretty small to me, hate to think what a medium one is like. The extra large ones are more expensive as you would expect but they're also more expensive per kilo. Strange, as buying bigger usually means more economical.

Nothing of any note today. Hope others have had a more interesting day.

[Caw1]

My day was no more interesting than yours! At least you got out for a walk...

Got up quite late as I was reading.... it was dull, dark and wet.... OH had decided not to play golf today as he’d not fancied getting soaked ... who could blame him!
We had a leisurely morning and decided on a brunch as we’d not bothered with breakfast...
I was busy getting it ready whilst he was in the shower...
. phone call from friends up the lane... they’d popped out got back in the car and couldn’t start it.... could we go into their house to get the spare key and bring it to them... no problem after OH was out if the shower....
brunch could wait a little longer....
hang on why did they phone us when we’ve not got a key so got in touch with other friends who do have the key... All sorted... at one point I had both of them on the phone... one on land line other on mobile telling me the same thing... very confusing and comical... off we go give them the key,..  car starts ...
As we were out went to the bakers for some fresh rolls...
Finally home... neighbour phoned to check that ‘operation rescue’ had gone ok!
By this time brunch was almost late lunch....
Something we never do we had bacon and fried egg bap’s.... delicious...
Still grey and wet had to turn on lights it was so dark...
OH busy watching golf...
Decided to go and do some sewing... I’d still got some scraps of 🌈 fabric in V shale cut from front neck panels decided I’d make some bunting will have more when I cut the next lot too... thought it might be nice for children’s wards in the hospital to brighten it up...
Still got some pretty fabric left so cut and sewed some more face coverings...
We had chicken baked in the oven with mushrooms, tomatoes, continental meats, new pots and green beans....
Watched some tv and retired....
Another day bites the dust.... life us very exciting! Hope others might have had a better day....

Caroline

[Viktoria]

Finally got all decorating stuff organised to put away in the shed but it has chucked it down all day ,so as the shed is small and already full Iwould have been pretty well in the rain.So that will have to wait for a dry day.
Grandson, And Flash Harry’s Mummy and Flash Harry
coming sometime,we’ll today now.
Won’t come in so hope it is fine.
Not heard the news,curious re Trump.
Son did not come as I did not need anything but that means I have to look online to seeTV Programmes.
I think I have already posted this” news “somewhere,it seems familiar!
Must go to bed soon ,no idea of time they will pop round.

Been looking at a book catalogue ,to order some for presents ,though what Christmas will be like and how restricted we will be goodness knows.

I am not making a huge rich Christmas cake this year,too sickly ,I like Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Dundee with plenty of whisky.
I used to make eight dozen mince pies! For Christmas then more for NewYear.
Not for a couple of Christmases now,just a couple or three dozen.
Same with pud, everyone was too full for a couple of hours to eat any, so still
steaming and I think it spoiled ,so an M&S microwave job this time .
That is IF anyone can come ,or I can go to one of my children!
But I have had worst Christmases,like the one I took my children to Manchester shops ,we had a milk shake each in a big store cafe.
All three of us had food poisoning ,but not my OH who had not been with us.
Everything else we had eaten was the same as what he had.
Gosh were we ill!
I did not get dressed even on Christmas day .
I suppose too when my sister and I were whisked off to Shropshire ,after the December 23 and 24 bombing of our area of Manchester.
I have only vague memories of that but I was only three and a half.
So I am not fretting ,what will be will be.
Hope everyone is alright ,  was  thinking of Jeff and family yesterday .
Take care everyone
Goodnight.
Viktoria.

[carol80]

Roobarb; Glad you got your printer sorted. We are lucky to belong to this website as there are boards for everything even help for roobarb and her printer. ( just me stalking again ) Well, I  saw the topic and had a read to see if it would help roobarb only to find out it was roobarb.

My Saturday.
Was finding it hard to concentrate, so went for a walk around my garden. Weeds are doing well, smothering everything.
Strawberries flowering again so will let them go now, should have an early crop. Tomatoes loving being in the ground. Beans doing well but were hit by the winds we had last week but they will be fine. Courgettes got dug up by the cats in the neighbourhood. Brought 4 more to replace them. Baby grapes on my grapevine so another early crop. Not complaining about them. Feijoa tree has been in full flower for the last month so another bumper crop. The fruit started dropping just as we went in to lockdown earlier this year so the fruit had to rot on the ground. Not much i could do about it. Ate as many as i could.

We are having our elections here. Election day was to be 17 September but due to an outbreak of COVID in Auckland at the beginning of August, our Prime Minister moved the date to October 17.
Early voting started at 10am Saturday 3rd. We are all being encouraged to vote early to avoid crowds. All polling booths are operating as if we are in Level 2. (Auckland still at level 2 ). So I decided as I don't know where I will be at any given time I would go and cast my vote at Midday when everyone should be having lunch, nice and quiet then. Bad idea as I think everyone in my area had the same brainwave. Stayed and voted so that's done for another 3 years.
Home for a relaxing afternoon. Had dinner and watched Long Lost Family UK. Before going to bed early I checked the T.V. guide to see what was on later. Another bad idea. Had 4 hrs of Who Do You Think You Are starting at midnight. Well, tomorrow is Sunday not doing anything so can sleep in.
Headed to bed at 3.30am.
Stay Safe Stay Strong
Carol

[Annette7]

Hello again

Not much has happened in past 2 days - apart from my grocery delivery yesterday and a Whatsapp from my pregnant niece asking if I could knit some 'teenie' hats for the babies.   'Teenie' ??   Knitted a couple of 'newborn' ones but now know she meant 'Premature'.  Babies due end of January but she is going to be induced before then and having a caesarean so babies will be small.

Today woke to a grey and rainy day but had arranged to meet up with nephews wife at 12.30 at 'The Mermaid'.   Being a family of 6 I can no longer visit them.  When I arrived she was at the head of the little queue together with youngest daughter Ivy-Rose (5).    We all had something different to eat and I chose scampi and chips (not having had any scampi since before lockdown in March).  Thoroughly enjoyed it (and also the realisation that I wouldn't have to cook tonight).

After lunch we both wanted to go shopping but to different places so we said our goodbyes.   I then drove to B & M to get a bottle of peach schnapps £4.99 (just as good as Archers) and a bottle of Brand X (£5.99) which is a brandy.   Also bought a pack of kitchen rolls, a pack of 6 toilet rolls, and 2 boxes of tissues in case I'm unable to get any from ASDA in due course (with people already panic buying toilet rolls and store shelves empty).    Didn't wander around the store, just got what I wanted and left.   Home around 3.30 and went on PC for a while.   Ordered a coat from Debenhams which was in the sale - if it's not suitable will simply return.   Haven't actually stepped foot in town since March and due to visit SpecSavers for retesting but haven't plucked up the courage to go yet as it's in the town centre.

Just had a sandwich and a blueberry muffin in the evening, started knitting a 'prem' baby hat and watched TV.

Was good to met up with Amy and the young one for lunch and the day felt almost 'normal' aside from donning mask and sanitising.

Annette

 

[trystan]

It was a Marti Pellow day today (Wet Wet Wet).

A bit of trivia for you - hey, you never know, you might find yourself packed into a dinner party this time next year.

The term "Wet Wet Wet", (apart from being the band) comes from an aviation terms that air traffic controllers use to describe the condition of a runway to a landing aircraft so they can adjust their braking on touchdown.

So "Dry Dry Wet" would mean that the last third of the runway is wet whist the beginnnig and the middle is dry.


As for our Saturday, we went to Asda to pick up our "Click and Collect". I spoke to one of the girls that brings out the shopping, as we've been sharing cooking tips. Recently,I told her about Aubergine Pickle. So she very excitedly told me how amazing it was when she added it to a Mackrel dish, and how amazed her mum was with it. So, I decided today was the day to take the flavour up a little notch, and told her about adding a tablespoon of Marmite into a curry (right at the beginning of making it). Her face lit up!

We then continued our drive over the tops, through the fog, and then home. We had a BLT (bacon lettuce tomato) roll. As it was so wet and wild, it was a perfect day for Sarah to make a victoria sponge, and I did a bit of soldering, fettling and moving bits and bobs around on my workbench.

For tea I made a Pizza, with a topping of Sweated Leek, Stilton (it should have been Goganzola), Anchovie, Chirozo and Olives.  As I'm writing this the following day, I'm happy to report we survived it.

Trystan

[Roobarb]

Caroline, well done on riding to the rescue! I was a bit puzzled at first as to why the second key would start the car when the first one wouldn't but I guess it's the electronic thing that's forgotten who it is! Modern technology is great when it works!
The bunting sounds a lovely idea.

Viktoria, Christmas cake with plenty of whisky sounds great! I really hope you'll be able to go visiting at Christmas and share it with your family.

Carol, I'm quite happy for you to stalk me, it's nice to have the company! And how kind of you to think of me. Your elections sound interesting, I don't know why they don't hold them on Saturdays here, it would give much more opportunity to vote to people who are working during the week.

Annette, nice for you to be able to get out for lunch despite the weather. Well done on getting your supplies in, ridiculous that we have to think like that.

Trystan, thank you for the interesting trivia, I love a bit of trivia! Your talk of all the food is making me hungry, in fact everyone seems to have mentioned food! Something nice to think about during the dire weather we all seem to have had. 

[Viktoria]

Roobarb ., yo do keep us going ,wonder if our thought sharing will ever be seen by others..
Has anyone ever read Nella Last’s War.?
Victoria Wood was excellent.
It showed so well the attitudes that prevailed at that time, both in class and
in marriage, and about sexual “ deviation” which now we think nothing of.

I think it would be good to show it again ,just to let people know we can get through things if we work together.
However ,the social distancing etc makes this more difficult .
In the meantime, do I start to bake or will they arrive just at the  crucial moment..
Just been outside and a young family

were passing along the lane,a delightful little girl,so blonde - Ada- not heard that for a tiddler for donkeys’ years.

Has anyone heard from Jeff.?
Perhaps it is much too soon.

And the donor for bone marrow ?
I must read through again in case I have missed a post or more likely read and it has gone out of my mind,which is unkind of me.

[Gibel]

My Saturday was rotten on Friday evening I had a look at the website of the company I’d booked a holiday in England starting on Monday. I’ve kept an eye on the website and on Friday evening I found something new rather buried in the website which said

Please note: if you are displaying symtoms of coronavirus, have a shielding letter or live with someone with symptoms, please do not travel to our hotels.

I was told I was shielded on 23 March and on 1 August shielding was paused and I could resume a “new normal life”.  So on Saturday I rang up the company And asked about this ban on those who were shielded ( I didn’t use the word ban) and explained that shielding was paused on 1 August in England and my doctors had said I could go away but it was no use my holiday was cancelled and the money moved to a booking I have next year.

I was very upset as having had two holidays cancelled during shielding this was to be something normal I was really looking forward too. Everything I’d got out to pack was unpacked and put away.

Can anyone point me to anything that says people who had a shielding letter cannot go on holiday. I’ve looked but cannot see anything. Can a company do this?

I have been pretty miserable since. The last 20 months or so since I was diagnosed with breast cancer have been horrible, although the cancer was successfully treated I have been left in a lot of pain with restricted movement in my arm and shoulder and have recently been diagnosed with post radiation neuropathy. The little holiday was something I was really looking forward too but it’s gone now and for a reason I don’t understand.

I’m glad everyone enjoyed their food I really wasn’t interested in food yesterday and can’t remember what I had!