Diary > Monday 30th November

[Roobarb]

A very late start today, had slept for ten hours. It had been raining but a bit later the sun came out. Was feeling pretty fed up so decided to go and walk along the beachside path on the outskirts of town later on.

It was cold again and I knew it would be colder by the sea, got well wrapped up complete with my new bobble hat. It was getting cloudier as I drove down but still bright. Enjoyed my walk, it cheered me up walking by the sea and
saying hello to people I don't know.

Home for lunch, weather was still fine so after that I went out to dig the begonias out of the front garden and plant the tulips. I put the begonias in a trough out of the way in the back garden, they'll probably perish but you never know, it's worth a try before chucking them out. Put the tulips in, hope it's not too late. It was chilly working outside, was glad to get inside.

A friend rang, haven't spoken to her for a while as she works shifts, I never know when she's at work. She's having the house rewired and that's uncovered all sorts of other problems, she amazes me how many practical things she deals with herself.

Roasted the chicken for tea and did lots of veg with it. It's in the fridge for now, will use the rest for other meals, I can usually get a total of about five meals from it.

How was your day?

[Annette7]

Overcast and not as cold this morning.   Finished off sorting clothes in my bedroom to take to the recycling centre.   Was booked in for 2.30.   Was directed to park by the Textiles bins which was ideal as that was where I needed to go.   In and out in minutes   Was starting to rain and by 6pm it was really hammering it down.   Luckily didn't last too long but really cold this evening.

Didn't take my phone out with me and when I got home there was a flurry of messages on our family Whatapp - the first of these was from my niece titled 'Eviction'.   The twins are being delivered tomorrow (later today now).   Jo will be the second to go to theatre.   Exciting and scary at the same time.   They have put her on magnesium to help the babies brains - we know they are tiny but with Dopplers intermittent and babies not putting on weight as they should the doctor decided today that they should be delivered now.   Had hoped to get her to 32 weeks which it will be tomorrow so can only pray now and keep everything crossed.

Had a call from my cousin in Dorset tonight and told her about the babies but she'd already had a text from my sister keeping her up to date.   Later my sster phoned and we had a chat about it all.   16 year old Luke can look after himself but 10 year old Esmae is staying with her paternal grandma tonight who can take her to school tomorrow as Scott will be at the hospital with Jo of course.

Couldn't concentrate on anything tonight - picked up knitting but that was short lived.   Did some jigsaw hoping it would take my mind off things - it didn't.

Hope I can sleep tonight.

Annette

     

[Caw1]

Roobarb - a good walk by the sea must have been exhilarating and lifted your spirits too... brave to be out in the garden too!

Annette - I’m sure you must be like a cat on hot bricks today worrying about your niece... will keep fingers crossed that all goes well for your niece and look forward to hearing your news later on ...


Well it was another grey and dull day... doesn’t encourage you into doing much... but things need doing what ever the weather!
Put the washing machine on although I knew it was not going out on the line... hate drying stuff inside...
Spent some time sorting out sending a Money Gram to our Son in Oz... it’s the cheapest way of doing it and not incurring excessive charges at either end...the family send us their contribution so it goes altogether ... I’d much rather actually send presents but postage costs are ridiculous... one year cost me £70 to send a parcel... so we decided last time... apart from the marmite of course and other odd bits at times!
Packages seem to be arriving daily of bits I’ve ordered ... firms certainly seem to have got things well organised and deliveries quite reliable and quick...
Friend arrived with odd bits of shopping for me.... had brief chat on the door step but it was quite chilly so didn’t want her standing there for too long...🥶
Did some bits of cooking and tidying up the kitchen..
After lunch decided I’d continue to make more cards... watching some more of Bake off .... not seen any since it switched from BBC... can’t say I’m a big fan of Matt Lucas and find some of the humour, if that’s what you call it, a bit below the belt... I know the boys watch it so hope it goes over their heads!
OH got dinner organised as it was just chicken from yesterday with vegs and he roasted some more potatoes! We’ve started the week off well and had a dry night...😇😇
Watched usual Monday night tv... premiership rugby... University Challenge... shame our favourite uni just got pipped at the post by The opposition..... then final episode of The Undoing... a nasty little drama... kept you on the edge of your seat right until the end... Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman were both very good in it... watched something light afterwards as would be having trouble sleeping if that was the last thing on your mind...
Another day over...just feels like treading water at the moment....

Caroline

[Mowsehowse]

It does feel like treading water Caroline, and being short I got out of my depth quicker than most.
It is so good you are keeping up your daily walk and still finding work to do in the garden Roobarb.
Annette you must be like a cat on hot bricks..... I wonder how long before you get news.
Hope everyone has a reasonable day. 

p.s. I forgot to mention when I went for a walk I saw a peregrine falcon perched at the top of a little skeleton tree. I was sad not to have my zoom camera with me, but he flew off anyway. A fabulous sight.

[Gillg]

A chilly dull day in Devon, but went out for my usual walk in the morning, I walk round the bounds of the village, though we live right in the middle, and nearly always meet someone I know.  It's the sort of place where everyone says hello, anyway.  Snack lunch of cheese and tomatoes on toast,  Husband is on Fodmap diet, so the glutenfree bread is rather cardboardy.  Have to say that this diet isn't making any difference for him and I hate not being able to use onions and garlic, also the white part of leeks and scallions, though I have managed to source some garlic infused olive oil. 

The afternoon was spent ironing bed linen and was interrupted by our son delivering my weekly grocery order.  I email it to him and since his work takes him into supermarkets (he's an area manager for the southwest) he can pick up that kind of stuff easily.  I wipe everything with diluted bleach before putting it away.  For supper we had salmon with mashed potatoes and green beans, and treated ourselves to a shared Magnum choc ice - they are too big to have one each.  Pleased to say my weight continues to drop - I've been dieting since the first lockdown and have lost a stone and a half since then.  I started this after it was said that being overweight was one of the reasons to suffer worse from Covid.  Unfortunately this means that my clothes are all too big for me, and I can't get out to buy new ones at present.   My hairdresser phoned to rearrange the appointment, which I had missed because of lockdown.  Hurray!

In the evening my community choir met via Zoom and had a good gossip, also practiced some Christmassy music.  We can't sing together, because it's difficult to synchronize, but our director pre-records the different parts and we sing along, but muted.  We have also been meeting in the Community orchard, but it's getting a bit chilly for that.  We plan to sing carols on the village green, socially distanced, of course.   There's not enough space to sing round the village as we do most years.  The local Fire Brigade band will also be playing Christmas music on the green another day. 
We also have a Living Advent Calendar event during December.  Villagers are encouraged to decorate and illuminate a window in their house (and the school) and maps are sold in local shops  showing  the Advent trail in and out of the streets.  Proceeds go to a local charity.

Can't wait for the engineer to come and fix my oven.  I need to get started on a marathon mince pie bake.  The cake is waiting for me to almond paste it tomorrow and then ice later in the week. 

[Viktoria]

Well it did not get light all day,sooo gloomy .
Cleaned everything of glass in the lounge .windows, pictures, glass doors in cupboards and cabinets and the two glass doors.
Washed paintwork and changed net curtains ,big ones today.Duscivered Tge hose in my Dyson Roller ball vac has split down at  the bottom.
Works as yet OK as upright but not with crevice tool and I wanted  to do all the edges and nooks and crannies.
Son says he has a spare thst might fit but it probably needs an overhaul/service anyway. Well out of guarantee.
Got a bank statement and a sum paid out was a mystery to me ,racked my brains and it came to me this morning ,Dairy diaries from the milk lady .
I pay by card over the phone for my milk bill each month ,this was a  separate  item.I was just about to phone to query it !
Today ,the sun is cracking the flags !
In Lancashire  that means the sun is so bright it is cracking the York stone  flagstone pavements .
All wrapped up in curtain changing ,what in earth I have done with the detachable linings for the back bedroom curtains I don’t know.
I can’t distinguish between cream and white these days !
I have so much bedding I could open a hotel.

Got another prescription for a different antibiotic ,just hope this works!
Can’t visualise sitting - perfectly still- for a good while while things are being done to my eyes and for a long time too, with this level of ,well discomfort puts it mildly .
I am spoilt for choice re what washing to do ,nets, curtains and duvet cover .
Clothes, etc ,such a lovely day.
Must phone re my Vac, repair or buy new.
Hope everyone is well ,enjoying lovely walks and gardening etc.
Any more news about the dogs?

I must try to get out more ,but such heavy rainy weather.
It never bothered me when the dog needed a really long walk every day without fail.
Even Christmas Day.

Debenham’s is closing .
New stricter restrictions are expected ,well something must be done 14,000
new cases each day , —— !
I am torn ,but am fully prepared to be alone ,by myself with no one with me!
Whatever is necessary .


Waiting for Tesco delivery ,then might go for a walk.
Cheerio.Viktoria.

[Roobarb]

Annette, hope you managed to get some sleep and that you soon have some happy news.

Caroline, good to get prompt delivery of purchases and it's also good to know that employment is being provided for many people who are unable to do their normal jobs. I watched a programme on TV a few days ago about online ordering, one of the delivery drivers was an airline pilot, another an actress (or actor as they say now...).

MH, What a lovely variety of wildlife you have around your way. I'm sorry to hear that you've been feeling out of your depth, things can get so tedious sometimes. We can only hope that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't too far away now.

GillG, well done on the weight loss, so many people have put on weight during the lockdown. You'll be able to look forward to buying some new clothes, in the meantime maybe you could put on a belt and pretend it's a fashion statement! What a lovely idea to have a living advent calendar, it sounds great.

Viktoria, my you have been busy! Let us know if you decide to open a hotel, I'd definitely book a room.  Hope the antibiotics soon do their stuff.

[Viktoria]

Got an appt on Friday .
Eyes tomorrow ,I am going to ask if I can have some lovely green ones 
Re hotels! At the moment I bear more than a passing resemblance to Julie Waters in Acorn  Antiques!

Well clean curtains up , and gosh,did the weather change ,dark so quickly and more rain!

Annette, sincere good wishes to Mum and babies ., and the rest of the   family ..
Hope everything is alright.

Gilig, well done .
Not easy when things are somewhat limited as now.

A Peregrine Falcon wow! When we used to drive down to Pembrokeshire -,Solva and St,David’s — the Red Kites !!!
And Choughs on the cliffs .

I hear owls here well two, the toowhit of one and the toowhoo of the other.
Toowhittoowhoo is- are two owls.

Very lazy meal tonight ,smelly cheeses ,crackers, chutney, grapes tiddly tomatoes.Love pickles but oh now they hate me.
Then the usual boring yoghurt.
Son wants to repair my Dyson, I do try to save him work but he hates anyone else doing what he can do.
I was going to have an  overhaul, ,  service etc but imagine  that  is not possible st the moment .He does not come in when he brings shopping ,so perhaps he’ll take it home to his workshop .I have an upstairs one and a re chargeable one so can manage.
Well ,another day gone , let us see what the new restrictions will be.
Cheerio, Viktoria.

[Caw1]

MH - lovely to see birds of prey... we get lots ok Red Kites around our skies usually being mobbed by crows! When we walk over the field there are buzzards that seem to have a home somewhere about ... we have a bird box on a hawthorn tree and in tge last three years we’ve had blue tits nesting so lovely to watch them coming and going... lately we’ve got two squirrels who are constantly making holes in the lawn to bury their nuts... we watched one having a run in with a very large magpie yesterday...

Viktoria - hope you manage to get your vacuum sorted out but it’s always good to have a backup!
Regarding the dogs you asked about in a previous post... so far not seen or heard them and there does appear to have been some additional fencing put up ...
Hope your appointment for your eyes goes successfully... you certainly keep busy!

Gills - congrats on loosing so much weight... you’ll have fun choosing new sets of clothing once were able to shop again...hope you get your oven sorted soon too..

Caroline