Diary > Friday 4th December

[Roobarb]

Slept like a log. That phrase always reminds me of Tommy Cooper. Dragged myself out of bed to get ready for the art class. Only sixteen more days before the solstice, bring it on
A good class, only one more to go. The teacher was pleased with my small alterations to my painting and pronounced it finished. Did some more acrylic pouring on much smaller canvas and boards.

Had lunch, it had been raining heavily all morning and was still pouring down, thought I might have to miss my walk today. A friend rang, after that I looked outside and it had stopped raining so I got wrapped up, left the kitchen in a mess and went out while there was still some daylight, it was getting on for 3pm.

I set off along the walkways as it was so wet. The council has put barriers at the end of some of the cycle paths that run alongside, I can see that they want to ensure that cars can't drive along there but it means the cyclists have to ride around it. Schools were out, two boys were cycling towards me, one on the cycle path, the other on the pavement. They'd passed the barrier so I assumed that the one on the pavement would get onto cycle path. He didn't, he just rode straight towards me until I had to get onto the cycle path out of his way. I said "That's the cycle path " and pointed towards it, his reply was "I know ". He didn't say it in a cheeky tone but what arrogance.
I continued round by the road, was going to walk through the woods but I thought the sloping path out of there might be a bit hazardous so I walked around the edges of the field. I was squelching with every step and could actually see splashes of water as I walked. Managed to stay dry otherwise.

Tidied up when I got home, ordered some picture hanging wire, not sure what else I did. Suddenly it was evening, watched Portrait Artist. I don't usually know who all the sitters are but this time I didn't know any of them.
I was unimpressed with the winner too, in fact I felt the same way about all the finalists. I thought the man who did the eye was very accomplished but that doesn't constitute a portrait.

Some sunshine forecast tomorrow, hope the Met Office is right.

[Caw1]

Looks like I’m first again today....

We’ll just for a change when I opened the blinds it wasn’t a sunny day that I saw 😢.... yet again, wet, grey and miserable.... one bright moment to come though....after breakfast we FaceTimed our Son out in Oz... such a pleasure to see his smiling face... and as usual the cats tail... DiL had flown to Sydney for a business meeting so nice to have him to ourselves... weathers been very hot there and at 8pm it was still 26C... his next job is building a pool house in the garden with decking and moving the log burner out of the living room... next week all the woods being delivered and temps expected to be 32C+... rather him than me!
By the time we’d finished chatting to him it was lunch time 😱can’t believe we chatted for so long....
After lunch OH decided to watch the snooker and guess what I did.... not too hard I went to make some more cards!
Had a phone call with old friend whose hubbies 70th this month... they had been quite shaken when one of their friends and close neighbours had died at home of covid recently... he was only in his 50’s and wife just recovering from cancer treatment... she didn’t get it though... when it’s close to home like that it certainly makes you think....we ended our conversation saying we didn’t know when we’d get together again!
Had a message from our daughter to say they had both boys tested as both had coughs and T very tired all the time... came back negative thankfully as did hers from the Ipsos Mori one she’d taken... hopefully catch up with them via FaceTime this w/e...
Dinner tonight was cod wrapped in bacon and cooked in the oven and I put garlic, mushroom,leeks, smoked paprika with Cannellini beans, stock some cream cheese in a pan bubble away to take up liquid to soften the beans then gently mash down with a fork... green beans sugar snap peas and carrots...
Watched Netflix... The Crown...
Early night as tired today... heavens knows why...

Hope weather has been better elsewhere ...bitterly cold today too..

Caroline

[Caw1]

Oh dear we’ve posted at the same time.... not done that for a while....
Glad you were able to get out and squelch your way round the field!
You’re art work sounds like it’s coming along well too... I agree the artist who did the eye was quite something but as you say not a portrait!
Hoping our weathers going to be better than the last couple of days too!

Shall I ask mods to combine our posts?

Caroline

[Roobarb]

Yes please Caroline, hadn't realised we'd done it again!

[Roobarb]

How lovely to have such a long chat with your son, it's difficult to imagine those sort of temperatures in Oz when we're in the depths of winter. Pleased to hear your daughter's family are Covid free, such sad news about the man who died.
Hope you don't have to post all 140 odd cards, your postage bill will be like the national debt!

[Mowsehowse]

I have been thinking the same Roobarb! My postage bill is bad enough and I only send a fraction of the number Caroline has made.
I'm very envious of your lovely long call to your son Caroline. Yet again I called mine and got no reply.
Sad and strange about the man in his 50s joining the mortality statistics, and yet his wife who has other health issues didn't suffer from the virus.
It seems so very erratic; who succumbs to the illness, and who recovers or doesn't even get ill.
Yesterday H was very happy to have a lunch visit from one of his sons. (Luckily it was sunny so no problem to have the balcony doors open.)  He will be leaving to take up his new post in Canberra next month, visa arrived and flights booked. 2 weeks quarantine in Perth, hope the room has a nice view. We are invited to spend a couple of days with them before they go, and they have said they will have a covid test done to alleviate fears of contagion. So perhaps we will go.

[Caw1]

Have asked for them to be amalgamated!

Caroline

[Caw1]

Don’t worry I shan’t be posting all those cards.... need a bank loan if I did 😂😂... a nice walk and drop through letter boxes... usually the church have a coffee morning nearer to Christmas in the  village hall ... everyone takes their cards and then they get delivered... nice way to meet up and for those unable to get out much to have them delivered.... not this year though!

Regarding talking to our Son... i text him most days at night time and we usually agree on a day for a FaceTime... in the  morning once breakfast is over I let him know then we get in touch to chat.... sometimes, in previous non covid times, if he’d had to take his wife to the airport early morning he’d just message me for a chat... his morning our evening...
I’m sure your H will miss his Son when he’s on the other side of the world as we all do... how thoughtful of him to offer being tested so you can spend time together before they go...
was thinking of asking our daughter if they’d all consider having a test before us grandparents visit them at Christmas to be a bit more comfortable with the idea! .... maybe a step to far? ...

Caroline

[Viktoria]

I am all upity tiddly!
Got days and diaries all mixed up.I have posted this already - somewhere!
But Grand  daughter entered me in a raffle( not as consolation prize!)
She had to say why I was deserving etc etc ,that they were all far away ——
Anyway her entry won.
Today a hamper or similar will be delivered ,with lots of cakes , cookies etc.
I hadn’t the heart to tell I am being careful about sugar intake.
My lovely next door neighbour could have some but I am not sure if it is OK to give her things.
Dull and damp as it has rained.
In the bathroom last night heard something strange - bumps etc, could not pinpoint it.
Remembered the hatch door to the loft had not been closed properly as the previous owner had painted over the catches .
So after midnight I attended to it!
The flipping bumps continued ,so took the alarm off and went downstairs ,of course. Viktoria - you great fool !
The washer was on ,not a big load and it was having a temper tantrum!
Oh I hate it ,a Hotpoint .I have described the thing in earlier posts so I will leave it at that.

Having a big beaker of 100% milk coffee ( decaf ) not hungry but must drink and more tablets to take with food.
It is not my fault I have crept up to nine  stones in weight -they keep giving me tablets to eat with food !
Not heard as much as I would like to know about zEdinburgh’s  Big Bang!
No idea what I am going to do today of the 1001 jobs waiting to be done.
Hope babies and Mum are doing well,how tiny , gosh, it is little short of a miracle .
And Peter.Hope there is a good news there too.
I find it hard _ the distances between my daughter and family,Suffolk ,and son just  moved to Newbury ,Berkshire.
But the other side of the world!
I think of my great great grandmother who’s sons all went to N.S.W. In 1853.
Gold rush.
She would never see them again.
Well this is not getting on with things,but I can’t settle to things if waiting for a caller etc.
Hope everyone is well, and well done all of you so busy .
I would love to see the paintings of our Artists.
Cheerio.Viktoria.