Week ending Saturday November 18 th

[Viktoria]

My ( closed and covered ) big parasol blew over despite being fastened to a heavy bench ,the Clematis trellis is down and the little greenhouse blew over,it is lightweight and has a plastic cover but was securely (?) wedged in position between a wall and a big garden trunk.
What a good job I have not yet done the bulbs in pots ,that would have been a mess.

The gusts of wind are so fast , they have lifted a great big workbench in my son’s garden ,it was covered and the cover clamped down .
It was on bricks to keep the legs dry.

Well grand daughter comes again tomorrow on her way home after dropping her friend off  at Bolton from the airport.

Early night tonight I think , so hope all are O.K and no wind damage to property.
Viktoria.

[River Tyne Lass]

I woke up around dawn so got up and put the bin collection out.  Some fences around gas pipe holes have blown over and neighbour's recycling was littered on my front lawn, which I picked up.

[candleflame]

Morning all
Still wet and windy here. Last garden bin collection tomorrow so I’ve added the last of the pruning.
RTL I was due for an annual check up but there’s not a lot of point contacting the doctors as there’s never any appointments. Plus they’ve supposedly changed the 8am free for all to something where every phone call ‘ is important to us’ and they assess who needs an appt. So now the 8am rush is an all day one …….and you still can’t get an appt.
Husband was told by the respiratory nurse ( it’s held at a separate non related practice) that he needed to make an urgent gp appt to see his own ( whoever that is) gp. He tried - no appointments never mind urgent ones. It was a month till he got seen and the gp made an immediate referral to the hospital team. That hospital appt is January. So even another medical professional ie the respiratory nurse saying go see your gp has no effect. Hey ho.

[Viktoria]

What a mess! That must be so worrying for you.
I was referred to “ The Rapid Response Heart Clinic “ two years ago ,nothing after the first  quick visit , never saw a Dr, but was prescribed a drug, so it seems on my medical records, but never got it .
Last week my GP found that out , it is a wonder I am still here  .
Anyway things are moving now , at a Heart Clinic for an ECG on Saturday in Bury, I can go to the market!
Things are in a mess really ,I am grateful something is at last being sorted.
I feel for those not getting prompt treatment.

Well grand daughter just called on her way home from her friend’s in Bolton, they have just had a lovely weekend in Copenhagen , have known each other from College days .
I have sent with her Flash Harry’s  Viking helmet , I bought it for him ,,complete with ginger beard and hair plaits , but they had absolutely no room in the car with stuff for two children etc.Anyway  he will have it today or tomorrow.
Well must get going and do something useful .
Cheerio.Viktoria.

[Gillg]

This week is Christmas Pudding week.  It's a bit late for me, but I had to wait till I could borrow my daughter's large slow cooker, as mine is too small to fit the large pudding basin.  I use my grandmother's recipe and it always goes down well with the family.  Some (including my husband) have second helpings! The accompanying sauces are varied - some like cream with it, others brandy butter, others white sauce and yet others like rum sauce (that's me  ).  There will be at least 8 of us round the table and much merriment, too.

My Christmas cake is already baked, fed with brandy, wrapped in foil and maturing in a tin in my larder.  I like the cake part, but am not fond of the marzipan and icing. Mince pies next, but not for a few weeks yet, as I've no room to store them in my freezer.

The storm passed over Devon very swiftly and was no more than a bit of wind and the usual rain, but then we had sunshine and my washing dried well on the line,  Today it's wet again.

[BumbleB]

Gillg - I can accept that it is Christmas pudding week (not that I like it - nor do I like mince pies or turkey) but the big question is - have you put the sprouts on yet?   

I'll have your Christmas cake, with marzipan and icing plus, of course, some cheese - I'm not of Yorkshire descent for nothing. 

[louisa maud]

When is stir up Sunday?

At 8am it was beautiful  here in Essex,  whoopty woo I thought, get washing out, but oh no, it is pouring with rain again now,

LM

[Viktoria]

Gosh, only weeks to Christmas,I have not made puds cake or mincemeat yet!

Nothing seems like it used to be.With the exception of my eldest son the rest are not really keen on rich fruit cake or puds ,mince pies ,yes a few but I used to make 8 dozen on  Christmas  Eve!
Then another batch for New Year.

How did I cook for ten people ?
Well at my daughter’s for Christmas and probably home for New Year , might invite my sister in law up with her daughter ,I like them and we have always got on.She was my bridesmaid.
Well late now so Goodnight .
Viktoria.

[River Tyne Lass]

Oh Candleflame, that sounds awful that your poor husband had to wait a whole month before he got his appointment that was deemed 'urgent'!  I'm sorry to hear too that he will have to wait until January for his hospital appointment.
I can understand your having been put off the 'your call is very important to us' loop.  I too find that very frustrating and annoying.  I once lost nearly £10 of my phone credit on that without getting through.  Never again!  Another time I emailed for an appointment and was told 'you have to ring'.  I emailed back that I can't afford to ring for an appointment and I explained about how I lost nearly £10 previously on one occasion without getting anywhere.  They then emailed back an appointment.
These days I just go in person to book an appointment; but I appreciate this might not be so easy if someone is not well.
Weren't things much easier years ago before this stupid 'your call is very important to us .. music loop' was introduced?!   I hope you can somehow get your annual check up soon Candleflame.  I don't like going myself but I realise these are important.