first night in the new bed.

 DB slept very well, I woke a couple of times, but the bed is comfortable, no more problems with the quilt and duvet landing on the floor half way through the night!!

Today is our wedding anniversary, we were married at the Musselburgh Town Hall with just 2 witness's at 9am, we then went to our friends for salmon and scrambled egg on toast and champagne. We had to leave early as we were travelling to Harrogate to a National Trust conference.

Today will be spent quietly as we seem to spend most days just now. We are having a special supper, DB asked for Pork steak, so thats what he has got. 

Its a murky morning, quite a bit of mist about, the sun is due to break through.

The tablet I bought last week proved to be faulty, they sent me a new one yesterday, it has the same fault, so its on its way back, the two have just been collected, I got the driver to sign to say he had picked them up.  I will get them to refund me and get an updated version of the Lenovo that I had. I would not have gone down the 'new' tablet route, but I could not upgrade the old one so I can use it with my embroidery machine, the operating system was old and they did not update it.

So supper pork steak and all the trimmings, strawberry trifle for dessert.

Goodness, Gracious me,

I am shattered. We had a very early start this morning, the people who were delivering the bed, estimated the time as 8.45 to 10.45. At 8.05am the phone rang, we will be with you in about 20 minutes!! Good job I had stripped the bed and got the mattress on its side. M came round and we just got the bed base into the garden when they appeared. 4 huge boxes. I have to say, it is very well made, and heavy, the two drawers are longer than the old ones but not quilt as deep. It took the 2 of us 2 hours, with a break for coffee to get it put together, My cleaner turned up just after 12 to help me remake the bed. During the morning B arrived with his car and loaded the base and all the cardboard into his estate car. He was taking it to a friend who was going to break it down to the wood for his wood burners. so by 11.30 the bed was errected and waiting to be remade. DB has been for his siesta and he says it is very comfortable. I will make my decision after I have slept in it for the night.

DB spent his half hour in the garden, the wood preservative has turned to water, so he was not happy about that. I will have to get him some more, he wants to redo the sheds and also a support he has for the apple tree.

Yesterday I made another long piano border and a shorter one, so I need to get on the sewing machine tomorrow.

I sent back my new tablet yesterday, the replacement arrived this morning, closely followed by the postman.

Supper tonight is grilled gammon, eggs, tomato, fried bread. We may have a slice of our anniversary cake for dessert.

Its sunny but brrrrr

 Call yesterday from the company bringing the bed. It will be delivered tomorrow between 10.45 and 11.45, so need to get into action, we need to empty the drawers under the bed and I need to arrange for the base to go round to the chapel until I can get someone to break it down for the wood.

We will have to be up early and strip the bed, I will put the sheets etc in the wash, if its a nice day it might just dry outside for a change.

I was a bit naughty yesterday and put a couple of things in my basket I did not have on my list, one was a bunch of daffodils. They are in the sitting room, they really brighten the place up. I always used to buy a bunch when I went to Aldi, just the daffs early in the year.

I have the border done for one side of the quilt, its pinned on and just fits, so today I need to do the other side, and then the top and bottom.  I have 11 days to get it finished, I have a feeling its not going to get done. I refuse to push myself too far, Niblet will have to wait.

One of my American friends has come up with a novel way to quick quilt it, one I had not thought of, using the built in stitches on my machine, you sew OVER the seams, not in the ditch.

Supper tonight is our usual fish and chips, no idea re dessert unless I do a rice pudding......I have to take DB to the Drs this morning to get his ears syringed.......

Masked up

Ready to go to the shops, but will not be meeting DD2, she emailed last night, she has pulled her back again, cannot walk.......the pain killers are not touching it.

Bad night DB had palpitations again, he seems to be getting them every fortnight. He is learning not to bother about them so much, the info is sent via his pacemaker to the pacemaker clinic. He is going with me this morning, will sit and read in the car whilst I go into the shop.

I have started the piano border for niblets quilt, looking at it on the floor yesterday I have decided how to quilt it, very simply in the ditch. I measured the backing fabric and its going to be fine. I need to do the label for it. I sew it into the left hand corner of the quilt, so it is anchored on the sides by the quilting and binding.

I am doing frittata tonight, bacon and mushroom, using up DB's mushroom, there are no sign of any more coming through, he keeps watering it. no idea for a dessert.

Update.

Shopping was a mistake spent £48.00, but there is stuff for the freezer. DB asked for pork steaks on Sunday, I got a small pork loin roast which has cut into 8 steaks, not bad 50p each,

Since coming home I have sewn the border for one of the long sides of the quilt and pinned it on 36,4 1/2 x 2 .1/2 strips, so have cut the strips for the other side. I am going to use corner stones one of each fabric, then I have to sort out the backing, layer it up and quilt it. I was looking at a blown up photograph when it was on the floor, have decided how to quilt it, I will use the walking foot that came with the machine and stitch either 1/4" in or in the ditch. with a fair wind I might just get it done.

Our new bed is coming on Saturday, so we will have to get up early so we can dismantle the old bed and get the base over to the chapel. I am going to photograph the old headboard and put it on Gum tree, might get £30 - £40 for it,

Arghhhh

Late morning, I just did not feel like getting up this morning, a sure sign the lockdown is affecting me.......

Yesterday I sewed another row of blocks into the quilt, and pinned another one. I will try and get the last 2 done today. An getting fed up with it!! There is worse to come. I can see me having to layer it up on the sitting room floor. Cannot use the chapel 'because of covid' despite already having the first jab.............ggrrrr.......

One slight sign of good news, we should be able to take out holiday I booked back in November.......getting out of lockdown would be much quicker if everyone would get the vaccine. Nay sayers are doing no good at all. As long as people are refusing the vaccine they will eventually get covid themselves and possibly die, I just do not see a valid reason for refusing to get the jab. The rest of us have to suffer because of them.

No other plans for the day, will prep the veg for supper, I guess DB will be out in the garden for half an hour.

Supper tonight, mince and tatties, strawberry cheese cake for dessert.

The rows are sewn together, I still have the border to do using the same fabrics in the quilt, so it will need a measure down and across.

Dry Morning

No rain overnight and the sun keeps coming and going.

I got three bits of the quilt put together yesterday, hope to get the rest joined up today, then it will be a good press before I layer it up. I need to get the wadding out and allow it to 'relax'.

Meeting DD2 at Morrison on Thursday, have not seen her for ages, we will go round, together but apart.

It looks like we might get our holiday in May if everything goes well, we are due to go to north Derbyshire for 4 nights. Thats long enough. We are going to a farm cottage, so will take mostly prepared meals with us.

Medication delivered, the lady who brings it says its a nice morning, so guess that DB will be out in the garden, the ground is still very soggy.

Supper tonight will be cold chicken with a side salad and a jacket potato. I have a cheese cake that needs eating.

 

Dull morning

the sky is very grey this morning, DB says he thinks we have had rain.

Washer is on, looking forward to days when I can hang the laundry out on the line. Have to sort out the peg bag, it got blown off the line and most of the pegs landed up on the herbaceous bed.

Quiet week this week, so far nothing happening. I may risk a trip to Morrison to stock up on the stuff I cannot get from Aldi, will try and get enough to last 6 weeks.

We have an expensive month coming up, possibly the new cooker and also the bed. I will ring them in the week and pay the balance, need to speak to the council first see when they will come and take the bed base away.

Chicken yesterday was very nice, it was a crown, the beast still on the bone. I have enough to cut off for tomorrow night with salad. We are having sausage and mash tonight, I took the sausage out of the freezer on Saturday so they need eating up.

Cleaner here this morning, the bungalow is not too bad, have remembered to charge up the GTec and also the hand held Dyson, I usually forget till its too late!!

I start to sew the rows of the quilt together today........so many seams to match aarrgggg, think it may be one row a day......need to contact B re using the hall at the chapel for an hour or so. If I cannot use it I am stuffed.....would have to struggle on the sitting room carpet.

I have a strawberry cheese cake, in the freezer, will take it out and have it for dessert tonight.

Not a good start

Sunday is our breakfast in bed day, we have our breakfast and then lie in reading. This morning DB managed to upset his coffee mug all over the duvet.......short lived lie in, duvet cover is now in the washer. 

A bit of a grey morning, the wind has dropped, DB is on his way into the garden. The shed looks very posh, we bought the highest grade roofing felt and its red!!! matched the tiles on our bungalow.

Two rows of the quilt to sew together, having to do a bit of fudging, but its not that bad. Will put the whole thing together tomorrow and then sort out the backing, I need to decide if I am going to put the seam down the middle or not.

We have had a swap round of tablets, DB's was my very old one, so he has the one I bought 18 months ago, I have done a factory reset and set it up for him, my wedding anniversary present is a Samsung tablet, very different to the Lenovo. It was recommended by our techie when he was here during the week. It took me most of yesterday to set it up. I need to grasp a different way of working.

I changed the evening meal yesterday, as there was salad that needed eating up, so the veg for today is done. DB will have to put up with mash, rather than roasties. Might have sponge pudding for dessert.

What shall I do today?

more sewing the blocks together......2 rows done 4 to go and then the whole thing to sew together.

I was waiting to hear from the bed people about the new bed. Sent an email yesterday and was told there was money due, well yes I knew that, I paid a 50% deposit, it would have been nice if they had contacted me to say the bed was ready, I could have paid for it, but no, they have to wait for me to enquire. They can wait now until I am ready.......I have to arrange for the old base to be collected, depends when the council can do it.

We have had rain overnight, but the sun is trying to come through. M said he would do the shed roof this weekend, I am not asking him, he will come round when he is ready. We also had the chap from the council to look at the cracks in the rooms and also the roof where they did a repair, all the cement has fallen out, its worse than it was before.

DB is getting ratty.......I am going to suggest he goes out to the garden for half an hour or so, he can potter. I am fed up with him lounging about in the house. 

Supper tonight, gammon and salad,will sort out a dessert of some sort.

d

 

It irritates me

when you buy something and you then get a call to insure the item. I make my own mind up. If something is relatively inexpensive I do not bother......I do have insurance on the washer and new freezer. My thoughts are that if they breakdown I need them seen too, otherwise, like my cooker, it was insured for 3 years, I then cancelled it. It was costing me £60 a year and in that time nothing has gone wrong with it. It will be replaced shortly, so again will insure the new one maybe for one year after the guarantee runs out.

Enough, its colder this morning than yesterday, we have a strong wind which brings in the chill factor. DB tells me that its due to be 15c+ over the weekend.......whats that about?

I will start today to put the quilt blocks together, I am only going to do a couple at a time, I have labelled them, but that does not mean I will get it right first time.

DB is getting cabin fever he wants to get out into the garden. I have told him he has to wait a bit longer for the ground to dry up a bit more. We had periods of heavy rain again yesterday.

Supper tonight is fish and chips. I must have had a senior moment when I did the Aldi order, I ordered 2 jars of honey but no jam!! Idiot. good job I have a jar in the reserve cupboard.

Dreich

Its a very grey morning, guess we are in for some rain.

Message from Aldi no substitutions this week....hooray......we will be off shortly to collect it. Expecting the chap from the council to come and look at the cracks that are appearing between the walls and the ceiling.

All the blocks for the quilt are finished. After DB has his siesta I am going to take the pillows off the bed and lay the while thing out, photograph it and check there are no more 'wrong' blocks. Then I will sew it together. I have decided on the piano border in blocks of the 4 fabrics, I have some spoilt bits that I can unpick. I plan to put a corner stone in each corner, top and bottom.

Apart from shopping nothing else, I will make sure we use the back door and the trolly this week, I do not want another week of 'oh my back'.

Cheese pie and beans for supper tonight. I will do the pie whilst DB has his siesta, it will just need heating up then.

Niblets quilt laid out on the bed, so far I have not been able to find anything wrong, we did get one of the embroidered blocks in the wrong row, soon changed. Need to sew it together now.

Grrrr

I was looking at the photograph of Niblets quilt on the bed, I found a block that is wrong, so will have to undo it, fortunately is the bottom row of the block, so not too much hassle. I hope to finish the blocks tomorrow, I can then start putting the rows together, will have to check each one as I start to make sure its ok, do not want to have to undo it when its all together.

Its a fine morning DB says the temperature is up to +9, almost balmy compared to last week. He is going to have to pick his mushroom, its getting quite big, no signs of anymore coming through as yet.

Ironing was collected yesterday so it will come back either today or tomorrow. I was thinking back, I used to iron towels and nappies....obviously I had nothing better to do. Its only during the last 12 months I have found it too much. I have to admit I also polished the loo seat, how nuts is that!!!

DB is dying to get out into the garden. He has to wait in this morning the Dr is going to ring him, he needs his ears syringing and they can only be done if the Dr refers him to the practice nurse. I will not be sorry, its wearing me out having to either repeat everything twice or shout at him.

Have to nip down and put our repeat scripts into the Drs, also need to draw cash from the post office.

So smoked haddock, poached egg, bread and butter for supper, ice cream for dessert.

Update.

I have made the last block for the quilt. Tomorrow after DB gets up from his siesta I will take the pillows off the bed and put the blocks out, photograph them and see if there are any glaring mistakes!! Then sew the rows together. I will measure the quilt and then decide about borders, I am thinking about a a piano border using strips of all the fabrics in the quilt.

DB's first mushroom from the kit me bought, no sign of any more so far.

 

Now we have rain

Its a rather damp morning. Had a phone call from the chap who was coming to have a look at the garden, he is going to come every other week and keep the garden tidy. In the first instance he will cut back the overgrown stuff.

DB's lap top gave up the ghost yesterday, the computer chappie is coming tomorrow to see if it can be resurrected. I hope its not going to be a new one!! That will be the gas stove out of the window for at least 3 months, mind you they have not got a delivery date for new  stoves yet.

We laid the blocks for Niblets quilt on our bed, I need to do 3 yellow and 3 blue blocks to finish it off, then I can start to put it together. I will have to ask B if I can use the tables in the hall at the chapel to layer it up, then its stitch in the ditch to quilt it, bind it and sew the bi binding down, 3 weeks to his birthday...........

Load of coloureds in the washer, dryer time again, its too damp to put them out on the line.

Supper tonight is Spag Bol and garlic bread, a couple of scoops of ice cream for dessert.

 

Its gone!!

 but its still very cold. Woke just after 7am and took my osteao medication, so here's to feeling yuk for the next couple of days

Bed stripped and in the washer, will send a message to my ironing lady two loads will be ready by tonight. Cleaner is due this morning, so a quick tidy up before she gets here.

DB is threatening to go out to the garden. He bought a mushroom kit a while ago, its been in various places in the house, at the moment its on the window cill in my sewing room and there is one solitary mushroom showing itself. No sign of any more. I think he is most likely to mess about in the shed. M rang on Saturday and said he will do the roof at the weekend if its fine.

Once we have made the bed and W has finished in the bedroom I will be laying out the quilt blocks so I can see how many more I need. I am doing the yellow ones, think I have done all the blue ones. New regime in the sewing room, put everything away tidily when you pack in sewing each evening. How long it will last is something else. I may look out the fabric to do a set of place mats using the tree design........that will be one gift off my 2021 Christmas present list. I have a couple of note books I want to cover as well, need to see if I can do them on my embroidery machine, in the hoop. 

Supper tonight is egg, chips and beans, May be just a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Update:

It never rains but it pours, despite me nagging DB to regularly back up his lap top, he has not done so, no his computer refuses to start, bang goes the gas cooker!!

The snow is going

 slowly, but it has almost cleared the front lawn. DB informed me it was 1+ at 9am, we were lay abeds, did not get up until after 10am. I had a busy day yesterday, so was very tired last night.

The joiner turned up, shelves in the sewing room, he has put a top on the wall in the kitchen, so the micro stands on it, much safer than the piece of wood I has protecting the top of the dryer. I was ashamed of the floor under the dryer and in the corner, I think a family of spiders must have been enjoying the warmth from the dryer. The floor was tackled with a brillo pad, I was astounded at what had made its way under the dryer.

Niblets quilt laid out on the bed, thats just half of it, will have to lay it out on our bed and number the rows when I have the rest of the blocks finished.

new shelves, I found a very old board for holding rulers, its on the back of the table with the 3 rulers I am using in it, saves me having to hunt under piles of fabric for them. See the wooden brackets he made them to fit.

The combi microwave on its new shelf, plenty of room to stand the shelves for the micro at the side.

Dnaiel was a bit later than he said, but I have to say he is a meticulous workman, he made little mess and what he did he cleared away, asking for the vaccum to clean the carpet in the sewing room and putting the table back, he also helped me to put the boxes etc back under the table. I now have to pay the bill, he is going to send me an invoice. 

When I got up to do our Sunday breakfast I found a net bag with two sweeties in through the letter box.......from our friends who used to travel round telling bible stories to children. We have not seen them for ages. I guess they are going to be shut down for a while longer than us, they are not having the injection. 

DB has decided he wants soup at lunch time, he also asked for the gammon cold, a jacket potato and tomato and celery side salad, so no cooking today for me. I have taken a cheese cake out of the freezer for dessert.

Bread from yesterday sliced and also the gammon, we will have soup at lunchtime.

Denny Joe with his playmat which has been promoted to a 'blanket'. I am now working on a replacement, as he says its too small now he is a big boy!!

Will he won't he?

Chap supposed to be coming this morning to box in the dryer and put shelves up in the sewing room. I will be seriously miffed if he does not turn up........ watch out for fireworks!!

Bright sunny morning but still -3, the temperature is due to start going up tomorrow, cannot wait. I have put the heat off in our bedroom and opened the window for a while. WE do have trickle vents in the windows but I like a bit more fresh air than they let in.

Gammon joint in the Ninja, will let it go cold before slicing it, we will have some for supper tomorrow.

No sewing today, I have to get the sewing room put back, have covered everything up especially the machines, do not want dust getting into them thank you.

So ready meal tonight, last nights rice pudding was ok but it really needed extra milk, will have to use a bit more next time.

G 

Pavements like skating rinks

I am doubtful as to an outing to the post office, the roads seem ok but the pavements are like skating rinks where snow has partially melted and then frozen. I just cannot afford to fall.

I am planning on sewing this morning and will then move the table and the crates that are stored underneath, the chap is due tomorrow to box in the dryer and put the shelves up in the bedroom. That will be a good job done.

I did go to the post office, was able to park outside, just had to watch my step going in and out.

I did manage to get 2 blocks done this morning, I am fed up with sewing bits the wrong way round and having to unpick them, I really hope I do not find any massive mistakes when I lay it out on the bed. Will photograph it, that way you can often spy a mistake before you stitch the whole thing together. Have just moved everything so the wall is accessible........ so after tomorrow I should be able to get stuff up off the back of the table. I have put the broken chair in the bin....not sure if they will take it or not.

Supper tonight will be fish and chips, I will make a rice pudding for dessert, need something hot and sweet but filling.

Rice pudding made in the Ninja, just have to reheat it and allow the skin to form on the top......tastes yummy!! I had a sneaky taste when I was putting it into the dish.

No news about the gas cooker as yet, might phone on Monday and see when they might be coming in to stock. Will have to arrange for the electric one to go out and the gas and electric connected to the new one.

Pretty as a picture

 no way am I going out though. DB has just told me the temperature outside is -5. Brrrrr We had a heavy overnight frost so the roads will be like ice rinks, hope its better tomorrow, I do need to go up to the post office.

Warnings of power cuts so the flasks have been filled again. The decision has been made we are going to change the cooker for a gas one, it will have to wait though as most of the cookers in various outlets are out of stock. There is only so much cold food you can eat.

I did manage to get 2 more blocks done, I have started to lay it out on the bed in the sewing room, When I get more blocks done they need to go on our bed, so I can put it into stacks, numbered so I can put it together in the right order. The football fabric came yesterday, goodness it was expensive, more than a small grocery shop. I really hope it is appreciated.

Soup all finished, so bacon sanrnies for lunch today, I will make more soup on Saturday with the stock from the gammon joint.

Todays supper is pork belly casserole, we will have it with pilau rice for a change, jam sponge for dessert. I have the gammon joint defrosting, I will soak it for a day and then cook and slice it on Saturday, we will have some with roasties etc for Sunday supper.

And again

It snowed on and off yesterday, when we went to bed there was a slight covering still on the grass, the road was clear. This morning there is about 2 inches in the garden, until our neighbour went out the road was pristine. Each morning I have been filling flasks ' just in case' decided enough was enough this morning although I have made our morning tea in the insulated mugs.

I have taken belly pork out of the freezer this morning for tomorrow night, the outside freezer is filling up nicely. there will be another offering tomorrow.

I managed to do one block of the quilt yesterday and have two more laid out for today, getting there slowly. 

I turned the heat up for early this morning, will turn it down once the temperature comes up, in the meantime have a fleece on. I have always felt the cold badly. I can remember in the old days I used to go to bed in pj's, a cardigan and socks!! Its not so bad now we have duvets instead of sheets and blankets. My youngest daughter takes after me, she sleeps on a 13tog duvet and has one on top. I must agree the electric blanket it a boon, a warm bed to get into.

No mad cooking this morning, its bacon frittata for supper with a salad. WE will finish off the lemon tart for dessert maybe with a blob of ice cream.

Still snowing

There was a thaw yesterday afternoon and then it started snowing again late, we keep getting flurries and its apparently -5 in the wind. Glad I did a shop last week, enough to keep us going for a few days. Flasks filled again in case we get a power cut. The issue of the stove has come up again.......DB suggested that we get a full gas stove instead of a dual fuel one. The same size as our present stove so we do not get the issue of the flames and the bottom of the cupboards.

Chiropodist has been so we both have tidy feet again. DB is still miserable with his back, its getting a bit wearing now. If its no better tomorrow I will ring the Dr. I have had enough.

Yesterday my computer did an update and the software I use to forecast spending lost its password, I just cannot find it anywhere, have tried all the usual passwords we use. Its a real pain, I used it to forecast what we were spending and the state of the bank account and savings account........there is nothing I have found which does the same thing, so not a happy bunny.

Set to straight after breakfast and did a kilo of mince in the Ninja, added onion, swede, carrots, tomato's mixed herbs, red wine, ground pepper and stock cubes. It has made enough for tonight with veg and dough balls and 4 x 2 serving containers to go in the freezer. I just have to find a way of marking them. I used to use sticky labels, but found they unstuck themselves, so it was a bit of a guessing game.

No quilting done I need to spend at least an hour this afternoon in the sewing room. I really want to get the quilt finished for Niblets birthday, but know if I rush it I will make a mess of it and have to undo it.

So tonights supper is mince, dough balls, cabbage and calabrese, lemon tart for dessert.

Its snowing

We woke up to a light covering of snow, since then it has developed into sleet which is being blown every which way by the wind. I told my cleaner last night not to risk coming if the roads were bad, I can manage for a week.

Turned the heating up to warm the bungalow a bit quicker, once its ok I will turn it down again. I do sometimes wonder about leaving the heat on low all night.......have only done it once, I ended up getting up in the night to turn it down, I was sweating.

DB is still suffering with his back, he has an extremely low threshold to pain which makes him a right PITB to deal with. We had words yesterday, he ended up going to bed and sulking. At least I got an hour of peace. He needs to move round more, he will insist on just sitting and then complains it hurts.

Laundry is in the washer, it will be going in the dryer, Takes about half an hour for a full load, so does not coat too much in electricity.

Supper tonight will be mac and cheese with some sort of salad, I have sponge pudding for dessert.

Update:

I am crackered, swished round the wet room, toilet, bedroom and sitting room with a damp duster and the GTec, cooked leek and potato soup enough for lunch today and possibly another couple of days. Sorted out the mac and cheese and did a rocket salad to go with it. In emergency mode in case the power goes off filled 3 flasks with hot water for hot drinks, made sure I sorted out the candle holders etc, made our morning tea in the two insulated mugs we use when we are travelling.......No I have not done any sewing I am too crackered.... it will have to wait.

Living where we do there are often power cuts in bad weather one reason why I wanted to change the electric cooker for one with a gas hob.......hey ho.......

Dull day

but at least we do not have snow or rain just now. I had to get up at 11.30pm last night, I forgot to lock the back gate, so had to go out and push the lock across, it was hissing it down, so got a bit wet. M went to get the roofing felt for the shed, he has to collect it tomorrow, so the job will be done next weekend, the chap is also coming, at long last, to box in the dryer and put the shelves up over my sewing table..I will have to clear the sewing table and the crates that are underneath so he can get at the wall.

I made sure DB took his pain medication with his breakfast this morning, he takes paracetamol and a small dose of codeine, which morphs into morphine, morphine makes him sick, so I made the decision last night, so far, fingers crossed there has been no moans. He says the pain is better this morning, am still using the topical pain relief gel on his back. His face when he sits down when I am watching is a picture, I am sure he missed his vocation.........

I managed to get one of the undone blocks re-done yesterday, 2 more to go, may go into the sewing room for half an hour before lunch. I would like to try and get all the blocks done before I have to move the table.

Veggies done for supper, I am going to use up some of the roast pork from last week. Strawberry trifle for dessert.

Not a good start

to the day. DB slept ok but woke with the pain in his back. The medication from last night had worn off.

I got up and started the breakfast, once he was dressed I sorted myself out. I loaded the washer with a white load and realised that DB was missing, he felt sick......brilliant...... He is back lying on the bed waiting for the pain killers to kick in again, breakfast is in the bin.

A fine cold morning, according to the forecast we will miss the snow, can't say I am disappointed.......I like to see it but hate having to go out in it especially in the car.

I sewed up three blocks yesterday and have sewn all of them wrong, so a massive undo project for today, this quilt is not going well at all.

Supper tonight will be gammon and eggs etc, not sure about a dessert, maybe a sponge pudding.

It never rains but it pours, have just had to shell out £40 for the felt to reroof the £800 shed we bought 2 years ago!!

Poets day

When we were working Poets Day was push off early tomorrows Saturday........so its Saturday tomorrow but as we are no longer working it does not really apply.

The forecast is for 6 days of rain/snow, no problem, order collected yesterday from Aldi, enough to keep us going for at least 2 weeks in the freezers.

I spent more time yesterday doing blocks for the quilt, I have lost a large cop of thread and also the little gadget which allows me to sew a scan 1/4" seam......its not where I though it was.....grrrrrr. I use a 1/4" foot, but the small amount of fabric you 'loose' when joining two bits together is what is making the blocks just a tad short. I have decided to cut the pieces over size and cut them down after they have been pressed. see if that makes a difference.

I had an email yesterday from the lady who is getting the football fabric for me, she should get it today, so will post it on to me.

DB says its too wet to garden, he is going to look at the front and see if there are any weeds showing. We could do with putting a thick layer of Strulch on it the same as the back. I did contact the local company who supply various grades of gravel, I really do not need a builders bag at almost £60. Will have a trip to our garden centre once it reopens and get it from there. I have vouchers we were given at Christmas which will help pay for it. Forget that, he has just told me he has a sore back!!! wonderful, sent him to get some pain relief, he needs to keep moving not sit around moaning.

Supper tonight is the usual Friday supper, fish and chips, no sure what we will have for dessert as yet.

Nurses hat on, DB announces he had a bad back, so we had to go through the usual histrionics, Have you taken pain killers? No....well take them then. He laid on the bed for an hour and then decided he was better sitting in his chair. It cannot be that bad he managed to sleep for over an hour after lunch!!

I ask him how it was a weedy little voice said, 'not too bad, I have taken some more medication'. He is walking ok so I am not too bothered.

A fine morning

It is still quite cold, but not as cold as it has been. There is activity in the lane as tractors come and go, it will be interesting to see if the snowdrops are through as we drive into town. One piece of land opposite the turn to the lane has been sold, Wonder who has bought it and what for.

Trip into town to get my click and collect order from Aldi, DB is coming with me 'for the ride' he has not been out for ages apart from into the garden. 

I spent yesterday  sewing blocks for niblets quilt and then unpicking them and sewing them right. The fact I have not done any quilting for a while shows!!! I have decided to do extra blocks so I do not have to sash it.......to be honest I will be glad when its finished. I am just going to quilt it in the ditch, its not going to be a work of art, far from it. I am just waiting now for my other daughter to ask me to do one for her grand daughter.

I was tired yesterday after slaving over the machine so I used two of the WFF meals. DB had corned beef hash and I had sweet and sour chicken. So it will be frittata and salad tonight. We just had ice cream for dessert, so the same tonight.

DB is still going on about the cat mess in the garden, its really nasty, no way am I getting a cat so we will just have to put up and shut up. The lady the cat belongs to will be moving into town when they have suitable accommodation for her, hopefully the problem will go away then.

The garden is showing signs of life, daffs putting their noses up, DB says the stuff we put on the garden last back end has done its job, no signs of anything 'weedy' coming through. I have to get into a mind set for clearing the two herb beds by the back door, putting fresh compost in and planting up new herbs. The containers Nick made for us 10 years ago, so they are doing well. DB paints them with preservative every year, there is one in the front which I am going to move round to the back, it has alpine plants in and could also do with being replanted.

So after we have been to collect the shopping it will be lunch and then I will hope to get a another couple of blocks done. I need to have it finished for Niblets birthday on March 11th.

A dry day?

So DB says, the pavements are dry and no sign of frost, fingers crossed its the same tomorrow!!

Had a message last night to say that EDF have taken over our power supply. I did a comparison to see what companies came out the cheapest to my horror not one of them came in under £80, we paid £39 a month and at  the last bill were £45+ in credit. We do not sit in a freezing house, sit in the dark, do no clothes washing etc. We do have solar panels on the roof which feeds into our electricity supply, that helps. The council put them on as an experiment years ago, they do seem to keep the costs down.

We had a prayer letter yesterday from the couple who travel round schools etc telling bible stories. They have not been able to do this for the past year. They said that they were encouraging people NOT to have the vaccine, I think their two daughters who live with them must spend all their time on the internet, they came out with various reasons why we should not have the vaccine. I am afraid I think they are very silly, they will be spending the rest of their lives in isolation, even though a majority of the population will have the vaccine, the virus will still be present, its not just going to go away, in fact we have been told, that like the flu, it can and will mutate, and we may well have to have a jab each winter.

Supper tonight will be cauli and broc gratin with jacket spud and baked tomato.  Not sure what dessert will be could be rice pudding.

 

Welcome

to a wet Tuesday, at least its not snow which I believe is falling in the north.

Yesterday was a day of undoing blocks, I finally managed to get all six of the embroidered blocks finished. I now have to do the rest, not sure I like the layout I was thinking of, will have to wait until I have the plainer blocks done and then see what it looks like laid out. I did have a success with the 'football' fabric I wanted for the back. The lady I emailed sent me a note to say that she had managed to get 4 metre's for me. I will get it next week.

I have to admit my quilting skills have suffered a bit through me not doing any for a while. 

3 loads of washing done yesterday, last load in the dryer, will fold it up and it can go away.

Supper tonight is beef and bean casserole with veggies, I am going to cook some swede and carrots to mash together for a change, may do some peas for a change.

Dessert the last of the crumble.

Its Monday again

commonly known as horrid pill day.

Pinch an' a punch for the first of the month...

The pork I cooked for supper was lovely and I crisped up the fat to make crackling. DB does not like it, so all the more for me!!!

I spent most of yesterday reading, I finished one book on my tablet, halfway through another one. I kept the sewing room door firmly closed all day. It was a fine day so I turned the bedroom heat off and opened the window, blew the germs away.....DB turned it back on when he went for his siesta.

Bed linen in the washer, cleaner is here today. We should be hearing about the new bed shortly it has a foot board so I will no longer have to haul the quilt and duvet back onto the bed. and I can drape the duvet over to air the bed.

Supper tonight will be egg and chips, possibly rice pudding as well, we will see.

Update:

Have just had to spend an hour undoing a block for the quilt, I had sewn the wrong colours together, it was only when I laid them out on the floor I realised...grrrrr......I will have to cut some half square triangles, I have a ruler for that somewhere. I have lost a cop of thread I use to sew blocks together, looked everywhere for it. I also forgot the library van was coming, DB came through to ask if it had been......A quick glance out, he was still there, so dashed out to change the books, cannot do without our library books!!