Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Good afternoon all.

We appear to have a visiting mouse behind the skirting board in the bedroom. No idea how it got there, and no evidence that it's been anywhere else, but we're being vigilant. I'm making sure there are no crumbs anywhere...

It was "Knit & Natter" in the library this morning. I arrived very wet after my 10 minute walk as the heavens opened when I was half way there - but the staff give tea and biscuits to all groups using the library, so I soon warmed up. I spent the time unpicking several rows of my jumper, having accidentally created an extra stitch which I'd only just discovered. It's all correct now, and I must crack on with it in order to have it finished by winter.

Yesterday was unexpectedly warm and sunny, and I spent a lot of it in the garden, which made me very happy...

 

It's been raining but not really a lot.

@Obelix-Vendée the pasteurised milk I buy from Leclerc, having checked the sell by dates, lasts at least a week. I wonder where your Leclerc keeps it.

The "block everything" protest by the French hasn't been very well supported, according to the online updates I get. More in big cities like Bordeaux and Paris. Nothing here. Brittany supported it more than the rest of France. I wonder how the new Prime Minister will do. I think it's an almost impossible job.

 

Good afternoon everyone. I went down into town (on the bus) as planned and went straight to the bank. Once I had got all sorted there I decided - having put it off for weeks - to pop into Spooksavers and make an appointment for an eye test. I was pleasantly surprised when the young man who dealt with me mentioned that they had appointments available immediately. Not having anything critical to do I seized the opportunity and had all the usual tests done. The optometrist (who looked about 16) was lovely and had a gorgeous Irish accent. All the photos of the backs of my eyes were fine. I do have a developing cataract in my left eye which I have known about for a few years now but he said it was not needing any attention at the moment. The prescription for both my eyes had changed and the left more so than the right - this is what had prompted me to think about making an appointment. To cut a long story short, I chose a frame and I pick up my new specs on September 20th. I did a little more shopping after that for file paper, pens and raffle tickets for our Church quiz on October 10th. I was jiggered when I got home and shortly after I got in it started to rain. No gardening managed.

 

Evening everyone. It’s been my last day off of my 2 week leave. I’ve made some apple crumbles (one for home, one for work) so that marks the start of Autumn for me. I’m all hair-washed (couldn’t get a last minute appointment at the salon for a trim so I’ll do that next week) and have my new work shoes ready so it’s definitely a ‘back-to-school’ feeling!

I hope you are all ok and the week is being kind.

 

@AuntyRach I hope the new shoes are 'run in'.
Been a busy day.
Good job about the spooksavers @Ladybird4
Coffee with an old friend and putting the world to rights (if only...), then made my damson gin and raised a query with paypal about the lamp I'd ordered, which seems to be lost in transit. Will get a refund.
Doesn't sound like I've done much, but we did pop up to the van with dogs for a run, water greenhouse and I've made a chicken curry, which is now in the oven.
However did I find time to work?
Back to the van tomorrow. I need a magic carpet.
In fact, a magic wand, please...

 

@Busy-Lizzie It's displayed in a fridge along with oat milk, almond milk, buttermilk but I don't know where it's kept before then. The Belgians couldn't do pasteurised either so we've been using long-life semi-skimmed milk since 1991. I drink black coffee and tisanes so only use it for cooking or hot chocolate so it doesn't bother me.

OH is on his way home from St Malo in Brittany. It's a 3 hour journey and they left at about 3:30. Latest estimate is 9pm so either the driver is hopeless or they've been caught by Le Blocage.

@Penny_Forthem frustrating. I sympathise. For the first time ever this pm I signed up to eBay to buy a discontinued Tamotsu dress pattern I've been after for years. OH has texted me to say the card we use for online ordering has been blocked by our bank. I assume I won't be getting my pattern. Many swear words.

 

Thats a real frustration @Obelix-Vendée. I have been an eBay member for 21 years now and when I first signed up I started a PayPal account and they are excellent. As @Penny_Forthem mentioned, PayPal will quickly pay back for anything that doesn't turn up or is faulty.
I am signing out for tonight so good night to you all and I'll see you tomorrow. Food Bank Duties.

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OH is home. 6 hours to do a 3 hour journey and he can turn round and go back.

Much moaning about his pal Didier who was driving and whose satnav is too clever and beyond his programming capacities so instead of avoiding flash points they managed to hit 3 groups of Le Blocage, largely because he wouldn't listen to OH's directions from his phone. Driving not too clever either apparently.

It seems the eBay thing was queried by the bank - all 30€ worth - and OH couldn't imagine what I might want and said no, con. I'm hoping it went thru before OH messed up and I get my pattern. Either way, OH gets to mess about organising a new card and negating the "con" status. We don't use Paypal cos we've had bovver in the past but Etsy with bank card has worked well in the past. No reason why it wouldn't with eBay.

To add insult to all the bally golfing absence injury, he'd won a magnum of fizz at another competition and took that with him for the apéro. One of the group promptly let it roll out of the fridge and crash bang explode on the floor. Others brought assorted wines and so on which didn't all get opened. OH's share of leftover goodies from their joint catering? A bag of mache/lamb's lettuce which I never buy cos it's such a pappy leaf. Maybe the chooks will like it.

He's off out early again tomorrow for a home golf competition. I might just get the hump.

 

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Oh dear @Obelix-Vendée, I'm sorry but I just had to smile at your recounting of the tale of your OH and his 'adventures'. Perhaps its just as well he is going out today so you can cool off! I have a bootful of clothing and shoes to take to the friend who lives near Bestie for her next lorry going out to the Ukraine. Donations from a friend at Church. Then on to the Food Bank. I am taking my knitting so I have something to do whilst waiting for clients. I think Bestie is doing similar. I only have to knit 4 more leaves and assemble my daisies and then the six posies for the tea/coffee morning tables will be complete.

 

My apologies to everyone for "spoiling" your Sewing Bee watch. I promise not to do it again..

My son in law arrived with a very impressive large bandage on his hand. The Dr. had to open the area where the splinter was in his hand, fortunately no stitches but he has to see a nurse again to have the dressing changed. He drove me to the unit for my MRI scan which didn't take too
long. I was shattered when I came home and feel very stiff today from laying still on a hard bed for 20 mins or so. I had forgotten how noisy the machines are, despite being given an enormous pair of ear defenders to wear. I have to wait 2-3 weeks for the results.
The downpours were very heavy, made driving difficult. I gave my son in law a flask of lentil soup to take home as payment for him helping me out.

My daughter bought me some non-homogenized milk from a farm shop recently, it was delicious. A pity, or maybe a good job, it is too far away for me to go to and buy regularly! I do not enjoy ready meals but always keep a couple in the freezer for emergencies. I decided yesterday was an emergency, so had a curry and rice ready meal, made myself a small lemon, ginger and syrup steamed sponge pudding and really enjoyed it. I cannot remember the last time I made a steamed pudding. For some reason, it reminded me of my grandmother's suet puddings, sometimes boiled in a cloth, sometimes baked in the oven, sometimes steamed. If there was no dried fruit available, we used to put a knob of butter and a sprinkling of sugar
on it. Always served with custard. Boiled Spotted Dick was my favourite. No mention of cholesterol in those days!

 

@Obelix-Vendée hope the chooks enjoy the lettuce! Def think your hub drew the short straw.
My 3 yearly 'new' driving licence has arrived, which is a weight off my mind.
We are going to the van later and I have my list! When we had visitors last Sunday, I was ashamed of our mugs, so I ordered 4 new 'poppy' bone china ones, which arrived yesterday.
We will stay home next week, as we have loads of jobs piling up.
Mmm, steamed syrup sponge @Goldenlily26

 

My emergency ready meal is one of those sachets of ready cooked rice, microwaveable in 2 minutes. I add nuts and cherry tomatoes, and maybe some grated cheese, whatever is handy in the fridge. Doesn’t work for OH, he isn’t keen on rice unless it’s with something like sweet and sour chicken.
The sun has been out, we have taken our visitor out for a full English breakfast, with a walk to follow. However, I can see big clouds bubbling up on the horizon, and I think there are showers forecast for later this morning.
Glad your MRI went ok, @Goldenlily26. I really didn’t enjoy the one I had, mainly because of the Cavalier attitude of the radiographer, who didn’t check that the earphones were working ( they weren’t) and that the two way communication worked, ( it didn’t!) I came away very cross, and thinking that I wouldn’t have done it like that!
I do hope your results come through promptly, mine took months, and my sister waited over a year, and never got any results!

 

I wonder if the ear defenders supplied to the scanner units generally do not work very well. I didn't notice much difference, the two way communication worked well. I couldn't get over how many times I was checked for anything metal, 4 times! Every one of the radiographers I saw, 5 in total, was polite and pleasant so no complaints. I shall be on the phone in 3 weeks time if I have not heard from the GP. I wasn't expecting to feel quite as weird and spaced out afterwards, I believe the machines work on very strong magnetic fields so perhaps that is why. I enjoyed the warm toasty feeling coming up from the bed all over my back. I almost went to sleep!

 

I’m glad it went smoothly for you,@Goldenlily26. I was supposed to be listening to the radio, but had to listen to all the banging and thumping, which I didn’t enjoy. I was assured that they could hear and speak to me, but I got no response when I spoke to them. Also, just before I got on the table, the radiography stuck something on my back, which I couldn’t see. She told me it was a capsule and to try not to crush it. So I couldn’t relax, no idea what the ‘capsule’ was, so I was tensed up the whole time, listening to the racket and holding my back off the table, no idea how much longer it was going to take and no way of finding out.
When I was getting dressed, I asked about the capsule. Turns out it was just a vitamin E capsule that they used to locate the area of interest, nothing delicate and wouldn’t have been a problem if I did lie on it. At least I shall be better prepared if I have to have another one!
Watched our camera recordings for the last couple of nights. A tawny owl arrived again. No interest in the badgers supper, but did pick up and eat some things off the floor. Maybe woodlice, hopefully slugs!

 

Hello all.

Apology accepted @Goldenlily26!
I really like spotted Dick.

We have been to the first general Garden Club meeting after the summer holidays. There was a bring and share lunch.

We were asked to bring something from our gardens like a vase of flowers, some veg, pot of jam, chutney etc. I had forgotten that so was in a rush this morning to make a chicken salad, pick a few figs and pick a vase of flowers.

Everyone who had brought stuff had to talk about it, I was first. Not many people had brought things though, about eight. One lady who took a lot of my figs had brought what she had done with them, jam, tartlets, fig rolls and chutney. She must have been busy, glad they were useful.

There was a good selection of food for lunch, as usual. I won't need to cook tonight.

There was no sign of "block everything" here @Obelix-Vendée. The local paper said it was much quieter than expected. There was a demo in Bordeaux and a peaceful small demo in Sarlat. No mention of Périgueux.