Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Good afternoon,

Another bright day today with a heavy frost first thing which is still lingering in shady corners.

Many congratulations @Ladybird4, that’s lovely news.

Goodness me @Allotment Boy, that’s a lot of money to find for a new tank. Perhaps your household insurance might not cover it, but it would be worth a check if you haven’t already done so.

My left arm feels a bit achy now, I went for my pneumonia vaccine this morning and it’s starting to ache quite a bit now, despite taking a paracetamol when I got in. Oh well, I’m sure it will wear off in the next day or so. I hope that’s me all jabbed up now until the follow up shingles vaccine in May.

Your throw sounds very nice @Liriodendron, warm and cosy.

 

Woohoo, we have our internet and phone back to normal! Noticeably faster than the temporary fix, which had a habit of cutting out. Very nice young man (they all seem to be so young these days - obviously a sign of my advancing years!) got it all rewired and checked. The previous crew also put in an armoured tube for fibre at the same time. If we ever get fibre in our road, not likely for a long while, they will be able to connect us up without having to redig a trench, so we are somewhat future proofed.
I did feel sorry for the poor lad having to work on the wall outside. It is so cold here this morning. Both bird baths had a thick disc of ice on top. While I was twiddling my thumbs with no internet, I’ve written half my Christmas cards, and did a load of washing! Now to catch up on some jobs I couldn’t do while we were incommunicado- submit the electricity meter reading, and order some fabric, plus of course, check up on you lot!

 

Afternoon all. No frost here today, back to November sog.

Congratulations to @Ladybird4 on your new family member! Hope the coughs and colds subside quickly, and you & @Busy-Lizzie are soon fighting fit again.

Yes, the knee rug was lovely and warm on my lap while I was mending it! But of course (ahem!) I'm much too young to need a rug over my knees when sitting...
My repairs were approved - hope it sells at the craft fair. On the strength of my reasonably neat repair I'll be getting other items to renovate, I think.

Good to hear news of Ante. I must find his thread about his market garden - his energy is amazing, holding down a teaching job as well.

Trying to get money out of the insurance company seems like a good idea, @Allotment Boy . It does no harm to try, anyway.

 

Congratulations @Ladybird4 Hope mother and little one are doing well.

@Ergates , for some peculiar reason I seem to have completely forgotten about Christmas cards this year

 

Very wise, @Songbird! I only send about a dozen these days, old friends I’ve exchanged cards with once a year, some for nearly 50 years. Relatives get an email these days, with the bonus of a photograph! Because I’m lazy, I used to leave everything till the last minute, and used first class class stamps. Not making that mistake this year!

 

I've bought Christmas cards and stamps but I haven't written any yet.

@Liriodendron I always have a knee blanket when I'm on the sofa, except in summer of course, and so do my children. Doesn't mean you are old!

OH took me out for lunch today at our favourite pub restaurant in north Suffolk. It was delicious as usual but we couldn't manage pudding. We did have a starter though.

I've done the ironing and the machine washed some towels, apart from that we've done very little.

 

Oxburgh Hall, our visit yesterday. There was a swan theme and story to keep visiting children happy.

 

Lovely pictures @Busy-Lizzie. Thank you for sharing. I am signing out for today - had a great lunch with all the rellies and we toasted the arrival of Eleanor Robin! See you all tomorrow.

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Thought I'd posted this morning but I hadn't which means I didn't congratulate you and the parents of your new great niece @Ladybird4 so congratulations! I have a granddaughter called Eleanor.

 

Yes it's a lot of money but it's also a lot of work. Because it's heated indirectly by the CH system that all has to be drained down. The tank alone is about £350, plus all connections, and bits and pieces, it's a days work and of course 20% VAT. The plumber is the same one we had to renew the boiler etc, my OH knows his family so we trust him.
Problem with the insurance company is they insist on using their firm of plumbers who we don't know.

 

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A very good morning one and all. Another dampish morning but at least it is much warmer than the last two mornings. I see what you mean @Allotment Boy - you are between a rock and a hard place but it is good to know that you have a known plumber who will be familiar with your system. Hope it gets sorted soon for you.
I am not going to Bestie's today as she is going to help out at her granddaughter's school Christmas Fair. I do have more crafting to be getting on with. Whatever each and every one of you has planned for today, I hope it's a good one.

 

@Allotment Boy, if you were to get the new tank done on insurance, I’m guessing you would have paid an excess of some sort, plus the likelihood of increased premiums for the next few years. So not quite as big a saving, and you have the reassurance of working with someone you know and trust.
Dull and uninviting out this morning, but at least it’s warmer. 11C after a run of freezing nights. OH has made coffee and sourdough toast with marmalade. We watched a scary programme about mass produced loaves, and all the additives. Obviously knew all about that, but it was a timely reminder, as we had slipped back into bad habits of thick sliced white! I’ve never been a successful home bread baker, although we did go through the automatic breadmaker phase many years ago. I gave the machine to son, when he had to go gluten free, and didn’t really miss it. OH always complained that the bread smelt ‘yeasty’, but despite that, the temptation of still warm crusty slices, slathered in butter, meant that it was pretty disastrous for our waistlines. Now looking on YouTube at easy ‘ no knead’ recipes to bake in the airfryer.

 

Good morning all.

I'm not sure what we have insurance for, if claiming on it for a genuine problem just gives the insurance company more money... but I suppose if my house burned to the ground I'd be glad it was insured.

I don't know anything about baking bread in an airfryer, @Ergates , but I can recommend Irish soda bread as being extremely quick to make. Plenty of recipes on the Internet. I also make oat bread for our gluten-free daughter (incidentally, @Ladybird4 , another Eleanor!), equally quick, though maybe an acquired taste unless you like porridge... We still have to have commercial sliced pap as well, though, because a certain family member won't eat anything else.

 

I'd like to catch up with that programme, @Ergates. We eat little bought bread, as OH does make it in the bread maker, but he doesn't always remember. It's like anything else, I think; a little consumed fairly infrequently is OK, but for those unable to have the luxury of such choice, not so good.
I am amazed (understatement) by the variety and choice of ready meals out there, which must fall under the same (expensive, but convenient) umbrella.
We have lots of 'bitty' things to do today, involving trips in opposite directions, visits to several shops for small (but important) bits and collection of an order from the Toolstation.
Best that can be said, is 'it's not raining'.
Lovely name @Ladybird4

 

Good morning all.

I like sliced bread. We don't care for the crusty sourdough bread in Dordogne. I sometimes make bread there but not in England. Our favourite is the Coburg Cob by Mor....ns.

My cold was pretty small, almost over. Started with a very runny nose and a cough and sore throat. I felt ill one day. Didn't progress into a proper yucky cold and now it's all dried up, almost.

We are going to W'rose soon. Cedric likes shopping and has chosen to go there though it's the furthest away. He also wants to go to the very old pub in that town as he likes the atmosphere. I must get a move on.