Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

It's dull here and warmer after the last two frosty starts. We were out at our monthly tea dance yesterday and enjoyed ourselves but the music was one singer and another with accordeon plus pre-recorded backup music for some songs. They clearly are not dancers as their idea of slow waltz and rumba was at least 50% faster than they should be. Jive too but not quickstep and tango. We've noted the name and won't be going anywhere they're playing.

OH still feeling feeble tho less grumpy so we did our weekly shop this morning but a small one. They have a special offer on next Monday and Tuesday - spend 150€ and get 30€ credited to the fidelity card so I shall go and complete today's shop and do all the none perishables and non freezables for next week too.

Had planned to plant bulbs this pm but it has started to rain. I shall go and see the chooks and then sew. Haven't done any Xmas cards yet and, since I can't get charity cards here, I now embroider my own but just enough for a few UK friends and some of the neighbours. Only need 3 for family.

I like the name too @Ladybird4. Congrats to all. Oddly enough I haven't met any Eléanores or even Aliénores here. The Vendée used to be Eleanor of Aquitaine territory and there are roads, streets and buldings named after her but not girls.

What is the new sporty car @lizzie27 ? Must admit I still judge cars by their ability to get me and my shopping, including plants and bags of compost and straw, safely delivered and with enough oomph for motorways when we head off and road-holding for the bendier lanes here. This weekend another criteria is enough room to fetch a fresh Xmas tree so we can bung it in a bucket of water till just before Xmas when it'll come in for decorating.

We don't eat much bread either and I'm not keen on any French bread really so, when I know we need some, I make a slow rise, low yeast poolish recipe if it's to be sliced for toasting. If it's for soup I'll make a wholemeal soda bread and for bread and butter pudding i'll buy an artisanal brioche which doesn't have oodles of nasty industrial chemicals.

 

We used to like Cranks wholemeal bread, it became increasingly hard to get post Co**d now I think they have stopped completely. The nearest we can find now is M&S robust rye. We don't eat a lot of bread anyway.
Haven't bought or eaten sliced white cotton wool in decades. Well not willingly, very rarely if we are out or at a "do" and it's the only thing available as a sandwich and there's nothing else.

 

@Allotment Boy Back in the day I had a flatmate who worked at Cranks and occasionally brought home unsold bread or salads or some such. Fabulous.

Belgium does good bread and the baker in our village was exceptional but the French have no idea about wholemeal bread and I don't like white. Even as a child I preferred Hovis to white sliced pap.

 

Ooh, I’d forgotten about soda bread! My mum ( N.Irish) used to make it for tea on Sunday evenings! We all loved it, including the dog, who would be waiting alongside all us children, for his share! I think the programme about mass produced breadmaking was on YouTube, but I’d never be able to find it again, or tell you how to find it. Might well show up in a search?
We bought the bread maker when we were cutting back on salt, to help with OH’s blood pressure, but have since lapsed into bad habits again.
We went to the garden centre today, mainly to buy bird food, but I somehow managed to come home with four pairs of long socks, and a gorgeous English soap! Their car park was packed, I don’t think many people were buying plants, but there were huge queues in the gift section, and there were a lot of boxes of Christmas crackers being put into trolleys. OH was surprised at the crowds, until I told him it was only 4 weeks to You Know When! He nearly passed out, and insisted that it was only a week ago that I’d said it was 7 weeks to go! I know what he means, the time seems to be flying.
On our way home, we took a different route home, and passed a farm shop I’ve been meaning to visit for ages. We didn’t have time to stop today, but in anticipation of a future visit, I searched for their website when I got home. However, I found their latest hygiene inspection report, and horrified to see that it had been given a rating of 0! I’m surprised that they are still allowed to operate before they have completed the major improvements required in every category! Still advertising their freshly baked bread, pies and pasties though!
@Busy-Lizzie, what lovely pictures of Oxburgh Hall, it looks really enchanting. I must suggest a visit to my sister when she is next staying in Suffolk, not that far away.
Daughter and her half American husband are having a thanksgiving dinner of baked ham with squash and other goodies tonight. Will have to wait till Christmas for turkey!

 

Afternoon all, thought I'd posted earlier but doesn't look like it. So much warmer today I ventured out with OH to the papershop. Bought a tiny pot of those miniature roses and a small bouquet of chrysanths to take to the Crem tomorrow to pay my respects to my Dad and my best friend. My Dad died 32 years ago and my friend 18 years ago. Doesn't seem that long somehow.
I've got my GP appointment first thing in the morning so I've made a few notes.

You wouldn't think much of the new car @Obelix-Vendée, it was built in 1934, top speed probably about 40mph! No seat belts. Big sweeping wheel arches in a pale grey. I only saw it through the window yesterday as OH drove it off the transporter. Definitely no room for a Xmas tree!

The only bread we usually eat is a small granary seeded sliced loaf, two slices each per week with our scrambled egg and smoked salmon. I freeze the rest and eke it out. The rest of the week we eat Ryvitas for lunch. Sainsbury's used to sell a fabulous small organic white loaf with only 3 ingredients but they suddenly stopped selling it for some unknown reason. Neither of us like sour dough very much.

Hope you enjoy lunch out @Busy-Lizzie.

I've been forced into doing h/w today as my sis and her partner are coming to stay for the weekend - it's his birthday on Sunday. Done the main rooms but will leave the bathrooms till Sat morning before they arrive. Must make the bed up tomorrow.

Still can't work out who the villain is in Shetland.

 

Thank you @lizzie27, we did enjoy lunch. It was just a first course, crispy chicken wings and a salad garnish with 1/2 pint Adnams Ghost Ship beer.

We bought some delicious bits and pieces in Waitrose for the next few days meals. I thought their crackers looked rather disappointing but I found a box of gorgeous crackers in a lovely shop in Wymonden High Street. They were quite pricey but they will be a present from me to Cedric's family to open during Christmas lunch.

 

Good evening everybody. @lizzie27, I do have toagree with you about Shetland. I ended up even more confused after last night's episode. I have been going off bread over the last fewmonths and have decided that once I eat the last of my frozen bread (only 4 slices) I won't be buying anymore. I am finding at the moment that I am just not interested in eating anything. It may be due to my cough and cold - supposed to be having my flu vaccination tomorrow but I'm not sure if they will think this is a good thing or not - so I'm hoping my appetite returns soon. I decided to fill in a bit of time today creating this:

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Signing out for today. Enjoy your evenings all.

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Nice cactus @Ladybird4 . I have spent my evening cutting out felts and fabrics for my winter garland - mittens and mushrooms. Set to rain most of tomorrow so I'll start on sewing the mushroom stems and tops by machine, ready for stuffing. The mittens need some embroidery and buttons before they get joined up using blanket stitch.

The chooks are coming along slowly. One of the new ones had a peck at Floppy yesterday and has now been firmly put in her place. Those 3 and she seem to be establishing their pecking order tho they're not venturing out of the pen yet. The poorly one is still isolated in the polytunnel but does venture out. She was hen pecked the other day when she marched off to see the others in the shed so I'm letting her build up her strength in peace and get to know her way around the veg plot before they do.

I like crispy chicken too @Busy-Lizzie but can only cope with beer in a beef casserole or Guinness in a chocolate cake. Don't like the smell or taste as a drink.

 

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Another mild start to the day. Nice to read the update on the chooks @Obelix-Vendée. Is Floppy your original, remaining chook or is that the name for the poorly one? Sorry if I've missed you telling us that. I need to get some fabric glue today when I go into the village this afternoon for my flu vaccination (assuming they will give that to me with my cough and cold) - either that or I attempt to find the refill sticks for my glue gun. I must make a note to myself - get yourself sorted out woman!
Can't believe its December 1st on Monday!

 

Good morning you all!!

Been off the grid for the last week, sorry. There is absolutely no excuse except I faff around, then need to dash!!

We have had sunny but cold weather. Good for my solar production, so the electrical gadgets have been working overtime. I was given a huge pumpkin, so cut it up, steamed and froze some for soup - a pumpkin pie for Sunday for my nice friend from Montpellier - as yesterday was Thanksgiving (not that I celebrate it) The French are wary of vegetables in a sweet dessert or cake, but when they try it, they love it!!

I'm glad your brood is settling in @Obelix-Vendée and so they should with all the tender attention they are getting. We had a goose called Eleanor once (Elle est en or!!) But my late husband called her Frau Flick as she patrolled around the garden!! She died, I think from heat stroke.

Friday is dash-around day - Fizz enjoys riding shotgun in the car and waits patiently whilst I do my bits and pieces!! Then she stares at me whilst I drive!!

I wore my newly knitted sleeveless cardy on Saturday evening. Looked quite good and nice and warm on my back.

I hope you are all well and free @Ladybird (sorry) from sniffs and coughs. I made a gargle from salt, thyme and rosemary as my throat started to feel a bit sore (probably sleeping with my mouth open) - it's maintenance material. I have been reading back and clicked on likes - it's reassuring to hear everyone's newsy bits. Have a lovely day.

 

Morning all. I frequently forget the 'likes'!
DiL's parents coming for supper. She'd asked us there, but they're storing a kitchen for one of their daughters and so there's nowhere for us to sit! Beef bourguignon, so I'm about to start prepping it very soon. She's bringing the pud!
Our 'gardener' was supposed to come yesterday afternoon to do some greenhouse maintenance on the bits I can't reach, but there was no sign of him, nor any word either. He's normally very reliable. He starts his 'winter job' soon, as an Evri delivery driver, so hope he's OK.
We started watching a film on Netflix last night, 'Jingle bell heist'. We said we'd give it our usual 5 mins, but to our amazement, we both said it was a slick, feel good film, though we only got about a third of the way through. That's tomorrow night's TV sorted. We're not usually film watchers!
Hope your day is a good one.

 

G'day! It's wet so I've had a lazy morning reading and snuggling with a very purry Minstrel and now I have a purry Cosmos. Late lunch then and more rain all day so I'll rug up to check on the cooks and then sew.

Fizz sounds like a lovely dog @Tui34. I've met guard geese and they can be intimidating but good fun when they're relaxed.

Fish cakes for us tonight @Penny_Forthem as we have leftover mash to use and salmon from the freezer and i've set some organic lemon zest to steep in some double cream to make a basque cheesecake for Sunday's pud.

@Ladybird4 Floppy is the last of the white ones and a Leghorn with a big, floppy red comb and long legs plus a full set of feathers so appears much larger than the half bald, scruffy speckled browns. The first lot of browns we adopted in 2020 were also very tatty but turned out to be very bonny and friendly once they grew new feathers and felt secure with us.

 

I love basque cheesecake! Never made it, but I do buy packs of small frozen ones in the supermarket. Waitrose do a decent own brand one in the chilled section. Sadly OH isn’t a fan of any sort of cheesecake, so I have to freeze the slices I can’t eat immediately.
Out to the seaside this morning, coffee and pastries and a walk on the esplanade. I picked up my online order, two pairs of cord trousers. I bought a green pair in the sale last week, and I was so pleased with the fit, I ordered two more pairs, one navy and one dark tan. Really pleased that they come up to my waist, which I find more comfortable than ones that sit on my hips, that also have really deep, double pockets at the front. Plenty of room for my phone and tissues! Generously cut round the rear end, which might not suit everyone, but just right for me!

The Japanese cotton fabric I ordered on Monday afternoon arrived Tuesday morning. Looks really lovely. I’ve now got to pluck up the courage to cut out the kimono I am planning to make for OH. I don’t have a pattern, but have convinced myself that it should be relatively simple. Probably not a good idea! I do have history with mistakes like cutting two right sides, instead of a left and a right, and running out of fabric! It did actually work out well when I was making little dresses when my daughter was young. I ended up facing the pockets, the backs of collars and cuffs , and the back of sashes in a coordinating plain fabric. They looked so much prettier that I continued to do it out of choice rather than necessity.
Not too cold, and sunny today. OH has Formula 1 and some rugby to entertain him this weekend. I’d better bite the bullet and get the sewing machine set!
Hope all have a peaceful weekend, and that you feel better soon, @Ladybird4.

 

Still away, staying in Carterville, Georgia. lots of joyousness with family yesterday for Thanksgiving, 20 folks. Good food. Good conversation etc. This airbnb is awesome, will stay here again. Sweet town, known for interesting museums, will see a few today.