Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Good morning you all and welcome December!

A chilly start, but apparently we'll get 15°C this afternoon and sun. So far, no wind, so our morning stroll with Fizz's "coach" will be nice. She has been promised a dog when they return to S. Africa in a couple of years, so she is learning to praise Fizz at every corner with "beautiful walking Fizz" etc. etc. Yes, Fizz is a good girl @Obelix-Vendée as Borders tend to be, but I have known some "pickles"!! We have been through chasing cars and eating dog poo (when young) and barking at little dogs (when they bark at her) - now she avoids dogs she doesn't know and approaches her "known" warily, practically on her tummy!! She has 2 besties: a Rottweiler and an American Staff.

Hallooo @Ante1 Nice to see you back in the land of the living. Colourful photo!! Hope the biscuits were ginger nuts!! That was very kind of @Busy-Lizzie to show you around Norfolk.

Leggings for me at home and if I go out, I pull on a pair of cords or jeans over them. Dog hairs (should I say fibres of love and joy) i abundance here and I often have to sweep before I vacuum (tiled floors). I have a big old "sommelier" apron for gardening that ties up at the front and has a huge pocket for scissors and string.

I pruned a few large bushes and we did a trip to the tip - so I can snip and cut the rest at my leisure this week. I sowed some spinach and pak choy last week and popped plastic over the top for germination. I don't really have much hope as the conical snails here usually beat me to the "table"!! Rain forecast tomorrow.

I hope all goes well for your sister @lizzie27 I googled it @Ladybird4 and it seems to be a straightforward procedure. No incisions.

I bid everyone a pleasant start to the week.

 

It's vile here, but then it is December.
Usual Monday morning; washing and waiting for tesco.
Then I'll make a start on some Christmas cards.

 

Same here @Penny_Forthem but at least the rain has eased off now.

I have these two roses in full bloom in the back garden.
which cheers me up immensely.
Winchester Cathedral

Unknown Apricot rose (looks more pink here).

Don't feel up to doing much but have managed some washing and ironing. I did plan to start blitzing the loft but OH is up there on the computer at the moment.

 

Good afternoon folks!

It's warmed up - it was only 3C when I returned from church yesterday morning, but 7C at bedtime, and now in double figures. Wet though...

Your roses are lovely, @lizzie27 . Definitely lift the spirits... we have a couple of blooms on Lady of Shalott, but otherwise the garden here is a bit on the soggy, autumnal side, apart from early flowers on Erica darleyensis. Buds though, on winter jasmine, corylopsis and sarcococca, so there's hope for the future.

Annoyingly, our RCD has tripped twice during the past week, and we can't find out what's causing the problem. If it happens again I'll have to unplug everything, then go round the house plugging things in one at a time, to see if I can identify the reason for the "trip". My suspicion is that the outside socket is no longer as waterproof as it used to be.

 

Truly dismal here. Couldn’t swear it actually got light today! I’ve been doing bits of paperwork, and looking at train times. Apart from making pancakes for breakfast, I feel as if I have frittered away the entire morning. I had to take the recycling down to the street, and it was really wet and miserable. Found our first Christmas card in the post box this morning. Probably won’t be able to ignore it for much longer! We sent a card to family in Sweden last week, and it’s already arrived. I’d better get one off to a friend in Spain.
Comfort food, bacon and fried tomatoes on toast for a late lunch / early dinner. OH is now on his second puff pastry mince pie!
Hope you can locate your electrical problem, @Liriodendron. When we first moved here, the fuse for all the electrics off one corridor would blow every time it rained. Very hard to track down. OH ended up bypassing the supply to several rooms as a temporary measure. Eventually discovered that whoever had installed the light and extractor fan in the loo had connected it to a vertical outlet pipe, so that the rain fell straight down into the electrics.

 

It's strange, @Ergates . When the RCD first tripped (last Thursday), it was during the night. We thought we had a power cut when we woke up - but the oven still had the right time showing on its clock... but we had no lights, or power other than to the oven. This morning the lights worked, but all the sockets went off.

 

Hello all.

I was just about to say Hello this morning when son Benny rang and we had a long chat. He is going back to work tomorrow after a month's sick leave for his knee replacement.

After that I had brekkies and forgot I hadn't posted.

It's been a quiet day, but horrid weather, wet, gloomy and very windy. I went to the Post Office to return the parcel with my new red shoes that were too small. I hope the size bigger will fit. I bought more stamps there for my Christmas cards. I think some of my French friends will have to do with an email this year. Stamps to France are now £3.40.
I've written my Christmas newsletter to go in some of my Christmas cards. I'll make a start on cards tomorrow.

 

Good afernoon all. @Penny_Forthem weather sounds just like mine - and I'm going out quizzing tonight. Lovely seeing your roses in bloom @lizzie27 - I am very jealous of your sapphire blue sky! My Sarcococca is laden with buds too @Liriodendron. I hope you manage to track down the pesky socket - at least you know that your RCD is working.
I am signing out for today so see you all tomorrow. I'll go and get my head in gear.

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Apart from a romp and doggy ball fling in the garden, I have not been out today. I have not missed it!
We are not terribly social people, but we do have friends and tomorrow is the start of our December social whirl; my art group lunch. I reckon we'll spend a minimum of (Oh blimey, I've just worked it out)... well, a lot of money on Christmas meals out.
Especially as the Christmas menus are so 'samey'. Looking forward to the one which has venison casserole instead of Braised Feather blade, which seems to be ubiquitous this year.
And tomorrow, I've opted for confit duck leg, tangerine, watercress and endive salad instead of turkey or beef.

 

Good evening.

Well December hasn’t made itself feel welcome with this heavy rain! Gloomy, horrid and miserable today. I’m not big on ‘the festivities’ but even I’m thinking of putting some string lights up in the kitchen and bringing in my potted ‘holiday’ tree this week. I have some gorgeous ‘seasonal’ china but it’s too early for that.
(I didn’t say it! It is probably allowed now as December but I can’t quite bring myself to say it yet!)

I hope everyone is doing ok and keeping dry, cosy and comfy.

 

Good evening. Been out all day at patch club, trying to embroider mittens for the winter garland. However, I had to take time out to go with our treasurer to buy 44 x 10€ gift vouchers for the Xmas prezzie. Impossible to find a single something that would suit the embroiderers, the crochet and knitting mob and those who do patchwork so this way they get to choose.

Other than that, admin jobs, helping others, finding goodies in our store cupboard and some chat meant I managed 1.5 little mittens and that's just the embroidery. Lots of homework for next week then.

Possum cooked dinner - spicy roast veggies and chick peas with salad - and it was very tasty. Comforting too as there is a nasty cold wind blowing in and making everything feel cold and tomorrow is set to be very soggy.

I hope you get your leccy sorted out @Liriodendron.

We have managed to avoid 3 group lunches so far @Penny_Forthem and I flatly refuse to go to the golf club event. January will be another matter with galette des rois at every turn.

Have a peaceful eveing all.

 

Flooding in the usual spot on the patio, not a problem but indicative of how much rain we have had today. I have been so lethargic, hate to think how many jobs I could have done today instead of sitting around doom scrolling. I’m probably suffering from SAD plus being in full hibernation mode. I have a gin and tonic, and a book, so I shall immerse myself in Tudor England until lights out. Sleep well, all.

 

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Good morning all. Unfortunately we lost last night - it was a cup match and we were playing a first division team (hark at me making excuses) but I still enjoyed the evening. It was amazing seeing all of the Christmas lights up everywhere - through the pouring rain which didn't let up all night. Badly flooded roads in places on the home journey.
Speaking Christmas meals, I have two this week one tomorrow and one on Friday. Need to make a quick SM dash after rush hour as I need some cards and some little gifts for the friends I am meeting on Friday.

 

Good morning, we have a new hot water tank. The plumber came yesterday bright and early, tank and heating circuit all drained. When the old one was removed it was obvious how lucky we were it just didn't "go" and flood the place. The insulation had blown where water was seeping out. My arrangement of cloths to wick away the water into a container to catch water in worked. We put a new piece of 18mm plywood underneath the new tank to further spread the weight.
The new tank is stainless steel not copper, so obviously more expensive, which probably accounts for the high price quoted. Anyway all done by 1:30 so we were able to go out shopping in the afternoon.
The rain didn't let up all day, till early evening but the high winds continued into the night.
Good to "see" you @Ante1 glad you enjoyed Norfolk. Hope you had success with your harvesting at home earlier.

 

Lovely to see you @Ante1 my friend. Second visit to the UK, glad you enjoyed it with the lovely company of our @Busy-Lizzie. It's nice to see old friends popping up here.

Been shopping getting some odds and ends to take with us tomorrow when we visit my elderly mum( 104) - lives on the opposite coast to us so a long journey ahead. Have got her a nice white hyacinth ( growing and coming into flower) and jar. The smell will fair knock her out when in bloom