Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Good morning to you all!

A dismal start to the day but the sun came out just as I started cleaning my windows!! A fresh wind on our bike/run this morning but nothing uncomfortable. 14°C expected this arv o.

My little assistant didn't come for our Monday morning walk as she is sick with a cold and a temperature. So restful games inside for her.

My broad beans sown early November have poked through and there are crocus and freesias up as well. I finished most of the pruning on Monday morning and refilled the trailer. Just a couple more shrubs and pruning is done!! My few cabbage and broccoli are forming but it will be a while until they reach the pot!

Lucky you @Songbird to have your Mum. Mine would have reached 102 end of November. My Dad too, sadly departed but they had a full life.

Heating for me now is a switch. Off:On. Yes, I miss the open fire but I don't miss having to order the wood, stack it, lump it inside each evening, fossil around for kindling. Probably why I refused to have a pellet stove - same process except with bags of pellets. Not the same as an open fire.

Thank you @Penny_Forthem for the menu idea. I think I will make a duck salad this weekend as I have some confit duck legs in the freezer that need using, and a friend is bringing me some spinach tomorrow.

I am now into the sewing lark - decided to make a blind for the kitchen window. I am a bit housebound as I wanted to nip out yesterday afternoon in the car, and the car battery was flat. The horn and lights work though. A nice young mechanic is popping over after work this evening to put it on charge.

 

Got back from Georgia, raining most of the drive home, nuts. But was such a lovely time there with good vibes family. And now, Thanksgiving is over with. On to the next, which will be quieter. Hope to stay home for the next 3 months. Making bread today. Laundry. Have to find a company to help with the leaves, even if just the front property area. Chilly here.
Take care all.

 

Hello all. OH is going to the UK this afternoon, taking his monthly rehearsal in York on Sunday, and catching up with friends from school as well as with our son, DIL and grandsons. I doubt if I'll be doing much in the garden, as the promised dry weather hasn't materialised... but I've got another knee rug to repair, and a Christmas letter to write, as well as housework - mostly sorting and tidying in preparation for the post-Christmas visit by the family. Might have to put a lot of craft stuff in the loft, temporarily...

The RCD has now tripped 3 times in the past week. I suspect the outside socket may not be as waterproof as it used to be - time to persuade an electrician to visit, I think.

Last night I put out hedgehog kibble as well as chunks of cooking apple, though I expected the hedgehog food would be eaten by one of the neighbourhood cats, especially as the night started off near freezing. I imagined the hedgehog might be well tucked up - but no, he spent a long time eating the food, including the bits I'd hidden among the vegetation in case the cat had eaten most of the rest. The vixen returned too, several times, collecting a lump of apple each time. She's very recognisable, as she has scars on one foreleg, and is I think blind in one eye; only her right eye reflects the flash from the wildlife camera. It's lovely to be able to provide the real owners of this garden with food. I'm about to research fox food on the Internet - I'm sure she could do with more than just apples...

 

Hello all.

It's been sunny again today but this morning I had to go into the local town for my hairdresser appointment. I was getting very shaggy. After that I walked up and down the high street, bought a couple of small Christmas pressies and another packet of Christmas cards.

After a light late lunch I went outside to plant the pansies my friend gave me when they came to dinner. I hate these short afternoons.

 

I have been cooking. A friend at patch has a widowed father who has always grown his own veg and still grows as much as ever and plants it all at once so gets gluts. That left me with 2 cauliflowers so Possum used some in our roast veggie dinner on Monday and OH and I now have cauli cheese for lunch tomorrow and a big pan of cauliflower curry which I shall batch and freeze. It can then be used as a side dish or have beans, chick peas or lentil sadded to make it a main.

Good fun toasting all the spices and blitzing them instead of just grabbing a jar of curry paste.

Our courageous, not-poorly-anymore chook has decided to join the others in their shed tonight and followed OH in there when he went to do a count of the others so he's put her in her own nest box at the far end whilst the others faff about who sleeps with whom. I've named her Jasiri which means Brave. She was holding her head and tail very erect this afternoon at treats time so I don't think she'll end up at the bottom of the pecking order.

Must be the day for it @Busy-Lizzie as OH went to get shorn during the MOT. You're right about afternoons. It does seem a long time between sunset and dinner now but less than three weeks to the Solstice now - 21st this year.

Must get our camera set up @Liriodendron to see if we still have a hedgehog. Foxes are omnivores so some kibble or tinned cat food would go down well with her too. We have them around here but I don't encourage them cos of the chooks. Maybe try wrapping some plastic round your outside socket while you wait? Pain in bum having your leccy trip so often.

 

Evening all, that's quite funny Obelix as my OH got shorn on Tuesday. His traditional men's barbers are nearly opposite my beauticians in the same street so it makes sense for him to have a haircut whilst I have my monthly back massage.

Another busy morning as we both bussed into town, him to the bank and to choose his Xmas cards and me to wander round M&S, buy some presents, have a coffee and then picked up my two new pairs of reading specs. My old ones were 4 years old so there's a big difference now. The Xmas market was on so it was very busy. After that I caught the bus to the hospital to go to their walk in blood test dept. Worked brilliantly, a short 15min wait and the phlebotomist actually managed to coax blood out of my elbow - which doesn't happen very often. They'll send the results straight to my GP. Saved a 3 week wait so I'm pleased.

Great that the hedgehog and fox came back for food @Liriodendron.

I had a late, light lunch as well @Busy-Lizzie.

 

Grooms all round today!
I had the hair chair and Bryn had the groomer. She says he's a real trollop! His groom cost far more than my dry hair trim!
We had a half leg of Welsh lamb on Sunday, so the leftovers have been turned into a biryani for tonight.
The wishdosher is due its repair tomorrow - yay!!

 

Rasta doggy needed a haircut every 2 months @Penny_Forthem at 70€ a pop. The first time here in France they put red, glittery varnish on her nails! She wasn't a girly dog.

My once-every-2 years shearing cost me 50€ last time cos I had a head massage and always have conditioner. OH's costs 20€ every 2 months.

Good idea with the lamb. OH's birthday on Sunday and if I can persuade him he wants a lamb dinner I could do a biryani next week, unless he decides he wants Arni Kleftiko........

I haven't been on a bus in years @lizzie27 as none go where I need to go. Good trams in Nantes tho.

 

Good evening all. I had a super meet up with the squash team today and it was almost 16:00 when we left so it was just getting darkish and the glarey headlights were in abundance. I do agree with you @Busy-Lizzie about the shortness of daylight hours at this time of year - horrid! Love the name Jasiri @Obelix-Vendée and wouldn't it be funny if she turned out to be second in the pecking order after Floppy of course?

 

I forgot to mention I got my first Christmas cards today from the Squashers. I will have to hunt out my Blu Tac. I always attach my cards to the glass panels in the living room doors. Going to sign out now as I'm getting ready for the confusion that is this week's episode of Shetland. See you all in the morning.

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Hello all, whatever your hot drink preference in the morning is - be it tea, coffee, hot chocolate or a hot toddy - I hope it warms you up and gets you ready for whatever the day throws at you. It is much milder this morning than it was last night and I have my first mug of tea to hand. Cheers!

 

It has been very dark and wet and windy so far today and, tho the rain has stopped and the wind has calmed, it is still very sombre. I have patchwork homework to do, photograph and write-up for a tuto this Monday and will be staying firmly idoors apart from a trip to see the chooks and check my plants in the polytunnel.

I hope everyone can stay warm and cosy and that all our treasures survive the wet.

 

Yes very wet and windy here too. Really annoying, I need to cut some wood & apart from in the greenhouse (which would be very awkward) I need to work outside. No chance at the moment, it's supposed to have stopped and be dry for the rest of the day.

 

We actually have some sunshine now @Allotment Boy so it's OK for any wood cutting but far too soggy for doing anything in or on the soil.

 

Remember me telling you about our dishwasher repair fiasco?
Well, they were due today between 10 and 12 to repair it, and yes, they did turn up, and no, they couldn't repair it, 'cos the part hadn't arrived.
So they took it away to fix it.
Annoyed doesn't begin to describe it. No communication, whatsoever. Who knows when we'll get it back?