Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Good morning all!

Sunny and bright but nippy. No frost.

Did an hour in the garden yesterday - got covered with paspalum grass heads - they are so sticky I need the tweezers to get the bits out!! I had a sore back after an hour so came in, but I was satisfied with my tidying up.



Have a safe and pleasant day everyone.

 

Good morning @Tui34. I had to look up Paspalum as it is a new one to me - my new bit of knowledge for today! Maybe once the gutters are cleared I can look at cutting back perennials in my garden that are in need of a trim.

 

I've probably spelt it wrong @Ladybird but it is an international weed - a bit like a sparrow. It's everywhere!! It has grass heads that "adhere" to anything except rubber or plastic!!

 

10/10 for spelling @Tui34! Sounds a little in its behaviour like our goose grass or sticky willy. I have had to pull lots of them off my gardening scruff (and off Cricket!) this year.

 

Good morning from frosty East Clare.

There was lots of goose grass in this garden when we moved in, and I had a couple of years pulling up every little bit I found. I thought it was now confined to the hedge, but it seems to be popping up again in the border. I blame the neighbour's cats for spreading the seeds via their fur!

Knit & natter this morning. Some of our regulars are quite elderly and drive from a bit of a distance, so they might be put off by the frost and patchy fog. It's got an hour to improve, though.

 

Ooooh @Ladybird4 , I used to love an Ocado delivery. Since moving to Wales we are just a couple of hundred yards outside their delivery limit for this particular area. We regularly see their vans passing within spitting distance, it's so frustrating! I've begged them to reconsider the boundary but they say it's down to distance from the depot for the safety of fresh and frozen stuff. When we look at their postcode checker (which we've been keeping an eye on for almost three years now!) they still say "we'll be there soon".
Can easily get all the other supermarkets delivered, even Waitose and their nearest branch is on Anglesey!

 

When the kids were living at home I always began my Christmas food prep as soon as they went back to school in Sept. I lived near Bracknell market so used to be able to buy well ripened fruit etc., on a Sunday afternoon, just before they closed, really cheaply. I would fill a large ice cream carton with layers of exotic fruits, store in the freezer and serve as fresh fruit salad, (the family are not keen on Christmas Pud.), the Brussell sprouts would be prepped and frozen, also parsnips and potatoes, parboiled ready to roast. Stuffing and bread sauce would be made and frozen, mince pies and sausage rolls as well. It made Christmas Day so much easier.
Each job is not big in itself but when put with everything else takes a mammoth effort. Now that I am in my dotage my daughter has taken over the reins which is lovely but I still like to have a dabble with one or two dishes as my contribution to the day. The "other in-laws" are staying home again this year so no "veggies" to accommodate and feed. I am thinking Thank goodness!.
Today I am going to take Rob for a slosh around the Village Green before I go to the chiropodist, hopefully in the dry.

 

Got the smug face on here now. Wonderful delivery minutes before 09:00. Unpacking was hindered by Cricket's 'need' to explore every shopping bag in the kitchen just in case there was something good in there for him. I was given a free tea towel as a welcome to Ocado. I then went into the garage, got out my lightweight but wonderful ladder- hand rails and platform - and tackled the guttering. I was really pleased to notice that the gutters were clear of leaves - dare I thank 'Bert' - and there were only a few soggy lumps of moss that had been detached from the roof tiles so that annual task was over and done with very quickly. I made the decision to change where I place the ladder in the garage as I realised that it was getting more difficult to lift the ladder down off the staging I have in there. It is now placed against the garage wall in a much easier position to access it next time it is needed.
@Goldenlily26, I am hugely impressed by your organisational skills though it must be lovely handing on that task to your daughter.

 

@Ladybird4 , have you thought of getting hedgehog brushes for your gutters? Stops too much stuff settling in there.

 

That is a great idea @Bluejayway - thank you - but presumably these have to be taken out and cleaned off? I will take a look at those.

 

Not sure about that actually, we've only recently got them when we had new gutters fitted. We have noticed that clumps of moss dislodged from the roof by birds have fallen to the ground instead of into the gutters. Interesting to see whether we get many seedlings taking root in there

 

Still no news from the roofing chappies so I think I'm going to have to think laterally about getting help elsewhere. We have some handy neighbours who might know someone. Fortunately it's mild today and just a little bit damp.

Physio this morning and more sessions on the trembling machine to try and loosen up the two naughty tendons still giving me bovver. Home via the Vietnamese shop for a fresh ginger root and cans of proper ginger beer.

Tea dance this pm - apparently they hold one every last wednesday of the month and serve hot chocolate and brioche at 4ish and that counts as a tea dance. A few couples from our dance class have been regulars for a while so it should be fun.

Hope you get your car packed up with nothing forgotten @Busy-Lizzie. Safe journey.

Our cats do not help with shopping @Ladybird4 unless I do something daft like leaving new fabric out and they do like to come and help me cut out, sew, iron............

We get some of that grass too @Tui34 but muc more of the wild oats of the non ornamental kind and goose grass too.

 

Back from the hair chair!
It's a gorgeous day here, but I hope the storm in the south hasn't affected anyone.
Like @Goldenlily26, I prep a lot in advance (even though there are only the 2 of us for Christmas day) The stuffings will be made next week and frozen in foil trays (anything to ease the washing up!) and the potatoes parboiled and frozen. I like a home made bread sauce, so that's my one 'treat' to myself!
Family come to us sometime, but I usually do a buffet. Tesco delivery booked for the 22 Dec.
Safe journey tomorrow @Busy-Lizzie

 

Our large, fairly local food supermarket has decided to stop delivering as far as our house, which is a bit of a blow. I can get most of the things I need in my local tiny town, but at a price... so before Christmas I'm going to need to organise myself to take the car to the big supermarket. The local greengrocer, butcher & delicatessen have better, more locally produced food than I can get further afield, though - some of the butcher's meat comes from his own farm. We're very lucky, really.

 

Afternoon folks.

Had a half day today so went to Dad after to check and pamper his feet and do a dressing the podiatrist had done (to save him going again this week). Hopefully it’s up to her standard (it definitely is ).

Temperature dropping now so time to cosy-up. I’ve bought a shop lasagne for dinner - something I never do but just fancied a quick meal after a busy few days.

I was a bit late booking a pre-crimbo shop delivery and all the slots are gone now, managed a click and collect for the Friday before so I’ll only need to get a few fresh bits on the Monday (probably a 6am job before work though). I’m working most of Christmas week so I might make a roast dinner Xmas eve instead and have the leftovers over the next couple of days. Boxing Day bubble and squeak is probably better than the actual dinner imo!

Take care all.