Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Signing out for today. Going to do some reading as there is nothing I want to watch on TV tonight. See you all in the morning. Keep warm.

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Digging for Britain @Ladybird4 - fascinating.

Yoga was a bit of a shock to the system tonight. Lots of cramps so I need to remember to double my magnesium next Thursday. Other than that, good session.

Off to Nantes with Possum tomorrow to do the sales and, of course, the forecast has changed and it's set to pee down. Lovely.

Sounds like Liam is having a fine time @Busy-Lizzie. When does he start at Greenwich?

Keep warm and safe everyone.

 

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A very good morning one and all. It snowed (lightly) again last night and its -5°C outside at the moment. We are going out for our Friday lunch meet up today so fingers crossed that the roads are not too bad. @Obelix-Vendée, I am recording that series. My two great nieces, one of whom is studying Archaeology, return to Durham Uni on Saturday. They have both really enjoyed their first term.

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@Obelix-Vendée, enjoy your trip to Nantes today and I do hope it keeps dry-ish for you. Keep your hands in your pockets unless you see something you really really want/have to have!

 

Horrendous pictures from Los Angeles this morning. My heart goes out to those poor people who have lost their homes and to the families of those who have lost a loved one. It was so very upsetting to hear that a man has been arrested for actually causing one of the fires.

 

Hello all.

Yes, it's dreadful @Ladybird4. I hadn't read that someone has been arrested.

We had to get up early this morning to take Liam to the station to go to Greenwich for his orientation day. We left early to allow for rush hour but there was less traffic than usual. Are the English still working from home? It was -4C and we noticed that it gets light in the morning earlier than France. Liam is coming back here this afternoon, then we will take him to Greenwich in the car tomorrow with all his baggage. Term starts on Monday @Obelix-Vendée.

The boiler man came and serviced the boiler and replaced a part. He will deal with the valve for the water when the weather is warm as he will have to drain the system and the thermostat needs changing as it's getting lazy.

 

To therapy again today. PT person says I am improving. Back of my hand still very stiff, can't go backwards with hand too far.

Yes, watching the California fires is horrid. Can't believe they "found the person that started it". Lots of comments on the roll the California government did not play in prevention of this.

Just wondering if the minds of officials are now being proactive in their states regarding this issue. Example----when I worked in the nursing home industry and we heard one nursing home got sighted for something, we immediately checked to see if the same area in our homes were good.

We leave for Key West, Fl on the 21st for a week. Temps about 70 degrees give or take.

Going again this year, on Feb. 1 to Robert Burns party.

Later.

 

Afternoon folks. Another chilly one here. The hot water bottle for my back is duel-purpose as it’s keeping me toasty.

How lovely to have a Florida trip coming up @redstar. I’d love a bit of 70 degrees right now.

I hope everyone else is behaving?

 

Good afternoon everyone, we went into London yesterday, National Portrait gallery . We've been before but it's an easy trip, got us out for the day, and used someone else's heating. Haven't done much today even colder and harder frost than yesterday. Went to pharmacy to get our covid jabs. We had shingles and flu jabs in October, never got round to covid at the time. The chap was saying a lot of people had bad reactions to Moderna, before but he had got pfizer now so that's what we had. Staying cold they recon so no chance of any gardening for a while, might have to sort the seed tins or something instead
Stay warm and safe all.

 

Good morning all!

Sunny and cold but no wind. It whipped up yesterday afternoon very strong and blustery. Stuff blowing about everywhere. Being bin day - there was a mess of plastics rubbish bins all amok. Luckily, no papers etc flying around.

One of my brothers used to live in Pacific Palisades - glad he doesn't live there now!! Beautiful area. Very swish!! ....was.

Dashing about today - so please enjoy your day and hope you are not too cold.

 

Took a trip out for paint and some new lights for the bathroom. For once, seem to have got everything we needed in two shops. Some problem with the traffic on the way in, very heavy and some big queues. I was wondering whether the motorway was partially closed, but when we came out of the first store, it was back to normal. Home for a late lunch. It’s another bitterly cold day here, very dull and miserable.

 

I wrote this, this morning and obviously didn't press "Post Reply" - never mind here it is.

Seems that down here we are lucky with the early January weather which is often very cold with light dustings of snow. I believe it will be cold next week.

@Allotment Boy Getting out the seed packets is like going to the GC - you can get carried away with all the ideas. I have sown some cos lettuces for planting out in March (hopefully).

A hottie is good @AuntyRach on your back. What I need.

Aerial photos and videos of Pacific Palisades looks as if a volcano has erupted. How upsetting for all these people!! Wouldn't like to be the insurance companies - the homes were mansions.

I have been busy preparing a lunch tomorrow - boeuf bourguignon (takes a couple of days - one to marinate and two to cook in the slow cooker). Today, I made a puree of celeriac and potato (Elizabeth David's) and stewed apples for a crumble for dessert. Lidl didn't jolly well have bricks of custard, so I will have to make some. Luckily, I have some custard powder - not always available here.

The afternoon was sunny again until around 4pm when the sky clouded over and the wind whipped up again.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable evening - easy on the red!!

 

We went out for lunch - the snow on the hills was breathtakingly beautiful. I chose a ploughmans, which came with a scotch egg, sourdough bun and Wagyu 'butter', plus cold meats and cheese. Now, I was prepared to give the scotch egg to hub, as I do not like hard boiled egg yolks (nasty rubbery things!) but, OMG, this had a warm, oozy yolk, a pulled gammon 'outer' and a perfectly crisp crust. I have been converted!
The bun was equally delish, slathered in the Wagyu 'butter' (and I normally do not have butter on anything, even toast). I brought the charcuterie and cheese home.

Funny how family history ties up. My grandfather was born in this village and, when I moved here in 1988, Mum said I had cousins here, but she didn't/couldn't elaborate. Fast forward 34 years and I put a photo of my grandfather on the local old photos page - someone mentioned it to their friend, who turned out to be my second cousin. Fast forward to yesterday, researching the 1921 census and what do I find? My g'father's sister and kids all living in the lodge house where my OH was living when I met him in '98! There have been so many coincidences - and they just keep on coming.

I can notice the days lengthening ever so slightly now. Looking forward to getting out in the garden next week.

 

Back from Nantes and have had a cuppa. I had a list so haven't gone mad and still need to find a nice jumper. Every single one I saw was unsuitable - too short/ghastly colour/round neck/shapeless/made in China. I went to see the sock ladies and found a pair of knee length black silk socks for 41€ - not in the sale of course.

Thence to look for shoes and finally found a pair of Italian leather black shoes with low heels on sale for 44€. Result. Everything else was still ankle boots, clodhoppers or trainers except for a pair of ghastly sliver and black ballerinas for 360€! Possum found some bits and pieces she was after but still no coat. She's going to end up trying to nick my warm winter coat. Ha!

Wet nearly all day but the journey home was dry, becoming misty but supposed to be sunny tomorrow. OH is off to St Jean-de-Mont tomorrow to play a winter pitch and putt style game on what seems to be the only dry course in the Vendée. It's 2 hours away but it seems he's not alone in being desperate to get out so will go with 2 others.

I shall play in my sewing room - prepping and maybe a first coat or at least the cutting in.

Your meal sounds lovely @Tui34. Love celeriac mash.

@Penny_Forthem I agree about Scotch eggs but also agree that that one sounds very good. Never seen Wagyu anything here but I can order some faux-filets from the Drone area for 329€ a kilo plus P&P!

Did you get your quiz lunch @Ladybird4

I hope everyone's OK and coping with weather problems.

 

You had me at “oozy yolk” @Penny_Forthem - sounds like a lovely lunch. @Tui34 ’s beef sounds good too - bet that is mouth-watering!

I hope everyone is home safely, and warming up after their trips today.