Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Good morning all.

Sorry you had a bad night @Ladybird4. My son has a sleep apnoea thingy too @RowlandsCastle, he hates it, though I don't think he uses it all the time, just when stressed.

We went to the village fireworks last night. Usually they are magnificent but they were almost a flop last night. They couldn't get them going. Bit of a one at a time affair. There was a huge crowd and disappointed mutterings were going on.

 

Napkin and napthalene leapt into my brain @RowlandsCastle.
What a shame @Busy-Lizzie. I wonder if they were damp.

 

Rob seems to have turned a corner and begun to feel a bit more like himself. He actually had a bark at some imaginary that he thought he heard. He went out during the firework displays going off and didn't turn a whisker! There was a massive bang from one firework but he just kept drinking rain water from a container, didn't even stop and look up. I think there were 2 public displays going off at the same time but a good distance away thank goodness.His eye has stopped draining so I have washed all of his fleece bedding, the smell has been horrible.

I made some 'a la Mummy' scones for lunch. I put some grated cheese, very finely chopped onion, a tiny piece of chopped pickled chilli and a couple of finely chopped pieces of sun dried tomato into the basic mix and ate a couple while still warm. yum. I poached some white fish fillets in milk, some for Rob and Poppy cat, the rest for a fish pie for me and today I am going to poach some chicken thighs, again, some for Rob and Poppy and some for me. I do not normally feed my animals so well but at the moment we all need a bit of spoiling. I feel drained as I have been waking up at 3.00 and 4.00am and not going back to sleep as well as taking ages to go to sleep.

 

Drizzly morning here. Managed a decent walk yesterday, then had a lazy late afternoon and evening, binge watching tv with OH. It’s rare that there is something we will both watch together. He tends to like war films and westerns, whereas I do like a decent sci-fi!
Very upset to hear about the granddog, @Penny_Forthem. Devastating for you all.
Hope Rob’s eye continues to recover.
The garden is so uninviting at this time of the year. Luckily it is partly woodland, and can be left to its own devices within reason. Before we signed up for the green bins, we had some years when we would down tools until the end of April! Now we have the discipline of the fortnightly collections, so things do get pruned and tidied through the winter. Usually in a panic on the day before the bins go out, though!
Lot of fireworks last night. The big celebration down here is Tar Barrels in Ottery St Mary, on the 5th November. Weird and wonderful, I’ve only braved it once, it was terrifying but glad I can say I’ve been to see it. Health and safety nightmare, but mercifully very few injuries.

 

Wow, that looks dangerous @Ergates.

Good morning all. It’s another dismal grey day here today and looks set in to stay. It never really got light yesterday, either.

Pleased to read that Rob is feeling a lot better and even managed a bark - a good sign. It’s good that he isn’t bothered by the fireworks, too. We had some loud ones round us last night.

I hope you manage a nap this afternoon, @Ladybird4.

 

Morning. Odd night. Woke at 5, went back to sleep at 7.30, slept till 10.30.
Disturbed dreams.
Must plant my amaryllis today. Little enthusiasm for anything else.
Encouraging signs for Rob @Goldenlily26. Enjoy spoiling them. (the scones sound deeelish!)
Wow, @Ergates, don't think I'd like to be that close.
Shame about the fireworks, @Busy-Lizzie. We don't have an organised display any more (the cricket club over the road used to have a fab one and the dogs and I used to sit on the bed and watch!)
Hope you get a nannanap @Ladybird4 (nannanap - see what I did there?)
Well, at least it's not raining.

 

Hello everyone. It's bright and sunny here again after a cold, grey start. More of the same yesterday and tomorrow and the day after as far as I can tell.

We had a family outing to Les Sables d'Olonne yesterday to see the Vendée Globe village - single-handed round the world yacht race with no stops that leaves on November 10. 40 skippers this year including 6 women, 2 handicapped and 11 nationalities. The recordis 70 days. They don't all finish as some crash into UFos - unidentified floating objects such as containers fallen off cargo ships - or lose their masts or get hit by a whale and so on.

The "village" holds displays about the boats, the skippers and their feats so far, the kinds of things they need to know and do - first aid, repairs etc, the food they eat which is limited to 100kg. Then there's a film and displays about the kind of weather and critters they will encounter and, this year, a fab new display of digital net screens showing creatures of the deep in all their wonder. Fabulous. I want one (screen, not critter).

After that the commercial bit for the sponsors both commercial and no-profit then catering and, if you have the time to spare, a 2 hour wait to queue to go round and down to the pntoon where allthe boats are moored and some of the skippers available to chat. We contented ourselves with the view from the deck above and then went off to have lunch elsewhere.

Today is a cooky day - no sandwiches here @Ladybird4. I've made some carb free hazelnut and chocolate muffins for Possum's breakfasts and snacks this week; a cooked breakfast for lunch; there's a big frittata in the oven now and next will be cheese and chive savoury flapjacks followed by slow cooked pork belly which is currently marinating in black tea with an assortment of spices and fresh ginger. I'm cooking the crackling separately.

I'm pleased Rob is doing better @Goldenlily26. Our dogs got all sorts of treats and it still feels odd not to cook the bacon rind for them (and a poached egg) when we have our cooked breakfast or give them cheese when I'm grating some for a meal or bits of salmon when I was skinning fillets. Apart from 12% cream our 2 cats don't do treats. first ones we've had that don't go near smoked salmon or other fish or bits of meat. The scones sound good!

I hope you and the family are OK today @Penny_Forthem. It's bad enough when you know it's coming but losing a dog suddenly is a shock.

That looks lethal @Ergates. Our garden always has something that needs doing and so much for me to catch up on but not today or tomorrow. OH has been strimming this morning till the midday noise curfew and is now ironing while watching golf. I have to get my stuff together for tomorrow's patch - committee am and Swiss embroidery pm.

I've just unwrapped my Parkin to put in its carry box and it's looking luscious and gooey. The savoury flapjacks are for them as can't eat sugar or gluten.....

 

Crikey @Ergates that looks frightening.

We've had a good lunch and a lovely afternoon with our friends, just chatting.

You do a lot of cooking @Obelix-Vendée. I rarely make cakes now, we don't need them. All I cook is the evening meal.

OH has booked our ferry to go back to France, 28th November.

 

Some positive news about Rob @Goldenlily26. Hopefully the stress you have been experiencing will start to ease now. I have to agree with @Penny_Forthem and @Obelix-Vendée your scones sound very tasty indeed. @Ergates, that looks positively suicidal! I cannot believe the elf and safety guys still allow that to go on! 'Nannanap' - good one @Penny_Forthem. I didn't actually get one but I did have a quiet day - knitted 3 more C*******s jumpers. I'll stitch them up tomorrow.
@Obelix-Vendée. I found that fascinating reading! I cannot believe that your stay here will be finishing this month @Busy-Lizzie. Where does time go?

 

Signing out for today. I'll be riveted to Strictly. See you all tomorrow.

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I like cooking @Busy-Lizzie and I like trying new recipes and a wide variety of ingredients or combos. I don't bake for just OH and me tho, only for groups.

I rather like Mondays @Ladybird4 but they can be hectic.

I hope the Strictly results go well. we're getting to the point where good people go.....

Have a comfy evening everyone, safe from noisy fireworks.

 

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.... and it is also 'Colour the World Orange' day somewhere or other. I like cooking too and like you @Obelix-Vendée I do it for groups rather than just for me. I loved it when my family and friends were all able to go away for the February half term week and I could cook for them all. We would rent a large holiday cottage mostly up in the Lake District as we are all keen walkers. The largest number we had was 29. Once the small people started growing up and schools half terms varied those holidays eventually ceased. We did have so much fun though.

 

Good morning everyone!!

I hope you all had a good weekend. Fine today, but it looks as it we are in for a grey and rainy week.

 

I hope everyone who is under the weather is making good progress and recovering. I have only just got over my Covid/Flu jabs, the aches and pains have finally dissipated.
Oh my, Rob is definitely improving at last. Little things like his ears have started pricking again and his tail has started to go up. So encouraging. He and Poppy really enjoyed their fish suppers last night.Heads down, bottoms up, faces in bowls. Silence! He also gets a slither of cheese when I open the packet of cheese, he can hear a packet of cheese being opened from a mile away and I give him morsels of raw meat when I am prepping meat. His stomach totally rules his life, he can be trained to do almost anything for a treat. He thinks the medications I have to give him at the moment are treats! My previous dog would sort out tablets from her food and spit them out but they don't touch the side with Rob. Straight down the hatch, no problem. Perhaps I am getting better at administering them.
I slept like a log last night, I don't think I moved all night. Still feeling ragged but have decided to try and get a day in the garden, my solace whenever life gets stressful. I have big plans for what I want to do, not sure how much I will achieve.
My son phoned last night. He is recovering from having waved off his treasured first born daughter on a 6 month cycling trip around New Zealand. She has already sent him a little video to let him know they arrived safe and sound and were under way. It took them 2 days of air travel to get from Canada to New Zealand, that would be enough to finish me off without the prospect of 6 months of cycling in front of me!

 

I smiled when I read your description of Rob enjoying his fish supper, @Goldenlily26.
Son and grandkids coming for their tea tonight (Dil will be at work). I suspect it'll be a sad little occasion without sweet Frodo.