Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Due to a change of plan for tomorrow, we have decided to 'escape to the van' for 3 nights - the forecast is good (for November).
We are going there now to put the heating on and take some of the bulky items, such as dog food, clean bedding etc.
Enjoy your lunch @Busy-Lizzie. We had a roast chicken last night and I'm enjoying a cold drumstick for my lunch. Stock will be made for soup this afternoon.
Good news for you @Tui34
Grand dog seems to be guiding my hand to paint him, so far...

 

Great news @Tui34. It'll be good to get out on your bike again. iIhave one with 2 flatties - hasn't been used in a few years cos of the knees and t'other pair refuse to go for a bike ride and it's no fun on my own. Might see if I can sell all three next spring.

I've been out to physio this morning and ran a couple of errands on teh way home. OH said he wanted to go straight out to a local SM we never use but they have a machine to get new fangled digital photos for our driving licenses. However he faffed before leaving so we got there at 12:10. They close for lunch from noon till 3pm!

That's my gardening plans scuppered then. I might get an hour or so in before it gets too dark.

@Blue arbour It's so foggy at the mo til aboyt lmidday that we have to finish dryin all our washing on the airers indoors but I do like it to go outside for a while.

No idea what Grace is @Busy-Lizzie but maybe give it a miss next week? Shetland starts again tonight. We enjoy that.

 

Afternoon everybody, still grey and still here but the trees, which are turning colour, look good in the woods and fields opposite.
I was 23rd in the GP queue this morning, a slight improvement! Still didn't get an appointment although I did get a call back of apology and advice to try again tomorrow when they have more GPs available. No use trying at different times apparently unless I want an appointment in a month's time.
My order at Screwfix is in so we'll probably collect later although I won't be doing any garden DIY for a while.

Good news about the bike @Tui34, OH is thinking about getting his bike ready too.

I don't put any washing out over the winter - waste of time mostly. Much prefer the tumble dryer. OH checked the Smart meter and it costs approx 35p a go which I think is quite reasonable.

I'm really looking forward to Shetland tonight but miss Dougie Henshall's beautiful accent.

 

Digital photos taken but the machine is sneaky and tries to trick you into paying an extra 8€ for normal printed version if you don't spot the teeny delete button before paying for the ones you want. It's all very efficient after that. The photos go to a secure online govt department and we access them with a code in order to send on to the license people. OH is on the case.

Our oldest patch member is 88 and still driving. Not sure how clever that is as she was driving last year, pre-cataracts ops, when she could hardly see under her nose!

If we get some sun and/or a breeze, hanging washing outside works and we don't have a tumble dryer so it's outside or on airers. Haven't had a tumble dryer since 1984 when we got a new kitchen and I realised there was nowhere to feed the pussies without tripping over them or for wine bottles so out went the dryer and in went a shelf for the wine rack and space for pussies below.

There's a funny range of accents on Shetland. Dougie tended to whisper a bit too much for OH who is getting hard of hearing and doesn't do accents well.

I hope you enjoy a visit to the caravan @Penny_Forthem and that it stays dry and bright for you. It's 17C here but feels colder as it's still so grey and dank. Supposed to be full sun and 20C!

 

Hello everyone! We got back home late yesterday after the Scotland trip, and I now have a cold (courtesy of our 4-year-old grandson). Brain wasn't fully in gear when we got home, so I put out the rubbish, forgetting it was not Monday but Tuesday... I've managed to read most of this thread, but can't post on it when I'm not at home. It's been good to keep up to date with what's been going on in your lives, and to celebrate the good things as well as feeling for you when life isn't so happy.

I got the essential jobs done whilst at the cottage, including painting the staircase and other bits & pieces. The new fridge came, though not without our son having Serious Words with AO, who rang him the day before the scheduled delivery date to say that they were cancelling the order, because they no longer delivered to our address... Fortunately he was able to persuade them not only to deliver the fridge to Oban, on the mainland, to a distribution company from whom we could get it shipped to the island, but also to pay compensation for the extra cost to us. Anyway, it fits into the strange-shaped space available, and works ok, though its shelves and salad bin aren't what you'd call robust. I'd kept the shelves and bin from the old fridge, which claimed to be the same width, but they won't fit, so I've brought them home to use in the garden. The salad bin will make a useful small cloche...

I think it was @AuntyRach who asked for photos. Nothing exceptional, I'm afraid, but here are a few.


Helpful neighbours eating our nettles!



More neighbours, seen through the kitchen window. They didn't mind the weather.



Neighbours again (the front one clearly needs a handkerchief!), photo taken over the garden gate. The brown stuff on the ground is seaweed and other rubbish deposited in Storm Ashley, which caused a bit of excitement, coupled with a 4.8 metre spring tide. The end two cottages in our row flooded when the wind changed during the night.



It didn't rain all the time, just most of it!

 

@Liriodendron , that looks the most gorgeous place! Beautiful photos and what interesting neighbours you have.

 

It's beautiful @Liriodendron and would suit me just fine - except for the lack of warm sun. Love the neighbours.

Salad drawers are not robust these days but the one OH ordered to replace ours does seem a bit stronger than the original.

Glad you're home OK and hope the cold isn't too severe.

 

Thanks @Obelix-Vendée . It's a long way from here, but I love my trips to the cottage. I'll be back in early Spring to clear up after the plumber's finished replacing the water tanks, a job made necessary by new regulations. It's good to have an excuse, but I think I'd probably just go anyway, even if there was nothing needing doing.

The 4-year-old and I built some great Lego together, so the cold is a small price to pay.

 

What a lovely place @Liriodendron! I like the look of your neighbours. Glad you got the fridge delivered. I hope your cold is better soon.

We had mussels with fried bacon and leeks cooked in a cider and cream sauce for lunch in the pub. Then OH had Tiramisu and I had an ice cream Sundae with chocolate sauce and hazelnuts. It was all yummy. The mussels were served with Rosemary focaccia.

 

I'm drooling now, @Busy-Lizzie
That looks like absolute heaven @Liriodendron. I bet the neighbours are very peaceful.
We are having a traybake, using half jars of sauce, frozen sausages, left over veg. My dear hub cooked supper for the kids on Monday, but he is very wasteful, using a half jar of this and a half jar of that. Makes me very cross. He is a good chef, due to his food hygiene training, but we are not made of money!!

 

Good evening all. Yay! Good news @Tui34, you must be so pleased to hear you can get back on your bike again. Hope you can get the flat tyre sorted easily.
Enjoy your break at the van @Penny_Forthem and I hope that the picture of grand dog continues to evolve. I, too, am looking forward to Shetland tonight @lizzie27.
Welcome back @Liriodendron and thank you so much for those beautiful pictures - what a fabulous place! I did smile at your Highland cow pictures as they reminded me so much of Tina Turner - well the hairstyle I mean! Your lunch sounds absolutely wonderful @Busy-Lizzie - could eat some of that myself!

 

Signing out for tonight. See you all tomorrow.

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Evening everyone.

Welcome home @Liriodendron - lovely pics - thank you! I love highland cows!

Just home from work. We were so busy we didn’t have time to eat the cake I brought in - a cinnamon bun flavoured cake (not home made this week).

I hope everyone is doing ok.

 

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Good morning everyone. Goodness me but I enjoyed Shetland last night - no spoilers. Today at Bestie's is hair do day and it really needs sorting. It seems to grow very, very quickly. Lots of gossip to catch up on as well. The miser's shortbread went down well at the meeting last night (sorry @Busy-Lizzie but there is none left ) so I won't mind making that again. I could do with an industrial strength 'hot' knife though to cut through the chocolate. Maybe with the proper milk chocolate topping it won't be so much of a struggle. Any tips gratefully accepted.

 

Good morning everyone!!

Looks as if we could have some sun today. Up early to get a sourdough loaf into the oven as off-peak hours, I also popped in half a butternut and a leg of chicken for lunch. Garlic smells at 6am is rather comforting!!

The photos are stunning @Liriodendron - I wouldn't mind the cold if I were inside in the warm or well wrapped up on a walk.

Is Miser's Shortbread the same as Tiffin which I had when in London? I have the recipe somewhere.......!

It looks as if I will have to sweep up the vine leaves which have fallen under the pergola. Too early to prune still, although I could lop off the long bits. Don't want to risk getting up ladders yet. This mild weather has encouraged nettles to grass to grow up through the gravel - I may pick some nettle tops and dry them for tisane.