How to make your own icicles in one easy lesson

Take one outside tap and attach a plastic fixture for two hoses. Use it through the summer to water plants in two different levels of garden.

Forget to turn off the tap and drain the fixture for the winter.

 Obviously the water in the fixture froze and cracked the plastic. Then the morning sun defrosted it sufficiently for the tap - which was still turned on - to start sending water In a beautiful fountain onto the trellis and vegetation

 The back yard is like an icerink around the tap. The drain had frozen so the water was overflowing and I had to cling to the wall to get to it, turn off the tap and then scrape the drain with a piece of wood until the water rushed away.

I had spent at least three hours searching inside the house because I could hear running water but couldn't find it! So glad it wasn't much worse.

Monday and Me - Birthday treats and snow

Mr M celebrated a birthday yesterday. We went to Tyntesfield to see what was happening and both of us decided that after a slow wander around the ground floor we didn't have the strength or energy to go upstairs. We had a lovely cuppa in the Cowbarn Restaurant and because we have been getting our card stamped it meant we got the drinks free - we like free.

I love the expression on his face. He hates me taking his picture but usually forgets his own camera so can't take my picture

Doesn't it look lovely in the sunshine but there was a lazy wind, you know? one that goes straight through you because it is too lazy to go around. My word it was cold

I said I couldn't skip to save my life - a friend assures me that one cannot skip for metal but perhaps for reggae

Too slow to take a picture of the birthday lunch.

We went to the Supermare in Weston Super Mare for lunch and used our Christmas present of a money voucher for the Hungry Horse chain. Food delicious as usual, service great although it did take me a moment to realise that when the nice lady asked if we wanted mayal she was just asking - with a real Bristol accent if we wanted Mayo*.
We decided to come home after lunch because the weather had already thrown rain sleet and snow at us and we had to cross the river while it was windy.

*True Bristolians add the letter L to all words that end in a vowel sound. The example I remember best is the man who had two daughters Normal and Eval.

Monday and Me - fed up and not sewing!

I should be finishing this AND the quilt for a great granddaughter but the stupid sewing machins is making the most awful noises and machine oil and WD40 have not worked. Every time I try to sew it sounds like it is ripping itself apart inside and shrieking loudly while doing it. I will have to take it to J&B to get it fixed but that can't happen until Friday afternoon because of Mr M's shifts and the Guttering men on Thursday. I can't describe how frustrating it is to be on a roll with a quilt and CIRCUMSTANCES are preventing me from working.

Wicked Uncle Cliff gave me ties to make a quilt. Lots of ties with fascinating labels

I have made the centre of the flower with the labels, Some are unique

The corners will have flower centres too - with labels

Just as soon as I can I will be finishing this and the other one AND making pillows and cushions that will match

Christmas shopping? really

We needed to go to Costco. No, really it was a need not a want. We had run out of bacon and nearly run out of decaff coffee so we had to go.
They had some good stuff on display so we were able to buy presents for all the sproglets under the age of 12. All those over 12 will get money!

We stopped to have a bite of lunch and while we were eating I noticed this small child sitting in the trolley and looking at a phone. It was the stillness and the expression on his face that caught my eye. He can't be older than two and yet he has the facial expression absolutely right and the hands are perfect.

I sneaked a picture while the two women he was with were totally unaware of what he was doing.