Memos, Mail, Me: A birthday weekend

There was a birthday this weekend and that meant there were birthday cards in the mail for a certain gentleman. We like cards.

In the past we have used the week surrounding Mr M's birthday to go somewhere, not always but for the last several years. This year we couldn't think of anywhere we wanted to be other than at home. We went out for a little ride around.
Mr M loves to drive, we decided many years ago that it is his main hobby and all hobbies cost money so the cost of the fuel is covered and we don't feel guilty if we travel 200 miles in a circle just to be out in the car because it is "A Hobby". My hobby is 40mph photography so once again we fit together very well.

We drove kind of north-ish which took us up the valley through Pontymister, Risca, Cwmcarn etc until we detoured a bit and found an old road and it snowed on us - that's what the picture should show you, the snow falling as we drove.

we eventually ended up at Raglan Garden Centre where, in a previous life I used to work. It's all different now, of course and the "cafe", which was first opened when I worked there and I became the cafe manager (I was the only one employed in the cafe except on summer weekends and bank holidays when we drafted in extra assistance, ...................... totally lost myself there and I daren't delete what I wrote because I'll never remember what....... oh yes, the cafe is now three times as big and has loads of staff - including a chef!!!! But guess what? it took nearly ten minutes for three people to serve me with a pot of tea and a decaff cappucino. *sigh* I thought about the old days then I thought about how exhausting it was on a Saturday when the world and his wife came to the garden centre and they all wanted pie and chips and a pot of tea. Then I was glad I don't have either the responsibility or the need to do it all again.

Miss Boo was away for the weekend with the school. She went to a place in west Wales where they speak Welsh all the time so that the children can do all sorts of activities and learn the language as a real-time thing.

Talking about mail I sent out the first edition of a family newsletter for Mr M's side of the family. A dozen copies went out and I am hoping that there will be a little feedback, although if my side are any example then I might as well try to plait fog.

My thanks to Sian for inventing this meme and keeping me writing

Memos, Mail and Me - first edition

January was mostly shut. Even the view above was shut the day Mr M took me for a little drive and we decided to come home the pretty way. The camera was poised and as we came around the bend I clicked and then realised that the normal view where a person could see all the way to Brecon was covered in mist - shut! As was January.

A niggling chest infection kept me low for most of the month. I so wanted to do things and take part in things but by the time I had looked at my emails all I could do was snuggle into my bettermaker quilt and watch mindless TV. Eventually I decided not to fight it and just didn't do anything much.

Now it is February and I am feeling a little better. This weekend Started on Thursday with a flare of the inflammation in my wrist that I haven't had for ten years! I gave in straight away, took strong painkillers and wrapped it in warm fleece. By Saturday it was fine but I had a tummy upset that kept me close to the bathroom all day. Do you know what is worse than someone saying "I had that" and giving you too much information? It's someone saying "There's a bug going around".
I don't give a flying wossname if there's a bug going around! I have an upset tummy and feel like a wrung out dishcloth, who cares if anyone else has it? I have it and it sucks!
The day was made better by the arrival of a parcel from Amazon. four DVDs! for me! I spent some of my Christmas money.
I long ago decided that the cost of going to the cinema was so much and I don't like going on my own so two tickets are £20+ and we can buy the DVD for just over £10 when it first comes out.
While I was feeling a little better I made a list of all the recent films that I wanted to see and I went on Amazon and ordered them. Four DVDs for just over £20.
We sat and watched one on Sunday - I say we watched but really Mr M sat with me and snored gently while I watched Florence Foster Jenkins. Meryl Streep is always good and Hugh grant has matured nicely - Thelma Barlow is in there too and John Sessions. Made me cry a little.

My Thanks to Sian at FromHighInTheSky for inventing this meme and keeping me interested in writing

A splendid day out

No photographs. I took the camera but didn't switch it on. Still not feeling 100% but I really felt that if we didn't go out I would be stuck in the house forever.

We went to buy a coat for Mr M.

We failed. wrong sizes and wrong prices. Ah well.

We went to Staunton and Corse to the garden centre because their tea and coffee is always good. Then we headed to Upton on Severn and Clive's Fruit Farm. We had jacket potatoes, shan't bother with those again. It must be the winter weather cos the food was lukewarm and flavourless. Mr M had Chilli and I had just cheese on mine. I couldn't even taste it. Mr M said his chilli wasn't and could only be described as stew, and not very flavourful stew either. He said it tasted as though it had been made from tomato soup and carrots.

Anyhooooo. We did stroll around the shop and bought a lovely pork joint and a pasty and scotch egg for Mr M for his tea.

Then we headed home. As we were driving along a lane somewhere we saw a sign that said

"Peacocks for Sale"

"That's not something you see too often" remarked Mr M and then we both burst out laughing. It quite made up for feeling lousy and eating warm food.

Tomorrow we have roast pork on the menu - with roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips yorkshire pudding (yes, I know but we like yorkshire pudding) and gravy and perhaps a trifle afterwards.

Me on Monday - No photographs

A lovely Christmas with family in contact throughout the day. Lovely meal and then a peaceful evening knitting. Today we slice up the meat for the freezer and then sleaze.

I left the camera by the computer and didn't touch either all day

Merry Christmas everyone

Me on Monday - still emptying boxes

It's been a week of rediscovery here at Macey Towers. Finding spaces for the stuff that lived happily for 20 years in the backs of cupboards.
Dishes and bowls that had been dragged screaming into the harsh light of day and now were being judged as to their suitability for The New Kitchen.

What was new this weekend? a new curtain track in the breakfast room to replace the one I managed to break when I opened the curtains after three weeks of not being able to get to them. As the curtains were thick with sawdust and absolutely minging they went down to the washing machine and spent the afternoon on the radiator drying. Mr M was very brave and stood on two chairs (one for each foot, not on top of each other) and fixed the new track to the wall and then put the curtains onto the track.
The Charity Shop boxes are by the front door, I have found a new place for the china cabinet to live and Miss Boo spent an energetic hour carrying books upstairs ready for grandma to put them onto the bookshelf that had to move for the china cabinet to................. you get the picture, I was playing put and take with furniture all week.
Today my lovely daughter and my favourite son-in-law spent half an hour moving the last of the boxes down to the cellar and stowing the cookery books into a space until after Christmas. Tonight we get the tree up and decorated and then tomorrow Eldest Son and his family will arrive and the festive season will begin

My thanks to Sian for inventing this meme and keeping me writing

Me on Monday - New Kitchen!

It's been a funny old week. They fixed the last of the doors, the gasman  gasgirl came and fixed the hob, the oven awas connected and the brackets to stop it falling on my toes were fixed. I threw the belly pork into the only roasting tin I could find and then rummaged in another box for the conversion chart so I could put the oven on the correct temperature.

Friday evening and the belly pork is in the oven!

 On Saturday we went to Costco. They always have lots that we desperately need and this time was no exception. We bought pork chops and belly pork and bacon and coffee and christmassy stuff and we grazed our way around what is known as the pensioners free lunch. In Costco they do samplea of food. At the end of most aisles you will find a small table thingy and a food demonstartor and you can try the stuff and then buy it. As I said, they always have something I desperately need.

Roast beef for our first Sunday meal from the new kitchen

We bought trays of soft drinks and bags of Lemons and Limes. I slice them and then freeze them on trays then put them into containers so that Mr M can drop a few into his glass of water. Costco lemons are always big and juicy and their limes beat any I have seen in any supermarket. Their mushrooms are also the best quality.

When we got home and I had vacuum packed the neat and put it into the chest freezer I began unpacking boxes. I have now rediscovered the saucepans and the roasting tins and most of the cake tins. I totally forgot to make yorkshire puddings to go with the beef simply because I didn't find those tins until after we had eaten.
What was new? what did I learn? Well, the oven is an ongoing experience. I will need to run through several things before I can safely say I know it. The hob seems to heat things more quickly that the old one but that could just be wishful thinking. Over all I am thrilled to bits with my new kitchen and can't wait for the flooring man to come and lay the new vinyl.

My thanks to Sian at FromHighInTheSky for inventing this meme and keeping me sane through the last 8 weeks

Memorandum Monday - is kitchen sink day

We have had a busy weekend. We bought a little heater for the cellar, just to take the edge off the cold down there. It works a treat. That's a new thing. We also bought a new light fitting for the breakfast room - I still call it that even though it is really the dining part of the kitchen-diner. We also bought a doormat to go by the door in the cellar. This means that after a hard day digging my enormous (18 feet by 15 feet and mostly paved except for a flower bed) garden I won't track mud through the house. I am teasing a bit here because the doormat is an excellent idea to keep those little gritty stones from reaching my wooden stairs.

The new sink will go over in that corner

 My kitchen is long and narrow and tailored to my needs - mostly. The wall units all have a top shelf that I cannot reach and I was grumbling in my head about this until I thought
"My carers can worry about that!"
End of problemo!

No, they are not dancing just discussing next moves

 The glimpse of "my" builders is something very rare. I just love the way they discuss each step of the way. They talk quietly, map out the next moves and then just get on with it. As a long time watcher of people it has been a really fascinating experience for me to see a father and son so in tune with each other. Each contributing and each listening to the other.

Friday night the guys have gone home leaving temporary worktops
Now we can see the shape of things to come

 There will be a new floor. It will co-ordinate with the worktops which are a sandy-brown swirly colour much lighter than the brown you can see. That is actually the back of the boards that will go on the walls.

Monday will bring the real worktop and a sink that works
No more washing up in a bowl balanced on the toilet seat

As I write I can hear the jigsaw cutting and there is also a drill. They are going to put the shelves into the one larder unit today so I can start to fill them with the contents of the old larder - there will be a sink with hot and cold water, the electrics will be done AND food can go into the larder.
See that teeny tiny light in the distance? that's the end of the tunnel! Hurrah

My  thanks to Sian over at FromHighInTheSky for inventing this meme and keeping me writing even in the darkest part of this tunnel of work.