No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

candlelight_2013

Hi everyone,

Well weather has been terrible, at the moment we have a little respite, but earlier it was as dark as night with heavy rain. Popped out for a few essentials and cat litter - AGAIN !!. Little Madam wasn't happy with the fireworks the other night, but thankfully they seem to be over for the time being.

MLW you are one lucky lady. I love Paris, although unlike VJs Mum I have only stopped over at night on my way to Italy (my most favourite place in the world). I want to know how the ladies in Paris and Milan look so perfect, and that when they wear linen they never seem to have creases in their garments. I can wear linen for half an hour and it looks like a piece of old rag!! You will love it.

FTM I am sorry the girls have had another cold, unfortunately it can't be helped with such changeable weather can it? I bet you are itching to get on the allotment, never mind hopefully spring won't be too long, and surely this weather can't go on indefinitely. We had such a lovely summer for a change I think this weather is harder to bear.

Grandchildren go back to school on Monday, but daughter has taken annual leave since Christmas Eve so it has been nice for them to have Mum at home. They are 16 and 14, so not babies, and I know some of those days have been pyjama days. They did come round to see us yesterday and took a chocolate cake home with them.

Nothing much happening here this week. Next week I have appointment with the hygienist on Wednesday, having my nails done on Thursday. Now I know that isn't being very frugal but it is my one indulgence. I don't smoke and I don't drink and I have had my nails done long before I retired, which was 8 years ago. Doing the job I did I had to look well groomed and as I got older I didn't seem to be able to grow them without them splitting. That's my excuse and I am sticking to it!!

The following week I have my 6 monthly appointment with the surgeon who operated on me for breast cancer. I am always a bit nervous before I go but I suppose that is natural. Then in 6 months time I see the Oncologist. This goes on for 5 years, and I am just past 3 I always try to be positive but also keep my fingers crossed as well, so positive vibes will be most welcome.

The wind is beginning again so stay safe everyone and stay warm.

Much love
Candlelight x

charlies-aunt

What a labour of love making caramelised onion chutney turned out to be - peeled and finely sliced six pounds of onions this morning but it only made six jam jars of chutney - a bit disappointing but its absolutely delish (even though I say it myself)


Garlic is on offer in Aldi this week - four bulbs for 39p - I am experimenting with drying and storing it as garlic granules for the store cupboard. Following advice from t'internet, I peeled, thinly sliced the cloves and laid them on greaseproof paper on wire racks in a low oven where they are currently drying off nicely. Hope they taste okay!


Its a cold, damp day here but despite the very high tide last night, we have escaped further flooding so very thankful for that.


I know I am officially middle aged now - I got an allotmenteering book at the library yesterday and its proving to be an engrossing read! Nice to look forward to Spring especially as the nights are starting to get noticeably shorter


Have a good day all x

flowertotmum

Good morning all..
What dreadful weather..i thank my lucky stars we live where we do..i am hoping you lovely ladies are all ok...

VJ's mum..how wonderful for your dd..am wishing her all the luck in the world..
Candlelight..thank you..they are okish just got coughs now..much better though..we starting school tomorrow..got lots planned and need today to organize it all...

MLW..how are you?
SM..the mud patch is getting bigger..poor chickens need wellies and waterproof coats..glad your having a lovely time..
AOT..hello..how are you..
Kate hello..you ok?

Charliesaunt..lol..i love gardening books..my bedside table has changed dramatically over the last 2 yrs its now full of gardening books..cookery books and self sufficiency books..must admit i love getting the seed catalogues and planning our allotment..which is waterlogged..but will be good soon..o and i love onion chutney..i can smell it now..yummy..

Well we have been busy again..taking down decorations and having a massive clean up..our new food mixer went berserk on us..i contacted the ebay seller who to my delight have arranged to have it collected and a new one dropped off..wonderful..
Simon in his ever growing thrifty ways and un-ending wisdom decided that the girls needed a haircut..yep you guessed it..they have fringes no longer..poor girls..i have restyled their hair to a side parting and brushed it..holding it back with hair grips..it looks good but he will not be going anywhere near scissors in the future..i know he was only trying to help but our eldest dd is coming this week to trim our hair anyway..i was a bit cross as he did whilst i was upstairs doing the beds and bathroom..came down to the bowl head kids..thank god he didn't cut the back of it..
Right have to go..i can hear movement from the girls and we are going to be busy today..
love to you all..
ftm

[Deleted User]

Morning FTM, we're OK, soggy but then who isn't? We're getting very heavy rain from around 3 in the morning onwards which is waking us all up and so heavy it's upsetting the lurcha with the noise of it! so I'm pretty jaded most of the time but we're OK thank you, hope all is well with you too? He Who Knows picked the eldest DD up from Heathrow yesterday when she came home from Norway where she'd been Nordic Skiing for a week and has taken her home and is up there for a couple of days to do jobs and taxi service, Pushkin cat has been in kennels since just before christmas so he'll be collected this morning and she'll so a big supermarket shop while he's there too to carry the heavy things in the car as she doesn't drive. The weather forecast this mroning seems to think this wretched weather will ease off a bit this week, bring it on is what I say, it doesn't have to be sunny or warm, just DRY!!!!! yes? Lyn xxx.

scottishminnie

MrsLW - any kind of dry weather would be good I guess. I honestly wonder how much more rain some parts of the UK can handle?
I gave my dad a rain gauge a while back and mostly he checks it now and again. My mother says he is emptying it daily at the moment and logging the daily rainfall in his farming diary. Will be interesting to see if any of the old diaries have anything similar in the way of rainfall - I suspect not.

I shouldn't smile about this as the weather situation here in the US is petty dire right now but we've just come back to our hotel and found a note through our door from hotel management. It's warning us of severe cold tonight and telling us tomorrow will be a "parka day". The forecast is for a high of 58f. Hubby and I will be the ones in jeans and lightweight sweaters -parka weather indeed:rotfl::rotfl:
On a serious note though I do understand how a cold snap affects the fruit growers down here so I shouldn't scoff. I just hope the horrendous cold across most of the rest of the country is short lived. I spoke to one of my family who lives near Toronto today and it was -29 with a lake effect wind chill on too of that. Doesn't bear thinking
about:(


FTM - glad to hear your ebay seller is sending another food mixer. Sounds like the original was possessed:) the thought of the girls hair made me smile. When I was around 5 or so my cousin (2 years younger) and I were due to have our photos taken professionally. My mother and aunt got us all dressed up and then went to get the car ready for the big trip. In the short time they were gone I managed to give my little cousin a haircut which included my version of a fringe and in the process cut a huge hole in the skirt of her dress. What a drama that caused! May have been a very long time ago but neither my mother, my aunt nor my cousin have ever let me forget it. Don't think I was left unattended for a while after that:D

flowertotmum

Good morning all..hope your not all wet..
Well it was calm when i got up at 6..now its windy and chucking it down..poor hubby got to go to work in it again..he has some very good waterproofs thankfully..

MLW..o isn't your hubby lovely..o poor docky..it must be awful for him and you..hugs for docky and hugs for you..hopefully the weather will settle down..

SM..hello..yes my food mixer was rocking and rolling all over..was funny..hubby was panicking shouting me to help..i mean honestly what can i do..throw holy water at it..lol..
You made me chuckle bout the hair do's..it must be a girl thing..my older 3 one day decided to give each other haircuts..lopsided fringes and chunks missing from the back ..i honestly cried...so did they when i showed them themselves in the mirror..i had to take them to the hairdressers in the end..she did laugh and then the only way to sort it was to cut it all off and start again..i went in with 3 girls and came out with 3 girls looking like boys it was that short..i never left them unattended again..thing is it was about 10 minutes whilst i made the beds..it was the first day of the summer holidays thankfully and it had grown a bit by the time they went back..
I had to laugh at the parka day..yes i never thought of how the "polar vortex" would affect the fruit growers..the rain here is so bad..farmers are getting worried about setting crops..the fields are just lakes..my heart goes out to them..as for -29..bloody hell..i will look like a michelin man with 2 little weebles tagging along if it gets that cold..
you all take care and please stay safe..
love
ftm

[Deleted User]

Morning everyone, we've had a raging thunderstorm this morning which has only just eased off, black skies with rain like a hose and hail mixed in. Thank goodness He Who Knows decided to see what happened rather than set off with the lurcha on the morning walk. It was biblical stuff and now the dog won't deign to set foot outside for any reason and is scared to be inside for any reason, trying to dig himself out of the front door, it must be hell inside his little pointy head today poor old boy!!! I'm making a warm and comforting Beef with Beans and Pasta for lunch today, it feels raw, it probably isn't that cold but the air is very damp and I'm cold. I'm a bit concerned about winter wheat this coming year, the growing areas are underwater it would appear from the TV footage on the news, will this push the price of bread/flour through the roof in the short term do you think? I think I might invest in 10 packs of strong bread flour to go into the store and if bread does go stupid in price I'll make my own, it's a very valid worry over the US fruit growers though it will probably mean many products being both much more expensive and thin on the ground, particularly oranges for juice, don't we live in interesting times eh? Lyn xxx.

ArthriticOldThing

Morning everyone.


FTM I'm okish thanks. Still recovering from chest infection that washed out Christmas and not venturing very far.


Weather here this morning can't make up its mind. Is bright sunshine and clear skies at moment but 10 mins ago was black with sleet and heavy rain. A good reason for another in the house decluttering.:rotfl:


Hope you all have a good day.

flowertotmum

Good morning all...

MLW..o your poor doggy..it must be so awful for him..shame they can't understand it won't hurt them..a thunderstorm blimey..thankfully we haven't had one yet..mind you it went so black yesterday i thought we might..it blew over..like you i am worried about the prices of food this weather is going to affect..maybe a small stock up would be in order..

AOT..hello..am hoping your feeling better..chest infections are awful and take time..take it easy..a de-clutter is good..i have been slowly doing bits and bobs..i just have a real problem with books..i cannot bear to part with them..i have a stash in the bathroom ..need something to read when i soak and relax..
Well hubby has gone to work..Jack is asleep on my feet again and everyone else is in bed..just me here..got first load of laundry in..bread out the freezer and porkchops out too..i have finally made a dent in the frozen food..i have been doing a buffet lunch to get rid of it all..good job girls like duck rolls and prawns in filo pastry..and the last of the mincepies and jam and lemon tarts..
I have been naughty and bought some new clothes for myself and the girls..bundles of ebay..£19 total..we all got new jeans and cardigans with some long sleeve tops..couldn't believe my luck no one else bid on them so i got all 3..quite big bundles too...i have to go through my clothes as some are looking very sorry for themselves..had them a long time ..so a detox is in order..i am going to do a capsule..make sure all tops and jeans can be mixed and matched..have 3 summer dresses and a black outfit..5 t-shirts and 4 cardigans..that should free up lots of space and be easier to get dressed in the mornings..
I hope you all have a lovely day and no rain..
love ftm

katep23

Hi all, hope you are well.

SM, hope you are enjoying yourself and l laughed at the parka weather. Years ago I went to Boston in April and it rained the whole time we were there. Every time we went to a shop or a bar, the Americans apologies for the weather! I just replied that I'm used to rain as I'm British

MrsL, very good advice regarding the bread flour, I need to get some more so will bulk buy a 25kg bag and share with mum.

AOT, hope you are feeling better.

FTM, enjoy your new clothes, it's a good time of year to have a sort out isn't it?

Sorry I have been AWOL lately, been caught up with work and other things round here.

Been out this evening to collect an estate car (almost) full of wood off freegle. It's still very wet so probably for late this winter or next winter.

All stacked in the greenhouse now and it's in roundels so I can split it with the maul rather than OH having to use the chainsaw so that's good. I don't use the chainsaw - too accident prone - but I'm happy to use the maul and I feel guilty that all the wood we have had lately has had to be processed by OH so happy with that.

Off for a spa pamper day / evening with mum and sister this weekend, so looking forward to it.

Take care and hope you are all coping well with The Weather.