No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

hoglet121

Thanks Candlelight, that's very sweet of you.

I managed to sleep normal hours last night which felt like a major success. I even woke up at my alarm and not 2.30 am!

Yes the garden is starting to take shape - went to the garden centre on Monday (bank holiday here) and got my tomato and chili plants. Everything else is grown from seed but I do like to have good tomato plants to start with as they're my main interest. Got corn, lettuce and carrots being sown this weekend. Proabbly a bit late but fingers crossed!

scottishminnie

Nice to have you back Hoglet. I'm glad you managed to fit in so much and you have gone home to summer approaching, what a bonus!

I too made a garden centre visit at the weekend. I wanted some orange pansies for a few old pots I have so I could sit them on the front doorstep next to the pumpkins and make it feel a bit more harvest like. I asked my father if I could have some wheat straw to make my display. He thinks I have gone mad - "that's for bedding the cattle , why on earth would you scatter it on your front steps?" was his bemused response. So I've forgone the straw - for this year anyway:)

i had a Costco trip on Friday so Saturday was then a mammoth cooking session followed by an inventory of the freezers. I have over 70 portions of cooked things such as mince, stews, chilli, chicken casseroles etc so I think I now need to use it up. Not least because I have run out of little plastic tubs:o

The starlings were pecking our apples badly so we cleared the big tree and I peeled and sliced up 7 ziplock bags worth which have now been frozen. I can now plan some recipes to use them over the winter.

I was well behaved in Costco, I skipped by the aisles with the fabulous Christmad decorations and concentrated on boring practical stuff instead. So now I know I have some willpower after all I just need to apply it to other things!

hoglet121

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all well.

We had a productive weekend - got the toms and chillies in the garden, snow peas, corn, carrots and lettuce sown too. Then fell asleep in the sun for a bit. It'a bit haphazard this year but I've run out of time so it will ahve to do.

Lovely day on Sautrday at my cousin's and then a v early start for us yesterday to watch the RWC final. Hooray!

Saturday night we had a message to say the aircraft we had booked for a scenic flight for DH's birthday was back from winter maintenance, so we had a lovely morning flying around Auckland in an old DC3. It was great fun and there were hardly any passengers as everyone was celebrating the final, so we all got a window seat. The company is entirely run by volunteers and is obviously a labour of love for them. It was a much better idea than getting him a physical gift when he had no idea what he wanted.

Usual dramas at work so I'd better get on, love to you all.

Hoglet xx

[Deleted User]

Evening all, back from looking after my Grandfurbaby bless him, he missed his mum but did need lap cuddles and rug snuggles in the evening with me as a substitute, he was very pleased to get her back on Thursday at midnight and didn't leave her side after that. I got back this afternoon and for once the trains were on time and I got a seat on each of them although the one down to Southampton was full of football fans and big burly policemen but there were no problems and all on board seemed in a good cheerful mood. It's nice to be home though, washing is up in the utility room, supper has been cooked and eaten, fire is lit in the lounge and He Who Knows is watching the Grand Prix in comfort, nice!

Back to Cookie walking tomorrow, the pub is now open again after an immensely disruptive 2 week complete refurbishment and wasn't safe for us to be in, it will be so nice to take her again tomorrow though, I've missed it more than I thought possible.

Just as I arrived home this afternoon the doorbell rang and there was an older friend who many weeks ago was promised lots of apples from an acquaintance and wants us to press them so she can have a go at making cider like we do. Oh my goodness, the car was full to overflowing. We'll do them tomorrow and she said to keep a few back for us to store which is so nice of her, thank goodness tomorrow is meant to be dry!

Take care of yourselves, Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

Evening all, just sat here in the study enjoying the fireworks that are still going off outside, not so many or so loud as usual but some really beautiful sparkly ones that I've enjoyed watching. I'm glad my poor Docky hasn't had to suffer another years being frightened but I so miss him.

Hope you are all well and just busy, we seem to be slow on all the threads I follow on MSE with fewer people posting than usual I wonder if it's had its day?

candlelight_2013

I am here Lyn

I have noticed it is very quiet on some threads. Now that FTM has her own blog we are one less here.

There were lots of loud fireworks last nght, which Flora didn't like very much, and I thought of dear Docky. We will still have them this week as well because it is Dwali on the 11th, (I think,) that is the Festival of Light so lots more pretty fireworks.

Well I have been very good over the last couple of days and wrapped up some Christmas presents. Once I have made the decision I enjoy it, it is just getting everything together first.

I had a much needed hair trim yesterday so I am much shorter today (hair wise )

It rained constantly yesterday so never managed any washing, but the WM is now on and I might have to use the TD.

DGD1 is doing well at work and they have given her extra responsibility. It is lovely to see her happy in her work and her personal life. I sometimes wonder if her mother realises what she is missing.

AOT how are you? I hope you are reasonably well, I am still taking the B12 tablets and I am sure they are helping. We have both had our flu jab and in a couple of weeks we have to book in for a shingles jab. I had shingles in 1973, and I certainly wouldn't like them again, we are lucky to be able to have these. Have you made plans for Christmas, have you been invited out?

Hoglet, how are you? Have you settled back into life after your galavanting abroad :) You will tell us about your garden won't you, I like to hear about yours when we are in our winter. Although you wouldn't think so at the moment, it is so mild which cuts down on the heating bills. We have had fog and rain but the temperature is still mild. We have a lone squirrell who comes into our garden digging up my bulbs (naughty squirrell). I hope the cats are OK. Flora is fine, you know I didn't know much about cats until she came to us, and I am fascinated by how many different expressions she has, how I wish she could talk to us

SM I hope you are OK. I know you work really hard at work and home, I just wondered if you had any new recipes you were planning for the Christmas period. Last year I followed Lyn and used some wartime recipes and they were a great success. The brisket cooked in the slow cooker was delicious.

I met the girls I worked with last Tuesday at W*therspoons and had a lovely steak. It is good to catch up on their news, good and bad, but I always come home hoarse because I find it difficult to talk with so much noise in the background, and my hearing isn't what it used to be (another sign of age). We wil meet up once more before christmas and exchange cards.

Not a lot planned here today, I had a bit of a lie in and didn't get up until 7, so I think a quiet day for us.

Much love to you all and take care

Candlelightx

[Deleted User]

Morning CANDLELIGHT, I wonder if the new format has put people off MSE in general? I know I couldn't cope with the brightness of the new screen colours for more than a couple of minutes at a time. I miss FTM posting too, I read her blog most days and love that she and the family are thriving and being so creative and productive but feel like I've lost a friend here. I don't like grey damp weather either, I love to be out and walking and doing and it's so restrictive when it's like this and I get cabin fever indoors, don't like almost winter unless it's dry, cold I can cope with, wet? NO NO NO!

Nothing much planned here for today other than a Cookie walk this afternoon and changing the mattresses on our bed for the new ones we got on Thursday. They are firm foam and came rolled so the advice was to let them have 3 days to plump up before using them which is up today and hopefully we'll sleep better and be less creaky during the day from now on. DD1 made Christmas cakes yesterday and went to a big fireworks display in the evening, it's nice to see her taking some time for herself she usually works right through the weekends but was just too shattered to concentrate yesterday so did practical instead of cerebral things. Zebra and parents went to meet some of their friends who have younglings the same sort of age for a toddler bonfire evening with non bang fireworks, I hope he liked them although you never really know how small people will react to unfamiliar things do you?

Hope poor little Flora is OK this morning and that she'll get used to the noises off over the next few days, I think the time allowed for bonfire/fireworks should be limited to one week maximum for the sake of all including pets don't you? Lyn xxx.

VJsmum

Morning all

Long time no see . I have been on my works travels and then came back with bronchitis caused by the dreadful pollution in Singapore - it isn't all tropical paradise. Frankly I don't care if I never go again

Which is likely as I have news - I have provisionally been accepted to do a full time PhD which means leaving work :T. I still need it to be properly confirmed and some of the detail established, but hopefully it means I will leave work at the end of January and then start. So excited, the thesis will be on the subject of women in construction. Just a bit fearful that I am jinxing it by being so excited.

My overwhelming feeling is one of relief at being able to leave work, as it is so awful. So if this doesn't work out I will keep looking as I can't do this for much longer....

candlelight_2013

Many congratulations VJs Mum, and good luck. I don't think you will jinx it by being excited.

So many people I know say how bad work is now but can't afford to leave, and of course where do you find another job.

Sorry you haven't been well and hopefully no more travelling to less than exotic places.

Much love

Candlelightx

[Deleted User]

Well done3 VJsMum although a PhD is no easy road to tread it will be so much more rewarding won't it? and will give you a much more settled day to day life which can only be to the good. Hope your health improves 100% when you are less stressed and less travelled, I still think it's the recycled cabin air with all those bugs from all the other passengers that causes the chest infections, cruise liners too with their air con do the same thing, stay home and soon we'll have Dr,VJsMum, coo doesn't that sound good?