The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

burtha

evening all , 
late post as busy day , work done then ran 9 mile,  so now I'm in beattock must be 1 mile away from Moffat so looking forward to the chips tomorrow.. then upwards towards Glasgow,  any recommendations. 
running is my way to release the negativity of the "covid news" ,otherwise I'll scream .. can't do doom and gloom .

the poison leak sounds fun 
x

monnagran

That sounds a bit worrying Nan, a poison leak from the Easibake factory.

Dear burtha, there are other ways of relaxing you know. A sofa, coffee, tin of  biscuits to hand, a good book or some knitting if you feel that energetic, mindless TV if you don't.  All these are tried and tested ways of dealing with doom and gloom.  And they don't make you sweat.  The increased inches around your waist are an added bonus.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

The same boiling water that softens the potato, hardens the egg.  It's what you are made of, not the circumstances.

burtha

monna, 
you will be pleased to know I've only ran a mile tonight  all things in moderation,  was waiting for my test results to compleat .. negative.  
so the rest of the night will be spent watching rubbish tv and doing my latch kit rug , making it for the dog to lie on . . although I don't think she's that bothered about it , as currently she snuggled in to me and snoring.  
how's everyone enjoying the weather , I woke up to 5 inches of snow this morning.  , would be nice to have some sun x 

monnagran

Right burtha.  It seems to be thee and me at the moment.
I can guarantee that the dog will turn her nose up at your beautifully crafted rug.  Animals have a habit of ignoring things bought for their own comfort, and deciding for themselves where they want to lie.  Anywhere will do as long as it provides the maximum inconvenience to their housemates.

I have no idea what I will be doing today.  Yesterday I made lemon curd, so that was my one achievement.  I do try to do at least one positive thing every day.  Today the positive thing may be ringing the dentist to see if my next week's appointment is still on.  If I have the strength after that I may wave a duster in the direction of the sitting room  Or not.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

Getting old is easy.  Having fun at it is the real trick.

mothernerd

Well having done my morning assessment today is going to be a slow, careful day (I had to hold onto a tree branch with two hands to stomp a few more cans to put in the recycling). But I am moving, even if only for 5 -15 minutes at a time. Brushed my teeth, had cough medicine and honey, sucked a throat lozenge very slowly, drank lots of cold drinks (that's all just to be able to swallow my pills), I've put some things for mum into the middle bathroom drawer and investigated the bathroom sink cupboard (mum's cleaner has a different product for every job and mum has thrown some things in there so it was blocking my view of what we actually had). Found several things mum said we were out of (I rely on her for things she alone uses - she's not reliable) and have pulled out a few more to use.

Three ends of packs of wipes. I put them in the bathroom so that when I wasn't very well I could do a small task each time I went in there - wipe the sink, wipe the toilet, do the shower and other grab rails so that it's less hard to bring it back up to scratch when I feel better. But mum decided they looked 'untidy' and every time I went in there, my wipes had disappeared. So have taken a dried up pack and put some water in and will use those over the next few days - time for a light switch, door handle and door frame wipeover again.

I sorted a few things out yesterday so I have lots of jobs I can do in bed. I failed veganuary - batch cooked because I felt ill and feared it might get worse and then we both ad several days when we couldn't manage more than soup, rice pudding, yoghurt and ice cream (bought a sorbet back in November as part of my festive treat stash and it hadn't been used) plus berries in sugar free jellies. So the meals I had made lasted a lot longer than expected. My first sitting down/ lying propped up in bed is to find 5 fakeaway, 5 vegan and 5 vegetarian recipes I fancy trying (preferably using what I have but adding any missing ingredients to the shopping list - probably mid week delivery now).

I think it might be light enough to sew (embroider) for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Mum favours dim lighting and the lamp I was using for added light no longer works (tried replacing the bulb but pretty sure it's the wiring) and some projects just need real daylight. I have a lovely one at home and I want to try buying something similar (mine's a floor standing anglepoise, best I can describe it). Last year I had 5 projects that I wanted to finish before starting something new. Arthritis in my shoulder and difficulties with my eyes have meant many adaptations over the past few years and I can still only do 2 or 3 hours before having a break and then it's a while before I can do more (when I couldn't sleep I used to find an old serial on you tube and could sew for 12or 13 hours at a time). So I wanted to finish these rather than have lots of things on the go and then find I could no longer do them.

I gave away most of my remaining fabric to a cs (coloured fabrics and evenweave went 3 years ago to a local sewing group who meet in the library and do a lot to support several charities), most of my basic sewing supplies to a young girl (DS1's Best Man) who runs a project for young mothers in Glasgow to prevent them feeling isolated. So project number two is to finish off 2 of my pieces - one needs making into a cushion and one needs framing and I have all the bits (bought 2 frames the right sizes from the Hospice shop at the end of February).

The third project is starting some new embroidery which always gives impetus to existing projects as well. I have a long but thin piece of tapestry canvas and I'm going to do some single motifs of bargello. It's done as a long stitch over 4 or 6 threads and makes up really quickly and uses quite a lot of thread. Once the basic outline is done (the heart is my favourite), the rest is 'filling in'. So that will use a lot of threads out of my use up box. They will be made up into more lavender bags (fed up of doing butterflies outlined in sequins and tiny odds and ends of trimmings - 5 x 1" white daisies, 4 gold stars (less than and inch and a half long) and trying to make all the unpopular colours of felt left in my stash 'go' together. Also tree decorations and I have a plan to make cube sewing sets for d-i-l and daughter out law (one will be a companion cube (from Portal computer game) and the other a tardis (d-i-l is a fellow Whovian). 

I had the idea a while ago and then wondered if it was a m-i-l type of gift. One of my favourite short stories for the festive period was by Fay Weldon and it describes a young couple's first C'mas (keep those elves alive) when his mother buys him disposable socks (subtext is does she think the girl is too idle to 'mend his socks' or is too busy with her own studies to have time to 'wash his socks - a !!!!!! or a bluestocking). Am I assuming that it is their 'duty' to perform small tasks for my sons which they could very well do for themselves - my blueprint is to take what my m-i-l did or would have done in any given situation and do the opposite.

I used 12 mushroom boxes to set off some seeds yesterday on the windowsill (I have been saving the boxes). A mushroom box is plenty big enough for most seeds (little ones for herbs - I'm not going to need 126 plants of any herb) and I can fit a lot more in the space than I would using seed trays. If I can get as far as the shed and it's not too much hassle, I will hunt out some more. The ones I used yesterday were filled with compost two weeks ago (there were lumps of ice/ frozen soil in the compost bag) stacked in 2 bags for life and brought into my room to warm up, so will do another batch so that I have more ready when I make the space (the continuing saga of too much stuff in too small a space - I keep trying to see this room as a gypsy caravan or a canal boat but hoping it's really a tardis.

Do you want any more travel steps burtha . I think you need to decide if you are going round the country in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction (anticlockwise means you will be coming down the west coast first (Cumbria, Lake District, Lancashire, Merseyside and then inland to Warrington, Leigh and Bolton) which would be helpful if the beast from the East strikes again or if you want to zigzag across the country.

Going to see if I can manage a shower and wash my hair (sitting on the stool) and maybe scrub the shower base whilst I'm there (and get out again safely).

MrsCD

Thanks Monnagran, you do make me smile!
I took my Dad to hospital yesterday, in full ppe, and the nurse asked if I was his wife!!! I'm putting it down to the grey hair and being hidden behind a mask and visor, and maybe her eyesight isn't as good as it should be.....
You do have to laugh at times, or you'd go potty.

Vegastare

Hello sorry for a few day lapse, I blame it on him indoors(too in doors much at moment)
Floss you are spot on Warringtonian born and raised.  Mum was very much a towny as she used to say, but Dad brought up in Cheshire - he knew it like the back of his hand,   I was born in Lancashire till some one moved the boundaries in 1972 I think and it became Cheshire.  Mum and Dad toyed with retiring in Lancs as Dad's brother was near Lytham.
Yes Pollyanna MIL is quite a force of nature.  Until the lock down last March she went with her sister into Liverpool each Friday shopping on the bus from the Wirral.  Sadly she is not got a laptop but am sure I she can tell me all there is to know about Helen Forrester!
Burtha the travel plans they are giving you are spot on - would add a trip down to Parkgate for an ice cream when in the Wirral and you can wave to me on the other side also stop of and have a look at my beloved Chester, before you head to Delamare Forest.

burtha

evening all , 
happy Friday 
busy day for me again , 6 mile run tonight takes me upwards heading to somewhere called watermeetings , bit of a detour but it looks lovely but I'm not there yet only another 10 mile to go . . 
send some lemon curd monna , would be lovely for breakfast.  
think my journey is more random than clockwise,  never did like doing things the easy way 

mrs cd , masks have a lot to answer for lol .. I asked a customer if the item he was collection was for his daughter ( to confirm the details) .... hmm no it was for his wife ... 35 years his junior 

cheated tonight for tea and bought a take away pizza .. it's been  a long week 
bonas is there is some left for tomorrow . so good start to the weekend off 
what seeds have you planted MN .. I was thinking about what to do with some tubs this year .... 
x

monnagran

Morning all.

Damp and dismal here on the Sunshine Isle.  That's OK.  I wasn't going anywhere.

burtha pet, if you lived nearer you should have lemon curd in abundance.  I have to say HM lemon curd is glorious.
Your running plans crease me up.  I'm very much of the opinion that if anyone catches me running will they please kill whatever is chasing me.  Still, it is your salvation, I know, and random is the only way to go.

Today is red letter day in this household of one.  It is the day I walk down to the village shop and buy a newspaper, then retreat to my sofa to drink coffee and do all the puzzles in the paper.  There are always a nice lot at the weekend.  And during lockdown no one will be urging me out to go to interesting places, meet people, be sociable or anything else that requires a modicum of effort.  Me.  The sofa.  Coffee.  Something to read.  Puzzles to do.  Bliss.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

Insanity does not run in my family.  It strolls through, taking its time, getting to know everyone personally.

burtha

love the quote monna 
it's snowing here,  so this morning was a lie in , now a large coffee then a dog walk in the woods , will be nice .  run later . enjoy your puzzles x