Tales from The Shire

ruby_eskimo

Glad to hear BiL is making a good recovery - pneumonia is awful anyway but to have it now when things are so uncertain makes it doubly difficult.  Your list of positives has made me contemplate that this year hasn't been all bad considering   Hope the weather stays good while the windows are sorted and that the orchard can be planted before the years out.

Fortune_Smiles

ruby_eskimo said:

Glad to hear BiL is making a good recovery - pneumonia is awful anyway but to have it now when things are so uncertain makes it doubly difficult.  Your list of positives has made me contemplate that this year hasn't been all bad considering   Hope the weather stays good while the windows are sorted and that the orchard can be planted before the years out.

Thank you @ruby_eskimo.  The rain is holding off so far so we may have at least two new windows by close of play 😁

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

So sorry to hear about BIL Fortune, what a shock for you all! Glad to hear he's recovering though.

Very exciting about your trees! We can be new woodland buddies How lovely, and I agree a great way to end a trying year.

Xx

greent

Glad BIL is recovering

Hope the windows are in - and holding up to any weather you may be having!
x

Fortune_Smiles

greent said:

Glad BIL is recovering

Hope the windows are in - and holding up to any weather you may be having!
x

Thanks @greent.  He's making very slow progress but in the right direction.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Winter is coming...

bring it on!  We are weather proof 😁  6 new windows installed, 2 windows repaired, 1 back door re-hung and threshold replaced.  It's made a huge difference - the place is quieter and feels calmer somehow.  There must have been some horrendous draughts racing around 😆  I'm hoping it will make a difference to the heating bill too.  I'm really motivated to get the other windows replaced now but we have a lot and it's an expensive business so it will have to be a long term, bit by bit project.  The fitters only took 2 days to get the work done and left things tidy, however, everywhere's dusty now so I've got a lot of cleaning to do.

My sore hip has turned into sciatica 😟 so I'm popping anti-inflammatories and trying to rest a bit.  No easy when the dust is settling in and mocking me 😆

I took the opportunity whilst I was social distancing yesterday to get some Christmas shopping done.  I've bought luxury food and drink items as 'family' presents this year and am having everything delivered direct.  Most will  be delivered the first week in December (one this week 😲) but I'd rather be early than late.  All spending was planned, took advantage of discounts or cash back sites and came in a little under budget 😊

T£$co delivered yesterday - 4 damaged items and 1½ missing items 😲  The ½ was a bunch of flowers which had been opened, had some stems removed and re-sealed with sellotape 😠  Somebody there is up to no good.  I've reported it and received a refund.

I'm debating whether to buy a standing artists' lamp.  I'm not painting at the moment because it's too dark in the house but the winter is when I have the most time to paint - doh.  I have enough personal spending money in my account to cover the cost so might go for it.  I'd planned to paint some items for Christmas presents this year and will need more light for that.

Just waiting for the tablets to kick in before I get on.  The weather outside is frightful but inside it's now delightful and since I've no place to go....

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Foiled!

Sciatica is improving but the anti-inflammatories are giving me acid reflux 🤢  So I'll have to do without any pain relief today 🙁  I've rested this morning but will try to slowly carry on with operation window clean up this afternoon.  I did make some progress yesterday.

Lunch yesterday was a baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn mayonnaise.  I threw in some chopped red onion and cherry tomatoes too.  Supper was sausage and sprout carbonara.  I made it in the same was as the courgette carbonara I sometimes make but fried off two de-skinned sausages and some sliced sprouts instead of the pancetta and courgettes.

Mr F's company has given him an extra 3 days holiday next year as a thank you for working through the pandemic 😁  And.... they have offered to pay for an additional broadband service.  Our current service is very, very slow.  We have fibre to the box but that's miles away and we are right at the end of the line.  We've considered wireless broadband but were worried about the signal dropping out.  Now we'll be able to run our existing service alongside the new one.  If the new service is consistent enough we may be able to do without our existing service and save some 💰

I'm going to wait until Black Friday to order the artists' lamp as I can get about 15% off then.

No spending is planned today or over the weekend.  We've used most of this month's fun money for charitable donations: a contribution to friend's funding page, the Poppy App£al and the food bank.  There are so many having a really tough time right now and it feels good to be able to help out a little.

Right, time to get on... slowly 😂

Happy Friday all

Fortune x

badmemory

Have you tried the sciatic stretch - it does seem to help.  Basically it is one straight leg, pass other leg over, outside toe to outside heel, & (attempt to) touch your toes.  Alternatively sitting on a hot water bottle helps & avoiding draughts.

Fortune_Smiles

Wash Out

This weekend is turning into a bit of a wash out.  The sciatica is improving but I'm having to rest so nothing much is getting done.  It doesn't really matter I suppose.  I think I'll be almost back to normal by Monday so will make a fresh start then.

Brother-in-law is back in hospital 😟  He has blood clots in his lungs and leg caused by the pneumonia.  He's being well looked after and should recover but it is another set back.

The Christmas frisby I ordered for FDawg ages ago has gone missing en route so I've been refunded the cost.  I've now found a cheaper replacement so I've actually made money today 😀  I've ordered one further Christmas present which was budgeted for.

We've eaten from the freezer the last couple of days so I don't have to stand for too long to cook.  Mr F has been helping out but he's no master chef.  Fortunately, I keep the freezer well stocked with home cooked meals just in case I come down with something and don't fancy cooking.

And there's nothing more to report.

Hope everyone's having a relaxing weekend.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

badmemory said:

Have you tried the sciatic stretch - it does seem to help.  Basically it is one straight leg, pass other leg over, outside toe to outside heel, & (attempt to) touch your toes.  Alternatively sitting on a hot water bottle helps & avoiding draughts.

Thanks for that @badmemory.  I've been doing lots of stretches but haven't tried that one.  Will give it a go.

Fortune x