Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

Four seasons in one day...

We've had it all today - rain, wind, snow, sleet, sunshine.  It's proper British winter weather 😆  We sustained a little storm damage - a broken fence deteriorated a little more.  Fortunately it's one that Fence Man will be quoting for.  And, it's given us the opportunity to approach the neighbours about taking their fence down as that's what's bringing our fence down.

The Cabbage Soup and a Halloumi, Beetroot & Cashew Curry will stretch to feed us all weekend.  But just to liven things up I baked a Chocolate Fudge Cake this morning.  If this isn't a weekend for comfort food I don't know what is 😆

Mr F has been tinkering in the barn and my plan is to have a bubble bath and laze around.  I'm determined to be back at full steam by Monday so taking it easy until then.

I shall have a lot to catch up on - the house needs a thorough clean, there's gardening to be done, social events are in the diary and I'm determined to restart the exercise regime that was rudely interrupted by back injuries and bugs.  Really hoping there's some improvement in the weather soon as that always helps with my motivation.  I keep trying to remember that Spring is on the way.  Our daffodils look set to give a good show (if they survive the storms) and it was light when I let FDawg out for his ablutions this morning.

Keep swimming everyone.

Fortune x

savingholmes

Always nice to have spring flowers. My crocuses are out. My cyclamen are doing well

Fortune_Smiles

🎶🎶Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky...🎶🎶

Our first job today was to chainsaw a fence in half 😆  The fence between our and our neighbour's drive has been hanging on by a thread and last night's storm was too much for it.  For some reason, our predecessor thought it was a good idea to erect a post and rail fence and then to nail much taller featheredge boards to it.  The boards were acting as a huge sale and, because, they didn't have any posts of their own holding them up, pulled the post and rail over 🙄  It didn't come down altogether but I think it would've if left to it's own devices.  It's very near to the end of the house and a new window so we didn't want to take any chances.  Mr F got his chainsaw out and chopped the top of the boards off.  It's not very tidy but it's worked as the fence isn't catching the wind any longer.  We'll remove the rest of the board and repair what's left as soon as we can.  When the fence was first put up our neighbour planted some red-stemmed dogwood against it and this has now grown into a very pretty hedge.  So we'll still have some privacy, and a much nicer view, without the featheredge boards.  Mr F also took a small tree down on our neighbour's side which was coming down in the wind.

I'm back to full power this morning.  I've walked FDawg with Mr F, vacuumed downstairs, done two loads of washing, made Sausage & Mushroom Ragu with taglietelle for lunch, meal planned and done the on-line grocery shop (£32 under budget).  This afternoon I'm intended to get some more washing on and do an hour's Tai Chi.

I'm going out this evening 🥳  My regular local girls' night out is starting up again and we're going out for a meal.  It's in a pub in another village which I haven't tried before.  My neighbour has offered to drive as she knows the route well.  Thank goodness the wind is calming down as forecast - it is certainly less ferocious and there are even glimpses of blue sky out there now.  When we walked FDawg this morning it was vicious.  We walked him round the field so as to stay away from the trees on the lanes and the wind was blowing me backwards at points. I worried that a house might drop on me 🧹🏠🌬

A J0hn L£wi$ parcel may arrive today.  I've had to buy a new mascara (the one I bought recently kept running down my face and I realised that I'd bought the standard version instead of the waterproof by mistake), two pairs of socks (I'm rapidly wearing out my current pairs) and a bra (mine need replacing desperately).  Bras and jeans are the clothing items which I struggle to find a good fit with so there may be a series of bra buying and returns these next few months.  The boots I bought recently are a pretty good fit, probably the best I can hope for, so I'm going to keep those.  I may even wear them out tonight 😁

I may be replacing all my wardrobe if I don't stop putting on weight soon.  Regretting that I baked the chocolate fudge cake at the weekend as Mr F has decided it's too rich for him so he's leaving it all for me 😲  Hopefully my regained energy will help to burn some of the calories off - I live in hope 😆

Hope you're still in Kansas

Fortune x

Staffordia

Our shared fence succumbed this morning, it was flapping about in the wind. As it was threatening to fall on our side of the garden and our plants, we went out to remove it.  It was very heavy for two no longer young women, could have done with Mr F's chain saw.

Fortune_Smiles

Staffordia said:

Our shared fence succumbed this morning, it was flapping about in the wind. As it was threatening to fall on our side of the garden and our plants, we went out to remove it.  It was very heavy for two no longer young women, could have done with Mr F's chain saw.

I was fence part and tree mover this morning Staffordia - hard work but it did make me feel better about the chocolate fudge cake I had for elevenses 😆

Fortune x

beanielou

Enjoy your wee night out x

Suffolk_lass

You do know it freezes, don't you?! (CFC I mean)  - lalala (I'm not listening) is an acceptable response...

savingholmes

Hope you had fun last night.

Glad no major storm damage

Fortune_Smiles

It never rains...

Four of my six local girl friends made it to the pub last night (two couldn't face navigating the floods).  The journey was uneventful as there were no floods our side of town and the wind had dropped entirely - in fact it was eerily still.  The pub was lovely and the food delicious so it's definitely been added to the list for future visits.  I just had a main and a glass of sparkling water so £15 including a tip which will be met from personal spends.

This morning it's very stormy again and I've woken up with a killer headache.  Hoping some painkillers will knock it on the head as I've got a WI afternoon tea to attend later.

The window cleaner texted me late last night to say he was coming to clean the windows today 😲  I've put him off as there are further high winds and rain forecast this week.  The last time he came was the day before a big storm and the windows were filthy again after.  He had to come back to clean them again - at extra cost!  So I've put him off until after Thursday when things are set to improve.

The wind is due to die down by 11am and the rain to clear by 1pm so, as long as I take a flood free route, I should be able to make this afternoon's meeting.  I don't want to cancel anything else this year.

Stay safe

Fortune x

themadvix

Good luck and hope you have a safe journey this afternoon - I don’t blame you for not wanting to cancel anything else, it’s been a bit of a grotty start to the year for you!