Tales from The Shire

Fortune_Smiles

Dansmam wrote: »

Just de lurking to sympathise. Our lurcher lad has only ever cocked his leg once in the house - didn’t like the hound that friends brought visiting. Fantastic comments about a) FDawg not choosing where he lives (bet he’d choose the Fortunate household if he could though - he’s a very lucky dog to have found you ��) and b) people on the street giving their eye teeth for a floor to sand. Whingeing is allowed but love how you can whinge with perspective!

Hello there :hello: and thanks for the visit. I am really very fortunate in my life and I am truly grateful that I don't have more to worry about. But on the odd occasion it does feel as though the world is conspiring against me :rotfl:

maddiemay wrote: »

Oh my goodness what a trying time you have been having, hope all the pesky things are behind you now. Pleased that you have been toasty warm though.:D

Well we now have our share of snow, about 4 ins and snowing like the blazes still. Miss Border Collie had a great time tearing around the garden this morning, all on her own with OH and I
watching her joy through the window:D

Keeping fingers crossed it all clears off soon, I have hospital appointments at QE B'ham on Tues and Orthopaedic at Oswestry on Thursday both a significant distance from here:eek:

I think the thaw has started now Maddie but do take care tomorrow as there's a lot of ice about. FDawg has been begging to go out constantly - snow is his very favourite thing... except cocktail sausages... he'd do anything for one of those :rotfl:

Karmacat wrote: »

That's quite a bad day, FS, I'm sure you're allowed a whinge about that, on your own diary of all places! Whingeing with perspective is admirable of course, as Dansmam points out

Maddie - hope your appointments go well. We've just had rain, down here in the south, quite a lot of it.

Thanks Karma. I'm not usually a whinger but I think it helps sometimes. A bit like a pressure cooker, let out a bit of steam now and then and you're less likely to explode :rotfl:

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

greent wrote: »

Grumbling is totalling understandable, FS! Like Dansmam, though, I'd guess FDawg would have chosen a place like the Fortunate household

Hope you manage to find something suitable online for the presents
x

beanielou wrote: »

We are all human & so is grumbling!

Thanks guys. I'm back to my normal, cheerful self today.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

We've had glorious sunshine today and the snow has started to thaw. Temperatures are set to drop again tonight though so we will be avoiding the roads tomorrow morning. The forecast is for temperatures to creep up over the rest of the week but I think it'll take some time to disappear completely - it was nearly up to the top of my wellies today :eek:

MS efforts:

• I finished the Christmas present shopping on-line but I don't know if everything will arrive on time bearing in mind the current road conditions. I went through cash back sites for everything
• my Christmas food deliveries are booked and I've done some meal planning
• I made up some Christmas Pudding Vodka so that's gently infusing in the kitchen ready for decanting tomorrow or Wednesday
• also got some sloes out of the freezer to make some gin. It won't be ready for this Christmas but I need the room for other things
• gave a couple of pairs of suede boots a shampoo to keep them going for a while longer
• followed the meal plan for today - Leek & Potato Soup for lunch and Veggie Shepherds Pie for supper

I'm going to look into getting a room thermostat for our heating before next winter. We don't usually have the heating on at night but thought we should leave it on very low in this weather to avoid the chance of a burst pipe. That meant having to adjust every radiator in the house before we went to bed and adjusting them all again when we got up this the morning. We've also discovered that the radiator in our bedroom is stuck on full heat :eek: so it was a hot night... and not in a good way The good news is that, although the heating oil level is going down we aren't using it as quickly as I thought we would be We also have about two thirds of our logs left so should be warm and toasty well into the New Year.

I have been a cleaning demon today although still didn't get through as much as I'd planned. I know the days are shorter at the moment but I thought they were the same length... if you see what I mean :rotfl:

My WI had a Christmas social planned for this evening but snow has stopped play One of my writing groups has a Christmas dinner tomorrow so fingers crossed that goes ahead or Cinderella won't be going to any parties this year

Sleep tight all

Fortune x

beanielou

A hot night but not in a good way :rotfl: Sorry :rotfl:

Fortune_Smiles

Every December I re-read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I think it may have turned me into Ebeneezer Scrooge - the one before Jacob Marley turns up :eek:

I missed out on the Shrewsbury Christmas Fair, my WI Christmas Social event was cancelled and this evening one of my Writers' Groups cancelled their Christmas dinner :mad: I've also had to cancel drinks with friends on Saturday as Mr F has to work. I am very grumpy about it. I think it's because I wasn't expecting to have made any friends or connections by now and was delighted to find I had any Christmas social events to attend. Bloody snow. I am trying hard to keep this all in perspective and feel grateful for a warm house and full cupboards - but I can't. Even the saving of money is not reviving me. Bah Humbug!

On the up side:

• I made up the sloe gin
• I leveled the top of the Christmas cake ready to marzipan it and used the trimmings as a taste test. It got a thumbs up from Mr F and is very alcoholic considering I didn't have much time to feed it
• I'm on schedule with the cleaning, washing and ironing
• there has been a little more unpacking
• a planned catch up with a friend on Thursday looks likely to go ahead
• I don't have to cook tonight as there is Veggie Shepherds Pie leftover from last night

The builders have been in today drilling up concrete :eek: I think I have one more day of that to cope with and then things may get a little quieter. Fingers crossed.

I may have lost my Christmas spirit for the moment but there is plenty of spirit in the drinks cupboard - I think I shall fill up on some of that tonight

Cheers

Fortune x

wishingthemortgaheaway

I am joining you in the Christmas spirits Fotune. Chin chin.

Greying_Pilgrim

Fortune_Smiles wrote: »

I think it's because I wasn't expecting to have made any friends or connections by now and was delighted to find I had any Christmas social events to attend.

I think that is the line that leapt out at me Fortune. And I understand how disappointed you must be. It's hard work making new friends as an adult - I've written about it on my thread, as it is something I've struggled with. But much the same as you had fantastic perspective about FDawg's territorial sprinkling, you're doing well to see the bigger picture, despite this snafu - or should that be snowfu? :think:

You have achieved so much this year Fortune - and I think you recognise that yourself, you don't need us mser's/mfwers to remind you - by your own hard work and determination. And you've made new friends on top of it all I hope that they are good friends. Loyal friends. Lasting friends. And that you have the opportunity to 'party on down' with them for many, many seasons to come.

I for one have throughly enjoyed reading all about your progress - this year alone - through your diaries - despite the ups and downs and round & rounds, the overall direction has been forward and growing.

May your circle of new chums continue to grow. May you find any excuse to 'party' in 2018. And in the meantime, enjoy the christmas spirits (responsibly ) in the company of MrF and FDawg.

Greying X

Fortune_Smiles

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

I am joining you in the Christmas spirits Fotune. Chin chin.

Funny how my spirits increase as my spirits decrease :rotfl:

Bottoms up!

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

I think that is the line that leapt out at me Fortune. And I understand how disappointed you must be. It's hard work making new friends as an adult - I've written about it on my thread, as it is something I've struggled with. But much the same as you had fantastic perspective about FDawg's territorial sprinkling, you're doing well to see the bigger picture, despite this snafu - or should that be snowfu? :think:

You have achieved so much this year Fortune - and I think you recognise that yourself, you don't need us mser's/mfwers to remind you - by your own hard work and determination. And you've made new friends on top of it all I hope that they are good friends. Loyal friends. Lasting friends. And that you have the opportunity to 'party on down' with them for many, many seasons to come.

I for one have throughly enjoyed reading all about your progress - this year alone - through your diaries - despite the ups and downs and round & rounds, the overall direction has been forward and growing.

May your circle of new chums continue to grow. May you find any excuse to 'party' in 2018. And in the meantime, enjoy the christmas spirits (responsibly ) in the company of MrF and FDawg.

Greying X

Ah thanks Greying. I think it's all about balance for me and life's little trials and tribulations are like water off a duck's back as long as there are some little oases of peace or fun to look forward to.

We have done so much this year, perhaps a little too much which is why I'm feeling a bit like a frayed rope. I shall look forward to a more peaceful 2018.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

The snow has started to thaw - hurrah! And turned everywhere into a swamp - boo! I feel like Shrek.

This hasn't helped my mood at all, particularly as the builders are still drilling up concrete :eek: They should be finished tomorrow and our drive will then be clear of breeze blocks and rubble :T I am intending to go out for as much of the day as possible and forget all about the noise and the mess and providing of tea and biscuits. I'm glad now that I had to cancel having people round on Saturday - there is so much mud outside the house that I fear hippos may take up residence :eek:

FDawg is having to have his feet washed after each walk as he comes back looking like he's wearing black knee high socks :eek: He doesn't like this at all but I am hardened to his complaints as the floor had to be sanded again today :eek::eek::eek:

I decided to give the cleaning schedule a stiff ignoring and do something festive and creative instead so the Christmas cake is now iced. I used white fondant to cover the cake and made snowballs in various sizes to go around the bottom instead of a ribbon. Then I sprayed the whole thing with white glitter spray to make it look a bit more like snow. On the top there are two green christmas trees (one with a star on top), two sheep and FDawg :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I'm pretty happy with the result seeing as it's the first time I've tried modelling.

It looks like a segment of our guttering has buckled under the weight of the snow and is leaking. I'm hoping Mr F will be able to fix it when he gets home from his latest trip. That and the broken radiator valve :rotfl: Although I've managed to get someone to come and service the boiler on Monday so I'll ask for some advice about the radiator then... and a room thermostat...

Think we may have bought a money pit

Fortune x