Thank God for Friends and Family

 On a slightly more even keel today, as all your kind comments an support and phone calls from friends who I have known all my life, and popping out to see my friend Pam t'other side of town and having a good offload there have made me feel a bit brighter.  My family have been wonderful, as always.

I am still tired, but have washed up, washed my hair and am about to sit down and see if I can find Long Lost Family on ITV.

Car is booked in to have new wotsits on Friday.  I can only think of flame throwers which is NOT what I ordered at the garage today!  The diesel version of spark plugs anyway.  We are going to try those first before the steeper step of leaving it down there to have the starter motor taken out to be bench tested . . .  Fingers crossed the flame throwers work anyway!

No baking for my quilting group tomorrow - I just couldn't face it.  I am hoping to pick up Gabby's quilt which I know was being machine quilted over the weekend.  I am just going to take in some hand quilting, as my brain not up to anything more complicated.  I am going in early to Carmarthen to get some darker gold cream gilding to use on the horse picture frame, and a nightie for my holiday, then seeing my dear friend Nikki again, before going on to quilting.  Looking forward to it.

Tam has just sent me a link to a textiles group (spinning, weaving, dyeing etc) in Crickhowell, so I am going to get in touch and see what's what - looks good on line.

Right, tv time now.  Thank you ALL so much for your kind words and help.  I haven't been this low since losing Keith.

Not at my best

 Extreme tiredness is a horrid thing.  It usually takes me 3 days to get over a long working weekend Fair like this.  Having been browbeaten by that awful woman seems to have put a factor of "times ten" on this . . .  Being so tired means that I cannot harness the power of logical thought to deal with the situation, or to put it behind me.  I was in bed 11 hours last night, but awake for an hour or so in the middle of the night.  I have done the chores that had to be done here, and also been grocery shopping as the car has to go and be checked tomorrow, and don/t now how long I will lose it for.  I may well not be able to go to my quilting group on Wednesday, nor see my friend Nia on Thursday.  Here's some photos anyway.

Not my best layout, as no space.

As you can see, a double stand (and a bit at one end) just wasn't enough room.  I have 7 tables full at Builth!  House rule is no stock out in the aisle, as it gets in the way of  people with wheelchairs or mobility scooters, or pushchairs.  So I had to sit out there instead, in all the germs, because cowbag next door had taken my sitting space.

I've been offered this stand next time, as it has more room, but judging by the cover he's got up, it suffers a lot with condensation from the glasshouse roof . . .  At the moment, I never want to do another Fair again . . .

As you can see, it's a lovely setting.  Below: a few more stalls.

Right, I am off for my holiday jab in an hour.  Last week I had the jitters about it, and this week I would definitely rather jump off a cliff than go on holiday, which is not a good thought to have.

Thank you for all your kind comments.  This weekend has pushed the grieving progress back months.  

I survived

 I'll post properly in the morning, but just to let you know I got home safely, and am just cooking my meal.  J in Wilts - I have a medium glass of wine to celebrate. I didn't make a mint but covered my costs and got a weeks' shopping from it.  My antiques tribe were wonderful today - lots of hugs and kind words and support (no one went and hugged or even chatted to the cowbag!)  She can't NOT have noticed or me taking cake to Mike (beyond her) and other friends.  She clearly thought I was a stranger and didn't know I knew everyone.  Before I left I made sure I told her that perhaps in future if she had a problem with the dimensions of her stand, she should talk to the organizer.  She kept talking whilst I was talking to her, so probably missed the gist of "you can't cut my throat and put a sticking plaster on it" as I was being told off for pointing my finger at her!

I  will answer all your kind comments tomorrow.

One of the worst days in a long time

 I had barely got in the door at the Fair this morning, before I was set upon by the woman who had the stall next door who accused me of stealing half her stall!  She had taken both the chairs between our stalls and pushed her tables up to mine, so I had nowhere to sit (except out in the aisle, which was busy with customers of course).  I just told her that my name had been on those tables, I hadn't moved anything and I was  where I was designated to be.

It then got worse, as I told the organiser's husband I was sorry I was sat out in the aisle but next door had moved her tables so I had no choice.  He went off to tell his wife (I'd not mentioned it earlier as she was obviously very busy).  Anyway, then she came up to me and said she had told the Cowbag that she was where she was supposed to be and told me to move my quilts (on old clothes horses) out a bit and sit in the space.  I hadn't used all of the space between me and the other side as I thought it was theirs.  Then it all hit me and the nice next door stand folk noticed me cracking up and said to come round the corner with them.  Her mum got me tea and daughter went to tell Cowbag that she had upset me, as I was recently widowed and already finding the first Fair back there without Keith a real challenge.

Cowbag later came up and give her her due, apologised, but as Keith's mum used to say, you can't cut my throat and put a sticking plaster on it.

On top of all that, I sold just three items, and am not even half way to covering my pitch fee.  People were just out for the day, not to spend any money.  The Damnation Quilt was the first thing to go though, so at least I don't have that nagging me by its presence.

I will confess to having slugged down a glass of wine the moment the cats were fed, as I am just absolutely in pieces at the moment. I will be blardy glad when it is Monday.  Car started 2nd go this morning.  Hope it still obliges tomorrow . . .

A difficult day emotionally

 Well, I am back home waiting for Tam and Rosie to arrive.  I'm all set up at the Fair though I could have done with a little more room.  We used to have a triple pitch, and that gave us room for Keith's militaria (two tables, one behind the other) and my end had room for some chairs/small pieces of furniture.  Ah well, I have more stock in a box under the table and can replace anything I sell.

It was hard going into the big Glass House - this time last year Tam and I took Keith . . . It was pre-Covid when Keith and I last had our stand there.  It was nice to see old friends, and have hugs, but I did feel lost without Keith.  Fortunately Brita had laid on some young and willing helpers so I didn't have to carry anything heavy to my stand, and as a consequence, don't feel as shattered as I expected.  The drive home was OK too, as in bright sunshine, and not like a previous time when I came from Carms, when it was nearly dark when I left and I had to drive home being dazzled by car headlights till I was past Llandovery and heading up into the hills.

I'm a bit worried about whether the car will start tomorrow, as it didn't want to today.  It took 3 goes, and has started each time since (but the engine was still warm).  I went into the garage before coming home - they checked the battery (OK, replaced recently) and said it might be the starter motor.  It would need to come in for tests.  Meanwhile, park it on a slope and cross my fingers!

On the way home, I drove along the A40 and was suddenly hit SO hard by past memories when Dryslwyn Castle came into view and I was taken back to the first time we ever drove that stretch of road, back in March 1988, going to explore Llandeilo for the first time.  My eyes filled with tears and I let out a choking moan of loss.  

After feeling  that I just COULDN'T manage this weekend (tiredness etc) this morning, I am now feeling more confident again, and will try and keep up that positivity.  Meanwhile, Tam and Rosie have arrived so will go and keep them company.

Girding my loins

 . . . for the Fair.  The last sworn-over stitch has just been sewn in the Damnation Quilt.  It is as it is.  I doggedly repaired all the holes, but there are some bare cardboard patches.  Tough.  I can see all the repairs but hopefully they blend in enough to be overlooked by any potential buyer.  NEVER again will I take on a Parlour quilt like this - or if I do, NO repairs will be done.  After I'd changed the bed linen, I had a quick look through a big bag in the bedroom which had a 1980s Laura Ashley hand sewn hexagon quilt in it (been trying to sell this for years).  As it is a deep royal blue and white, it doesn't fit many decors these days. I will drop the price yet again.  I also found another 1970s unfinished hexagon quilt - rather brown but with some colourful "gardens" in it.  That is going too.  I'll price reasonably and hope to sell. So that's half a dozen quilts to make my stand look colourful.  I have a double wall stand so just hope I have room to display quilts AND paintings . ..

A corner of the stall from a Builth Fair last year.

I'm just having a rest (call it lunchtime) and then I will start loading.  At least it is dry and sunny out.  Tam and Rosie arrive again tomorrow and are here for the weekend, to hold the fort. I've got some Gammon Steaks out for tea on Saturday, and tomorrow I have a tasty mince and rice mix using up the tasty pasta topping I made this week.  I had some for tea last night. 

LATER: All sorted and loaded.  I am shattered - have done so little lifting of anything of any weight over the winter (since the last Fair in fact), and it has taken its toll today.  Ah well, will just have to get on with it, and hope there's a lot LESS to pack to come home with!

I have found another series to enjoy on Youtube, where a chap has bought a couple of stone cabins in the Italian Alps and is renovating them.  This follows on nicely from one Tam showed me, which is a Dutch woman who has bought an old cabin (and other smaller sheds) in the Swedish forest (looks remote but probably isn't) and she is a whizz at woodwork.  We can't bear to watch the Welsh/Irish ones where people come in to "restore" a cottage or house "sympathetically" and then rip every bit of character out of it. One Welsh one took every internal wall out too!

The other day we watched an entire series of Pioneer Quest, set in the 1850s, and the folks they had in to do it had a hard time of things at first.  The two BIG Percheron horses they had for pulling the wagon and ploughing, thought ploughing was meant to be done at a trot and the poor people behind the plough (one with the reins, the other steering the BIG plough) were nearly ploughed and buried in short order!  The film company had been done over too, and instead of a dozen hens or whatever, they had been given a high proportion of Cockerels!  They didn't teach them to make bread until month 7 (WINTER) when they also taught a basic patchwork technique.  I know, but it keeps my brain ticking over when it's chucking it down with rain outside and I am kept inside these 4 walls.

You will smile when I tell you that Rosie can now CLAP!  Obviously playing Patacake with me gave her this new skill. :)

There will probably be an on-line silence until the weekend is over.  Off to collapse in a heap now.

 

Nipping procrastination in the bud

I did a good morning's work before Tam and Rosie arrived.  I vacuumed the entire ground floor of the house (ok, well the bits I could reach in the Library!), mopped the kitchen floor, then listed the entire Militaria collection for the Probate.  That took a while, but is a job well done.  It came to more than I expected, but I had to use Keith's selling prices as some things were traded with/without money on top.  He tended to mark up so he could offer a good deal. To value each individual item on line would mean an awful lot of work.

I will need to start getting sorted for the Fair today.  What to take etc and I will start packing a few things in the car in readiness so I'm not doing it all tomorrow. Setting up day is on Friday.  I shall be very relieved when it's over, as there's a lot of driving. Tam is coming to hold the fort here.  

I am hoping that February won't be a "fill dyke" one with even more rain as I need to start tidying up in the garden. Especially on the Bank and you wouldn't believe I ever cleaned between the cobbles.  I have those 100 bulbs/corms to plant too!!  Bring on spring.

Rosie made me laugh last night, we were doing "Patacake" over and over (she is insistent) and she holds my hands in hers, and at the end wanted me to clap louder, so pulled my hands further apart :)  She's a smart one.

When mum's back is turned . . .

 

Young Rosie this morning, clearly thinking her breakfast was inadequate!  Tam left the room for a minute, came back and Rosie was chomping on a pork pie!  Swiftly removed, I might add. They are on their way here shortly, so I am having a big tidy up and vacuum.  I hope to list Keith's militaria for Probate once I've mopped the kitchen floor.

£5 spent - value for money!!

 After it had finished belting it down with rain first thing, I drove to Llandod to get my groceries for the week.  I had to go and buy some white embroidery floss from Bonne Marche, and across the road is a cheap as chips charity shop, so I thought I would at least look through the window.  It was busy (mainly as I think new stuff goes out for Monday).  I could see two ladies fossicking through a box of what appeared to be craft things.  One walked away from it, so I went in and took her place.  I am glad I did!  When I paid,they told me that the chap had literally only just bought that box of stuff in, so I did time it right!  Here is what £5 bought me:

42 x Anchor embroidery flosses;  7 Madeira ditto; a skein of green perle floss; 6 heavier cotton embroidery floss.  A fat quarter of pretty daisies on a black background.

Four quilting stencils.

An unusual set of rulers which I thought of for a Christmas tree skirt, rather than the very complex looking design at the top (there are 20 similar patterns with this).  Retails at £27.50!

2 metres Moda? patchwork fabric in cream and white.

Didn't I do well?

All the things I had ordered also arrived today.  My Fungi design metal drinking bottle; the wooden easel I need for Fairs, bringing me up to 3, plus my Cotton Trader parcels of slip on shoes and crop jeans, and thermals.

Danny and his mate came yesterday and took the big birch chest of drawers from the kitchen, so for the first time since we moved in, I don't have anything on the angle of the L-shape turn.  I can feel the energy flowing properly now, instead of being blocked.  I can just walk across and turn the light on without leaning over anything.  (I don't now who decided to put the light switch behind the upright beam).

I made some Banana Muffins yesterday.  They called for Buttermilk, which I never have in, so I used a small tub of set yoghurt (Vanilla) which needed using, combined with milk to make the right quantity, and they turned out really well, and rose amazingly.  I will put up photo and recipe tomorrow.

I know some of you do Family History.  I belong to a Genealogy group on Facebook, and enjoy reading about other people's research problems - and there's always lots of people happy to help.  There was a mention of someone's middle name she was struggling to read.  Turns out the child had been called Daisy Deepsea (then a surname after).  I bet that was a unique name!

I spoke to the Heating Engineer company this morning and they offered me £30 towards lost food.  Works out £36 with less VAT so I accepted that.  I've left the little freezer turned off for the moment so just got Scampi and frozen Smoked Haddock to go in the main one.

Oh, and it was a day for nice things, as the fruit trees are on offer at £7 each (2 for £12) at Tesco again, so I bought a Cox.  They also had 100 pink and purple bulbs for £10.  I thought that a good deal and they are so pretty.  The ones I bought last year (50 for £5) put on a great show in planters.

Back in the morning.

More than blardy DAMNATION being said here today!

 I've jut gone to get some sausages out of the small freezer for Danny at lunchtime, to find everything floating around in blackberry juice - the entire contents will have to be chucked as it would appear that the heating engineer unplugged it for some reason on Wednesday and never replugged it.  (The other plug is for the washing machine so I don't now what he thought he was unplugging!) About £40 worth of contents (including my planned tea tonight) gone west.  I have just written a sharp email to them . . .  Now I need to remove contents, photograph for them, and chuck out later when it isn't raining sideways and being Storm Hermione!

The Damnation Quilt - sewing through cardboard

For the word "Damnation" you may substitute something  of a more Anglo-Saxon origin - I am just trying to stay ladylike!  I am MAKING - no, FORCING myself to sew two diamonds on it each day. (12 more to go). This takes me all morning or afternoon.  The bitch lady that made it sewed it together using the cardboard piecing method, and never removed the cardboard, which is now rotting in parts, as is the silk fabrics used.  She also used what appears to be extra-heavy black thread, damn her, but thinking on it that is probably just ordinary cotton thread back in the day - not like the polyester rubbish we have now. I am having to use snipe-nose pliers to pull the needle through.

It is very fragile and very difficult to work with.  Oh, and did I mention she put a canvas backing on it?  Cow . . .   I am at the "I want to abandon it" and sell-as-is stage, but I have started so I will damn well try and do my best with it/for it, as it IS beautiful still.

These faults won't be ignored by potential buyers, who will use them for bargaining. . .

Oh yes, the canvas backing! Bet she'd been told to clear her stash . . .

Ladies of leisure.  I wish I could join them.  I need to get out for a walk to get some exercise and clear my head.  I've just put the lamb in the pressure cooker for my Lamb Biryani tonight.

Storm Eowyn (144 mph gusts in Ireland) isn't too bad here - trees just shaking a bit and occasional stronger gusts.  Tam's power went out again but it turned out it was just one tree down across their line and it's been restored now.

Off to get some fresh air now. Stay safe all.

Update :  Practice nurse never phoned to make me an appointment for my holiday jabs, which means it's going to be into next week and I daren't have it until the following week now.  After the Fair.

Sharon - think I will take your advice and draw a line under it.  Each mend is taking hours and still not to my liking (e.g. invisible mend).

In honour of my dad, who died today 45 years ago, I have been doing some Family History.  I have - FINALLY, I have a tendency to procrastination - blown the dust off the big 10 generation printed chart and have been filling in the details of his family today.  I was checking out Nancy Stumbles again (my 3 x g. grandmother, born 1785) and looking for newspaper links.  The scanning of these turns up some odd words at times (e.g. they don't exist) but I just HAD to check out a Mrs Hairy . . .  turns out it was Harry!!

Witless

 I am trying to draw my wits together after such a busy and social day.  Danette and Little Lin - lovely to chat to you both and put the world to rights.  Lin - now have BBC Sounds app downloaded on my phone. This afternoon my new neighbour Ed spotted me up in the sewing room and came over to have a natter.

Leftovers.  The other half of last night's Chicken Stir Fry.  Very tasty and filling it was too.

So, how did the day pan out?  It was busy.  I had asked Gabby about jabs for Jordan last week and she told me yesterday it was suggested that we had Hep. A, and Diptheria/Polio/Tetanus boosters.  So I had to go down to the surgery and fill in a form, which the Nurse will get tomorrow and make me an appointment.  Of course, I have the Fair next weekend so am praying if I have the jabs on Monday, I won't have nasty side effects as I have to do that Fair come hell or high water.  A sore arm I can cope with - being prostrate on the sofa with a fever is just not an option.

Then I went down into town to post a letter I'd just written to my friend G in Dorset, along with returning some of her books.  I popped into the Red Cross charity shop, and came out with a pair of new and unused leather loafers (£3) and two pieces of Midwinter china which Tam collects (a Teapot and an oval platter).  She's not sure if she has room so I may take them on to the Fair. Oh, and I popped across the road to Penelope Primrose and found myself a scarf to drape over my hair on holiday (to keep the sand out).

This pattern, in case you are wondering (Alfie as backdrop).

Then it was home, and I looked for the brown official envelope from HMCR which told me how much I had been taxed on Keith's pension, but could I find it?  It was NOT where I thought I had put it (with all the other official paperwork in the blue boxfile).  It will have to be stratagraphic searches next . . .

I researched cheap swimwear (it will only be worn the once to float in the Dead Sea as I do not like swimming.) Also warm pyjamas for our night in the desert, and I may get a silk sleeping bag liner as well, as I don't have room to take the sleeping bag they advise - though sheets and blankets are provided, but it gets cold in the desert at night.  I also need  to get some new casual soft shoes to take (done, bought the same ones as I had last year from Cotton Traders).  I ordered water purification tablets from Amazon, which we need for Jordan and a pretty fungi-covered metal drinks bottle from Ebay. So, progress . . .

I didn't have time to cancel my tv licence, since I cannot get live tv without a roof aerial and can live without iPlayer.  That will be a saving.  I DID force myself to go up and do my best to repair that Victorian quilt but by gum, each little diamond takes an hour and it's as much carpentry as sewing as the cardboard templates are tough and I have to use snipe-nose pliers to get the needle through and try and make an invisible stitch on the (printed canvas!) backing material or go back in the same hole and move the needle along.  I have just come to a mangled one, so removed it and hope that I can insert the replacement with less angst. 

Off to do some more of Peter Rabbit (all in browns one DMC number apart so needs concentration).  I have finished Santa and his Sheep helper but need to make it up and stuff it before I show a photo.

Low Cloud

I didn't realize I could enhance my photos, so twiddled with the sky on this one to make it stand out more.  I think this is called cloud inversion and is reasonably rare - where colder air sinks and is trapped near the ground (in valleys here).

I went out to do the grocery shopping ahead of the next Storm (Eowyn) which is heading our way over the next few days.  However, our road into town was shut because a new house being built was having a pole put into carry electrics and internet.  I had been going to go to Llandod, but this would now mean driving 7 miles to Garth, then 13 to Llandod, each way.  I decided to go to Brecon instead, as no further!  It was very foggy up on the Epynt range - well, low cloud really - and slow going, but I got there.

As usual I went to Aldi, then parked in an empty parking space (1 hr's free parking) which enabled me to walk to the PO in Co-op and send off my old driving licence.  Did I want to make sure it safely got there the next day?  That would be £8.50 please.  No thanks, I'll take my chances.  It's going to be destroyed anyway!  I took a big bag of charity shop donations to Tenovus and popped into WH Smith to check if Today's Quilter was in - yes it was, AND it was the one copy I wanted to buy, so that came home with me.

This tickled me on the way back - a sentry box with its own little fireplace and chimney.  Blardy cold up there in winter.  I imagine it dates back to WWII.

Morrisons annoyed me as they had a good offer on Earl Grey teabags - normally £6 for 80, but there was a ticket saying £3.50.  I bought one - got charged full price and only when I put my shopping in the car and came back to check, did I realize it was their loyalty card offer.  I don't buy much in there so haven't bothered with the card. I wouldn't have bought it had I known.  Ah well.

Sennybridge Range, the far side of the B4519.  I could hear the staccato of guns so there must have been soldiers on the firing range. There were canvas-backed Army lorries parked up, and some young men in Army camo gear in the photo below, and in a building just off the road too.  

Above is the strip of the Epynt between this B-road and the B4520 which is the route I normally take into Brecon.

I parked up in a layby to take photos of the low cloud I was above to drive down into.  Quite atmospheric.  I'll never get to the top of Pen-y-Fan to see the same thing up there, so will settle for this!

I made myself a tasty chicken stir fry for tea tonight, with an Aldi pack of Chinese veg stirfry (just 89p and good fresh veg - the Tesco ones smell mouldy when you open them and I've not bought one for years), and a Sweet Chilli sauce. Yummy it is, and plenty for tea tomorrow too as I cooked up a portion of rice to mix in with it.

I have a list of things I could keep busy doing as long as my arm, but will settle for the grocery shopping and a load of washing achieved today.

Being a damp squib - and Update

 Yesterday I thought I was getting better.  I woke at 4.10 this morning though, and that was it for the day, although I had a sofa nap mid-morning. I put on a relaxing You Tube video of a stream running through woodland in spring, and with birdsong.  I had it on in the background as I pottered in the kitchen but when I went back in, it suddenly hit me it was still WINTER and I was in tears. I changed it to a log fire - just as bad as that reminded me of our wood burner back at Ynyswen and happier days. Tam and Rosie gave me a video call which helped cheer me up and then Gabby arrived with lunch.  Not that I had any appetite and had to force food down. (Ham salad, crisps and bread).  She bought me a boughten beef  curry for tea.  Hope I can manage some of that as I haven't been able to eat much - just no appetite since getting so chilled.  My head was very cotton woolly this morning but I've not had a cold. Update:  Granny C always said if you have been under the weather, eat something tasty.  Anyway, I wasn't sure I would eat the curry but once I could smell it heating in the microwave, I began to drool!  It was splendid - huge chunks of beef and plenty of them. It made me break out in a sweat on my face as it was quite punchy - a good strong Madras - but I ate it all bar two bits of chilli and a spoonful of rice.  It was Aldi's Gastro range.  Gabby got herself a Chicken Tikka and she said she's had them before and they're good.  I've also had a soak in the bath, and that made me feel much better too.  Off to watch "Patience" on Channel 4, which is a good series about an autistic Archivist who helps to solve murders.  It is based on a friend drama - Astrid: Murder in Paris.  I have episode 16 of series 7 of Outlander to watch too and countless Neil Oliver and Time Team/Digging for Britain programmes. Plus a series called Renegade Nell on Disney, which is nice and light.

She set me up with a Monzo account for our spending money out in Jordan (which trip is once again feeling like stepping off a precipice and I am dreading it), stood by whilst I went over using my Zettle machine for card payments at the Fair - something else hanging over me - and we got my "renew your driving licence" form filled out and ready to send off. Then we set to on the beast of a jigsaw she bought me for Christmas (I thought she needed to suffer too!) and we have got a couple of areas under construction, but the Toucan's beak is a barsteward to do!

Today the heating/plumbing company phoned to re-arrange my appointment - they could do tomorrow morning, arriving 7.30 - 8.00.  S.I.G.H.  What's the betting I wake up at 3.30 and that's it for the night?!  Anyway, Gabby helped me move the stuff out that was in that corner so it's all ready to go, and I know that the hot water timer is set to the times I want it and I don't need to fiddle and reset it afterwards (obviously I would have got the chap to do that anyway).  

If I feel better tomorrow I will sit down and quietly go through the Militaria side of Keith's belongings, for Probate. I will deal with upstairs contents at the weekend. I also need to get in touch with the bank and ask for 7 years' bank statements and also put more money in another ISA. I hate it when things are hanging over me.

Wassailing

 I had to drag myself out of bed at 6.45 this morning as the chap is coming to do the heating boiler service for the year.  It was going to be last Friday, but they had to cancel it as there were people with broken boilers.  So I had to go in and get the bed linen off the drying rails, move Keith's wheelchair, a couple of the 3 child car seats etc.  He was due 7.30 -8 a.m. and hasn't arrived yet (10 to 8). At least we wont be too long without the heating on.

I had another rough night, as it suddenly occurred to me I'd left the heating on at 15 as  Tam gets cold in the middle of the night - she sleeps half covered so that Rosie has no risk of suffocating.  So I had to come down and go in the airing cupboard and turn the system off at the control panel.  Then of course, I was awake for hours and instead of shivering, I was really hot and my bladder was uncomfortable again, and my hair looks like an oil slick this morning. I took Ibuprofen at breakfast but none since and feel a little more human so perhaps it was just a chill.

Then, as no engineer appeared, I left a somewhat irate message on the company's answerphone as they weren't answering it. Turns out it was my fault as it was NEXT Monday they were coming, so we froze for nothing.  

3 short videos at the bottom.

Wassailing is supposed to take place on the 12th night after Christmas.  However, this was postponed from last weekend as it was so bitterly cold.  HAH-not much better on Saturday.  It is an ancient pagan tradition to ensure tree fertility in the coming season, drinking the health of the tree in cider and making loud noises to scare off evil spirits. The piece of bread is to bring good fortunes to all for the year. Wikipedia will give lots more details.

Feeling ghastly

 I got thoroughly chilled at the Wassailing yesterday (we were stood around for nearly 2 hours before they went down to the orchard).  I must have been brewing something as when I drove home, I couldn't warm up and in the house, I began to shiver and my teeth were chattering and I was in bed at 8.30, with about a dozen layers of quilts and blankets on top of me and a hotty botty (bed heater had been on too).  It was a long night - my bladder was very painful and I was up and down to the loo all night, and had to take Ibuprofen in the end and finally slept a bit then.

Tam is coming over today.  I tried to persuade her I was better just tucked up on the sofa but she insisted on coming to look after me.  I think I will be sleeping most of the day . . .  Wassailing post when I am better.

Having a purpose in life

 I don't like complaining, but on checking through my Plusnet account, I found that I had not been compensated for the lengthy outage in October, so yesterday I made phoning them a priority, to chase this payment up.  I spoke to a very helpful girl, who put me on hold (with the most ghastly background music) whilst she spoke to someone about it, and was finally told I'd be having £78.08 credited to my account.  So, nearly three months of broadband free. Follow up emails and confirmation of £75 (that'll do) compensation came in due course.  So that's a positive.  Now need to try and get BT to cough up the payment for the cheque that got put in a drawer here and forgotten - it was a repayment for phone and broadband at Ynyswen.  Twice the have told me it will be sorted, and nothing happened.  So, Monday I shall get onto them again.  All incoming monies gratefully received.

Roll on summer (Wisteria at Powys Castle).

Neighbour's friend came up for a chat again yesterday, and helpfully went up the taller stepladder and put some of the masking tape up in the guest bedroom.  He's popping back this morning to finish it off for me, but told me I was NOT to go on the top step of the ladder to paint when I was on my own, as said steps felt a bit wobbly. I will make sure I only do the top bits when Tam is here.  She's coming over on Sunday so if I do all the top bits whilst she's here, I should be ok to do the lower walls with the shorter ladder.

I made a couple of Apple Gingerbread cakes yesterday, and froze one.  Knowing I was to have a visitor gave me a sense of purpose.  That is something rather lacking since I have been on my own. Meals are a bit haphazard - no trying out new recipes - and I fall back on meals I know off by heart how to make, and usually have some for the night and portions for the freezer.  But having a reason to bake is always good and I love to bake.  The door to the top freezer got pushed open the other night and so I had a pack of 4 pieces of Plaice in breadcrumb to be eaten as they had thawed totally (other stuff ok). I managed to eat plaice two nights running before I couldn't face a third and the Carrion Crows benefitted! I'll be back late from the Wassailing today so will have to get something I made earlier out to thaw.  Cajun Dirty Rice perhaps.

Happier days - the kitchen at  Ynyswen.  Flowers from the garden. I must plant more cutting flowers here.

I'll do the Wassailing post tomorrow.  Meanwhile, I have a Hot Date with a vacuum cleaner . . .

Birdsong

 For a little while yesterday, just a little while, with the sun out, it felt like spring.  I wasn't out in it long as I had to drive to Tam's, and it took 2 hrs to get there as I got stuck behind a couple of slow vehicles and the road does not lend itself to overtaking in many places.  I decided not to fret and just plod and enjoy the scenery around me. It had been very foggy overnight but had cleared to a beautiful sunny day when I set off after breakfast.

I pulled into a layby on the way, as I wanted to take photos of another area laid to waste recently by Storm Darragh.  This pine woodland was on the hillside and just this one swathe had been taken out and reduced to splinters by a sudden extra-strong gust.

There had been a very hard frost, and this area and others in the valley bottom and side which don't get much sun, stayed frosted all day.

The hills give rough grazing to sheep and whilst you might think there it very unwelcoming countryside, you can just make out a little farmstead near the right hand side of the photo. I think the farmstead is in the trees, but this is an outbuilding and a trailer I reckon.

The birds also note the slow lengthening of the days and I noted this morning there is the start of a tentative dawn chorus, which is a real positive.  I noted it today because I had to take out the corpse of a little chestnut brown Field Mouse (they have white tummies and big ears too and are seriously Cute . . .) which the girls had run to earth under my BED! I was woken by frantic carpet-scratching in the vicinity of my head beneath the bed and hanging out of said bed, could see Lulu scrabbling at an upturned box of tissues.  They do stake-outs on the cupboard under the stairs where I keep the bedlinen and whatever useful boxes of Stuff I can shove in there, so I guess this mouse ventured forth.  This old house has walls lined with pitch pine tongue and groove and I think they must have made their way in behind them over the years.  Part of the house is also below ground level so I guess that is where they gained entry.

I spent the day at Tam's playing with Rosie (who wants to try standing without holding on now) and tackling the washing up mountain.  I think I must have washed and dried just about every piece of cutlery, every pan, several big oven dishes and various plates, bowls and mugs.  I could clock Jon one for never doing it (and Tam claims Rosie needs her attention . . .)  She actually got several consecutive hours sleep recently and came down with some energy, but that was a one off.  Rosie has been diagnosed with Eczema and has also been constipated, so neither of those conditions have helped her sleep at nights and she may wake up to 20 times.  Jon has Eczema and I have the Asthma gene (which is connected to Eczema) so I really hope she doesn't go on to develop Asthma.

It was the most beautiful late afternoon drive home. I wish there had been somewhere to stop as the road climbed up into the mountains out of Aber, as the sun on the dead bracken was so beautiful.  I stopped at a layby higher up though - this is a favourite view of mine - and took a few photos of the lengthening shadows.

Today I have the heater boiler service so need to turn it off in the cupboard - I need to GET into the cupboard first as it is blocked with 3 different sized baby car seats, cat food boxes, bottles of fizzy mineral water etc.  I may be gone some time . . .