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 . . .