Well, I started the day by trapping the zip catch on my warmest coat in the door when I shut it. Then I couldn't do up the coat. I was feeling a bit Cabin Feverish, so drove to Brecon, where I found out I didn't have the warm gloves with it either as I had put them in the pockets of my duck-down jacket at the weekend .. . Brecon is noticably colder than here, so I had a chilly walk to WH Smith to see if the Quilting mag was in - it was, but it didn't have the pattern I wanted (advertised on line) in this issue. I have to be patient then.
I searched B&M Bargains in Brecon for the 80 sachet packets of cat food, but they only had the smaller ones. I got a small plastic container for the new quilt bits (already put in it now), and some compost. I must have picked up the only sack of compost with a small slit in it - not noticing till I got it to the car. I thought it was heavy - must have had a gallon of water soaked into it from the rain yesterday.
I've made good progress on Rosie's Christmas x-stitch present. The black bit to the right is the sheep's head. Whilst I don't have the wool listed in the pattern to sew the sheep's fleece with, I do have some fine wool which may do (if I can thread it) instead. I will find out tonight. The gold colour is not what was called for (it was a much darker sludgy colour) and the brown of his coat is a different DMC thread too, but my friend Gay said to tell her what ones I was missing and she'd see if she had doubles. She has several so those will be in the post. I shan't unpick this one though, but if the wool doesn't work for the fleece, I have the correct colour coming that should have been used for Santa's coat and as an alternative for the sheep. I'm really enjoying doing x-stitch again and it's giving me a break from the hexies for the dark blue quilt I shouldn't have bought!
I am hoping I will get along to the Quilt Group on Wednesday but the weather forecast is looking a bit iffy. I drove into Brecon along the "bottom" route, via Erwood and Llyswen, but decided I would come home over the Epynts as Keith loved going that way. First of all as I left Brecon, it rained. As I climbed up from Lower Chapel to Upper Chapel, it changed to sleet. Beyond that as I climbed again, I could see the top of the Epynts disappear behind snow. But it changed to sleet again, although I could see the furthest hills beyond Builth were becoming white once more. Of course, that route - and the bit of the Diana Gabaldon book I was listening to on Audible (The Drums of Autumn) - kept mentioning death or "I love you" and similar things - upset me. Tears are never far away these days, and my mascara had taken quite a hit by the time I got back home.
I am cooking a pizza for tea tonight. It was going to be last night, but instead I did the topping (including a couple of sausages from the freezer, cooked and sliced) and had it with Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini (boughten). It was very tasty. The other half will be on the pizza shortly. The alert on the breadmaker has just gone so I will put the oven on and grate some cheese shortly. I'll freeze one half. Tomorrow it's chicken Stir Fry and later in the week I'm doing a Beef casserole.
The car is booked in for MoT tomorrow - that should guarantee the white stuff!
I get my cat food from B&M, - Purina pate though Mollie is turning her nose up at it and fancying the savoury cake ;). She is quite a madam, sulking at the moment because I have changed the quilt on the bed. It might be wise to stay at home whilst we have this weather, slippery black ice might be a problem.
ReplyDeleteWith 4 cats, theyget sachets (and I would prefer tins, but those are hard to get these days). Pate is for poorly cats only.
DeleteI have looked out this morning and there's some snow on the ground. I will have to check the state of the lane before I attempt to take the car for its MoT.
Oh dear. A frustrating day. Why does everything seem to go wrong at once. Your x-stitch is so neat! Cozy up with the pizza and your kitties tonight.
ReplyDeleteTrying to find the best deal on zip ends now! The x-stitch is very soothing to do. I'm on the parcel now (having put the sheep's black legs in last night.) Have had a thought about using darning wool for the sheep - just have to find where I put it!
Deleteoh bother not having any gloves. I try to keep a pair in each coat pocket and in my handbags. I can't bear cold fingers.
ReplyDeleteEstee Lauder Double Wear mascara ~ expensive but got me through the worst of the crying.
Well, I do normally, but had an empty head moment before going out. I use the Max Factor 2000 Cal mascara. Checked yours out - can only say, don't buy it on Amazon!!! Cheaper on Ebay. . .
DeleteI am sorry that you didn't find all that you needed or wanted. Glad that your friend had some extra threads to share with you. ((Hugs)).
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Got everything, but the 80 pack cat sachets would have been a tiny bit cheaper. Yes, my friend's hobby is x-stitch, so she is better equipped than me, although I have stacks of floss! It's a given that whenever you start a new project, however small, you haven't got all the colours you need!
DeleteThe detail of your cross stitch is amazing. My eyes would cross trying to stitch that! Drive carefully in the sleet/ snow if you must go out. I admit to not being very good at driving in poor conditions, so I avoid going out then.
ReplyDeleteIt's sewn on 32 count linen, so I definitely need my magnifying craft light to work it. Don't worry, if the road seems at all dodgy, I will have to put the MoT back a day or so. When I set off yesterday, it was just wet - it's because I came back over the high ground that I encountered the colder snowier weather and it wasn't proper snow when I drove through it, too wet for snow flakes.
ReplyDeleteYou keep busy BB. What has happened to feeding a cat a third of a tin of car food per day. Are you saying that cat food is no longer in tins just expensive single portion sachets? My cat would lick the bowl clean and have GoGo biscuits - hence her name - for breakfast. She was a beautiful active cat who never needed a vet visit and died naturally in her outdoor garden bed. She adopted me as a grown cat so I never knew her exact age. I’m afraid my eyes gave up on the 32 count linen pre-Christmas stitching. I was only using up what I had and a free download pattern but I may see if I can buy 20 count linen (Zweigart Cork) from the sewing shop when I next go into Storrington, or if they don’t stock it I can ask the owner to order it from her supplier. The yarn shop in Storrington is also calling me so I may well treat myself soon. I would love to buy a skein of special yarn to knit into a neck scarf - something soft and drapey like alpaca and silk that I would never be able to spin. We had flooding in the lower part of the village yesterday, water from the mill stream and the river was fairly deep across the road and I sloshed through it on my way to yoga and was dithering about going out in the evening to book group but then as dusk fell I remembered to phone my friend who lives in the Mill House (the folk who live in the actual mill have to move out of their house when the water is high) who reassured me the water across the road had completely gone and I was safe to drive. Had a lovely evening at book group, and yes it was a marmite book with scores ranging from 2 to 10 with an average of 7 as usual. When I got home from yoga yesterday it was such a beautiful day and S was quite perky so we put on our wellies and had a fantastic walk all around the fields with the flooded water meadows lapping the edges. We saw so much bird life including the barn owl, the kestrel, green woodpeckers, ducks and geese and so much twittering from the little birds. Also a dead fawn - only it’s tail slightly munched and its eyes pecked out but otherwise perfect. It’s our own private nature reserve down there - absolutely magical - and we are only able to access it through the gate out of our meadow so it is complete untouched by other humans. It’s a beautiful sunny day today and I’m feeling springy and energetic as I watch last year’s lambs play in the field opposite. How lucky are we to live here despite speeding cars and their litter. I did a litter pick on Saturday and filled a sack with rubbish on the mile between us and the lords piece. Do you get much litter from cars on the lanes around you? S had venison casserole with jacket potato and rhubarb from the freezer and roasted in the oven for his supper last night (and was in bed when I got home just after 10pm) and tonight it’s the old winter stalwart cauliflower cheese. Do try and get some diced venison for casseroling - so much nicer than beef I think - and probably cheaper too, in the farm shop here it’s about £10/kilo. My favourite easy delicious recipe for venison casserole is from Riverford and I follow it exactly apart from leaving out the juniper berries and replacing redcurrant jelly with my red gooseberry jam which sort of substitutes for both. Hope you have a good day BB and the car gets through its MOT without too much expense. I am still reeling from S agreeing without consulting me to spend £1600 in service and maintenance costs on our 2010 Polo last year, especially now he cannot drive and we’re only keeping it for our children’s convenience. Oh well it’s only money and once it’s gone it’s gone and at least at 31 and 28 years old neither of our children have ever owned a car and mostly use bicycles and their legs and public transport to get around. Ideally I would like to sell both our cars and buy an automatic compact 4x4 to cope with flooded icy roads and to make it easier for S to get in and out of, something else to discuss with T when he returns from his travels. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteTinned cat food is hard to source - only the crap stuff they won't eat is available. I have to pay £12.50 for 40 pouches (that's 10 days' worth). Biscuits not cheap either.
DeleteI found Alpaca lovely to spin with (years ago now mind). Not tried silk, or the combination though. I hope that you treat yourself to something special to knit that scarf with.
Litter varies - more in the summer months and when the Royal Welsh is on they work through the night to clear the streets from all the detritis left by revellers.
Hoping the MoT won't be too expensive this time. I thin a small 4x4 is a good idea for you. I would like another Fiat Doblo but apparently the newer models aren't a patch on the old sort we used to have. All my kids have cars. A necessary evil in the countryside (though Gabby is in the city, but sometimes has to go to, say Milton Keynes, to cover for work.
I have a pot of chili simmering away in the crockpot. It is so cold outside (and snowing lightly still). For us, a hot bowl of something hits the spot at supper...and whatever we do not eat will be used for lunch tomorrow or put in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for the tears, but I admire the way that you go about keeping yourself busy and your mind occupied as best you can. Winter is a hard time to be grieving.
That Chilli will hit the spot tonight. Very cold outside at the moment. My computer says it's 3 deg but it feels like minus 10! Sort of relieved Ican't go to myquilt group tomorrow because the car's in to have minor surgery. I was worried that it would be raining in Carms, and I'd get to the Z-bends and very steep climb around the Sugarloaf and would find the snow stopped me in my tracks, 20 miles or so from home.
DeleteI need to keep busy when I'm on my own. In the summer I can be out in the garden or going for long walks but Indoors is my preference right now!
Tell me about fussy cats. When Miss Sheva came to us she had Whiskas fish, but I made the mistake of giving her a pouch of Purina fish (freebie) and that's all she will eat now, plus Go-Cat biscuits and cheese Dreamies. She has been to Vets for her jabs and check up and has put on 2kg since we adopted her, so she is now on a diet!I've built a shelving unit for the landing cupboard, done some cleaning and spoken to a friend who is terminally ill with lung cancer, she sounds bright and cheerful and is making plans for decorators to come, so it makes my general old age aches and pains seem tiny. I wish I could still knit and embroider but it makes my hands hurt so much. Hugs Xx
ReplyDeleteAh, the Dreamies addiction! I have Pippi up doing headstands beside the pouch of Dreamies several times a day. .. Yes, cats decide they want X cat food until you lay in a months' supply and they decide they are fed up with that flavour now!
DeleteSorry to hear about your friend - she sounds so brave.
Sorry too that your hands hurt to much to sew or knit now. Old age never comes alone, my late mil used to say.
Being brave taking the Upper Chapel road in this weather!!
ReplyDelete