Family time

 Tam and Rosie arrived yesterday lunchtime.  I was just baking a Lemon Drizzle cake.  Gabby is arriving first thing this morning  as her car is booked in for MoT at the local garage.  Rosie is what our family would call "all about".  She is speaking in short sentences "There you go, grandma".  She had me LOL last night as I had cooked a really tasty beef casserole for our tea, and she was sat next to me, saying no to mummy's chips and wanting broccoli instead which was declared "tasty"!  She'd already eaten, so this was a top up.  We poured a glass of wine, and I noticed Rosie reaching out for my glass (she likes wine! so we have to make sure she can't reach it.  Anyway, I noticed her little hand heading for the wine and said, "Rosie!" and she said, "There you go grandma" as if she hadn't dreamed of drinking any and was going to give it to me all along . . .  (P.S.  we don't ply her with wine - she grabs a glass if we aren't looking and sips!)

When I came back from my walk, Pippi has been sat on the fence, hoping a vole would move in the grass in the paddock.

We had a sharp air frost on Tuesday night as this is the windscreen of the car . . .  Jack Frost is so decorative with his designs.

The central heating boiler was serviced yesterday and a small part changed, and I was told it was working 98% efficiently.  I am still waiting for my heating oil delivery but hopefully it should be today or tomorrow as I ordered it last week and was told it would be here "next week".  

Storm Chandra certainly made itself unwelcome this week - the 3rd named storm this month, and bringing dreadful flooding in the West Country.  Of course there are videos on line showing idiots driving - expensive - cars into floodwater at speed, thinking that will get them through, but of course that makes it worse as the engine gets flooded even quicker.  The water meadows at Dorchester are under water with a danger to life warning, and Bridport badly flooded too, whilst Ottery St Mary in Devon has its worst ever flooding.  That's the trouble with such heavy rain saturating the ground, and the run off from hills into the rivers - it just can't get away fast enough.  

I sat down with one of my Library Books last night, having just watched all three episodes of Lucy Worsley's excellent documentaries about Conan Doyle.  The book - Mycroft and Sherlock - the Empty Birdcage - is one where you read the first page and are disappointed, dip into the middle and read a few more lines to get the measure of it, and discard.  Not the style of writing I found easy.

Jobs for the day - empty stable guttering and check it as it is leaking; try to determine where a washing machine leak is coming from as carpet is soaking in there; change curtain pole in guest bedroom; book Copenhagen holiday (half done now, flights booked, just sorting out hotels in two sites as going to see Tollund Man too.)  So, getting there.

Right, family calls.  Granny is in charge of Rosie who is stood on my stool at the sink, with a ladle and some water in the washing up bowl.  This keeps her occupied for hours!