Another Positive Post. We have had a dry day with Sunshine! Yippee. There was birdsong. I went to Llandod. Just to Tesco as I only had a few things to get, then on to Screwfix for a replacement toilet seat. Tam now fretting that I might have bought the Wrong One! I pulled over to plug in my phone so I could listen to the last couple of hours of one of my Audible books - Conspiracy by S J Parris. I can really recommend her novels. As I looked up from that, the sun was shining through a couple of bare branched trees, but they had been colonised by a fine mossy lichen and glowed green around branches and twigs. SO pretty. I listen to Audible when I am out walking too.
Then out for a - short - walk. Only 1/4 mile or so each way, but so lovely to be out in the fresh air, and looking at what was to be seen in the hedgerows, and what birds were about - some very smart looking Chaffinches for starters. Snowdrops only just coming through the ground on the first bend, and so I won't walk down to the church yet to see if they are putting on their annual display. Early February I think that will be.
A touch of colour on some lichen-clad twigs. First tentative leaves of Cow Parsley, and one - just ONE - small Celandine leaf!
Low cloud in the direction of Hundred House.
I was lucky to find a Derek Tangye book, Monty's Leap, in the Tesco book recycling bookcase. Years ago (1960s/70s/80s) I read all of his novels, which were about his and his wife Jeannie's life in the far west of Cornwall, near the Minack Theatre, in a tiny cottage with land and glass houses where they grew daffodils on the cliffs, and made early spring posies, both of which they sent up to London. They grew potatoes too. I loved reading about their cats and donkeys and lifestyle. I shall enjoy re-reading this one too.
I have had a letter from a penpal of over 50 years' standing too, and also found a little stitch kit which I got from a charity shop in Llandod last year. It had got covered in fabric, so I have liberated it to stitch.
Tea tonight is going to be two large Tesco cod fish fingers, with some home-made chips and peas. I've not had fish for a while. I bought a tray of chicken breast for the freezer too. Plus some of those giant spring onions, a red pepper, a nice head of garlic, Maris Piper potatoes, 2 cucumbers, and some nice on the vine tomatoes. Topping up store cupboard items this week were Plain and S-R flour and a big 3 Kg bag of Allison's bread flour.
Possible snow again in the offing - "the Beast from the East - a 656 mile wall of snow" is apparently heading our way in a couple of days. Deep joy, not! The entire country will be a whiteout. Anyway, I had half a tank of heating oil at Christmas, and now 3 weeks on will have used a chunk in the cold weather, so have just ordered 500 L. That will be around £270 as it's 54p a L at the moment.
New jets on car this week - £150 or so also out, and it's time for the central heating boiler to be checked for the year . . . Food spending will have to go down to the minimum, but can't match the Frugal Sue's out there!!
I used to love reading those Derek Tangle books too - that brought back memories.
ReplyDeleteThis was written after Jeannie died, and doesn't flow like the earlier books, as he is moving about a bit in his journalistic memories at the start of the book. I will persevere though.
DeleteOne just thinks...a toilet is just a toilet! Different sizes are unexpected !!
ReplyDeleteNice to keep busy and feel that you have achieved something.
No weather warnings here on the western, but on the East, warnings for rain.
Just forecast damp breezy and cold but not freezing here
I know - I thought a seat is a seat is a seat! Tam thinks it should fit.
DeleteWe will wait and see about the weather - may just be rain this side of the country.
I'm glad you're having good days and the views and roadside seem to have a hint of spring. I hope the snowstorm is what we call a fizzle, all talk, no snow.
ReplyDeleteDarling kitty needle work!
They keep over-reacting to any "weather event" and it's always life-threatening and we must have certain supplies in to survive it. I wonder what they would have said about the winter of 1962/3 at the time. Now that was a proper Beast.
DeleteI donated all my Derek Tangye books before we moved and I had the full set. Toilet fittings are all different as is the shape of the seat. I saw we are supposed to get the Beast from the East on 31st January, I shall stock up when I shop on Thursday. Had Baby C twice today, he now weighs 6lbs 12oz, and is smiling at me, mind he was sick on me too and his special baby milk does have a very peculiar offish smell. Sheva still not impressed with him and spent most of the time out in the rain, rather than be in the same room as him. Xx
ReplyDeleteThe timing of the snow is worrying if it's that late, because I have a Fair the following weekend.
DeleteGlad that Baby C is thriving. Odd that Sheva thinks he is an Alien! Alfie is like that with Strange Men and will happily sit out in quite heavy rain (under a bush) rather than risk being indoors with Someone Strange.
I'm listening to a really good book, Before the Fall by Noah Hawley. I usually listen to audio books after I get into bed but this one is so exciting it keeps me awake! We have had heavy fog for days, can hardly see your hand in front of your face. The boats coming into the harbour are sounding their fog horns. It's all a bit mysterious and eerie. The cold and damp has kept me in and I'm getting a bit squirrelly. Canadian for restless and nervous, in case it doesn't translate.
ReplyDeleteWe had low cloud yesterday but it cleared a bit by the time I got to Llandod. I read a few pages in bed. I've just looked up your book and it does sound a bit too exciting for bedtime! I have just bought the new Ken Follett book, Circle of Days, which is about the building of Stonehenge.
DeleteSquirrelly is a good expression :)
I have several of the Derek Tangye books which I take out to reread occasionally. 'Somewhere A Cat Is Waiting' surely honors those cats who 'find' us rather than the other way round.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to read that you've now had several more 'normal' days--hoping that trend continues.
How I loved those books back in the day - along with Hovel in the Hills and its sister books Kitchen in and Garden in the Hills. Living quite THAT frugally (Hovel style) not for me though and I can imagine Keith's face if I fossicked around our land for greenery to eat and nowt to go with it! As my NZ friend Rosie would say, living on the smell of an oily rag!
DeleteYes, mending now, finally, as the meds did the trick. I need to build my muscles up again though.
Good news that you are really feeling better, my hip is much better as well since I had the cortisone injection. I bought myself the that new Ken Follett book as my Christmas present saves my husband a lot of bother) but I'm not starting it yet as we are going on a little holiday at the end of the month so will start it then, looking forward to it. Just to keep you up to date 39C today and again tomorrow and 38C Thursday. From Shirley in Perth.
ReplyDeleteGlad your hip is so much better. Enjoy reading the Ken Follett on holiday. I have about an hour and a half of the S J Parris and then I can start on it. 4 deg here . . . blasted cold wind too and heavy rain all day.
DeleteI always thought that most toilet seats were pretty interchangeable ... unless you have a squarish shaped toilet like Alan has two of in his house. When one of them broke it took us quite a while to find a replacement. Hence me wanting to keep the original one for our new place, it also has a 'proper' flushing handle which not many new toilets do these days. I hadn't heard about 'the Beast from the East', but I think I have enough supplies in of most things.
ReplyDeleteOh so did I but Tam said I had to measure it up etc - which I did, but not, apparently, the bit that mattered most! You clearly manage to steer clear of the Weather Clickbait!!
DeleteI love a good audiobook - I use Borrowbox which gives me free through the library. I have been having a stint with the podcast "The Rest is History" of late, though - working my way through the French Revolution at the moment. I am up to 1791 and things aren't looking too good for a few main characters!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanie - hope it's not too hot in your part of Oz - or is that being hopeful? I had a look at Borrowbox, but it was mainly modern books by authors I wasn't familiar with and the authors I had been adding to my collection weren't readily available. Perhaps I should try again.
ReplyDeleteWell done with learning about the French Revolution - I know the very bare basics!