Limping......

 
Doggy Day Care all of Saturday and Sunday, but she's no bother. Even the dog finds it too cold outside to play or investigate just pops out quickly when necessary. Thankfully we had noticed a couple of escape routes the fox had made in the fence line and Hubby found enough rocks to fill them. 

Our usual Wednesday night gang met and it has now become our usual pub to eat in and stay. I was relieved that it was one venue for the whole evening rather than eat elsewhere first then onto the pub, as my very painful left foot/ankle occurred again as a medication side effect.

My foot was making it so hard to walk so I hung on to Hubby again Thursday night when we were invited to eat at friendM's who loves to cook and have guests round. Four of us had a lovely evening. 

Hung on to Hubby on Friday for my regular blood test too. I'm leaving the offending pills off for a few days to see if that helps and I'll speak to my care team next week. 

So apart from that and to say I really enjoyed the Eastenders 40th anniversary week that's about all. 

Take care of yourselves.

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My Valentines......

 
Winter hibernation has been enjoyed for most of this week. So very little to report on. 

Friday was our special day. Not only Valentine's Day but Hubby's birthday too. 

We didn't plan to do anything in case we were needed for dog sitting (we weren't) so enjoyed a relaxing(lazy) day at home. Hubby even got to watch snooker, an old war film and a program he'd recorded about the history of Concord without any complaints from me! Son and fiancé joined us in the evening to share a Chinese takeaway mmmmmm.

Another very special event that day was O released his debut album under his music persona Charlie Blackwood. 

Obviously that's just a screenshot so no link but to search for him use @blackwoodsocial (check you've found the right CB as there's more than one). I'm a very proud Grandma. 

Have a good weekend and wrap up warm.

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Receive, Replace, Repair........

 
E was visiting her mum for the weekend so Saturday they came to visit me. Daughter with E and R walked over with the dog and stayed for lunch then Hubby drove them home. 

So lovely to see them and also to finally receive our Christmas present from E. These will take pride of place on our Christmas tree at the end of the year. 

On Sunday Son had booked two tip slots here and brought the van to help Hubby get the fridge and freezer there. He had rubbish of his own to take including two cracked stone sinks so that's why it needed two trips. 

Hubby brought ours to the front of the house ready. 

Then the two of them loaded and unloaded at the tip together. Apologies for the bad photo taken through the window. 

They both worked so hard and then Son tells us he'd already done a long dawn walk with Daughter and the dog. 

And like any obsessed Eastenders fan I've made one simple event last for many episodes in the telling! 

Finally decided I'd done all I could for my niece's treasured panda. When I sent her a photo she said she was emotional like they are on The Repair Shop. 

Both out Wednesday evening as usual and Hubby out Friday evening for pool practice (that's the game with balls not the splashing around in the water sort of pool. 

We'd had a nice surprise visit from friendKK in the afternoon. I haven't seen her for quite a few months so it was good she wasn't in her usual rush and stayed chatting for more than three hours. 

Enjoy your weekend, we've nothing planned, and I'll see you next week.

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Chilled.........

 
We started this week moving the fridge and freezer out of the kitchen.

Fortunately Daughter and Son had planned one of their big walks together on Saturday. They always start early so by midday they both arrived here.  

Hubby had already prepared for the move by covering the worktops as they had to lift each one over the top. 

He made the space for them outside 

And cleared a nice wide route through. 

I had already sorted their contents into the drawers or onto trays to make it easier for them to be emptied. 

Daughter and I stayed chatting in the lounge and out of their way so Hubby and Son could move them then plug them back in in the garden. 

Yes the space needs a good clean but not as bad as I had expected. 

Then with our ingredients Daughter cooked us eggs on toast and Son made the tea. 

Only a few days of remembering to bring inside what's needed without multiple trips out in the cold (glad that area has a roof at least). We kept a cool bag on the worktop so some bits could stay short term. 

Tuesday the new ones arrived 

Hubby did the leveling and install

Aarrrrggghhh they look so much smaller and out of place and I need a solution. 

With very limiting measurements I managed to find this incredibly narrow shelf unit, on wheels and cheap enough to try in case it didn't fit. 

It did fit, snugly, and now the gap has a purpose. 

Thought it time for a health update. It was a bit daunting starting the cancer pills again on the 1st January having felt so much better with the three week break. Now it's been a whole month there are side effects but thankfully all manageable. I have agreed with my specialist nurse to lower the dose slightly by only taking it on Monday to Friday. I'm feeling more in control and positive which is far more me (I've never been a pessimist). 

Thursday's quiz asked "what is this?" which reminded me of an old favourite rhyme

I wish I was a glow worm

A glow worm's never glum

How can anyone be sad

When the sun shines out your bum! 

Friday was a lovely lunch with friendM in our local hotel, a very nice setting, and they do a good value two course pensioner's lunch. This trip was actually my treat as I'd promised friendM a birthday lunch. Would you believe this was our first opportunity even though her birthday was last October hahaha! 

Hope you've had a good week too.

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Hunky Dory........

 
I love having my children and grandchildren all here, lots of noisy conversations about all the things they have in common and all share what they are doing or will be doing, however, I also really love when they come separately as that's when I often get to ask the questions and understand the how's and why's. Saturday Son and fiancé came for lunch. Sunday Daughter, R, O and the dog came for lunch and stayed until after the Ipswich football game on TV, but as it was a spectacular loss to Manchester City they wish they hadn't bothered! 

Nothing else of interest to report really. Busy coffee morning Monday and out with usual friends Wednesday and another blood test Friday. 

So I'll leave it at that and go and sort the contents of the fridge and freezer as Son will be here shortly to help Hubby move them outside the back door where they can be plugged in and still used until the new ones arrive mid-week.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Picture This.....

 
A white weekend that's not snow, but it has been cold enough for this frost to last all the time, even when there's been some sun on it. 

Is this what they call a hoarfrost? Pretty isn't it? 

A few days later when it warmed a little the sky was the most picturesque subject. 

And the huge morning moon wanted to be noticed too.

Inside it was time to get another jigsaw started. 

We've (mostly Hubby) been doing lots of research into what to replace our fridge and freezer with. 

This is what we have now, they are beautiful and large and probably about 15-20 years old. No longer efficient and the freezer constantly ices up. As you can see they fit the space. Of course these are no longer made and the company no longer exists. We can't find anything similar that's the same size.  The American style doubles are taller as are the UK separates. So many only come in black or silver. 

We did find these in Curry's and went to have a look in store. 

They are shorter and possibly short enough to put something suitable on top so they don't become the junk space, but I'd be losing a shelf's worth inside each one. 

The only other thought was to buy a stand alone fridge freezer twice! They are the right height, but think it's more fridge than we need with less freezer capacity. Hubby also said this way would be more expensive running costs. 

Gives me a headache! 

My niece's very old panda, which came to me for hospital care has had its final stitched repair completed and now the big dilemma.... do I carefully hand wash it or take a chance with the washing machine!!!

Daughter's dog is recovering from her latest visit to the vet. It was found she had a minor heart murmur which they will monitor regularly, but while there she had to have seven teeth removed. Poor thing. 

And finally our very last reminder from Christmas (apart from the unopened After Eights). With all the green leaves fallen and lots of the red falling daily we will soon remove the poinsettia from the lounge but glad it gave us pleasure for as long as it has. 

I wish you a colourful week ahead.

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Don't Get Excited........

 
It's been a quiet week so not much to tell you. The weather has been really cold and icy, some wet some windy and very minimal snow so not complaining but I've enjoyed staying home in the warm. Probably it was the weather that meant only two neighbours joined us for coffee morning. We did get two couples let us know beforehand that health issues were a problem. 

I've spent some time repairing a soft toy panda my niece has had since birth and now after loving it for 50+ years it needed it. Nervous now of best way to get it clean. 

O, as I've said before, loves music and making music and now performing under the name of Charlie Blackwood is about to release his first full album. He was interviewed which was published in our local paper. 

On the same day Daughter also appeared in the same edition! So proud of my family. 

And that's about it, thankfully quiet as I've been dealing with a side effect of the cancer pills, even though I've only been back on them for just nine days! 

Stay home and keep warm if you can.

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2025 Without Resolutions.........

 
First thing Saturday Daughter messaged to tell us that the Red Rose Theatre Christmas performance of Pinocchio had a problem. Their cast of three were down to two as the actress who is Pinocchio suddenly has appendicitis so from now to the end of its run on 5th January R is taking her place. Of course she has had barely any rehearsal but thankfully as stage manager she knows roughly what should happen when. A friend of mine had tickets for R's first performance and reported back that if they hadn't been told she was a very short notice understudy they would never have known as she was brilliant. 

Sunday we hosted our annual family gathering as usual. This was the image from next door's window and there were three more cars arrived after this. 

We think there were 28 of us plus the dog but they all seemed to spread out at the time I did a quick photo sweep. 

We had two new adult members of the family join us for the first time and they both coped well with our noisy chaos. I really enjoyed it as I always do. 

 

Monday we still had coffee morning and some of the leftover goodies went on the table. Daughter and I had booked tickets for Monday afternoon to see R while she was Pinocchio but then I got a message to say the original actor was well enough to come back for the second show (thankfully it hadn't been appendicitis after all) so our tickets were quickly changed to the matinee (so lucky as there were only three seats left). R was brilliant and we knew how little preparation time she'd had and did five shows. So very proud of her. 

Hubby and I spent New Year's Eve alone, which I don't remember ever having done before, but I'd done enough hosting recently and glad I hadn't invited anybody. We did have our usual Chinese Tesco meals from freezer to oven or microwave. Tasty but lazy eh? 

Hubby didn't even stay up and was fast asleep in bed by the time I'd replied to all the well wishers on social media and watched the midnight fireworks on TV and out of the window shooting up from behind local houses. 

Now 2025! 1st January and I'm back on the evil pills after 20 days break. Having felt almost back to normal I now know which things are definitely side effects and hopefully we can adjust the dosage to lessen them. 

Social activities over it wasn't long before all the pretty stuff was down and packed ready for 11 months storage in the loft

We saw Daughter on her birthday as she had the morning free and Hubby offered to wash her car so it had a birthday treat too, it was filthy but brilliant white when she left. She stayed for lunch then left in time for O to be awake and E&C to arrive from Norwich. 

We've nothing really planned ahead of time and I'll make no promises now so let's just see what sort of year 2025 turns out to be and if there's choices to be made we usually pick the right ones. 

I hope you have a good year, meanwhile have a good week and wrap up warm.

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