Saturday

Phew.  Back again.  Thanks for the nice, understanding comments yesterday and I decided not to redo the post but leave it for today instead.  :-)

Thursday was lovely - chat with Chris, over to Lindsey for Personal Training and we managed to chat a fair bit too between puffs and, finally, Morrisons for a shop.  Small but, as is only to be expected nowadays, not cheap.

I looked inside my purse to get my debit card and there it was - gone!!  Goodness knows where I lost it between the Wednesday shopping around town and the Thursday Morrisons shop.  I paid with my phone instead (so glad I had it with me, I don't always) and when I got home, after a scrabble around my bag, I used the app to cancel my card and order a replacement.  It is such a simple process now, made simpler by the fact that the lost card hadn't been used anywhere else.  Then I went the rounds changing bank details and I expect I will have messages telling me 'your card has been refused, please change your bank details' for a month or so.  Oh, well!!

And while on the subject of money, my electricity bill shot up this past month.  I wondered why until I remembered the Garden Room.  I keep the thermostat low in there but when it's colder it does click on.  If I will go for these luxuries . . .

Yesterday started with Slimming World, really good with a great discussion, and then I picked Alex up for his cooking lesson.

We had a go at making a nut roast from a recipe Beth found with a view to possibly having it Christmas Day.  We made a few mistakes - over chopped the nuts and tried to do the mixing in Thermione so we ended up with a gloopy mixture.  It made LOADS too. 
The resulting loaf was/is quite tasty but the texture is wrong, I think, although it is up to Beth.  I'm going to have another go using third quantities and what we made won't be wasted!

After all that and driving Alex home again, I tidied the kitchen properly and flopped.

Today I am baffled.  I'm booked into a sourdough course at the Thermomix studio this morning.  The ticket and the site says it starts at ten thirty but the reminder message I got yesterday says be there for twelve.  I've fired off an email but I bet it won't be accessed until Monday!
I will get there for ten thirty and hope for the best!

As I'm in town, I will be getting a fee specific festive gifts before bussing home and spending the rest of the day on (and therefore under) the quiet skies blanket.  I'm joining the squares together now and decided to just accept the squares I made in wrong colours.  It's OK, I don't notice them as much in whole blanket context and the border will also help.  I am SO glad I don't have to frog them.

And, of course, it is Strictly in Blackpool.  Yay!

Friday

 Ooops.

Overslept and in a mad rush.  I will be back to write this later, if I can.  If I don't, I will be back tomorrow.
Sorry - and have a great day.  xx

Thursday

Good morning, one and all, and welcome to Thursday's post.  For some reason, I woke super-early this morning, a bit of a nuisance but can't be helped.  I decided that, instead of tossing and turning, I would come down and get on with stuff which is why I'm typing this at quarter to five!

It feels warmer than it ought to feel and I realise that I didn't put the clock back on the thermostat.   It's on the List!   Also, I'm warm and snuggly in my pjs, oodie and fluffy slipper boots so all's well in my little world.

I had the nicest time going round a few shops yesterday.  I did B&M, Lidl, Aldi, M&S and Lathcoats, all of which are out-of-town-centre places and came back with five bags of stuff - but nothing really bad.  The biggest was Anna's birthday present - it's bad luck, I think, to have your birthday at Christmas so I always make sure she gets birthday recognition as well as something for Christmas.
Apart from that, I got some gifts, some foody bits, some festive coffee pods (an indulgence, I know, but I do love my coffee), some decorative bits and some nice, fluffy, warm socks for wearing around the house or (avert your eyes if you are of a sensitive disposition) in bed . . .  😄
I have a tendency to cold feet so they should help a lot.

It took me a while to sort everything out, wrap things that needed wrapping and generally sort things out.

The Teams meeting later on was actually really interesting and I learnt a lot.

On to today:  Thursday is coffee and chat with Chris day and then I'm off to Lindsey's for my PT session which she moved from yesterday because of the meeting.

Then, I think I will write my shopping list and go to Morrisons to get it done rather than tomorrow as usual.  Alex is round for another cooking session tomorrow and, if I have what I need, I can prep some of it before he arrives.  We're trying something out for Christmas.

I've just checked my bank so I can update my spreadsheet and it looks like the winter fuel payment has arrived.  I gather that, if it has to go back, it will be taken in dribs and drabs via monthly tax rather than a demand for a lump sum but I will move it across into savings anyway so it doesn't just 'vanish'.

Have a really good day, everyone.  I hope the weather isn't too unpleasant for you and that you can be warm and cosy.  See you tomorrow!  xx

Wednesday

Good morning, everyone.  How's things?

It's a bit cold here but not as cold as yesterday, judging by the lack of frost on the cars.  OK by me.  Inside, the house smells of coffee because I have just ground a bag of beans in Thermione.  I would love one of those posh coffee machines that noisily grinds the beans needed and presents you with a wonderful drink at the end but this is for the cafetiere.
Maybe, one day - and maybe not!

Yesterday passed very pleasantly.  Groove was good and it was very satisfying to hand over two bags of unwanted fabric items.  Some of the things are still in really good shape, I just don't use them.  C said that they sell really good stuff to raise much needed money so that's really good.
Once home, I got ready to go into school to talk to the SENDCo - a very good meeting and I have plenty of info for my report to the governing body.

Early afternoon K came round and we had a good catch up over coffee as we sorted a few things out - not problem things, just things.  I'll tell you another time, if it works out OK.

And that was it - the house was as OK as it ever is so I sat down with coffee and my crochet and got stuck in to the Quiet Skies blanket.  It's going really well now; in fact, I'm not far off finishing the squares and then there's the challenge of working out where each bit goes.  I think I might have to redo one set of squares because I got the colours wrong - if I have the yarn to do so.  We will see.  It depends what it looks like once they are all laid out really.  If you can't tell, no worries . . .

Today is a day with nothing on at all until late afternoon when I have a Governors' chairs and vice-chairs meeting with the MAT trustees.  I couldn't get to the last one and before then I wasn't a vice-chair so it's a new experience for me.  I will sit quietly and learn!
There's some paperwork to go through and I do have to write up my meeting report which won't take that long really.

I'm thinking of doing a bit more Christmas window shopping - I do enjoy looking around and am usually not that tempted because I have all I need to create a festive vibe at home already.  It is just really nice - a feast for the eyes.

Better be off and doing, I suppose.  Stay warn, everyone, and have a lovely day.  xx

Tuesday

Hi, everyone!  It's still pretty dark here but I just stuck my nose outside the back door and it's not quite frosty -yet - but frost often develops as light dawns so we will see.

(later edit:  yes, we have frost!!)

I got done what I wanted/needed to do yesterday.  The washing basket is now almost empty and one load dried on the line in the breezy sunshine.  The second load didn't really but that made things easy to iron and they're now ready to put away.

When I emptied the airing cupboard before Matt was due to come, I realised quite how much old stuff I had at the back so, yesterday, I sorted the lot out - towels, sheets, duvet covers, the lot - and am taking all the stuff I no longer need down to the hall when I go to Groove to a friend who supports a local animal shelter which, she said, are always on the look out for that sort of stuff.  I was so pleased to get that done and dusted.

I did a bit of housework too, so my halo may shine dimly but at least it still shines.  

Today feels busy.  It isn't really, it just feels it.

There's Groove, of course, although we're not walking today; Chris is driving, because of the bags of stuff.

Then there's just time for a quick breakfast before I am due at school for my termly Governor's meeting with the SENDCo.  I have the paperwork printed out and it shouldn't take all that long although this term's meeting is quite an in-depth one and, with the changes in OFSTED guidelines, there will be plenty to cover, I think.

This afternoon is easier - I have the friend coming round who couldn't come last week so that will be very nice.

If I have time/energy, I will write up my report of the morning meeting - if not, I will do it tomorrow instead.

So that is my day - nothing too out of the ordinary and it will be nice to see everyone - Chris, Groove ladies, the school folk and my friend.  I think I will be all peopled out by the evening but that's OK.  😄

Have a lovely day yourself, everyone.  Stay warm, safe and cosy!  See you!

Monday

Morning, everyone.  As predicted, it has turned pretty cold round here.  Not frosty cold, just cold and with some wind!  Brrrr - definitely I am taking my coat to circuits this morning.

Yesterday was nice and gentle.  I made those loaves, did some washing, cooked, sort of tidied up and generally chilled.

Today starts with circuits at Shimmy Studio.  Then, as it is Monday, it is housework day and I have two piles of washing to deal with plus ironing that I really should have done yesterday but didn't.
That should keep me out of mischief today!

Thank you all very much for your kind comments yesterday - much appreciated.

Short and sweet today.  Have a lovely Monday, everyone, and take care.  xx

Sunday and a ramble

 Morning, everyone.  Happy Sunday.  After a damp, drizzly and rather gloomy day yesterday, this morning seems to be a bit brighter.  Not exactly sunny but thinner, higher clouds.  I haven't been out yet but I bet it is colder too.

Yesterday was, as expected, a slow day.  I was quite weary but managed to hold off from actually having a snooze which resulted in a great night's sleep overnight so no complaints there.  I pottered - you know what I mean by that - but in the afternoon I took a trip to one of the three (why do we need three, I ask myself) Aldis in town and came out with a steak, some vacu packed chestnuts (for Christmas) and some nice smelly things - candles and reed diffusers - destined for December usage.

The other things I was glad to do yesterday was just to schedule in some of the advent/festive prep stuff.  December is pretty clogged in the first two weeks and I don't want to leave everything until the last few weeks.  At least I don't have to worry about The Actual Day!

Today is another day with nothing in the diary but it is a two loaf day, as I mentioned before (one for Lindsey and one for Beth).  I was hoping to get the dough mixed last night for a long overnight cold ferment but the leaven didn't play ball.  It looked beautiful this morning so the dough is mixed and in the middle of its stretch and folds right now.

I had an interesting comment under my Norwich post which started me thinking and you know me, sometimes I like to think out loud - or, rather - through my typing fingers.
This was the comment:

Whatever age I was I'd be very worried if I couldn't remember a place I'd been to just 18 months ago!

First of all, I am not offended and assume the writer meant well.  It was anonymous but I am OK with anonymous as long as they aren't nasty.  Nasty things would get the boot pretty pronto but I am very lucky that my readers are a really nice bunch and your comments are lovely.  Yes, I get spam, although Blogger seems to deal with most of the for me nowadays, but apart from that, yes, I'm lucky.  Thank you all very much.

Anyway, I've always been bad with names.  When I was teaching, I would click faces straight away, no worries, but it took me longer than average to connect names to those faces.  Always.  I wonder if it is associated with my poor hearing, which has been an issue since teenage years, in some way.
(I'm also a bit dyscalculic - number sequences faze me, they really do, and always have done)

Ditto with places so as soon as we got to Norwich I knew and I remembered where I needed to go to do what I wanted to do, etc.  I remembered the place fine.  It was the name and I smile as I type this because that is so very me.

So - worried?  Well, no, not really.  I've lived with poorish auditory type memory for a very long time, long before I knew about auditory/visual memories, etc.
All my friends of a similar age to me talk about not recalling things as well as they used to.  It's not just me!

However, and it is a big however, I do have to bear in mind that my lovely mum had dementia in the last ten-ish years of her life so - who knows, eh?  I keep myself active, mentally alert (sudoku type things, reading, word puzzles, outings, blogging, etc), physically fit with my classes and YouTube videos, I'm as social as a rather introverted and hard of hearing person can manage, I keep the hand/eye coordination going through my crafting . . . and I can certainly still string ideas together into a semi-coherent account/waffle/ramble!
My finances are in order with savings in case I do need care in the future as well as my house, etc.

You do what you can, don't you, and accept that some things can't be avoided/changed?  I don't worry about this particular thing; worry is a waste of mental energy and there's more than enough things in the world to worry about at the moment anyway, but I do what I can and what will come, will come.

Thanks for the comment.  It's good to think about these things from time to time.  And thanks to everyone who has made it through to the end without yawning!  😉

Whatever the weather, have a lovely day, everyone.  See you tomorrow.  xx