1 |
Happy New Year to all of my readers (hee hee!).
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2 |
Oh dear, mum-in-law still suffering with her bronchitis so we went there to
cook dinner this evening and to get her shopping. Busy day, as I had
already been to the gym and the hospital.
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3 |
It's
a bitterly cold day but we had a date. A drive to the Red Cow in
Chrishall for a meal with two of our best friends. It was a delicious
affair but I did think the price of £5.50 for three scoops of ice cream was
excessive. They were very naughty and delivered a late Xmas present to
me. All was immediately forgiven as soon as I saw that it featured a
chicken (they know me too well). It's a notice, now proudly displayed
in my kitchen, which reads "Kitchen closed. This chick's had
it".
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4 |
Hat 8 required and duly made for an honorary visitor to Crow's up &
coming get-together.
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5 |
Xmas went back in it's box. There seems to be some debate on TV as to
whether this is 12th night or tomorrow? I count 25 December as the
first day of Christmas which makes today 12th night. Others disagree,
but I don't really think the subject is worthy enough for mainstream news!
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6 |
Boy, is it cold here. I took my car for service & MOT at 9:00 this
morning and it was -3.5C. I returned at 12:30 and it was still below
zero at -0.5C.
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7 |
Tricky knitting at the moment - an evening wear poncho in a fine silky
ribbon yarn. Should be nice when done, but I have to knit far more
slowly than normal.
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8 |
Another car appointment as I took it for two new tyres to get it through the
MOT. Tyres were so expensive at the dealership, it was better to buy
them at our local "tyre shop". Then back to the dealership
for the MOT certificate.
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9 |
These
beautiful flowers were a gift which arrived on Christmas Eve with
mum-in-law.
They are now starting their third week.
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10 |
After a whole evening of fringing I finished the poncho. Its very
delicate and very pretty - even if I say so myself!
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11 |
Another visit to take a meal to mum-in-law as she's now suffering with a
frozen shoulder. I've started knitting a new top to match the recently
finished poncho. After days of freezing cold weather , the temperature
has suddenly jumped to 8C.
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12 |
I'm very disappointed with the dual-control Dreamland heated duvet I bought
in October. Within six weeks of purchase one of the controls has
failed and I've been chasing my supplier by email and 'phone but they won't
respond. It seems that this supplier - Snugnights - has no concept of
customer service.
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13 |
Since the weather has turned milder I
ventured into my tunnel to clear a raised bed and tidy up the strawberry
bed, but gardening in January is not a great pleasure. |
14 |
Progress of my new top is fairly slow
because of the ladder yarn and fine needles, but I've reached the armholes
on the back. |
15 |
The trouble with this ladder yarn is that
it tangles up far too easily. I spent the whole evening trying to
unravel yarn but eventually had to give up and throw away this ball. |
16 |
I've come across some gorgeous papers on
the net which inspired me to have a card making session. |
17 |
A couple of hours clearing out the potting
shed ready for spring cleaning. Spent compost spread on the veg
garden and in one of the tunnel beds. Yuk, it needs such a good
cleaning in there, but that's for another day... |
18 |
If you're of my generation then no doubt,
like me, you watched Vision On as a child. Being more of a
scientist, I was never any good at art. I seemed to lack creative
imagination but I still enjoyed trying. Sad news then that Tony Hart
, the show's presenter, died today at 83. |
19 |
I'm a bit into card making at the moment
and several more have come off the production line. I'm building up
a bit of a stock so I may, if I think they're good enough, make up some
sets as presents for my friends. |
20 |
Dug up more jerusalem artichokes today,
watched by a captivated Pepper.
Meanwhile, in the grand scheme of things, it's the inauguration of Barack
Obama, the 44th US president and first African-American in the job.
It's also exactly 47 years to the day since John F Kennedy was sworn in as
the youngest ever president at 43. That was 1961, the year Barack
Obama was born. Strange coincidences...
Harvest: 1 leek, 6 lb jerusalem artichokes |
21 |
A night at the Mercury theatre preceded by
a meal. The play was The Holly & The Ivy - "Wynyard
Browne’s play, set in 1940s Norfolk, begins on Christmas Eve and slowly
unfolds over 24 hours, during which time secrets are revealed, skeletons
are wrenched out of closets and lives are changed forever." It
was well performed, but the family secrets were a little lacking in
excitement by today's standards. It was probably far more shocking
to its initial audiences in 1952. |
22 |
I've been watching a successful Andy Murray
win his 2nd round match in the Australian Open. A straight set
victory, he looks on good form for this contest. |
23 |
Rain, rain go away.... A continuance
of rain, some heavy, some persistent, some both has led to puddles
everywhere, rendered part of the lawn unapproachable as walking on it will
destroy the swamped grass and a pond close to overflowing again. |
24 |
Shopping, cooking, outdoor cleaning,
knitting - busy, busy, busy. My outdoor cleaning was a venture into
the potting shed to remove the first layer of filth - yuk! My
knitting was marred by having to give up on yet another completely tangled
ball of ladder yarn fortunately quite near the end.
Preserving: 3 litres of carrot & jerusalem artichoke soup |
25 |
It's Burns night. In fact, the 250th
anniversary of the birth of Robbie Burns so I've got haggis on the menu
tonight. But before that, a session of jam making interrupted by a
surprise visit from two friends who were passing by.
Preserving: 12 jars of blackberry & apple jam |
26 |
Hurrah - I've finished knitting my ladder
yarn top - just needs sewing up.
Harvest: swiss chard, spring onions. |
27 |
I'm a glutton for punishment - still got
ladder yarn left so I've started a scarf. I know I'll regret it. |
28 |
Red Nose Day 2009 had been launched this
week, so have a groan at one of their jokes and make a donation if you
can.
Q. How do bees get to school? A. On the school buzz! ... |
29 |
Still slowly unravelling ladder yarn and
making my scarf. |
30 |
Almost there on the scarf, all yarn
unravelled, just a little more to knit then the fringing. |
31 |
Sue, David and Grace came for dinner.
The menu: carrot & jerusalem artichoke soup, followed by golden
five-spice chicken with egg-fried & jasmine rice and stir fried veg,
followed by tropical trifle then the cheeseboard. This was the
closest I've ever been to cooking a chinese meal and although I had my
doubts during cooking, it turned out to be a success. |