Just a Light Flurry...

I love that word flurry..it conjures up nice thoughts of warmth not what it really is which is cold. We awoke this morning to a light dusting of snow on everything..not at all usual for November. This is what we expect in January. It makes everyehere look very pretty, and the back garden looks really nice..with all the weeds covered up! My poor little Buddah has a topping of snow, which has not cleared up at all today, it is too cold.
Called in at the dentist this morning to get an appointment for my filling to be done, and got one for next Wednesday, i asked Judith if there were any cancellations could I be slotted in, and luckily she rang up at lunchtime to say they have one tomorrow at 3O'Clock, so that is good. We have a calendar which we put all our appointments on..(mainly mine) and it is a right mess..with all the altered ones, and cancelled ones there is writing all over. So VT got his labels and pens and redid it beautifully. Bless him..what a treasure.
We went out to Dobbies this morning for a bit of a look round. There were a few things we wanted to get, and we needed to use up our free coffee vouchers for November. I treated myself to two little very pretty tea light holders for the Christmas table. We have a beautiful hand made glass tea light holder we bought a number of years ago, and these will look gorgeous one either side in the middle of our small table. VT bought some fruits for cheese which he loves, and I got a packet of bread sauce and a pack of ginger shortbreads. Very partial to a shortbread biscuit!!
Home to the little cats awaiting their chicken!! lovely greeting, every day about half past one they have a bit of chicken breast cut up very small and put onto a plate each..spoiled brats!! Aaah but they are worth it!
Tonight we are having:
Quorn fillets in a sauce with mushroom
1/2 a pack of rice
Vegetables mixed. Carrots beans and peas

Snowy Britain...

Reports of snow all over the country today, some of it quite bad and roads closed and likewise schools.Any excuse these days for closing schools it seems, and then they wonder why standards fall. Here on North Merseyside, we live in a micro climate, and we actually get very little snow, the weather has to be very bad for us to get snow. We did get some back in January like everywhere else, but apart from waking up this morning to a white frost no signs of the heavy stuff. It is extremely cold though,VT has ordered another delivery of coal for next week of six bags. We now use the smokeless fuel which is excellent, and keeps athe radiators warm and heats the water too. At least the heating allowance helps with that.
We nipped out to Formby to the Waitrose that VT couldn't get near on Friday. Parking was fine today, no problem at all and the shop was fairly quiet. We got our veggies, and stocked up on a few things for Christmas and were home in time for our coffees.
VT got John and Anns parcel ready for posting just after lunch. There is nothing breakable but he wrapped everything up in a carrier bag to stop things being jolted. We got them : A little book of Christmas customs, A book about early Liverpool in pictures and words, A butler and Wilson poodle key ring in a really nice box, A reindeer soft toy decoration as company for the one we sent last year, and A DVD of Downton Abbey which I am sure they will enjoy. All wrapped and tagged, and put into a huge Jiffy bag, Then he took it down to the Post Office... £16.77p!!!!! I have never spent so much on a parcel before in my life..but they are worth it. Only hope they like the things after all that.
Tonight we are having:
broccoli and Cheese escalope
Squashed potatoes baked in the oven
Carrots and green beans
Mushroom sauce.

The Winter Winds do Blow...

Not exactly windy but very cold nevertheless. VT decided to stay in today so we had a day of doing bits and pieces. We wrapped all of John and Ann's presents and got them in a big Jiffy bag ready for posting tomorrow. God knows what it will cost since it is quite heavy. I think there are some nice things. The only thing is that the post to Australia does seem to be good (Touch Wood!). I sent a secret Santa parcel off to Spain..Madrid about two weeks ago, and that has only just got there, but VT was saying someone in the Post Office was saying the post to Europe was slow.
The little cats haven't venturedd far today, both of them have stayed in and around the heaters..not soft those two!. Next doors Ginger Girl has been wandering around looking like it wants to go inside to them, but it has no way of getting in poor little thing. They don't have a cat flap so rely on them opening the door to let her in, which they don't always do. Such a shame, it is a beautiful little cat, and sometimes she is left out all night, in this weather. When they go away at Christmas, they leave their keys with VT and he looks after it. he feeds her, and lets her in and out and gets it into a lovely routine, then they come back and it's all back to square one again.
VT coloured my hair this morning, he does a wonderful job of it actually, we had a nice conversation about holidays and the X Factor!!!! Ha Ha Ha.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with our new batch of tomato sauce
Portobello mushrooms, Mozzarella, pineapple and meatfree sausage.
potato salad for me and Florida salad for VT.

Normal Service resumed...

Didn't do a blog yesterday because I had a spell of one of those one/two day bug things that started on Wednesday night. Knew something was happening after tea on Wednesday because I started shivering and couldn't stop. Even with the electric blanket on still cold, so poor VT who is a true saint had a very distyrbed night as well. He says he can't rest for wondering what is going on. I had a dentist appointment yesterday too so had to cancel that, it was to put back a filling that had come out the other day. Luckily he was fine about it and said he would slot me in whenever.
Got a letter yesterday cancelling my appointment in January at Aintree..follow up appointment after the test that I had last month. Instead I am to have a telephone consultation with a benign disease nurse on 29th December and would I make sure that I am in on that date and time!!!!! Never had one of those before. is this what the NHS is getting to?
VT took my money off to Waitrose this morning and ended up in Tescaw..He rang up and said that he had gone round the car park in Waitrose three times, and ended up in the end going over the bypass to Tescaw. Not keen on my money going to Tescaw..but needs must. He goes out with a list, and that's it..that's what he gets nothing more nothing less. I just buy what I see, terrible impulse shopper me.
The DVD of Downton Abbey came yesterday from Amazon, so that means we can get our parcel off to Perth now. When I looked up the DVD on the Amazon site it said that it covered region2, now this is Europe and not Australia. There was a conversation on the Delia Smith Forum that I go on, and one of the blokes Ja,es had said that he had the DVD and it had said regions 2,4 and 5 so it did cover Australia after all. I'm sure they will enjoy that..it's a good buy, three discs and extra scenes for 143.99 free delivery. Pity it isn't their winter though, I think it is a lovely wintery programme to watch, I just can't imagine a Christmas in soaring heat.
Seems increasingly likely that we will have a snowy Christmas this year, there is already snow about, and it said on the news for people to put warm clothing and blankets in the car if they are going on a long journet. i would need a lot more than that..feel the cold me.
Tonight we are having:
Fishless fingers,
A few chips 200grms
Mushy peas for VT and green beans for moi.

Wintery Frosts ...

Got up this morning to a wintery frost all over. The cars at the front of the house were covered, and the top of the shed roof was totally white. Already the papers are talking about a cold Winter, with snow on the way. Gosh, where did the summer and the Autumn go. We did have a bit of the frost the other week, but it was full on stuff today.
We decided to go and fet a bit of fresh air today, so nipped over to Ormskirk since we haven't been for a while. VT went about his mooching, and I went in my usual shops. Bought a lovely fleecy nightshirt..if the colder weather is coming..I'm going to be warm!! Purple of course..everything I buy is purple these days..I've decidid it's my favourite colour. Got %15 off it tooso well pleased. Why is it so difficult to but nightwear that is bright decent colours? They are horriblke pastels, pale pinks, lilacs o5r lemons..Ugh..horrible. You can buy lovely pyjamas in tartans with long sleeves..but I've never been a pj person..much prefer nightshirts. i did get some super ones from America some years ago, but they are getting worn and need replacing. Come on manufacturers..get designing some in great colours at good prices.
Got our replenishments at Holland and Barratt, and our coffee at our usual little coffee. notice there wasn't anyone sitting outside Costa Coffee today..much too cold!
Wentto Morrisons then to get our car parking fee back, and topped up on a few things whiole we were there. Covent Garden soup half price, so got a Broccoli and Stilton for our lunch, very nice too it was. While we were waiting at the checkout I was perusing the chocolate bars on sale...as you do. I spotted a Crunchie bar..I did used to love those..and haven't had one for Donkey's years. Then the shock!!!! 57p!!!! I just couldn't believe it. 57p for a Crunchie bar..good grief.. I remember when a ten shilling note was a fantastic treat in a birthday card or at Christmas..now it wouldn't even buy you a Crunchie bar. That would be 11/6 in old money. My goodnessme..I am shocked. I wonder how much pocket money kids get these days?
All the time I have been typing this little Rusty has been standing on my knee often with her nose pressed to the computer screen. It makes for very difficult typing!

Tonight we are having:
Pasta bake maybe with meatless meatballs..
A little bit of garlic bread,
Mixed green vegetables.

Papa VT's Dolmio pizza House!!

Today since we stayed in decided to make a batch of pizza sauce for our Sunday Pizzas. The recipe is very much a bit of this and a bit of that, but the ingredients are still the same.
Today we used...
5 tins of chopped tomatoes
A good spoonful of Italian Herb seasoning mix
Seasoning..salt and pepper
A medium finely chopped onion
A really good squirt of garlic puree and more of tomato puree,
A tsp of vegetable bouillon powder.
We put the mixture on at about 10.45 and it was simmering away for hours, we turned it off at about 1.45 when it had gone really thick. These were good tomatoes today. VT spotted them in Home and Bargain..Princes, four tins for £1.39. Last time we made a batch of sauce we used some value tomatoes, and they were terrible, far too wartery and took forever to go thick. I 6think you get what you pay for. Value isn't always a good bargain.
Last night lost a filling from a very old and decrepit tooth at the back, so had to go and make an appointment at the Dentist. No hardship..he is only two doors down! The girl said Monday at 9.30, then I said haven't you got any cancellations because I'm only two doors down, and she said Oh we have one on Thursday at 10.30. So won't have to keep playing with the hole for too long! !
We also wrapped the things for John and Anns parcel this morning. VT does the wrapping he is the most perfect present wrapper. When Jane was small he used to always do her big presents and I used to do the ones that didn't matter much. It always seems a shame to tear of the wrappings, some of them are beautifully done. I was hoping that their dvd of Downton Abbey would have come today, but it didn't so we will have to wait to send their parcel a little longer.
Tonight we are having:
A chicken style pie
Baby baked potatoes 8oz
Mixed vegetables
Mushroom gravy.

Christmas is a Rolling in...

Didn't do a blog over the weekend, mainly because i usually do it on a Sunday afternoon, and we were late doing the crosswords. This meant that by the time we had finished it was time to get the tea on, so ran out of blog time.Just a normal weekend anyway, with our usual evening offerings.
I was checking the Secret Santa arrivals on the Delia forum site, but it appears that mine hasn't yet arrived in Madrid. I wonder what the post is like over there? and how long it takes parcels to arrive at their destination in Spain. Our post at the moment is terrible, todays post for example arrived at three o'clock!! what sort of service is that? I only got one letter, and I was expecting a dvd from Amazon with the Downtoin Abbey in it. But that hasn't come yet. The letter I got was from my bank, with a personal profile of all my money transactions for the year! never had one of these before. It shows exactly, month by month where the money goes. It shows how most months I pay out more than I am getting in...but I still have loads of money over so how can that be? The most telling page was the use of my debit card..showing all the expenditure on it for the year... Top of the list is Sainsbury's!!! with QVC a close second!!! I didn't realise what a good customer I was to them. Mind you one of the payments was for a netbook for VT so that was quite big.Most of my debits go to Supermarkets which is no surprise really,we do go twice a week and vary where we go Sainsburys being our nearest.
This is where we went this morning. VT wanted to get some things from Home and Bargains, and also went over to the Drs to collect my blood test form. He said it was packed in there, and the receptionist said she used to work in the Hightown surgery, and it was very good there. Wonder why she left then?
We went from there to the Garden Centre at Ince Blundell for our free coffees for the month. Also had a look round there, the garden centres these days are surprisingly good for gifts and Christmas things. I bought some crackers..Tom Smiths and they were only 3.99 for twelve really nice looking crackers. They seem to have an enormous amount of stock.. should be good in the January sales!
Tonight we are having:
Mozzarella and pesto escalope..BOGOF from Sainsbury..
Little hasselback potatoes
Mixed vegetables
Mushroom sauce with portobello mushroom.

Busy Busy..

What is going on everywhere today? We went to Tescos first to get a dvd for VT. It was a free offer about the war years he is interested in so he wanted just to call in. I didn't want to do my shopping there simply because I hate tescaws..don't like their ethics or the way they have taken over the shopping industry. The car park was really busy as well which meant that the store would have been heaving so we left there and went to Waitrose in the village. However, there were cars everywhere there too, and we ended up going round the block twice before we spotted a parking space. There seemed to be a big funeral in the church next door, and when that happens they tend to use the Waitrose car park while they go to the service.
We only had a few things on the list, but still came out having spent £56!! The trouble is, all the impulse buys, and i did get some things for the Christmas box. It is a terribly expensive shop, but they do have nice things in there.
I wanted to get some Christmas Wrapping paper , but it was £3.50 a roll! which I think is a bit steep. I'll wait and get some from M&S next week, they very often have offers.
The GP's surgery rang me last night, with the result of the blood test, which showed the renal as stable, but a raised potassium level, so I need another blood test! I'm afraid I rather tore into the receptionist, and said we weren't happy about being removed from their lists. She said it was to do with the out of hours visits, and the fact that they wouldn't come out to Hightown. Bearing in mind that our house is 2.5 miles away from the surgery..not altogether sure that is fair. But that is it, nothing more to be done. i rang the clinic this morning for another blood test, and was offered one in the middle of December! but the girl did look at other clinics and eventually found one in Netherton which could do it on dec the 2nd. What a performance.You would think these days that surgeries could do their own blood tests!
Tonight we are having:
Vegetable pasty from waitrose as a treat,
Rice pudding as another treat.. being naughty tonight.

New beginnings....

Well we were going to go out over to the garden centre this morning to have a look at their Christmas stock, but when we woke up neither of us felt the urge so to speak, so we didn't. Vt had bits and pireces to do, and we filled in the forms for registering at the GPs over the road. Not happy about it but there we are. Nothing we can do. 64 years in one practice counts for nothing it seems. VT took them over, and came back to say we had a new patient appointment at 3O'Clock on the 5th december. Gives them time to get our records from crosby. So a new start beckons.
Got an email from Lynn in Scotland yesterday to say the flakes have arrived, the last lot went missing for some reason, but these are there now, so hope she can understand the instructions. The important thing to remember with Sourdough bread is that you don't knead it, you fold it then leave it for a while between each folding. It's a strange bread to do, but well worth the effort.

I hope all the other post arrives safely. We have yet to do the parcel for John and Ann, will wait till the dvd of Downton Abbey arrivees and send it all off then, I think they should enjoy that, they seem to like what we like, and they get a lot of English television over there in Australia.
Tonight we are having:
Spaghetti. with
Spinach and Ricotta sauce and
mixed green vegetables and
A little bit of garlic bread.

Blustery and Blowy and a Royal Wedding..

Today dawned really blustery, windy and dark too. There have been reports of flooding in Cornwall and high winds on bridges. Not a good day to be travelling, glad we weren't going anywhere. Traffic news just on the radio, a lot of ferries cancelled and bridges closed to high sided vehicles..doesn't look good today at all.
Actually i had a blood test at twenty to one in the clinic. Three week wait for the appointment, and two weeks for the results. Rusty had hers arranged in two days and the Vet rang us up this morning with the results. Apparently she is spot on and doing very well..Bless her..so all VTs efforts keeping her up to date with the tablets twice a day have paid off. Well done VT.
Funny thing today, I had just put a little saucer of milk in the microwave for Bobby which had just pinged and VT said I'm sure that was the doorbell. It was with our post..very unusual to get post mid morning these days. It was our letters plus two parcels for me. Good job we were in.
VT went into Formby first to get some petrol. He was going to get some yesterday but there was a problem with the card machine at Tesco and he said there was a massive queue, so he didn't bother. I gave him the money for his petrol since he ferries me around so much and he got a couple of things at Tesco as well. Back in a few minutes. He's a really quick shopper..no browsing, just a list and away he goes.
Blood test for me at Thornton. Don't know why there is such a long wait for appointments, I went straight in and out within a couple of minutes. Wouldn't exactly say they were busy. Came out to find VT in the middle of cleaning the inside of his car with wet wipes..nice to see the taxi being kept spotless for moi.
Nipped to Sainsburys just up the road to get a loaf for me. I like the Gluten free bread from there, the Genius one..is very tasty for a sandwich.
Royal Wedding announced yesterday, so today the papers are full of the speculation about it all. She was filmed last night wearing Princess Diana's engagement ring. I thought it was a nice touch actually, and it is a beautiful sapphire. She seeems to be a charming girl with a level head obn her shoulders, hope she is happier than her late mother in law. I am sure Princess Di would approve.

Tonight we are having:
Sausages in a mushroom gravy
Mashed potato 8oz
Mixed vegetables or maybe cabbage and leed stir fried.

Up Early and a tale of two tests...

I woke up at five o'clock this morning convinced it was seven and time to get up to take Rusty to the vetsfor eight.
Couldn't get back to sleep again, too many things going round my brain, just silly things but stopped me from sleeping. So we didn't sleep in anyway.
Tale of two tests..as VT says..
One.. A blood sample is taken..followed by a urine test, ears dewaxed, temperature,weight and heart tested. All in a quarter of an hour.results of blood test back within a day.Prescription given and thyroid tablets obtained.
Two..Blood test taken at a separate clinic after a two week wait for an appointment. results back within two weeks.
Difference..One was done on our cat.. the other done on me!!!
Maybe we should all enrol at a vets surgery!
Further to the problem outlined yesterday with our GP's surgery. it transpires that our next door neighbours have had the same letter, so it must be everyone from Hightown.VT has been over to the surgery in the village which actually is just a short walk away and got a practice leaflet and could have filled in forms straight away, but we will think about it a bit first. Probablu end up there in the end though. No room for sentimentality in the present NHS these days.
Gosh it's been a liong day today with getting up early. Do have to say I'm not a morning person at all, don't really do mornings!
Tonight we are having:
Stilton and pear chutney tarts
A small pack of green mixed vegetables
Squashed baked potatoes with salt and rosemary.

Another week dawns..

Don't the mondays come round quickly, it always seem that there are two in a week. it looks like being a busy week this week, since little Rusty has to go to the vets tomorrow for a blood test, and I have to go for one on Wednesday. Rusty is on thyroid tablets, and every few months she has her blood done to make sure the levels are right. We take her in the morning early and we generally get the results that night..talk about good service!
Mine takes about two weeks.
We had a bit of a shock this morning when we came back from our shopping. the post had arrived, and both VT and myself had received letters from our GPs surgery to notify us that our address had fallen outside the area covered by the practice!! So we have to find a new GP, and our names will be removed from the practice register within 30 days!!!! i am furious actually. I have been with this practice all of my life..64 years, and we are now being cast aside!! disgraceful, and no real reason given either. I was with this surgery when it was Dr Brenner who delivered me, Dr Holland who moved the surgery to its present location, Dr Stone who took over from him when he retired, and the present Dr's Milford and Aylward. Not to mention the interim locum stage when there wasn't a resident Dr at all but a series of locums.!!
Now we are being told to go... Is this the NHS where we have choices?? At least it isn't Gordon Browns fault! There is a Surgery in Hightown, but that is beside the point really, where is the loyalty in all of this..64 years is a long time to be with one practice, doesn't that count for anything. Don't know what can be done about it either.
Took my money to Sainsburys this morning, and called in at Aldi on the way home. I wanted some of their baking paper which is really excellent, so we had a bit of a look round too. Got a few things that caught our eyes, but wouldn't do a big shop there, they simply don't have the variety.
Tonight we are having:Mozarella and pesto escalope,
Mixed vegetables
Mushroom sauce and sliced fried potatoes. Done in fry light.

Rememberance Sunday...

Today it is rememberance Sunday, and while we don't go round to the war memorial, we generally do watch the march past on the BBC. it is always moving to see the soldiers march so proudly past the cenotaph, and now the younger ones marching alongside them too. One interview was done with a young mother and her son who were marching in memory of their husband and father, and were wearing his medals with such pride. You cannot fail to be moved really.
Quite a drizzly day today with a few bright spells, so while we did the bedding it wasn't put out on the line. So the tumble drier has been on most of the day today. And, a pile of ironing for later on in the week.
VT photocopied the instructions again for the starter flakes, so we will get those off tomorrow, hoping this time that they will get there. I must look up the address now and make sure it is the right one. Got some good flakes ready hope these don't go missing.
Did our crosswords today fairly easily, VT said his was quite hard, mine was interrupted because Jame rang up from the bus stop. She is having a lot of trouble with her shoulder, and sauys she is in a lot of pain with it. She had some injections done some time ago, and needs more but hasn't been referred by the hospital yet. She needs to get sorted out or she will be in trouble over her course and her job as well.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with mushrooms, tomato sauce which we need to make some more of, pineapple and meatfree pepperoni.
Salad with egg and potato
Potato salad for me and pasta salad for VT.

Gale Force!!!

What a night, poor VT was kept awake by the wind last night. One advantage to being deaf, is that I take my hearing aids out, and then I am dead to the world..don't hear nothing as they say. VT said this morning you're lucky you didn't hear it all. I said would you swap the advantage of not hearing the gales for a lifetime of deafness..don't think so. He is incredibly patient with me though, and it is much appreciated. It can't be easy repeating yourself so often God love him.
The village was talking about the death of one of the parish councillors yesterday..who died in his sleep the night before. he was a founder member of "The Searchers" Needles and pins..Tony West, and used to walk past the house quite a lot with his little dog.Shame.
We seem to have been lucky with the gales last night, nothing wrong in the garden except my Buddah had blown over, but VT went and put him straight this morning.

I got him when I retired from school almost ten years ago now and he always looks lovely and smiley in the garden whatever the weather.
our next door neighbours roof aerial has blown off last night so he borrowed VTs ladders to go and mend it..I wouldn't let VT go up in this weather!! Anyway they are down now so he must have repaired it. A neighbour a couple of doors down also told us that a trampoline had appeared in his neighbours garden. Since she is well into her nineties, I don't think she will be using it any time soon.
With it being Friday, we had planned to go toOrmskirk, but that is on a hill and breezy at the best of times, so we took my money off to Waitrose in Formby instead. We said we would just get the minimum, but still ended up with a trolley full and spent more than I intend to. But who cares..we bought a few things for the Christmas box.
Sent my Secret Santa parcel off to Spain today, cost £7.30 !! that makes it expensive,hope she enjoys the things in it.
Today we are having:
fishless fingers,
Mushy peas for VT and carrots for moi,
Chips 200grms
Tartare sauce, if we have any, just remembered we forgot to get some!

Blow the Wind Southerly...

As the song goes. it's blowing a gale today, the trees at the back of the house are going like mad. There is a house way over at the back which has a row of extremely tall and horrible conifers, and they are practically bending in the wind. A nice day to be in today.We didn't need to go anywhere so we didn't. Lovely to be able to have the choice.
We spent the morning getting a few things sorted for parcels for Christmas. i have a Secret Santa one to send to Spain, so have been collecting lightish things so they don't weigh too much. Got those wrapped, and luckily they have all gone in a big Jiffy Bag for onward posting tomorrow. It is quite difficult buyibng for someone you don't know, and this year we didn't have any hints or guidelines either. i bought a :
pair of Oven Gloves Christmassy ones and a set of two tea towels in the same pattern,
A silicone ice cube tray with a star pattern,
A dangly reindeer ornament from M&S with magnets in its arms and legs,
A book of Christmas Cupcakes
A tub of vanilla bean paste from Waitrose,
And a partridge in a pear tree..Not!
Hope she likes them..
I have been doing the Sourdough starter flakes too for Lynn in Scotland, and they are ready to post when VT does the photocopying of the instructions. I sent some off weeks and weeks ago and didn't hear anything from her, so just thought she was rude! No..didn't reallyf. Then she said that nothing had arrived. there must be an awful lot of lost post somewhere in this country!.I hope this lot arrives, then she can make some nice Sourdough bread in the Winter.Like This...

I have got John and Ann a few things too..A book about old Liverpool they might find interesting, A poodle key ring from Butlert and |Wilson. a little book about christmas customs and a couple of other things. Again trying to keep things light since postage is such a lot these days. Once I have finished their letter, that can go off early next week. You take your life in your hands these days sending things by mail, you can never be certain it will arrive. Our post today came a t a quarter to four in the afternoon!! That's a good service eh!
Tonight we are having:
Tivall chicken style drumsticks
Little roast potatoes
Carrots and butternut squash
Bread sauce.

Up and At Em...

Was intending to get up early this morning, but even with the alarm call and the clockj going off neither of us wanted to move, so got up later. We were intending to go over to the big M&S at Aintree, and get there early, but we went anyway.
Parking is getting more difficult there, it is certainly getting a lot busier than it used to be. had a good look round, i wanted to get a few things for my Christmas parcels. I send one to John and Ann in Australia. and also my Secret Santa one too, and have been gathering bits for ages now. I pretty much have what I wanted so will get them packed in the next few days.
We had a look at the foodie things, but were a bit disappointed, couldn't really find what I wanted. Did get a nice jar of Peaches in Brandy though, we get one every year, but it generally gets left till Easter!!! Jars of a nice looking cranberry and Port sauce were on offer at 3 for 2 so got them. We can always use those up.
Still not sure what to do for the Christmas Dinner this year..was toying with the idea of doing a Quorn fillet en croute but not sure. maybe the Vegetarian magazine will have an idea for us. Not really keen on the nut roast route..always find them dry, and the shop ones usually are terrible. We shall have to see.
Lovely bright day today though, the sun was dazzling me as we came out of M&S and I ended up putting my sunshades on.
Tonight we are having:
Almost cheeseless pasta bake..taken from 101 Cookbooks site.
it has butternut squash and penne pasta, spinach, greek yoghurt and feta cheese.
Garlic bread to go with.

The Garden Beckons...

Not to me...too many spiders at this time of the year..well any time actually! The weather is nice today, just a bit blowy but no rain as yet anyway. VT has been our clearing leaves and cutting down some plants today, and generally getting the summer stuff cleared away. He is ggod in the garden and gets it looking good whatever the season. We have noticed this year that a lot of the plants have somewhat overgrown this summer particularly in the front garden. The barrel was especially bad for that. We had planted a little fuschia in the middle of the dwarf geraniums and cineraria aand it was practically dwarfed itself. Well the spring bulbs are in now so we shall see when they come up.
Sent my Bauble swap this morning off to Maidenhead Berks. Wonder when that will arrive. Got mine yesterday a nice little set of six ornaments for the tree. At least they arrived in one piece, my last years bauble arrived in about a thousand bits, completely shattered.
Jane rang up a bit ago a bit worried about a couple of her friends who didn't pass their exams and have been told they can't continue with their course. Seems a shame to give up a year of your time to do a course then fail part way through. Jane passed all hers though, ands she was worried about them too. She should have more confidence in herself though, she is a clever girl.
Tonight we are having:
Steak and Mushroom pie Quorn ones
Mashed potato
Green vegetables.
Mushroom gravy

Winter is Setting In!!

It seems that it is setting in with a vengeance. Today it is cold wet and blowy and the skies are darkening fast tonight too.
We took my money off 6to Crosby this morning, because we needed to get the veggies for the week. VT volunteered to go and get my blood test form while I got started, and it seemed like I was only a few minutes and he was back. He can't half move that lad! I got my first pack of casserole veggies so will do a casserole one day this week. Got a good selection of greenery and a few other things we were running out of, and made our way home fairly quickly. You get 1/2 hour free parking there so that limitys the buying and the browsing.
Got a bit annoyed with Jane yesterday because I wanted to send her a message on Facebook and found that I was blocked!!! What!! she blocks her own Mother!! So I send her a humnourous message on her email to her phone and got a quick reply a few minutes later, to say she has blocked everybody because she was getting tired of everyone calling her. So that explains it..maybe I won't leave my money to the Cats Home then!!
Very sorry that the series of Downton Abbey has finished last night. What a great series that has been, terrific acting and beautifully filmed. i wanted to get the dvd to send to John and Ann in Australia, but unfortunately it is only in region 2 which is europe. Shame that.
Tonight we are having:
Asda mushroom and garlic bakes which we haven't had before,
Baby new potatoes fried
Mixed vegetables with a hollandaise sauce.

Weekend..

Funny thing is , when you are not working you don't really appreciate the weekend. they are just other days to be got through
, but with better papers! I do love the Sunday ones, the magazines are good and the crosswords make them more enjoyable too.
I was reading an article which reported that a Princess Eugenie..a Sarah Ferguson daughter, had said if she were Queen, she would add Mondays to the weekend. But, wouldn't that simply make people want tuesday off as well and so on ad infinitum...
The crosswords today were fairly easy, mine had a Beatles theme again, I'm sure there was a beatles theme a few weeks ago..maybe not. Anyway, once that was done it was easy.
Last night we had:
Tacos with the accompaniments, cheese, creme fraiche salsa and guacemole and lettuce, very tasty too. We do a chilli mix with Quorn mince and it tastes just like the real thing.

Tonight we are having our:
Pizza with our home made base, and tomato sauce
Mushrooms,
pineapple and meatfree pepperoni.
potato salad for moi and pasta salad for VT
Egg and potato salad to go with.

Bonfire Night...

So November the fifth is here again. I only hope there arent too many fireworks to scare the little cats. Actually Bobby isn't too bad with them , but little Rusty doesn't like them at all and runs under the low table in the corner of the middle room and doesn't come out for ages. She tends not to like them on the television either, and the ones they set off at new Year always terrify her. Such a shame, she is such a sweet little thing. There is a hotel at the front of our house and they have for the last few years had an organised display, which tends to be very loud and very explosive. the ones that tend to frighten the are the rockets that go up with a big squeal. Oh dear. trouble is it can go on for a couple of days too because some of the houses nearby have them as well.
We took my money to Sainsburys in Walton this morning. The journey was remarkable for the Autumn colourswhich are gorgeous this year. The little village of Little Crosby has some lovely trees at the moment, and everywhere is looking really pretty.
It has been a late Autumn this year, but all the better for that. We got our usual things and some others that we can't get anywhere else. VT had a look in the store next door, and i went int the Next shop, but didn't see anything |I wanted. their clothes are awful I always think. Terrible quality, not like they used to be .
Home later for lunch because we stopped for our coffee. Take our own and really enjoy that.
Tonight we are having:
Vegetable pasties from Waitrose,
Rice pudding from the same.
Simple tonight!

Browsing...

VT wanted to get a few plants for the hanging basket at the front of the house for the winter, so we decided to take our free coffee vouchers and go to Dobbies, It was clear but very blowy when we got there and we had a good look round first. I wanted to look at the Christmas things to see if there was anything for my parcels, and VT went out to look at the plants. Then we had our coffees,very nice too. We cheat a bit and take our own biscuits so even better!!
He then went to get his plants and i bought the things i wanted,a pair of Christmassy oven gloves and tea towels and a little book all about christmas customs. The thing that we really wanted was a pack of their mint crisps which are lovely and they didn't have any....typical!
Post arrived well after lunch today..as is the norm these days. terrible service at the moment.Mostly wet as well. One letter we got was posted on the 29th october from quite local, and a letter from John and Ann in Australia posted on the 1st November !!!! What is all that about? Lovely long letter with some beautiful phhotographs, and a tale about a spider. VT started tickling my leg..horrible man. I don't think I could holiday there actually, i could barely hold the page the tale was written on!! of course VT had to look the thing up on his netbook..it is called a Huntsman..don't thi k I shall be looking that up either!!Uuuugh!!!!
Just as I was typing this little Rusty brushed up against my legs..she is at it now too..VT probably sent her up!
Tonight we are having:
Pasta 4oz
Roasted butternut squash
Tomato and mascarpone sauce
A bit of garlic bread.

Deliveries...

The old song, beloved of Children's favourites on a Saturday morning was "Twas on a Monday Morning the Gas man came to call...." Well today for us it was the coal man.
We have aqlways had a coal fire in this house which is our main source of heat in the Winter. It heats the water up and heats up about six small radiators when it is going. That is a new thing, my mum and dad used to just have it as a fire, didn't bother with the namby pamby idea of heating up other rooms. We have burned beautiful logs in it for a long time, but a few years ago we had a nasty chimney fire so we went over to smokeless fuel. VT used to bring it in from Homebase or garages etc by the small sack load,but the other week he noticed a coal delivery firm over the road so he arranged for a load to be delivered today, and he came, bang on time with six big bags which has filled the coal bunker for £105. Seems a lot, but like VT says the bunker is full, and we still have last years heating allowance so have used that..Thankyou Mr Brown!!
So we are stocked up for the Winter now, and whatever the weather throws at us.
Then the postman came with a big load of mail. Something strange going on with the post because we didn't get any on Saturday, or Monday or Tuesday but a lot today!! Got a lovely lovely card from Jane, just to say thankyou for the money i gave her last week for her rent. Now that is special, because Jaane doesn't really do cards as a rule,it's a proper card too, not one from the cheap shop. Bless her..she is such a good kid..What a blessing to have a kid these days who isn't involved in anything horrible. I hope she does well in her exams.
beautiful bath this afternoon with my candles and L'Occitane bath foam..fantastic stuff, quite expensive but so worth it.
Cleared out the freezer this morning too, so got rid of a lot of out of date things, and ends of bread loaves etc, so tonight we are having:
Escalope,
Sliced fried potatoes
Mixed vegetables.

What a Dull Day...

Woke up this morning to a dark rainy and blowy. We hadn't really decided to go anywhere anyway, but when we saw the weather that decided us. So VT said he would take some stuff to the tip, and get the cats some chicken, and i did the weekend ironing.
Oh what an exciting life we do lead!!
Do have to say, that I haven't really got going today, VT reckons it is to do with the clocks going back, it has altered our body clocks. It has certainly altered the cats body clocks. Bobby has been crawlking round me from about sixish, which is a tad to early, and the trouble is that once she is there, you can't really relax because she is purring like an engine in my ear, and wriggling.Plus i had rusty wobbling on my hip too
..good job we don't have more than two cats!


Tonight we are having:
Cheesy Kievs,
Little baked potatoes
Mixed vegetables.
Cranberry sauce.

Hares and rabbits

November now..isn't the time passing quickly. Halloween passed with a whimper, nothing happening here except two balloons under the cars wheels this morning. One a Black Halloween one and the other an orange one. I took pity on them and kicked them free to go up the pavement..last seen travelling up the road at quite a rate of spped. I wonder where they are now. There must be a story in that somewhere..The tale of the left over Halloween balloon!
Beautiful day today for the first day of November, a really nice Autumnal day. We took my money into Formby which was looking good with the trees all lovely colours now. VT wanted to get some petrol from Tesco which is one of two garages in formby now, so i got the money out for that. I like to give him the petrol money then that will make up for him having to drive me to all my appointments etc. We don't shop in tesco though, mainly because i really don't like the ethics of the store, and the tescopoly effect. Waitrose is quite expensive thoughbut very good for unusual things and treats. i got a couple of things for the Christmas box we have upstairs.
Starting to get together a few things for christmas, since we aren't goping to bath this year.never mind..we will be at home with the cats instead.
jane rang at lunchtime. she is in the middle of doing her revision and getting a bit stressed about it. probably because she wants to do well on these ecams, she always likes to get good marks, and this time round it is important to her. She said Simon was coming to live with them for a bit. he used to live with them years ago when they were in student digs and is a bit homeless at the moment so they have said he can stay with them.He was a nice guy Simon,it will be good for them to have someone else there.
VT has been in the garden with his little helper..Rusty..she foollows him everywhere, and she will be really tired now. What a gorgeous little pet she is..truly loyal and such good company.
Tonight we are having:
Linda McCartney pie
mushroom gravy
Mashed potatoes
Mixed vegetables.