In for a Change!

Stopped in today for a change, no appointments or places to go. nice just to be in. VT had to get up early because there was a delivery of my Aranesp injections. They come every month, and I have one every two weeks. Hate them actually, and try to put it off but VT nags till it is done. For some reason the needle really hurts..now I aint a wuss and do an inhection twice a day every day, but I do really not like this one. Something to do with getting the red blood cells working apparently.
Sorted out my dressing table this morning, got rid of some rubbish, and threw outsome things that just haven't moved for light years. Also, one bottle of perfume that I just haven't taken to..never mind. Put it down to experience. I got my delivery of Origins ginger essence the other day, ordered online, haven't ordered from them before, and was very impressed with their website, and, free P&P and quick delivery. They arrived in three days. Excellent.I buy quite a lot online these days, mostly I am a QVC girl, they are terrific, and I have bought some super things from them.Very easy firm to deal with too.
VT did a lot of his filing this morning, all his papers. Had a mutter about the interest offered to savers, which these days is total rubbish. It really doesn't pay you to save these days, somethimes I think you might as well go out and spend your money and enjoy it.
Very gusty this morning although it has gone off a bit now. It even blew my poor little buddah over, so it must have been quite bad last night.

I love my little Buddah, he is always there in the garden smiling away, no matter what the weather. I got him when I retired from teaching, and he is a nice reminder of my friends in the staffroom. He is supposed to bring good luck, but not too sure of that. Maybe he is working on it.
Tonight we are having:
Not exactly sure. Probably something from the freezer and the remaining veggies that I have. I shall see when I go down and put it onto tomorrows entry.

Ear...Ear...

We had to get up this morning because I had an appointment at the hearing aid centre in Southport. It was for a civised hour 11 O'Clock, and there is no waiting, so quite pleasant. Oh were all the hospital appointments like that!
We took my broken one along..that naughtly little Rusty knocked off the work surface onto a tiled floor and cracked. He had a look at it, and said he had some new stuff that might fix it. Otherwise it would be a send off to the repairers for a new shell at £150 !!.What an expensive cat. Anyway they get a good service, clean and brush up, and we had a chat about newer models. Since i paid just over £4000 pounds for the pair last time I wasn't keen to spend as much as that again, but they have got cheaper. Probably to do with the competition from Specsavers, who offer a very good package.NHS are out of the deal because theirs are over the ear ones, and I'm not going back to those again.
It's horrible being deaf really, especially when you are ageing, because people shout at you, or treat you as if you are a bit daft. VT is very patient, and constantly repeats himself for me, which must be very wearing, he is a little saint really. I still get irritated by the use of.."Are you deaf" in dramas etc,. or.. falling on deaf ears, which is still used a lot. I wonder why?
Very drizzly day this morning, which turned into a quite wet day. We had parked in the Sainsbury's car park which is just opposite the centre, so we had to go in afterwards to spend £5 to get our free parking. That was easily done because we bought some cat food, so they will be happy.
I had thought yesterday about going from the centre into the middle of Southport and have a look at the shops, but it was so wet, that we decided to go to the Dunelm Mill place to get a coffee. VT has to have his morning coffee or he isn't happy. Not a place we go to very often, but they actually have some quite good stuff. We got our last duvet from there..Siberian Goose down, and it is truly wonderful. Certainly kept us warm all of this cold winter.
Weather has cleared up now, with a little bit of sun poking through the clouds, not for long though!
Tonight we are having:
Pasta with a sauce,
Asparagus and mushrooms,
A little bit of garlic bread. And, an even littler bit of grated parmesan.

Another Freebie!!

VT seems to be on a mission to use all his vouchers for the month. His little wallet is bulging with them Ha Ha! Today's was for a free coffee from Costa Coffee from our local newspaper. Now that is a good deal aactually. So, we went into Formby, which has a nice classy Costa Coffee shop, It's all yummy mummies and women with large shoulder bags, and older couples with a bit of dosh. He had a Soya latte with hazelnut, and I had an Americano..which came in a huge cup.. Beautiful little bag of shortbread biscuits..very nice.He had to go and collect his trousers which were being shortened from a chap who is a retired tailor, and lives in Formby, so it wasn't out of our way.
He made a beautiful job of them, properly overlocked and the seams all matching. My sewing machine won't do overlocking, so the turn up would have been very thick. Cost him £8, but the trousers were bought new from a charity shop and are beautiful cord ones so they are still a cheap buy. Well he likes a bargain too does VT.
Phone call this afternoon from a chap from Cameroon!!! who couldn't say our name properly. kept asking for our house name then our surname...am I the only one who is getting fed up with phone calls from foreign men and women who can't say your name correctly. usually wanting you to transfer to another service. Just after your money really.
Funny day today, a bit misty this morning, could almost have been an October day except for the daffodils which are lovely at the moment. Funny how you notice them by the side of the road, little clumps of them in most unusual places. I love daffodils, they are such bright cheerful flowers. Don't like them in the house though, much better in gardens and the wild. Ours in the barrel in our front garden are lovely this year.

Our orchid plant is still flowering too. It first flowered on the 1st of December!! and here we are at nearly the 1st of March!!! and it is still in bloom. What a great buy that was. VT bought it for my birthday in July eighteen months ago, and has tended it really carefully. I'm amazed how it has reflowered,

What a bloom...
Tonight we are having:
Spinach and feta slice
Baby new potatoes sliced and sauteed
Vegetables.

Freebies...

VT decided he wanted to go to Formby this morning. The reason was, so that he could get his free pot of Manuka honey from Holland and barratt. He loves some honey occasionally on his toast in the miornings, and this was a voucher for a free pot from H&B of a new range of flavoured honey's (or is it honies?) So formby and Waitrose it was, he went off and I started out to get the veggies.
Tried to look for a little bunch of flowers for the extension, but haven't they gone up..Mother's Day in the offing. Ended up with a bunch of carnations which will cheer the place up a bit. I do love fresh flowers, just a bit of a bunch in a vase suits me fine.
Then the idea was to go to the garden centre at Ince to get our free coffees for March, before they ran out. It's actually a really good garden centre, with an excellent restaurant/coffee shop, and gift shop outside that. They have terrific things for gifts or for the house etc., and I keep seeing things that I would like to buy. Had a lovely coffee and a good look round, then home for lunch.
Just spent 1/2 an hour looking up about hearing aids. It's a minefield, wondering which is the best value. The place I go to in Southport..David Ormerods I have been going to for years, and the last pair I bought cost around £4,000 pounds for the two. In the ear, and digital, but nothing brilliant. Since my hearing is quite poor, from a TB infection when I was very small I need heavy duty things, so think I will shop around this time. The accident the other day has left me with only one, and they aren't covered with insurance, so I might look at Specsavers. We shall see what happens at my appointment on Wednesday at Ormerods.
Nice afternoon today, but cool. VT is in the garden fiddling around, and the last of the sofa covers are hanging out to dry. The papers today seem to be saying that we are going to have a sunblock summer..Hmmm...we shall see.
Tonight we are having:
Escalope
Baby new potatoes squashed,
Mixed vegetables with a hollandaise sauce.
Mushrooms

Spring Forward....

Clocks went forward one hour last night, you feel like you have been robbed of an hour's sleep this way round. i like the Winter one better, where you get an extra hour in bed, but then I'm a lazy slob really! Lovely sunny Spring day today, to go with the lighter nights. I think VT is kidding himself that it is warmer too because he hasn't lit the fire yet, but he doesn't feel the cold like I do.
The cats have been out a bit today in the sunshiney spots. VT gave Bobby a really good brush this afternoon, which she needs, because she is terrible for leaving white hairs everywhere.
The crosswords this afternoon were a bit tricky, some difficult ones on the Mail on Sunday General Knowledge one. If it wasn't for Answerbank and Lie-in-King we would struggle someti mes. We get most of the answers first though before resorting to that. My one, The You magazine one, was a tricky theme of universities. Once you got all of those it wasn't too bad.
Tonight we are having:
pizza with our tomato sauce, porobello mushrooms
Pineapple meatfree sausage and pepper and courgette.
potato salad for moi and pasta salad for VT
Side green salad.

Usual Friday Stuff!

Lovely day again today, so since we were up reasonably, we went over to ormskirk for a bit of a look round,Fairly quiet, and people are beginning to venture out without coats on. Not me though, it's not quite warm enough for me yet. Some people don't seem to feel the cold, I'm not one of them.
I went into my usual haunts, and VT had his look round. Got our stuff in Holland and Barrett, and went to M&S to get some of our salads. We had a coupon for %15 off foods etc., so used that. Saved £2.47 so that paid for our coffees in MOrrisons.
VT met his lady who was his financial advisor until the firm closed down a while ago. Nice woman, she is working for another firm in Liverpool now. Then we went back to Morrisons where we parked, and had our coffee. Quite quiet today actually, plenty of tables. They do a good coffee..Kenco and it's only 90p, for a decent mug. I love Morrisons..it's such an good honest ordinary shop. We were running out of our parking time, 2hrs., so we had to rush tound a bit, but we got everything we needed, not so many impulse buys today!
Got a phone call today from the bloke from The Chelsea Building Society, where I have my ISA's, asking about the forms he had sent for us to look at. I said that I was a bit annoyed at them sending them out by recorded delivery costing £6.30 !!!! and he said that was what they did! What a waste of money. Anyway, told him that I wasn't interested in moving my money and he wasnt't best pleased about that. So be it...Tough luck.Suppose they are after the comission.
Beautiful drive on the way home, the daffodils are out in abundance now, and tthere are lots of little lambs running about..Aaaah. It was the sight of little lambs running about that turned us vegetarian all those years ago. That, and a really awful programme that we saw on ITV about the way sausages were made, and what went into them. Must be getting on for thirty years ago now, and can honestly say we don't miss meat. Just the opposite now actually.
Tonight we are having:
Fishless fingers (from Holland and Barratt)
Chips 200 grms,
Mushy peas for VT and green beans for moi.
tartare sauce. And not a fishy in sight!!

Spring is Sprung!!

It must be Spring for VT has started to clear up!. We had a day in today, mainly because we were out all day yesterday. I woke up looking at my dressing table, and decided to do a clear up of that, and sort out my wardrobe. I have so many clothes in the bottom of it that need a reall sort out, a lot of jumpers that have gone bobbly, and things that are too big or out of faswhion or whatever. Anyway, after breakfast VT started to take the loose covers off the two sofas we have in the middle room. Currently a sort of cream colour, and replace them with a set that we have in a wine colour. They have got a bit out of sync really, because the cream ones should be used in the Spring and Summer, and the wine ones in the Autumn and Winter..but no matter. It was a lovely drying day, so they were washed a few at a time, and hung out. He gets a bit cross with me, tells me I get in his way, so i went upstairs to do my wardrobe thing.
Filled two bags with redundant clothes, some for the charity shop, some for the clothing bank. Plus a bag of shoes that I can no longer wear because I think my feet have shrunk, and they are too big, therefore dangerous. Don't kbnow whether it is the effect of losing a toe that has made a difference, but something has.
Both the cats stayed out of the way today, they seem very tired today for some reason, probably will be up and about this evening jumping on us!
Tonight we are having:
Something easy, maybe a Cheese and onion Quiche,
Small tin of something tomatoey
A few sliced and fried (in Fry Light) potatoes.

Out And About...

We got up early this morning, and took ourselves off to The Cheshire Oaks. I thought we had last been there just before Christmas, but VT looked in his diary last night and we were really surprised to find that we hadn't been there since 22nd of September !! Good grief, that's six months ago. We couldn't believe that..how the time passes.
Gorgeous day today as well, we park quite easily, and I go into Next..God knows why, their clothing is dreadful. Walked all round it is shaped in a circle with all the parking in the centre. nothing much on the right hand side now. tends to be high class men't goods, and the big Monsoon shop has gone, which is a shame. Surprised when we got round to the M&S outlet..that has moved as well, there were separate men's and women't shops, now they are merged in the old food court, which has gone completely. Coffee in Costa coffee which is our treat when we go there, and a look to see what had changed. New Portmeiron shop which is nice, we have quite a lot of that, and it always looks good. Some shops gone and other new ones. Bought a new, bright pink purse for a change. Mine is black, and you get tired of them, so thought I'd get a change, VT got a credit card holder, so we got 20% off for two items as well. Pleased with that. Didn't buy much in M&S, but VT got two pairs of trousers for £9 a pair, and they fir him perfectly. So he's chuffed. Sainsbury's for lunch, VT had a vegetarian sushi, and I had some horrible greek salad wraps. Never much choice for vegetarians. Cheese ploughmans salad sandwiches at 515 calories..I don't thi k so!!
Home at about a quarter to four, to two little cats waiting for their chicken. I think they have been asleep all day though!Nice life...
Tonight we are having:
Mixed vegetables gratin
Garlic kiev
Mushrooms.

Administration Sort of Day!!

Started the day with a huge big pile of ironing. All the bedding, shirts, tablecloths etc., It was all sitting on the chair looking at me so that was the morning. i actually quite like ironing, I like getting the creases out, and the bedding loks gorgeous when it is done..all the creases gone. Sad!!
VT went to Tesco's which is actually our nearest shop, to get some cat chicken. he also took a pair of jeans to a tailor in Formby to be shortened. He has very short legs my husband, 29" inside leg..(too much information) and often trousers are just that bit too long. I don't have a sewing machine that does overlocking, mine is just a straight stitch, so he
gets them done when he needs to. M&S ones always fit him very well, but other makes are a bit more difficult. he was saying this morning, that he wishes he could have been born with slightly longer legs. I'd like to have been born with the genes for a lovely slim figure..dream on!!
Yesterday I got a phone call from a financial advisor from the bank I hve my ISA's in. Trying to get me to put my money into another account where it is locked in for four, five or six years... VT spoke to him in the end mainly because I'm not good on the phone, and the chappie said he would send informatyion in the post. Doing my ironing this morning the doorbell went and it was recorded delivery..I got all excited, thought I had won one of the many competitions that I enter. No...it was from said building society with the info. What riled me was that the chap had filled in a form all ready for me to sign!!!! and...it cost £6.50 to send it recorded delivery!!!!!!! What a waste of money, I would rather have had that as interest..which is rubbish anyway.
Then VT phoned the electric company because they had messed up our bill, said we had used 600 units of electricity in two weeks, and based the debit account bill for next year on that!!So he sorted that out. You ring them, and they doa ring back but it takes an hour!
Then the gas man came to read the meter also. What a day.. VT also got his car tax this morning too, £205..all pay out today.
Obviously we didn't go out today, but might go somewhere tomorrow. Not sure where yet. Might be nice to go to the Cheshire Oaks, we haven't been there since before Christmas I don't think. I bet quite a few shops have changed.
Tonight we are having:
Maybe sausage rolls meatfree ones,
A few sliced and fried potatoes
Small tin of spaghetti.
Not absolutely sure actually. May do a toad in the hole.

Ear..Ear...

Minor catastrophe last night. Little Rusty who looks so innocent...decided to have a play with one of my hearing aids. I had taken them out while I washed my hair, and she had jumped up on the unit, must have heard them whistling, and batted one onto the floor. Said floor happens to be quarry tiling! Seemed ok,VT rescued it, and i put it back in my ear. Then last night when i took it out, the thing cracked in my hand! naughty Rusty! She sits there looking all wide eyed and innocent..

Wonder if we can claim on the insurance? Good job it isn't my good ear one or I would have been in a real mess..
Lovely day today sun shining and blue skies. We were up very early for us because I had an appointment at the Renal clinic in Aintree. VT let the little ginger girl out next door, but he said she wasn't keen and sat on the top of the stairs just looking at him, as much as to say "Why have you come so early?" Anyway, when we left the house a while later, it looked like it wanted to go back in, so he opened their door, and she ran in.
Early to my appointment, and waited ages to be seen for the weight, blood pressure etc., then more waiting to see the Dr. All seems to be stable. except the blood test shows anaemia. He wants another done in a month, and they will review the treatment after that. See them again in three months..With another blood test a week before that! Pain in the neck all these blood tests. trip to the hospital..travel round and round the multi storey car park for an age..and two pounds parking each time.
Went from there to the M&S in Aintree for our coffee. VT got his free one on his card, and I asked for a small Americano. he came back with a virtual gallon cup of coffee, very nice but too much for moi. Had a lok at the sale clothing, and bought a really nice top in light purple..what else, for £3.. reduced from £18 !!! I love a bargain..I do..
Got our veggies in the food section, and home for lunch. VT let the cat out again, because she was sitting in their window sill, and it is nice and sunny for her at the moment. Our neighbour has gone to London for a few days, and will be back today apparently.
Tonight we are having:
An escalaope maybe lemon and black pepper,
Little baked potatoes 8oz
Mixed vegetables from M&S.
Portobello mushroom sauce.

Changeable..

The weather doesn't seem to know what to do today. It is sunny, and bright, then it is dull and grey. VT let the cat out this morning when he went down for the papers, and it came running out of the house like greased lightening. he said it followed him down to the paper shop, then hung around. it is getting trained, the ten weeks he looked after it over Christmas must have paid dividends.
Did a load of bedding today, but it isn't warm enough to hang it out yet, so it is a matter of tumble drying all day. Makes me wonder how my Mum used todo the family bedding with no washing machine and no dryer. Monday was wash day in our house, and the house always used to smell of washing on a Monday, where it would be ddrying in front of the fire. Wasn't unpleasant though. We don't know we are born these days.I am doing this while VT watches Time Team. he loves that programme and finds it really interesting. Personally I can't stand Tony Robinson, he gives me the creeps, and his voice I find really grating. Give me professor Brian Cox any day!
Crosswords a bit different today. VT dsid his very quickly, and I got stuck on mine. Couldn't do one quarter of it, and VT said he would do it, but he got stuck too!! then he gave it back to me and I got the two remaining clues immediately. I love doing general knowledge crosswords, find them theraputic.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with our tomato sauce
Portabello mushrooms pineapple and meatfree pepperoni sausage,
potato and egg salad
potato salad for moi and a pasta salad for VT

Spring is Sprung!!

At last the green shoots of recovery are showing. Still a tad nippy though, but VT isn't lighting the fire till later so that is a good sign. The sun is shining, and most of the neighbourhood cats have been out and about today particularly in the back garden. Haven't seen the big bblack and white one lately which is good because he terrorises the others. poor ginger Tom from next door has had a few scraps with it and had to go to the vets once with a very nasty infection. It's a reall bruiser of a cat that one, but I'm sure someone must love it.
VT is on Ginger Girl duty again, and he has just gone round to let her in for a sleep. He says, "Well ours are in, so she must want to go inside" The trouble is not having a cat flap, she can't come and go when she wants to, and relies on someone letting her in.
VT went off to have a mooch somewhere this morning. Sent him out for some spinach for our Delia Smith egg and spinach madras curry tonight. I forgot to get it yesterday..wasn't on the list!! Then heard on the news that japan has stopped all sale of spinach from the area surrinding the Nuclear danger zone. So that was odd. Not that our spinach comes from Japan..but it was the co-incidence.
Very good dvd of Susan Boyle and Peter Kay singing I know him so well for comic relief. Susan Boyles hair grows quite quickly. Hilarious dvd. She has a wonderful voice, and was a real find on Britains Got Talent. Such a pure sound.

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukdetail/ViewOptions.aspx?item=565170&tmp=ZOOM&cont=WATCHVIDEO&viewOption=WATCHVIDEO&repost=true&zoomInd=Product&swatchInd=false&videoName=&moreViews=true&shortDesc=Susan+Boyle+%26+Peter+Kay+I+Know+Him+So+Well+Comic+Relief+CD+Single&videoUrl=%2Fukhtml%2Fclist%2F5%2F70%2F565170.html&colorCodes=noneSelected&MoreviewThumb=.001&showDebug=false&country=UK&tabsdisplayed
Tonight we are having:
delia Smith's egg and Spinach madras curry with
Banana, poppadums Cuchumber ( tomato and onion)
Mango chutney
1/2 a pack of rice
Stir fry vegetables to go with.

Red Noses...

Absolutely gorgeous sunny Spring day today, with blue skies and not a sign of greyness. Yet we watched the news at lunchtime and the reporters standing outside Downing Street had scarves and umbrellas. What a funny country.
The news from Japan is still dire, with great worries about the Nuclear reactor. I was struck during the news reports by the calm dignity with which the japanese people were queuing for hours patiently in a line for a ball of rice between two people. Just so dignified, no shoving, or barging in just patience. your heart goes out to them. The little Japanese children are just gorgeous, sweet little faces, and we could learn a lot from the way they respect their elders.
The same news shows the men of libya out on their streets in revolt and completely different. I personally only hope Britain doesn't get involved in that too..we seem to have our fingers in every pie going!
We took ourselves and my money over to Sainsbury's in Walton this morning. VT got some petrol for his car..£40 !!!, he had just over a quarter of a tank, and that just about went over the three quarters measure!! Good grief..it is certainly becoming an item these days.£1.30 a Litre!!, I can remember when I first started driving in an old A30, petrol was 3/6 a gallon !!!Mind you my first wage was £8 a week..
Red noses everywhere, the staff there really get into the spirit of it all. Quite quiet, and we got most of the things that we wanted for the weekend. Lovely coffee sitting in the sunshine in their car park away over in the furthest reaches.Massive car park, only about a third used, we could do with that in Formby and crosby.and Aintree hospital for that matter!
Phone call from them at lunchtime to remind me of the appointment on Monday..that's new..reminders. Better than people not turning up I suppose.
Our neighbour with the little ginger girl rang at lunchtime to ask VT to look after the cat for a few days. He came back in saying he was on Cat duty again..I think he is quite pleased , he loves that cat.It is presently sitting in their garden sunbathing on their table, looks lovely. She is going to an engagement party in London, that will do her good and she will probably see her children there as well.
Tonight we are having:
Vegetable pasties from Waitrose..
Rice puddings for a treat too..

VT was saying that there was a piece in the Daily Mail about the boss of Waitrose being worried that people were thinking that Waitrose is too "Posh". Well it is. Sorry Mr Waitrose, we go there for an occasional trat, but rarely do a bigger shop there. too expensive. I miss the Morrisons that used to be there prior to it being a Waitrose.

Out and About...

Since it was a niceish day, and since we weren't waiting in for anything, we decidid to go over to Dobbies to have a look round, and of course get our free coffee.
Had a good look round and spotted a couple of things we wanted, VT got some lovely little solar lights for the garden. Our last lot which we have had about four years he reckons have bitten the dust. These are twinkly little bluey white ones. I love little lights. It's amazing how things alter in there. The last time we were there it was all Valentine things, now it is Mother's Day and Easter eggs. Huge Christmas area has all gone and is now filled with conservatory and garden furniture. must be awful working in a shop like that, you must forever be shifting things around.
I spotted a necklace and earring set that I fancied..VT was saying.."you've got enough jewellery" what a cheek!! from the man who has more pens than W.H.Smiths!! At least I use my stuff!!Nearly bought a set of three small yankee candles really sorry that I didn't now, I love scented candles, and these were gorgeous "flavours"..fluffy towels, clean cotton and fresh linen. Really beautiful.
Great coffee, and then home via Waitrose because the cats didn't have any chicken. Of course VT spotted two of his favourite vegetablle pasties reduced, and so got those. Very restrained shopping, we only got about five items..and spent twelve pounds, five of that on the cat chicken!
Must admit to being a tad niggled with Waitrose. There was a half page piece about the store in our free newspaper this week, which said hardwarking staff were celebrating big profits with an %18 Bonus of their salaries!! Erm..it isn't due to the hardwarking staff it's due to their prices being higher than everyone elses so of course their profits are going to be higher. It must annoy the workers in ASDA, Sainsbury's and the others, who don't get anything. I do think that I object to paying extra on the groceries to pay them big bonuses though. On the way to Dobbies we go through a village called Ainsdale, who are currently having a bit of a war against Tesco. There are yellow signs everywhere saying.."Say No to tesco", who are planning to build a tesco Express store in the village. They do have a bit of an image problem tesco do..I don't like the bullying tactics that they use against farmers etc., and the way they take over sites. You know it os going to be inevitable though as they push their way into everywhere.

Tonight we are having:
Garlic Kievs,
Any leftover veggies in the fridge,
Squashed potatoes.

hange of Plan...

Today the plan was to wait for the coalman to deliver our four bags of smokeless fuel, then we were going to go out for one of our free coffees and have a bit of a mooch somewhere. Last time the coal man came he couldn't get round to our back door which is via two fairly long passages, so the coal was left in our front garden. VT ended up heabing it round which was a bit of a job all in all.We must have missed the doorbell, so this time he wasn't taking any chances, both doors were left open, and he carried the doorbell round with him all morning.
Today, wouldn't you know it, he came at lunchtime, so it was far too late to go anywhere.The coalman said the coal bags weigh two stones!! no wonder VT found it a haul. This coalman is a tall thin wiry chappie, who certainly doesn't look like the type who heaves bags of coal around, but he lifts them like they are sacks of feathers. There must be a knack to it I suppose.
Lovely touches of yellow around the front garden but not much in the back garden yet.

The barrel by our front door is a mass of tiny dwarf daffodils and is a riot of colour at the moment. Cheers you up when you come in. They have such lovely little faces, tiny and perfectly formed.
My orchid plant is still doing well too, it resides on the kitchen table in our extension, and it first fglowered on the 1st december. here we are on the 16th of March and it is still a beautiful flower stem. Fantastic purple colour, my very favourite.

Isn't it gorgeous.
.Tonight we are having:
A simple pasta bake,
A little bit of garlic bread
A few carrots to go with to eke out the pasta.

What a Grey day!!

Today is a sort of nothing day really. Nothing but grey skiies and a dull looking outside. The only spark on the horizon was the arrival of a parcel from The Book people. What a good firm that is, they always deliver within a few days, this time in a padded bag, which was bashed, but the books were alright.I ordered a pack of three paperbacks by Rebecca tope, and VT got two hardbacks that he had spotted, so everyone is happy.
The little cats are surprisingly tired today as well. I think the weather affects them. When it is sunny, they go out into the garden but the grey dullness everywhere keeps them in. Little ginger girl from next door is out and about, she is turned out when our neighbour goes off to work, and left to her own devices. She does seem to be staying in at night these days though, which is nice company for her.
I think it is very cold today, went out to do the "Brasses" at the front, and they were terrible to do. Must be all the rain we have had, or frost or something, but they were really hard to get shiny today. Shouldn't leave them so long though.
VT is clearing up today. he is having one of his "sort outs" which serves to kid me that he is tidying up, when mostly what he does is shift things round a bit.
I made the mistake years ago, when he first came to live here in letting him have the small back bedroom as a study!!Well...now nearly thirty seven years later, there is thirty seven years of accumulated "things" in there!! I just don't go in there at all...daren't, it drives me mad. Stuff everywhere...really everywhere. But who can complain...he is as I type this down at the bottom of the garden getting the evening coal in after making the fire, and talking to the little ginger cat from next door, who follows him. Then there are all the lovely cups of coffee that he brings me in the mornings...and the driving round to various appointments..and the countless other things he does as well.
I think the poor little ginger girl is confused. it has had ten weeks of VT letting her into the house, and I don't think she understands why he can't let her in any more.
Still terrible pictures coming from Japan where the earthquake was, occasional little miracles though, like the 70 year old woman who was rescued after four days buried, and the tiny baby rescued after being buried in rubble for three days. Poor little mite.
Tonight we are having:
Broccoli and tomato quiche,
Little baked potatoes 8 oz
cauliflower cheese.

Early Up!!!

Oh those cats!! I know..shut them out of the bedroom, but you just can't can you.So consequently they come in when it starts to get light in the morning, which is earlier and earlier. Little Rusty jumps up quite lightly and walks up my legs and comes to rest on my hip where she stops. Stays for a while then trampolines off, only to return a while later. Bobby jumps on with a big wallop, and crawls up to near my face and purrs very loudly in my ear, stays there a while then goes down to the middle of the bed where she sleeps the sleep of the contented having woken me up beautifully!.
This morning it didn't matter too much since we wanted to get up reasonably. I had to go to Aintree hospital for a blood test, prior to my renal appointment next Monday.
Round and round the car park till nearly the top floor where we got a space, then a walk along a very modern glass walkway which was far too warm, so much so that someone had opened all the windows! then a two minute wait for the blood test. The technological ticket counter wasn't working, so the girl was just sitting there shouting "Next"..highly modern!! Back to the car, and out within about 40 mins, that cost £2.. It's cheaper if you only stay 1/2 an hour, but it takes almost that long to do the walkway!!
Ever onwards to the lovely M&S in Aintree. A bit of a look round. Spotted a "Pure Cashmere " long scarf that I had my eye on all Winter, reduced in their sale to £12 from £29.50 !!! Beautifully soft, like silk, and gorgeous stripes of red and white and blue and black. Decided to treat myself , bought that, then went back to get another for my SIL in Australia whose birthday is in May. VT had found me by then, and he was trying to put me off a bit, He said How much is it, so I fished the bill out of the bag and Surprise Surprise it was £5 !!!!!!!! So dashed over and bought that as well. Presents..sorted. A pure Cashmere scarf for a fiver!! I love a bargain..I do.
Went upstairs for our coffee, and VT got a lovely Blue Harbour shirt for £9..I bought him for doing my driving. Gorgeous brushed cotton, will be great for next winter. Loads of bargains around today, better than the outlet stores.
Got our beggies in the food section, and home by lunchtime. Really pleased with my purchases today.
Tonight we are having:
Broccoli and cheese escalope,
Sliced and sauteed potatoes 8oz
Mixed vegetables
Mushrooms.

Do Supermarkets have a Personality?

I think they do to a certain extent. We go out bn a Friday to get our weekend things, and we vary where we go so we get a variety of offers and goods. We are fortunate in having all of the main stores within a twenty minute car run, so we can do that.
Today we went over to Ormskirk to the Morrisons there.I really love Morrisons..it is a nice friendly not pncified store with good bargains. We used to have a Morrisons in Formby which is about ten minutes away but that became a Waitrose which is a different kettle of fish altogether. Nice store, and definitely a "nice" shopping "experience" but oh so expensive. You certainly know it when you have been there. They are the luxury end of shopping for me, middle of the road comes Sainsburys who are close the other way from where we live, but the shop is so small. We often go to the one in walton though which is a favourite. Tescaws about ten minutes away, we rarely go into, since we feel they are the bully in the playground so to speak. Asda I like so we go there once in a while because it is a bit of a hike, but the store we go to does have good buys, and we always come out of there thinking that we have got a lot for our/my money.
Then there are the low price guys, like Aldi and Lidl. Neither of these I would use for our big weekend shop but they are good for the odd offers. Hate the checkout system there we always have to wait an age before being served.
Odd, the things that attract you to a store. I know a lot of people use the online services these days, and i probably would have if I had still been working, but we do have the time and I enjoy the variety. Sad people...Maybe, maybe not. It's our routine and it's what we do.
Quite nice this morning up on the hilly Ormskirk, but when we came out of Morrisons it had started raining. It is just grey now...one of those days you are glad to be in with a good fire.
VT had a bit of a strop with me today when we were putting our goods away. i had bought what I thought were two quiches for £5 from M&S but he spotted that they were actually 3 for £5. So that annoyed him, he says that makes them quite expensive then doesn't it? I felt like saying well it's my money so why should you care.! Aah, lifes little cares. I think it's the eyesight really, it wasn't what I thought it said. never Mind Eh...
Tonight we are having:
Fishless fingers
200grms of chips between us
Green beans for moi and mushy peas for VT.

The Day the Printer Died...

Well not really. Yesterday I replied to a letter from a chool colleague of mine who still writes letters. How wonderful to get a hand written letter these days of texts and tweets and face book messages. Amongst other news of some colleagues that we both know, she told me that two had sadly passed away. Both of whom I was quite shocked about but one in particular I knew for a long time but hadn't heard from. She was a lovely woman, larger than life with a big personality, and a very dry sense of humour. She retired some years before me because she had a skin cancer on the back of her leg, and had most of her calf removed. She did seem to recover from that though, and my friend didn't say what she had died from. I wonder if it was related?
I have received two handwritten letters this year so far, and strangely enough, the other had news of a death also. This was an old school friend I used to travel to school with and the lasdt Christmas card that I had from her said she was retiring the following year from her job in a care home. Anyway, it seems that she became ill and ended up in the care home that she worked in.
Anyhow, I had typed a letter to my former friend and printed off one page, and it ran out of black ink. What a pain! So VT went to "Tesco" this morning to get another one. £30 odd quid, and that's cheap apparently! Once these cheaper printers have you it's a life sentence of buying printer ink from then on.
Did very little today, the weather was funny, sunny one minute and pouring down the next. We were planning to go to The Cheshire Oaks this week, but we will go when the weather warms up a bit. It isn't under cover there so can be a bit blowy. Had a lovely long bath with my candles and my book and a teeny tiny mini bar of toblerone for a treat. Decadence.
Tonight we are having:
8oz of a bag of small potatoes to use them up. I shall rummage through the freezer to find something to go with them
A bit of broccoli left over and green beans for moi.

Another little Visitor...

We are rapidly becoming the preferred choice for a cats feeding station. VT noticed a new little kitty in our back garden, this one is a black one, small one with tiny bits of white on it. There is always a plastic bowl of cat biscuits which are out for the little ginger girl, and this one was helping itself. It looked pretty hungry judging by the way it was gobbling down the biscuits, but it might just be that they are a different variety from what it is used to.Very timid one though, it ran off under the back gate when VT opened the door.So that's another to add to the list.
We went out to Maghull this morning to have a look round. Very blowy it was too. I had a look in the Bon Marche where they were having a %20 off everything sale, but didn't actually see anything too exciting. Bought a top which isn't great, might return that, and a pair of trousers which are fine. Nothing shouting out at me today though. Went into the Superdrug there which I didn't like because I couldn't find anything! It's funny how you get used to the layout of different shops, and I found it difficult to find what I needed. Stick with the Ormskirk one.
Bright point though, VT called in at the Maghull garden centre on the way back and bought me a coffee. Very nice it was too,even nicer for having it bought for me.
Went past a new wstate of houses being built at Sefton Mill by Persimmons builders. There was a great big notice there which said..."300 faults in the house" as seen on Watchdog..Oh dear, you wouldn't buy a house there would you.
VT was a bit concerned about his exhaust the other day, and took it to the garage for a check. They said it was fine, but there was a bit at the end that was a little low. He pumped up his tyres to give him more clearance and it seems to have done the trick. Cause...Speed Bumps!! The man at the garage said that they get a lot of extra work because of speed bumps. There are two villages that we go through on the way to and from Maghull, and they now have many and varied speed bumps in them. Some of them are terrible, you can really feel the thump as you go over them, and they are getting quite worn now with the bad weather too, so you get potholes either side. Pain in the neck.They seem to be bringing the garages a lot of extra work though.At least they are doing someone a favour.
Ordered some more books yesterday from The Book People. I had just finished a large print book by rebecca Tope from the library and really enjoyed it. Very well written with excellent characters, and spotted these in the book people catalogus. three books for 4.99 Not bad.
http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=218635
Hope they aren't little tiny print though...probably not.
Last night we ended up having: Cheesey Kievs, with a lovely little cauliflower gratin with mushrooms and a few sliced and sauteed potatoes.
Tonight we are having:
Asda meatfree meatballs with a tomato sauce and mushrooms
4oz of spaghetti,
A few carrots to go with.

Bits and Bobs...

One of those days today when you seem to do bits of everything. Started late mind you because we were late going to bed. We normally go to bed about twelvish and read for a bit, and usually little Rusty comes and just sits on the bed between us but last night she didn't appear. Because we were still thinking of when she went missing five years ago we began to be a bit concerned. So the ever gallant VT got up to look for her. He came back after a bit and said there was no sign so he went to look again. By this time his tea was cold so he wasn't a happy bunny and went to make another mug. Returned to say he had looked again and she was under the bed in jane's room just looking up at him!!! Naughty little girlI think she was having a game! So, in the end it was well after one when we put the lights out, consequently we slept in this morning.Doesn't matter though.
First thing I did was a huge pile of ironing this morning, all of the bedding which needs a lot of ironing because it is the Egyptian cotton type and creases terribly in the wash. Gorgeous to sleep on though.
VT was out and about doing bits in the garden and he met the sister of our neighbour who has recently died. She was talking about him a lot, it seems that the hospitals that were dealing with him hereweren't up to scratch, she is a nurse so knows what goes on. We think that our neighbour has gone back to work since the little ginger girl has been out all day, maybe that will help her a bit.It must be so difficult for her.
Pancake day today..already, seems only a short time since Christmas. Not sure whether we will have any tonight, we don't generally tend to have puddings, except very rarely after a pasty or for a special occasion. Apparently prince William and Kate Middleton have been tossing pancakes in the middle of Belfast this morning. Good for them they seem a really down to earth couple.not like his Dad anyway!!
Jane rang up at lunchtime, she got her letter with her birth certificate in, that was only posted yesterday lunchtime with a first class stamp, so that's fair enough. She was going to the University to get her hair cut, it's much cheaper there. hope she gets the fringe out of her eyes!!
Tonight we are having:
Not exactly sure today.
I have a couple of nice pies in the freezer, or some cherry tomato tarts i shall see what VT fancies. Fill it in tomorrow.

One of Those funny Sort of Days!

It started with VT reading the paper after breakfast,he said he had a big smear of marmalade on the back page. God knows where that came from,and he doesn't read the football pages anyway, so that entailed trying to get rid of that. He ended up tearing the page in half, then sellotaping it to the next one !!!! Then i was cleaning my teeth after breakfast and got a smear of toothpaste on my trousers...God knows where that came from as well. Tried to wipe it off and ended up with a big wet patch where you don't want a wet patch. Good job they weren't the clothes that I go out in!
Went to Sainsburys for a few veggies as is our custom, You get 1/2 free in the car park, but you have to enter the car details in the pay machine for a ticket first. VT went over to do this and came back with a pound coin he had found in the returned coins slot.. So he's bought a lucky dip for the lottery..maybe we will be Millionaires by the weekend. Anyway, for some reason Sainsburys didn't have any salads..nothing at all. the shelves were bare, and we have a salad for lunch on a Monday with our left over pizza, so we had to go to Waitrose in Formby for that. Came out of Waitrose with three items!!! that must be a record, but I think VT was in a hurry to get home for his coffee.
Jane rang up this morning, she wanted to get her birth certificate, needed it by Wednesday!!! that annoyed her Dad because she had left it to the last minute. So that's gone by lunchtime, should get there by tomorrow with a now expensive first class stamp. She has an interview for Salford Uni on Wednesday, and she said it was a group interview. She reckons they are tricky, because you can't be too quiet, but you can't be too gobby either she said so she will play it by ear. She does interview well, but group ones are different.This one is for a deffered place for 2012 so I hope she gets that.
Tonight we are having:
Lemon and black pepper escalope
bread sauce,
Carrots and green beans
Little roast potatoes 8oz between us.

It's a Buzzin...

The village is buzzing with the news of the Pop Festivals that are planned. Apparently it will cover a number of fields and take up to 5000 people. There is a petition in the shop, and various people going round with clip boards... To be continued...
I have left VT watching Time Team while I nip up to do this. He really enjoys them, and I think it is the most boring programme on television. One point someone was scrabbling around in some earth and Tony Robiunson says " Isn't it exciting" !!!! Well no actually. Never mind, I'm sure there are loads of programmes that I watch that VT hates. I think it is the Tony Robinson thing for me..can't stand him..his voice, and the way his words go up at the end like he was Australian.. Now if it was George Clooney... I read somewhere that he is 50 6this year. How can a man age so beautifully?
The three crosswords were quite easy today, I finished mine forst today..it always has a "theme" like a proverb or Universities or the like. Today it was the books and films of Daphne Du Maurier. Once you get that it is fairly easy.

This is the orchid that VT bought me for my birthday in July 2009 for my birthday. He repotted it after flowering and it flowered again on the First of December 2010! It is still flowering today the 6th of March!!! Wow..now that is good value.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with our tomato sauce, portobello mushrooms, pepper and courgette . pineapple and a meatfree pepperoni.
Rgg salad with avocado,
Potato salad for moi and a chilli noodle salad for VT..

Pop Festival....Well I never..!!

VT came back from getting the paper this morning, to say that there was a notice in the shop window. Nothing new about that, plenty of notices in the sho-p window, usually about lost cats or items for sale, but this one was a tad different!! It was concerning a planning outline for a "Pop Festival" in one of the fields about 1/2 a mile outside the village!!! i could hardly eat my breakfast for laughing..it conjured up all sorts of images.. Laura Ashley frocks, flowers in the hair and odours of wacky baccy!! Well our village is hardly |Glastonbury is it? What a hoot...I bet the parish council are up in arms about that one...
Lovely sunny day today, so we went over to Aintree for the weekend things. I had a quick look in the Next outlet store, and picked up a pair of pillowcases, Egyptian Cotton for £4, but when i got to the till the girl said they were £2!! I love a bargain..I do, a pillowcase for one pound, not bad.Sainsbury's was really quiet, I expect the hospital over the road closing down has made a difference. We got our usual things, and a few extras..well more than a few extras. I wonder if shopping online stops you from impulse buying? Maybe not in my case.
Had our coffee in a lovely quiet spot in their car park, the sun was streaming in through the windows, and it was really pleasant. Pity there isn't a nice view, or a river to look at,but you are not going to get that in the middle of Merseyside!!
Drew up outside the house, and no little cat to greet us, it must be inside with its mummy, hope it is keeping her company. They arrived back late afternoon, her and her sister, who isn't staying long apparently. Such a shame.
Tonight we are having:
VT's absolute favourite vegetable pasties from Waitrose. They are like a cornish pasty, but have no meat in them and very tasty. Drop of gravy to go with..gorgeous.
Rice pudding for a treat. Again Waitrose, and microwavable. My mum would be turning over ibn her grave I'm sure, but I suppose it is the equivalent of a takeaway.

The reason I put what we are having each night, is that iit is a sort of record I began when we were starting our healthy eating plan about two years ago, and it has become a sort of routine. We seem to be doing ok anyway, the Dr didn't say anything about my weight when I went to the Diabetic clinic on Monday. Mind you there were some very very big peopl;e in the clinic!!! I felt quite normal. Nice feeling!!

Where Oh Where did My...

Yesterday's blog go??
I spent quite a few minutes yesterday afternoon typing it up, and I am sure it was easily the very best and most interesting blog that I had ever written. pressed the publish post red square at the bottom and it disappeared!! Totally gone..no idea where at all. It has happened in the past very occasionally and when I found the drafts it was there, but not this time. I wonder where they go, all these messages that do not end up on the computer, I have a sort of mental image of words flying around in space somewhere.
We stayed in today, mainly because we were expecting our next door neighbour back, but no sign yet, and it is five o'clock. It is a long journey from Chichester though so maybe they will arrive later this evening. VT let the little ginger girl out this morning, and it was hanging round our front door after lunch looking like it wanted tio go in again, so he went to let her in. We have a front door, and then an inner door with a bit of a porch, she had come into the porch bit, and had her nose pressed to the glass of the inner door. Aaah, it looked so lovely. I think he will miss dealing with her, he has got it so well trained now, it has only been out two nights in ten weeks, and they used to let it out all the time saying that it liked being out. Well it clearly doesn't.
Poor woman, it is going to be terribly difficult for her, her whole world has changed in a few months.
Nice day today, the sun is shining, and the nights are drawing out now, not getting dark till about six thirtyish. VT is still doing a fire though, we use a smokeless fuel which heats our radiators and the hot water, and is the main heat in our middle room which we use a lot. Ours is a small terraced house in a block of six with a slightly larger gable house at either end. Over the last few years, as people have moved into them, they have gradually been named cottages!! Total rubbish really, they were built as workers houses, and they are ordinary little terraced properties. Ours will never be called a cottage, at least not while I am in it!

See..ordinary houses aren't they.
Tonight we are having:
Quorn sausages
Little baked potatoes with rosemary salt
Cauliflower cheese..

Hares and Rabbits...

Again!! Yet another month passes us by, and a bit further away from all the wintery weather we have been having of late.
Nice and sunny this morning, in fact the sun was so bright I had to difg my little sunglasses out. Got a letter from John in Australia yesterday and they have had terrible storms/tornado/cyclone whatever..also bush fires outside Perth too. What is the weather coming to?
VT rang the neighbours up this morning, because there were letters for her, and we were thinking she would be coming back last weekend. Anyway, she is due to return next thursday. That will be so hard for her, it is now ten weeks since VT has been looking after their cat (little ginger girl). He has got really attached to her, it has a real little character, comes to the sound of his car, and follows him down to the shop etc., ten weeks is a long time to look after a cat, it's no wonder she is responding to him. Poor little thing, I wonder what will happen to her.
We went out to get some veggies this morning from Waitrose. Lovely store but very pricey..you certainly notice the bill when you get it. Don't mind though, there are a few things we get from there that we can't get anywhere else.
Tonight we are having:
Escalope of some sort from the freezer,
mushrooms
carrots and beans
Little baked potatoes.