Mr Fix-It...

Last thing at night is not when you want to toilet handle to break is it? half twelve when we were going to bed and it goes. So vin got his fix-it mode into gear and did a temporary repair . What a wonder..he said it is the benefit of a good secondary modern education, that he is able to fix things. I think he is just clever.
This morning he went off to Tesco to get the shopping and Homebase then Almonds to get some repair bits. he came back with a kit that looked right but apparently it isn't, so he has gone off to waterloo (very appropriate) to get another type. That is lunchtime and he is still out getting something to use.  meanwhile we are on bucket and chucket !!!like in the dark ages. Funny how you take something for granted till something goes wrong. I can see why people have en suites and two bathrooms now.
Otherwise a normal day for me. The little cts seem quite tired today, and are both keeping warm inside. It is quite cold today again, Jane rang up on her way to Uni, to say she was freezing, and the car park that she usually uses has put their prices up from £2 to £4.50 which is a bit of a hike and she was annoyed about that. So she has used one another ten minutes away and now has a half hour walk across town to get to Uni. poor kid..i do have to say she is working her butt off this year. She has just rung up again on her way to work having been to uni, to say it is freezing, it's a long day today for her she is on till eleven tonight, but off tomorrow till the evening.  keep going Jane I'm proud of you.
Vin has just put a loaf in the bread machine because he fancied making one, so he bought a bread mix from Tesco, nice granary loaf. he does it on the dough cycle then will bake it off in the oven when it has proved.
Tonight we are having:
Cheese and onion pasty from Waitrose with a baked tomato
Rice pudding from sainsburys. New ones to us haven't had them before.

Brrr...

dfinite chill in the air today, frost on top of our garden shed and frost n the ground. Makes a change from all the rain though. The flooding seems to have abated somewhat, though I suspect that is no comfort to the people who have had homes ruined and belongings destroyed.
Vin sent off the parcel to John and Ann this morning, a great big Jiffy bag, with all sorts of bits and pieces in it.  i bought them the Downton Abbey DVD which came with a free very nice diary, a Thomas Kinkade calendar, a dangly reindeer toy,and a turquoise pendant for Ann. All that cost £17 to post, but it was quite heavy so not surprised. The only shame is that you have to put on the customs form what is in the parcel so they will know and won't be surprised.
We did a bit of clearing up in the kitchen, did all the ornaments and bits and pieces on the shelf behind the sink, and vin very kindly did the windows and tiling surround.  That was the morning by the time we had done all that.
yet another appointment arrived this morning for a Stoma clinic on the 10th december a week before my admission date. Will have to see what that is about when I get there.  That is three appointments in two days! things are moving fast now. i think Christmas will be a bit odd this year!!!
Tired today, but was up very early this morning so that is probably why, couldn't get back to sleep when I got to bed because Bobby was all over me. She does pick her moments that cat! She is currently fast asleep on the bed behind me all curled up in her basket. All right for some!
Tonight we are having:
Something from the freezer
Baby potatoes boiled and squashed and maybe baked
Veggies left over..carrots broccoli and sweetcorn

Buses!!

It seems like they are like buses. You wait for ever for one to come along then three come along at once!! One on Monday with the consultant anaesthetist then , I got two letters this morning. One for an appointment at the thoracic exercise testt on tuesday at 3.00 then an admission letter for the 17th december Ward 4 at 11.oo. That will be six months since I first went to my GP. Taken long enough..just hope we get there in the end.
Busy this morning after a somewhat disturbed night. bobby decided she was going to upchuck on the end of the bed at some ungodly hour so that had to be stripped off. Wouldn't you know it but we had changed all the bedding yesterday too. Typical! Anyway there was a huge pile of bedding already to be ironed this morning so did that. vin rang the hearing aid centre and cancelled my appointment which was next week, and got the coal bunker sorted out for the coal delivery. 4 Bags at £17 odd a bag just around £74. That's the second delivery this season but Vin makes it last and we have extra fire bricks so you actually need less on the fire. With the logs it makes a nice cosy fire.That was the morning after all that. At least the heating allowance pays for just about three deliveries!
Tonight we are having:
pasta aof some sort..maybe a simple macaroni cheese type
A bit of garlic bread for Vin

Light at the end of the Tunnel!

At long last! We went yesterday to Aintree to see the Consultant Anaesthetist and have a pre op assessment session. My appointment was for 1.30 and we left at around fourish. Vin had to leave me at the front entrance whie he went to park the car, and I tried to find my way to the correct place. That hospital is a maze of corridors, and I stupid woman that I am missed my turn and in the event vin got there before me!! typical..he enjoyed that!
Saw the consultant who explained things and asked a lot of questions, took my blood pressure and told me what she would be doing. Quite involved with an epidural etc., i just want it all done now. Then I had to see a pre op nurse..a nice young man called Michael who asked me even more questions filled in a four page sheet with answers, and took my blood pressure again! He wrote down my medications as well as the consultant too. Vin and I were laughing about that..every single time you see a nurse or a cionsultant they write down the list of your medications..why on earth don't they put them up on the screen and just ask if you have any changes..He explained even more things and gave me two booklets to go through and digest.
he passed me on to another nursey who did my weight..(gone down) blood pressure (again) and then an ECG.. Then I was done we could go home. All I have to do now is wait for a date.
Finished the letter to John and Ann off today so will try and get that posted off tomorrow. We have to stop in tomorrow anyway because we are getting a delivery of coal and there is a big pile of bedding to be ironed. Oooh how exciting!
Vin took my money off to Tesco this morning mainly because we had a £4 off £40 voucher which is a good reason to use them. He got loads of things we needed and some for stocking up as well, came back with two great big bags. very well done Vin XXX10/10. He went for a haircut this morning too so killed two birds with one stone so to speak.
Tonight we are having:
gruyere cheese escalope
Baby potatoes baked in the oven
Mixed vegetables
White sauce and mushrooms.

Wet Wet wet!!

Terrible pictures of the flooding down South mostly. seems to be Cornwall, Exeter and devon. rivers bbursting their banks and flooding houses and properties. looks awful, must be horrendous for the poor people in the houses.  The pictures on the news are just terrible. And, it isn't anything to do with Gordon brown either!!
Spent a nice afternoon doing the crosswords  I like doing the general knowledge ones, can't be bothered woth crypric ones they take too much time, but we both like doing nes that you have to look up the answers to. Vin went off to crosby this morning, took a pair of roller boots belonging to jane from when she was much younger to a charity shop. The girl in Barnados said they would sell, they were quite popular. Jane never really got the hang of them actually, I don't think she had the balance for them. He took some books as well so it all helps, and makes a bit of money for them that's ok.
Guess where I was..in the house again. out tomorrow though, off to Aintree to see the anaesthetist, hoping that we move a little bit closer to getting sorted out.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with mushroom and a bit of extra cheese
Egg and potato salad with avocado
potato salad for Moi and rice salad for Vin.

Light at the end of the tunnel!!

I hope so...got a phone call this morning from the consultants secretary to say that she had arranged an appointment with the anaesthetist for monday afternoon at 1.30 for a pre operation session.  Well that has been a long time coming I do have to say, since isaw the consultant on the 28th September!!Maybe things will get going a bit now. bearing in mind that I went to the GPs on the 8th of June..I never imagined that it would all take so long to be sorted.The NHS in Aintree certainly drives exceedingly slowly!!
Jane rang up at lunchtime to say that she was on her way home, and they had finished. She had been on a tour of the hospital this morning and gone to all the different sections. She seems to be enjoying this cours thank goodness.Her skelington arrived yesterday from Sainsbury's online. It is a flatpack and you have to put it together yourself with little butterfly clips. It was ten pounds and she said it was keeping her quiet anyway..
Vin stayed in today and did bits and bobs. He did my hair colour this morning, he is really good at doing the root touch up,,it is actually ages since it had been done and the roots were looking quite grey so it was well in need of doing. I am now my normal shade of dark brown. Nosy Vin has just been in here fixing a light bulb and reading this over my shoulder..I told him off and said it was private but he said it was on the Internet and anyone could read it! True I suppose..it's not really private but my sort of diary. i started it in 20007 the day that Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, and at least it's lasted longer that he did. Poor Gordon i still think he got a rough deal...
Tonight we are havinbg:
Fishless fingers
Mushy peas for Vin and green beans for moi
Chiops (Hooray) 200 grms.

Cat Baskets.... Well you have to keep them happy!!

Vin got them one new cat basket from Argos the other day, that was £9.99 for a small one which he has put on the downstairs sofa for Rusty. She is only a little cat so it is just right for her. A bit too small for Bobby though, she is much bigger altogether. He went out this morning to  Dobbies to get his free coffee and while he was there he had a look in the new B&M bargain shop in Kew. He got a lovely bigger one from there for £5.99 which is  a real bargain.  That will do them for upstairs on the stool in Jane's room. Looks really good too, animal print with a very snazzy cording round thee top edge.  So, the little cats have been refurbished.
He went to a variety of places in kew and got his coffee at Dobbies when he rang me up. He said it was a filthy wet day there, but it wasn't raining here then. it is now though..pitch black and very wet..horrible evening. A really nasty British Winter evening. Glad I'm not on my way home from school!! The weather forecasts this evening aren't good either, roads blocked because of wet weather and flooding etc., quite a lot in devon, Somerset and Scotland.
Tonight we are having:
freezer fodder, possible a cheesey kiev.,
Mushrooms
Potatoes sauteed and sliced
Any veggies left over..

Marmalade Fest...

Today we had a big marmalade making session. Made ten jars of the golden stuff this morning with Remy Martin Cognac in it. Vin eats marmalade and he likes the ones with whisky or brandy in it , and he had run out so we decided to get some done this morning. We had two bags of free granulated sugar from a Daily Express offer so it was a cheap make actually. We use a tin of Mamade orange base , then add water and 4lbs of sugar. Stir over the gas till the sugar has dissolved then bring to a rolling boil till setting point. This is the tricky part because it tends to boil ove the sides of the pan if you aren't careful. So, it's a matter of standing over it and stirring until the right stage is obtained.  After about half an hour you try a little bit on a saucer and test fior setting. Then you add the spirit, this time it happened to be the Remy Martin, I add around 4fl oz of that and pot into clean sterilized hot jars and leave to set. Job done..beautiful marmalade which will keep him going for ages.
Apart from that didn't do anything, that is a morning's work by the time you have finished anyway. No post except for our Nectar points balances. Mine has £39 ish on it Vin's has £75ish on hos. Mind, that is because he uses his card when he does all the Sainsbury's shopping..but guess who pays for all the shopping..Correct..Moi!! so he is a cheeky beggar really!!
Little Rusty is now fast asleep in her new cat basket on the sofa..she went straight into it without any trouble. Must get Vin to take a picture of her in it, she looks so lovely.
Tonight we are having:
Sausage and mashed potatoes
gravy with mushrooms,
Carrots and broccoli.

Vin has an Outing!!

We were awoken early by both of the cats jumping on the bed this morning. Rusty got on to my hip, and Bobby was head butting the back of my head, so Vin decided to get up and get the coffee earlier than usual. This was good actually because he wanted to go out to Ormskirk early anyway. We had our usual conversation over our coffee and he was talking about all sorts including giving me a lecture on electricity.
So he went off to Ormskirk this morning. The idea really was to get the cat's tablets  then to go off to the town centre to get our weekly veggies. He parked in Morrisons then went off to the Holland and Barratt to see if they had our fishless fingers. They did so he got what they had which was three packs and also a pack of gourmet fishless cakes which are new.  He was also looking for a new cat bed for Rusty for downstairs and got one of those in Argos. A couple of the cat beds are really beyond redemption they get so hairy and are hard to keep clean.  He at least had a coffee in Morrisons I told him to get one in Costa but he wouldn't..aaah!  he had three big bags of stuff when he got home..well done VinXXX
I stopped in of course, and that was a good job because one of my parcels arrived, no post today just the parcel. We don't seem to get as much post as we used to apart from catalogues and bank statements we don't get really interesting mail any more. I did a bit of John and Ann's letter and am aiming to get that finished soon. We need to send their parcel off so they get it in plenty of time for Christmas.
Tonight we are having:
Escalope with cheese and broccoli
Little baked squashed potatoes
Carrots and beans,
Mushroom sauce.

In Which Vin Is STill Clearing Out !

And good for him too. He is planning to go to Ormskirk tomorrow to get the tablets from the vets for little Rusty actually, so it is just a few minutes further to the town centre. Today he has been clearing out some of the books that we have in order to take them to the charity shops, of which there are many there! I haven't been to Ormskirk in months and wonder what has changed. He'll go to the Holland and Barratt too to see if they have any of the fishless fingers that we get from there..hope they do we like those.
Loads of redundant books in our house..old paperbacks and hardback books like text books and gardening books that we no longer need. You can't keep them for ever so it's a good time to clear out a bit of space.
I've been trying to finish the Australia letter today, getting a few bits and bobs down on paper, but really struggling with this one.  Maybe something momentous will happen in the next few days..or maybe not!!
Jane has started her placement in the hospital today, and she is there for a week. She rang this morning on her way there, and said she had been ironing all her uniforms and making her sandwiches. Hope she gets on well, and gets through the course this time. Good Luck jane XXX
Tonight we are having:
leftover pizza with mushrooms anda bit of extra cheese
Potato and egg salad with avocado
Potato salad for moi and rice salad for Vin.

Another Weekend Gone By!!

Routine..Routine.. get up, have breakfast..bit of mooching about or a chore to do, lunch, do the crosswords watch something on the box, up to do my post, have tea, watch telly, do some puzzles, get ready for bed, read for a while then sleep! really exciting...totally not!! The boring mundanity of nmy life as it is at present :(
Vin did go off to Crosby this morning, at least he can get out for a bit, so he got some stuff at Sainsburys and a card for John and Ann to go in their Christmas parcel. We shall have to think about getting that off soon, but I nered to finish their letter first. trouble is I'm stuck for anything to write about this year, haven't been anywhere except for hospital appointments and haven't been on holiday again either.
He bumped into a lady who used to live in the end house of our terraced block while he was in Crosby. She told him that her cat had died last week, very suddenly but she was 17 years old. She was called Flossie..and was a real little character. She was always at the front of the house, and would come and greet you but you had to be a bit wary because sometimes just occasionally, she would hiss at you. Very pretty little tortoiseshell cat, and was a real sweetie. The lady sold her house and bought a new bungalow further along the road and for a little while Flossie would come back to her old haunts, but then she settled in, and we didn't see much of her unless we went along the road. R.I.P.Little Flossie XXX
Tonight we are having:
Pizzas of a different sort. Vin is having one with peppers etc., and mine is a gluten free one.
Egg and potato salad with avocado
Potato salad for moi and rice salad for Vin.

Cubby Hole!!

Everybody has one don't they..a cubby hole under the stairs where everything is put? Ours is a real cubby hole and all sorts are in there... Vin has spent two days clearing it out, mainly to make room for the newish vacuum cleaner which is a bit bulky. So, he did a bit of shopping yesterday and today he has beavered away in the hole... looks a lot better for it too.  The trouble with living in a little terraced house that doesn't have a garage is that you are actually short of storage space, especially for things that you would normally keep in a garage, like tools etc., So, they get put in unusual places. We have a nice pine chest in the front room for example that holds all of his do-it-yourself tools like his power drill etc., and the work bench is in the cubby hole!! You have to be a bit crafty.
Jane has just rung up quite pleased because she got a bonus in her pay packet of £42 for selling X number of tickets, plus she had got four days extra holiday too so she is a happy bunny today. She wanted to know how much she had on her ASDA card so she could go and get some shopping on her way home at eleven o'clock tonight from work. I do have to admire her, she has been in to Uni today till three, then she does a shift at Ticketmaster till eleven tonight. Poor kid, she is working hard for her new career move. So, I have put another £50 on her ASDA caard to allow her to get some more stuff in that she needs. She is welcome, she is certainly working for it this year.
It was really going dark early tonight and was quite murky at fourish, maybe it was raining which makes a difference.
Tonight we are having:
Cheese and onion pasties from Waitrose..Vin's favourite!
A baked tomato
Rice pudding from Waitrose too..Yummy!

Voting Day!!

Vin went off to vote for the new Police person in charge. i didn't bother today..just couldn't be bothered. We had nothing through the letter box save for one leaflet from the Independant person a Kiron somebody, so he voted for them since they were the only ones bothered. he said there was quite a long list, and two columns so yu voted for your first choice and your second choice.  haven't a clue what it is all about really there should have been more information given out. Blame the government..part of the cutbacks apparently.
He went off to Waitrose this morning to get the pasties for tomorrow night, and some other stuff for the weekend, he said he wanted a change from the usual going out on a friday and who can blame him. I certainly don't.He also came back with a bag of free wood from a timber place on the industrial estate, they aare off cuts and he usus them to light the fire, yu just help yourself to what is there so that's more than a bargain. Saves on the gas poker, and works better than firelighters.
Must admit to being a bit tired today..had a bad night must have been something that didn't agree with me and when I eventually got back into bed couldn't drop off again, so ended up having a bit of a doze after our lunch. Ah well won't do any harm.   There was an item on the news today about hospital waiting list having fallen dramatically, not in my case they haven't. Five months is quite long enough thankyou.
Tonight we are having:
Something that appeals from the freezer
Sliced and sauteed potatoes 8oz.,
Carrots and the remaining veggies that are left over.

Well Done Jane!!

She has just rung up to say that she had been nto Uni and had a look at the exam marking for the Anatomy mock that she took on Monday. it was a computer paper and marked online also but some of the markings were wrong. She thought she had got 54% but when she looked some questions that were in six parts and should have got a mark for each she got five right so should have got five marks. But, the computer marked them as 0 marks. Another one had the answer "justified" which she put, but the answer had missed out the "t" and everyone was marked wrong. Bit weird all that. So she has actually got 76% which means a first, and she had got 77% for the physics too so she was happy bunny. Glad someone is happy!!
Vin has been doing a lot of clearing up today, mostly the cupboard under the stairs which is a real junk hole (everyone has one!" and all sorts gets put in there.Loads of plastic bags and other assorted bits and pieces.
Going dark really early now..it is only 4.30 and it is well dark here, most of the leaves have gone off the trees and there is a touch of Winter about although the weather actually is fairly mild given that it is the middle of November.
Me...I just did the ironing..a big pile of the bedding that we use. must admit I actually do quite enjoy doing that, getting all the creases out, and smoothing it all overand it is gorgeous bedding to use.  The cats? well one of them takes to the bed morning and afternoon, that's Bobby who wakes up usually when I go to the bathroom about fivish in the morning! and little Rusty she just follows Vin about. He went round to get the bin in this morning, and she trots down the garden and along the entry after him like a little dog. Ah...bless.

My poor little orchid plant has finally given up its last flower this morning. Vin bought it for my birthday on July 18th and it has lasted all this time. Wow!
It was such a beautiful thing. very good value. He will try and keep it foing now, and it will probably flower again sometime.
Tonight we are ahving:
Pasta cheese with mushrooms
Mixed green vegetables
A bit of garlic bread for Vin.

Somewhere In Cyberspace???

I sit down at about fourish every day to do my blog entry, and yesterday was no exception. However, the puter was playing up a bit, or it could have been the site..probably was..and my entry for the day which was quite a long one totally disappeared.  The computer just said "goodbye" in that infuriating female voice and it all just went.. God knows where..I don't and I couldn't retreive it either. I do wonder where they all go!
Ah well, another week is passing by and there is still no more news about an appointment. I can't believe that it was the beginning of June when I went with my problem to the GP and she referred me to the gynae clinic..here I am having had tests etc., and an eventual referral to the right clinic colo/gastric one and still waiting.  Over five months later and no further on really. The wheels of the NHS are grinding exceedlingly slow in my case.  Christmas adverts all over the show and not really feeling like Christmas at all. probably will when the decorations go up.
Vin took my money off to Crosby Sainsburys today, it is the nearest store I suppose, and only takes about ten minutes to get there. He is getting really good at shopping now and spotting the offers too. He also went to B&M bargains where we get cat food..household paper like kitchen rools and loo paper etc., excellent quality and much cheaper than the supermarkets. The cats love their cat food..and will turn their noses up at the big brands sometimes. Fussy little beggars! They are funny at the moment. Vin had got some new cat litter, which is in granules in a blue bag, and they are both just sitting on it ..we think it makes a noise they like, but it's really odd to see bobby just perched on it with a rapt look on her face. Hilarious!We used to have a tiny little cat called Jemima a tiny bundle of ginger fur, who used to roll over in the new cat litter, she used to go on her back and turn over in it and that was the old fullers earth stuff so you would get clouds of dust everywhere and she would be covered in it. Poor little Jemmy, she had epilepsy quite bad, and it used to be bad when there was a full moon..very strange that. She went missing one day and we searched and searched but never found her. We think she probably had a fit somewhere and didn't recover. Little sweetie she was..a rescue cat too.

Tonight we are having:
Escalope with mozzarella and pesto
Baby potatoes squashed
Mixed veggies with a hollandaise sauce
Mushrooms.

Another Weekend Looms!!

Another Friday again..it's amazing how quickly the weeks slip by. The television programmes are full of Christmas adverts now, a lot of supermarket and department store ones, and of course furniture ones too. Can't say that I feel very Christmassy this year not yet anyway.
Dorbell went this mrning but this time it wasn't a delivery for moi but one for next door, Vin and the lady who delivers in the courier van are alsmost on first name terms now!! Jane has just been on the phone on her way to work after having done a day at Uni., poor kid she is having a long day, she doesn't finish till eleven tonight, but she drove into town so her car is in the car park for getting home. She was saying that she needs to get some glasses so she will get into town early tomorrow and go to specsavers. Maybe she will get some money off for being a student.
Vin took my money off to tesco today. He had a coupon for £6 off a Forty pound spend so that was the incentive.Plus he had a load of vouchers in the post the other day for money off things that we usually buy too so a good deal today really. he actually saved loads of money with them so worth going there. He came back with amongst other things a tub af Tesco Finest butternut, honey and sage soup which we shared for our lunch, and it was delicious too. Well worth buying, vegetarian, and no chillies or peppers which I can't have at present. Really tasty. What a good shopper he is..well done Vin.
Tonight we are having:
Chips!! 200 grms between us
Mushrooms sauteed lightly in fry light
Something tomatoey
Something from the freezer to go with them.

Smells like a burger bar in Here!!

Well it does. Vin decided that he would have a burger for his lunch for a change since he had a nice bun from the shop at the end of the road. So I said there was one in the freezer and he found a box of two that were freezer burnt and missed the one I meant. Anyway he found that and gently fried it for his lunch. Now the house smells like a burger bar. Quite a strong smell but he's lit some nice Yankee candle things so it will go soon.. I hope!   I had a cheese sandwich and a pack of crisps for mine..The poor relation!!
Very dull and dark today, it seems to be one of those days when you have to put lights on everywhere you go, and it's going quite dark already at four thirty. Not rained today but looked like it was going to.
Very little to say today really. Nothing much happening in the house, and not much happening in the news either. Bradley Wiggins was knocked off his bike that's all really :), not that that is funny but it makes the headlines!
Vin went off to Formby to get some logs from Homebase and get some petrol. So I sit at home and spend my money even if I don't move... Jane hasn't rung up today, but she did ring up yesterday wanting me to lend her the rent money for this month because her student loan hasn't come through yet, and she can't get her bursary sorted till that is done.  Bank of Mum and Dad eh!!!
Tonight we are having:
Baby potatoes.
mixed vegetables
Something to go with them from the freezer.

Another day at the Fun factory...Not really!

Stopped in today..made a change for me...not!!  Vin was outside doing a load of gardening this morning. he planted some nice ittle daffodils (the mini kind) in the barrel in the front garden and I did the brasses at the front of the house. I always forget to do these,and with not going out of the front door don't see them to remind me. Shame really because they look nice when done.  The barrel is good and clear now with the little daffodils waiting for spring, and he had enough left over to plant a hanging basket for the back of the house too.  Most of the leaves have gone from the trees at the front of the house now..one last big blow will get rid of them.
Well the USA elections are over for another four years..barak Obama has got in again it was supposed to be a close run thing but in the event it wasn't, but by no means a landslide. Perhaps we will get a bit of peace from that now. I expect the Obamas are pleased they don't have to up sticks and move out of the White House.
Still waiting patiently to hear from Aintree... seems to be taking an awful long time:( Ah well...
Tonight we are having:
Pasta with a pour over sauce of tomato and mascarpone,
A bit of garlic bread for Vin
Some green veggies to go with.

Dispatch Department!!

One of those funny days today when all of the Mail Order things came at once. Started earlyish with my Aranesp delivery..(medical not mail order) followed in a few minutes by the courier with my QVC night cream which I ordered last week. Very quick delivery for that.
Vin was about to go to Sainsburys and the doorbell went again, it was the post van with his replacement salt ball which he had returned to the makers, and my Amazon order. This was the Downton Abbey DVD for John and Ann as a Christmas present. Mail order at the moment seems to be extremely good (touch wood) and together with the order that came yesterday from M&S everything has arrived. At least we can start packing up the Australia parcel now and get that done in good time for posting. All I need to do is finish off their letter.
Vin took my money off to Sainsbury's this morning and came back in record time, with everything on the list too. Considering he has been doing all the shopping for the last five months we are very well stocked up, and he is getting good at spotting the offers now.
The news today is wall to wall American elections which seems to be extremely close between Obama and Mitt Romney. Goodness knows who is going to win the election this time round. Shouldn't think that the poor people in New York who are still without electricity are too bothered about it all though.
Tonight we are having:
Escalope..cheese and broccoli
Mushrooms sliced and sauteed
Potato croquettes
Carrots and beans
White sauce.

Bonfire night...

Monday and it is bonfire Night proper. There was a firework display last Saturday night in the Hotel park area. very loud and at one stage you could really feel the noise through the floorboards.  The little cats didn't seem too bothered actually, Bobby slept throughout it all, and Rusty wasn't worried this year. We locked the cat flap though just in case. Don't know whether there will be any tonight, I suspect that most people aren't bothering because of the cost of them. Gone are the days when you would get a good box for a fiver!
Big parcel arrived this morning from M&S..I do have to say that they are an excellent firm to deal with, I only ordered my things late last week and they are here today. Very good. I treated myself to a new handbag, a proper ladies one with two handles to carry, in a lovely shade of pink..a dark shade so not garish. It will make a nice change from the one that I have been using for a long while now. Also got some dangly soft toys  a reindeer and a snowman. One of the reindeers I will send to John and Ann as a bit of fun for Christmas.
No bonfire night food tonight..we used to have baked potatoes etc but we are just having normal stuff tonight.
Tonight we are ahving:
Remaining Pizza with mushroom and extra cheese
Egg and potato salad with avocado
Potato salad for moi and rice salad for Vin.

Another Friday...

Another weekend looming up and this patien is still being patient. Seems an awful long time since my last appointment..Perhaps the NHS should be called No Hope Service!
Nasty day here it is turning out to be. Getting quite blowy and very wet. We had a bad hailstorm a few minutes ago, now it's pouring down. Not a nice day to be out really.
Jane rang up after lunch again she was on her way to work. She rang up this morning too on her way to the bus to Uni. The car park that she usually uses had closed down for some reason and she had to use one further away so she was walking quite a way to the bus. She was there till three then at work till eleven poor kid, I am proud of her. She isn't having it easy this time round at all, but we are halfway through the first term already, and it wil probably go quickly.
Vin took my money off to Tesco this morning, mainly because we had a £5 voucher off the next shop of £40. He came back having spent nearly seventy, but that included cat food and cat chicken, and a printer cartridge.He got a few types of coffee also including a nice caffeine free Millicano which is really good, so a lot of fairly expensive items anyway. O don't mind, I don't have anything to spend my money on anyhow!!!
Tonight we are having:
Cheese and onion pasties from Waitrose
A baked tomato to go with them
A few green beans to use them up ( a very few where Vin is concerned)
Rice pudding from Waitrose.

Cats!!

What is it about our two that makes them want to wander around in the middle of the night? i can understand when it is getting light but in the dark?  Trouble is they sleep all day except for coming down for their chicken, then they are awake at night. They also have a tendency to come on me as well rather than Vin. He turns a bit more than I do so probably why. Makes you tired during the day though. Never mind, they are lovely!
Said on the news today that Comet are going into receivership next week with the likely loss of 4000 jobs. There are quite a lot of Comet stores round here so that will be quite a loss. I think if I had vouchers for them I would want to be spending them pretty quickly.  Must say that the last time we were in Comet we were buying an electric kettle and we wandered round for an absolute age with no-one approaching us, they don't help themselves. They say it has been caused by the Internet..not surprised really.  I bought some new phones for the house from QVC the other day rather than Comet or anywhere else. It was easy shopping and they came in about three days, and I could see them demonstrated online too.
Vin went off to Formby to get a particular nut for his car today, he was putting some on yesterday and dropped one in his engine somewhere so he went off for a replacement..  gets him out anyway!!! Poor man..I'm not much fun to live with at the moment.
Quite cold and wet today with some nasty little rainstorms with a touch of hailstones as well. Halloween was very quiet last night, didn't have any callers here at all. Last year we had one, not very popular round here but there aren't many children in our roads.
Tonight we are having:
Sausages and mashed potatoes.
mushroom gravy
Mixed green vegetables.