I think it might be actually. just looking out of the window while typing this and it is still very light. Not much sign of it getting warmer though, Vin is still doing his fires. Not quite rubbing sticks together but nearly! He does a really great job with a bit of kindling and birch bark and logs and then the Homefire type coal. Doing a smashing job there mate.
He has done the bedding today as well, good job we have a tumble drier, makes you wonder just how people in the past managed without the modern appliances that we have today ? I can remember coming home from school usually on a Monday to the aroma of steaming washing drying round the fire on an assortment of clothes maidens! I doubt whether a modern youngster would know what a clothes maiden is. Poor old mum she must have worked really hard in those days.
Little Jessie was out with her daddy a bit today, and he was trying to get her to play, but she wouldn't. Naughty puss! She was funny at lunchtime. We were sitting having our lunch and she jumped down from her basket, and plonked herself in front of the fire, and settled down. She looked for all the world as if she thought the fire was lit and would be nice and warm. She did move after a bit when she must have realised that it wasn't. Aaah!
Where's my fire daddy? Too soon Jessie too soon !
We woke up earlyish because I had an appointment over the way at the surgery. They have been badgering me for ages and we have been putting it off but no longer. I had to go for a blood test last week and a follow up app for a review, so Vin made it for today at 11 O'Clock. At least we didn't have to get up at some ungodly time.
We got there on time, it was a horrible Monday morning actually, drizzly and grey and the gutters at the side of the road are full of water. Vin is very good at getting the car to the edge of the kerb so that I don't get the feet wet! Bless him!
Went inside the surgery to an empty waiting room, totally empty. Not really what you expect. After a little wait the very pleasant young lady doctor came out for me. She went through my blood test results , nothing unusual there. Asked me a couple of questions nothing there either. She did say that the cholesterol number was up and had I considered statins but we said I had been on them once and they didn't agree with me so we declined. She then said that everything seemed to be in order so that was it really. Goodbye for another goodness knows how long!
Just having my hair cut on Wednesday and that's it for this week for appointments.
Our Jane had an exciting Saturday. She went with a group of friends to a do called Anatomy Lab Live at a hotel in Ashton Manchester. They got a meal first then Oh Joy ! They got to disect a load of piggy remains! Lovely. She said it was great and very well done. Glad she and her mates had a good time.
Little Jessie woke her daddy up early, when I woke turned over and all I could see in the dark was a little head and two ears sticking up. looking at me. Vin got up to feed her after a bit and disappeared for ages, and then and then came up later with our coffee. She was in her basket he said, and stayed there till we came back from the surgery.
What a life. Vin has just come upstairs and said that she had let him cut two of her claws. Wow!
When I came upstairs to do my blog on the computer Vin followed me to show me a video of Watermania. We used to go there loads when we went to Florida to Disney. It actually wasn't anything to do with Disney itself but was a separate water park. We loved it there because it was so much quieter and nicer than the big Disney ones. It was lovely in there, the cruising creek I could sailed round for ever! Sadly it is now derelict and unused, such a shame because it was a real treat to go there. Happy Days!
We didn't go out today but did do a bit of browsing on here. Vin also went over to the surgery to arrange an appointment for my update or review, whatever it is. Total waste of time because I had one with the kidney clinic last week, and all was really good. Still they would not let me rest till I had it done.
Little Jessie woke her daddy up fairly early this morning because it was brighter, then went back in her basket most of the day since. She did go outside mid morning and had a little mooch in the garden. Thankfully she never goes any further than that. Then Vin came into the middle room with our lunch and looked out of the window. She is sat by the back door he said and rushed to let her in.
Back in her bed to wait for her touch of cream later, but she will have a bit of a rest first!!
The day started quite nice and bright, but Vin was looking out of the window upstairs and said that next doors were having their windows cleaned. I said it always rains after the window cleaners have been. Sure enough, at lunchtime it started tipping down with rain. It has cleared up a bit since then but still very grey and drizzly.
We had decided not to go out today anyway, but did a bit of ringing up. I wanted my hair cutting since it has grown such a lot recently, thank goodness. Vin went to get his done yesterday and had said that my hairdressers had moved to opposite the Grapes pub in Formby . He had looked in his diary and I haven't had my hair cut since July!! so it was certainly time to get it done.
Our Jane rang uplast night, she had been to ASDA and got her hair dye for a fiver from there. All she needs to do now is get her hair cut and complete the family hair cuttings!
Got a nice letter from Ann in Australia this morning which Vin read out to me because I can't read her tiny writing. Always an interesting read, all about the family and pets and television viewing. Surprising just how many British programmes they get, Usually later than our showing of cours but it doesn't seem too much later.
Little Jessie didn't wake uptoo early this morning probably because it was darker than normal, but after Vin went down to feed her she went to sleep in her basket for the rest of the morning.
She will rouse herself when we get round to our Countdown and coffee.!
The one out was Vin who went off to Formby to get a haircut. He then went to Homebase and Tesco for a bit of a look round. I was the ne who stayed in but I am quite happy in front of the computer. Still getting used to the google chrome which I find is more difficult to get round than the AOL but there you go, just have to get used to it. In the great scheme of things it doesn't really matter.
Our Jane rang up at what was nearly coffee time on her way back from ASDA where she had got her hair colour. We had a nice little chat while she was driving home. I love her little chats. XX
Vin came back at coffee time and we had very nice skinny lattes, one of the items that he brought back from Tesco was some more of those so good shopping! Plus he also bought a cream cake so his little cat will be a very happy puss when we are having ur coffee and countdown!
Madam with her eyes on his plate. When he has his cream cake she won't leave him alone till he gives her a tiny bit of his cream. :)
Sort of! I had an appointment in Aintree for the nephrology clinic, which is the kidney people. That was for twenty five to twelve, but we left on time and got there early. No traffic! Vin left me at the front and got me up to the first floor then went off to park his car.
I got my blood pressure done, weight (much the same) quite pleased about that. She took my specimen and then I had to wait again. We seemed to wait for ages today, but the Dr., I saw wasn't particularly speedy. He had a student doctor with him so was probably going through notes etc with her.
Anyway he was very nice, I have seen him before, so he didn't spend time going through everything with the past history like some of them do. He said I was doing fine, in fact everything is stable and to carry on with what medications I am on.
In fact he said he had never seen such a turn around with the Diabetic control, that was spot on. Pleased with that. Had another blood test to do before we went which is for lipids, and then another in three months for the Aranesp, and see me again in six months!
When we got back in the car we went to the Co-Op because Vin was after some of their nice mints but they didn't have any. So we came home to a lovely little skinny macchiato and a little shortbread. Rest of the day as normal.
Little Jessie hadn't moved all morning she probably had a good sleep while we were out and she was undisturbed. Vin always leaves the radio on for her so she can listen to radio two!!!!!
Just about lifts her head up when we come home!
Just another manic Monday! except not round here really. it should be just another quiet Monday! It was a case of stopping in today to get a delivery from the people who bring the Aranesp injections which I take weekly. Every Tuesday Vin brings me one of those and says "don't shoot the messenger!" I have done many many injections over the years, but do have to say that doing that one does hurt, and I am very glad that it isn't done daily!
Vin busied himself doing all sorts this morning and I spent the time on the computer having a bit of aa browse and catching up. We meet up downstairs for coffee and a biscuit. Then a listen to the recorded popmaster quiz on radio two with Ken Bruce which we both enjoy. A bit of lunch then upstairs to do this and Vin gets the fire lit. He makes a good job of that with the logs kindling and Homefire type coal.
Lovely to watch the start of the new series of "Call the Midwife" yesterday, we really enjoyed that. It is set in 1962 which was a year of the big freeze, and everywhere was covered in snow. Don't know how they did that but it was very effective. Lovely stories, well acted and real escapism television.
Little Jessie has been in most of the day but did go out this morning according to Vin. She doesn't really go far from him actually so probably came back in pretty quickly. She had a lovely time playing with her little toy that our Jane gave her for Christmas. The idea is to put some Dreamies into it, and the cat has to knock it around to get them out one at a time. She loves that, and gets a treat at the end of it.
A very contented Jessie in front of one of Vin's fires!
Just a little outing this morning . Off to Formby. Vin rang up for a blood test for me yesterday and was offered one at twenty to twelve today so we took that one. I had already had a blood test done on Wednesday when we went to Aintree, but that doesn't register on the GPs computer over the way. So since they have been badgering me for a while now we gave in and went and had it done!
It was really sunny when we went there this morning and the sun was right in Vin's eyes when he was driving and worse when he was coming back. Now it is raining and very grey looking and has gone quite cold again. What you would expect for January really.
We didn't go anywhere else after the blood test mainly because we had already been for a Costa on Wednesday and that's enough really. So we came home and had one from our great machine instead!
Just when we were ready to go out, and Vin was fastening my shoes little Jessie came and miaowed round by his legs. He said ok I'll get you some biscuits, he reckons she must have thought if they are going out I will get stocked up! As it happened we were seen really quickly and were back very soon. Guess who was still in her basket? Full of biscuits I suppose.
No cream cake for Madam this week, so she had a little bit of squirty cream that our Jane brought with her at Christmas! Hand fed of course.
They did indeed on the weather forecast yesterday, and proved to be right.Clearing up a little bit now but still in the sky. Hope young Vin doesn't get wet going down for the coal :)
Stayed in today because we were out yesterday and we are off to Formby tomorrow to the clinic to get a blood test for the GP over the road. They have been ringing us up for ages now so have given up. I kept hoping they had forgotten but unfortunately they haven't. Get it over and done with.
So a quiet day today with just our usual routine. Lovely morning coffees and two popmaster quizzes to listen to which is always nice. Yogurt and crisps for lunch then a watch of a couple of daytime programmes. Up to do the blog and down for the evening.
Little Jessie didn't wake her daddy up too early this morning and has been good today. The days are drawing out a bit now actually, it is now five o'clock and still a reasonable amount of light even though it is raining. She hasn't been out though, she certainly does not like getting wet.
Good job she doesn't do a post round with Postman Pat !
I had an appointment at Aintree this morning at the Podiatry clinic for 11o'clock. We actually got going quite quickly and got there early. Waited a little while while Vin went to park the car. Called in by Joanne one of the lovely podiatrists , and I haven't seen her for a while. Vin caught me up later, then said he would go and get my slippers. We had got a letter last week or so that they were ready for collection. Joanne said that Ashley was around and she might have them, but she rang for them instead. They arrived just as Joanne was finishing my feet off so she fitted them to try them. They are a really nice burgundy colour which is just me. Very comfortable and a lot lot better for walking on than the other flip flop thingies!
Another appointment made for four weeks time, I think they want to keep an eye on my feet. That's fine by us!
After that we needed to go and get a blood test done which was way over in the elective care centre. Vin said it was too far to walk but I thought it would give my shoes a good try, so off we set. Did falter a tiny bit in the middle but kept going and got there, quite proud of that! Had my blood taken by Jennifer who has done it quite a few times before, and I always say Hello Jennifer and she replies the same. She is really good at doing the blood and gets it first time.
Went downstairs to the front, and I waited in the foyer while he went for the car. he was parked right on top on the roof so I thought he would be ages but he was surprisingly quick. It was just about twelve so we decided to go and get a Costa at the retail park. That was really quiet today not so many people in there despite it being lunchtime. I had a lovely small skinny latte and Vin had an Americano because that was what he fancied. Sat and people watched for a bit chatted for a bit and then made our way home. I think we did quite a lot today really.
When we got back little Jessie hadn't moved. She was in her basket when we left and was still there when we got back. Then she deigned to get up and move a bit. So she didn't have a busy day!
Exactly! A nasty grey and rainy day with some hail. Needless to say none of us went out today, not Jessie or Vin or I, we stopped inside in the warm. It was a case of dodging the rain spells today with Vin going out as little as possible. Very blowy too, the trees are going like mad. Actually it was a case of being retired is a bonus after all! Poor Jane was on an eight to eight day today and she has to get up really early for that shift, round about sixish for that.
Little Jessie hasn't moved much at all today, certainly not gone . She actually came on top of me this morning which is extremely rare. In fact she has never done that before, she had come up to get her daddy and went on top of him, then I think he moved and she sort of slid over on to me. She wasn't there long though !!Soon moved!
Our lovely babies!!
It is indeed a very grey day too. Rainy and cold. Apparently today the 15th is the worst day of the year, and is called Blue Monday. Well I suppose you have had the festivities of Christmas over and only the cold weather to look forward to for the next couple of months.
We stopped in today mainly because we are due out on Wednesday for a podiatry appointment, so that will do for this week. We do have to collect some slippers from Aintree so will do that as well, and I also need a blood test before the kidney clinic later in the month. With a bit of luck we will do all of those in the one morning. We also got a call from the surgery over the road too today, a reminder to go for a blood test at Formby and then ring up for an appointment with the clinic nursey later. That was a pain because I thought they had forgotten all about that. Oh well.
Our Jane rang up as we were having our coffee this morning, she had been to ASDA to get a pizza for her lunch. She had done some shopping for bits that she needed too. She is lucky with the supermarkets because she has all of them within quaite easy reach to get to. We haven't been to an ASDA for a long time really because the nearest one is over in Southport, and is a real trek to get to. Luckily though we do have all of the others in easy reach so we are well off there.
Little Jessie has had a nice quiet day today as well, she had woken her daddy up early, she tends to sit on top of him till he gets his glasses on then jumps down and waits somewhere on the stairs. One morning she draped herself right over the very bottom step and he said he had to contort himself to get over her.
Nice and relaxed eh!!!
Yesterday we went out to Dobbies, it was quite a nice day, sunny but still cold. We haven't been out for a while, at least I haven't but Vin has of course been to the various supermarkets. It was quite quiet really probably because the children are all back at school. There certainly wasn't any around the store as far as I could see anyway. We had a bit of a mooch around first because we were looking for a present for our John for his birthday. We spotted some items that had been reduced from their Christmas stock so kept them in mind for after we had our coffees.
Nice flat white for me, and a latte for Vin, but not as frothy as they usually are from there but very tasty despite that. We take our own biscuits so that keeps it nice and very cheap!
We then went back round the shop to get our items, including an extremely expensive little box of mints that we both fancied but was greatly reduced. Two really nice boxes of shortbread that we had bought before Christmas and liked a lot, and a variety of other things. Were surprised when we got to the till and the money started counting up, but then the reductions come into place at the end and it is all half price. What a relief!
Home then and because we were a bit later I didn't fancy going upstairs again to do the fiddling with the computer, so stopped downstairs.
Today we have both stayed in. Vin has done bits and pieces and I have had a play on here and also tried to write a note to our John and Ann. That is meant to go into the package with his present, so need to get a bit of a move on with that. Will do a bit more tomorrow.
Little Jessie has been up to her usual tricks, she seems to have her own things in her mind. She decides when she is going to come upstairs to sit on Vin at bedtime, and also when she is going to wake him up too. She is a good miaower so does make herself heard in the morning. Also she does love her daddy so he is the one she will jump on first thing in the morning. Thankfully not me!
Look at this for appealing!
We knew that the AOL site was closing down, but thought it was going to be tomorrow. However it seems that when I signed on this afternoon it wouldn't respond so that is it! Gone! Real shame actually because it was a site that I was totally used to and we have been using ever since we have had a computer, way way back when our Jane was in the third year at school. Lord knows why they have shut it down, it was working perfectly well for us.
Now have to get used to the Google Chrome which definitely isn't the same. Ah well never mind eh!
We have stopped in again today, we don't need any shopping so don't need to go to Tesco, We are thinking of going to Dobbies tomorrow. There are a few things we need from there. We can get our free coffees for the month as well. Little incentive there!
Little Jessie has been on our bed today which is a change because she doesn't usually go on there in the daytime. Wonder what is going on there?
We did this morning, provavly because the cat woke Vin up very early. Don't know why because it was still dark and she usually doesn't get going till it gets a bit lighter. Anyway she went away but then came back a bit later so he went down to feed her and then came back to bed and dropped off again. Hence we overslept and didn't wake up till gone half past ten. Everything was consequently put back because of that. Doesn't matter however because we were not going anywhere.
He did go out to Waitrose however, because he wanted to get some cat biscuits for his beloved cat ! The supermarkets at the weekend didn't have any except for very big boxes so he thought they might have some. I told him to get some coffee biscuits for us which he did, because they do a particularly nice thin one which is good for a lighter biscuit.
Coffee when he got back, a smaller one because we were a bit later, and he showed me the new hearth brush he got for the fireplace. Actually it is an item that is quite hard to get hold of it seems, but there is a hardware shop opposite Waitrose which sells everything, and I thought he would get one there.
Little Jessie has been up and down today, and a bit more lively. Still loves her sleeps though- don't we all.!
In her little hut for ages last night!
It is a new week and everything is back to normal now. Decorations down and put away, thank you darling Vin XX and the TV is showing the normal programmes again thank goodness. All the adverts are for furniture items or holidays or loans I suppose very tempting for those who have gone too mad on their credit cards. One of the disadvantages of having a large family possibly.
Today it is very cold and started off frosty and hasn't really warmed up all day. There was a disturbance over the weekend at the back of our houses, quite a few sheds were fiddled with or opened but nothing taken, Vin found some keys in the entry at the back of the properties and it later transpired that they belonged to a chap who lives in the adjoining property in another road. They were security keys and would have been very expensive to replace apparently so he was quite pleased. Well done Mr Fixit!
Little Jessie hasn't been out today, no prizes for guessing why.
Vin had her on his front this morning staring at him I think she would sit there all day if he left her to it!
All gone for another year! So sad when it all comes down and everywhere looks bare without the trees and decorations. Vin has done a sterling job ferrying things up and down stairs and packing away. I love all of the little decorations we have collected over the years and it is a shame when they go away. But, as Vin says it won't be long before they are out again!
Little Jessie has been out and about today having a nosey into the boxes and other things. She has also chucked up a couple of times this morning, Vin reckons it is a hair ball. She seems to be all right at the moment and is currently in her basket trying to get some sleep.
The comfiest spot in the house!
Yes still cold and blowy but not as bad as yesterday by any means. As the day wore on it did get cooler though.
Again we decided not to go out anywhere, it really isn't the weather to go anyway, and it is a bit early to go for our monthly coffees yet. We usually like to wait till the kids are back in school anyhow, and then it is quieter.
Today Vin has been trying to organise the computer, since the AOL is closing down over here. We have been with AOL ever since we got the computer many years ago and I for one am not used to any other system, so it is a real pain in the proverbial. He has set up some of my favourites on google chrome so we are still ok for keeping the important ones mostly. It really is a matter of getting used to a whole other method of working. Why on Earth they can't just leave things alone I don't know.
Little Jessie is of course oblivious to all of that and is sleeping in her basket.
Nearly falling out of her basket.
We were contemplating going out today, but in the event the weather has turned horrible with strong winds forecast and rain, so we didn't bother.
Vin has been a busy boy and done the bedding, we had a new set from Northern Nights so he has put that on. I had a lovely shower and hairwash so nice and clean to ggo into the bedding! He is presently in the bath too so we are a clean pair!
Little Jessie has been mostly in her basket today, that is after waking her daddy up at some ungodly hour in the morning. At first he didn't move and she went away, then came back at a better hour when he was getting up to go for our coffees.
Falling out of the basket!
Well that is it for another year! Christmas gone! New Year gone!. We have a few days left until we take the decorations down, in our house that is to be done by the 6th otherwise it is unlucky. Shame really, you get used to them being up, and they make the room look so cheerful. It was a nice Christmas this year because our Jane was home and was really nice.
Usual horrible weather for people going back to work today, very drizzly and now rainy. Vin said the fields on the way out of the village we live in are soaked, very near to flooding and the ditches are full. That will take some draining away. Apart from the snowy period earlier last month it has been largely a very wet winter so far.
Little Jessie hasn't been out much at all, she prefers to be inside, nice and warm in her basket, and who can blame her?
My little hutch Keep Out!
Mmmm Best spot in the house!
