Wednesday So It's...

Tesco day in our house. Vin has taken himself off to Tesco to get the weekend shopping and what we need for the rest of the week. he shops very well  and manages to get enough stock for the week. 

Quite cold and dark today, rapidly getting towards the shortest day on the 21st, and sunset today is at ten to four according to the forecast yesterday, so once lunchtime is over that is the best of the day really.  Jessie is definitely in Wintry mood, she will find a nice warm spot and plonk herself down on the blanket or in front of the heater in the middle room. Vin was asked by our next door neighbour to keep an eye on her two cats Jack and Millie. they are a lovely pair of cats and he enjoys playing with jack who often comes into our garden to see what he is doing. 

Yesterday we  sprnt the afternoon doing the christmas cards for this year.  A lot of ones that i used to do have gone now, used to send some to relatives in Manchester but ssadly most of them have passed on now, they were mainly ones my mum used to send to but they have gone, also people who have moved or  we have lost touch with. Still sent a fair number,  and there were the neighbours ones also.  We seem to be getting our normal ones this year but the price of stamps is putting some off.  Stamps are going up again the cost of a first class one up by nine pence which is a bit steep.  Won't be sending any of those!

Jessie is waking her daddy up nice and early  for feeding. She has her own little routine and it seems to follow the same pattern.  Up early then go to sleep again somewhere!

 Do Not disturb!!

It's Beginning To look a Lot like...

Mark the podiatrist has just been, went at 11.o'clock, and said he would see us again in two weeks. this is the day after boxing Day!, when it comes round it comes round very quickly. Next time he comes it will all be over.  All the preparation for one day in the year.

Of course as soon as the doorbell went the cat disappeared fled upstairs like lightning but he did see her go past him this time, for a change, he usually only the rear end of her at the top of the stairs!
Today started out horribly, very dark and wet and the  skies lookinmg like they would be like that all day. However it has cleared up now and is looking much brighter, not exactly the normal wintry weather that you expect at this time of the year though.

Still no sign of a Brexit deal on the cards just yet but the deadline is getting much closer for that now. not that it will affect us very much really but i can see how the farmers and the fishermen are worried. The other news of the day is the roll-out of the vaccine. It is being done in designated areas, some care homes, and apparently some doctor's surgeries but I assume they would be the larger group ones. 

Jessie hasn't come out yet, I assume she is settled under Jane's bed.

 I'm off to my isolation .

Another Weekend Looming!

Two weeks today it will be Christmas Day! Unbelievable it has come round so quickly really despite the fact that the year has in total been so isolating and boring!

Vin went off to Tesco yesterday to get the weekly shopping because wednesday we were waiting on deliveries, one of coal which came mid morning and the other with the post from M&S something I had ordered. Both came as expected so that was good. He came back with a lovely wreath for the front door, we always have one on the tiop half which has little windows so didn't want one too big. trouble finding one that wasn't too expensive, some of the garden centres ones are very dear, but Tesco to the rescue theirs was £6  very reasonable and it looks good too.

Today is another quiet day . Just had to stop to listen to the radio playing "Driving home for Christmas" by Chris Rea, I love that record, it is the embodiment of christmas for me. Lovely!

Jessie is doing normal jessie things, Vin has his usual little conversations with her. She talks with him answering in loud miaows.

 

Vaccine!

Yesterday saw the first vaccinations carried out, the first one on a ninety year old grandmother who wanted to know what all the fuss is about. Trouble is there are limited stocks and so many people to give it to, so no easing of regulations yet and not for a whiloe yet anyway. Can't see it getting round to us any time soon. Seems they are starting with the elderly in care homes and the workers there, and frontline workers meaning nurses and doctors i suppose, and the normal general public coming quite low on the list. Just have to be patient.

Rained pretty much all day yesterday, today it is clearer but quite cold as you would expect for December. Not been a bad winter so far, some places have had snow, the high grounds and hills, and also some areas like Norfolk.  We do not get much snow here, it has to be quite bad for us to get snow here on the coast. The gritter lorry has been out a few nights though when frost was expected but not too bad yet. 

Vin is waiting in this morning for a delivery of coal from the coal lorry. Not coal exactly but super therm which he says is good and hot. We are using some of our heating allowance from the government to pay for that. Also waiting for some christmas cards coming from M&S via the post office. I had put an order to them last week for two items the other arrived yesterday via DPD and half due from the post office. No idea why they did that but no matter. 

Vin has just come up to say he is pottering around as he does, been playing with the cat as he does. Sleeping a lot as cats do, and keeping nice and warm by the heaters. 

Laid back Jessie!

 

Christmassy!

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas, all of our decorations are up and most of the neighbours have theirs up too so the road is looking nice now.  Loads of Christmas music on the radio and also a lot of supplements in the papers showing what delights we can look forward too for the viewing period over the holiday. Answer not a lot really. because of the virus situation there is not a lot of original viewing to be had really.  One or two highlights but on the whole a lot of repeats rehashed! maybe next year will be better.

Vin went off to crosby yesterday and got some things in for christmas, and our Jane had a shopping spree. She used some of our Argos vouchers from the shopping scanning that Vin does when he comes back from his shopping. she bought a new kettle, toaster and microwave from russel Hobbs, in a lovely red colour.  She is planning to store them at her friends house who has a bit of room for her. 

this morning Vin has spent ages doing a paarcel to send to Ann in Australia. Recently found that she has moved to a new place which is closer to town for her apparently.  Vin did the google earth view and it looks quite nice where she has gone so hope the parcel arrives there in good time. 

Vin thinks jessie is showing signs of kidney related to age problems. he is keeping an eye on her.  She seems ok to me and actually spent ages up here with vin while he was wrapping Ann's gifts. Being nosey!

Colder Today!

At least i think it is,but there again I'm always cold anyway. :) Vin doesn't he is presently out in the back garden putting up some lovely little red berries on the fence for Christmas. Brave soul he is. Yesterday he went off to Formby to get his M.O.T. done and it passed with flying coloursso he was pleased about that. Jane had hers done last week too and hers did when she had replaced a rear light then it was redone and it passed too so she was pleased as well. 

Poor girl has done four nights this week so not expecting to hear from her until at least tomorrow. She will indeed be very tired I should think. 

Shopping done on wednesday as usual and he bought some things for Christmas. It all helps to ease the load, the last thing you want is to to have to get everything at the last minute. The more you can get beforehand the better. 

Jessie was funny yesterday. When Vin went off to get his m.o.t. done she jumped down from the sofa where she usually sits next to him and sat on the carpet in front of the middle room door, and there she stayed till he came back an hour later! There's loyalty for you indeed.

 

"T'Is The Season To Be Jolly"

It is in our house at the moment. All the decorations have been doneThe three trees done, one in the front room in the bay window, one in the middle room where we sit mostly and the third in the extension where our dining table is.Then we have assorted Christmas things around the different rooms and Vin puts lovely lights up everywhere at the windows. Nothing too overdone, just nice and festive.  That was done on Monday and Tuesday and Vin said according to his diary that we have done them four days earlier than last year so we will get a bit longer from them this year. 

Jessie wasn't bothered with what was going on, some of our other cats would have been chasing things round the floor but not this one, she just carries on as normal. My podiatry man came yesterdaqy because he was off on Monday, and she scampered upstairs as soon as the doorbell went, the only bit of her he has seen in months has been her tail disappearing up the stairs.  I had an appointment at the harmotology clinic next Monday his usual day so he said the toe would be fine for two weeks. However, about an hour or so after he went the phone went  and it was Aintree cancelling the appointment and deferring it till later.! Typical that is, they don't ring just before he came but after!

Some good news in the offing this morning, apparently they are about to introduce a vaccine against the Covid in the next few days, which is brilliant news really after all these months of Lockdown. A bit too late for the High Street though, news yesterday of Debenhams closing down lus a number of associated stores that are in the same group, like Topshop, Burtons etc. Oh dear, the main shopping areas have really been hit badly, and of course all of the resulting jobs. 

More good news yesterday for our jane was that she heard that her mortgage has been approved so it is all going ahead with her house sale. It is a lovely house, three bedrooms and just opposite the one that she had seen last December, same little close which is nice because she wants a cat or maybe two.  Hope she wn't turn into a cat lady!!

Thus a lot going on at the moment.Not that any of that affects our Jessie! She has enjoyed the fires that her daddy makes so she can recline in front of them!

Waiting for Christmas presents!