Sunday 31 May 2020

Comments and conversations Size UPDATE

Witch Hazel I have no problem with you replying to Weaver, I often get conversations happening in my blog comments.

I'm a size 16/18, the dress would fit someone much bigger than me but I'm not sure how it would look on someone smaller. I'm 4'11 inches tall, the dresses reach my ankle bone.

A word of warning, I didn't get the dresses in the colour I ordered as I received a royal blue dress when I'm sure I ordered kingfisher blue. This didn't bother me as I loved all the colours.


Saturday 30 May 2020

New dress

I bought myself three new dresses, two were £12.99 one was £19.99. I usually buy second hand but I fell in love with these so treated my self. They are from Global Mandala.

 Mine are in different colours as I'm a mucky bugger and anything light coloured gets ruined.

Friday 29 May 2020

Terrible Terriers

Our next door neighbour is back, she as two Staffies, one is young and bouncy, one is old and staggers about, he has an arthritic hip and dementia.
Beano is ok with the young dog but he's not so keen on the older dog, it will insist on trying to hump Beano. 
Beano does not appreciate his attention!

Thursday 28 May 2020

Cooler today

It's cooler today so Beano is much more comfortable, he was really keen to go on his walk this morning and enjoyed it very much. We saw four bikes, one jogger but no other dogs today.

We went for a pump out and purchased another gas cylinder, each one lasts about 3/4 months which isn't bad as I do quite a lot of cooking.

Total cost this morning £58, that included two ice creams.

I was given two parsley plants today, one flat leaf, one curly, I've planted them in my herb tub.

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Hot, hot, hot

Phew, it's warm.

I'm not complaining but Beano isn't enjoying it. he has bowls of water within easy reach, a cool mat and a fan is on for him, poor boy.

He's good at finding cool places to sleep, the boat floor is mainly wood with a rug by the sofa. Beano avoids the rug, his favourite place is under the breakfast bar.

He's been out briefly and I'll take him out for longer when it cools down.


All change

I'm usually one of the first to try updates and tweaks but I've only just realised that blogger has changed.

I'm giving it a go, I'll post this and see if it works.

Tuesday 26 May 2020

Random rabbitings

Peace has returned to the marina, it is still busy but the porno/yoga lady is no longer here thankfully.

We shopped today, well Steve shopped, I walked Beano nearby.

I really don't care about Dominic Cummings though I am sure a lot of parents with autistic children are struggling. If he is to be sacked, how about sacking every other person who also 'broke the rules'.

DD2 received her free school meals tokens today, better later than never and only for two of her children, maybe she's not expected to feed the others! Also they cannot be used online at Tesco, only in store. She will use them at Asda where they can be used online, she has a click and collect slot booked.

Monday 25 May 2020

Heaving

The marina is heaving, full of cars and people.

Some folk have taken their boats out, it's against the rules but that's their choice.

Some people are staying on their boats, this means when they use the jetties they cannot abide by the social distancing rules. 

This, of course means that some boaters feel that other people shouldn't be allowed to stay. There can be up to 8 boats to a jetty.

We're lucky our jetty is really short there is only room for one boat either side.

Beano is a bit discombobulated by the crowds and their activities, there are fishermen waving rods around and teens playing football but the thing he hates most is the yoga lady.
I never realised that yoga could be so noisy, so much thrusting and screaming is involved. It's a bit like watching a sex scene from a porno film with one person missing!

There is another yoga practitioner on the marina but he practises on the roof of his boat in almost total silence.

Sunday 24 May 2020

Planet Facebook

You know the phrase "what planet are they from"?

Well I think the answer is planet Facebook.

This morning at 6:30 I received a message via facebook asking me to sign a petition about Dominic Cummings. The message was from someone who knows me well enough to know I have no interest in politics and also that I do not appreciate being woken up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning!

Then whilst reading posts on a boaters group on FB I noticed that someone has just realised that Caroline Flack had died and was traumatised by this, somehow she feels that we boaters should have appraised her of this.

Finally on the same boaters group someone has posted pics of a newspaper article about a missing child asking everyone to keep a lookout as the child could be on a narrow boat on the Birmingham and Fazeley canal. As the child went missing from Birmingham Alabama a couple of days ago I feel she is unlikely to be on the canal.

Saturday 23 May 2020

Dearest wish

As a child my dearest wish was to have a sticky out dress. In other words a dress with a full skirt and numerous net petticoats stiffened with a sugar solution. I also wanted to be able to jive.

Life is ever full of disappointments and by the time I was old enough to buy my own clothes sticky out dresses were a thing of the past. I also have two left feet so I was never able to jive.

Even without the above mentioned dresses I still made some eclectic fashion choices. I started work at 15, mini skirts were all the rage, I wore them briefly but soon realised they didn't suit me.

Living alone in a bedsit from the age of 16 meant very little money for clothes but even then I owned a sewing machine. I was give unwanted clothes by friends and workmates and I would alter things to fit me or even to make something completely different. My favourite item was a purple silk jacket embroidered with gold dragons, I made a pair of black flares to wear with it.

I bought curtain fabric and made caftans that I sold to my workmates, they wore them to parties, I wore them daily.

Friday 22 May 2020

Drop

The temperature has dropped from 28 degrees yesterday to 20 today, tomorrow it's supposed to drop to 17.

If it carries on we will be lighting the fire again.

I've finished one face cloth and started another, cooked smoked haddock and new potatoes.

If life gets any more exciting I may need to go for a lay down!

Thursday 21 May 2020

Antihistamine

I asked Steve if he would put some antihistamine cream on the bites on the back of my leg where I couldn't reach.

After looking at them he agreed but did suggest I gave him a pen he could play join the dots!


It did make me laugh.

Wednesday 20 May 2020

Ye gods, what a night.

Thank you for your comments, anonymous, I'll look up those you tube suggestions.

Yesterday we held another socially distanced BBQ, they are always enjoyable despite getting bitten to buggery again.

As Steve was moving the wooden picnic tables to the appropriate places he got a splinter. I can no longer see well enough to remove splinters unless they are the size of a plank. It wasn't too much of a problem as Steve decided to self medicate with a Budweiser.

We were back on the boat by 8:30, Steve went to bed around 9:30 and I went at 10:30.

I decided to apply some coconut butter to my knees as they were so dry. Unfortunately I'd forgotten that coconut butter turns liquid in the heat and as I removed the lid I spilt some on to the floor and some on the bedcover.

This immediately turned the floor into a skating rink. I skidded and slipped to the bathroom to get a cloth to wipe the floor but it was insufficient. So I skated back to the bathroom to get a towel. Bearing in mind I'm doing this in the dark so as not to wake Steve. 

I lifted Beano off the floor onto the bed in an attempt to stop him licking the coconut butter of the floor but this only resulted in him trying to lick the bedcovers clean.

Eventually I laid a clean towel on the floor and attempted to climb into bed. At this point I realised that the step stool I use to get into bed was also covered.

I finally got into bed with very squelchy toes, then Beano decided to start coughing, I leapt up thinking he was going to be sick but after a couple of coughs he lay down and went to sleep.

I was by now, wide awake. I read until 2 am after which I fell asleep. 

At 3 am I was awoken by Steve as his thumb was throbbing and he wanted to know where the Germolene was. Twenty years we've been together and we've never owned a tube of Germolene I shall be buying some next time I visit the pharmacy!




Tuesday 19 May 2020

Hindsight

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Of course mistakes have been made by governments but this isn't a situation that anyone in power has had experience of before.

Some people want to be protected.

Some people think they won't catch it.

Some people are worried about the long term financial implications of lock down.

Some people think there is no virus and the illness is caused by 5G or is made up so MML can be rolled out.

Each to his own, I shall do what I can to stay safe.

Monday 18 May 2020

Mixed messages

We are currently being bombarded with mixed messages. 
Firstly the local tip is open, a lengthy email was sent explaining how to make an appointment and which paperwork to take. Unfortunately there was a fire in a nearby yard so although the tip is open it is inaccessible as the road to it is closed.

Next we received information to tell us that the Thames is open and boats can now travel. Only its not open as there is work needed first before it is navigable. 

And then there is the canal it's open, only you must not use the locks  Also the flow is increasing so boats need to find a save mooring as the canal could be red boarded soon. Finally when the flow decreases and everyone can use the canal, they can't there are numerous locks that cannot be used. One has been vandalised, one has a mechanical failure and one has a transit van sunk in it.


  • So that's all as clear as mud then.

Sunday 17 May 2020

Not doing much

Thanks for that I will try resetting my kindle.

DD2 was using the tax website but it just kept showing her salary as £50k, still it's sorted now.

Today I've walked Beano, cooked breakfast and wiped down the kitchen shelves. Then I made coffee, Beano always sits on Steve's knee when he has coffee.

I shall cook a roast dinner later, we'll eat between 5 and 6, apart from that I shall be lazy. I have six masks cut out that I will sew up. I shall write my shopping list for tomorrow, knit another couple of rows of a face cloth and write another story for my grandchildren.

Saturday 16 May 2020

And finally

DD2 has had a few fraught weeks, she's been going round in circles trying to sort out an incorrect tax code. For some reason it was decided that she was earning in excess of £50k a year.
It's taken six weeks and eleventy billion phone calls.
During which time she has been left extremely short of funds. We have helped out but God knows how she'd have managed otherwise.
Yesterday it was finally all sorted, she can breathe again l"!

Feck, feck, feckity feck.

I walked Beano this morning when I got home I cooked breakfast, cleared up and wiped the surfaces over.
After that I checked my email and thanked the people on FB who had commented on today's story.

I decided to sit and read for a while, this is when the problems started!

I use a kindle, I cannot see well enough o read paper books any more.

My kindle has taken to deleting the books I wish to read when I click on them, yes I know I can download them again, but this is only in theory. In practice I am unable to download them for about ten days, by which time I've forgotten what I've read! 

I tried to read three different books today, all were deleted one after the other. I finally managed to open a book to read only for my kindle to power down as the battery was flat.

Maybe I'll watch TV instead!

Comments

Thank you for all your comments, unfortunately I draw about as well as I fly so I am unable to illustrate my stories.

I did consider having a small run of books published so my grandchildren could have a copy but the costs are prohibitive.

I see another horrible comment was left on here about how people are dying in droves in nursing home, the idiot posting these comments is American, I have deleted the comment as I think it is a spam bot and I'd hate anyone to be upset by it.

Friday 15 May 2020

Busy here today

With the relaxation of the rules lots of people arrived on the marina  today to check out their boats. They cannot currently stay overnight so by 7 o'clock the marina was empty again.
I expect a lot more people will visit over the weekend.

After a couple of relatively painfree days my gout has been bad again today so I've spent time with my foot raised. I'm hopeful of getting a Dr's appointment within the next three weeks.

I have done some sewing, a bag repair for another boater, they repaid the favour by bringing us a fresh loaf from the bakers they visit.

I've started making some masks but the interfacing I have is too thick, I have ordered some lightweight interfacing, it should arrive soon.

Steve has run out of paint, he has ordered more but it won't be here until Monday.

Thursday 14 May 2020

Part two


All the next week the weather remained warm and dry so every morning the people carried the cages out in to the garden under the shade of the huge oak tree.

Because of this Lois and Max spent as much time as they could in the garden too. Max was enjoying making friends with all the different animals, but Lois only had eyes for Dink. They sat either side of the bars that separated them, gazing into each others eyes and whispering sweet nothings to each other. Oh how they wished they could be together for ever.


What a change had come over Lois she was usually always in trouble, tormenting her brothers and sisters, upsetting the older mice by rushing about yelling and screaming, never doing her share of the chores and always running around looking for adventure, now she was quiet and listless.


Tulip, Lois's mum was becoming very worried about her, she even took her to see Dr Wefton as Lois was off her food, but he could find nothing wrong with her. Tulip even wondered if Lois was going deaf as she never seemed to hear when anyone spoke to her.



When Max realised how worried Tulip was he persuaded Lois to tell her mum about Dink.

Lois and Max explained how they had met and made friends with the other animals and how they were especially friendly with Dink because he was the only animal who lived alone. All The other animals lived with a friend or in a group but Dink had no one, he'd always lived alone and didn't realise what he was missing until he met Lois.


As son as Tulip heard of Dink's plight she called a tribe meeting. All the mice were very worried about Dink and resolved to rescue him. A reconnaissance team set off to assess the cage and reported back. It was bad news, the cage was very secure, it kept Dink safe but it meant it was difficult to escape from. By the time the team had explained how difficult it was going to be to help Dink, night had fallen and it was dark out. Lois knew it was too late to talk to Dink as all the animals would have been put back in the shed. Lois just wanted to be alone.

As Lois appeared from under the shed a voice said "Your boyfriend is asleep, you'll have to wake him up"

"Hello" said Lois why are you all still outside?"

"I think they have forgotten us tonight" said Chip.

"Never mind" said Smokey "it's a nice mild night, well be ok"

"I'm not asleep" said Dink "and I'm cold, I've come upstairs as there is something wrong with my floor, it's cold and damp".

Lois went over to Dink's cage, she started to jump up and down with excitement.

"Dink your cage is on the grass, the base is missing" yelled Lois, "Start digging, I'll get the rest of the family".

Dink clambered down from his bedroom and started scrabbling at the edge of his cage. In no time at all Lois returned with all the best diggers in the tribe. It wasn't long before there was a tunnel running from the bottom of the cage to the garden and Dink squeezed through. Dink was free at last, he was covered in earth and was almost the same colour as Lois. She ran around him combing and cleaning his fur until he was black and ginger again. Lois and Dink wandered back towards the shed with their arms around each other.

A story

One sunny day two little mice called Lois and Max decided to play outside in the garden. Now they had been told often enough by their mother to stay under the shed during the day where it was safe.
But it was hot under the shed, it would be cooler outside and any way, they were bored, all the other mice were asleep.

Lois and Max crept out from under the shed and straight away turned around and ran back under. Outside there were two huge animals, they waited a few minutes, expecting one of the animals to try and follow them. Nothing happened so after a while Lois peeped out from under the shed to see what was going on. "Come on Max" Lois called "the animals are in cages, they cannot hurt us". Max followed cautiously, he was not so sure. Lois was his older sister but she was always running headlong in to trouble and expecting him to rescue her.

By the time Max appeared from under the shed Lois was sat in one of the cages chattering away to the animal. "Lois!" Shrieked Max "what do you think you are doing? That cat will eat you." Max went weak at the knees with fear.
"I'm not a cat, I'm a chinchilla, my name is Smokey I won't hurt you and neither will my dad. That's him in the next cage, his name is Chip." 
"Is your dad ok"  asked Max, staring at what appeared to be a squashed bundle of fur in the next cage. "He's ok, he just likes sitting in tight spaces".
Max didn't look convinced so Smokey called "come on out dad, you are frightening my new friends".
Chip climbed up on to the top of his sleep box and looked at the mice.
"What are you doing out during the the day?" Chip asked, "you'll catch it if your mum sees you."
Lois explained that they were bored and that it was hot under the shed. "Mum's won't know we've gone as she's asleep".
"What are you doing outside?" Lois asked.
"Our owners carried us out this morning before they left for school, they said we would enjoy the fresh air."

"Who else is out?" Asked Max.
Smokey introduced the other animals.
"This is Bradley and Pip" he said pointing to the gerbils. "Hamish and Marina they are hamsters".
"Jet and Hazel" he pointed to the rabbits "there are the guinea pigs too but there are so many of them I can't remember their names!"

"Hey, what about me, don't forget me" called a voice from a small cage beside the shed.
Max and Lois ran round to look in the small cage. Inside was the handsomest mouse Lois had ever seen. Instead of being browny grey like Lois and her family, this mouse was a sleek and shiny black and when he climbed up the side of the cage Lois could see he had the most beautiful ginger under belly. Lois was smitten, she'd never seen such a beautiful mouse before. It was left to Max to make conversation with the mouse as Lois just sat there staring at him.
Mind you Dink, as the mouse was called wasn't much help. He seemed just as smitten with Lois as she was with him. Drink thought Lois,was the most beautiful mouse he had ever seen with her soft browney grey coat and creamy white tummy and feet.

Max lost interest in Lois and Dink who seemed happy just to stare at each other and went back to talk to Smokey and share his peanuts.

Suddenly Max realised he could hear his mum calling, he scampered across to Lois who was still gazing at Dink. Max grabbed Lois by the paw and dragged her home.




Wednesday 13 May 2020

A day of little things.

Today I cleaned the fridge and wiped down the kitchen cupboard doors.

I gave away two balls of sock wool. I have to be realistic, I cannot see well enough to knit with it.

I've almost finished another face cloth.

Steve is still painting the roof.

I've written another story and edited another one.

We can move on 23rd May if we wish but we will stay put for a bit longer.


Tuesday 12 May 2020

Assorted answers and ramblings.

The duckling had a sibling but only one, there is another family who started out with eight babies and is now down to six. We also have geese with six goslings.
There are a lot of predators in the marina, pike, heron, cormorants and the male ducks often kill the ducklings too.

I'm perfectly happy with Boris's suggestion as I've always wanted to be a Lert.

We had a pump out this morning and a discussion with the marina manager, he is happy for us to stay here for now.

I've decided to make masks and scrub bags with the rest of the poplin, if no one wants the scrub bags my dgc can use them as PE bags.

I have bread flour and yeast but Steve won't eat home made bread so I don't bother to make it.

Poor Beano is still itchy, he is flead and wormed regularly, I think he just has allergies, I'm never sure wether to bathe him more to see if that helps, it that would remove his natural skin oils. I bought him some healthy treats and food, guaranteed to be free of additives, he won't eat them, typical! I shall give them to DD1 for her dog.

Monday 11 May 2020

Flour power

I collected my parcels from DD1 today, gutted to discover that the scrubs pattern I ordered and paid for has still not arrived, it's been a while now. I'm assuming it was yet another company jumping on the bandwagon with no intention of providing patterns.

I also collected three summer dresses that DD1 had stored for me, not that I need them, it's bitterly cold here. DD1 gave me a fishcake made by her chef husband. It was huge and will do two meals for me.

I did manage to buy some self raising flour from a little co-op that I visited. Sainsburys and Aldi haven't had any for two weeks at least. 


Sunday 10 May 2020

Visitors


Dog bites

This post is about my dog and my bites, Beano hasn't bitten me.

Thank you. I have used Avon Skin so soft but I gave my last bottle to one of my granddaughters as she was suffering from bites.
 Beano was happy to go for a long walk today and has been much happier all day.

Saturday 9 May 2020

Today was not good day.

For Beano. He hates any change in routine, it makes him stressed and panicky.
Obviously some changes are unavoidable but I do my best to keep him calm.

Today's change of routine was Beano's own choice, we left the boat about 8ish for his morning walk but  half way across the car park Beano performed his morning ablutions, he then sat down.

I went back to him and he got up but as soon as I started walking he sat down again.

He has always had very decided views on which way he wants to walk and for how long. So I started walking in the other direction and he got up and started to walk along happily. As soon as we got to out jetty Beano ran along and got back on the boat!

For the rest of the day he watched me like a hawk and would only settle if I was sitting down, if I so much as coughed, shifted or closed my kindle he immediately leapt to his feet and started pacing to and fro until I sat down again. 

I took him out a few more times throughout the day but he didn't want to go far at all.

Hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow.

Thanks for the comments on yesterday's blog, I do get bitten badly every year, but I will try to get some of that cream.

Friday 8 May 2020

Itchy, bitchy and knackered

To celebrate VE day we held a socially distanced picnic on the marina. There are a few of us that are stuck here because of the "essential journeys only" rule.

I made sandwiches, fruit cake and cheese straws, someone else made scones, shortbread and Victoria sponge, there were also sausage rolls and crisps.

It was very successful, it stated at 3:30 and people were still out there at 8:30.

I came in at about 6 as I was knackered after a bad night the night before and I was being bitten to buggery. I have in excess of thirty bites, I need to dig out the antihistamine cream.

Thursday 7 May 2020

Not me

I received a message on Facebook this morning, I'd found the page for my senior school and joined it.

The message was from someone who remembered me from school.
I explained that I thought she had the wrong person, my first name and maiden name are both very common.
She was convinced I'd just forgotten her and was adamant she knew me.
She tried to jog my memory by listing the names of some of her friends and family who'd also attended at the same time.
I was then convinced she'd muddled me up with someone else as her younger brother was in the year below us.
When I was at the school it was a single sex school, it didn't become co-ed until about five years after I left.

Wednesday 6 May 2020

The joy of peas

I've been struggling with the gout.

Walking Beano is difficult.

Sleeping is difficult.

Standing is difficult.

I've ordered some cherry extract and I'm waiting for it to arrive.

I have been taking turmeric and paracetamol but it's not helping much.

Today I bought some ibuprofen in an effort to reduce the inflammation.

I was still in a lot of pain so I made a conscious effort, after taking both painkillers and the turmeric, to sit down with my foot raised, I filled a small sandwich bag with frozen peas and kept it against my toe joint.

Finally a few pain free hours.

Bleach

Today's melt down was caused by Steve reading on Facebook that the correct proportion of bleach to water for cleaning shopping and work surfaces is 9 parts water to 1 part bleach.

I've always done 10 water to one bleach which is what I used for nappies and baby bottles.

This error on my part means WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!!!

Gawd knows what he'd do if he noticed that I usually guesstimate the quantities and add a squirt of bleach to unmeasured water!

Tuesday 5 May 2020

Apologies

I would like to apologise to anyone who was in the supermarket car park this morning and was treated to the sight of a strange chap yelling in to his phone.

He started be yelling that he'd forgotten his bags, he continued by shouting "Blip it, blip it, blip it, you're not listening to me blip it"

Dear reader, I was listening to him, I was blipping it!
In other words I was unlocking the car from across the car park where I was walking Beano.

Still, I forgive him, he bought me sea bass, I love sea bass.

Monday 4 May 2020

Jack of all trades

But I'm master of none.

I can knit, stocking stitch, garter stitch and rib. I knit scarves and face cloths, nothing complicated as I struggle to follow a pattern.

I can crochet granny squares and blankets, I cannot follow a pattern as I  cannot remember which stitch is which.

I can sew, I can use a sewing machine but I tend to choose simple patterns nowadays.

I can cook, I can follow a recipe and 9 times out of 10 what I cook is edible. My food is never decorative, presentation is not my strong point.

I can write stories for my grandchildren, the story may be rubbish but I write about them or their family so they think the stories are wonderful.


Sunday 3 May 2020

A dull day

We've had a lazy day today, its been dull and showery so Steve only worked on the roof for a couple of hours.

I've done very little apart from cooking roast lamb, taking painkillers and writing.

I emailed my daughters a copy of some stories I wrote for them when they were young, they are now reading  these stories to my youngest four grandchildren. The grandchildren are enjoying them so much they are asking for more, so I'm writing more stories about a family of mice who lived under our shed.

Saturday 2 May 2020

The toe bone's conneced to the foot bone

Thank you for your comments about the scrubs, MargaretP, that is exactly what I thought. I know some people were removed from the group for trying to make a profit.
As for the coordinator, I think the power went to her head, I shall continue to make scrubs but as many of you have suggested I shall donate them direct to someone in need.

I've had a very painful big toe joint,  the pain was so severe I could not sleep. My beloved suggested I may have gout but the joint isn't red, just hot and painful. Because of the pain I obviously started to walk awkwardly, this in turn pulled my calf muscle and that is now painful, hey ho, minor problems.

Friday 1 May 2020

Disheartened updated

Thank you for all your kind comments but my sewing skills don't bear close inspection.

I'm feeling a bit disheartened about sewing scrubs. The local coordinator seems to be more interested in plastering herself all over Facebook than actually coordinating anything. Another person has had her scrubs refused as not being up to standard. We were originally told they were to be single use scrubs so they could be very basic.

Next we were told they must have enclosed seams, then we were told it had to be French seams and now we are being told the scrubs must be sewn on an overlocker.

We have also been informed that the scrubs need to be professionally ironed and that they should be hand finished.

A lot of people spent their own money to do this hoping to help. It seems we may have wasted out time and money.

The nurse who started the appeal has been advised of the coordinators treatment of those who are sewing, she is furious.

Morning walk.

As I walked Beano this morning I saw two schoolboys walking to the bus stop. They were kicking about and scuffling. They were equally matche...