Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

Morning

Another busy day yesterday. It was after 1.15 pm when I arrived back from the hairdressers. It was not particularly busy but we were all having a colour cut and blow, as they describe it, which takes time. We were chatting about who had had the second vaccination when it became apparent I was the only one who had not despite it approaching 11 weeks since the first. One lady expressed surprise that I had not been contacted following my response to the email sent out two weeks ago asking for people to contact for an appointment . Anyway it seems she works at the vaccination centre. She took Bobs and my details and phoned through to them before she left the salon, explaining that we had not yet been contacted for the pfizer vaccinations which were to take place this week. We received a phone call in the afternoon for an appointment on Thursday.

As we were expecting the phone call Bob went for the prescriptions by himself whilst I carried on with the drawer tidying. The drawer of guarantees, insurance details and instructions for appliances was amazingly up to date so little was thrown away. I have nearly finished sorting photos and just have a few packets to label and sort. I am losing interest and will be glad when it is finished! However it has been a good general clear out. I think today we may walk and I want to cut out some more cropped trousers and shorts . I have more fabric on the way too. I left nearly all of mine in France last year as we thought we would be returning in July and of course we did not go, and may not this summer either so I do need something to wear other than jeans. Summer dresses are not particularly suited to Rochdale's cool breezy summers with average temperatures of 14-15 degrees. I see it is set to reach those temperatures next week. Hopefully winter is now on its way out.

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

That was a fortunate meeting Sue! And a good result. I'm glad you got your appointment.
I'm being very careful after my second one. I watched Susan and Mick have quite a heavy reaction to their second but they had both had the virus and recovered naturally before their injections. Susan has been having another bout and the doctor has told her it is most likely long Covid. I shall play safe, eat lots of protein and get lots of sleep. it seems to have served me well so far...
And yes, I think we may have seen the season change in the last couple of days....

[Stanley]

I was wrong about Mick, he gets his second jab this week.
Today I shall have an early walk and then do my early doors shop at the Co-op. The CH is back on but the shed is still too cold, I can do without that! Apart from that, looking after myself and getting a midday walk in in the sunshine as it looks like another good day.

[Wendyf]

Did anyone see the moon last night? It took me a while to realise that the bright red, glowing sliver in the western sky was the moon. I had to google it for reassurance!

[Sue]

Morning

Another nice sunny but cold morning. Spring is definitely on the way. My parsnip and carrot seeds are sprouting nicely in pots outside, though I cover them every night, as are my radishes and lettuce. All a good sign . I am still covering my plants in the greenhouse every night too as the forecast for negative numbers remains for a few days.

Yesterday Bob had a u3a zoom photography meeting whilst I pottered sorting photos and doing some sewing. We went for a shortish but brisk walk in the afternoon making a detour to the local Tesco Express to buy a few bits and pieces for our wine appreciation zoom meeting on Saturday. We have to sample various wines with different flavours, salt etc, and on Saturday we are discussing our findings with our visiting expert speaker ie my sister Jane . The rest of the day was sewing and pottering before pilates at 8.00 pm. Afterwards we watched the start of the Great British Sewing Bee and the Masterchef final . I was surprised to see the winner of the latter was the son of our GP. I recognised him when they interviewed the parents .

This morning is pilates, at 4.30 ish we go to the vaccination centre . We may have a walk sometime but I would like to clear the rest of the photo sorting so I can rediscover the spare bed.

Have a good day .

[Stanley]

Another full day Sue! I think you are right to keep covering tender plants. The old farmers always said that the second week in June was 'Grass Day', the time when you could forget frosts.
I've just got back from my early doors shop and am thinking about breakfast. That includes use of the microwave so I will find out if it is poorly or not!
Five minutes later. I think we got away with it. Just warmed my breakfast up and all seems to be normal.....

[plaques]

Sue, when you do the wine tasting zoom is it in Portrait or Landscape mode?

[Sue]

The old farmers always said that the second week in June was 'Grass Day', the time when you could forget frosts.

At our house in France it is April 3 rd, so precise. There is a list of dates you can look up . Of course it is 500 miles further south.

As for the wine tasting....portrait for the bottle, landscape for me dozing afterwards

[Stanley]

The shed has recovered to 56F this morning so warm enough for me to go in but I shall have another day or two being careful, an early morning walk instead. As far as I can tell I have no reaction to Covid2 but it doesn't harm to be over cautious.... Besides, I am quite enjoying this idle life....

[Stanley]

No shed so instead I had a walk into Town Square. I was interested to see what they had done with the tables and chairs. I had visions of the local vandals having a field day. As you can see we have a small marquee and no doubt the chairs and tables are in there.
Sad isn't it, that I would expect such vandalism.... Times change.

[Sue]

Morning

Its another chilly (0 degrees) sunny morning. Its also still, I cannot see any trees moving outside of my bedroom window. Yesterday, I finished sorting the photos and papers and put the spare room back to order. Order that is apart from the ever increasing pile of stuff accumulating in the corner that is destined for France. Far too much for one trip but include things like a new bird table, a new strimmer ( both of which will have to be taken out of their boxes so they don’t look new. Don’t want to get caught in a Brexit import saga) . Then there are returning food storage boxes, pickles jars, clothes, shoes ( the latter came back with us last May but normally live over there) . There is wallpaper, sewing bits and pieces to replenish my stocks, and oh the list goes on . I really don’t know how long they will be there. Its normally just a small pile and a plastic box that has small items in it and rarely remains for longer than a couple of weeks as we gather things together for our travels

Dance exercise is cancelled today as Taira has a dental appointment. You don’t turn them down when you manage to get one these days. I shall use the time sorting my photo folder on my laptop as I promised to send my brother some family shots that he has lost when his old computer crashed irreparably. I have a u3a zoom art meeting but have done no art . I am still lacking any inspiration on that front. I have however, been concentrating on my tidying and clearing leaving little time for anything else. My plants in the greenhouse are recovering nicely, even my tomato plants. Three are now several inches tall and filling out. The other three which were badly affected by the severe frost , appear to be developing new shoots despite the fact that they had no leaves left. If I can replace them on the market tomorrow I will but otherwise I will keep my fingers crossed.

Because of the zoom meeting it will be a late lunch. Any further plans depend on the weather and what Bob is up to.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

I knew you would be posting Sue, I kept checking! Once again I admire your organised day and yes you are right, there is no wind in Barlick either. A very light frost but full sun will soon burn that off.

[Sue]

Stanley , I have stopped writing a long daily blog to my kids and my siblings. I have reverted back to chatting through the day as we used to. However I have left the blog message page open so anyone can chat and off lad if they feel the need . The purpose was to support each other at the really low times. My sister is now back in work, my brothers seem fine and my cousin has started doing her online mentoring again. Life is picking up . The daughters are back to being taxi drivers for the kids although they are still working from home and will be for the foreseeable future. I do however find my daily report here as a good opportunity to waken my brain up and focus my mind on what I have to do, want to do , ought to do etc. It is useful to me and I hope of some interest to the rest of you. In fact it helps me remember what day of the week it is

As they say...its nice to chat.

[Big Kev]

I like to read about your day.

[Sue]

I like to read about your day.

Thank you Kev

[Gloria]

Had my hair cut.....yeaa.

[Cathy]

I know the feeling Gloria
I think I went four months during lockdown without a haircut. I got quite good at giving myself a trim here and there. Oh dear.

[Gloria]

I know the feeling Gloria
I think I went four months during lockdown without a haircut. I got quite good at giving myself a trim here and there. Oh dear.

I wasn’t brave enough to touch mine Cathy.

[Sue]

I think I went four months during lockdown without a haircut. I got quite good at giving myself a trim here and there. Oh dear.

Mine was 4 months almost to the day, when I had it cut on Tuesday. Now it needs to grow a bit.

[Stanley]

I love your daily blog Sue.... That's why I respond every morning.
No hair problems here, I just get the clippers out and take the lot off. Very good for the scalp!
I'm quite enjoying my early morning walk instead of the shed and may move shed matters to later in the morning after second sleep.

[Sue]

Morning

Another nice sunny, but cold morning, but I think that the rain will be arriving soon. Its Bacup market this morning, but we shall not come straight home but will drive over to Burnley cemetery to put flowers on Mums and Dads grave. It would have been Mums 98 th birthday today. I wanted to go today as we have missed the last three of our four annual visits due to lockdown or local tier restrictions. I shall watch DOEs funeral later today but not obsessively more from respect for the man he was and it is also a historical event. Other than that , a bit of sewing I think and pottering in the garden. I shall move some of my dying daffodil pots to their summer residency behind the greenhouse where the greenery will still get some sun to build up the bulbs, but they will be out of sight. I doubt we will have time for a walk today.

Yesterday I did some towel washing, and after my zoom meeting I planted my turnip seedlings into deep garden troughs. We have developed a liking for the young roots whilst in France, but lack the garden space to grow them properly here. In fact most of my veggies will be in pots or troughs, interspersed in the available space. It would have been a good day to walk but post vaccination tiredness overcame me in the afternoon. Garden pottering suited me fine. I had a very short whats app chat with Eve last night, a cookery session was not possible as she is back to swimming on Friday evening and also needed to get to bed early for an early morning training session today. I remember those so well with Julia. I shall have a zoom meeting with Briony about 5.00 pm today

So thats it for my blog today. Have a good day everyone

PS. Just remembered its zoom u3a wine appreciation this evening. Always a good session

[Stanley]

I've had a walk in the sun and am now having breakfast after cooking my veggies for the week. Now I am looking for the monastic second sleep!
I remember what you described as 'post vaccination tiredness' from my first jab Sue and it was powerful stuff. Luckily no recurrence with Covid2.
Just had to turn the news off again....

[plaques]

They say they 'the Royals' want to keep it a quiet private matter so in this respect I WON'T be watching.

Is a funeral one of those life events you shouldn't miss especially if its your own.

from Sue PS. Just remembered its zoom u3a wine appreciation this evening. Always a good session

Another Landscape session.

[Sue]

Perhaps portrait tonight

[Stanley]

Like you Ken I left them to get on with it. I did note that on Philip's instructions the RN bugle call to Action Stations was to be sounded as he was put in the crypt.... The snooker was good but what struck me was how long some of the hair was! Neil Robertson looked like a fair haired gollywog and Heather has evidently decided to go with the 1940s look.
I feel the shed pulling but also the walks. I shall decide on the order later in the day.