OneGuyFromBarlick

It still tends to do so at times in Summer.

I'm sorry to say Ian that if it's raining and cold enough for a heavy coat it may be summer to an astronomer but it doesn't count in my book. The CH was on as well.......
Never got in the shed yesterday, I did house-cleaning instead. I'm satisfied now and hope to do a bit more on my bedplate this morning. No rush, we aren't on piece work and I can't afford to buy castings......

Today I shall pop to the optician to look at their glasses. I was checked last November but didn’t like the choice and as Bob had new specs I said I would wait a few months. I really don’t like these big black frames, i like something a little less conspicuous on my face.

This afternoon I have me sewing lesson, no doubt there will be a lot of chatting too. Pikates at tea time.

Bob thinks he has found the electric problem, slowly we have been switching things back on and yesterday an hour after putting the tumble drier on the electric went again. We will try again to prove it and check the drier out.

I had a medical last week, just a routine health check and the results of my blood test arrived yesterday. A shock or what! See Medical matters

I shall go there immediately!

Leeds bound for my pre-operative assessment. We have a lift to Skipton around 10 am where we will get the train to Leeds. A bit of lunch somewhere then a taxi to the right entrance of LGI. Do it in reverse after the tea time rush and our Jack will pick us up from Skipton.

Enjoying life and looking forward to a visit by Susan..... Ignoring Hassan snapping at my heels..... (apart from picking up a sample bottle from the surgery. I'll try asking for two!
No doubt scratching the mirror finish on my bed plate as I do some marking for holding down bolts.

Time to get on with life. Art this morning, writing this afternoon( not that I have done any) and yoga at 8.00 this evening. Its my energetic yoga class which will probably floor me after all these weeks. Luckily after my three classes this week and one last week i am begining to get flexibility back, but my goodness I ache. I have an issue with my right leg and hip as it does not like to go where I put it. But it is certainly better than last Wednesday.

Todays art topic is to draw autumnal fruits and seeds, so i am taking some of my french produce to draw. The peppers and patty pan (gourd) i will cut open. Not my favourite session as it reminds me too much of botany practical sessions, which I disliked intensely both as student and teacher. However I do like drawing with charcoal and get auite absorbed once I get started.

Yesterday i had a trip to the optician to chose some new glasses, I do dislike these new heavy dark frames which reming me of my first pair of glasses which I hated. When I tried them on my fears were proven correct. However I have been fitted for glasses by the same lovely lady for some 25 years and she has wonderful taste and judgement, we eventually found a pair a little less daunting but still fashionable. With cost of lenses, reacter light, varifocal, anti scratch the bill is £620 ouch! However the last pair which cost much the same have lasted 4 years and will be good as a spare pair for sometime yet. If I wore contact lenses, which I used to it would have cost more for the 4 years so on the whole a good buy

My sewing lesson went well. Ongoing projects were discussed and amended and we have designed the appearance of my summer denim jacket ready to start drafting out next session early in October. I bought my daughter Claire two lessons with Maxine last March, and she too continues to go. She is fired with enthusiasm and her sewing skills are coming on a treat. She has always had a creative flare but lacked confidence. Her mother in law has retaught her to crochet and she has become a little addicted to that too. As Adam works in retail and sometimes works antisocial hours, she says it keeps her occupied in the evenings when Erin is in bed Its great to have hobbies

Glasses are getting too expensive Sue. Luckily my Trust paid for the last set..... (God Bless Janet!)
Shopping today and a bit of shed happen.

We get half tbe cost back on one pair a year Stanley from our insurers. Its still cheaper than contact lenses, which I used to have.

Today is craft, lunch out and wine tasting tonight.

Yesterday I had a pleasant surprise. The art group I am in on Thursdays have been asked to do an exhibition at The Whittaker museum in Rawtenstall where we meet . The theme is anything to do with Rawtenstall. I took a few photos in the park there and did a pen and ink sketch with watercolour wash, of the gift from their twin town which is a telephone kiosk. I did a brightly coloured box, raised on pads to give a 3 D effect, against a plain background of trees and the building. The museum told me to put a price on it and suggested £60 and they may buy it to make postcards! I suggested £40 and they said it was not enough. I worked on the picture in my little art studio in France when the weather was too hot to venture outside for any length of time. Of course they may not buy it but it was a compliment for it to be suggested.

That was nice Sue, I can see why you are pleased!



I got my half hour in the shed and Susan called in to see me before she sets off for her knitting cruise to the Shetlands. Yes, there are such things, it sails from Aberdeen on Friday.
F1 qualifying on C4 at 12:55......

Going to my daughters birthday party, it's Carla's 40th, on the 17th actually. Today's gathering is at the "Counting House" pub in Silsden. Can't believe it's 40 years ago! We will not be staying for the duration though we will get a taxi home.

Cooking, doing a bit of gentle fitting on my engine and then the Singapore GP. How about that lap from Lewis yesterday Wendy.... Vettel will have had a bad night!

It was quite a lap! He looked overwhelmed when he got back to the pits. I didn't watch any interviews afterwards as Colin was moving railway sleepers around outside and I felt guilty about sitting watching tv.
Visiting son Craig down in Colne this morning to check on his housekeeping then back to more garden tidying with a break for F1.

I got the impression he had put so much into that that as you say, he seemed quite overwhelmed. He did say afterwards I think that it was the best lap he has ever driven. One thing is sure, everything dropped into place. Now he has to avoid the barriers in the race! I know many people can't see the point of F1 but watching that level of achievement is quite splendid!
Don't feel guilty about Colin, I am sure that he was enjoying himself.....

It wasn't easy finding real railway sleepers locally, a lot of places now just sell new pine replicas. The originals aren't recommended for use in gardens any more because of the creosote content. There used to be a timber yard in Silsden that sold them but the owner has recently retired. We were just about to give up when I discovered that there is a reclamation yard up on the hills behind Sutton in Craven, and they had luckily just got a load in. £25 each for solid oak, creosote soaked sleepers that should outlast us. We were going to use stone setts to edge round the chippings in our "yard" but they are incredibly expensive, the sleepers will provide a cheaper alternative. Not as smart though....

Sleepers used to be dirt cheap after the Beeching closures and the switch over to concrete sleepers but then Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock arrived on the scene and the price started to rise. Then a lot were burned as fuel in Foot and Mouth pyres. When Terry Gissing was looking for a wagon load for use in moving the Jubilee engine he had to buy Polish imports and I think they were about £20 apiece.....



Enjoying quiet fitting building Newton's cylinder up again....... Very satisfying if a bit fiddly.

Off for a swim this morning, 20 lengths and out. This afternoon I am going to see a friend who had a baby whilst we were in France. Nothing else planned, I may continue cutting back dead plants in the garden

The Design Committee has proposed a scheme for regulator control on Newton's engine. I like it and I shall be looking into it this morning as I attend to few finishing details on the cylinder.

Expecting a phone call this morning from my GP re my blood test results. If he phones early enough I shall be off to yoga. This afternoon will be a little gardening or sewing, depending on the weather and then teatime pilates. Kath will be round this evening for a coffee and a chat. No doubt we will be discussing our imminent trip to the Cotswolds on Thursday for a few days. Weather forecast not brilliant for that though!

Bit like waiting in for a courier Sue. I hate it!

Had the chat, put forward my concerns. It appears I had higher cholesterol levels 6 years ago! My ratio is very good and well within accepted limits and better than it was before. Apparently the guidlines have changed which means that although on paper I am healthier than I was 6 years ago, I am now in the AT RISK group. I declined referral for further discussions on diet and lifestyle modifications ie lose weight etc as I felt I was already doing what would be suggested, the GP seemed unhappy about my decision ( do they get paid for referrals?) but accepted that I did not fall into the normal problems that people have ie overweight, drink heavily, smoke, eat lots of sugar and fat etc.

My cardiovascular episode risk is 11% and 10 % is now the level aimed for. A couple of years ago I think he said it was 15% . So I have been caught in a statistics trap. However I explained that my normal exercise pattern had been disrupted for a few weeks and he did agree that the raised sugar could be the large quantity of fruit eaten...you can’t win can you. We have agreed on a repeat blood test in two months. If it is the same I shall perhaps ask for a referral. One thing we can change is whole grain rice and spaghetti. We already have whole grain bread, but as I eat little of any I doubt it will make much difference.

So its carry on as normal as worrying only puts up the BP

" So I have been caught in a statistics trap." I think that's my problem also Sue. If going on their programme means that you get a free blood test annually go for it. You can always ignore the bleeding obvious advice.....
Quietly away in the shed enjoying myself.

Stanley wrote: ↑19 Sep 2018, 03:08 " So I have been caught in a statistics trap." I think that's my problem also Sue. If going on their programme means that you get a free blood test annually go for it. You can always ignore the bleeding obvious

That is one way of looking at it.

Off for a walk this morning. Bob wants some photos for the programme for the Model Engineering exhibition he is helping to organise. We should be walking with our walking group but we are very disillusioned with them. Its quite a new band of people who treat it more as a social natter rather than its original intention of WALKING FOR HEALTH. They are so slow and cover hardly any distance in the two hours we are out. We think we may go it alone in future. There are plenty of walks locally.

This afternoon I shall do a bit of sewing, pilates this evening and a bit of packing is required for our 4 day break in the Cotswolds