Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Sue. I sympathise with anyone who has the problem your hairdresser has. One of my grand children has a similar condition and apparently in her case it is caused by a replication of some of the nerves in her heart that regulate it. They get into conflict at times. She has had two operations to try to improve the situation but none of them worked.
As for haircuts, I have a set of clippers and simply shave the lot off! As Ken says, such a joy to wash your head at the same time as your face and simply dry off. Convenient and clean! Nobody has yet recoiled in horror.
Today I shall be continuing with my cylinder and keeping watch for the courier, my castings are due to be delivered today!
[I might shave my head as well, thinking about it has made my head itch!]

[Sue]

Morning

Up and out early today so this will be very short, basically a hello. I have a mammogram appointment at the other side of Rochdale for 9.10 am. A time when we would never make an appointment. We are hoping leaving home at 8.30 am will be early enough to battle the traffic. We are not sure what the queues will be like down Shawclough Road into Rochdale.

Following yesterdays busy day of hairdressers and lunch out I have no set plans for today. I will have to get my head in gear. The new mask I made yesterday seems a good close fit round my face whilst providing roomy breathing space, so I may have found the best design now. Oh who would have thought a few months ago that I would be an expert on the design of masks . Anyway, normal sewing is now finished for a bit so I shall probably convert my machine back to an embroidery machine today and start my Christmas tasks.


Have a good day all

[Sue]

Stanley that sounds exactly like Steves condition as described to me. As for hair, I don’t think the bald look is quite my scene. I am happy with my short layered highlighted bob, thank you

[Stanley]

Understood about the hair Sue. I wish you a good result at the hospital. I am sat down having a breather at the moment after a useful couple of hours in the shed doing small things very carefully!
Only light rain at the moment so I think I'll chance a quick walk!

[Sue]

Understood about the hair Sue. I wish you a good result at the hospital. I am sat down having a breather at the moment after a useful couple of hours in the shed doing small things very carefully!
Only light rain at the moment so I think I'll chance a quick walk!

Got there in 10 minutes, had to wait 30 till my appointment, over with in 5 and back home in time for a coffee, and a chat with Wendy before pilates, which I thought I would end up missing. Just a routine appointment no concerns

[PanBiker]

Made my phone call to the imaging department in the Clarendon Wing at LGI. Pre recorded message tells me that all equipment is in full operation so I can go in for my go in the MRI machine. I will have a bit of lunch and then go for the 13.47 train from Skipton to Leeds, that one is straight through. Alternate ones during the day stop at Shipley and you have to change. 14.30 into Leeds then find the right bus stand to get me to the correct end of the hospital. If it's fine I might walk it's about 15 minutes from the station. Alternately once in the parish I can walk the perimeter, I will get to the right entrance sooner or later.

[Stanley]

Good!



My cylinder gets a bit nearer to perfect! Now I'm expecting DPD with my castings any time soon.
Ian, best of luck!

[Stanley]

The castings arrived dead on time. I have them all sorted and tidied away. On with the build! This will keep me amused for the next six months.

[Sue]

Morning

Wet day yesterday! After my appointment and pilates, I spent the day transferring some genealogy data on to the family tree of my niece Emma. She asked if I could do some research for her on tge paternal side of her family . She sent me some stuff she already had for her Nan’s line and I managed to fill that out to the the 1700s a couple of weeks ago and put that in my family tree program. I found her grand dads line on Ancestry, twice. The first person I wrote to was not for sharing, but the second sent Emma a whole stash of information so yesterday I transcribed it on to her tree. Normally I would check it out as I did with her Nan’s side, but as it is all Scottish this makes it more difficult. Many Scottish records are not easily tracked down on line. Today I will merge my family line into her tree so she will have both her Mums side ( my sister) and her Dads side. After that I will play around printing off a few charts for her. I do love genealogy

Today is dance exercise or DANCE YOUR SOCKS OFF as it is officially called on the pilates zoom timetable. Then I will just have time to shower before the first zoom meeting of the U3A craft group. I think this will me mainly a chatting session this time. We have had a number of group projects, mainly knitting, but as i have run out of yarn and will not go in a wool shop simply to buy odd balls I have not done them. Also they then arrange collection and despatch to the various charities the project has been for but being in Rochdale I am way out of the Todmorden collection points . After the meeting we shall go out as our cleaner is coming. We are booked in for a SUBSTANTIAL lunch at our local pub. Hopefully it will not be too crowded. The wet weather prevents us going for a walk and eating a sandwich on a bench! This afternoon I shall probably continue with Emma’s tree.

Have a good day all, I believe the rain stops on Sunday before starting again on Monday

[Marilyn]

We had an unexpected quiet afternoon - our charity shops are open - so I suggested a walk thru. ( we have 4 in town, others further out, but as hubby was expecting work coming in, we only did the 4).
One had THE MOST AMAZING collection of very high heeled shoes that had never been worn! They were absolutely stunning. ( not that I could wear anything like that ever again, but gosh, they were ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.).
I enjoyed looking at them anyway, wanted them all, and would have scooped them up if I could wear them with my Sciatica.
I had to walk away, regrettably.

[Stanley]

Morning all, back after two hours in the shed. I am varying the routine a bit this morning. I shall have breakfast before my walk and go out later to make sure the pharmacy is open. Scrub that, I just looked on the web and they open at 08:30 so breakfast when I get back! Timetable has changed. Back soon!

[Sue]

We had an unexpected quiet afternoon - our charity shops are open - so I suggested a walk thru. ( we have 4 in town, others further out, but as hubby was expecting work coming in, we only did the 4).
One had THE MOST AMAZING collection of very high heeled shoes that had never been worn! They were absolutely stunning. ( not that I could wear anything like that ever again, but gosh, they were ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.).
I enjoyed looking at them anyway, wanted them all, and would have scooped them up if I could wear them with my Sciatica.
I had to walk away, regrettably.

I know what you mean about shoes. I wear flats nearly all the time, and I have the most comfortable pair of Scandinavian mules. Wear them all the time. I have an identical pair in France. I have some posh heeled shoes for going out posh, when I think I will be sitting most of the time. I also have some pretend heels. They are pretend because they are really raised block heels but look a bit more dressy than my flats. It is not my back that is the problem but I have arthritis in my big toe joint which does not help with shoes. I had the one on my left foot replaced but NHS don’t do the operation anymore for some reason. So now my right foot needs a bigger shoe width than my left, so I buy to fit my right and put an insole in my left. I don’t have to do that with my mules, they are wonderful. They have an optional back strap so I can drive in them too. Such beautiful soft leather . I can’t get them any more so I shall rotate them with the ones in France to give even wear ( both pairs here at the moment) and wear them till they fall apart

[Stanley]

Find a competent cobbler Sue and get him to make a replica pair for you.



Today was making the top lid for the cylinder....

[Sue]

I hate to think what that would cost Stanley, one off shoes don’t come cheap and these bulk produced ones were £70 7 years ago. The supplier was recommended to me by the surgeon who replaced my toe joint .

[Stanley]

I dare say you're right Sue.
Today will I hope be normal shed and at least two dry walks. The forecast is not cheerful!

[Marilyn]

Making a few batches of Sausage Rolls, for visitors next weekend...
I made 2 dozen, but then hubby walked past the kitchen and a few seem to have disappeared...

[Stanley]

Very tempting Maz. My strength is that of ten because I am pure.

[Marilyn]

You may be pure...but you did not smell them, Stanley...( and strength is like a piece of string)
I’m pretty sure you would have popped one in your pocket. For later.
Anyway...what I had left are safely stored in the freezer now, for next Saturday’s lunch. Only another 6 meals to consider for our weekend guests ( who are massive eaters), and I have Eggs and Bacon and Fresh Mushrooms etc pegged for both breakfasts.
Vienetta one night for dessert...still thinking about more offerings....( we are not big eaters ourselves)

[Sue]

Morning

Maz, sausage rolls are my favourite food , I’ll have one of those any day rather than a cake.

Yesterday passed in a torrent of genealogy. I have a new computer program as my old one was not compatible with the WINDOWS update, was it 10? I have put all of Emmas family details into the program over the last couple of days. It was a slow process, I am sure there must be a quicker way. Then it was a steep learning curve to merge her tree with my family lines of Widdup, Maylard, Marriott, Needham , Ward and Proctor which are all separate files. I eventually did it, but then of course I had multiples of some people. If I didn’t merge the data, they did not appear on any generation Chart I tried to produce. After a great deal of manipulation and working out how to do it on the program , I printed out a chart . It was 25 A4 sheets, which I spread out on the dining room table, carefully numbered, so Emma could assemble it in order, when, guess what , it had errors. Back to the drawing board. I gave up last night when I had managed to replicate a particular person so that he appeared in several generations repetitively . I think I was getting tired and missing the obvious.
I am glad we had a substantial meal at lunch time at our local pub, The Oxford.

It was very quiet in there, a constant 4 or 5 tables well spread out, in fact it was difficult to see which tables were occupied. It was a bit different from her usual packed to the door. Ali, the land lady came over to chat , and she too can accommodate us and our two friends on adjacent tables, its nice to know. They are desperate for ways to keep the money coming in. She is venturing into staying open all day serving coffee and afternoon teas to combat the loss of income in the evening. She runs a very tight covid secure secure ship and was saying some of the hardened drinkers have been very abusive and left to go elsewhere where the rules are ignored. No wonder numbers creep up. She is better off without them . We had forgotten that the man with a van who sells fresh fish is on the carpark there on a Friday lunchtime so we bought some smoked haddock for supper, which I poached in milk , and topped with a poached egg, making the milk used into a cheese sauce. I used to make it a lit for myself when I came in at 10.00 pm after teaching evening classes. Its very quick and extremely tasty

I had another long chat with Eve on Whats App. This weeks cookery lesson was a substantial meal as well. Ideal for an 11 year old who had just come back from swimming. It was a fruit smoothie bowl, as she called it. Red fruits blended into milk to make a thick smoothie topped with nuts and oats. She ate it with yoghurt and fresh blueberries. We had a virtual taste of course and left her eating it. She is so funny giving us a step by step account of the process and close up views at the appropriate time. Today will be Briony at 5.30pm its a great way to keep in touch. Its a shame Erin is not keen on these video links , but she is only 6 . I asked if she was going to bed afterwards, she said , NO but a detached, Ed , voice in the background said YES

Today will not be a trip to the market, our french pâtisserie stall is shut as Jon and Marys have been on holiday in Scotland this week. Instead Bob will pop down to the local butcher , where we used to go , to get supplies for the week. Then I think it will be a bit of cleaning as Joanne didn’t come yesterday as she had to rush her cat to the vets, followed by more genealogy or sewing. Rain due all day.


Have a good if wet day everyone

[Stanley]

Just very windy here at the moment Sue but there are odd spots of rain on the wind. It could get nasty later!



Here's this morning's shed work. Doesn't look much but it took an hour and a half to get there. I'm having breakfast after a bracing walk!

[Marilyn]

I am sat with my TENS machine on tonight, and it is very good...relieving numbness/tingling and pain I am now feeling daily in my right arm. Today got a bit much. I have a GP appt in a fortnight. I am hoping to make it through, but may try for an earlier appt if it keeps bothering me. ( I don’t know there is much can be done and I hate to be put through MRI which is a two hour drive each way.)
TENS is very good in the meantime. I can wear it walking around, and it is drug free. And very very comforting.

[Sue]

I am sat with my TENS machine on tonight, and it is very good...relieving numbness/tingling and pain I am now feeling daily in my right arm. Today got a bit much. I have a GP appt in a fortnight. I am hoping to make it through, but may try for an earlier appt if it keeps bothering me. ( I don’t know there is much can be done and I hate to be put through MRI which is a two hour drive each way.)
TENS is very good in the meantime. I can wear it walking around, and it is drug free. And very very comforting.

You are certainly having problems. I agree about the TENS machine, I too have one and used it when I had my slipped disc.

[Marilyn]

I am going to leave my adhesive tabs on when I go to bed ( not sure how to get out of my clothes yet, but will work it out ) so that I can just connect up if needed in the night. Not easy... I am a restless sleeper. I may strangle myself trying to get pain relief. But I have full belief in TENS. It is the BEST pain relief.

[Stanley]

I'm glad something helps Maz. Pain can be a bugger....
Today's activities expanded. I'm sure you all have things that you note and say "I must do something about that...." and then it slips into abeyance. My microwave has been in that category but I'm glad to report that I actually did something about it. It's gleaming now and I feel a lot better.

[Sue]

And I am doing something about our pine table in the conservatory. It got bad water damage from pot plants whilst we were in France in March and friends watered the plants. It has also faded unevenly from the intense sun in there. I sanded it and oiled it in May but it is still bad . Today I have stripped out the oil , sanded it down and have just put on the first coat of antique pine stain to even out the colour . I shall put a second coat on later if it needs it and tomorrow will apply a coat of clear matt varnish . It worked well on a battered pine bedding box in France so am hopeful