Ari hosts fun Monday

Thank you, Ari for hosting FM and giving us our topics.
I was in two minds whether to join in today.
Ari asks "What's the title of your novel and what's it about?"

Unlike other folk, I do not have a novel in me, the occasional poem is penned from time to time.
Several years ago a group of us friends (OU) sent our poetry to one of the group and she made a collection of the poems.
Thinking back is poignant as one of the group died suddenly, and is still sadly missed.

This too shall pass…

Laughter, bright smiles and woes

Memories made and shared

Three like-minded Northerners

Meeting up infrequently…

Country cottage tiny, yet cozy

Our refuge from Life, odd weekends now and then.

Relaxing, miles from anywhere, just we three.

Imbibing in moderation?

Time slipping by noiselessly in pleasant company.

‘Til Fate intervened irrevocably riving the threesome

One of us crossing ‘Rainbow Bridge’

Taken before her time.

Two bereft, sundered remain apart...

Shall we three meet again?

So, no novel 'here' just a poem In memoriam... 

©joanygee 31/01/11

peaceful

-that's how I like my Sunday mornings...dogs flat out and snoozing OH comparatively 'bright-eyed and bushy tailed'. Perhaps, and I hope it's not too soon to say, but these new meds might be okay?
Just spent a pleasant time engrossed in reading other folk's blogs.
As it's Sunday there's no chance of the dogs making a ruckus rushing at the door if the post arrived.

Had chat with M and she seems lots better than last time we spoke. We might even have our coffee and chat some time this week.

Still trying out my halogen oven, timings need to be worked on, but am happy with the results.

Ooh, a shiny pen: Recalll

Ooh, a shiny pen: Recalll: "RECALL NOTICE: The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect..."

Julie O'Brien penned this

She has given permission for it to be shared...many thanks, Julie!

RECALL NOTICE:

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed
"Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.  Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes. WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

- GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this
important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by
'Knee mail'!

Because He Lives

Posted by Crown Princess at 1/28/2011 10:42:00 PM

today

OH begins taking his new meds, but I'm not convinced that he'll respond any better to them. Why? Because with the study I've done (OU sciences, biology and chemistry) and knowing the meds are part of the same group...the chance of more upsets seems pretty high.

Today things have come apart in my hands...a door knob to be precise, but no matter how hard we looked, the grub screw just disappeared! Next, I pulled the cord to switch on the ventilator in the shower room and the cover came loose and fell down, Well it's a good excuse to give it a clean.

Tis a bright, sunny but frosty day. I phoned 'M'  but no answer, so I popped outside and looked if her window was open, it was closed and 'M's van was missing. Am guessing the dauntless pair have gone shopping together. If there's a sale on 'M' will want to go. Hoping this means they are both a lot better today.

OH has taken the dogs for their constitutional, and as it's such a sunny day they'll take advantage of the fine weather to stay out longer than usual, Gives me time to do some tidying up.

an easy topic aka 'fair game'

Went with OH to see the GP. Appt. time 8.10am.
Checked in using tap screen here (growl)...How impersonal is that!
An almost empty waiting room apart from a lady in a wheelchair and her husband. Awkward to reach the log in screen as she was 'parked' in front of it, but I managed.

We seated ourselves and settled down to wait...couldn't help overhearing the gossiping receptionists, but it helped while away the time.
Dr. I. arrived and with a broad grin on his face said, 'Good morning, to reception and then to us. We chorused 'Good morning'...he went to his office...
Some few minutes later, he came to get the lady in the wheelchair and offered to wheel her down the corridor...
The chattering receptionists continued (giving out the gossip and getting it back) and several minutes later, in a surprised voice, one said. 'Is the doctor in?' I couldn't help thinking how bad mannered they were. No acknowledgment of the GP's cheery greeting...
♫♫♫♫♫ reminding me of  the song..♫♫♫♫♫

Gossip calypso Gossip calypso
Hear all about it yak a yak-yak
Every woman up at the window
Giving out the gossip and getting it back

 The GP phoned and OH is to have different meds. Next, OH phoned the surgery to make an appt. for next Friday (morning). I phoned our lovely chemist Mr. J. He'll get someone to go over to the surgery when they're back from lunch...I gave him our phone number so he can let us know what happens.
Update...
Dear Mr. J phoned to say he had the meds for OH, so we've collected them. If we didn't have such a good chemist...

to-ing n fro-ing

Thursdays are usually 'do it now days' shopping in the morning at cut-price supermarkets. When you add on OH deciding that we 'must' go to Costco...it becomes even busier. He wanted to take 'advantage' of discounts, so off we went.
What with one thing and another the day sped by, soon it was late afternoon and finally chance to sit down for a while.
Included in all the to-ing and fro-ing was a walk to the petrol station to buy a birthday card and a short while later, an even longer walk to the post box.

It's not often I bother much with the 'haunted fish-tank' as a friend calls it...Andrew Lee Potts who plays a zany geek in 'Primeval' is in 'Alice' tonight on Syfy.

From the clips I've seen it looks like the programme has elements of the surreal Portmeirion world of the Prisoner and the 'Fifth Element'.

been and gone

The guys came, stayed about half an hour and went...Now extra lagging has been laid on top of the original layers in the loft.
The only problem being that OH wants to do some sorting out up there and I feel reluctant even to think about it.
Well he dumped some stuff down from the attic and luckily he'd made a good choice. Nothing with any treasured memories...Phew!

Had a phone-call from M next door. Both M's are full of cold; the toy-making one seems particularly poorly. I'll phone tomorrow for news.

A couple of folk have birthdays this weekend, so I've sent animated e-cards. Neither sent cards of any sort to me when it was my birthday. Hope I don't seem mean-spirited.

Hoping my click on the mouse friends in Australia enjoyed Australia Day!

oh dear!

Both 'M' neighbours have come down with the dreaded lurgy! One phoned this morning to say I was welcome to come for coffee later but...
She sounded full of cold and couldn't help coughing. So I said I'd call round later in the week provided she feels well enough. OH has just been talking with the other 'M' and she too is full of cold. We've offered to get both of them anything they need from the shops.
My replacement card arrived today, sooner than expected; so have contacted the provider. Their automated system passed me on to a real person as it's not straight-forward because of the circumstances. Three cheers! Why? Because the guy on the phone spoke in a lovely Scottish brogue, no messing with 'Mumbai calling'. Perhaps that bank has got the message that overseas call centres were creating more problems than they 'solved'.

Having mentioned 'Scottish' in this posting I ought because of the date
25th January
to mention...

Burns Night

Robert Burns

"Address to a Haggis" 

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

Follow the link for a 'translation'...

Fun Monday - sounds

"Pleasure it is to hear iwis, the birdís sing.
The deer in the dale, the sheep in the vale, the corn springing.
God's purveyance for sustenance, it is for man, it is for man.
Then we always to Him give praise, and thank Him then." 

A Cornish poem used by Benjamin Britten in his 'Ceremony of Carols' 

and an unusual beginning to a Fun Monday post towards the end of January!

Well, it's Fun Monday and the question is...

What is the most beautiful sound in the whole world? 
Once you’ve told us that, give us the flip side, too: What is the sound you dislike the most?

So prosaically, I'm going to choose birdsong with the deep-throated purr 

of a contented moggy-tiger sitting on your lap a close second. 

And the flip side has to be our younger dog...

Dogs have a far wider range of sounds than the usual 'woof-woof'.

When the lad really wants to draw our attention, he has a 

higher pitched bark that literally sets the radiators resounding.  

looking forward to

March 12th the be precise...
Going to Manchester by train, probably from the station I usually leave from with my 'theatre'  friend. Have to get to the John Dalton Building on Oxford Rd (part of MMU) Manchester Metropolitan Uni. Chance to meet my tutor for my latest course and come across fellow students.
Last time was a couple of years ago. That time I met a fellow student who tagged along after I'd left the station because 'I looked like I knew where I was going'...
I ought to be getting used to that part of the city by now, but only because of theatre visits.

Today, OH is recovering from yesterday's exertions...climbing loft ladders and kneeling down to take up floorboards isn't as easy as it used to be.

M next-door's having a 'do-it-now' month...first came the double-glazed windows, next a new front door and porch, then someone to discuss installing a new central heating boiler. Soon, like us, she'll be having the loft lagged to bring up to modern specifications. A bonus from all this activity has been OH finding some guys to re-do parts of our roof where the frost 'got at' the pointing on the ridge tiles. Thankfully, OH has at long last realised his days of shinning up a roof are over!

Countless times over the years he's gone up onto the roof as tho' it was second nature. But, then he was once a keen, skilled climber and has told me about going up v-diffs and severes.
Bosigran (Cornwall)
Follow the link to see more of some of Cornwall's climbs.

the readiness is all...

Not long ago we had a visit from the Warm Front guys, then a follow-up phone-call to make arrangements.
So, D-day if Wednesday...but before then some tidying up was needed. Hence, OH spent ages up in the loft handing stuff down, some to be binned/recycled, others to put on one side.
So, a day without studying but going up and down the loft ladder instead.

The other task for today was to phone and block a credit card then ask for a new replacement. The guy I spoke to had handled lots of similar calls recently...why? Because the website belonging to Lush had been hacked and they'd sent advisory emails to customers.In three working days I ought to receive the new card, and them it'll have to be registered and unlocked.

Friday thoughts

Brilliant sunny day not as icy as yesterday thank goodness. OH busy for the first time this year. Gone at least temporarily is the lethargy caused by the medication he's been on since before Christmas. Maybe he's adapting/coping with it?
What's my plans for today? Studying for a while, then the beginnings of a sort out. Neighbour's now collecting for Easter. Time to recycle presents that weren't gifted this year, or some that have lain unused, even some purchases that deserve a better 'home'.
Next, back to the puter, this time the tower not laptop to edit knitting patterns and illustrations, making them more user friendly. Neighbour and knitting friends cope better with enlarged print. Also if I remove the background it's easier to see what's being knitted.


Myspace Weekend Comments & Graphics

that bridge again...

Thursday shopping day and what with the fog and ice it became problematic. Our main route was standing traffic queuing for the Bridge, nose to tail for over a mile. Fortunately we came across it when we could still turn off and find another route. It took 20 mins to go 4 miles.
Hardly a day goes by without problems at the bridge. Yesterday it closed when a Scania lorry and Ford escort car were in collision and the lorry overturned.

For many years people have campaigned for a second Mersey crossing
Mersey Gateway Project, Cheshire, United Kingdom

"The Mersey Gateway Project is a proposed new toll bridge project across Mersey River to connect Widnes and Runcorn towns. It includes several road improvements in the borough of Halton, Cheshire, north-west of England. The project is being carried out by Halton Borough Council and the Mersey Crossing Group. Work on the Mersey Gateway toll bridge will commence in 2011. It is scheduled for public opening in 2014."
The project was costed at £431 million and in 2011 it's  £600 million...

We already avoid using the bridge because of congestion, when both bridges are open as toll bridges, we'll have another reason to avoid using them.

Finally...

Towards the end of the day I have something to write...Three of us live next door to each other...our initials...MJM ()Mavis, Joan n Marilyn) aka the three witches according to Mavis.
So tonight we've been out for a meal together to a restaurant in Childwall called Owens. It triggered memories as it's at Childwall Fiveways, so called appropriately as it's the junction of five roads. Somewhere I walked across almost daily when at college, hence the memories. Okay so going back to the early 1970s but the memories remain. Days of teacher training at S. Kaths aka Katy Saints. Our colours were purple and white, I've always liked purple.

To name-drop...in the year above were some students who were to become famous...one Willy Russell and one David Alton.

We had a lovely meal, but I was the only one drinking wine, neither of the others does for medical reasons.

OH played chauffeur when I told him Mavis wanted to book a taxi, and when he found out where the restaurant is, also the lack of parking around there. Mavis (bless her) bought him a tin of fancy biscuits as a 'thank you'.
We're meeting up at Mavis's for coffee on Friday, another thing to look forward to.

Taking for granted...

trawling the World Wide Web...
How things have changed since my 1st computer course T171 with the OU...you, your computer and the internet!!!
From massive, bulky computer, monitor, speakers with a printer that only did black & white...
To sitting in my comfy armchair, laptop on my knees, no need to use a workstation...yet, accessing Dropbox to instantly save work 'in the cloud'.
Broadband makes videos watchable, no longer the 'world-wide wait' and screaming modem.

This morning I've 'been' to Antarctica, viewed satellite images, read scientific reports and 'visited' NASA.

Also, accessed my Student Home page and contributed to on-line 'discussions'...
Don't you just love it...

Fun Monday - let's dance!

Ari wants us to "Link to a music video or song that specifically makes you want to get up and dance."

Gone are my dancing days, except if it's a waltz, I don't think I can remember any other of the ballroom dances I learnt long ago.





What else sets toes tapping and pulses racing?

can you see what I see

Just been to neighbour's to look at the new windows, the people that put them in seem to have done a good job and neighbour's pleased with the result. Now she's ordering new blinds. That's where the two of us are different, I like to be able to see out.
Sitting in an armchair I can view outside and bird watch.  The standard fuchsia is bare of leaves and makes it easier to watch the goings on.

Coal tits, blue tits, blackbirds, greenfinches and dunnocks feed there and from the birdfeeders.

Today's a Special Day!

Happy Birthday!

 Nita...

 Nita today with her grandchildren...

celebration time...

Phoned Phil (pharmacy) to give him an update on the saga of prescriptions, changes, GP et al.

Soon afterwards the phone rang...Pam from the pharmacy, "Your local pharmacy here, just want to let you know we have the prescription. Looking forward to seeing you soon.".

OH took me round, but before I went in, I called in at a local corner shop to buy some chocolates as a 'Thank You' for the pharmacy staff. I won't bore you with details of the happy, joking repartee at the pharmacy, suffice it to say...

• OH has the right medication (1.25mg) and won't run out of tablets for another month. 

• The pharmacy staff were all beaming smiles when I left and looking forward to sharing the chocolates.

200!

My 200th post! 
Who'd 'ave thowt it?
Coincidentally, Wikipedia celebrates its 10th anniversary today. Until I visited the site today, I hadn't realized how many and varied sister projects the site has.
Wikibooks, Wikinews, Wikiversity, Wikiquote and Wikisource to name a few...
Yes, I joined Wikipedia a while ago and have even ventured to add a bit to it when doing OU SD226 course and found an article asking for references.

Thankfully, OH has his meds and I've bought him a BP monitor (blood pressure) similar to the one at the surgery. Also it has a memory so he could store recordings but (precious Luddite) that part of tech eludes him.

Time for a laugh...
BP as in British Petroleum has made headline news today as it has made a deal with Rosfnet...Russian state giant oil company. What's so amusing?
 a quote from...
Edward Markey, a senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, said: "BP once stood for British Petroleum. With this deal, it now stands for Bolshoi Petroleum..."
Now to me Boshoi is the Bolshoi Ballet, theatre and opera Company! Also, the word 'Bolshoi' means 'Grand'.

between a rock and a hard place!

Went to the chemists yesterday to pick up prescriptions, and that's when the difficulties began. All the staff at the chemists are lovely, but the surgery across the road...is a nightmare.
On arrival home, OH noticed that instead of 1.25mg the tablets said 5mg! So, we headed straight back and the chemist said  it was a mistake on the prescription and needed the surgery to sort it out.
Went to see reception who informed me that 'it says 5mg on the screen'. Biting back the obvious reply Gingo Garbage In Garbage Out...I asked when the new prescription would be ready. 'Come back about 5pm''??? She would not see the GP until end of surgery!
Went back to the chemist, gave them my number and they said they'd chase up the prescription.
So 1 day later, still no prescription! Chemist still trying to get the revised version from the surgery!
Then things went from Bad to Worse...apologetic  phone-call from chemist...surgery now said unable to give out script until middle next week!
So thanked chemist for his help and phoned surgery asked to speak with Practice manager but voice on end of phone offered to 'help'.
Being in no mood to 'take prisoners' as the saying goes, I told her to listen...
She made mistake of trying to blame pharmacist...compounded error by saying 'the screen said'...
But I am computer literate! So told her about gingo Garbage in Garbage out and that when I visited surgery...the excuse was 'the screen says'...5mg. Eventually she said GP would phone and asked who'd answer...I said 'me' but would pass phone to OH.
GP phoned and light dawned...letter from Broadgreen Hospital had arrived to say up dosage to 5mg... A N Other GP at surgery duly amended records...without any knowledge of OH or situation...
Hence 5mg script! GP said 1.25mg script would be issued asap he was doing it Now. And would tell reception to phone to make appt for GP to see OH.
I phoned pharmacist to tell him how surgery had tried to bad mouth him and that new script was being issued. Needless to say no-one from reception called OH...
Tomorrow is another day...here's hoping against hope that pharmacist receives 1.25mg script to fill for OH.

meeting up at long last

Spent a couple of hours with my dear friend in Delamere, chatting and catching up.

Coriander and garlic naan, chickpea, olive, tomato salad, butternut squash risotto with Parmesan shavings...mmm

Friend is a talented artist and does lovely things with glass...

African inspired Window

 Kilimanjaro scene hand-made from sketch drawn when she visited the area.

I love it that she's named individual fish in her tropical tank .

La belle dame Hobbes - moggy tiger in residence...

.

kindnesses

How delightful to receive comments to postings, reading them this morning really brightened my day!
More accurately, they were the 'icing on the cake'.
Let me explain...

M-J-M that's what one neighbour now calls the 3 of us who live next door to one another and have become close friends.
M the one with two GSDs, J also two GSDs and M the knitting neighbour and fundraiser/organizer. This week M (GSDs) is having new windows fitted, so she spent part of yesterday with M getting warm as she couldn't warm her own house for obvious reasons. Knowing she'd have to stay in this week until the glaziers finish I did a bit if shopping for her. She also comes here to 'use the facilities' whilst her bathroom has no window in it!

Thank you to Karisma for your kind comment about my lovely z_boy...

And, all being well, this is where I hope to go tomorrow...

Hoping my friend is well enough and looking forward to having lunch with her. She makes the most delicious vegetarian meals...

better late than...

Ari of aprawnoffate hosts another Fun Monday.
She asks...

What's your unfinished business?

 

To do one more course at level 3 with the Open University UK and hopefully be awarded my degree. Something that's been ongoing for years...

To complete more of my WIPs (works in progress) knits and crochet. There's one that I started in the 1980s lol I'm good at browsing to find new projects, and patterns, making a start and then...drifting away...

Meet up with some friends...

I'll be able to cross one off the list this Wednesday when I make my way to Delamere for the first time in over 6 months. Okay it's not far away, some 30 miles. But, my friend is often ill and this week is the first she's felt well enough since last summer.

Another friend n I were due to meet up last September, again poor health intervened. Since then she's had an op to remove her gall bladder and is on the road to recovery. It's at least 4 if not 5 years since we last met.

Visit some places connected with my family...Clitheroe, Lancs., Glossop, Hayfield and Little Hayfield in Derbyshire.

If you're interested why not look up geograph.uk (Hayfield and Little Hayfield.)

Here you'll find the OS (Ordnance Survey) grid square and links to photos of the area.

a time for...

reminiscence...
Awoke to find a bright sunny morning, birds singing and some visiting the feeder that hangs from the pear tree.
January has become a mixture of times past jostling for attention with the here and now.
Hopes and expectation prevalent in the first week of the year; now take a nose-dive. Two years ago now was the time to send birthday cards to two friends with birthdays in the second week of the month. Two years on and both are no more.
Next weekend is the birthday of a very cherished friend.
But that same weekend years ago brought my world crashing down...when a parent dies that memory burns into your very being.
So, I'm going to focus on those here and now, and lay painful memories to rest for another year.

8th Jan musings

I still find it mind boggling sharing thoughts with people far and wide. Have just been reading blogs written by two lovely people, Sayre in Florida and Joy in the UK.

Checklist

1. new phone upgrade Free and kept same low payments
2. car repaired under warranty - OH informed me the bill was £750 without labour charges!

What a relief not to have to find such a large amount of money...

But..the warranty runs out in a few months...

Quandary...to let it run out...or to renew...now that's a big question. Thank goodness it isn't one that needs answering just yet.

Now a more pleasant task...birthday cards to write and to send.
January is 'my' busiest month for birthdays..

1st (3 friends) 16th, 27th and 31st (3 friends).

mf 7th Jan 2011

The wait for the new phones is over, came 8.30 this morning. Inserted sim card, battery and charged my phone before having a play to look at new features. As OH had told them phone only, I'll need a memory card for the other functions.
Now the snow has returned, but luckily there's no need to go anywhere. Toyota mechanic phoned and had long chat with OH.
Car's to have new injector fitted to see if engine management will then return system to normal. But, if weather remains poor it might be after weekend before we collect it.


Opticians phoned, my other glasses are ready...they were ordered before Christmas, so I'm in no rush to collect them.

Local Authority sent guys round door-to-door to drum up business before 'Warm Front' grant runs out. Had assumed we weren't eligible, but we are! So OH is in charge of the arrangements. Loft has some areas (sides) which need more insulation.
 CERT, or Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, set by government to implemented by councils, hence the door-to-door campaign.

areas arrangements authority battery business campaign carbon card cert charge christmas collect door-to-door drum emissions engine fitted front functions glasses government guys implemented injector inserted insulation local luckily memory morning normal oh opticians ordered phone poor ready reduction remains return round sent sides sim system target told wait warm weather

created at TagCrowd.com

6th Jan...waiting

It's  time to wait and wait and wait..why?

1. Although the website opened for my latest course, the course itself doesn't open until 5th Feb.
2. Nor have the tutors been allocated students.
3. Had to take my car in for a dose of looking at and hopefully to be repaired...still awaiting the phone-call to tell me the wherefores, estimates of time and what's gone wrong.
4. Waiting in tomorrow for promised delivery by courier some time between 8am and 6pm - no they 'can't' be more precise.

Now for some good news, the wait tomorrow is for arrival of new cell phones (one apiece). OH stressed to the sales guy that

• we do not need phones with all the modern gimickry and bells n whistles
• we do not want to 'upgrade'
• Yes, we want phones that will enable us to Make phone calls and Text.
• we want to retain the same contract (pay monthly)

Or as the cute Meerkat on a well-known advert would say, 'Simples'
Well the car repair people phoned and they are mystified, so the car will stay with them for a while...
Diagnostic - fault on 5th injector - is it a single or multiple fault? ECU and traction and stability controls interlinked, so ECU shuts down those controls when a fault is registered...
not so 'simples' after all!...

5th Jan 2011

Now the Spring term begins and folk return to work. Our journey to the supermarket took longer than it has for the past few weeks because of a greater volume of traffic. It can take quite a while to have a break in the traffic long enough to let us get out of the driveway.
At least the supermarket was quiet (fewer shoppers).
Then OH surprised me during the return journey by saying we were going to a nearby town...why? Because he'd decided the halogen oven is such a useful bit of kit...why not get another? Reason being he'd decided it would be good to use in the caravan...

Afternoon - we took neighbour to a nearby garden centre. She took her 'pogo' stick with her - that's what she calls her long folding cane that has a ball on the end. By rolling it to and fro she can navigate her way around.

But although my car decided to give problems, we managed to get to the garden centre and back home. Now it's been booked in to be 'looked at' tomorrow. We'll go on our shopping trip but in two cars...so the poorly one can be left to be assessed. (Only when OH described the problems over the phone, did I realize it had begun to go wrong a few days earlier!)

4th Jan 2011

Knitting neighbour is focused on Easter!
She's busy knitting small novelty chicks which will take a chocolate creme egg inside.

Talking with another knitting friend they've decided it would be good to knit more animals. Hence a request to me, 'can you find patterns for bunnies and sheep/lambs please?'
Turning on-line to the much-loved wealth of knitting inspiration/ideas and patterns that is Ravelry, I've come across some patterns. Now I need to 'translate' US abbreviations into English ones, as both ladies only know the latter.

Lucy lamb 
Pattern link and photo can be found here

Woolie the Ewe

Bunny rabbit patterns

Chocolate coloured Easter bunny

and my favourite...

Honey bunny

If my neighbour makes Honey Bunny I'll probably make the dress and bow. 

Fun Monday

January's gracious host is Ari
She says
"I live in a climate with a long, cold winters. Over the years, I've built up a supply of clothing and items to keep warm and dry. I think of them as my arsenal for winter combat. What's in your winter weather arsenal? Or, if you don't have tough winters where you live, tell us about something you own that you wouldn't want to be without."

As I have Raynauds, winter is a particularly trying time, my hands and feet are icy, they go white/blue with cold. I wear gloves, even when to some people the weather doesn't warrant it. Hence, I have recently bought a circulation booster and am hoping things will improve. Am using it for 10 minutes a time, it has tens type accessories but I'm not trying them yet. A weird sensation, as it cycles thro' rhythmically. Difficult to describe but I am hoping that with perseverance I can build up the time to the recommended 30 minutes. 

My friend's husband went to Canada on business and bought this lovely top for his wife.

Unfortunately, he came home with one of the wrong size...

so, as I'm (lets put it politely) broader than her, he kindly agreed to her giving to me.