And a good afternoon

A lovely walk on the beach at Caswell with Daughter, Son-in-law, GrandDaughter2, Husband and dogs. The weather was mild and dry and the waves were much more impressive than they look. Followed by ice cream in the case of GrandDaughter and me and coffee for the grown-ups.

Then we came home and I made beetroot and red onion tarte tatin for dinner.

And very yummy it was too. I admit to adding a layer of cheese that wasn't included in the recipe.

Good times

As school has broken up Elder Son and GrandSon1 came into Zac's yesterday to help with the food distribution so I swapped with Bryan so he was in the kitchen washing up and I was out where the action was. A man came to the window and asked to see the chef. They called Claire and the man said how good the chilli was. Claire told him I had made it. He repeated his comment and went on, "There was a bite to it at first and then the depth of flavour came through."

That made my day.

* * * * *

How is it possible to be left with six blue socks none of which match?

Before I could have a meltdown on the laundry front I changed to wrapping. And look at this:

Can you see the join?

Okay, you probably can if you look closely but how often do you get wrapping paper to line up so perfectly? Again, okay, you probably do if you're one of these perfect wrappers but for someone who's more of the 'that'll do' school, it's an unexpected achievement.

* * * * *

On Thursday after school I went to visit the young boy whose life I've been part of, through Zac's, almost since he was born. The last few years have been difficult for him but he seems happy or at least resigned to his situation now. 

He told me that when he talks about me to his friends in school he calls me his grandma. 

I should have stayed in bed

"I'll just pop down to Mumbles before it rains," I said.

Unfortunately it turned out that everyone in the surrounding area thought the same thing. I had to drive around and around until I found a parking space in a back street far away from everything. By which time it had started raining.

Fortunately it was very fine rain and stopped quickly. I walked to the butcher's and asked about some beef we'd decided to have for Christmas dinner. He said he could vacuum-pack it for me so I wouldn't have to brave the crowds picking up turkey closer to the day.

Unfortunately it turned out that I didn't have my purse with me. I could see it where I'd left it on the kitchen counter. I asked the butcher to put it to one side and I'd come back with my purse.

Fortunately the butcher must have recognised me as he said I could take the meat and phone in to pay. I could have hugged him. I think he could tell I was getting stressed as I stopped and told myself to take a deep breath. He was very trusting: he only asked my name, didn't even take a phone number.

Unfortunately I couldn't do any of the other things I'd planned in Mumbles - they all needed money - so I came home and phoned in to pay. 

Fortunately I did see a couple of lovely golden retrievers, though they were on the opposite side of the road so I didn't get to stroke them.

So all's well, and as I told myself as I marched back to the car, "You've got to laugh."

Harvey from 2007

George from 2022

Singing to keep warm

The carol service went better than it could have done. Backing music for the carols made such a difference. But how did people with hearing aids and glasses cope with the pandemic? It was impossible to have all three - including mask - on my ears at the same time! 

On a number of occasions, as I tried to adjust one or the other my hearing aid went flying off. Oh, yes, I decided to wear a mask to be extra careful as Husband has a hospital appointment on Monday and who knows what they will say?

Before we started a member of a biker gang dropped off some buffet left-overs, others brought mince pies and cookies, and we had ourselves a feast.

I did take a short video of the gang singing and if I can work out how to transfer it to my puta I'll share it later. 

Everyone's wearing coats because the boiler broke the year before last - when we were still planning big renovations so didn't repair it - so we have no heating except a tiny electric radiator.

At the weekend Daughter gave us some of the cookies she'd made and they reminded how much I enjoyed Nigella's cranberry and white chocolate cookies so made some for Zac's tonight. They're a bit browner than should be but crammed with cranberries and white chocolate chips.

So enthused was I that I did the hall while listening to some weird old Christmas songs. Old isn't always best.

"Christmas is cancelled!"

I don't know if readers overseas will be familiar with the old BBC sitcom The Good Life. It featured a young couple living in the London suburbs and trying to be self-sufficient. Their neighbours and friends, Margo and Jerry, are just the opposite, enjoying what they see as the good things of life. Margo is a dreadful snob.

There is a Christmas Special I've been trying to find on iplayer because it's not really Christmas until I've watched it - even though I can almost recite the words. In it Margo's Christmas Eve order from Harrods (?) is not up to her standards so she sends it back and then is shocked to discover they won't redeliver on Christmas Day. Hence, "Christmas is cancelled."

The interesting thing

On our walk today Husband began a conversation. "The interesting thing about the power supply unit . . ."

I stopped him. "That's how you're starting a conversation? How did you ever get a girlfriend? Oh, wait, why am I laughing? I married you."

I'll tell you the interesting thing. Last January he bought a power supply unit for his computer but didn't fit it until this month. It doesn't work so he's sending it back and was concerned to get in before the year's warranty was up. Then he checked and discovered it has a ten year warranty.

Yes, I married him.

Here's a snake slithering up a tree that I spotted on our walk.

* * * * *

Christmases with the family are always noisy, hectic and fun. This year, whether or not Husband is shielding officially we'll be having a quiet one, just in case. There are too many bugs around. So I'm less than enthusiastic about decorating. I've draped a thing over the mantelpiece and I'll probably put some bits on the hall table but that'll be it for this year.

This evening in Zac's we have our carol service. I'm using a piece I've adapted from prison days and it involves three readers. I've copied out the sheets with each reader's bits in red to make it simple, when in fact I know it will make it chaotic.

Our 'congregation' is, as you know, not an average one. It'll be fine however it goes. As long as Stu manages to do some copies of the carol lyrics. We do have carol booklets and sheets already but neither of us know where they are so it's another last minute panic, which will prove pointless because half the congregation won't sing anyway.

But I love them. And I love Husband. (But not in the same way.)

Failed again

As Husband isn't up to toting a Christmas tree around I'd resigned myself to having an imitation tree - my first ever, if you don't count the one that spouted snow and left polystyrene balls around for years after. I knew the children would help but they've got busy lives and, anyway, I wanted to prove I could do it on my own.

Then it occurred to me that rather than going artificial I could just get a small real tree. That was a novel idea. So I drove to the Christmas tree garden and found a nice one. I thought it was a Korean Fir but the man said it was something different but I can't remember what that was. Not that I'd ever heard of a Korean fir before anyway but the range of small trees wasn't huge.

The man put it in the car for me and I brought it home determined to put it up myself.

Big Fail.

It came with a free stand, the one it had been in when I bought it. The one it had fitted in and stood up straight in. No longer. Not even with a hammer to help.

In the end I had to call Husband and between us we concluded there was something missing from the stand and that we'd use our old one. I fetched that from the shed and Husband left me to it.

Big Fail.

I did however put on the lights and decorations!

And now I'm left with lots of bits of branches that I feel I should use creatively but also know that way disaster lies.

At least we're beginning to get a bit of Christmas spirit. 

A Monday morning

Husband set up our old sound system in the kitchen for me so I can listen to my Christmas cds!

You can't beat the old ones.

When I was out this morning I felt like a little treat so bought myself a palmier from M&S. I've never eaten one in this country before. It was good but not as good as eating one in France.

More exciting news to follow later . . .

Did I?

We were going out for our daily constitutional and you know what it's like. Do I need to go to the toilet before I go? No, I went not long ago didn't I? Did I? I can't remember. I'd better go.

It would save me time if I just went every time without the self cross-examination beforehand.

Anyway we cut short our walk today as Husband was struggling a bit, but long enough for me to say hello to a couple of dogs.

Back to finish cleaning the study. As I'm usually in here when Bev, the cleaner, comes all she can do is look longingly at the mess, and grab the rare opportunity when I'm out to run the hoover around at least. But it's neat now, comparatively anyway. No more secret chocolate stashes uncovered though.

I'm planning aubergine parmigiana for dinner but really it needs green salad with it and I don't have any, so maybe I'll pop quickly to the shop.

I'll leave you with one of our front door tubs newly planted.

You can tell I'm having a cleaning day

. . . by the number of blog posts I'll write. The rest of the time I'm too busy.

So, beginning my tidy-up I find the string and pegs I use for displaying Christmas cards. I'd been looking for them the previous day and given up hope. So, first distraction, I had to go and hang up my cards. 

But before I could do that I had to untangle the string.

I do so patiently for a while then get fed up and pull it so it tightens. I have to take a deep breath and try again. I am about three-quarters of the way through it when it occurs to me it would have been simpler to remove the pegs and find a new piece of string. Ah, too late now, I'm committed.

I finish with four ends, which makes slightly more sense than the three I had at one point. 

I'm hoping we'll get a few more cards to fill some of the gaps but lots of people are not sending these days. 

Then back to cleaning and an unexpected reward: 

It fell out when I moved something. No idea when I hid it but it's still in date so one happy woman.

Making me less happy are these two pieces from a jigsaw. 

I gave the jigsaw to a charity shop and later found these. Next time I visited the shop the jigsaw had gone so I wasn't able to replace the pieces. Knowing how disappointed I am when there are pieces missing I feel really bad about it.

Taking a well-earned break

Have been dynamic for at least twenty minutes this morning so deserve this sit down and a cup of tea.

That's not to say I'm relaxing of course! I'm ordering presents, searching for rucksacks, and thinking, which in itself takes a lot out of me.

Yesterday I did my bi-annual sort out of the cupboard under the stairs. I pulled out all the shoes and asked Husband to sort out which ones he still wore (all of them - he's got more shoes than me). He looked at the shoes and then looked at the shoe rack and said, "I need to hook that to the wall. I'll do it tomorrow so I'll leave the shoes out for now."

Fair enough, this morning he got out his tools and . . . discovered he didn't have the bits he needed.

Mustn't grumble. The intention is there. And he has put them into a tidy pile now rather than spread over the floor as I left them.

* * * * *

I wonder how much nail clipping the lab needs to test it. My affected nail is growing very slowly, still not long enough to cut more than a sliver off. The nail next to it, however, has not only grown more but it's also split so will need to be trimmed. I don't suppose that will help much.

Bits, pieces and the pox

Done.

* * * * *

I spotted this in a charity shop this week. A snowy church candle holder. I didn't need it but it was pretty. 

While I was there I also bought a Christmas jigsaw and there was no way I was going leave Sgt Pepper in the shop.

I only went to Mumbles to get some food . . .

* * * * *

Be careful what you wish for. 

Yesterday morning Husband received a letter calling him for an appointment with the heart nurse on Monday, 23rd December. So that could turn into the start of his 10-day isolation, which means he'll get his operation early January. (And Christmas will be a quiet affair.)

I've been wanting to hear but now that it looks like it's going to happen it's a bit scary. A lot scary.

* * * * *

This morning we received a donation of clothes from the ladies' section of a local golf club, along with the proceeds of their raffle - more than £1,000. As you would expect clothes donated by golf club members are good quality. Faced with donations, Stu and I frequently ask ourselves, "Why are they giving this coat away?" We both hang on to things until they fall apart and aren't fit to donate anywhere.

The ladies this morning asked if there was anything else we needed. We mentioned tea, coffee, basics like that.

"Oh," said one of the ladies, "I'm having lunch today with owner of the Welsh Tea Company. I'll drop a word in his ear."

Now these are the sort of supporters we need! People who know people! (But we're very happy to be supported by anyone even if they don't know anyone.)

* * * * *

My poor grandchildren are having a bad time with chickenpox. GrandDaughter1 shows first signs of slight improvement but GrandSon2 is in a bad way. He had to go back to the doctor for antibiotics for his chest and cream for his spots. He has them in his mouth and INSIDE HIS EYELID!!!!

Both, though, are still unwell and dosed up on paracetamol. It's horrid. I so wish I could do something to magically make them better.

Dogs and things

First of all here's the savoury baklava with squash, leeks, chickpeas, spices etc.

There were two new faces in Zac's last night, a young couple with their two dogs (in pushchairs). They told us they had three dogs but one was currently with the vet after being poisoned and having fits. They were living in a tent near the sea front.

Halfway through the bible study the young man's phone rang. He went out to answer it and came in a few moments later saying, "It's bad news. Our dog has died." For the next ten minutes or so bible study was halted while they cried and talked about their dogs. Lots of us could sympathise with what they were going through.

We've had all sorts of incidents in Zac's before but a dog dying was a first. 

I think I have mentioned another couple who used to come regularly - until the man decided he didn't like the seating arrangements and now they only come when Sean is leading. Well, they were there last night. After the meeting I asked the woman if she'd like to take home some bananas we had left. She didn't answer but, like a little scared mouse, looked up at her husband. He didn't speak so she very timidly gave the slightest of nods before shrinking down a bit further in her seat.

I have almost certainly told you about this couple before. I have big problems with the husband and long to punch him in his big fat belly.

When I got home it was to a lit-up George outside.

He made me very happy as I remembered, on Tuesday evenings, Husband used to let George out so he could sit in the garden and wait for me to come home. Last night I had to make do with making a fuss of lit-up George.

* * * * *

I have been hanging on to the hope that Husband may have his op before Christmas. Then I realised that it is two weeks to Christmas today. As there is a ten day isolation period before the op it would be a miracle if it happens before Christmas or even this year. I was so hoping we could start the new year with a clean bill of health but it doesn't look likely.

To cheer us up on our walk today we discussed where we would go on holiday when he has new heart bits. A cruise on the Norwegian fjords is top of the list, well, after visiting Italy to see the family. Or possibly before depending on how soon Husband is up to driving all the way - and he doesn't want to fly. Then eurocamping in France, and I also fancy a river cruise to those old cities like Vienna and Budapest. 

But we shall see. A healthy husband is our first priority.