A new what-I-did-today thread

Today is DHs 65th birthday. Went for delicious lunch at local Italian restaurant with couple of friends & then DDs, SiLs and all 4 DGC all came over for birthday cake.
Now enjoying a quiet evening watching a couple of DVDs given to us at Xmas plus a whisky & ginger (medicinal purposes!)

I keep reading this thread as ....I knew what I did today.. but now I have forgotten

Happy 65th Mr ej

No Bags, it's yet another tooth. I have an appointment to have the first one filled next week, so he can do both - wish I could say two for the price of one, but that's not the way it works.

went to Bayona this am. when i came back the balcony was in glorious hot sun! so I sat and sunbathed until we left Viga to cross the dreaded bay of Biscay. 3 hours into it now and its fine!
Might check in tomorrow but got to pack.
will definitely check in on sunday.

love to all you lovely people!

"Glorious hot sun"! -what is this thing?!

Today my cabin fever got the better of me and I took my DD and GC out to lunch at a garden centre - I drove the automatic with left leg in airboot with no trouble and it was a wonderful sense of freedom and normality after the last few months. I am now determined to keep getting out and about as best I can regardless of OH's constant wish to keep me safe from a further fall by sitting at home - can't stand it!!!

Got up early to phone HMRC help line for help with missing password, held for ages and when I finally got through the woman would not speak to me until I turfed DH out of his bath to go through the ludicrous rigmarole of them asking him questions (tax code, DOB, etc), him asking me the question, me replying and him relaying it to them to confirm who he was (he seemed unsure even to me) so that he could give permission for me to speak on his behalf. I had explained that he is corned beef but when the woman mentioned his disability he assured her that he could see reasonably well but had taken his glasses off to have a bath.

Having sorted the password problem I managed to complete his tax return on-line and pay the tax due. Still waiting for a well done! or thank you! from him - come to think of it still waiting for any thanks for doing all his admin for the past 47 years. At least I no longer have to complete a VAT return by 31st December, always a problem as relevant bank statement was always late due to Christmas.

DGD1 here for tea and sleepover as her Mum (DD2) is going out with friends and her Dad is still stuck in Bradford, granny minding his sick Mum. GD has kept us well entertained with jokes, songs and dancing but is yet to show any inclination for fullfilling the sleep part of the sleepover.

Granny23 where do they get the energy from ? If I could find the battery compartment I would remove the batteries.

SIL with help from his father and a friend finished putting up the insulation and gyprock on the front bedroom walls and ceilings in my cottage. I am so excited these rooms are now ready for the plasterer. I wanted to help but wasn't needed so I moved furniture and bits and pieces into the third bedroom so the other rooms are ready to be worked on. It was a extremely hot day, it is now 9pm and still over 37C.

Was in the loo when, simultaneously, the window cleaner knocked on the door and the phone rang. Prioritised the window cleaner who needed boiling water to but down a drain blocked with leaves. Made coffee for same and breakfast for self. Drain and gutters now all clear for another year! I knew the phone call would be from DS2 who is a creature of habit. They want me to cat-sit while they go off to Florida in February. How many brownie points would that be worth, I ask myself.

I have just tried installing our posh new scanner onto my lap top.
Installed all the software and plugged in scanner tried a scan got an error message. (3 times)

Uninstalled software! Reloaded software! Same error message.

I then attached the USB cable I had already plugged into the scanner to my laptop! Still a problem!

Made brew and looked at the manual???
Lightbulb on in brain!

Removed the USB connection cable from the printer port at back of laptop to the USB socket at the side of the lap top result!

Best piece of advice from my dad: 'If in doubt, read the instructions.'

I'm still reading the instructions on my breadmaker and I had it for my birthday in October

Get going, Grannylin you will be glad you did. One bit of advice - just using the dough option and then shaping the loaves and letting them rise in ordinary tins/baking trays for 30-40 mins, then baking them in a normal oven for 25-30 mins at 190-200 C gives you a better crust. Done entirely in the breadmaker the crust comes out a bit leathery instead of crisp.

Respect Nelliemoser! even if I don't know what the fuck you're on about

Aww! You've got some cute babies there Nellymoser. (just looked at profile page)

Thanks Elegran.Got the day free so might have a go.Don't know why, but instructions always throw me. I can remember as a young Mum reading over and over again the instructions on.....a packet of jelly!

Suffering from severe jet-lag, arrived back from US Wednesday morning. Went to bed last night usual time 11.30, read for an hour, couldn't sleep so got up at 2.00am, had a cup of ovaltine, made menu and shopping list, did some accounts, went on GN but obviously everyone else fast asleep, back to bed at 4.00am, still awake at 6.00am, decided if still awake at 7.00am would get up but the next thing is it's 10.30 and DH is bringing me a cup of tea.

The breadmaker is pretty easy once you try it. Chuck in the ingredients in whatever order that machine likes them, select the right programme and press "start". Mine has such a quiet beep when it ready that I also have to set a separate hand timer if I am not going to be in the kitchen beside it when it finishes.

Another breakthrough for me was discovering that Allinsons have a little tin of special dried yeast for breadmaking machines. It seems to be ground fine instead of being in tiny pellets, maybe that is what makes it specific, but whatever it is it certainly rises beautifully and is a vast improvement on the ordinary sachets I used to start with.

Wish I had known you were up jane, I have hardly slept for a week with this infernal cough.

We've received a call from a lovely man who lives in the village. His invalid wife, to whom he was dedicated, died during the Christmas festivities. There will be a private burial and friends are invited to meet at the church beforehand, for a short, simple ceremony. I found a poem that I had copied some time ago for mr soop. I am sharing it with you. It sums up my love for my man, and I sense that the friend will have felt similar feelings for his late wife.

The Confirmation Edwin Muir

Yes, yours, my love, is the right human face.
I in my mind had waited for this long.
Seeing the false and searching for the true,
Then found you as a traveller finds a place
Of welcome suddenly amid the wrong
Valleys of rocks and twisting roads. But you,
What shall I call you? A fountain in a waste,
A well of water in a country dry,
Or anything that's honest and good, an eye
That makes the whole world bright. Your open heart,
Simple with giving, gives the primal deed,
The first good world, the blossom, the blowing seed,
The hearth, the steadfast land, the wandering sea,
Not beautiful or rare in every part,
But like yourself, as they were meant to be.

soop It's beautiful and very touching. Thank you for sharing it x

soop that is lovely. I do envy those feelings you (happy together) people have for each other.
I don't think I am meant to be with someone, but it seems such a waste of all the love I have inside me.

Ella I met Mr soop through Dateline [25 years ago]. I kissed a lot of frogs before discovering my prince. I feel sad that you have so much love to give and no one with whom to share it.

Ella {{hug}}