Good Morning Friday 20th January 2023

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Good morning from a cold, foggy Sarthe.

We had a really smooth crossing from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, enabling us to sleep soundly, after enjoying an excellent cooked breakfast. Within half an hour of docking, we were on our way, having cleared Immigration. Our two hour journey took us through sunshine, sleet, rain and fog.

We saw little evidence of the one day strike, apart from a posse of 10 minibuses of gendarmes on the autoroute and the petrol stations being busier than usual, possibly in anticipation of shortages.

All was fine, if chilly, at DH’s home although we have gained another cat! (see pics) The housekeeper/gardener who cares for the one remaining cat had taken pity on it after its mother and sibling were killed on the road near here. So far, it’s too shy to be stroked, with its confidence not helped by our resident, 17 year old cat which hisses and growls at it! DH really didn’t want more pets but it won’t be turned away. We’ll wait until the vet has identified its gender before naming it.

Poor DH seems to have picked up a cold so is feeling rather wan. Having picked up a few essentials at the local supermarket yesterday, we can hibernate for a couple of days!

I hope everyone is well and warm. 🦩🥰🦩🐈‍⬛🦩

Good morning from a dark E Kent. I swear the mornings are getting darker!
It is still very chilly, we had a hard frost yesterday, I don’t know about today yet.
I hope Marydoll is still enjoying the fallout of Dollie’s visit.
I’m off for an early walk with my doggy friend, I hope it’s not too cold; as long as there is no wind.
Had a very nice pizza lunch; I took half mine home, the other two ate all of theirs! I’ll eat it tonight, reheated.
I saw a plea for a record player on the town website, and am donating DH’s. It’s being collected later this morning.
Feeling rather unsettled as DD is viewing 4 flats this afternoon, no idea what they will be like. I’ve been watching websites and quite frankly, there is very little variation. It is much more the location than the actual accommodation that is on my mind. I won’t be taking the car, so access to shops and public transport is very important for me.
May today bring relief and contentment to everyone. Carpe diem 🦩🦩🦩🦩

Glad you had an easy journey, Ash. I wouldn’t do the crossing for anything. Even the Dover/Calais crossing fills me with dread! 🤨
Happy hibernation

Good morning, another heavily frosted morning here on a hilltop in Wiltshire. -4° 🥶
Today it’s stop prevaricating and sort out my burgeoning wool stash for once and for all.
DDog has a walk booked with our lovely dog walker so she’s sorted for the morning.
I have 4 boxes of books for the charity shop and a lovely man from the village is picking them up this afternoon. I still have far too many books but very pleased to have gone through them.
I will strip the bed when I get up and get the washing done today too.
Have a lovely day, hoping for sunshine 🌞

Good morning from a another very cold and frosty day in Essex by the sea.
We are going to the marina in Chatham today to take the propelar from DH's boat to be repaired. A walk and lunch later hopefully.
I'm glad all was well with your journey Ash.
A big move for you GM no wonder you feel a little unsettled.
I hope Friday is a good day for you all. Take care and be safe xxx

Good morning from the South Downs. 1c and forecast another sparkling day. I actually spent time in the garden yesterday, potting on some summer cauliflowers and sweeping up the detritus from the storms.

Still no news about the ceiling, although I will phone today and hope for progress. It is the weekend now so nothing will happen until next week. Clean clothes for DH beginning to get a priority. He will have to sit in his pyjamas whilst I wash his stuff - and then it’s the drying!

Visit to hair dresser today - no other plans.

Good morning all from a chilly but dry North Leicestershire. The temperature is 1°.

We have the aerial man coming at 8am - bit early in my opinion! Although we have Sky on all the tvs, DH can't listen to his team without an aerial!!

I have to go to the butchers and to then Waitrose for the stuff missing from the Sainsbury's order. We are then going to yet another kitchen shop. Burgerologist tonight..

Sending love and best wishes to everyone with worries and concerns.

Good morning from Shropshire.Doesn’t seem quite as cold today.Sun forecast 9-4 which will warm the conservatory nicely so no need to have the heating on.

Thank you for the good wishes about my eye problem.Grandmabatty, yes I have an ongoing issue with my eyes.I was first referred to the hospital in May but haven’t heard anything.The optician thought my eye health was improved but that I need to be seen and as it has been going on for so long and now the blurred vision he thinks an urgent referral is needed.

Another day with our little threenager today.We will stay in and have a quiet day.He has started two full days at nursery this term and also been to look at school ready to start in the nursery class in September.All the change has unsettled him so a quiet day is called for.

Whitewave, I would be asking the builders to bring a box of clothes back!

Have the best day you can everyone🦩

good morning, s somerset will be cheery today but cold.

This is the first year that I have kept myself indoors more than outdoors, it is the age thing, I see the pavers which remain white all day in the shade but bones get broken easily and take longer to heal and I want to be active all through the year, once winter is over. Hence me being sensible for a while longer

Indoor stuff again today and yarn stash busting continues, I do enjoy it, being inside by a french door with the sun shining is a simple pleasure as it a freshly ground coffee

I may do some raised bed weeding in my back garden as the sun warms the patio slabs. The garden looks terrible but the hellebores are starting to flower

Good morning all from East Yorkshire. I agree about the dark mornings GM

I had a nice meet up with DIL yesterday including GD having a nap on me. Lovely. I had to give GS a hot meal when he came after school as problems in the school kitchen meant the children had had sandwiches. No problem I was doing a casserole with his favourite dumplings. They turned out rather large and I had 1 spare. DH said to give it to GS who then had 2. He wolfed them down and said next time I want 3 dumplings!

Today I am packing for evacuating the house tomorrow whilst work is being done next week. We also have weekends away either side of this so packing 1 big case and an overnighter. Then there is coats, boots, trainers etc … I wish I could travel light.

What a gorgeous cat Ash

I hope you get the work sorted soon Ww

Hoping the viewings for a flat are successful GM

Good to hear that the visit by Dollie made you feel better. I know that feeling on days when I haven’t felt good then GS visits and you forget your ailments. I call him Dr J .

Have a good day everyone.

Last comment was for Marydoll but I’m sure she will realise that! 🤦‍♂️

Good morning everyone from a still dark North Yorkshire. I’m still in bed and can’t find the impetus to go and make a cup of tea. Had a much needed good night’s sleep after sleeping with DGd the night before. She never stops wriggling and thrashing around even in deep sleep! Nothing much in store for today, more de-cluttering maybe. Wishing a good day for everyone.

Morning all

What a beautiful cat Ashcombe

grandMattie I can understand why you are unsettled, moving is a big deal after your recent bereavements (((hugs)))

Boys and their toys Sar53 🤣

Still dark and chilly here. Off to the gym for two classes this morning, then pick up The Imp from pre-school at lunch time. No doubt we will be playing shops and dolly house this afternoon.

Have a Good Friday folks 🙋‍♀️🦩

The mornings are still so very dark. It is currently a dry and very frosty -3° in my rural corner of West Oxfordshire. Afternoon dog walking has been lovely this week, dry cold and sunny.
The weekend is most welcome, January seems a long month work wise, with a heavy workload. I will be state pension age next year but will be continuing after that no doubt.
Wishing you all a happy Friday with lots of

Here’s Matt.

Good morning everyone from Málaga where the sun’s just coming up. We have a forecast of 19°C today and sunny. It’s not windy, good.

When I rang my stepfather yesterday he was well, the district nurse had been to administer his Vit B12 injection. He’s halfway through the stash in his fridge now. He was looking forward to watching the indoor bowls and was having M&S chicken Kiev for his tea. All good.

We are meeting up for a meal tonight with the neighbours who moved here to live from Glasgow 20y ago. Other than that we will just follow our noses in the warm sunshine.

Good to hear your journey over to France was straightforward Ash. I read that Macron was here in Spain yesterday to sign a treaty so it seems he was not around to witness the one day strike action. I hope your daughter comes up trumps regarding a property for you grandMattie I think a move in the springtime would be just the ticket for you. Did you ever get a phone call or a card from your lodger? Has she settled in okay at her new place? A bungalow if I recall. kitty you seem to be getting your life back which must be wonderful for you. Even mundane tasks will be a real achievement - getting back to ‘being you’.

Enjoy Friday all who can.

Good morning all. Overcast & damp underfoot here in Sefton although a bright sunny day is forecast.🤞
Zoom exercise class first thing. No other plans for the day although I am sure there are lots of household chores I should be doing. Think I'd rather have a walk along the beach if it's going to be a sunny day. Can't waste that sun.🌞
Take care all.

Good Morning Mick and everyone from Hull. I don’t think it’s so icy today.

Ash I’m sure the cat will soon be settled and cosy in your home.

Abitbarmy your GD sleeps exactly like mine tossing and turning all night in her sleep and she’s sleeping with me tomorrow night even though she has her own bedroom in our house. I expect to be good for nothing on Sunday.

My son in China has gone to his parents in law for Chinese New Year. They live in the centre of a busy town and it’s so fascinating to see the life going on there. I love it when he goes and puts videos on. This morning people sitting on pavements with vegetables and all manor of interesting foods for sale. Yesterday was the family’s staff plucking chickens in the yard for the evening meal. Last night was of extended family on the roof of the house playing with sparklers. They have all had covid thankfully and got through it okay.

Have a lovely day everyone hope today brings moments of joy. Thinking of those feeling ill and worried. 🌻🌻

Morning all from a freezing West Oxfordshire. OH is going target shooting later on so I’ll get on with making a Barmbrack for his birthday tomorrow. I will also use up some egg whites and make an American white chocolate cake. There’s a pile of ironing with my name on it and I’ve got WI admin to do! It is my baby sister’s 65th birthday today! I can still remember the thick snow on the day she was born. Or is that a memory of a memory! Have a good day.

Good morning all from an icy Glasgow, where its -2°C.

So unsettling for you GM. I hope you find something soon.

Well I did make it to Sainsbury's on my own yesterday. However, I did regret turning down DH's offer to accompany me, as I got a bit carried away, making up the shortfall of his previous excursions to Morrisons. A rest was needed before unpacking, followed by a sleep later in the afternoon.
I have never previously napped during the day!!!

Much to my delight, there was a TU clothing sale. I came away with three dresses, one was reduced to £7.20. Having used my Nectar points, they cost me nothing. I was well pleased.

Last night, Dollie messaged us from Daddy's phone and all was going well, until she got a wee bit cheeky and overstepped the mark.
The next thing we got a message from ĎIL, apologising and saying Dollie was sobbing, because she thought gran and papa would be angry with her.
I then had to make a video call to reassure her all was well!

Feeling a bit better day, but tired after yesterday, I won't be doing much today.
I do have a backlog of church admin, some urgent, so I may tackle some of that.

I wish you all a pleasant day and hugs for all, who are struggling.
Now to go back and read your news.

Good morning all and still frosty here in Essex.

Yesterday was very busy and quite stressful, with DD’s move.
We went round after the removals had gone and cleaned as much as we could. Today another busy one with helping to unpack boxes, sacks etc. it all takes time, but we’ll get there.

Little pooch js being groomed at 9 , so Dh will have to collect her .

Hoping you all have a good enough day . 🙏

Good morning from chilly Leicestershire.

We are getting the train to Brighton today as the whole family is celebrating DiLs 40th birthday tomorrow.
I am hoping the car will start and the ice has gone from the roads so we can get to the station. We haven’t been out since the weekend and I had to scrape 3 inches of snow from the car yesterday.

I hope everyone has a good day.

Good morning from sunny Colchester. There's a thick frost again but this will disappear as 5 degrees is forecast....crack out the BBQ!🤣
I'm feeling better today but DH is still coughing for England. I'll walk into the City and get a few bits after tackling the laundry. It's such a short walk to the High Street that I can walk round all the shops, there and back and only do 5000 steps. It's usually less!
Love to all 🦩 x

Greetings from a frosty but slightly less chilly S Yorks. Its my birthday today 72 and I’m heading north on the motorway later to see family in the Durham area. GC ages 10,8,6,4.
Hoping the complications of a leak resulting and ceiling hole in the playroom where I sleep are sorted!

Love that tiger cat Ashcombe.

Spot as regards the “where and amenities” flat thinking, grandMattie. I’ve chosen my “target area” but no rush atm.

Best days for poorlies and outings.

Good morning from North Yorkshire. Another dry and sunny day and not as cold as earlier in the week.
The training course went well yesterday and I loved my afternoon mini pamper.
Beds to make up this morning for the weekend visitors. Out for lunch with a friend later.
Have a good day everyone.