Good Morning Thursday 25th January 2024

Good morning everyone from a damp but mild south Manchester. It’s 5°C at present according to Alexa. I’m meeting a friend for coffee in the square late morning. Then I thought we might walk up to our independent bookshop as I’d like to buy her a book as it was her birthday last week - this way she can choose it herself. I thought maybe nicer? She’s one of our book clubbers.

Here’s Matt.
x

Good morning from South Lanarkshire where it’s only a bit damp which is an improvement.

My sorting and culling in the craft/piano/book room is going well, another couple of bags ready to go to the charity shop.

A catch up with a couple of friends yesterday evening was sobering. One friend is going through a dreadfully painful and difficult time with one of her offspring and it’s taking a toll on the whole family. Sometimes there’s just nothing helpful to be done.

I’ve a Dexa scan appointment today and will make sure that I don’t take the calcium supplement which scuppered the last appointment.

Have the best day possible everyone.

Good morning all from Polmont where it's currently 5° and wet. Susan what a nice present! Definitely sparkly.
I have the same virus that dgs1 has and I have a very sore throat and I'm achy all over. Dgs1 is recovering now as you can see from the photo taken at his other grandparents house. I only had three hours sleep so I'm not at my best. My brother is coming in later to discuss guardianship for mum. It will probably be a difficult conversation for all sorts of reasons and I can't say I'm looking forward to it. Macaroni cheese for dinner. Have a good day all

Good morning all from a showery Glasgow, where it is 4°C. Yesterday, was a miserable day, this rain is relentless.

Just before I went to bed, I thought I heard the boiler making strange noises, indicating the boiler had low pressure.
This is DH's job, because I need steps to see the gauge.
Where was he? Fast asleep! 😡
I had to get the stepladder out to add water, or we would have had no heating this morning.

I felt awful yesterday, due to the lack of sleep and as a result did very little. Also, there was no contact from DD, who was driving to Newcastle for business in the torrential rain. I am a dreadful worrier about my family. Eventually I heard from her at 5.30pm, when she sent a photo of the bath in the middle of her hotel room!

However, I did go for petrol, when I realised I would need fuel at the weekend.
I did have a bit of a laugh at the petrol station. The pump I was using wouldn't reset to zero, despite everyone else going in and out with no problem.
I eventually went in and politely jumped the queue to ask for help.

Assistant; Have you pressed the button to pay at the kiosk?

Me: I've been coming here for thirty years, and there has never been a button.

Back out I went and sure enough, there was a button! Where did that come from.🤔
I was filling my car up, when an handsome ambulance driver came to ask if I had managed. I laughingly tried to justify myself, saying I usually used the pump at the far end, where his ambulance was parked.
He thought for a moment and told me that pump indeed did not have a button for paying at the kiosk.
I told him it was all his fault for stopping at my pump!
He went away laughing loudly. 😂

When I went into pay, the assistant looked at me as if I was a dottery old woman. I have my pride friends and felt the need to explain that I am actually allowed out on my own!
He started smiling and finally admitted that not all the pumps had pay at kiosk buttons. I was vindicated! 😉

Bella, that is a worry for you. Is there no-one else who can look at the wall sooner?
Gingster, you poor DD. Sometimes these investigations can be quite distressing.💐

I need to have a resting day to get back on track. Some bits and bobs of parish admin and then some Turkish TV dramas. They are far superior to any British ones. My excuse is that I am a linguist and am always keen to learn new languages. 😉

Grandmabatty, I hope you are feeling a bit better and best wishes for all who are struggling, in whatever way.

Good morning everyone from northern Tenerife, another warm and sunny day is forecast about 23º
Hoping your DD feels better soon Gingster such a shame she’s felt so poorly this time
Bonnybanko you’ll love it when you get here, pack lots of summer outfits and suncream 😎
Today we’re venturing up Mt Teide, hope to get some good views and see a different landscape.
Hope you can get the problems with the wall easily sorted Bellasnana and it doesn’t cause you any more sleepless nights
Your garden sounds so gorgeous Taichinan I’m looking forward to seeing what’s happening in ours when we get home
Thinking of everyone with worries and struggles, hope today is gentle and take care all whatever the day brings 💐

Good morning everyone from Severnside. It looks a bit misty in the distance but it’s probably rain.

Had a good morning outside weeding yesterday. In the afternoon after I sorted out some fabric to use I got carried away with sorting two drawers of cables, small speakers and techy stuff. I’ll run some of it by my brother before getting rid of it.

Off to do the weekly shop later.

Choose something sparkly for the tour Susan 💃

Have the best day you can all 💐

Good morning all. The sky is gradually lightening but it's a rainy day forecast for the Angus coast I'm afraid. Yesterday was glorious - a beautiful Spring day and the garden looks ready to bloom - well, in about 6 weeks' time anyway! I have one daffodil which for years I have noticed is always first to bloom - usually around 9th March - and it is now showing leaves along with its 'nose'. The giant azalea and the rhododendrons all have profuse and large flower buds, the lilac's leaf buds are well advanced, and the fish are beginning to rouse and are swimming groggily around the pond - a time of real hope. And snowdrops are everywhere of course - shouldn't forget them!
I usually live a very quiet and contemplative life, which I love, but suddenly my social life has moved into overdrive. I'm meeting my niece for lunch on Saturday, going for lunch with a couple of tai chi friends on Sunday, a friend and her husband are popping in on Tuesday, lunch with a group of friends on Wednesday and a "Boozy afternoon tea" in Edinburgh with DD on Friday as part of her 50th birthday present. And hard on the heels of all that is our tai chi annual Chinese New Year banquet coming up! I shall be ready for more contemplation after all that!
Today is tai chi and veg and meat shopping - and I shall remember to 'attack' the High Street by a very roundabout route to avoid all the roadworks after Tuesday's aborted attempt to reach 'my' shops!
Have a good day everyone, safe in the knowledge that Spring will soon be springing, keep warm - and feel better those of you in sick bay x

Liberty yes, approx £2000 plus VAT and installation costs, or £3000 plus VAT and installation costs. Extra costs to remove oil and put it back into new tank and taking old tank away.

Phew!

Good morning everyone and Happy Burn's Night to all our Scottish chums! Going to fiddle a bit with some fence panels which are now looking very sorry for themselves after the naughty winds, then sit back and wait for Spring to visit the garden .
Take care everyone and try to have a good day if you are able x

Good morning from a damp grey Suffolk.

Off to my stretch class soon. The village hall where the classes are held is having a new heating system installed so my keep fit class couldn’t happen yesterday. I hope the work has been finished on time.

Thank you Gingster for the tip about taking tissues to the cinema yesterday….much needed for an excellent and moving film.

SorryOopsadaisy1 to hear about the problem with your oil tank. The same thing happened to us a couple of months ago. Luckily we could get a new one installed quickly as we were very low o oil but the cost was more than DS paid for a secondhand car for DGD1!

U3A book group here this morning. Already two stalwarts have cried off, one for GC duties, the other with a heavy cold. Think we will be a bit thin on the ground. Meeting at GP surgery this evening, and this afternoon need to start getting to grips with new laptop. Sounds exhausting so had better face the shower and get the day started.

Good morning from a dark and dismal Black Country, where it has rained in the night.

Hopefully no rain this morning as it is my walking for health group later.

Last 2 days spent with Mum for a couple of home appointments, then I took her to a new hairdressers for a perm. I had told her where it was, opposite the Co-op and Lidl, but she couldn't place where that was. She has been shopping round there twice a week for years!

It's a pain doing the Tax Return Ashcombe I did mine end of December, glad to get it out of the way.

Wishing you all the best day possible.

Good morning, it’s a wet south Glos hillside this morning after yesterday’s very welcome sunshine, it was pleasantly warm when walking the dog.
A poor night’s sleep so feeling somewhat weary this morning 🙄, never mind at least I have a quiet day.
I hope today goes well for you all 🌹

Morning all from West Oxfordshire. I’m still in bed so haven’t peeked out of the curtains yet.

My stained glass course was fun yesterday. I am making a lantern with purple, green and orange glass. I’ll paint a pattern on it, which will be fired. I had forgotten how fiddly it is cutting glass. I only cut my finger once!

It is my village book group at lunchtime. We meet in the local cafe. The theme is books we received for Christmas. I received half a dozen and will talk about the one I’m reading at the moment - The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See.
It is my turn to cook tonight and I promised OH I’d do something a bit different. What?

Have a good day everyone especially those of you with overwhelming difficulties and worries.

Morning all from a grey, damp S E Essex.

Off to the big Sainsbury’s later, I need lots of laundry & cleaning stuff

Gingster fingers crossed for your DD’s scan results.
Bellasnana hope your damp patch is easily sorted, it’s rather discombobulating to have ones home disrupted.

((((Hugs))) to Urmstongran and Baggs

🙋‍♀️

Good morning from Durham. A cloudy day is forecast, with more wind and rain. Lovely chat and coffee with one of DH’s friends yesterday.
A long overdue hair appt this afternoon, so I’ll call and see DD1 on my way there - I’m taking a couple of walking sticks to see if they help her slipped disc - very painful.
DD2 has laundry for me, so I’ll get that, then a good wander in Newcastle and coffee before my appointment.
Best wishes to all. X

Good morning from a cloudy, drizzly Cornwall. Coffee in a minute under an umbrella on my patio. One more intense hunt around my micro-flat for my vanished dressmaking scissors and if they still insist on hiding I'll bus it to Argos in Sainsbury's and get some new ones. Then home to resume work on the fleece waistcoat I'm engineering from a sweatshirt.

Plumber can't come out until next week but old bath towels are dealing with the slow drip behind my cooker. The gulls have descended on my flat roof and are knocking like crazy on the dormer windows in my kitchen. I knock back with my crutch but they just squawk at me. They've nested here for years and consider it their domain, fair enough. 😊

Good morning, Michael and all GNs from a chilly, damp South Yorkshire. It’s still dark here. My Hive thermostat was playing silly beggars this morning so the heating didn’t come on when it should have. The app on my phone says one thing - the hall thermostat another. I am supposed to be going walking this morning, but the jury’ out on that one as I had a poor night’s sleep.
Have the best day you can folks.

Good morning from a dark and dismal Colchester. Rain in the forecast but temperature in double figures.
I did some impulse clothes shopping yesterday in TK Maxx. Nothing fits. So I'll walk back and get a refund. I'm resigned to the fact that I'm a size bigger than I think I am.
I also need to change our bed and get some washing and ironing done. A trip to Lidl will be squeezed in too.
Better get going.
Love to all 🦩 x

Good morning from Shropshire.Dry at the moment but rain forecast later.

We are going over to Cheshire today to visit my mum.We will go out for lunch and then into town for a food shop if she wants.

On the way home we will call in at Cheshire Oaks.DD1’s MIL has bought tickets for her, me, DD and DGD to go to the Strictly arena tour next week so will see if I can het something new to wear.

Thoughts to all and wishing everyone the best day possible🦩

Good morning from North Yorkshire. It’s still dark and I haven’t opened the curtains yet but the weather sounds quiet!
After the last few days of storms that is certainly good news.
I think we will still be cut off by floods on the direct route to town so it will be out the ‘back way’ to get to my parent group this morning.
The power was off for about 12 hours causing some worries about elderly neighbours and villagers. People here very much rely on their land lines so we’re not easily contactable. I went out and knocked on a few doors, everyone apologising for having got dressed in the dark 🤣🤣
Have a good day everyone.

Good morning all and it’s still very dark, here in Essex. Rain forecast for later.

Dd had her MRI yesterday which seemed to take a long time. She said it was ‘horrible’. She’s had plenty of scans before without any problems but this time she felt very poorly afterwards.

I’ll pick up DGD for school and then bowls club.

Shame about your damp Bellasnanna - annoying when you expected it all to be finished . 😤.
Bonnybanko I can feel your excitement.
Liberty I hope you enjoyed the film. 🎥🎬.

Take care all, spring is beginning to show itself. 🌷

Good morning from a damp Sefton although it doesn't appear to be raining at the moment.
A slow day yesterday as I put my back 'out' by overdoing it on Tuesday. It feels ok this morning so it will be back to my usual Thursday routine of Zumba, fish man & food shop.
Wishing you all a peaceful day.

Good morning Mick and everyone, I haven’t opened the curtains to see the weather because the dog is in the way and is fast asleep, I don’t want to wake her up, I only know it’s still very dark out.
Cleaning, ironing and cooking day today, all for the holiday.

The oil delivery didn’t go so well the driver noticed some cracks in the top of the tank, so couldn’t leave us any, fortunately we have enough oil for a while so I will get a quote for a new tank next month when the oil level has gone down, more expense, the tank is 20 yrs old this year the one it replaced was 50 yrs old! They don’t make them like they used too……
I must start to do some packing, MrOops still isn’t very well so I will work around him.
Have a good day everyone, thoughts are with those who are unwell, stressed or looking after unwell loved ones.

Good morning all fromva chilly but dry North Leicestershire.

I need to nip to the village for flowers, some cards and to the post box. Out for lunch with old volunteering friends and then my friend's son and Dil are coming for a chat and reminiscences. And a Sainsbury's delivery at around the same time.

Have the best day possible everyone.