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Hi pigale

Yes I remember your previous accident. People keep telling me to mind my back (I lift heavy logs from time to time) and I suppose I should. But people have been telling me what to do for a while now! I think at our age we can decide for ourselves!

I'm fine thanks and very lucky, I think. Two of my friends have been found to have advanced cancer and have had or are having some very unpleasant chemo. I spent yesterday in my wood, burning branches from ash trees I had cut down (they were extraordinarily tall, with few branches and leaning, plus I am enlarging my glade so I can have some more wild flowers-for bees- and grassy areas.) I filled the car with wood to bring back and now have to empty it out. It was very cold, though no snow yet.

Must be difficult to know how to pass the time. I quite often knit squares, which I eventually crochet together to make knee blankets for wheelchair users in Romania! But I am lucky in that someone gave me masses of yarn, so apart from postage they don't cost me anything. I used to knit for my grandchildren but neither of them seem to wear jumpers much. I also sometimes make hats or pairs of comfort squares for premmie babies (the baby has one nearby and the parents another, and they swop. Meant to be for the smell) or outfits for those born too soon who didn't survive.

I hope you recover soon

Hello, Pigale!
I have only just read your post.
I am sorry for the delay in answering......
The rain stopped, and I decided to call round at a friend's house to check that all is well, whilst all the family are away.
We usually do this for each other, if no family is about to do the job!
All was fine, so I am back home again now and debating what to do next....
Whilst we have nothing specifically lined up for today, there is a host of minor tasks I could tackle!
Or maybe I'll just take the dog for a walk......
We at least don't have any snow, as you do, although it is bitterly cold.
Yes, I think a walk is the more enticing alternative......!

Go on elle, do 1 minor job! It will make you feel so much better!

I am busy alternately splitting logs and sawing branches which had fallen. Have also just seen my handyman who is going to sink thick metal poles into my hawthorn hedge at 10 cm intervals to prevent the badgers getting in. Gardeners and badgers don't mix! They gouge my lawn and dig up any bulbs I plant. There are plenty of people round here who like and feed (grrr) them.

Good afternoon, Elle!
Fine day here.
I watched an episode of "Bread" on YouTube.
I did not think it was as funny now as it was originally.
My puzzle was on the easyish side today, I thought.
Are you back at the book clearing, yet?


Hello, Pigale,
Hope you are continuing to make progress.
Slowly does it!
There has been brief flurries of snow here, but nothing lying, so far.
Our gritting machines have been out though!

Hi, Rusty!
Our drizzle finally ceased...but it is getting dark so very early now!
I have to remember to take out the dog in good time.
With regard to your watching "Bread"...
Yes, I guess our tastes change......and of course modern day programmes are more sophisticated, though not always necessarily better.
One series that does not seem to "worsen" with time ,though, in my opinion anyway, is "As Time goes By"....Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer.
I have watched many repeats and still enjoy them!
No, I haven't done any book clearance recently - I need more strong boxes!




Ros, you may be surprised (but I doubt it) to hear that I can very easily turn a blind eye to the household chores, these days!
They will still be there tomorrow...and the day after......
Life is for living, not cleaning!

hey hey, Elle! Don't I agree!
What's a bit of dust on some good old books! It's good for them,
and it makes them smell nicely - I love the smell of a dusty old
book; one of the pleasures in life for me is to walk into an old
book shop and inhale that particular smell!

Just as well that I no longer am fussy about housework - I would be
very unhappy at present, since I simply cannot even use the broom!
Still, the house is still very clean, thank goodness, and it is a good
thing as I can't see me doing anything for a while.

Having said this, I am rather BORED!

Good evening, Elle!
I don't remember "As Time Goes By".
I liked Geoffrey Palmer, though.
Well I went to PDSA today with stuff including books.
Another wee task done.
Just ordered a book from Amazon.
I have some credit there on a gift card.
I do not think it is as cold today as yesterday.

Hi, Rusty!
So which book did you order?
I love browsing books on Amazon!
I, too, still have money from gift cards in my Amazon account... so it is very tempting to add to my book pile!
And I have finally managed to track down a similar hairdryer to the one that I "blew up"!
So I have ordered that.
I still have "Eggheads " to watch......and the last episode of my (confusing) serial, which I recorded yesterday!

Hello, Elle!
It is chilly here!
I ordered "In Harm's Way" by Doug Stanton.
It's about the USS Indianapolis.
Gets excellent reviews which is encouraging.
There is another one I am interested in, about a man who goes to live in Huddersfield.
"I'm A Stranger Here Myself", (the same title as a Bill Bryson book!)
I am going to find out a bit more about it, though.
Well done on your hair dryer!
How did your daughter get on with her broken 'phone?
Any luck with insurers?

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, cold here, too, but at least still dry!
I do not know much about the USS Indianapolis, other than the shark attacks on the crew after the sinking?
I do not know where I got that from.....
You should enjoy the book.. I know you like learning historical facts.
Now here's another quandary about duplicated book titles..... "I'm A Stranger Here Myself".
This is Bill's "Notes from a Big Country" isn't it? (or something similar?)
I cannot understand why identical titles are allowed?
And why did the man in the other book want to go and live in Huddersfield, I wonder?
All I know of Huddersfield is that it is in West Yorkshire!
Somewhere between Manchester and Leeds!
My daughter spoke to EE about her broken phone and I think they offered her some sort of deal.....
but the reception was very poor( she was using the "old" phone) and I couldn't hear her properly.....
She said that she would tell me all about it tomorrow!