What are you all up to
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We find it very hard to ditch books. We both read avidly, and despite switching to Kobo’s and IPads for some books, sometimes you just want an old fashioned bit of paper. We have loads of travel reference books, history books, autobiographies, as well as lots of classics and other fiction. We share a lot of literary likes, but also have individual preferences. But, this time I am determined to be ruthless. Got a cousin who runs a Charity Shop, she will have most of ours. Hanging onto my Ward Locks though.😂
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I've been clearing out stuff, including a few books since the first lockdown but I've missed the boat to get them off to charity shops. Our local shops had to limit supplies and the NT books have also closed at the moment. So I've ended up with bags cluttering up corners which were previously tidy...
The only saviour has been that absolute rubbish and old shoes etc can go to our recycling via the refuse collection where all the stuff is firing up a new energy production plant.
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It's been a dryer day today with periods of sun.
Lazy start to the day, then I gave the woodwork project a good sand down and another coat of varnish, looking good.
Visit from big sis and BIL late morning, she came round while he went to track down the village train station, no longer in operation of course. God job we have a covered outside area we can sit in, even lit the portable gas heater so was quite pleasant.
More making of masks this afternoon once we returned from our walk.
Next doors cat fast asleep of top of the foot stool, she comes in most days for a visit
Beef madras for diner tonight, I made it yesterday in the slow cooker, its been sending OH crazy with the smell
I've been waiting for a gas delivery for a few days, should be here at the latest Monday, I hope so as we would like to go out for a drive. We have to park one of the cars in the place the lorry has to park when delivering to us. If we don't then if someone else parks there we could have a problem. Don't like the tank getting to low at this time of year. New contract has gone through so this delivery will be 7p a litre less than before, when you get 700 ltrs delivered it makes a difference.
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Success (
) of a sort today! Finally got hold of an actual person at British Gas - only because I wanted to report a fault with the (new) boiler which was giving us hot water but no heating. And after a long discussion it emerges that although we've had a homecare policy with them for several years now, when they fitted the new boiler last November they automatically cancelled the policy because boiler care was included for the first year anyway. (Nobody explained that to us at the time as far as I can recall! ). So we'd just been paying for cover on the gas fire although they couldn't/wouldn't explain why we were 2 months overdue for the service on that anyway.After a very long phone conversation, with, admittedly a very patient and efficient BG agent, we got our policy reinstated and a repair/service booked in for Tuesday. (Apparently we're priorities as both over 65 with no working heating!) So we shall see what Tuesday brings.
Anyone else having or had a new boiler fitted by BG recently would do well to check out exactly what the situation is if they have homecare!
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Anyone else having or had a new boiler fitted by BG recently would do well to check out exactly what the situation is if they have homecare!
Yes you would expect it to be seamless but its not!!! I tried to renew my Homecare and it was rejected. I seem to recall I got an email from them mentioning the new boiler and somehow managed to set up a new contract. Having said that I am yet to have a service for a boiler installed 18 months ago!!!
David
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I've checked back and I did get an email about it but it wasn't at all clear that I had to set up a new policy. And every time I logged into my account it simply gave the existing policy number and stated 5 year warranty in place.
The frustrating thing really is how difficult it is to actually speak to anyone about it - the phone lines are all automated, apart from the fault line, live chat is hopeless and they don't deal with this sort of enquiry by email - the cynic in me suspects this is so that the customer gets nothing written which they can quote back.
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Don't know Steart Point, so will have to look that up. Are there any decent CLs in that area, do you know?
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It must be you making that noise after today's result!
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A somewhat better day, although we all got a bit wet during our morning walk. Thankfully the sun came out at lunch time and it was a fair bit warmer and drier after that, so a pleasant afternoon walk and back in time to watch the Rugby on Ch4+1. An ambulance came to the house where the neighbour who I helped last lived and has taken him off to hospital I suppose, so I guess that he's fallen again. Must pop round and speak to his wife tomorrow.....Just hope that it's nothing too serious, as he's 85.
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Can't help on the CLs but Steart Point is like no other place! Hinkley Point looms up but it's an unusual bit of landscape.
Forgot to sort out elderly neighbours Waitrose order so had to make a late phonecall yesterday evening. It can be very difficult prompting someone's memory, custard creams were the stumbling block.
Just listening to some "dramatics" on the Archers. Must find something more cheerful to listen to!
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I remember going to Steart Point quite a few years ago, before WWT created, or had it created for them, their reserve. Haven't been back since but must get down there sometime.
Lovely morning and a good walk. Just back so am wondering what to have for lunch as my stomach is protesting. Do I scrape the mould off the cheese or have the leftover cooked chicken (again) or pop some Moroccan Falafels in the oven and have them with mango chutney. Mmmm?
Some garden tidying after lunch as the weather is so good.
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Not been great weather here either, just when you think the sun has arrived, a big black cloud arrives and the rain starts again!
DD is fine brue, she has apparently, yesterday, been up a (short) step ladder painting the new bathroom walls, and plans to do the ceiling today, despite telling us she is not supposed to go up a ladder. Apparently this only applies to longer ladders. 🤔
The baby is due in mid February, so I expect she will stop work in mid January and take over looking after Callum more often, leaving me to get on with the work in the house, restrictions permitting. And maybe even giving us time to get our bathroom renovated.
I will be painting again this week when we are there looking after Callum, meantime I have been shortening some new jeans and repairing some old ones. Unfortunately, in mid pocket transplant, the sewing machine jammed in reverse, seems to be a broken spring, beyond my capability to fix, so we will need to see if we can find a repair place.
Today we have some soup to make, so that will keep me busy for a while, preparing the veg is my job.
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Lovely sunny day today, so decided on a walk in some local woods, car park was very busy but everyone seemed to be well spread out, ground was a bit muddy, and the dog needed a bit of a wash, but it was lovely to be out somewhere different.
Did a pile of ironing this afternoon, not one of my favourite jobs, but its all done now.
Enjoyed our video chat with the boys yesterday, eldest son has been told the house they are buying should be ready by the end of January a few weeks early, so they are excited about moving now.
Hope everyone has enjoyed the weekend .
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Rosa and I had a walk to our lake just dwn the as it was nice warm day,the LA have made the litttle lane (rat run)that goes past into a cycle and pedestrian road with access only to the two hoses at one end a stables from the other end both ends have very large no through road signs at each end ,but vehicles still think they can get through until they come up to the barriers just at the big Digswell railway viaduct which means a long reverse as it is to narrow to turn there
Some wag has put some notices on both sides of the barriers adviseing
"if you missed the no through road sign ,do not attempt to drive to Barnard Castle ,as your eyesight has failed the test already"
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We had a good whatsapp video chat with the family up north. I feel a lot better when we've done this..except our son was cooking the tea and I could see things turning a bit dark in the pan!
Hope the new house purchase goes well for your son Helen.
This week our eldest daughter goes into hospital for tests, so that's another hurdle and we can't be around to see her.
We actually saw some sunshine today which made a big difference whilst trying to get some jobs done.
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Cold rainy here all weekend so haven’t been able to do much. Got the carpets back in the caravan yesterday after cleaning them last week and we put some things back in that we had to empty for the service engineer on Friday. Didn’t go out yesterday but went out a drive today just to get out the house. This second lockdown is getting to us a bit now it wasn’t so bad in the spring when we had nice weather most of the time but now the days are short and the weather rubbish so not much we can do the days tend to drag in a bit. Plan for tonight a couple of beers and watch I’m a celeb oh what an exciting life we lead
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Have had a good weekend. Video call from eldest son with 'mixed' news. Youngest grandson goes back to school tomorrow after 2 weeks isolation but teenage grandson has had notification that he now has to isolated as one of his 'bubble' has had a positive test. Said grandson has 'welcomed the news'😁. They have also at long last received the refund from Love Holidays for their (very expensive) cancelled holiday. I had a really lovely 2 hour walk with our daughter this afternoon. She brought coffee and mince pies for us both with her. OH meanwhile cut back and mulched our dahlias. We have had better weather than some this weekend. Lovely sunny day.
Glad you had a good video call with your sons Helen. Best of luck to your eldest with their house move. So good to have something positive to look forward to.
Brue. I hope your daughter's tests go well. It must be a worry for you.
JVB I love the notice that had been put up on the footpath 🤣
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Can only repeat millie's last 3 sentences, and it sounds as if you too had a good day out and some good news too, millie.
Glad to hear that most have had decent weather this weekend but do feel sorry for Francis who seems to have missed out. It has been a fine day here today with plenty if sunshine, I just wish it would last a couple of hours longer at least. Caravan floor and seat coverings all in place now only food,bedding and clothes to go in, so only waiting to get the nod that sites are reopening and we can get away again.
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Beautiful sunny morning here. Might just get out into garden today, house looking much better and dust free. Need scaffolders back now to remove our bridge.
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Miserable day today, wet cold and windy.
More inside jobs done, last coat of varnish done. More masks made, washing done. OH has been sorting out all the old paperwork, we now have a pile to be shredded. I've got a pile of campsite recommendations to enter onto my laptop. I keep jotting them down on scraps of paper, time to get organised.
Yesterday was a lovely day so we went out for a drive after doing a bit of bird food shopping.
More good news on the vaccines, at this rate if the government can live up to their promise, of getting us oldies done by easter, we might just get away as planned.
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It was a lovely morning but the afternoon has turned cloudy and a bite to a strong wind.
Had a walk that we seemed to extend a bit. Back home and trying to sort out the garden and decided to give the lawns a mow as they aren't going to get any drier and they really needed it. I can't believe I've just said that but they did. Took the mower up a touch in case I raked it but it has come out well. A full brown bins worth.
I'm going to have to look into the vaccines as I'm not sure how they would view my immune system as it was this that caused the disease. I doubt they'll know just yet so something I'll have to wait to find out.
Good news though Tammy. Those pre bookings may yet be used. We cashed ours in so will start from scratch. Probably won't go until autumn just to make sure everything is working well.
Home made Pea and Ham soup for our meal tonight. I buy a ham hock and cook it for a few hours on low in an oven as I'm not fussed with packet ham in my soup.
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