What are you all up to

Another freezing cold day here, still plenty of snow and ice. We decided to get some fresh air and headed to RSPB Old Moor for a look around, armed with binocs and scope. Thick ice covering all but tiny patches of the lakes, but we saw plenty of ducks of different kinds, Cormorants, Herons, and a Marsh Harrier. Just good to get out, but had to be careful on the paths. I left slow cooker doing it’s stuff to a Chasseur, so not much to do this evening. Hound had an afternoon at home, it’s a bit too cold for his old bones at the moment, even wrapped up warm in the car. Hope things warm up a bit this weekend, it’s almost a week now of sub zero temperatures here. I suspect our washer (in garage) is frozen, but will take a few things up to Mum’s tomorrow.

Although we have had no snow since Sunday (which soon turned to grey slush) it has been so very cold here. Cars and paths frozen every morning so we have been very careful about going out as not everywhere have de-iced their paths.

Over Christmas we decided that we needed a new fire in our living room so took ourselves to B&Q and bought a very nice living flame electric fire which makes our living room very cosy.

On Saturday our son and grandson helped us to do a tip run with the old fire which was very heavy ( we also took the opportunity to clear some stuff from the garage). It was our great grandson's 5th birthday on Sunday and he had his first 'proper' party in a hall local to them. I had forgotten how much noise 10 children can make!! But they all had a great time. Monday I had a dentist appointment first thing and drove there through horizontal rain, sleet and snow but it dried up in the afternoon but with a biting wind. The rest of the week I have been having a clear out of old paperwork. I had filed and kept all our old bank statements going back years but our daughter, who is an accountant, told me it wasn't necessary to keep them so OH has burnt them all in our garden incinerator. A long overdue job! I have made some headway but there is still a lot of paperwork to clear.

A very good friend of mine who I have been friends with for 35 years told me at the beginning of the week that she has decided to move to be near her son in Kent. She has been a widow for 10 years and has had a few health problems this past year so it is absolutely the right decision for her but I am devastated and will miss her terribly. I must make the most of the next couple of months with her.

So pleased to hear that you are at home at last @KjellNN . What a long haul. Do take care of yourself and make sure you get some rest.

I hope your OH gets a date for her operation soon @DavidKlyne

Glad you are home safely from your latest trip @nelliethehooker . You are no doubt planning your next trip.

@Wherenext Lady Lever Gallery is on my bucket list, mainly for Pre Raphaelite paintings, but it all looks very interesting, as do the other Liverpool Galleries and Museums. Last time I visited Liverpool was on the Manchester Ship Canal, another must repeat trip.

@milliehull yes, it’s so a rapidly changing, hi tech reliant world now. We have been looking after/ caring for my parents probably around 20 plus years now. Not much in the earlier years, but I did sit them down and talk them into changing a few things such as setting up DD’s for household bills so that Dad wasn’t going into town a couple of times a week to “pay a bill” It was his excuse for getting out, it didn’t stop him getting out (he didn’t drive, but his bus pass took him all over) but he didn’t have all that added stress of walking to the Bank. We got their house pensioner proofed as well, the bath with shower over out and a proper walk in shower put in, some new carpets and less rugs, I kept a look out for Gov grants that replaced an old boiler, insulated walls and roof space. Got them spending a bit more money on themselves as well, they had two, sometimes three decent holidays with me and Sis and sometimes OH as well, took them places they had never seen before. Sis even took them abroad, coach holiday as Mum wouldn’t fly. She wanted to go to Germany to see who had been flinging bombs at her as a child🤣 I got them simple Nokia mobiles that they could learn to use easily, and that way they were never stuck no matter where they were. Mum even learned to use an IPad after Dad had died, but by then she was in early stages of Dementia, so it was mainly looking at photos and watching films. Mum is 96 next, can’t do a thing now, stuck inside, bed or special chair and it breaks my heart daily to watch all that creativity, spirit and love locked away, rarely surfacing. She tells us she loves us though. It’s taught us such a lot, in truth. Independence is great, but stubbornness and pride sadly can kill if taken to extremes, so I am making plans for my old age as much as I can. Embrace all kinds of helpful technology, don’t skimp on essentials such as keeping warm, having some fun, good food. Make a few plans, do some stupid things, keep in touch with loved ones. I can’t climb mountains or gallop a horse across the moors any more, but I can still ride a bike, go wild swimming, etc…We are lucky enough to have loving family members who will look out for us as much as they can. It’s sad that your friend is having to make a move, but she is being sensible, and maybe you can meet up still occasionally. We used to transport OH’s Mum up to see her friend in Middlesboro and vice versa a couple of times a year, so hopefully something like this might work for you and your friend.

I've much enjoyed the colder weather, far far better than that awful murk, with clouds on your head that started before before Christmas and outstayed its welcome. We had the one fall of snow, on our wedding anniversary _- it didn't snow on our wedding day. But we have had very heavy frosts, including this morning, and until today brighter sunny days. So our heating has been working hard. For several days frost hasn't lifted out of the sun. Feeding the birds is a 2 or 3 times a day job and its an almost impossible task to keep water liquid. Luckily there's a stream/brook/dyke very close to our house which has stayed running…..

@milliehull I'm loving your new fire. Very cosy. We have an open gas fire which we haven't used since we arrived. We have brought a 'chimney sheep' for the flue, very effective, which has to be removed before use, and because of the cold, replaced again. So we go without the cosy look. In our last house our fire was coal effect but the chimney wasn't open. I miss that a lot. We have this fire serviced every year but that seems a waste.

I confess to really taking my foot off the gas since Christmas and I'm beginning to feel more relaxed and better for it. But it will be a bit full on again very soon. OH has his oral op appointment Tuesday. We're hoping 3rd time lucky, but both apprehensive. The hospital have texted several times to remind about the appointment. They did on both previous occasions! So my heart is in my mouth every time a text arrives…… Then the following week I/we have a funeral in Essex. The dog is booked for her groom, she refused to leave the car for me or the groomer before Christmas……….

Wishing all those under the weather better.

I'm loving seeing the photos too

Using a newly acquired laptop for this post. The forum is laid out slightly differently on each of my devices………

Edit, I managed to loose

this entire post when i corrected a spelling mistake in it on my phone! Fortunately it remained on my laptop, so a quick copy and paste and its back! phew. Only issue seems to be not to be able to finish the edit in the same paragraph………

Another absolutely stunning sunrise. It's actually 2c. Not frost to see much but crunchy underfoot - worse than the thick frost on the hard surfaces. Birds are enjoying their breakfast. I'm watching 4 blackbirds share - gives you an indication of temperatures recently.

Thanks for your good wishes for my OH. I'll pass them on.

Have a great day folks. I have car service and MOT today. Should all be fine but I'll be happier when I know it's passed and I have the bill 🤔 bizarre 🤣🤣🤣