To quote Scarlet " It is Pimply Sissing Down Here!"
Great isn't it!
Today I received £4 in Luncheon Vouchers as a result of doing an online survey - I can't wait to spend it in waitrose, who do do some tempting lunches!
I got on the scales this morning to discover that fully clothed I weigh just over 7 stone. No, I have not been on a diet, and did eat rather well yesterday as I made an enormous pot of Italian Kidney bean and Penne soup, which I consumed with freshly grated parmesan, and a large hunk of baguette with butter yum, though I say it myself, It was rather tasty, an I will be eating it again for some time to come as I always over cater!
Byron plodded unenthusiastically through the rain this morning - like me, he is none too fond of the wet stuff, and would have preferred it if we still had snow. We did not get an amount that was worrying, though that is because I did not hve to travel any furter than Folkestone - It was not possible to reach Ashford which was cut off by the snow, with the M20 particularly bad. I do consider myself fortunate not to have to worry about getting to work, and no-one to have to make any hazardous juourneys for ( I am thinking of poor Scarlett, and her journey to Nottingham hospital to trace the whereabouts of her dad's walking stick, and am not remotely surprised by the inefficiency of the NHS.
I was due to take my pal and neighbour Moira to Margate hospital last week, bu of course we could not get there because of the snow, Moira has had to cancel three appointments now, the first because they expected her to travel to Ashford, which was cut off by snow with half an hour's notice at the time that she was picking up her grandchildren from school (the only school in this neck of the woods which wasn't closed), and the second and third in Margate, which was also cut off, and which is a lengthy journey across country in a car. The guy in charge of appointments has referred her back to her GP because of her inability to attend any of the three appointments that they offered. The jumped up geezer was lecturing her for not being able to go to the appointments, and she has now made a complaint against him. How dare he lecture a woman old enough to be his mother, who does not have her own transport, about not being able to get herself to an appointment the other side of the county when the police were advising people not to drive because the weather was so bad!! If I had spoken to him I would not have been able to stop myself from telling him what I thought of him in no uncertain terms!!
 

Having just typed in my entry yesterday there was a knock at the door and there stood a man with my parcel from Amazon! Off came the boots with holes in, and on went my new pair within a blink of an eye. Happy? You bet I am!!! God bless Amazon, and all who sail in her!!
I am less impressed with Fedex however. I think I may have mentioned that this building has been having problems with the drains? Elsie (on the top floor) and I decided that it would be a good idea to get some drain rods so that the next time the drains block, the two of us can sort it out. A quick visit to Toolstation online resulted in my buying a set for £16.95, including free delivery on the 31st December, which struck me as very reasonable. Allowing for weather-induced delays, I am rather surprised that the set is still not with me, and paid a visit to the warehouse in Folkestone today to find out whay they had not been delivered - they normally guarantee next-day delivery. I was informed that Fedex had delivered the drain rods on the 4th January, and that the order was complete. A quick call to Toolstation customer services informed me that as I had been out at the time of delivery, the drain rods had been put in my porch, and that I should open my eyes! Sorry and all that, but I don't have a porch. A new set of drain rods is to be delivered between 9 and 12 tomorrow (allowing me time to walk Byron between 8 and 9am, and I understand that Toolstation are to question the delivery driver tomorrow. It will be interesting to know what other excuse he will come up with!!
 

I am waiting anxiously for a delivery from Amazon which they informed me two days ago had been dispatched. Why the anxious wait? Because the package is a new pair of walking boots, and I am tiring of having cold wet feet because of the holes in my existing pair. Don't get me wrong, I have a collection of other footwear at my disposal, it's just that when taking my lad out for a walk in the woods and fields, especially right now, I don't want to wear my other footwear as I know that they would be ruined. The snow is still laying where we walk, but soon the fields will again be waterlogged, and quite frankly, I am tired of having freezing cold wet feet.
Byron this morning is having one of his famous sulks because the snow is melting, and he doesn't want it to. The fact that the rest of us are heartily sick of the snow is neither here or there - maybe I should move to Alaska?
 

Today is my friend Sarah's 65th birthday. Sarah is someone I used to babysit for when I was 13, and who broke my heart by zooming off to Hong Kong with her son Alex (who was 2) and Victoria (who was newborn), and of course her husband Frank, who was a shipbroker, just as I had become their permanent babysitter. I adored the children, and if the truth be known, would have babysat for free in order to spend time with the kids. Sarah and I kept in touch throughout the time she and Frank were away, and re-met when I was 21.
Sarah is only 14 years older than me so the age gap is not so large to preclude us having the same interests, and interestingly enough her father and my Nana were friends who lived in the same town in Berkshire (Faringdon). Sarah now lives in Oxford with her partner Mike, a town that I spent almost three years in when doing my post-grad planning and urban design studies - in fact the house that Sarah and Mike now live in is next door to one that my Uncle Michael and Auntie Janet lived in when I was doing the planning and urban design - small world or what!!
Still working, Sarah is regretting the fact that her absence from this country over the years means that she has insufficient credits to be able to retire and get a decent pension - not something she thought about when she was in her twenties!

It continues to snow here, and the supermarket shelves are all but empty as a result of stockpiling by those who believe that it will never thaw. I am heartily glad that I make my own bread, and am considering bulk bread making so that I can cater for the elderly folk in my road who are unable to get out because of the conditions. Could this be my new role in life?

 

Today Byron is celebrating his second birthday! We have already been to the pet shop where we chose the largest bone imaginable for him to chew. The bone is called a 'postman's leg', and the local postman is hoping that it does not give my boy any ideas!! Very appropriately it is snowing here in Hythe, and Byron of course is delighted - he absolutely adores the snow, which I guess is natural when you consider that his breed originated in the Himalayas.
Today I got my new debit card from the Alliance and Leicester - it has only taken them from the 19th December to send! Now I can spend some money on a new pair of walking boots as mine have been in holes for some months - it's both cold and wet exercising Byron with holes in your boots! I am not short of boots and shoes to wear, but when out with my lad I need robust footwear as we tramp through woods and fields. The folk that I dog walk with have agreed that we should all go out one evening for a drink and a bite to eat - originally I thought we would be lucky to break into double figures, but it turns out that there will be over twenty of us, providing that too many don't drop out.
 

A happy, healthy and prosperous new year to everyone, and may the new decade see the fulfillment of dreams for many!!! I have never put untold riches high on a wish list, in fact, I don't think I have ever put them on a wish list, which is probably why I drive a used car, lurch from one financial crisis to another, and rent my home. I have never sought stardom, and do not hold material possessions in any great store. I have possessions of course, but their value comes from the memories that they hold, and the pleasure that they bring me in their use. I have a sizeable collection of music, and an even greater number of books, all of which I have read at least once. I have got a few pieces of jewelry, but nothing particularly to write home about, and nothing that anyone would dream about owning. Apart from the diabetes, I consider myself to be a healthy soul, but am certainly incapable of running a marathon, and even if I could, I can guarantee that I would come in last. What I do have is happiness - I have some superb friends who I value enormously, and who I would like to see more of; I have neighbours who I get on very well with, and who have become friends; and of course I have Byron, without whom my life would be incomplete. My family has sadly depleted over the years, and I will always miss those who are no longer with us, but all things considered, I consider myself to be blessed with good fortune. As we start this new decade I have no idea what will happen, nor have I got any plans, but whatever comes my way I hope that I can approach it with enthusiasm and hard work.
 

And have we all survived, relatively unscathed? The answer this end is yes, though I did not get the expected visit from Paul on Christmas day, because it would seem, he slept through the day.
Byron munched his way through a load of raw hide knots which were sent by Tessa, my friend's Sue and Pete's lurcher, and belched contentedly to himself for most of the afternoon. He was also given a clip to go on his collar which lights up in the dark, and can be seen from a mile away, but as of yet we have still to put it to the test.
Ann turned up with Bella in tow as the argument with her daughter Haley kept threatening to explode again, so she decided to remove herself from the equation. The chest infection meant that Ann was not up to much, but she did maanage a walk with the dogs, and has vowed to make up for her lack of alcohol over he period on New Years Eve!
 

It is Christmas Eve, and the greengrocer has got empty shelves after a mammoth vegetable-buying splurge by the residents of Hythe. I know, because I was amongst them! Yesterday I stocked up on Byron's food, today I bought mine - there is nothing I like more than just-cooked fresh vegetables. The fresher the better, hence my leaving the vegetable shopping until today. Every day this week the greengrocer has had a string of deliveries from local suppliers, plus he himself has been to London to buy at market at 4am. He has been a bit down recently as Sainsbury's announced that they are to open a hypermarket here in Hythe. He need not worry about my custom: I prefer to buy my fruit and veg from someone who knows about them, and I don't want stuff that is going into my mouth washed in bleach, which is what happens in many supermarkets.

Ann has stressed herself out so much with arguments with her daughter that she has come down with a chest infection, so will be spending Christmas in bed! As she has had one thing after another this year, her doctor has done a series of blood tests to see if he can find out why her immunity is so low. I think it is because she worries so much, and am a great believer in not worrying about stuff over which you have no control - if I were any more laid back I would fall over, but apart from the diabetes, I am very rarely ill!

A Happy Christmas to everybody - I hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends, and may lots of dreams come true!
 

To coin one of Scarlett's phrases, "It's pimply sissing down here!" The snow that fell last week has melted into sludge, and the already waterlogged fields simply can't take much more of the wet stuff. Where the odd icy bits remain there are slide trails where some unfortunate victim has careered wildly across the path, and although the temperature has obviously risen, the dampness makes it feel colder.
I consider myself to be very fortunate in that I will be doing exactly what I want on Christmas day, with no-one to prepare a traditional meal for, and no back-biting and tension. I will be eating lobster for my christmas dinner, together with a cheese board of ample proportions. I have several bottles of wine to chose from, some beer, some cider, some single malt, and some baileys, so I will not be sober. I will make bread on christmas morning, and will leave it baking in the machine when I take my boy for his morning stroll. Paul will be coming round at some point during the day, but is unlikely to stay long as it is his first christmas without Janey, an he is finding it all a bit of a struggle.
I imagine Ann will also come round as she has taken unbrage at the fact that her daughter Haley wants her to provide a turkey for their christmas meal, and is likely to be spending the day on her own. Moira and Gemma will also come round at some point, so I will not be spending much of the day on my own. As long as no-one talks all through Doctor Who all will be well, and the rest of the time I will be listening to Robbie, so no problems!
 

To coin one of Scarlett's phrases, "It's pimply sissing down here!" The snow that fell last week has melted into sludge, and the already waterlogged fields simply can't take much more of the wet stuff. Where the odd icy bits remain there are slide trails where some unfortunate victim has careered wildly across the path, and although the temperature has obviously risen, the dampness makes it feel colder.
I consider myself to be very fortunate in that I will be doing exactly what I want on Christmas day, with no-one to prepare a traditional meal for, and no back-biting and tension. I will be eating lobster for my christmas dinner, together with a cheese board of ample proportions. I have several bottles of wine to chose from, some beer, some cider, some single malt, and some baileys, so I will not be sober. I will make bread on christmas morning, and will leave it baking in the machine when I take my boy for his morning stroll. Paul will be coming round at some point during the day, but is unlikely to stay long as it is his first christmas without Janey, an he is finding it all a bit of a struggle.
I imagine Ann will also come round as she has taken unbrage at the fact that her daughter Haley wants her to provide a turkey for their christmas meal, and is likely to be spending the day on her own. Moira and Gemma will also come round at some point, so I will not be spending much of the day on my own. As long as no-one talks all through Doctor Who all will be well, and the rest of the time I will be listening to Robbie, so no problems!