Time waste and early shop

 I went for my blood test yesterday for my annual diabetes review....I was then told I have to book another two appointments to complete the review.  What?!  Three appointments altogether, all on separate days, just for a routine annual review, what a palaver and waste of time.  Must be a new thing, never had to have three appointments before.  The irony is my diabetes has been completely stable for 10 years or so, and I can read all the results on my NHS account online anyway.  Pain in the backside.

We're going to Lidl at 7 am this morning (when they open) to get some of their very cheap (just 5p!) veg.....the reason being, they're the only place that includes shallots in the offer, and I do like shallots.  There's a couple of other things I need to get, that I'd forgotten to include in the shopping delivery we had yesterday.  And that will be that for shopping until, hopefully, the new year.  It's lovely having my shopping delivered, I must start doing it more often....well, I'll have to once husband stops driving anyway so I might as well get into the habit of doing it now.

I've not had a look through the Christmas/New Year TV guide yet, I know there are seasonal specials of Call the Midwife and Death in Paradise on because I've seen them advertised, we'll watch both of those.  Don't know about films, I'm hoping Love Actually and Elf are on, two of my favourite cheesy films at Christmas.  Two good things on TV this weekend, the Strictly final (bit uncharitable of me but I really hope Amber doesn't win, yes she's an excellent dancer - a professional one at that which is a bit naughty - but she's so needy and desperate to be liked, really puts me off her).  I'd like Karen to win, although I'd be happy for George to win instead.  The other good programme which I've really got into, despite not being a massive sci-fi fan, is The War Between the Land and the Sea, a Dr Who spin off, it's been really gripping.  I did watch Dr Who back in the day (from behind a cushion, of course!), Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker being the Doctors when I was growing up, but stopped watching after that, boys, discos and going to the pub with friends taking precedence.

I think I'll make a fruit cake for husband over the weekend - after all, I've got the Black Forest trifle to look forward to (well, I will have when I make it on Christmas Eve) which I know husband will moan about - but still eat!  So it's only fair to make something that I know he'll really like - fruit cake is his favourite, I'm not so keen.  No marzipan or icing though, he doesn't like them.

Clearing out and using up

 I took the advice of you ladies and left the corner cupboard again, my shoulder isn't pain-free yet and I know clearing out the corner base cupboard will exacerbate it again.  We did do an easier job though, we both went through our wardrobes and did a cull....with a lot of grumbling and indecisiveness from husband - he claimed he didn't know what to throw out.  Easy - whatever you haven't worn for at least 6 months, doesn't fit, or is downright scruffy!  I had to help him decide.  We both now have a dustbin bag full of clothes for the charity shop, to go with a boxful of unused or surplus china and glasses.  We've only been here 2 years (it was 2 years on the 13th Dec) but it's amazing how quickly stuff mounts up.

Relatives have cleared out the bungalow of the neighbour who passed away 2 or 3 weeks ago.  The place has been advertised for rent already, which is understandable I suppose - whilst it's empty it's not earning money for them.  We've seen a couple of people coming to peer through the windows, the official viewings aren't until January, so new neighbours sometime then.

Nasty weather yesterday and today, heavy rain showers and strong winds....it's certainly very windy here.  Forecast to be better from Friday onwards, although colder again.  I don't mind the cold (can always put another jumper on), it's the rain and gale force winds I don't like.

I've done well with using up stuff to make space in the freezer before the Christmas food shop arrives, we've had something out of the freezer every day so far.  Yesterday it was a veggie cottage pie with a garlic & cheese flatbread, today I'm making soup using home grown and frozen veggies, to be served with cheese topped rolls from the freezer.  Tomorrow will be battered fish, chips and peas, all from the freezer.

Snail's pace

 Husband has no sense of time or urgency nowadays, years ago if we were going out somewhere, he'd be sitting in the car with the engine running and tooting the horn 5 minutes before I was ready.  Now, if we need to go out, especially if it's to an appointment, I make a point of telling him first thing in the morning where we're going, what time we need to be there and the time we have to go out, I remind him again about an hour beforehand as he will almost certainly have forgotten.  Yesterday morning I wanted to be in town just before 9 am before the hordes arrived to do their Christmas shopping.  Despite having been told twice, husband was sitting watching TV, leisurely eating his breakfast, at 8.50 😒.  Consequently, it was around 9.20 (it only takes 5 minutes to drive to town) when we got there, and the high street was already full of cars, no spaces at all, so husband just dropped me off and drove around the block a couple of times until I'd finished.

He's the same with everything, ambles or sits around without a care and as if he's got all the time in the world.  He does everything at a snail's pace nowadays, he takes absolutely ages in the bathroom and then takes 20 minutes to get dressed when he comes out - what on earth does he do?!  I'm always the one standing in the kitchen waiting for him nowadays - how times change.

I got a doormat - and then saw a stand full of much nicer ones in another shop doorway on the way home, how annoying.  I also got 4 library books, they should keep me going over Christmas along with the 2 other unread ones I have already - I've renewed those online today so all 6 will have the same return date, it gets confusing otherwise.

All the reaching up and down clearing out the wall cupboards, cleaning the shelves and putting everything back on Monday played havoc with my shoulder and neck, it was really painful when I got up yesterday morning.  I decided not to do the big corner cupboard but to give my shoulder a rest, seemed the sensible thing to do.  It's not so painful today, so I'll crack on with the cupboard this afternoon, hopefully.

I really miss my Mum at this time of year, coming up to the 6th anniversary of her death.  I've been thinking about her a lot lately, she was so wise and also very funny, sometimes unintentionally.  I miss the hour long, or more, phone calls we used to have.

A sorting out day

 I didn't get to start on the punch needling, I got stuck in with several small jobs that needed doing.  A couple of my kitchen cupboards really needed a sort out, one of the wall cupboards was so bursting at the seams that things were beginning to fall out when I opened the doors....another one was nearly as bad.  Both of those got emptied out, out of date or now not used things thrown out, cupboards cleaned and stuff put back in tidily.  I need to do the deep corner cupboard too, it's not packed full but needs reorganising so things I use most often are at the front - it's mostly baking tins and dishes, graters, salad bowls etc, I'll tackle that tomorrow.  I sorted out the dog food and tablets shelf and tidied it up, and reorganised the other small corner cupboard above the washing machine, which houses the washing stuff, tea towels, bin liners etc.  We seem to have acquired far too many mugs, so I took out 5 that we no longer use and have put them in the charity shop box.

I made a small chocolate sponge cake and froze it when cool, it's to go in the Black Forest trifle for Christmas Day.  I also made cauli cheese, divided into two - one we had with dinner last night, the other I froze.  The freezer is practically rammed full now, there are quite a few homemade ready meals in there that we must have this week before the shopping is delivered at the end of the week, to make some room.  I've got out a tub of chicken stew for husband's dinner tonight, and a salmon pasta bake for me.

I asked husband what he was going to do - a scowling face was the reply.  I asked him to fix the curtain rail above the front door - one side had collapsed, he hadn't even noticed!  He did do it, but that was the extent of his jobs for the day, it must have worn him out as he dozed in front of the TV for the rest of the day. 😒  Well, as long as I keep busy and do what needs doing, then that keeps me occupied.

First thing this morning we're going to town so I can get into the library as soon as it opens at 9 am, and then go into Proper Job to get a new doormat (how exciting 😂).  When we're home I shall get on with reorganising the baking tins cupboard, then we'll be sorting through our wardrobes and drawers and taking out stuff we no longer wear for the charity shop.  I say 'we' because I've told husband he's got to do his wardrobe - he was complaining yesterday he's got no coat hangers left so he's obviously got too many clothes!  As he only wears the same few things over and over, he should have quite a bit to clear out.

Then tomorrow I should have nothing to do!

Hayley my cleaner said because of holidays, she won't be coming again until the 12th January - oh no, how will I manage?! 😱😂

Lunch out, staying in

 The lunch out we had at our favourite tea room yesterday was delicious, I should have taken a photo but forgot.  It was a Yorkshire pudding wrap, with a choice of beef or turkey, two items to choose out of sage & onion stuffing, bacon, sausage (veggie sausage option) and fried onions, then a choice of horseradish or cranberry sauce.  Husband had beef, stuffing, sausage and horseradish, I had turkey, veggie sausage, stuffing and cranberry sauce.  I'm fine with eating a little roast chicken perhaps a couple of times a month so thought I'd be fine with turkey - turned out I wasn't keen.  Not to worry, there was plenty of the other stuff in the wrap - filled to bursting actually.  The wraps were huge, cut in half - I couldn't finish mine and brought the remaining half home, along with the turkey I took out - Betty had that, they were happy to box it up for me, I had the rest of the wrap for my tea.  On the side there were absolutely delicious roast potatoes, very crisp outsides with fluffy middles, just how I like them.  And quite a big pot of thick onion gravy to dip them in.  They had a selection of cakes and desserts for afters, including iced and marzipanned Christmas cake and mincemeat slices, all homemade - we didn't have any though, too full up.

I've no need to go to the shops again this week or next - thank goodness, as everywhere will be crazy busy and the weather doesn't look good anyway.  All my Christmas and Boxing Day cooking is done and frozen, cards all sent off and hand delivered, my cleaner comes today so it's just a case of keeping the place clean and tidy after Hayley's done her super thorough cleaning and dusting.  I need to go to the library on Tuesday, and have an appointment for bloods and urine testing on Thursday for my annual diabetes review.  Other than that, I don't have much to do so am finally going to watch a few more Youtube how-to videos this week and make a start on those punch needling kits I bought (about time!).

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated.

A stroppy teenager

 Some days are good ones, even weeks (quite rare to have a whole good week though!).  Some are....shall we say, not so good.  This past week has been one of those.

Husband has been so argumentative, he'd say black was white just to contradict me.  I don't know why he's being such a grump - I know he doesn't like Christmas in any way, shape or form (other than the stuffing his face with food aspect) but it's not just that.  He seems determined to disagree with me on almost everything - and he will argue till the cows come home.  If it's a silly little thing that's not worth arguing over, I just say 'Whatever' or 'Ok' and walk away, it's not worth getting all fired up about something trivial.  He seems to be determined to show that he's right and I'm wrong all the time - well ok, please yourself, if that's what you want.  An example - the other day he said we need some AAA batteries.  Whilst we were in Bridgwater shopping a day or 2 later, I picked up a pack in the shop, he asked why I was getting them?  Because you said we needed some, I replied.  "No I never!" was his immediate response.  I made the mistake of saying yes he did say that, which immediately prompted a snappy reply from him again insisting he never said it.  I gave up and put them back - if he now finds he does actually need some, well he'll have to go out and buy them himself.  Almost every time I say something, he contradicts me.  And for the past week he's taken to complaining about some aspect of most meals I've cooked - too spicy, I don't like garlic, I'd have preferred pasta to rice, it's not hot enough.  He left a pile of potato slices the other day (he almost never leaves food on his plate, he even eats my leftovers)....I asked why he wasn't eating them and he said they were raw!  Of course they weren't, silly man - admittedly, they could have done with another minute or 2's cooking, but they certainly weren't raw, I ate all mine!  I don't usually say anything when he's complaining, but because he was doing it so often, I did make a point a couple of times of saying he was welcome to cook all his own meals from now on, if he thought I was such a bad cook!  Funny how all these more than 40 years he's eaten everything I've put in front of him with no complaint (rarely any compliments either, it must be said).  I know he can't help it, it's the cognitive impairment which is getting worse, but it's hard to stay calm and not feel resentful or irritated.

This morning he asked if I'd ordered him a bottle of Scotch in the shopping delivery for the end of this week....I said no (with all the many meds he's on, he's not supposed to drink alcohol, although the odd small glass in moderation wouldn't hurt.  The trouble is, he doesn't know what moderation is).  I have, however, ordered a bottle of ginger wine (much less alcoholic than whisky), and one of those small individual sized bottles of red wine for him to have with Christmas lunch.  He got a strop on and insisted I order him a bottle of whisky, I refused.  If he really wants a bottle of strong alcohol, he'll have to go and buy it himself, I'm not aiding and abetting him to do something detrimental to his health.

It's like living with a stroppy teenager at the moment - and I never did want children!

Getting ahead, and it'll soon be Spring!

 I'm prepping the veggies and sides for Christmas.  I know it's only the 2 of us, but I don't want to be spending all day in the kitchen, I want to be sitting down watching TV!  I did a big trayful of roast potatoes yesterday, enough for 3 or 4 meals, I've portioned them up and frozen them.  Today I'll be roasting carrots and parsnips sprinkled with ginger and honey, making Yorkshires and doing the sprouts.  I'll halve the sprouts and cook them in a pan with a little water and butter, with the lid on so they steam.  When nearly cooked I'll add in some chopped bacon and chestnuts.  Then tomorrow morning before we go out for lunch I'll make the sage & onion stuffing, adding some more finely chopped chestnuts.  All I'll have to do on the day then is roast the gammon joint, of which I'll probably have half a thin slice (I'll cut it myself, husband always cuts great thick slabs of meat, which I really cannot eat), and do the cabbage.....I'm not keen on pre-cooked and frozen cabbage, I prefer it fresh.  The rest of the veggies, Yorkies and stuffing can then be reheated in the microwave and/or the smaller air fryer whilst the meat joint is in the ninja.  I'll make the trifle Christmas Eve afternoon.

Today is the anniversary of my lovely friend's death, she died in 2020 and I couldn't go and see her during her terminal illness or go to her funeral as it was during the lockdowns.  She died at home, thankfully (she had been in a hospice but wanted to be home for end of life), so was able to have her wonderful caring partner and daughter with her.  Must have been so awful for those who died in hospital or a care home, not being able to have their nearest and dearest with them at the end.  That was one of the most monstrous things about lockdown, I think.  So that's two of my December sad things (the first would have been my beloved Auntie Sylvie's birthday on the 4th).  Then there's the death anniversaries of my Mum on Christmas Eve and my Nanna on Boxing Day.  

Just over a week to go till the Winter Solstice when the days start getting longer, and only 19 days till 1st January.  Hasn't this year gone quick?  I love New Year, old year done and dusted and lots of (hopefully) lovely new things to look forward to, including Spring which is my absolute favourite season of the year.  Speaking of which, lots of the bulbs I planted are poking through the soil already, I'm so looking forward to seeing them all in flower, fills my heart with joy.