April 7th 2023's Random Ramblings

The weather can't make its mind up.  It doesn't know if it wants to be warm or cold, wet or dry, or somewhere in between.  So it keeps changing.  It almost seems like from one minute to the next, though I know that's not quite accurate.  This is normal for Spring, even the warm weather is in my comfortable temperature range, and we're not seeing any of the terrible storms and severe weather some places are, so I'm making an observation rather than complaining.  Although, my asthma wishes it would quit, since it always takes me some time to adjust to weather changes, and when the weather keeps changing I don't get to finish adjusting to one kind of weather before it changes again and I'm back to square one.  I know I'm not alone in dealing with this right now though.  'Tis the season for allergies and asthma to be aggravated after all.

 

Anyway, we're already a week in to April.  Can you believe that? A quarter of the year has gone already!

 

During the last week in March I had a dentist appointment and Kelly had a hospital appointment.  Both just for routine checks, and both went smoothly.  Kelly also had to go for a routine blood test this past Wednesday (and it really is routine for him, since he’s one of those people who they have no trouble taking blood from, so is in and out in five minutes; it takes them longer to process his paperwork than to take the blood).

 

I’ve also been pretty busy with Zoom calls, between the ones I go to regularly just because I want to, ones I do jobs on, ones I was hosting, and a couple where I stepped in to fill in for someone who was away somewhere for a few days.

 

Plus, I went through some fabric, set aside the kinds that would work well for me for a project I have planned, and packed up the rest for my Aunt Bev to take, since she’s involved in a charity upcycling project where they make use of any spare fabric to make things like special pillows for people who have had mastectomies, tearing up what can’t be used for outer layers to make filling.  My Dad told me about it, and I thought it would be a good way to reduce the amount of fabric I have lying around.  Especially since some of the stuff I was unlikely to want to use, and only had because it came with the stuff Dad gave me with Nan’s old craft stuff.

 

With my energy levels pretty low lately, those things – along with those day to day tasks that always need doing, making sure the petkids get attention, etc – have been enough to have me taking advantage of as many opportunities to rest as I can most days.  Something Logan is a lot more enthusiastic about than Lilie, since he’s much more of a fan of nap time than she is.  LOL!

 

Although, I have managed to get some crafting in (mostly the stuff I’ve worked on during the Zoom calls, but I’ve also made some progress with the crochet blanket I’m slowly working on) as well as managed to fit in enough reading time that I’m slightly ahead on my 2023 reading challenge goal (I’ve read 18 of 52 books) including being ahead with reading April’s book of the month for the ACB Crafters book club, and being on track with the book we’re working our way through as part of the 18^th and 19^th century book club I also attend.  Admittedly this is mostly because I can listen to an audiobook while either doing day to day tasks like housework, or during those times when I’m resting but not sleeping.  But it all adds up, and it all counts, right?

 

Interesting how it all seems somehow to be a lot and very little at the same time when written down in a blog post like this.  I mean, on the one hand the fact there’s enough for a blog post that’s a few paragraphs long makes it seem like so much I can’t help feeling it’s no wonder I’m tired, while on the other hand I wonder how I can have done so little that I can sum up two weeks in just a few paragraphs.  Funny how that works.

Random Ramblings: January 15th 2021 (Featuring #Snow And #Dog Photos)

 

The photos at the top of this post were taken a couple of days after we moved here.  They're from December 9th 2020.  I'd hoped to make that new computer room window view part of a post about the new house by now, but I haven't had a chance to sort photos of indoors.  Admittedly that's partially - in fact, if I'm honest, mostly - because I'm reluctant to show you the chaos things are still in at this point.  I mean, it's not too bad.  But there's definitely still chaos.  We had some pieces of furniture given to us by my Dad and his next door neighbours, and between those things and what we already had the new house is coming together nicely, even if we still need a few things.  I just don't want to show you that there's still a bunch of stuff to sort out, and boxes in most rooms that need to be dealt with though.  Somehow telling you doesn't feel as bad.  Anyway, we're getting there; we did a lot in this past week.  When things are a bit more organized, I'll get you some indoor photos.  For now you'll have to wait, and can just have those photos of the view from the upstairs window.  But I'll catch you up on some day to day happenings today too.

 

~

 

There were some fireworks here at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, but we didn't get photos or videos, since we couldn't see them from indoors, and Kelly was reluctant to go out in the ice and snow only to find they were over by the time he got out there.  We enjoyed listening to them though.  I do love fireworks, but do also have to admit I was glad it was just a few for midnight and not days of them going off all evening like we had where we used to live.  More fireworks might increase the chances of videos or photos, but less is better for the petkids and local wildlife.

 

~

 

2021 started with us spotting a robin hopping about in what remained of the snow in our yard.  We spotted it through the kitchen window.  We didn't get a photo though, because the camera was too far away.  But Kelly enjoyed watching it,, especially since it was, as I later learned, his first time seeing one that close up in real life (other close sightings he's had were via photos or videos).  I sure wish we'd gotten a photo, but at least I have the memory of Kelly's utter delight at the sight.

~

I know from growing up not too far from where we now live that it's not Unusual for wildlife to be spotted around here.  Well, there's loads of sheep too - I mean, it is Wales - but I mean things like birds, and common British wildlife like foxes, hedgehogs, etc.

For example, there's an owl nearby.  I've heard it most times when I've been awake nights since we got here, though we've seen no physical signs of it.  I'm not entirely sure if it lives close by or I just hear it as it passes between its hunting ground and wherever it roosts.  I've definitely heard it several times though.  At least, I think it's the same owl each time.

There's at least one fox too.  In fact, possibly more than one.  I've heard at least one fox, and Logan and I startled a fox when we went for a potty run one night.  Although, I'm not sure if the fox or Logan was more startled by the close encounter.  Judging by how quick it ran off, I'd say the fox recovered quicker than Logan though, and the fox did at least know what a dog was before, so Logan was probably the more startled.  Either way, Logan was more vocal about how he felt about things once he did recover, though he thankfully didn't feel the need to make his feelings known for more than a few moments, and soon stopped barking.  Luckily chasing after the darting fox wasn't an option for him.  I assume the fox thought we'd gone indoors with Kelly and Lilie, so assumed the coast was clear, since they generally don't risk coming too close to houses with dogs when they think there's even a slight chance the dogs will be coming outside any time soon.

~

Anyway, we had snow flurries on and off for the first week of the new year, but nothing that came to much.  In fact, most of them were so brief it wasn't even worth grabbing the camera.  Rather exciting to a snow lover like me though, as I'm sure you can imagine.

There was another snowfall - on the evening of January 7th - that was worth grabbing the camera for though, so here are some photos Kelly took when the dogs and I were out checking it out:

As you probably figured by the tire tracks in one shot, the photos were taken when we were in the street out the front.  We had taken some when we were out the back (in the yard) too, but the lighting and snow falling on the camera lense combined meant they just ended up being blurry patches of white in the darkness, so I'm not bothering to share those ones with you.  Oh, and, in case you were wondering: Logan is there... You might be able to see that I have his lead in my hands as well as Lilie's lead.  But he kept going behind me, so you can't really see him.

~

In other news:there's a scheme set up nearby where you can get a box of food stuff the supermarkets will soon be unable to sell because of how close their sell-by dates are for just £1 (that's about $1.36 by today's conversion rates).  It's a good sized box, and the stuff is still good, though some of it you'll want to use or preserve/freeze pretty quickly if you don't want it to go to waste.  So we've been going with my Dad to get a box.  It's one per household, so he gets one and so do Kelly and I.

Though obviously it's various food items, the exact contents of the boxes are random, so sometimes Dad will have stuff he can't/won't use, and sometimes we will too, in which case we offer them to each other.  If there's something in them none of us can make use of, we'll pass them on to other people, like my Mam, my brother, Wayne, or a couple of particular friends of my Dad who are in a financial position where food donations are very much appreciated and needed.  Dad's next door neighbours (the same ones who gave us some furniture items) get a box too, and pass anything extra from their box on to Dad, who then considers it extra stuff to either add to his, offer to us, or donate to those friends of his, depending on what the items are.

 

Getting these food boxes has helped us keep our food shopping costs lower, which was very much appreciated with the move and the holidays happening right on top of each other.  Mind you, for us - and Dad too - reduced costs for essential expenses is always a good thing.  Plus, we're helping to reduce the amount of food supermarkets have to throw away, and most weeks have a little something to offer someone who really needs it.  So, everyone wins.

 

~

Mam and I made a bunch of pickles and chutneys with some of the stuff from the boxes.  We also made some vegan friendly orange marmalade when we got loads and loads and loads of oranges, which I was thrilled about, since it's difficult to get a good marmalade you can guarantee is vegan, and incredibly expensive when you do find one.  Considering it was our first attempt at making marmalade using arrowroot as the thickener, I think we did a fantastic job.  It's perhaps a little runnier than it should be, but it's thick enough to be spreadable, and it tastes great, so that's the main thing.

~

 

Yes, we're still in lockdown over here.  No, we're not seeing loads of people all the time.  Both my parents - and Dad's neighbours - only come to drop off or pick upthings, and nine times out of ten don't even come inside to do it (they only come in if they absolutely have to, and then only for as long as they need to in order to do what they came for).  And I haven't seen my brother since early December, when we were between lockdowns.  All contact Kelly and I are having with anyone besides each other is for essential tasks to be done, like Dad's neighbours providing us with something to sit on besides the floor in our new home, Dad taking Kelly to fetch those food boxes and staying long enough for us to go through our box and his own, Mam picking up the bits we're giving her from the boxes (Dad takes Wayne's to him, since he's his carer so has to see him anyhow) and that kind of thing.  Just thought I'd put that out there, before anyone accuses me of breaching Wales' current lockdown rules.

 

~

 

Since you can never have too many cute puppy photos, I'm going to end today's post with a couple of photos of Lilie and Logan, which were taken early hours of the morning on January 8th.  We grabbed the camera to get the shot of Logan, who considered me getting out of bed an invitation for him to climb in my warm spot and snuggle in, but grabbed a shot of Lilie (also on the bed) at the same time.

 

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 05-03-20

The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.
~W. Somerset Maugham

Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!

*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.

Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?

• Reading:

This week I read two amazing books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

Eradication by Charles E. Yallowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
OK, WOW! If it wasn't for my reading time being more limited this week, I could have totally read this book in one sitting! It's an amazing addition to the series, which was a gripping read. It has an exciting plot, which alternates between being an action-packed thrill ride and an emotional rollercoaster, with some delightful moments of comedy thrown in to give you a moment to catch your breath. The way these characters are evolving is wonderful, and I can't wait to see what will happen next.

Grinders by C.S. Boyack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another amazing book by this author. The characters are relatable and believable people, the plot is fantastic, and the worldbuilding is incredible. It has an extremely satisfying ending too. Not to mention, it's an interesting glimpse in to possible future technological and scientific advances, as well as being a subtle but powerful reminder of where we might be heading if we don't start making wiser choices and taking care of our planet. All those elements, combined with the author's wonderful writing, make for an excellent read, which I have no hesitation at all in recommending.

• Watching:

This week I watched the first season of "Game Of Thrones" and snatches of various Disney movies.

Now, I actually tried to watch "Game Of Thrones" before, but just couldn't get in to it, because so much was happening to so many people I couldn't keep track (I usually use voices to keep track of which character is which, but there were just so many I wasn't sure where to start, so was quickly confused). However, after having been told by a few people who were fans of both the TV show and the books that the books were easier to follow, I decided to give them a read. Having enjoyed them, I thought I'd give the TV series another chance. To be honest, mostly just to see how it differs from the books, because I was kind of curious about that. Anyway, watching it with some understanding from the books to ground myself in the world beforehand - and enough knowledge of some of the main characters that I could use that to help me identify them while learning to recognize the sound of their character voices - really helped, and I'm actually enjoying the TV series a lot more this time around. Enough that I watched the whole first season over the weekend, when I hadn't gotten past episode two before. I still think the books are better though.

• Listening:

This week I haven't really been listening to anything. But, since it was St. David's Day on Sunday, he's the patron saint of Wales, and I'm Welsh, I have a traditional Welsh lullaby for you for this week, just because it's pretty.

For those who might be interested in knowing, here's a quick Welsh lesson for you: "Suo Gan" translates to lullaby. Well, the literal translation is "Lull song" (since "suo" is "lull" and "gan" is "song"). But that's how translations often work, isn't it? The point is, the song's title essentially translates to, "Lullaby." So, now you know. You're welcome.

Random Ramblings - August 13th 2019 Edition

Today's going to be another one of my random posts, since it's been a couple of weeks since I've done a proper Tuesday post again, and a lot happened during the past two weeks. So...

***~~~***

I wanted a doughnut.

Now, normally this wouldn't be a big deal. Well, unless it's a Sunday. But the rest of the time it's no big deal. I mean, we have a bakery just up the road, which is open Monday through Saturday. So, why is it worth mentioning?

Because the doughnuts at the bakery aren't vegan friendly.

Actually, since I know they don't see a problem with putting the vegetarian stuff in with the meat stuff - despite the fact I know they've had plenty of complaints about it from vegetarians - whether or not any of their supposedly meat-free stuff is even completely vegetarian friendly is debatable, never mind vegan friendly. So, going to the bakery was out of the question for me.

Yes. Some of the supermarkets do vegan friendly doughnuts. But since all of them take a cab journey to get to, going all the way to one of them just for a doughnut wasn't really an option either. Tempting as it was.

Besides, I did want to be making stuff myself as much as possible.

So I looked for a simple doughnut recipe that either was vegan friendly, or could easily be converted, because I didn't have one, having never actually made doughnuts before. Then I made these:

Yeah, I know they don't look like much, but I assure you they tasted great. It was probably - in fact, definitely - a very good thing I only made those dozen small doughnuts you see in the picture, that's all I can say. *wink*

***~~~***

I saw mention of banana peel bacon on one of the groups I'm on over on Facebook. I'm sure I've seen it mentioned elsewhere too. Either way, it sounded interesting, and I thought it would be a good way to make use of the peels from the bananas I've been having in some of my smoothies, rather than just throwing the peel away. So I tried it.

However, as far as I'm concerned, this was a much less successful cooking experiment than the doughnuts were.

Banana peel bacon is not for me.

At least I can say I tried it.

Although, since I ended up burning my hand a little during the attempt, I have to say that no part of this particular cooking experiment was fun for me. I'm actually lucky I reacted fast enough that it was only a small burn to be honest. It could have been a lot worse. As it was, it was just part of my hand became red and tender, and I ended up with a small blister, all of which cleared up quickly, and none of which stopped me using my hand normally. We were worried it would be worse than that at first. It might have been if I hadn't reacted so quickly. My hand is fully healed now.

If you're wondering: I misjudged the location of things, and put my hand down on the plate of freshly fried banana peel bacon, which was coated in a "sauce" that involves syrup. So think of what it might be like to put your hand in hot caramel, and you'll have some idea of what I did, and why I was lucky I reacted fast enough to avoid it being worse than it was. I'm usually careful enough to avoid doing things like that, but apparently wasn't this time.

***~~~***

I got a new slow cooker a few days ago.

Well, OK. I had one brought for me by my Mam.

I used to have a really good slow cooker several years ago, but it needed replacing, and never was. We got rid of the old one that didn't work right after it stopped working, but never got around to getting a new one. Since I'm making most of my food myself these days, and having the cooker on for a long time turns the flat in to a sauna - not only on warm days either - I figured I should get one for those times when I want to make soup, chilli, curry, etc, but don't want to feel like it's me being cooked rather than the food. Plus, they don't have to be watched as carefully as a boiling or simmering pot does, which is a huge bonus. Now I don't need to worry about getting one, because Mam beat me to it.

It's only a small one. But I did tell Mam that's all I wanted. Partially because it makes finding room for it in our little kitchen easier. But also because that's really all I need. Just one big enough to do me dinner for two nights, or tonight's dinner and some leftovers to go in the freezer, or - as will be the case with some things, depending what I'm making, and what I decide to have with it - two days dinner plus leftovers. Either way, I didn't need a large one, so Mam just got me a little one, as requested. As a bonus, it's really simple to use, so no complication of trying to remember what button does what, and needing someone to tell me again if - or when - I forget.

I tried it out over the weekend. I made some vegan chilli. It was really good! It's lucky I think so, since I had enough for two days dinner, plus some leftovers (which are now in the freezer, since I didn't want to be having chilli for more than two days in a row). I had a baked potato with the chilli on Saturday and Sunday, and will likely do that again when I have what's in the freezer, since that's my favourite way to have chilli.

***~~~***

I recently reorganized the kitchen cupboards so we could see exactly what we had in there, and get some order to them. Then I stocked them back up with a variety of grains, herbs and spices, nuts, seeds, etc, so there are plenty of non-perishable items in them to use - along with fresh fruit and veg, which I'll buy as needed - to make my meals.

I guess doing that put me in the mood for some decluttering, because I didn't stop there.

I went through my craft stuff. Organized it better, and got rid of a few things I know I won't use. I don't know if some of the things are actually of any use to the charity shop near us (and I do mean near... It's literally across the street from us) but I bagged them up for them anyhow, since we were taking other stuff to them, so they could use what they can, and pass on what they can't. I figured it was better to give them stuff they can't use, than find I didn't give them stuff they can use. We just told them to do what they want with anything that's no good to them.

I also went through clothes. I checked what's showing so much wear I need to get new really soon, and bagged up anything I know I won't wear again (stuff I was given at some point and don't really like, or stuff I got that I like but don't like how it fits me). I ended up with several bags of clothes, which we took to the charity shop too. Hopefully someone can make good use of them. As I said, I also figured out what I need to replace of the clothes I actually do wear, which thankfully isn't much. Going to have to do a bit of clothes shopping soon though. Ugh! I hate clothes shopping! That's one of the reasons why I wait until I actually need to replace things, along with not wanting to contribute to waste more than I need to. I'm at the point where I can't wait much longer with some things now though, unfortunately.

***~~~***

We got another baby gate.

We have a special stair gate at the top of our stairs, and a pressure fit one in the living room doorway. The stair one is so we can answer the door without the dogs escaping. The other one is so we can keep them out of the kitchen area when we're cooking, and give Joshua and Mollie a break from them in the evening. This new gate - also a pressure fit one - is for the computer room doorway, so they can be in there with me out of the way when Kelly's dealing with bringing the shopping in, and that kind of thing, so needs them to not be under foot.

I used to just pick Lilie up when that was happening. That worked fine with both of them at first too, while Logan was still tiny. Now Logan's getting bigger, it's more difficult for me to keep hold of both of them, since the way I have to hold both means I can't guarantee they can't jump out of my arms. I suppose I could put them on their leashes, which would keep them with me easily. But I feel kind of mean putting them on a leash if they're not going for a walk, and would only want to use that option if I had no other choice, or could be sure they could go for at least a short one right afterwards. Hence buying another baby gate, and being glad we have small-ish dogs, so baby gates work as barriers.

***~~~***

Avout two weeks ago - after having been kept busy elsewhere for the past few months - the repair guy came to do a few of the jobs in our building again, though not the ones in our place. Although, he did test the fire alarms, since they need to be tested regularly, and were due for that again. We wish he'd been here to fix that stupid skylight though.

Last week, we had him back here, but it wasn't for the skylight then either. It was because the cooker stopped working. Every time we tried to make dinner, it would blow the main fuse, and the electric would go off, only finally able to be turned back on again when we turned off the cooker.

So, we got a new cooker out of it.

At least, we half have, and eventually will. It should have been a quick replacement, but our cooker is one of those in two parts because it's built in to the kitchen units. They had the oven part in stock, so we had that replaced within 48 hours, but they didn't have the hob part in stock, so had to order it, and haven't made it back to install that yet. It meant we didn't have access to a cooker at all for two days, and have so far not had access to the hob part for about a week, which is a bit of a pain. Not to mention, I'm a bit annoyed that they said they'd be back, "Friday or Monday," to install the hob - which they said would be available for them to pick up on Thursday - and neither came back, or let us know they wouldn't be coming for whatever reason. If they weren't doing it on one of the promised days, they should have at least had the decency to let us know.

I'm happy about the result being a new cooker for us, since the one we had hasn't been all that great the whole time we've been here, so it was about time we got a new one, if you ask me. But I'm not too happy about the new hob still not being installed.

I'm starting to wish we'd moved after all...

Not to mention, I REALLY wish they'd fix that stupid skylight. Preferably before the Autumn and Winter storms show up. It's annoying enough with the Summer storms happening and it not having been fixed yet.

***~~~***

We've had some storms, some hot and sunny days, and some days where it's overcast but dry and warm. We really never know from one day to the next what the weather will be like, and sometimes it changes from hour to hour.

Luckily, Logan's getting better about tolerating the storms. Now he just wants to cuddle close during them, which is fine by me, since I happen to think cuddling up with a puppy listening to storms is a great way to spend your time. Of course, Lilie wants to get in on the cuddle time too. So, I end up curled up on the bed with Lilie and Logan, and get to enjoy the storm and puppy cuddles at the same time. Yep... Works for me!

#Crafting, Phone Upgrades, #Baking, Medical Mutterings, And Workmen

For those who like to know: my March Makerly box contained a sewing kit to make a March hare wall hanging... I think it's an embroidery kit, but it might be a basic sewing kit (I can't remember for sure).  Either way, I know I can tell you now, since I saw them announce it on Twitter last Wednesday. Anyway, I love how it said in the papers that tell you what you're making that it was a, "Completely cruelty free and vegan friendly trophy." I love that they thought about that.

Speaking of craft kits: no. I haven't finished the owl yet. I should have, but I haven't been working on it. It's kind of hard to finish something if you aren't working on it at all, as I'm sure you can appreciate. I'll get back to it soon.

In other news, the new modem for the internet arrived Tuesday some time, but we didn't set it up until the Wednesday. Although Tuesday was officially the day the system should have allowed the switch, it can be the evening before it does sometimes (in fact, officially it can be any time up until midnight of that night) so waiting until the following day gave us more chance we could guarantee they were ready, and reduced the chances we'd have to temporarily swap them back to continue going online. So, I'm not sure what time on Tuesday the system made the switch, but we had our new internet from last Wednesday, and everything went smoothly with switching it over. We unplugged the old one, plugged in the new one, and were good to go. That's what's meant to happen, so I'm glad it did. It does seem a bit faster, so that's nice. We also haven't lost connection, even during those potentially rocky first days when you sometimes - in fact, quite often - can while it adjusts and settles, which is even nicer. We're going to send the old modem back to them for recycling. They even gave us a baggy to put it in to send it back to them.

My new mobile phone arrived on Friday, like it was meant to. As I think I mentioned last week, it's a silver iPhone 6S. I need to get it a case though, since it won't fit in the one for my old phone. Anyway, it's just as well it came when it did, since my old one (the iPhone 4S) was playing up, and when I asked Kelly to help me do something with it, he said the screen was totally blank. Honestly, we're not entirely sure how it was even still talking, but we do know it's only the fact I was using Voice Over (the screen reader iPhones come with) that was enabling me to even still be using the phone at that point. So... Yeah... I cut that one pretty close, and would have been cutting it even closer still if I had to be able to see the screen to use it. I couldn't get texts for the first day I had my new phone though. Nothing wrong with the phone. We had them send out a new sim card, since the different models sometimes take different sims, and we weren't sure if my old phone's sim would work in the new one. The result being that I had to wait for the new sim to activate itself. They said it could take up to 24 hours, but is usually quicker. It wasn't quicker. It was longer. Partially my fault... I forgot to actually activate it at first. But all I could do was wait (at least, after I'd actually activated the new sim) since it would have had to be more than those 24 hours after I'd actually done the activation before they'd have looked in to it. While I waited, I got the settings all adjusted how I wanted them, grabbed my apps off the app store (since I had internet, because I could use the home internet, but didn't have service from the mobile provider) and that kind of thing. So at least the phone was good to go when it finally activated itself on Sunday afternoon. It would have been Saturday, had it not been Saturday morning before I realized I'd forgotten to go on their website to actually activate the new sim. Erm... Oops!

Anyway, speaking of Saturday: I did some more baking on Saturday. I made some brownies, which I knew Kelly really wanted me to make. He loves when I make brownies. But I also made a simple cinnamon cake, just because I felt like making one. I had Kelly take photos for those who might want to see them. They won't win prizes for presentation... Especially the brownies... But they tasted good, which is what matters most. Anyway, here they are:

(The brownies are in the first photo, and the cinnamon cake is in the second photo - both uncut).

In other news...

I'm feeling much better. I get the odd twinge of pain sometimes. But I'm not even taking Ibuprofen any more. Not even at night. I've got some on hand, just in case I need some - especially now I'm starting to do more, since it's past the six week point, so I'm allowed to - but I'm hopeful I won't need it any time soon. Doesn't hurt to have some available in case it's needed anyhow though. I almost needed some on Friday. Kelly helped me have a shower. Not easy, since we didn't want to push it with me stretching yet, and we also still don't have the shower curtain up, so he had to make sure to be careful how he directed the spray (as it is the floor got a bit of a wash too). But I haven't been able to risk climbing over the side of the bath for either a shower or a bath since before my surgery, and it was so totally worth it to feel properly clean for the first time in so many weeks!

Oh, speaking of medical stuff... We're finally making some progress with getting the council to come pick up those used needles. They have the paperwork this time, so are willing to approve a pick-up. I did have a bit of an argument with them over it though, because they wanted us to just leave the little plastic bins on the doorstep, and I refuse to do that. If they can be left in such an unsecure location, why do we need the paperwork to approve them being picked up? It's stupid! I'd have thought they'd want to make sure they changed hands securely, not leave them out there for potentially hours (they can come for them any time between 7:00am and 8:00pm, which means they could potentially be out there for more than 13 hours, assuming nobody comes and helps themselves to them in the meantime). I told them I'd be willing to leave them in our downstairs hallway, and be available from 7:00am to let them in the building to come in for them. But I'm not leaving them on the doorstep where anyone can help themselves to them. They reluctantly agreed, and are meant to be coming for them on Thursday. I don't see why they're so reluctant. Like I said, if it's so important to have proper paperwork to approve them being picked up, I'd have thought they'd want to make sure they change hands in a secure manner. I know I do. Anyway, let's hope they come pick them up on Thursday. Kelly will put them downstairs Wednesday night, so we just have to let them in the building, and in theory they don't have to come all the way upstairs, or wait while one of us goes down. But at least we'll know who's coming in to the building, so nobody can just run off with the stuff secretly.

Speaking of letting people in the building: the speaker for the buzzer thingy is still not reliable. Sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it doesn't. The button works, so we can let people in. We can also always hear them speaking. But they don't hear us all the time. The repair guys say they'll come replace our handset, since that's probably where the issue is. They haven't had a chance yet though. They've been back out on the roof, continuing to fix that.

The weather has been a lot nicer during the past week - we even had the windows open a couple of times - and the workmen have been out there every day. They seem to be trying to do a thorough job, so it's taking a while. Let's hope they really are doing as thorough a job as they appear - and claim - to be. Let's also hope they do as thorough a job as they promise to with checking for and repairing other issues in the building once they're done with the roof. It would be nice to have it all fixed.

#Mist Near The #Ocean, #Crafting, And Cushion Repair

It seems we've had several misty mornings and evenings recently. Kelly took the photos at the top of this post on November 16th. We've had plenty of frosty mornings and evenings too. Not to mention, the temperature has spent a lot of time not all that far above freezing. Still no snow though. Plenty of rain and wind. Even some hail. But no snow. At least, not in my area, though some parts of the UK have had some. If any of you who have been getting snow want to send some over to my place, please feel free to do so. Send as much as you like.

I forgot to mention that my November SewMine box arrived on my birthday. I'm certain they didn't plan that on purpose, but it was kind of cool that it happened. Anyway, November's kit is an owl sewing kit. I have an owl sewing kit I brought elsewhere too, but they're different. Not that I'd mind if they were the same, since I like owls anyhow. But I'm glad they're different.

My November box from Makerly arrived a few days later, which I also forgot to mention, even though it arrived during my birthday week (it arrived shortly before we were heading out on the Friday, so that was well timed). This month's kit for that is a robin needle felt kit. I'm going to work on that one once I've finished the Christmas mouse I'm currently working on, since I think it will be a nice addition to my Christmas decorations when it's done. I'm hoping to have it done by Christmas, but we'll see what actually ends up happening.

The Christmas mouse is coming along nicely, but not quite finished yet. The mouse himself is made. I'm just working on his outfit. There's a good chance he'll be finished in time for me to post a photo of him next week though. But don't hold me to that, just in case. There's a good chance, but I'm not making any promises.

There's progress with the table runner too. Just slower than planned, because of Kelly and I working on it together, and us both having other things we're working on. Luckily, we've got about 11 months before Halloween rolls around again. *wink*

Oh, and I ended up taking a bit of a break from doing the kits to mend a cushion cover. One of my Westie cushion covers, which are on the cushions that are on my chair in the livingroom, got a bit torn. I think Lilie caught it with her claws accidentally when she was playing. Probably one of the times she threw a bit of rawhide and it went down between the cushions, and she had to get it out. At least, it didn't look like her intentional chewing usually looks, so I'm pretty sure it was accidentally. I hope it was. Anyway, I fixed it, and it's luckily not in a place where it's obvious. Plus, people shouldn't be inspecting my cushions for darned places anyhow, and if they spot them should be glad I chose to repair it rather than throw it away. After all, you should always reuse, recycle, or repair, unless you really can't for some reason.

The only other thing I can think of that happened recently was two of the three birthday movies I'm owed showing up a couple of days ago. They were "Incredibles 2" and "Sherlock Gnomes" - just in case you're interested. There's one more to come, which probably won't be here for a couple of weeks yet, since I believe the official release date is December 10th. Oh, and I started Christmas shopping yesterday.

Of #StormEmma, Grandad, And #Space Littering (FD + Kinda R/WP)

There were a lot of weather warnings in the week that ended February and started March. I told you in my post from yesterday about the snow we had from February 26th to March 1st. But I didn't mention the red alert weather warning that was issued because "Storm Emma" was scheduled to hit some time on March 1st 2018, with warnings about not travelling unless you had no choice all over the news.

It was my Grandad's funeral on March 2nd.

It didn't happen sooner than that because my Uncle Patrick (the eldest of my Mam's siblings, and the one who was closest to Grandad) was away in Africa when Grandad died, and things had to be delayed until he could get home.

Anyway, I didn't go.

Not because of the weather though. I mean, I probably would have decided it was safer not to go with how the weather was anyhow, because it would have meant spending several hours on the 1st making a train journey across the South of England, from where I live in the South-East, to where a lot of the family lives - and my Grandad lived - in the South-West, and then hoping I could get back home again on the 3rd, after the storm had hopefully passed and finished causing any damage it was going to. But I'd already decided even before the first snowflake fell that I wouldn't be going to the funeral.

Funerals, in my opinion, are a chance for you to remember the person and say, "Goodbye."

Except, I feel like I already did that even before Uncle Patrick came home with what I posted on my blog.

Like I said in my post at the end of January, I wasn't close to Grandad. I didn't see a lot of him as a child, and saw him even less as an adult. I'm sad that he's gone, because he was my Grandad, and because death is always a sad thing. But I didn't feel I needed to be at his funeral.

Of course, then I felt guilty for being able to lay my Grandad to rest so easily, when I struggle with many memories of other things. I hate how my head works sometimes. I don't regret not going though. Like I said, I didn't feel I needed to be there. Even if part of me felt a bit guilty for feeling that way when it was my Grandad.

I actually wondered at one point if it would be rescheduled because of the weather. Do people do that with funerals? I actually don't know much about how these things work. Still, as I said, I wondered if it would be. It wasn't though, so a couple of people who had planned to be there ended up not managing to be, which is a shame.

As already mentioned, I'd have been staying home anyhow, because of the weather. Travelling so far would have been an ordeal for me without the added complication of snow and severe weather warnings. I wasn't really concerned about the storm itself as such. I'm not saying I didn't take it seriously: I kept an eye on weather reports for our area, and made sure we were fine for supplies for us and the furkids before it hit, etc. My main concern was in the fact that the UK tends to panic easily about weather warnings, and things get shut down at the slightest sign of severe weather, including long-distance transport options, bearing in mind that trains are unreliable in this country as it is. I didn't want to get stuck somewhere that wasn't my own home if this happened. Especially since I'd have had to go without Kelly, because he'd have had to stay home with Joshua, Mollie, Maizie, and Lilie.

I understand the concern. I really do. And, to be honest, I wouldn't think twice about them worrying so much if people were sensible about what they did. Most people rush out to empty the shelves of their nearest shops, which seems to be common all over the world in the event of severe storm warnings. Getting supplies is sensable. Unfortunately, people don't use sense when gathering said supplies. The shelves of canned and non-perishable items remain largely untouched, while supplies with short shelf lives - in particular things like milk - are brought in bulk, despite the fact they not only have short shelf lives to start with, but will last even less time if the power goes out and the fridge stops working. Buying extra milk and those kinds of things are logical if you're having extra guests visiting. For potential storm supplies... Not so much. If it was nuts, dried and canned fruit, or things like crisps (potato chips) and chocolate bars, that would make sense. If people were stocking up on extra bottled water or pop too, that would also make sense. The kinds of things people buy in their panic don't make sense. I think the whole country needs some tips on surviving storms, especially considering how many bad ones we've had in the past couple of years, because I think it's the lack of knowledge on what they should actually do - combined with the media offering no more advice than, "Stay indoors unless absolutely necessary" - that causes most of the UK to panic, make stupid choices when trying to prepare for a coming storm, and cause accidents in their attempts to do so. I heard several emergency vehicle sirens even before the bad weather actually hit. Most likely hurrying to deal with accidents caused by people who were rushing to do whatever they felt they should be doing before a storm. Accidents that may have been avoidable if people didn't panic so.

I'm not saying the UK is the only country that does it. It happens elsewhere too. I'm also not saying making sure people actually know what to do in the event of a storm will completely stop this kind of thing from happening. It won't. But I know the UK panics big time, and feel I can say this with confidence, having lived in a few different parts of the UK myself throughout my life, and witnessed it first hand. Storm survival tips wouldn't prevent it all, as I already said, but it might help. It may also reduce the number of deaths that actually occur during the storms. It may not. But wouldn't it be a good idea to try it and see? Wouldn't it be sensible to arm people with the knowledge they need to be safe in these situations? I know not everyone would listen to the advice. But if it saved even one life per storm, wouldn't it be worth it?

I know there's no way to completely avoid death from storms and other natural disasters. But I still think there are ways we could reduce the death tolls by being more prepared, and educating people better on how to be more prepared themselves. Not to mention, ways we could reduce the death tolls from manmade disasters. As I already said, I think it would be worthwhile putting in the time and effort required to educate the masses better... Even if it only saved some of the lives that might otherwise have been lost.

On a sort of related note...

While reading "Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery" at the end of last month, something occurred to me: mankind has hardly started to set foot in space, and we've already started littering up there.

While it's true that much of the space litter will be burned up during its time orbiting the Earth... At least, after a certain amount of time... That's not true of all of it. There are already satalites and things floating about up there, reminding me of scenes of rusted old washing machines and prams, left in gardens because nobody could be bothered to arrange for their proper disposal.

So, even as we praise the efforts of people like Trash Girl here on Earth, we're littering in not only our own backyards and streets, but also the galactic highways of space.

It's taken polution levels increasing a lot to make people start becoming aware that something needs to be done about littering here on Earth, and even then many people still don't care. What will it take to make people find an alternative to littering in space too? Considering how life-threateningly dangerous floating debris is in space, I hope a solution to this space littering is created before we have to find out!

Anyway... Returning to the topic of the storm...

I know Storm Emma caused chaos and damage in some areas: it was mentioned on the bits of news I caught. But in my immediate area it only seemed to be freezing temperatures that felt even colder than they were because of the strong gusts of icy wind. At least, I didn't hear of anything worse than that in my immediate area, despite predictions of gale force winds, more snow, etc. By the morning of March 2nd, the weather warning had changed to an amber alert, and - as I already said - we didn't actually get anything worse than a very cold and blustery day. Also, a lot of my snow was gone by the morning of March 2nd, and more disappeared throughout that day, with no more falling to replace it.

March 3rd was another day with temperatures below freezing, but still no more snow. That day started out with really thick fog though. But that had mostly cleared by mid morning. Since then it's been cold, but nothing interesting has happened weather wise. In other words, no more snow or storms.

Celebrating My Birthday 2017 (FD)

I had a birthday.

Well, actually, I've had several birthdays, what with being in my 30s and all. But I'm talking about the fact I had one recently. Two weeks ago, to be exact.

We'd planned on celebrating by going out for lunch at Oscar's (the new Southern style place that opened on the seafront earlier in the year). Unfortunately, it seems they've closed for the season, so that wasn't an option, and it was too cold to go to one of the places where we can sit outside with Lilie (Lilie is actually allowed in Oscar's, so it being cold wouldn't have been an issue). So we ordered pizza instead. Then we went in to town the next day so I could have a McDonalds milkshake. I'm not a fan of the food at McDonalds. They don't have much in the way of options for vegetarians, my choice is limited even more by the fact most of their vegetarian options are far more spicy than I like, and I don't think what they do actually do that I'll eat tastes all that great. However, I absolutely love their milkshakes. So Kelly grabbed us a milkshake each, and we sat and drank them somewhere else while enjoying burgers - or, in Lilie's case, a hot dog - from a place in the middle of town that does a veggie burger they call a "crunchy veg" that I really enjoy. It was still pretty cold out, but the outside tables in that area were more sheltered, so it wasn't quite so bad. Plus, McDonalds milkshake...

Anyway, I had absolutely loads of birthday messages, phonecalls, etc... Thanks for those, by the way. I had a few cards too.

These two are from my Dad and my Nan (Dad's Mother):

The one from Nan is the one with the stitched writing on it, and the butterfly one is the one from Dad. My Dad did both the writing and the butterfly on his card with a cool new toy he has. It's a special pen that works something like a combination between a 3D printer and a normal pen, so it makes tactile writing or shapes out of a sort of plastic stuff. Really cool in general, and very useful for him for making cards for me and my brother, Carl (since both of us are blind).

With these next two, the one with the birds on it is from our friends, Lorna and Andy, and the other one is from my Grandma (Mam's Mother) and her Yorkshire Terrier, Jayde Bramblerose:

As for these last two, one is from my Mam, the other is from Rita and her kitty, Annie:

As for what I had for my birthday...

I mostly got books and DVDs, as well as some money I used to buy more books and DVDs. Because you can never have too many of either in my opinion. But I also got these soap flowers from my Mam:

And these soaps and bath salts that Nan made when she tried out soapmaking in a craft group she was involved in for a while:

Plus, I was meant to get this cutting board last Christmas. It's made from recycled wood, and has the word "Bara" on it. Bara, for those who don't know, is the Welsh word for bread. Anyway, it was made by a friend of Dad's girlfriend at the time, but left with Dad to give to me. Except it arrived too late for last Christmas, so he sent it to me for my birthday instead. So, here it is:

He also sent me this cute little seahorse, complete with a shell for it to go in, and a starfish and dolphin to keep it company. This was one of those "I saw it and thought of you" type presents, and he thought of me because it combines my love of horses with my love of the ocean. Plus, it's cool because I like having things to play with while thinking when writing, or while listening to things; my hands sometimes get bored if I'm listening to something and don't have something to fiddle with. Anyhow, here's the seahorse and the bits that came with it:

There was cake too, of corse. Kelly picked me up one of the lemon drizzle cakes our local bakery does, which I really love. That cake is becoming my traditional birthday cake. Not that I'm complaining. Haha!

So, that was my birthday. Perhaps not the most exciting of birthdays, but I enjoyed it, and that's all that matters, right?

Oh, and... No. I don't feel any older. But then, that's hardly surprising, since I feel physically older than my actual age most of the time - we won't go in to details about my mental age. *wink*

Thank you again to those who sent me anything. Whether it was a card, a present, a birthday message, or some combination of those things. I appreciate all gestures - great or small.

Finding simplicity in this modern world of chaos (FD)

Do you sometimes find yourself longing for those days when things were simpler?

With all the shiny new types of modern technology, and the apparent need to always be rushing around, it can often be easy to become over-whelmed, and difficult to find the time to slow down and take a good look at the world around you. Not to mention how tricky it can be to find some quiet time amid the hum of machinery, buzz of traffic, and roar of voices, all competing to be heard in this chaotic modern world we live in.

It's even worse this time of year, when every company that exists is fighting to get us to make their products our choices for Christmas gifts for our loved ones.

So, here are some tips for getting control back, and for finding some simplicity and quiet time amid the chaos.

First of all, here are 9 steps to take control of your day, which will help you with juggling the multitude of tasks you need to fit in to your day. Deanna has plenty of other posts that you might be interested in too.

So, how can you live simpler in this modern world? Well, here are 7 tips that may work for you, and here's a list of five tips you can use to start living a simple life.

Now, when you hear the word "frugal" you probably think of minimalist living, where you have only the bear essentials. That's not the case though. The simple fact is that being frugal really means being sensible, not living beyond your means, and thinking seriously about whether you really need something or just want it to keep up with the joneses, so to speak. So, to help you out, here's some old wisdom for modern frugal living, and 16 ways to save money and live frugally.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please bear in mind that not all of the tips in the above links will work for everyone. Take the ones that will work for you, and disregard those that simply aren't an option in your case. In other words, find and follow your own path to living more simply and peacefully amid the chaos of this modern world.

What about my own tips? I'm sure you'd like to know what advice I'd give myself? After all, isn't getting my opinion on things at least a part of the reason you're reading this post? Surely you come to my blog to get my opinions on things sometimes? I thought so! OK... Here are my tips for finding simplicity in this modern world of chaos:

1. Schedule some "you" time every day.
This is the most important one, in my opinion. Everyone needs some "you" time. "You" time can be time to do anything that's just for you and relaxes you. Whether that's a daily meditation, a quiet cup of your favourite beverage sipped slowly with no interruptions, or something else. Doing this will give you an oppertunity to recharge, so to speak, and will make facing the rest of your day that bit easier. If you want to go with meditation, there are plenty of guided meditations available online, or you can buy a CD or something. To get you started, check out the daily meditation challenge that Deanna is doing... Click here for day 1!

2. Make a "to do" list, and mark those items that are priorities.
Either first thing in the morning, or before you go to bed the night before, figure out a "to do" list for your day, and make sure to circle or otherwise mark those items that are priorities so you can get those done first. Or, if you write the list on a computer or tablet, rearrange the list when you're done so that you put the most important items at the top of your list, then you can just work your way down it.

3. If you run out of hours in your day, don't panic.
The whole point of marking the most important items on your list is to make sure you get the ones that "must" be done completed. If the less important ones don't get done, it's no big deal. Stressing over not having done them isn't going to help anyone, so don't do it. If they're things it's important you do soon, mark them as priority items on tomorrow's list, otherwise just add them to the list again tomorrow and try again to fit them in.

4. It's OK to say "no" sometimes.
One of the biggest causes of stress is when you take on more tasks than you can handle. So, if you don't have the time to do it, say so. It's better for you to disappoint someone from the start, than to either get so stressed out you have a melt down, or rush the job and not do it properly. Alternatively, if it's something you really want to do, but you have a lot going on right now, ask the person if you can have a longer, or more flexible, deadline to work to.

5. Keeping up with the 'Jones' isn't essential.
Just because everyone else has the new must have item, doesn't mean you have to have it. This especially applies if you don't really have the income to support the buying of the new must have items every time they come out. But, whether you can afford it or not, that doesn't mean you have to buy it. Think about whether you really do want or need it, avoid impulse buys, and always choose functionality over fashion.

6. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and if it is then see if it can be fixed before throwing it out and buying a new one. Also, bear in mind that leftovers make good meals, jars and containers can be used for other things once their original contents are used up, and plenty of people are happy to take second hand items off your hands if they're in good condition. Also, bear in mind that it can be a lot easier to not only keep your home tidy, but also find things when you need them, if you don't have to navigate piles of clutter. So, clear out your clutter, and arrange proper places for things to get put away, and then remember to put them away in their proper places when you're done with them. It might be a lot of work initially, but it wil make things a lot simpler later on... Trust me!

7. If you can, make it yourself.
This especially applies to food, but not exclusively. More often than not, it works out cheaper to make things yourself. Not to mention the fact you can be sure of everything that goes in to your meal if you make it from scratch. Of course, you may not feel you have the skills to make everything from scratch, or it might be time you don't have, and that's fine. However, in most cases it doesn't take much more time or effort to make things from scratch as it does to use the store brought version. So, if you can do it yourself, you really should; it will save you money, and it's healthier. Plus, I happen to think that homemade food usually tastes better. At the very least, buy things to make meals at home, rather than having take-away all the time.

I'm not saying I do a great job of doing these things, but they're the tips I'd give, anyway, and they're things I try to do.

Have any tips of your own? Share them below.

Activity Ideas For A Family Mabon (FD)

Have a potluck feast with a group of friends and loved ones to celebrate the abundance of the season. Feel the warmth of being part of a community.

Adopt someone in a nursing home. As a family, take your special person baked goodies and colored pictures. Read them books or tell them stories.

Walk around your neighborhood picking up garbage. Do what you can to improve your home and prepare for winter.

Go toLook at old family photo albums or scrapbooks. Try to tell stories about each person in the pictures.

Leave an apple on the grave of an ancestor. Cut an apple in half to showyour children the star inside. This is a reminder that all life is renewed in some way.

Bake cored apples filled with butter and cinnamon as a special treat.

Create decorations for your front door out of colored leaves, pinecones,nuts, acorns and Indian Corn bundles.

Take a walk in a wild place. Gather seedpods and dried plants.

Sing songs and talk about all the things you've done over the summer. Make plans for the winter.

Honor the birds and small animals in the wilderness or by your home by making a birdfeeder or mandala filled with seeds and grain.

Make rattles out of empty gourds and sunflower seeds or seeds collected from nature walks. Use the rattles to make music or scare away bad dreams.

Look at your family habits and figure out what you can do to improve your conservation habits. Can you use less water or recycle more of your garbage?

(Taken from here).