News from the hibernaculum

 Life is rather more indoors now, especially as I have caught a cold.  That wasn't my best idea of the season but as has often been said, stuff happens.

I've been staying in since Sunday and really haven't felt like doing much.  My birthday cards are still up and I feel that the cards and the candles make for a cheery note in my sitting room.  I shall soon fringe the scarves which you can see piled up, and then they can go off to the Salvation Army in Grimsby.  I don't feel up to card making or sewing but I'm picking up my knitting occasionally.

The only thing I feel like eating is toast and Marmite.  And, sad to say, instant soups.  Getting soup out of the freezer has felt too much like hard work but may happen today or tomorrow.  

And I'm compiling an order for some roses, including one called "The Country Parson" which is a gift from Jack.  Thank you Jack but don't think that is the only one you will be planting.  

Not sure why I am writing this post

 as I don't know whether anyone can read it!  

There is a problem on Blogger at the moment.  (I know, there's often a problem on Blogger.)  This time it's the blog feed which isn't happening.  I am being notified of very few blog posts and I'm not even notified of my own posts!  I don't think many people are being notified of my posts as I have less than ten per cent of my usual number of page views.

Other people are complaining that they can't post comments on the blogs they read. 

So, please bear with the bloggers on Blogger.  We are doing our best.

A word from Japan

Yutori, as "The Gifts of Winter" tells me, is a Japanese word meaning space or room to breathe.  

Winter is a good time to slow down, forget rushing (especially when Christmas has been and gone) and appreciate the world around us.  That sounds like the very essence of winter in my hibernaculum.  It's a time of very deliberate slowing down and making sure my body and soul are comfortable with each other.  

The Japanese even have the concept of yutori education, with more integrated study time and less curriculum content. The aim is to balance intellectual, moral, and physical education.  

Problems

 

Not so much about the meaning of life but the practicalities of life.  In particular, the practicalities of blogging.  

I seem to have great difficulty with font sizes.  I can prepare a whole post in "compose" so that the font is the same throughout only to find that it does weird things when I publish (or preview).

It's getting difficult to line up text and pictures.  Everything looks hunky dory when I use the compose view but it's very different when I preview.

Worst of all I can click publish, it makes the right signals that the post has been published but it doesn't appear in my reading list for several hours.  On Monday I published around 6.30am but by mid-afternoon I'd had only about eight page views so I amended the post (added a couple of spaces) and "updated".  The page views then leapt forward.

Is anyone else struggling?  Any strategies to suggest?

February and March

The number of posts I managed in February wasn't exactly stellar.  Just the one.

For me January and February are usually difficult months and 2025 ran true to form.  Early in the month I woke one morning with incredible pain in my leg, worse than when I was waiting for the knee replacement.  Jim and Sheena, one of my cousins, managed to borrow a wheelchair so I could get to the car, and between them they took me to the doctor.  Strong pain killer and physiotherapy.  I felt more than a little light headed while taking pain relief but eventually everything settled down.

That had eased when I had a "digestive episode".  You don't want/need to know any more.  Except that things were a little miserable for several days until that settled.  

So, my post on being OK (which I wrote between these two incidents) was very necessary and hearing that lots of other people are also surviving by being OK was very comforting.  Thank you to everyone who commented.

I have high hopes for March!  I'm starting the month with eight days dog sitting which is going well.  When I get home I am looking forward to pottering around my garden and making a few plans.  Jack and one of his friends are coming for tea one day so I have to be on my very best behaviour and I have high hopes that his friend will make sure Jack is on his best behaviour too.  

The weather here is gloriously sunny at the moment so I may take advantage of that with a couple of days out.

And with good luck and a following wind I may get a few more blog posts written.

In praise of Dave

 

Smart meters have been a bit of a saga for me.  I'm quite motivated by "numbers" so I wanted them.  

My first one was fitted about six years ago when I was with Eon.  It wouldn't "talk" to EDF when I changed so it was changed to new ones which would talk to neither my supplier nor my in-home display.  And EDF couldn't fix it and refused to replace it so I had a dumb meter.  Eventually EDF was so bad I complained to the ombudsman and got some compensation but no new meter.

A few months ago I changed to British Gas.  They have been very keen to sort the situation.  The electricity meter was swapped before Christmas but there was a problem with the gas meter.  Today Dave arrived.

What a perfect gent Dave is!  He arrived with overshoes and immediately showed his identification.  He chatted but left me to eat my breakfast in peace.  He noticed that there was a bag of rubbish waiting to go to the bin and took it there for me, realising that I might be worried for my safety in this ice weather. There was a considerable problem in changing the meter but he persevered and it is now up and running.  He not only explained the in home display but he also told me about the app and gave me useful energy saving advice.  A wonderful ambassador for his company.  

I know we all have problems with different suppliers but wouldn't it be wonderful if they all employed Daves?  

F is for Fitness - or not!

Often in the winter I struggle with the blues but that hasn't really been so this year.  'Orrible inertia, yes.  The blues, no.  What I have struggled with is physical fitness.

At the beginning of the year, I was walking around the block most days but alas! no more.  This year the cold has affected me more than I can ever remember.  If I get cold, I take several hours to get warm no matter what I do.

And the cold has affected my joints.  The batmobile looks very tempting at the moment!  On good days I get around the house unaided but I've needed my stick a few times recently.

But, all that is better than the winter blues!  I'm happy to phone friends, zoom a bit, sort my stuff and be cheerful.  I'm making myself get out of the chair a couple of times each hour and Fitbit tells me I'm doing around 2000 steps on the better days.  I'm cooking.  I led worship yesterday.  

I may not be fit (to be honest, I'm definitely not fit) but life looks pretty good.

I is for Ingenuity

It's going to take a little effort to think of topics for each letter of the alphabet (although Sue is steaming through them!) and Imagination and Ingenuity will be called for.

But there is huge satisfaction in using ingenuity to solve a problem!  I enjoy solving sudoku and crossword puzzles but they cannot compete with the satisfaction I find in thinking of a substitute for an ingredient needed for a recipe but absent from my cupboard.  Or finding a route to avoid roadworks.  Or making do and mending rather than going out and buying more stuff.  

There is such satisfaction in a lightbulb moment!  When one has almost felt defeated by a problem and suddenly a solution pops into one's head and it really works!  Roll on lightbulb moments!

Now, I wonder if a little ingenuity could help me find a subject for J?  Somehow, I don't think that will be too difficult!  (Somebody has been dropping hints!)

An Unanticipated Difficulty

 I thought I had it well planned.  I recorded midday temperatures for nearly a year before I started to knit my scarf and found we had a range of 1C to 30C here in Caistor.  I bought thirty one colours, reasoning that if things got very hot I would use my final colour for any day at 31C or higher.

But 2022 beat all records and we had 40C on 19th July.  I wanted to mark that on my scarf.  What to do?  I didn't want to buy ten more colours, but to use just one for everything above 30C seemed inadequate.

So I compromised.  I took the extra colour I had bought and used it for 31C to 35C, bought an extra colour for 36C to 39C and used white for that one day at 40C.  

And yesterday I got my knitting right up to date.

I think I might be on the naughty list

 because it's such a long time since I blogged. 

I was doing quite well on blogging my Christmas preparations then things went pear shaped.  I've still be preparing for Christmas but not blogging.

First of all the sewing machine had a major hissy fit.  So I tried to phone the nice little man who services my machine.  But he had closed down during the pandemic.  So I had to find a new nice little man.  Who (of course) was further away.  And he works only two days a week.  So off I went and delivered my machine.

And on the way back the windscreen wipers broke down.  This is not the season to be without windscreen wipers (and it's illegal anyway).  So I contacted the garage and they were fully booked.  But they fitted me in as I have been a customer for over twenty years.  But the part wasn't in stock.  And parts are (like everything else) a bit difficult to obtain at the moment.  So I had to wait a few days for parts.  When they came it was a two hour job with a correspondingly high bill.

And when I went to fetch my machines (I'd taken in two) the bill was also high so bang went the December budget.

And then I caught "the" cold.  It seems as though everyone who has caught a cold recently has said it's about the worst they've ever had and I would endorse that.  Over two weeks later I am still coughing for Britain.  It has really knocked me out

Those are my excuses.  But I'm hoping you will allow me to claim that I am

PS I'll post about some of my Christmas sewing later.

That was July, what about August?

 I've been doing my report about me and to me for July so now you get the edited highlights.  Sorry about that. 

The month seems to have been dominated by the saga of the shower. although I haven't blogged much about it.  I am waiting for an assessment by an Occupational Therapist before my landlord will install a wet room but OT has quite a backlog so it could be a Very Long Wait.  I had a shower which was a little unpredictable(!) but I was prepared to tolerate it until I could get the bathroom sorted completely,  However, on 3rd July I didn't have a shower, I had a dramatic waterfall which was flooding the bathroom so I turned off the water completely and reported the problem.  My landlord had a plumber here within an hour,   The faulty shower was removed and the water supply turned on again.  For the next couple of weeks I visited friends a couple of times a week for a good shower and between times "made do".  Anyway, a shower has now been fitted but I still await the OT assessment.

The garden has been lovely this month especially as I have been getting spring onions, potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes.  I am especially pleased with the potatoes which taste delicious.  What's even better is that the spuds Jack has been growing at home have been rubbish so I have been able to give him some of mine.  One up to me.

I've ventured out a little more than I have for over a year.  I went to a local café but ate outside.  I've seen my spiritual counsellor for the first time in eighteen months.  I've visited a friend in a residential home.

I've been decluttering.   Big Time.  The biggest thing to go was a freezer but my felting machine and loads of clothes and household items have also gone.  The departing clothes are particularly exciting as I have lost weight!  Yay!

And between all that excitement I've done sewing for a friend, I've got started on my Christmas cards and I've been preparing photobooks for printing.

I don't know yet what August will bring.  Card making, sewing, a few days out - they're all possibilities.  Bring it on!

Adjusting 10 - a plea

 I've been rather secluded for over 400 days now so I've done all the adjusting I need to do to cope with seclusion!  I'm beginning to think more about adjusting to going out instead.

I've had a bit of a whammy on that front though.  Back in February I got very excited when I was vaccinated.  Whoopee, I thought.  I'll soon be immune to this wretched virus.

Wrong.

Back in July 2020 I wrote about being part of a survey for the Office for National Statistics and having swab and blood tests on a regular basis to see if I have (or have had) Covid.  I'm still having the tests and my blood should now show that I have developed antibodies as I have been vaccinated.  Unfortunately both the tests which have been done since I had my jab (Pfizer, if you're interested) do not show that antibodies have developed.  

So suddenly I feel vulnerable again.  

If you are wondering whether or not to have the vaccine, please have it.  There are others for whom vaccination will not work and we rely on as many people as possible to do their bit so the virus can be eliminated.

 

Jack isn't a happy bunny

 

He has got shingles and isn't happy.

He was due to get his covid vaccine today and has had to postpone.

Get well soon, Jack!

(Jack will see your comments but cannot reply to them.)

Adjusting 7

 'Ere the winter storms begin.  Actually, it's not storms which are bothering me this year, it's boredom!  Every year I get the winter bleughs and as I think this year it may well be worse than ever, I need to prepare now.

At the moment I am making some very small visits out.  I've been to our veg stall in the market place a couple of times, I've visited a few friends and taken advantage of their gardens to chat while the weather has been OK, and I've even visited a few cousins in their homes.  Soon however, all that will stop as winter weather drives us all indoors and my own preference for safety means that I stay very isolated.  I may be looking at six months of being on my todd.

So I need to look after myself, not just by staying out of harm's way but by being well prepared for worse than usual winter bleughs.  I'm thinking of getting a SAD lamp and wondered if anyone has tried them?  One of the big problems of being alone is motivating oneself to cook healthy meals so I'm cooking soups and stews to freeze.  

And I'm trying to think of treats.  I shall make sure I have freshly ironed bedding even more than usual.  I shall paint my nails!  I shall order flowers to be delivered to me.  I shall plan on giving other people small treats - that bucks me up too.  I shall wear my favourite perfume even though only I will smell it.

So, anybody got any more ideas about small treats?  

Jack's Back!

Hi everyone, it's me again.  Hope you're all keeping safe and well.

First I must tell you a funny thing which happened to someone we all know.  I won't mention any names because I don't like embarrassing anyone but this person is  a very good friend to me (and I hope she still will be when I've told you this story) and oh, she's also a retired Vicar.  Just lately we've had some very warm weather and it's been very hot at night.  Well one night this person decided to open her bedroom window before she went to bed to let some cool air in.    After leaving the window wide open she went back to the sitting room.  After ten minutes she was startled to see a cat walk into the room.  The air turned blue and so did the language.  I've waited years for the Vicar to swear and I missed it!  But she told me word for word what had happened so yes, I did hear her swear.  I thought it was funny, and Thank You, Lord, for making her so human.  Since then the big window has stayed shut. 

While I'm on the subject of windows, on my last visit I was asked to clean the front windows as the last time they were cleaned was when I did it three and a half years ago.  I felt so sorry for The Vicar she drew the curtains and the track fell down but at least she could see out of the window now.  I haven't been going into people's houses because of Covid 19 but she has a cousin who has PPE so he got suited and booted and fixed the track.  Thank you, Cousin C!

What a nice surprise I got last Sunday - a roast beef Sunday dinner followed by jam roly-poly, all from a local restaurant!  Someone put my name forward so I got a free dinner.  I was nominated because of the care and compassion I showed looking after Mrs Jack for the last two years but I did that out of love. I fell in love with her the first time I met her and I stayed that way for the next 53 years.  It was our fifty second wedding anniversary last Monday. The person who put my name forward is a nurse on the front line taking care of people so N , please stay safe – we don’t want you to be poorly.  We couldn’t manage without you.  Thank you for thinking of me.

I'm not coping so well at the moment but the Vicar and I ring each other every morning.  Much to her delight she's caught me in the bath, on the loo and in a few other interesting places. 

The Vicar likes to know what I'm having for my meals.  The other day I had salad and I didn't have any coleslaw.  She told me to make my own and told me the recipe.  I hadn't got some of the ingredients so I did Jack's way.  I cut a crinkly cabbage into small chunks, grated a couple of carrots, diced a raw onion and (here it comes) I chucked it all into a bowl.  I hadn't got any mayonnaise so instead I used salad cream and two sachets of tomato sauce which Mr Wetherspoon had donated and my was it good!   It went on King Prawns, corned beef, lettuce, more raw onion, beetroot, peppers and celery.  I put Rice Crispies on top just to make it look good.  Hope your mouths are watering.  If any of you come for one of my meals make sure you bring the Gaviscon with you.  I'm taking bookings for Christmas.  What will that turn out like?

Other news.  I'm getting the Vicar's garden into some sort of order.  Just so you all know what a kind person she s, she's offered to sew the hem on my trousers up as that's a skill I haven't acquired yet.

The Vicar is having a rough time this year.  First my brother died then Mrs Jack and last Saturday the Vicar's auntie died and another of her friend's is none too good.  I hope I can help with her problems by being Jack, the man who likes to make people smile and be happy.  That gives me great joy.

Please be careful and look after yourselves.

PS  Margaret.  My friend lives at Fielding, North Island

Note from The Vicar.  When Jack came he brought me these lovely roses.  He went home with a rather more conventional coleslaw, some braised red cabbage, and a loaf of bread. 

And newly hemmed trousers.

Adjusting 4

Part of Glentworth Vicarage Garden

For many years I have paid people to help me with various jobs.  When I lived in a vicarage I had a large garden and Jack came and helped me there and he continued to come for several years when I moved to Caistor.   When he was no longer able to come Pete-the-gardener-and-handyman came instead.

Part of my present garden

But Pete can't come now.  His children are at home and he's needed there so this year I am going to have to look after the garden (at least for a few months) by myself.  And that will not be easy.  I can't kneel to weed, I can't dig and my strength is very limited.

And quite honestly I don't know how I'm going to manage but manage I must.  Maybe when the lock-down is relaxed Pete will come which would be my best case scenario.  I've got a raised bed which I may be able to sort for myself.  I've invested in weed killer to deal with as much of the problem as I can.  I shall just have to do my best.

Annie my home-enhancer won't be coming to clean for me either.  I shall flick a duster and push a vacuum cleaner but the windows won't get cleaned and the furniture won't be moved.  Both Annie and Pete will be welcomed back with open arms when they do come!

But there are those who have far more problems than me.  Many are not getting their usual visits from carers and other people who add to their comfort.  My adjustments will be comparatively simple.

Update.  I've had a message from Jack.  Long time readers will know all about Jack but I've put a label below so everyone can find out about him.   He's got big family responsibilities now but wishes he could help me as well!  Anyway, he wants me to thank everyone who has sent their good wishes.  He thinks my blog readers are great!  If you comment he will read it but can't reply.

Random acts of kindness

I regret to say that once again I am not having a good week.  Sorry to burden you with this but that's how it is.

Once again I have electrical problems which are probably something to do with last  Sunday's storm.  I won't bother you with the details but suffice it to say that I've parked the freezer in the middle of the kitchen because I am so fed up with moving it to a working socket and putting it back every time there's a problem.  Yet another electrician is booked.  (Someone has already been to make sure all is safe but the on going problem has to be resolved.)

My other problem started well before the storm.  My broadband connection drops out repeatedly.  This means that I can't get my subscription channels on TV.   (I can still get Freeview)

But I've called this post Random Acts of Kindness.  I think that's one of the loveliest phrases to enter our language in recent years.  (Another is "paying it forward" - much better than feeling we need to pay back.)  Yesterday I was on the receiving end of such an act of kindness.  As you can see these mini daffs aren't quite out yet so I will continue to enjoy them for a while to come and then they will be planted in my garden. So much joy!

The Ghost of Storm Ciara.

My armchair was so comfortable.  I fetched an extra throw and curled up as I listened to the storm raging overhead and felt grateful that I didn't need to go out again.

But from somewhere in the house I could hear a slow, ghostly drumbeat.  Eerie.  It needed investigation.  It seemed to be coming from the kitchen so being a brave woman I went through and waited for whatever apparition would come.  The drumbeats ceased.

I returned to my sitting room and relaxed but a few minutes later there it was again.  Drum.  Drum.  Drum.  My nerves were now on edge.  But I steeled myself.  I'm stronger than whatever "it" was.  Back to the kitchen and my lonely watch.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when again the drumbeat came.  Something had a cheek in doing its ghostly thing while I was there.

But when the next beat came I had to giggle.  Water was coming in over a window and dripping on to the lid of a Tupperware box.

Which may or may not explain why the electrics again failed yesterday.  But it is my explanation for the G & T I then consumed.

Not just joy - sheer bliss!

Last week it seemed like I had one disaster after another.  Electrical failure (twice). no heating, no broadband, no landline. broken freezer, flattened fence and a bump on my head. Add to this the disruption caused water from a damaged radiator in the dining room because of water damage and  I think I did quite well to keep smiling.  

But things are looking up.  Last week I replaced the freezer.  Today the heating engineer came and discovered that all the electrical problems stem from a faulty pump so that has been replaced.  He also did the annual safety check on all the gas appliances.  My landlord has responded to my letter concerning the fence and has agreed to replace it.  The carpet in the dining room has been replaced at my insurer's expense.

And time will reduce the bruising on my face.    

Trust me, this feels like bliss.

Still swimming - but only just!

I really thought very little else could go wrong!  But somehow fate had its plans.

The freezer.  I think that a freezer is the most inconvenient appliance to die as it is totally non-negotiable.  All too often one realises that it has died only when it's too late to do anything about it.  Fortunately I realised before my food was ruined and I did a very quick transfer of stuff to the old chest freezer in the garage.  

An urgent replacement was needed so I rang a local small business from whom I've bought stuff before and I explained the problem.  The lady was very sympathetic - she didn't think they could deliver today but she'd see what could be done.  So off I drove to Market Rasen.

I saw The Boss and again explained the problem and he had a word with The Man.  I quickly chose a freezer, paid and came home.  My first call to them had been at 1.30pm and by 3.15pm the freezer was working in in my kitchen.  I call that excellent service and a letter will shortly be winging its way to The Boss.  

Another minor niggle has been that the clock fell off the wall and hit me on the head while I was sorting the freezer.  I will admit to a couple of tears as it came a bit sharp but I'm not really hurt.  And part of the fence has blown over.  

I am becoming a somewhat jaded swan but I endeavour to keep swimming serenely.