Blooming marvelous

This is stunning, sad to see the bloom broken,

 I found a few on the ground, it has been very windy again. 

Outside. 

In the greenhouse. 

New plants

Fruit crumble anyone? 

I have done very little for the past few days, I picked up a tummy bug, and have been feeling yucky for days, hubby has looked after me, as he always does, trying to tempt me with food and loads of drinks. 

Yesterday I managed a walk around my garden and greenhouse, it rained in the morning but cleared into a nice but windy day. By tea time I needed to get out of the house, so the garden called. I even did a bit of dead heading.

In these strange times I found it difficult to be ill, I was over thinking everything, no I didn't have a cough or temperature, but I was unwell and I have been away from home. How did I feel, should I call the doctors and seek a test, we did decide to stay at home with no visitors, and not seek any test. But it is difficult, we are both at an age where we would not want the virus, but just because we don't want it, does not mean we can't get it. We have no plans for this week, stay at home together, I am now sure it was just a bug. On the positive side I have lost 3 pounds in weight, which is great as my weight loss had stalled. The bruises from my tumble last week have changed from blue and purple down to yellow and are almost gone. So this morning I am hoping I'm back to my normal self, that's not to say I think I am normal, in truth I'm not sure what normal is. 

On your marks

I have list everywhere,  I am a list maker

If not on paper then in my head, once it is on a list it's rare it is forgotten. 

Most of the items for Christmas has a tick against it.

Freezer - our freezer is full, we have purchased larger joints of meat on special, which we have cut in half and frozen, we have enough supplies in the freezer to last most of January.
Fridge - Is also full of items with a good date, cheeses, pate's, we always go to Somerset for the New Year, so we don't want anything not ate going off when we are away, plus we do take items to my brothers.
Fresh - So far we have sprouts cut ready to cook in the freezer, Lidl had their veg on special this week, our veg box is full, we have soups to make. We will get the late stuff from our local Co-op, we have saved £49 in points on their loyalty card, plus hubby was sent £50 of vouchers ( he retired from the Co-op a few years ago), so it will be a five minute walk to do last minute shopping, at a price we love free of charge. Monies left over will help in January.
Baking - Hubby does the baking, he will makes another batch of mince pies and sausage rolls, the first batch is almost gone, our friends know his baking skills are fantastic, so we get loads of people dropping in swapping cards and enjoying a mince pie with coffee. My baking was the cake which is ready for Christmas tea time.
Christmas - Everything is sorted, presents have been given, stocking fillers ready for the big night (everyone who has a bed in our house on Christmas Eve has a stocking in the morning).
This is the best run up to Christmas ever, most of our shopping was done early on a weekday, early December so no crowds, we have given most of our children and grandchildren cash for presents, not the best, but they have so much it is hard to know what to get them, plus most of what they want is far more expensive than we can afford.
I have been busy, sorting cupboards in our kitchen, and I am so very pleased with myself, I have pulled out the pots and packets, not as many as in previous years, we try not to eat process foods, so now we store different things than before. The reason I am so pleased is I had nothing out of date, so nothing to throw away, normally I would find a few things tucked in the back corner. We have been fighting waste all year, and use everything fresh without waste. Plus the cupboards are not overfull with stuff we might use.

 Su, Will and I popped into town on Tuesday, M&S had their Christmas decorations reduced, so two red and two green, £2 instead if £4 each. We had lunch at a local garden centre after seeing the raindeer.

I finished the two Christmas stockings, one for Will and a marching spare for a couple of years time( baby brother or sister) my brother, Martin arrived yesterday for a long break with us, so Christmas has started in our house.

Lovely things

12 Days of Christmas, 

it's a lovely gift swap run each year by Jo

 My swap from Debbie

  A great mixture of gifts

I hope you liked the ones I sent to you
we are already using the meal planner and shopping list pads.

My wool has arrived, its Baby Alpaca Silk, so very soft to touch

and double ended needles for socks, the various size pack was economical. 

 Two new books,

B A Paris, is a new author, I liked the sound of this book

Sharon Bolton, I have read another title, so my expectations are high.

I have started knitting a baby jacket in the black alpaca wool, I am knitting the side back and side as one piece, which I prefer for baby jackets, the colour choice is my daughters, black is not great to knit with but I'm now on the stocking stitch, so it will be easier. The wool is beautiful and so soft, I have issues with lanolin, so sheeps/lambs wool is hard for me to use.  So now I am juggling more craft and reading, but we don't go out much midweek, so I do have time.
I have also the image I require to cross stitch a cushion for hubby with his beloved Welsh Guards emblem in the middle, not hard work just a large project.
We have walked each evening after work, except today, it is raining heavy, I don't see any point in getting wet. I have worn my fitbit attached to my trousers loop, I was worried wearing the band on my arm would be creating extra untrue steps, but I am please to say, I have done my normal 6000 steps in my working day, I will happily wear it on my wrist, so I can view the watch.
Already the 1st week of the year is over, time is rushing by, the weekdays go so fast, we have managed to slow time over the weekends.
We are planning a low spend weekend, and have no plans for shopping for anything other than some fruit and veg.
I purchased hubby a Morphy Richards soup maker for Christmas, which we have been using, it's a great design and the blade is so simple to clean. Plus as a part of the company I work for, staff discount made it a great price.
Pizza for tea tonight as a treat, and a bit of catch up TV, perfect for a wet Friday evening.

Wet or dry

Last week

 This morning

I don't think it will last, but we are off out soon to make the most of it. 

 This week's stitching

 I have hidden here all week and got loads done

its for a birthday in June

The rest of this week has been much the same, work makes me tired and irritable by the time I get home, hubby is lovely and cooks wonderful meals, our curried veg (not vegetable curry) was brilliant, it's now on our menu list to have again, we did not do the chickpeas, which was good the curry was more than enough, with loads of leftovers. It has been wet so I have missed a couple of days walking after work, so I will do extra steps today.
Something is working I got on the scales this morning and I'm 2lb down, we are not on diets, just eating sensibly and walking more.
We are having another dryish month, not opening any bottles of red wine, we wanted a dry January, but with my brothers birthday and our weekend away, we allowed ourselves to drink only on these two occasions, to make up for it we are doing the same in February, just having a drink at  the Valentine Ball and a meal out later in the month. I sounds as if we drink alot, we normally would open one or two bottle of red wine a week and share over a few nights.
I still have to wash my car, I took two bags to the charity shop, I wanted to do more but now is not the time, I can't get my head around it.