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Post by paperman on Mar 23, 2023 9:35:37 GMT
Good morning on this bright but grey morning, 12 degrees and one wonders if Spring and warmer weather are here. It was very sunny when I woke at 7 this morning but it is now a mixture of things up there with rain forecast for later.
This morning I have an appointment for a blood test with a follow-up in a few days with some clinician as part of my annual review, I am not too convinced about these things and suspect that it is very much a ‘tick-box’ exercise that they have performed every year since my heart operation. Coincidentally next Friday I have an appointment to see a heart consultant at Ipswich Hospital, they phoned yesterday with a cancellation if I would like to take it, I said yes so by early April we will know for sure that my ticker is ticking.
Val, I am remiss, when do you leave to go down to Cornwall and where down there are you going? I have had a trace back through the posts but can’t see it for looking.
Iris we struggle for NHS Dentists here too, in fact there isn’t one for miles and I am thinking of joining the Bob Mortimer school of Dentistry.
Now to get into the surgery, have a good day and please take care xx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 23, 2023 10:39:17 GMT
Morning,
Good luck with your upcoming appointments, Chris.
I had an appointment yesterday afternoon at Savernake hospital for my annual review (neurology), and while there I mentioned that I get a cracking sound in my neck when I turn my head to the left. My wonderful specialist said, "Okay, I have booked you an appointment in the X-ray, just wander down the corridor and get it done" - that's exactly what happened, about thirty steps and I had my X-ray taken. Fantastic service - but then she is a fantastic doctor.
Following that, OH and I had spent the morning going through books that we haven't looked at in eons, then put them into boxes, so having left the hospital, we parked outside the Oxfam shop, and took in the books. Of course, as you know Marlborough has a Waitrose, Chris, so in search of CFC's, OH found two half-legs of lamb for £6.50 a kilo. He snapped up both of those remaining. He has an eye for the prices, and always on the lookout.
Regarding the pease pudding 'pastry' Iris, I haven't yet but I intend to try it out. To be honest it doesn't have to look pretty, I'd just like to see if it works out, as I always find regular shortcrust pastry a bit 'heavy-going', so if it does work, then I shall be making the pease pudding version when it is just for us two. I suppose one way around having too much cake is to cut the cake into portions and freeze them, taking out just the treat for the day for OH - he would still be having his favourite, but regulated. Today I would like to make some apple turnovers to freeze, again to take with us. I do love cooking (can you tell?) but I'd like to spend the maximum time with the family, rather than spending hours in the kitchen. Our son has ordered some of the Simply Cook meals, so he and daughter will be cooking on those evenings. So looking forward to our week together.
On that note, I shall wish you a good day for the rest of today, x
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Post by brightspark on Mar 24, 2023 18:50:19 GMT
Afternoon/Evening all,
Our quilting group this morning was very busy, and lots of chatting and laughter. I had laid out the 80 squares for the next blanket, and set them up in rows, and when I arrived I asked if anyone would like to sew one row for me, so out of the ten rows (of 8 squares each), six took up my request, so that will save me a lot of time. Halfway through the morning, one lady came in with a dozen more squares - so it looks like there will be yet another blanket after the current one.
Tonight OH will be having mussels, so it will be a fishy night - my chips are already prepped and ready to cook. (Alv of course!)
It is our son's birthday today, and we have bought him some polo shirts, which are good when he is doing his 'ranger' bit. His company have allowed him one day off each month, as he is a long-term volunteer at country estates looking after their fences/trees/shrubbery, etc. It is something that he really enjoys, too. Also we had some special beers delivered to his home. However, tomorrow we are meeting up for a celebratory meal at a pub restaurant of his choosing, which will be good (I hope ).
Hope everyone's well - have a good evening, xx
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Post by paperman on Mar 25, 2023 17:09:15 GMT
Good afternoon each, I hope all is well. I have been feeling a trifle less than 100% today and did a Covid test this afternoon and have tested positive, which would explain things. 'A' is testing negative so if we ae careful she should be OK. Thank goodness we had the jabs. Tonight I am cooking Seafood Lasagne, I'd rather not but having taken everything out of the freezer this morning I am committed. So, I'll leave you to it, please take care.
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Post by irist on Mar 25, 2023 19:51:04 GMT
Sorry you've gone down with the lurgy, Chris : Get well soon. Hope you're feeling up to making the fish pie.
I've still not managed to shake off the cough, my voice is coming and going and I'm just feeling a bit "whisht" as they say in these parts (dialect : Whisht = Sickly, Wan-looking, Sad, Lonely). I had to go out for some shopping yesterday but wore a mask in the store - others were coughing all over the place. No wonder we're all catching their germs.
As I've not felt up to much I've been taking things easy. I've taken some of my ready prepared meals from the freezer because I don't have the energy to cook from scratch at the moment. On Thursday, the chaps who delivered the dumpy bags of soil tipped one directly into one bed and shovelled half into the next one for me. The second bag is sitting, swathed in polythene sheeting to protect if from the heavy showers and will remain so until I've got more energy to deal with the contents. The arm of the lorry's crane wasn't long enough to reach the other beds unfortunately.
Your fellow quilters are certainly keeping you busy with the knitted squares, Val. I'm sure you will have enjoyed sharing your son's birthday celebrations today.
Well I'm off to make a coffee for us and I'm going to watch some TV with OH.
Take care all.
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Post by paperman on Mar 26, 2023 15:04:46 GMT
Good afternoon, I hope this finds you well.
The seafood lasagne last night was, apparently, very good. I made a single portion for ‘A’ and a larger oven dish with our usual helpings. I say apparently because I didn’t actually have any of it, my appetite currently being shot and the larger oven dish is now in the freezer.
I did report the test via the NHS App on my phone and Ipswich hospital have been on the phone twice, once this morning and once this afternoon, asking loads of questions and I guess to make sure I am OK. Which I am, excluding this heavy cold or flu. Just glad that we had all the jabs.
So, there really is even less to report than usual as whilst we did go for a short walk yesterday afternoon today it is miserable and I am staying in the warm indoors.
That’s it, please take care xx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 26, 2023 19:51:46 GMT
Evening all,
Oh, sorry to hear that you've gone down with the dreaded lurgy, Chris, and I hope you are over it quickly. Get some fresh air if possible (i.e. when it isn't raining ! ), and rest up when you feel the need. The seafood lasagne will be enjoyed when you're feeling better, but well done that you managed to make it.
Iris, I made the pease pudding pastry today, and decided to fill the two pies with the cooked beef mince. I needed something from the fridge in the garage and discovered some salmon - with today's date, so we had that for dinner. I have made the pies and cooked them, but they will be tomorrow's dinner. A small tin of pease pudding and one egg was just right for the two individual enamel pie tins, so one each. I am actually looking forward to trying them. I had some cooked kale, so decided to do bubble and squeak, scrubble, to go with the salmon.
Our meal last night was good, if a bit expensive. We don't mind spending on a great meal, but this was more than its worth, I felt. Some 'sides' which we ordered to share between all seven of us, came up in small bowls, smaller than a saucer, probably with two tablespoonfuls - they were £5 each.
I cooked up four very large Bramley apples, as I plan to make some apple turnovers for the freezer to cook for the holiday, and also a batch of 50 sausage rolls (I make them in bite-size pieces). I shall make the apple turnovers tomorrow, now the apples are cooked.
OH has been assembling some raised bed surrounds for the garden - all 1.2 metres square - we have a (mostly) square patch of land behind the double garage which we will plant with our vegetables. Now we won't be dashing off to France, we will be available to actually look after the veg patch. Our son had two last year and they were very successful, so here's hoping we can grow something this year.
Get well soon everyone, and looking forward to the springtime.
Have a good evening, what's left of it, xx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 27, 2023 22:14:14 GMT
Chris, hope you're feeling a bit brighter, and on the way to feeling better.
Iris, the pease pudding pastry was very tasty, but if I make it again, I need to either grease the dishes much more, or line them with parchment or similar, as they were pretty well stuck.
It is now 11.15 pm, so best away to my bed.
Sleep well, x
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Post by paperman on Mar 28, 2023 12:18:54 GMT
Good day each, I hope this finds you well. It is 6 degrees and raining here in Ruritania so not a nice day but apparently we are in need of plenty of rain to replenish our aquafers although I suspect it may well have something to do with needing plenty of rain to wash away the raw sewage being plentifully pumped into our rivers! On the home front I am still testing positive and whilst I have slightly more aching than usual and certainly I am using up tissues like there is no tomorrow I actually feel fine, illness is very boring and I took myself up to the petrol station this morning and it seemed like a treat, what a sad chap!!
Actually sadly ‘A’ tested positive yesterday and is going through what I did on Saturday & Sunday; now she is an object lesson in low boredom thresholds so whilst I feel really guilty that she probably got it from me I am also waiting for the boredom threshold to click in, probably sometime tomorrow when she starts feeling a little better. At the moment all she wants is to sleep, which is how I was too.
I’m not really a pastry maker Val but your Pease pudding pastry sounds brill., I’ll think about that when we get our world back. Interestingly enough where I grew up in South London I had a friend whose grandmother had a Pease pudding and pie shop, I do not remember much about it except she had the biggest tabby cat I had ever seen and it was always sitting in the shop window. Such was life amongst the bomb sites where I grew up, very happy and a Health & Safety nightmare especially for my mother.
So that is where we are, not sure about food for tonight, appetite is a bit strange as are my taste buds.
Please take care xx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 28, 2023 13:45:02 GMT
Afternoon all,
Hope A gets over the lurgy fairly quickly - after all the jabs, we sure hope so.
Chris, a week or so ago, you mentioned going into Aldi and Tesco and 'spent a fortune' - I don't think you can go into a supermarket and NOT spend a fortune. An advert on the tv said the Easter Eggs are all 'just £10 each' . Reasoning - something about sugar shortage ...
Our daughter has organised a Sainsbury shop for when we get together in Cornwall, and as their family often go out for very long walks or cycle rides, she has ordered some protein bars - but at £5+ for just three bars seems rather expensive to me. (hehe I looked into them and their constituents and a note at the bottom suggested that if too many (what is too many?) are eaten, they could work as a laxative). Not quite what you need if you are out for the day, ay?
I had my chiropody visit today, so walking on air currently !
We have a bit of a dismal day here too, Chris, rainy and a bit windy. I washed one load this morning, but it's like a laundry here with clothes draped over available surfaces.
I would say that if you wanted to make some pease pudding pastry, then give yourself a reasonable amount of time, as the base layer needs cooking before adding the filling and the top layer, then cooked again.
Iris, hope you and OH are good.
Have a good afternoon/evening, x
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Post by paperman on Mar 29, 2023 8:20:06 GMT
Good morning, I hope this finds you well. It is 9 degrees and very damp here in Ruritania.
Still testing positive but also feeling a bit of a fraud as I actually feel almost back to normal except my appetite is much reduced, which is no bad thing really as I am carrying quite a bit of ‘spare’. I do continue to drink plenty (of water!!).
‘A’ is having a pretty rough time with it and like me has her appetite shot.
Just thank goodness that we had all the jabs.
Not sure yet what the day will bring, I will probably don a mask and go over to the wood yard and get some logs as we have just started the last sack but apart from that it may be another home day.
Please take care xx
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Post by irist on Mar 29, 2023 14:39:55 GMT
Afternoon folks. Much the same sort of weather here, Chris. However, looking around the garden today I spotted so many flowers and blossoms indicating Spring has sprung. Hope you and A soon feel much better. I still have a tickly cough and little energy but life goes on! Yesterday I loaded the slow cooker with a batch of spag bol sauce and have used some to make lasagne for dinner tomorrow - the remainder is portioned up in the freezer. I also made a crustless quiche lorraine and some chilli and ginger butternut squash soup. Today we shared some of the latter with DiL's sister H who called in during her lunch hour to collect a couple of items son and DiL left behind when they visited recently. H is travelling up country for a family party at the weekend so is acting as courier
I do hope you get some decent weather while you are in the SW, Val. At the moment it's dreich here - not even a glimpse of sun. £5 for 3 protein bars!! I'm sure it wouldn't cost that much to make a whole trayful at home. I agree about the cost of Easter eggs. Scrooge that I am, I'm not giving any this year. I've bought the great grands a toy each instead.
OH has had a message from our surgery to inform him his 2023 Spring Covid booster is due so I've booked his appointment for mid April. The ONS Covid Survey which we were taking part in has been paused so no vouchers for grandson from now until the Government powers that be decide whether to reinstate it. Apparently it may be but in a slightly different format.
I'm tempted to try the pease pudding pastry so will add the tins to my shopping list. Depending on the weather, I plan on going to the supermarket tomorrow to stock up before the children break up from school for Easter.
Now time for a cuppa. Enjoy the rest of your day.
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Post by brightspark on Mar 29, 2023 18:43:22 GMT
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Post by paperman on Mar 30, 2023 16:22:41 GMT
Good day all, I hope this finds you well. It has been a bright sunny afternoon although this morning was damp & dismal. Right now it is 16 degrees but the air has a chill to it.
I am confused, I am still testing positive albeit that the positive line on the test is very faint yet last night I had a message from the NHS Covid App telling me that as it was 6 days from my first report as from midnight, as long as I do not feel unwell, I can resume normal living without further test. That app will be closing late April and I guess it reflects the government’s earlier concerns to get the nation back to work because clearly if in fact I am still positive then the advice is unsafe.
In fact I should go to see the heart consultant tomorrow, if I test clear in the morning, so I am hopeful that not only do I feel well but that also tomorrow morning’s test will agree.
Food wise our appetites have been completely shot and tonight I am having a jacket potato with some chicken curry that is in the garage freezer. ‘A’ is undecided.
So, that’s it for now, please take care xx
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Post by brightspark on Mar 30, 2023 22:29:05 GMT
Good luck with your appointments Chris, hope all's well. If we had some sunshine, being able to get some fresh air would help - hope A is feeling better soon, too.
I think it doesn't seem to be so much of an issue since the majority of folk have had the jabs, and the virus is less of an impact. However, there are a few individuals who refuse the jab, and end up very, very ill in hospital.
We still try to stay out of crowded places - some, like supermarkets, it can't be helped.
Sleep well everyone, x
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