suzeanna

Shame about the kestrel, Owl. He'll sulk when he doesn't get the food he's used to Jazz, but it'll be for his own good! I remember years ago we were offered a Siamese cat called Lisa..her owner's little boy used to pull her around and of course it was the cat's fault when he got scratched. I was informed she'd only eat cooked chicken , certainly not tinned food. Guess what? scoffed back Whiskas as if she'd never been fed before! I haven't been posting but have been reading...not been too good recently and not a lot to talk about anyway. I have an appt next Friday with an oncologist, lord knows who. The letter says one of Dr. Ghazi's team so could be anyone, should be fun. I'm a bit puzzled as to why people in their forties, with no health problems, have had a first dose of the vaccine and despite being in the right age group and clinically vulnerable, I haven't! Someone is trying to tell me something maybe? 😄

Hope you soon get sorted, Jazz. Philip had a shock earlier, his manager texted him and asked was it ok to to phone? Philip said yes, wondering what he'd done wrong! Apparently a work colleague who was on shift on Friday night collapsed with a mega heart attack and despite three first responders rushing to him, couldn't be saved. He was only in his early forties. Philip worked with him at his previous employment too, so he'd known him a long time. Must have been horrible for the first responders, probably their training hadn't prepared them for the reality of trying to save someone they knew.

Watching the local news and weather, absolute chaos on a lot of roads, not just round here but west Yorkshire too. The car driver watching the bus sliding sideways down the hill towards him must have been in a panic! I felt sorry for young woman who'd dropped her children off at her mum's and was going back home..she'd been stuck for four hours, a journey that should have taken 20 minutes. Candy should have gone to the vet for her follow up after her teeth extraction, but I phoned and said was it really necessary, as Philip didn't fancy his chances of getting there with the roads as they were and they said no problem, so long as you have no concerns about her. Eve, Candy loves the snow, she'll even go out happily in rain. Our late cav Rosie wouldn't walk a step if there was even a drop of rain in the air. Meant to freeze tonight, I'll have to clear a patch to put some bird food out tomorrow and hope the little birds get to it before the magpies and pigeons do.

Feeling really put out. I cooked a lovely roast dinner, (apologies to veggies), chicken, roast potates, yorkshire pudding and veg. When I got the plate in front of me, I just didn't want it. I managed one mouthful and that was it! Oh well, Philip and Candy enjoyed it.

Eve, she was whimpering a bit in the night, but we have painkiller to put on her breakfast and she seems happier today. Rather puzzled as to why she can't have her biscrok though, she sits by the cupboard door and stares at it as if she willing it to leap out to her!

The local weather guy said tonight will be the coldest so far, so keep warm Owl. Poor Candy, went to the vet to have a tooth removed, and ended up minus 11! She's ok, but rather peeved that she isn't getting her usual amount of food. On a brighter note, my Covid test came back negative.

My youngest grandson is six..he and his twin sister got what they thought were new phones at Christmas, actually their mum and dad's old ones in new cases. Jamie keeps messaging me on Whatsapp or Duo and yesterday I got a text saying I love you, with a heart. Not bad for a young lad with autism! Their brother will be 12 later this month, and his days of wanting to talk to us seem to be over, I'm lucky if I get a wave over his shoulder while he's glued to his Xbox!

Just a short stay then Jazz. My Covid test arrived today, done and sent back. I don't feel too bad so long as I keep taking paracetamol, which I'm fast running out of! Hoping it's a sort of flu rather than the covid, one minute I'm freezing, next minute I'm too hot, very annoying. Another cold day here, and meant to be a bitterly cold night. Thankfully it's Philip who walks Candy, and he's got thermal leggings, a neck warmer, and a woolly hat pulled down over his ears so he stays moderately warm. Candy isn't going to be a happy girl on Friday, she has to go to the vet for a tooth extraction so no breakfast. It's a canine, so she's going to be rather unbalanced eating, poor girl.

I'm never exactly brimming with health but today I feel especially yuck, aching and can't get warm for the life of me, so I've ordered a Covid test to be sent here. Fingers crossed it isn't...

Well Owl, you said you'd probably find it when the new one arrived! Hope the van passes. Our car isn't due it's MOT until March...usually passes with no problems, but another year older might mean it doesn't. Hope he'll be ok until Monday, Jazz. One of our poms used to have fits, she was on medication which kept them under control until one day sadly it didn't.

Our black dog went into the garden for a wee and a white one came back in! It's snowing heavily here.

Really cold here, just turned the heating up to 19. Philip bought some sunflower seeds and mealworms this morning (no, we're not trying an alternative diet!) and the birds are very grateful. Just had a bluetit, robin, several sparrows and a determined pigeon going for it with gusto. Also a squirrel..they rarely miss out on a meal if somethings on offer. All three of the water bowls in the garden were solid so they've been washed out and refilled, so I feel we're doing our bit for the birdlife.

I like Seabrooks crisps but only the ready salted. There was one bang earlier..that was it. Whether there'll be more at midnight I hopefully won't know! I'll probably be awake though, I only seem to sleep for about an hour at a time then I'm awake for about 2. Owl, I hope you are going to fit your card with a tracker? Paint it luminous green? Anything to keep tabs on the dratted thing! Let's hope the New Year lives up to the promise of the vaccines and we all soon get back to something approaching normal.

Paint looks ok, quite a bit peachier than I imagined but it's fine. I had to admit Philip was right (he wants it in writing!) as after being standing, walking round, stretching a little bit for bits I could reach my back hurts and so do my shoulders. He said I don't think I've said this before but I told you so. Drat. Don't you hate it when you are wrong and they are right?

We have six bookcases crammed with books but I tend to read on my Kindle Fire these days..my hands and fingers hurt unless the book is very light and most of ours aren't! Well, the paint we want for the kitchen has to be mixed..Dulux centre opens at 8 today so at 7 we were both checking colours again, changing our minds (again!) and after about three more hmmm...what about....we've decided and he's gone to get it. Just hope when we take off the lid we like it. I'm going to be rather frustrated as I want to do my share of painting, but he won't let me. I'd need the ladder and apparently I'll make my back hurt. They are making a lot of noises on the weather forecasts about snow this evening..might hit us, might miss. I think if there's anything we need from the shops I'll go today rather than risk it tomorrow. Great news that the AstraZeneca vacc has been approved!

We have a through kitchen diner..kitchen end is half tiled but the paintwork above it is looking very tired, so we've decided to repaint it. Three changes of mind about colour later, I think we've hit on the right one. Off to the Dulux Centre tomorrow to get it mixed before what I'm sure will be another complete lockdown, looking at how the numbers of Covid cases are soaring everywhere. The snow we had has all melted but I think more is forecast later in the week. Lovely bright moon out at the moment. I hope you keep warm Owl...I got Philip what is described as a biker's neck warmer, nice thick cotton round his neck he can pull up over his nose. Being asthmatic the cold makes him cough, but when he's got that over his face he feels a lot more comfortable. Maybe you could get one, if you dont have anything similar already? Amazon if I remember correctly.

Snowing here since around 7, keeps getting heavy then tailing off but it definitely has settled on the road. Ours isn't too bad but the side roads are covered over.

Jazz, when I inherited my mother's cottage it was very basic! Electric cooker, no central heating at all, a big through living room with a circular chimney with a fireplace through both sides, if you can imagine. We used to roast chestnuts on the fire and also do toast, had a very long toasting fork. Sounds romantic, in reality it was murder in the winter, frost on the insides of the windows and I used to wear a sheepskin coat and a woolly hat to do the cooking.

Glad you got the right day blackmagic, must have given you all a lift to see it. No frost here, but barely above freezing all day. That wind is bitter! I pondered a coffee maker, but to be honest I know myself well enough to know I'd use it a couple of times then it would be shoved in a cupboard and I'd go back to the packet Kenco cappucino!

Glad the old lady is sorted at last, but shouldn't have been such a performance! Oh dear Jazz, that's not good. Keep the curtains closed. When do you see someone about it? My oncologist is very anxious for me to have these blasted injections which are meant to protect the spine, but the side effects include not just osteonecrosis of the jaw (lovely!) if you are unlucky, but also the formation of cataracts and very painful hands and feet. To be honest, I'm not at all certain the nasty effects outweigh the good ones, especially as he said they hope it will help, they can't guarantee it. Don't see him until the end of January, so I have time to think hard about it. The injections themselves sound eek, intramuscular.

I know what's happening to your cards Owl. Mice! They are having a fine time ordering the best cheese at your expense. Lovely start to the day here, after blowing a gale and rain overnight, bright blue sky. Hope it lasts!

Owl, I'm speechless regarding that elderly lady! So the hospital thinks it's fine to send a vulnerable pensioner who is positive for Covid home, and the social services think it's fine to assign someone to care for her without bothering to check the circumstances? Can't decide which lot are more incompetent. By the way has the bank card turned up yet? Had a pleasant afternoon and early evening at my daughter's yesterday, enlivened by suddenly realised Candy wasn't in the house. Back door had been opened to let the haze arising from the oven out, she'd obviously gone out and door shut behind her. Thing is, my daughter lives in a small square, not a street, back leads to coal sheds, drive to gardens (separate from houses) and fields! Philip called and called then thought, went and opened the front door and a very relieved Candy scorched in! She'd found her way right round and was waiting, thank heavens. Losing a mainly black dog where there were no street lamps wouldn't have been good.

Merry Christmas all. Good news about Max, hope his owner can indeed be helped.

Merry Christmas everyone, have a great safe day tomorrow. xx

Well, this year hasn't been at all what any of us expected! Some have lost close ones in real life, some have lost virtual friends for no apparent reason but here we are, still standing (some more wobbly than others, Jazz!) I hope the next few days will bring all of you a sense of peace, lost things will surface, no animals will eat what they shouldn't and the New Year won't dare to be as bad as the old one! For myself, I'm grateful and slightly surprised to actually still be here, there were several times I didn't think I would be. My guardian angel has obviously squared their shoulders and risen to the task.