Jack Frost On The March.

Hi Friends.

Wow,Jack Frost has certainly been busy, this past couple of mornings. I do so love this time of year. Yesterday morning it was -4.2 C and this morning it was down to -5.8 C and we have ice on the surface of the water. Joy of all joys in my opinion.

Of course I realise that if you have to got work etc, it is probably not to your liking,so please do not shout at me :-)

Our pond is frozen over. I must remember to put a ball in the water to stop it freezing over completely. We do not have any fish in it yet, so no worries.

Our mooring has not actually thawed out from yesterday, so we have frost on top of frost, which makes it even more beautiful.

We are having water issues in the Arm. C&RT are working on the bottom lock at Hatton,but Cape Locks were still open, so boats were coming up through Cape Locks, winding outside of the Arm and then mooring up, so they were taking our water and nothing has been coming down the Hatton flight. After complaints to C&RT, they closed Cape Locks as well, which has annoyed boats caught above Cape Locks. Yesterday evening we began to lose water again and as you can see in the photograph above, boats are beginning to list again. We are pushed out anyway, there is an obstruction in the water under our boat, which means if we were tight up against the pontoon, we would be listing right over by now.

I do not think the temperature will get up much today, so with both fires going, we will stay in and continue to be cosy. Keith had to go to the Post Office to send off a parcel, but I am staying in.

I have an update on the freezer and fridge/freezer. Yesterday a nice gentleman called John from Leamington-Spa came to our aid. He arrived just after lunch to look at our ailing appliances. He thinks our freezer needs re-gasing. This is a new thing to us both, but if that is the case it will be easy enough to do, so he took the freezer away with him. As for the fridge/freezer, he thinks the thermostat has died, probably due to a bit breaking off on the back, but good news he has one in his workshop. So he is going to re-gas the freezer, leave it for 48 hours to see if it is leaking and let us know. If all is well, he will be back with the freezer and he will repair the fridge freezer, so fingers are crossed that things may not be as bad as we first thought, but then of course that could all change and we could still be eating bread and dripping on Christmas day. This cold weather is a bonus right now, because our chilled food is in the hold and very happy with the cold weather. In fact it is colder out there than it was in the fridge :-)

I love listening to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire everyday. Vic Minett's topic of conversation was all about getting into debt at Christmas. I have never ever got into debt at Christmas time. If we could not afford something, we just did not have it. To buy presents for my children, I would put money away for the Christmas shopping, which would usually begin in October, when I would go shopping with my very good friend Yvonne. We have a credit card, but it only ever gets used in emergencies and would never be used to splash out at Christmas. Listening to the callers, who take out loans at Christmas so they can give their children the best Christmas ever, is really quite sad, because they are left with that debt to pay off for the rest of the year and in some cases, they cannot pay it off. Christmas is not about how much money you spend, it is about spending time with your loved ones. Keith and I do not buy big presents, we may buy small stocking filler presents for each other, but that is it. If we want things, we buy them at the time. I found it rather sad listening to the stories on the radio.

Would you get into debt for Christmas???

One happy Cat.

Hi Friends.

As you will know from a previous posting, Keith made Marmite her very own Rag Rug.

This was Marmite today, making the most of her new rug.

 
She is in seventh heaven and spent most of the day snoozing. I think she likes it mainly because it is close to the fire and as you probably know cats like the heat.

One of those days.

Cute photograph for Sunday.

Hi Friends.

Yesterday did not finish well. In a previous posting I said about by our Chinese nibbles for Christmas and putting them in our freezer, well last night I was curious as to why the freezer light had not gone out, so opened the freezer door to check everything was freezing, only to find it had all in fact thawed out arghhhhh. The freezer was not actually freezing. The fan and the compressor were working but no frost to be seen. So the Christmas nibbles have ended up in the bin, which is annoying to say the least, but worse things happen.

This morning, we set about trying to find the cause for the freezer issue, so Keith pulled out our fridge/freezer to take the alarm wire off of it to fit it to the freezer as we hoped it would give us a clue as to its problem. Whilst taking the wire off, the fridge/freezer stopped working and then something broke off and so now we do not have a fridge/freezer either arghhhh, hence the title of this posting being one of those days. Thankfully the food in the freezer part of the fridge/freezer has found a home in freezers of our neighbour's, which we are thankful for. The food in the fridge is in the hold, which is just as cold as the fridge, so that will be fine for a few days hopefully. With it being Sunday, we could not get anyone out to do a repair to both appliances, so we will have to wait for Monday. This Christmas time is going to be expensive, I feel it in my water. Things always seem to happen in three's, so I am hopeful that is it now. Generator is playing up, no freezer and no fridge/freezer equals expensive.

Lunch today was things we could not fit in our neighbour's freezers, so a bit of a mixture, but was still scrummy.
Being a Sunday I did little else, apart from the usual boating stuff, of keeping the home fires burning, washing up, tidying up and then watching F1's final race of the season from Bahrain. Despite Lewis Hamilton's best efforts, Nico Rosberg won the championship, but you can bet your bottom dollar or pound coin, that Lewis will make sure he gets the title back next year. Great race, right to the end. After the race, we turned over to watch 'Calamity Jane' with Doris Day and then 'Deep Impact' with a young Elijah Wood. One of the world is going to end film's, but worth a watch again, as it had been sometime since we had watched it.

7.30 pm, we shut the boat up and headed off to The Punch Bowl for quiz night and to drown my sorrows in a pint of Coke Cola, as I am still taking medication, which does not agree with a pint of beer. Joining Keith and I for the quiz were Maria and Nigel. There were Five teams this week, so we were Four teams down this week. The picture round was a nightmare, it was album covers and the artist, we did not do very well with that. In all we had five round, which included Geography, Music, General Knowledge, TV and Film. Great evening and once again we came third, which is at least consistent.
Back home, we had a cuppa before heading off to bed.

One Happy Cat.

Hi Friends.

Today's aww photograph is of our Marmite, who is one happy cat, she is incredibly happy today.

The reason for her happiness, is the rag rug she is lying on was made by Keith especially for her. When ever Keith makes a rag rug, she always likes to test it out, so Keith decided to make her, her very own rug and she is a very happy cat. The only problem now is the rug is on my box, which is where the Christmas tree will be going, so not sure how I am going to move her off, I may just have to find another place for the tree, when it goes up next week.

We have been blessed today with sunshine. This is such a nice change from the past few days, where it has been really miserable. Today's tasks were to get rid of our recycling at Sainsbury's and then walk into town to have a wander around the town. I am looking for some Christmas scented candles, so we looked at Yankee Candles, but they are rather expensive. I am a bit loathed to set light to something when you pay £14.99 for it and that is a reduced price. So I will keep looking or maybe not even bother. The market is in full swing towards Christmas, with plenty of gift ideas, not that I was buying because we do not really bother with presents. We decided that we would have a Wetherspoons breakfast, which would sustain us through lunch and into dinner time, before walking back home. 

The TV went on to watch the F1 qualifying from Bahrain. Lewis Hamilton took pole ahead of his team mate Nico Rosberg. Lewis is 12 points behind Nico in the championship, going into this last race of the season and really has an uphill battle to win the championship, but I am sure he will do everything he can to try and wrestle it from Nico. After the qualifying, it was on to Rugby Union, Scotland against Georgia great match 43-16 to Scotland. Georgia put up a great fight, but Scotland were to good for them. As I type Wales are playing South Africa. They are into the second half and Wales are leading 20-6. It is a game which needs to catch fire, because it is boring in places. Thanks to the kicking of Halfpenny and a try by Owens Wales are in the lead. 

I have just lit the back cabin stove, so it is warm for bedtime. There is nothing worse than a cold cabin at bedtime. I always find it hard to sleep if the bed is cold. 

I'm A Celeb again tonight. Last night Danny Baker was the first to leave the jungle. He seemed more than happy to go. I wonder who will be leaving tonight?

Christmas is coming.

Hi Friends.

Last night we decided to wrap up again the cold and walk into Warwick to the Victorian Evening and Christmas Lights switch on. Oh my goodness, it was so crowded.

In most places you could hardly breath, let alone see what was going on. Touch FM provided the music and presentation of the evening.

The Christmas lights were lovely though. It was so wonderful to have them all the same colour.

Our Christmas Tree, will not be as large as Warwick's, but just as beautiful.

There were plenty of food, craft and charity stalls, for people looking for a unique gift, but many of them you could not get close to because of the crowds pushing and shoving.

The steam carousal as always was fabulous. As you can imagine the fair ground rides were popular with the children. What I can never understand, is why people feel the need to drag their dogs around something like this. We had a job to move, so the poor dogs were just getting trampled. Leave your dogs at home, where they can relax I say.

St Mary's Church had the Christmas Tree display, but we did not bother going to see it, because the queue was extensive. Having looked around as much as we could see by craning our neck and standing on tip toe, we decided to call it an evening and walk home to the peace and quiet of the boat, where we settled down with a cup of tea to watch 'I'm A Celeb'. Such fun seeing Martin get dethroned. He was clearly not happy and I think a bad loser. You could see that in the drinking task, his heaving was all put on and it certainly did not fool me. Still really loving Scarlett and Larry. Ola was amazing at the drinking task as was Adam, who keeps beating Joel at tasks. Really enjoying this series. 

This morning (Friday) hooray a glimmer of hope that we would see the sunshine for a change. Today was Aldi shopping day, so whilst I stayed home and got the boat clean and tidy, Keith went off with his trolley and rucksack to catch the bus to Aldi. I got loads of jobs done, I put the hoover around, washed the floors and surfaces. Made up the fire and sorted out some more kindling. I re-potted our Spider plant into two pots. The plant had become root bound, so I bet it was breathing better, having been split into two pots. I have it hung in the galley by the galley sink, but Marmite likes to chew the ends, because to her it is grass. It is not doing her any harm, but the plant is looking a bit moth eaten, or should that be cat eaten. Anyway I now have three plants in two pots. No idea where the second pot is going, I have hung it in the engine room for now. 

I was hoping that Keith would be able to get our Christmas Chinese nibbles in Aldi, which are cheaper than Tesco, so I told him if they have them, give me three rings and I will put the small freezer on and have it ready for when you get home. Yayyyy three rings came and I turned the freezer on. Aldi does a 6o piece box of nibbles for £3.99, where as at Tesco you pay £2.00 for a box of 18, so it was a no brainer to get them from Aldi. Not only did he get the Chinese selection, he got the Indian one as well, so we will pick like kings this Christmas.

As I was finishing off my chores, Keith rang me and asked if I could meet him at the bus station, because he needed help with getting the shopping home, so I donned my coat and rucksack and did a swift walk to the bus station, where I beat Keith and the bus. I filled my rucksack with the excess shopping and walked home, whilst Keith caught the G1 bus back to the gate at the Arm (the joys of having a bus pass). I have definitely got my 10,000 steps in today. When I got home, all the shopping was stowed away and I then made us some lunch.

The rest of my day was spent catching up with our friend Jacky in the office, watching F1 practice, doing dinner, lighting the back cabin stove to warm the cabin up a bit before bedtime.

Looking forward to tonight's 'I'm a Celeb'.

Stop lying.

Cute photograph for the day.

Hi Friends.

Yet another drab old day. I am beginning to think we will never see the sun again. Mind you it is warmer. I lit the back cabin stove yesterday afternoon, to take the chill off before going to bed and oh boy we were roasting, so it has not been lit today.

I did not wake up until 8 am this morning and had the mother of all heads, due to the medication, but thankfully it subsided after I had eaten breakfast. 

On Monday I cooked a medium chicken and we have been eating the leftovers. Today using up the final pieces of the Aldi chicken, I made us a Thai chicken curry for lunch and a chicken and vegetable soup for dinner. I am not one to waste anything, so the bones were boiled down for stock, which was used in the soup. 

Today in Warwick it is the Victorian Evening, where the Christmas lights get switched on and a market and fair takes place in the market square. It is usually a fabulous evening, where people dress up in Victorian dress, we did it one year. We wore out Victorian boat gear and won a years tickets for Warwick Race Course, which was great fun. They usually have one of the last remaining stem carousels in the market square, it is a beautiful thing.

The title of my post was 'Stop Lying', the reason for this was on the radio this morning, they were discussing about telling white lies to our children and how the biggest lie is about Father Christmas being real. I thought everyone knew he was real, why would he not be?

Apparently according to some professor, we are damaging our children by telling them such lies. I can always remember my Nan saying she could see me through the eyes in the back of her head. Was she lying?

I have even told my children, that Carrots make you see in the dark, so I guess I was lying. 

Why oh why do people feel the need to tell us how to think and do things? 

We have become so PC it is totally out of control. I am 54 and I still believe in Father Christmas, ok so he does not come to me as much as he used too, but he has so many other people who need him more than I do. 

Ok rant over.

Fish and Chip Wednesday.

Hi Friends.

Yet another doom and gloomy start. Where has the sunshine gone?
I wish the sunshine would come back, because our solar lights need charging. I would prefer it to be crisp and frosty, but I suppose beggars cannot be choosers.
I woke with a head throbbing, just as if I had a hangover. I have only ever had one hangover in my life and that as after my 18th Birthday. I am being completely honest about this, I do not do drunk after that birthday, when I was so ill and had to go to work. I vowed never to do it again, and I have stuck to it, mainly because I do not like the feeling and also because I like to remember what I have been doing. Anyway I woke up with such a head this morning and it was all due to the two Amitriptyline 10mg tablets I took last night. So I am guessing I will be like this for the next week, which is how long I have to take two at night, before reducing it back down to one a night. Brain fog was definitely evident this morning as I lumbered out of bed to make a cup of tea.

Having done all the usual morning things, I had to walk up to the surgery to pick up my prescription and then walk into town to collect more of the Amitriptyline 10mg tablets, which are supposed to last me over Christmas and the New Year. The walk did not improve my head much, so I spoke to Andrew the pharmacist to see if I could take Paracetamol as well as the Amitriptyline. Apparently it is fine to combine the two, so that was what I would be doing if this head does not improve.
Yesterday's drama in the Laundry Room was being fixed. The drama was the boiler sprung a leak, which meant their was water on the floor in the freezer room, which then seeped into the Laundry. I found it when I went to get the post. Our site manager turned the water off and today the plumber is in changing the boiler over. The Laundry has certainly had its problems this year.
The car park is being dug up to improve the drainage. When it rains the car park tends to have huge puddles in it and is like an ice rink when it freezes, so the site manager and volunteers are digging holes to help the drainage. Of course to do this job a digger is required, so it is boys and their toys at the moment.
Lunch today was a Fish and Chip lunch for the volunteers, which is a way of saying "Thank You" for all the hard work the volunteers put in. We all sat in the shop around the table and enjoyed a lovely lunch and each others company. I have been unable to do much volunteering since we came back from cruising, because of my ribs, sternum and hernia, but as soon as it is more comfortable, I will be back out gardening. There is nothing nicer than good old Fish and Chips, with lashings of Vinegar and a sprinkling of salt.

Wet, wet, wet.

Cute photograph for today.

Hi Friends.

Blimey what a day we had yesterday weather wise. According to our rain gauge we had 25 mm of rain. It certainly filled the canal up, because we had to loosen off ropes because we were listing. That is not a job to be doing when it is hacking it down with rain, but needs must. With the boat back on an even keel, there was little to be done, but get some knitting of dishcloths done for my stock for next year. They sell so well, that I like to keep a my stock up and doing them over the Winter is a great time to do them. 

I had a parcel arrive yesterday, which got me excited, because my micro fairy lights had arrived, all be it later than advertised. I was a little worried that they had turned up in a rather small jiffy bag and there was no protective packaging around the lights or plug. Oh joy the lights did not work :-(. Photographs taken of of the problem, which was a broken wire, I am now waiting on a reply to my complaint. If all else fails then Ebay will be sorting the problem out after the 25th November. I am a fan of fairy lights, I have them up in the back cabin and of course they are not just for Christmas these days. There is something about having fairy lights up, which makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
With the back cabin stove going, I put a chicken in the oven and let it cook slowly all day. By the time we had it for dinner, it was falling off the bone and absolutely beautiful. 

I spent the afternoon, knitting and watching films on the TV as the rain continued to hammer down on the roof of the boat. It kind of stopped in time to take Paddy out for his evening walk, but by then it was dark, all in all a drab old day, but at least we were snug and cosy on the boat.

This morning I was woken up by a very loud cat fight going on opposite the boat. They were going at it hammer and tongs. We do get cats in the Arm from the housing estate, which backs on to the Arm, so I am thinking it was a couple of them causing the fur to fly. There was nothing for it, but to make my first cuppa of the day and to them watch the morning news on BBC1. One of the stories was about updating Fairy Tales. WHAT?, why would you want to change the old tales, which we all grew up on. That is like saying Hans Christian Anderson was never a write or did not exist. Why oh why do we have to pander to those who think we need to wrap our children in cotton wool. Hands off our Fairy Tales.

Yet another damp and dreary start to the day. Today is laundry day, so with laundry bag and money I headed to the laundrette to get the washing done, whilst Keith sorted out our new BT hub, which has arrived to give us a better speed. From what I understand we have gone over to Fibre Optic instead of copper and this should give us a better speed and unlimited playing on the internet. Washing done and hung in the engine room, it was time for coffee and a bit of knitting.
This afternoon, I spoke to my GP and I am to stay on my medication till after Christmas, because I am still uncomfortable. He has asked me to increase the dosage to two tablets a night for a week, then cut it back down to one a night, to hopefully settle everything down completely. I also have to remain on my two a day Omeprazole till after Christmas, when I can then cut it back again to one a day. Darn and double darn, this means no drinking for me over Christmas, not that I am a big drinker, but I like a glass of wine or a beer. Never mind, I need to get this discomfort under control first.
It has been another day of doing very little, but it does mean I get to sit and knit and watch films. I'm A Celeb is on tonight, we will see just how well Danny and Adam get on with the trial ☺☺☺.

Marmite obviously wanted some comfort this afternoon, because she wanted to lie on Paddy.

When she was fed up with Paddy, she decided to try her new rag rug out. Keith is making a rag rug for her, because she loves the ones he has for sale. 

Who the heck?

Cute picture for a Sunday. Not taken by me.

Hi Friends.

Sunday and a miserable start, weather wise.
I have been avoiding watching X-Factor for the past couple of years, because to me it has gotten ridiculous. Considering it is supposed to be a singing competition, which can change peoples lives, I got fed up with the comedic acts which always get through and clearly the people have no real talent. Well Saturday night whilst waiting for I'm A Celebrity" to come on, I caught the last half an hour of X-Factor. Who the heck is Honey G?
Sorry I know she has probably got her fan's, but I am definitely not one of them. Can't sing and cannot dance, so why on earth vote for her? This is why I do not watch X-Factor anymore. 9 pm and it was time for I'm A Celebrity hooray. The cracks are beginning to appear in camp, after the celebrities were split into two teams to compete with each other. Martin Roberts looks like he is the first one to really crack, after his argument with Danny Baker and now he has to do the next challenge, which we all know he will scream like a girl. Well done to those who voted for him to do the challenge. I am so loving Scarlett, who is actually stronger than she knows. Cannot wait for tonight's episode.
Sunday was going to be a day of doing very little, and it actually turned out that way. We watch the Colditz Story on Film4 and then the Rugby League final between Australia and New Zealand, which was a one sided affair. In between times I made coffee, cooked lunch and ate Liquorice Allsorts, which I seem to be addicted to at the moment. We got invited to go to a quiz evening at The Punch Bowl pub in Warwick, so at 7.30 pm we set off to the pub with Maria and Nigel for an evening of brain stretching. Before the quiz started we watched the end of the Tennis final between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, which Andy won, meaning he is in the number 1 position for the rest of this year. It is a huge achievement for him, but also his brother Jamie is number 1 in the double with his partner Bruno Soares. What an amazing feat and congratulations to them all. Match over it was time for the quiz to begin with different rounds and a super quiz. We had a picture, recent news, sports, history, music and super quiz and general knowledge rounds and at the end of it our group of four came third overall out of nine teams. To say we were shocked was a bit of an understatement, because for most of the quiz night we were second from the bottom, but we played our Joker card for the General Knowledge round and that gave us double points. I guess the only way is up, but if we get to the top it will be hard to stay there. Great couple of hours of fun and it was great to stretch the brain cells a little.
It was gone 11 pm by the time we got back to the boat, but I was in need of a cuppa having only had a diet coke drink, as I am on medication. By the time we had our cuppa and watched a bit of 47 Ronan it was 11.45 pm before we headed off to bed, this is late for me as I am usually in bed at 10 pm, but I did not actually feel that tired.

Weekend is here.

Hi Friends.

Brrrrrr chilly old start to Saturday, but with it comes the sunshine, and Jack Frosts been hard at work. The down side to Jack Frost paying us a visit, is it makes the ground slippery under foot, which when you have brain fog can make walking fun. I seriously had to think carefully where I put my feet, so I chose to walk on the grass rather than through the car park, when I took Paddy for his morning stroll.

Going back to Friday night. I take Paddy out for his last wee's before bedtime and he was less than happy at having to get out of the boat, so I had to lift him up the steps. This is a clear sign that things are going downhill for the old man, who has and continues to give us so much joy. I suppose we must realise, that he is 12 years old, but in doggy years that makes him 84 years old. I can well imagine that if I make it to 84 years old, I will struggle up the steps as well. Children in Need was totally amazing, sadly we did not watch it all, because our bed was calling. But well done to everyone.

Back to today. Paddy was fine getting out of the boat, but like me he does not do slippery surfaces to well. He made sure it was a short walk, by quickly doing what he needed to do and then doing an about turn and headed for the boat. He always looks forward to his breakfast biscuits which are usually four shape biscuits of different colours. Marmite has her tinned meat and her biscuit bowl topped up, which always makes her happy.

List of jobs for the day were as follows:
Walk into town to get my Winter boots re-healed.
Watching the TV.

I know my list was not a big one, but it was enough for me to be doing when I am still coping with brain fog.
We did walk into town first thing, so I could get my winter boots re-healed. I love these boots, they have been with me for 16 years and I have had a couple of sets of heals done and one pair of new soles, but the tops are like new. Good old Marks and Sparks. I bought them when I started working for M&S as a Christmas worker. I ended up working for them for 4 years. My boots were the best thing I ever bought. I took the boots into Timpson's, and was told he could have them done in an hour, which was perfect for me. I handed my boots over and £10.95 and left them in the gentleman's care. Keith and I walked around the market, where he bought a new tank top. It was a vibrant market today, as everyone is getting in to their Christmas shopping. I bought three cards for special friends. We ended up going into Wetherspoons for a cup of tea, before we went and collected my nicely repaired boots.

Christmas preparations have begun in the Arm, because the tree has gone up in front of the Cedar Room, thanks to Ian our site manager.
Back home, Marmite and Paddy were very happy to see us as always. Marmite always sounds like she is giving us the Spanish inquisition, because she continually meows, as if we are supposed to know what she is saying. I reckon she is asking where and have we been and what have we been doing.
Lunch was put on, we had the remainder of the Cottage Pie, with Cauliflower and Carrots. I then re-lit the back cabin stove, because it was chilly and I hate it when everything feels damp.
The rest of my afternoon was spent watching Winchester 73 with James Stewart and made in Black and White in 1950. It was then time for the Rugby Union, Wales against Japan and Scotland against Argentina, with a sprinkling of Andy Murray against Raonic, Murray coming out of that brutal match the victor.

I wonder what Sunday will have in store.

Almost there.

Hi Friends.

Cute picture time. I did not take it sadly, but still love it. 

I am still taking the tablets and getting brain fog, but I am sure it will pass, because I have been told by others it will. What I am not sure of yet, is how long I will be on these tablets, because I wanted to speak to the GP this morning, but he was already booked up until Tuesday afternoon, when he can give me a ring, so that is what I have plumped for. I could have spoken to another GP, but to me that just get confusing the situation, because I would have to explain it all again and then they would probably change my medication, so I decided I would wait till Tuesday to speak to the GP who has me on these Brain Fog tablets. I remember the time when the family GP only ever dealt with you, you did not get pushed from pillar to post with other GP's. Dr Walker was my family GP when I was growing up. I was never keen on going to the doctor's, because you sat in his corridor, which was dark and miserable and then when you went into his room it was no better. But of course I was a child then, and things always look dismal as a child if you do not want to be there. I guess things began to change when my children were young, although we had a family GP, we could be asked to see another in the practice. Of course these days most practices are medical centers and have several GP's on hand. I actually prefer having a family GP who looks after you from the day you sign with them and only changes if they leave or die. That way you do not have to spend half your time with them going over your medical history. Another thing that bugs me is for most of your appointment, they are busy typing your aliments on their computers and are not actually paying attention to you the patient. Ok moan over ☺😔😔😔.

I have to say, having taken two tablet last night, this morning I was pain free and getting on with jobs. Firstly I sent Keith off to Tesco and Aldi to get some bits we forgot yesterday. This having a bus pass lark, means he gets a trip out for free and I get the shopping done. It is a win, win situation as far as I am concerned. Oh and we save money. Whilst Keith went shopping, I got on with a laundry wash, having stripped the bed last night. Back on board the boat, the washing was hung in the engine room and back cabin to dry. I lit the back cabin stove, so the washing will not be hanging around for long. 

One of the Winter jobs I do is change the disposable nappies under the floors.

WHAT? I can hear you shouting.

Over the Winter under the floors can condensate, which means a build up of water can happen, so under the floor in the back cabin and in the galley, I lay disposable nappies, which soak up the condensation that gathers. I buy the Tesco everyday brand, which are really cheap and do the job nicely. Today was changing day, so up came the floor in the back cabin and the sodden nappies were removed and new ones put in their place. It is nice to have a dry base plate over the Winter. It saves me having to mop out over the Winter. The one in the galley is fine at the moment, so I will leave that for another week.

Lunch today was cottage pie, with sprouts and peas, which were cooked in the back cabin stove. That is the joy of the Winter, I get to cook comfort food which keeps us both snuggly. It will not be long before I will be making bread and butter puddings, which I love in the Winter. 

The afternoon jobs included getting the coal in for the evening, putting the hoover around and having a general tidy. Then I sat down with my knitting and got on with making more dishcloths, which sell really well. Film4 was on and today we had Cary Grant in 'Father Goose', which is a great film. 

Has anyone else been watching 'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here'?

Is it me are some of the guy's wussy?

James and Jordon need to man up. I am loving Larry Lamb and Scarlett is so sweet. Tonight we get to see how the two new camp mates fit in. I can see Danny Baker stirring things up a bit. But that is no bad thing, because it has all been going to well, what with everyone getting on and there has been plenty of food in camp, which we all know is the most important thing to the camp mates. If the food starts to dwindle due to lack of stars then maybe things will unravel a bit. Another must see tonight is 'Children in Need and Pudsey, sadly Terry Wogan will not be there. Here's hoping they raise a shed full of money in his honour. I have been watching the Rickshaw challenge on 'The One Show'. It has been an emotional roller coaster. Everyone doing the challenge is such a inspiration.

Before I leave this evening here is another cute photograph. This time it is of our cat Marmite, who decided she wanted to sit in my knitting basket.

Taking it easy.

Hi Friends.

It has been a few days now since I began taking Amitriptyline 10mg tablets and I would love to say I am completely pain free, but unfortunately I am not yet.
However I am better than I was. I am allowed to take up to two tablets at night, so on Saturday evening I did take two tablets, because by the time it was bedtime, my pain level had risen above what I wanted to cope with.
I woke Sunday morning completely pain-free, but with brain fog again, which I kind of expected having taken two tablets. For the whole of Sunday I felt pretty good. The past couple of days I have gone back to one tablet at night and by the time it comes to taking the next tablet I am in discomfort, so I am not sure if they are actually working, or just blocking the pain and no sooner I come off them, I will be back to square one. So with it being a week on Friday, which was when I began taking the Amitriptyline 10mg, I will ring my GP to see what he thinks I should do next.

Because I am taking it easy, I have been busy making my webpage for my greetings cards and getting them out there. As you may know and see through my posts I love taking photographs. It had been suggested by many friends that I should use them in some way, so I decided to make some greetings cards first. If they perform well, then I may well expand my range and do prints and possibly mounted prints.
I am in no way a professional photographer and I do not use an elaborate camera and gear, but I know what I like and what I think looks good, so I am giving it a go. You can reach my page via this link.

Feeling poorly is not my way, I am always busy doing something and so sitting still and resting is out of my comfort zone. I have so much to do in the gardens and on the boat, but at the moment I do not have the energy to do them, so I will carry on taking it easy and see what my GP has to say.

New Venture.

Hi Friends.

I have begun a new venture using my photographs. I have been told by so many people that I should use my photographs as a business and so now that we have decided not to sell coal anymore, I have taken the plunge and made a selection of Greetings Cards, which are blank inside, so you can add your own thoughts and messages.

Click on the card above and it will take you to my new page where you can purchase the card of your choice.

I hope you like my collection.

Jo

Foggy mind day.

Hi Friends.

Really soggy old start to Saturday, and I knew that one of our four legged crew members would not be happy about going for his walk. Paddy was less than impressed with the idea of walking in the drizzly rain, which always gets you wetter than the real stuff. He was quick to do what he had to do and then leg it back to the warmth and dryness of the boat and to be honest I was with him this morning.

Last night I took my first Amitriptyline 10mg tablet and was in bed by 9.30 pm due to feeling very sleepy. This meant I missed the end of the England v Scotland match, but of course we were already winning by 3-0 and I did not miss any further goals. I slept like a baby and only woke up at 6.30 am. I have woken up with a very foggy head, which I was told by the GP would probably happen, but he advised me to push on through it, which I did. He also said that if this medication was going to work, it would show immediate improvement in my condition and he was right. Normally I wake up still with rib and sternum pain, but this morning I woke up with the pain reduced by a huge amount, so it looks so far like this medication maybe having an affect. Of course it could also be down to the double dose of Omeprazole I am now taking. I am willing to go with either to be relatively pain free and I can work though the foggy head, I just need to make sure I concentrate on what I am doing. One thing is certain, if I was a car driver I would not be driving my car. Thankfully this does not apply to me, because I am not a car driver. I do not even think I would be safe working the boat, if we were out cruising, so I am also glad we are on our mooring. Hopefully this foggy head will clear after a few days of taking Amitriptyline.
I was reading up on Amitriptyline. Although it is used for depression in larger doses, it is widely used for Fibromyalgia. So I am now wondering if the GP is thinking I may have this, because along with my sternum and rib pain, other joints are a problem as well as other symptoms. So we will see how things go. I am keeping an open mind. The one thing it will not do and that is it will not stop me getting on with my busy life. I have a lot of things to do over the Winter, boat and mooring related.

As the day wore on my foggy head did improve, helped by a nap in the afternoon. I actually did very little all day. The laundry got done, as did lunch and dinner, oh and I made numerous cups of coffee, but I took things nice and easy and watched a film then the Rugby Union. Scotland were so close and yet so far away, letting Australia win by one point again. I am now watching the Wales V Argentina match and already Argentina is in the lead.

Feet up again, before bedtime and hopefully tomorrow will be another day of my pain decreasing.

Time to take action.

Hi Friends.

Nippy morning, after a hard frost. I had a hard job opening the gate on our pontoon, because the latch had frozen it solid. Paddy had his legs crossed, while I wrestled with the latch, which finally gave in and undid. Crossed legs on Paddy is not a good look and neither was the look on his face. Because it was early we just walked around the Arm.

Why early you ask?
It was early because I wanted to walk to the surgery to get an appointment with a GP. Here in Warwick, you can either ring up at 8.30 am and try and get through on a busy line, or like we do walk to the surgery for 8 am and speak to lady at the desk and ask for the GP to ring. You usually get asked if it is for a phone consultation or for an appointment. This morning I wanted an appointment. The same is done after lunch to get an afternoon appointment. Having booked my phone call, I walked back home and waited for the phone call, which came and I had an appointment to see another doctor.
This system actually works really well, because it means if the GP feels they can sort your problem out on the phone, it saves a visit to the GP and frees up an appointment for someone who needs it.
Whilst I wanted for my appointment, Keith and I made boxes for posting off my broken camera and lens, which have both sold on Ebay. Yes the camera that had gone to the murky depths of the canal in the Arm has sold and so has the lens. We put them on as spares or repair, plus all the relevant information, on the fact it was water damaged and yet they both still sold. Great news for me, because it means my replacement camera, which was also bought on Ebay, has cost me very little.

Time came to walk to the surgery and see the GP, who is a new registrar at the practice and will be there until at least August. He examined me and then was puzzled. So as I have tried all the other remedies for Costochondritis, he was then thinking outside of the box, as he put it. So I have Amitriptyline 10mg to take. Amitriptyline is a type of drug called a tricyclic antidepressant. Although these are used for anxiety and depression, lower doses are also widely used to block the long-term (chronic) pain of some rheumatic conditions such as Costochondritis. Amitriptyline can be prescribed by a consultant rheumatologist for chronic pain caused by:
Arthritis
Back pain and neck painF
Fibromyalgia
Chronic (tension) headaches
Damage to nerve endings in the limbs (peripheral neuropathy).
He has also increased my Omeprazole from 1 to 2 tablets a day, to see if that also helps, because he is worried of my tenderness around my stomach, which is probably due to my Hiatus Hernia. So we will give it a go and see what happens. The GP was very nice and I hope he stays, because trying to see a GP you like is incredibly difficult these days.
When I was growing up you had a family GP, our was called Dr Walker and you always saw him and the same thing when my children were growing up they always saw the same GP Dr Styles. These days because they surgeries are now medical centres, you end up seeing any GP who is available. I do wonder about the continuity of care.
Having left the surgery, we walked into town to pick up the prescriptions, which now cost an arm and a leg, especially when you have three items to collect. Keith is fine because he gets his free, but needs must and I would rather be pain free. We decided to go into Wetherspoons for some lunch and with it being Fishy Friday, we both had the fish and chips. They both duly arrived at the table looking fabulous and the battered fish looked lovely. The batter on my fish was beautiful, but sadly the fish was not cooked properly, it was still swimming in the sea I think as it was raw in places, so it had to go back and I was sent another one, which was much better, but by then I was somewhat put off. I did however finish most of it.
Back home and it was time to put my feet up and relax for the afternoon, I was actually feeling pooped, which is all to do with this condition I have and have been struggling with all year.

Marmite was taking a leaf out of my book and was chilling out above the saloon stove. She knows where all the warmest places are.

Day trip to Leamington-Spa.

Hi Friends.

The weather is without a doubt getting on the chilly side, with heavy frosts and a cold breeze, but it also brings the joy of Autumn colours, cosy fires and a warm back cabin to go to bed in of a night, so what is there not to like.

Today we were off on a day out to Leamington-Spa to catch-up with our dear friend Maxine. The idea was to meet up with Maxine at a constituency boundaries meeting, which will affect our MP Chris White. We arrived in Leamington-Spa and did a bit of shopping first, because I needed a new tin opener, because the handle had snapped off our old one. I obviously do not know my own strength. That was bought in Argos, because they were the cheapest. We also went into Poundland and got a few items. Pretty much all of the shops now are geared up for Christmas, we were even treated to Christmas music, which is darn annoying when it is only November. Anyway that aside, we got our bit of shopping down and headed off to the constituency boundaries meeting, signed in and crept to a seat, because there was someone already speaking. I have to say it all goes a little over my head, but as Chris White is our MP and gets involved with the Arm, we like to support him. Within 10 minutes the meeting was adjourned for 10 minutes whilst they waited for another speaker to arrive. When he or another speaker failed to turn up, they adjourned the meeting for a further 25 minutes, which was our time to leave, because we saw no point in hanging around for someone who may or may not turn up, so we said our "goodbyes" to Chris and left with Maxine to head for our favourite Chinese Buffet. We had a fabulous catch-up over lunch, which always leaves me very full and then in no need for food for the rest of the day. After a wonderful lunch and natter, Maxine had to get off home and we had further shopping to do. We did the usual Charity shop saunter and then headed off out of town to Aldi. The walk was a good way of working off the calories we had put on with our lunch. Shopping done at Aldi, we walked back to the bus stop, where a huge dark cloud was looming over head and we just knew at some point we would get wet, so we decided to take the number 17 bus back to Warwick town bus station and then change over to the G1 to the bus stop outside of the Arm. As we made it towards Warwick the rain began to fall, but with it came an incredibly stunning double rainbow. I just wish I had my camera with me to take a photograph. We got to the bus station and the G1 bus was already in, so we crossed the bus station and straight on to our next bus.
Back on the boat, I unpacked the shopped and stowed it away and made a much needed coffee. The rest of my evening will be with my feet up.

Before I leave a reminder that drinking and boating do not mix. It was with great sadness that yesterday I heard that a gentleman we had met and traveled with this year has died. He was found in the canal, having drunk to much. This is not the first fatality we have heard of this way and sadly I know it will not be the last. Please stay safe out there.

Happy Day's.

Hi Friends.

What a stunner of a morning. -3.9 c over night and a heavy frost on the ground and in fact on everything. Jack Frost had been very busy, waving his finger over the land.

I do so love it when it is frosty. You cannot beat a frosty morning, because you can pretty much be guaranteed that the rest of the day will be fabulous.

Our small pond had a thin layer of ice on the top. We do not have any fish in the pond yet, so no wildlife to worry about. 

When I went out for my walk with Paddy this morning the sun was shining and it was just beautiful. The air always seems so much fresher after a frost as if everything is new.

The Arm's Winter moorer's were waking up to a cold morning and the fires were being lit. There is something comforting when you see the smoke wafting out of the chimneys.

Today is washing day on our boat, so I gathered the washing bag, which was laden down with whites and coloured clothing and headed off to the Arm's laundry.

The Arm's laundry is a godsend, we have three washing machines and three driers, plus a small spin drier, which is brilliant for woolens.

 

With it being £1 for a quick wash, it is quicker and easier for me to do do one large wash in the laundry, rather than two small washes on the boat in our Candy Compact machine. I rarely use the driers, as I like to either hang my washing out on the line, or I hang it in the engine room and back cabin. 

Whilst in the laundry the postman arrived and he had a parcel for me. It was my replacement Canon 1100D. For those who have not read my posting from a few days ago, My camera fell into the canal and has since died, so I found a replacement on Ebay for a very good price and it has arrived. On opening the box, I found my new camera in extremely good condition, best of all it works perfectly, so I am one very happy lady today. 

Washing all done, it was hung in the engine room and back cabin. Time for coffee and a catch-up on my e-mails, Facebook etc. 

With my replacement camera, it seemed right I should try it out.

Paddy and Marmite certainly know where to find the comfort. They both decided it was in the back cabin, on top of the washing. They both looked so peaceful, so I left them to their afternoon snooze. The back cabin is always so warm and snuggly this time of the year, with the stove lit. 

After lunch, I really did not really feel like doing much, so spent the afternoon watching films on Film4. A delivery man knocked on the boat, he was delivering my card holders or so I thought. When I opened the box, there was only one card holder, so I had to ring the company to find out what had gone a miss. It seems like someone did not read my Ebay order properly. The young woman told me the others would be out for delivery tomorrow, so I hope they arrive. The afternoon has drawn into the evening and it is dark out. I find it so difficult to work out where this year has gone, it has absolutely flown by. I am not a fan of the dark nights coming in early, but it does give us the opportunity to get cosy for the evenings with the fires lit.

Time for the weekend.

Hi Friends.

Having had a miserable day Friday due to the demise of my camera and then finding another one on Ebay to replace it, the weekend had to be better.

Saturday.

A rather nippy start, but it is November after all and many are on the countdown to Christmas. Anyway Christmas aside. having enjoyed a good nights sleep, we were awake at 6.30 am and the kettle went on. We like to sit in bed and watch the news before getting up and doing all the usual things.
Paddy was not that bothered about getting out of his pit, but Marmite was sitting on the engine meowing for her breakfast. Marmite's life is ruled by her stomach and once it is filled she is happy and usually settles down for the day in the warmest place. Once up and about Paddy always get's his walk first, because he usually goes from 6pm the night before till 8am, which is a long time and I often think he must have hallow legs to hang on that long. Our walk took us along the main road and down onto the towpath, where he gets to run free. Because Paddy is now 12 years old and not in the best of health, he never wants to go far, so after about 15 minutes he is ready for home and his breakfast.

After we were all fed and boat chores sorted out, Keith and I were off out. I wanted to go to Love Hand Made at St. Nicholas Church in Warwick to pick up a glass heart, which was made for me by good friend Jan. 

 
I wanted to tie this in with going to the market to buy fruit, veg and possibly meat, as we have changed our shopping habits. Usually once a fortnight, I would do a Tesco shop which was delivered. But having shopped at Aldi, whilst out this year we realised how much cheaper our shop could be, so now once a week Keith goes off to Aldi with a shopping list and gets our shopping, we have decided to use our wonderful market on Saturdays for our fruit and veg and possibly meat, because there is a super meat wagon. We have only done one shop like this so far, so early days. Anyway we set off for the church and Love Hand Made and I collected my glass heart and a little glass stocking for the Christmas tree. 

It was fabulous catching-up with Jan and other stall holders we know. There are some very talented people out there and I am hoping to be one of them with my photographs. Having spent a good hour nattering and nosing around, we headed off back into Warwick to the market.

I bought a lovely Cauliflower, 3 Carrots, 2 Leeks, half pound Mushrooms, 4 Apples, 5  Satsumas and 3 Bananas and that came to the princely sum of £5.50, which I thought was very good. I also bought a lovely joint of Gammon for £4 for Christmas, that has gone in the freezer. I reckon this will be a weekly thing from now on, because there is nothing nicer than picking your own fruit and veg. It is so easy to take the easy option, by shopping online. The other benefit is the walk there and back, which is also good for us both. Because it is so easy to stay in on a cold old day.

Back home on the boat. Lunch was made and eaten. I made a chicken and mushroom pie on Friday, so it did two days and then just added veg and potatoes. Paddy had a run out across the green and had a quick play with his tennis ball. He does not play for long these days, but he does enjoy me throwing the ball and then going to find it for him. The rest of the day was taken up with chatting to the other boaters and then BBC1 had Rugby Union on Wales against Australia. Wales sadly really did not turn up, they were out played. We then turned over to BBC2 to two watch Rugby League matches. England V Scotland and New Zealand V Australia. England were dreadful first half, but got on top in the second and won the match. New Zealand were out played by Australia in the second match. It was Warwick's Guy Fawkes night and firework display. Thankfully it was a quiet one this year, because we hardly heard a thing. Usually there are huge bangs. Someone opposite the boat had some fireworks, but they did not bother Paddy and Marmite to much, which was great. That was my Saturday, because it was then bed time and I am not going into that.

Sunday.

Blimey really parky this morning. There was a hard frost on the ground and a brisk wind blowing up the Arm, that is the Saltisford Arm and not my arm, although it could have been. I actually donned my down jacket this morning. Now usually I do not really feel the cold, but this morning I was when out walking Paddy.
The morning got off to its usual start, but then the hoover came out and the floors got washed. This always annoys Paddy and Marmite, because they hate the hoover, so they both disappeared into the back cabin.
I then made us a Beef stew and put it in the back cabin stove to cook slowly. It is better cooked slowly through the day and always tastes much nicer. Later in the day, I added veggies and potatoes. Dumplings will be added finally an hour before we eat.

Marmite loves it when both stoves are lit, because she is nice and warm. Her usual snoozing place when the whole of the boat is warm is on top of our gas stove, where I have a cover on top of the glass cover. Marmite absolutely hates it, if I move her off it and I never hear the end of it. 
After lunch, Paddy and I went out to play ball on the green. He only managed a couple of throws today, the poor boy is slowing up and he actually forgets where I have thrown the ball, so I end up going to get it for him, either that or it is his ploy to get me running around after him.
I know, I will be doing very little else today, other than watching films, making dinner and then away to my bed, so I will sign off now.

There are day's......

Hi Friends.

The title of this posting say's it all really.

There are day's, when I should not get out of bed. Today was such a day.
It all began well enough. I got on with making a Chicken and Mushroom pie for lunch, which was scrummy.
I then went out and started pruning and cutting back in the garden, getting it ready for the Winter, that also went well.
Lunch was eaten and then I thought I would go out with my camera. This is where it all went horribly wrong. I climbed out of the back cabin doors, stood on the back counter and as I stepped off of the boat, the strap on my camera caught on the handrail and the camera fell into the dark depths of the canal. I had that moment, where everything seemed to happen in slow motion, but there was no stopping the camera causing a splash. I was able to grab it out of the water, but of course the damage was then done. Having emptied the water out of it, I hung it in the saloon over the stove and I pray it dries out, but I will not be holding my breath.
To say I was upset was an understatement, I was incredibly upset and annoyed with myself.
My camera is covered by insurance but there is a £50 excess and we would lose all our no claims, so not worth going down that route. It is covered under contents if Hadar should sink and we lose everything, our we have a break in and lots of stuff gets stolen, lose of a single item does not cost out. My 1100D is not made anymore, so I would have to upgrade, so I have decided to go on Ebay and look for a replacement.

First Frost.

Hi Friends.

November is here and along with it comes the first heavy frost. I do so love frosts and the beautiful days that come with it. Of course we also have to think about the downsides of frost and slippery conditions. I always wear flat, rubber soled shoes at this time of the year, to aid my not falling flat on my back or worse face. It was so lovely out this morning, the air smelt so fresh and all about was white where Jack Frost had lain his fingers. The only thing that would make me happier and that is lots and lots of snow.

Today's list of jobs began with me doing a laundry wash at 8.30 am. I was going to hang it out, but decided it was very unlikely to dry, so once again the engine room and back cabin look like a Chinese laundry.
We then locked the boat up and headed up into the town to try and sort out with my bank, why my Paypal was not talking to my account. The bank as always were very good and tried to sort things out, but it turned out it was the fault of Paypal and so I would have to ring them.
Whilst I went off to get my hair trimmed, Keith went off on the bus using his bus pass to Aldi in Leamington-Spa. I had given him a shopping list and he had his rucksack and trolley with him. This will be his new weekly trip out. We reckon we will save a lot of money doing it this way. Usually I have a fortnightly Tesco delivery, but it has been getting more expensive and we know Aldo is cheaper on many items. The trimming of my hair, is one of the things I do every 8 weeks when we are on the mooring. As it is now down close to my waist, I only ever had a dry trim. The dry trim is because I have allergies to shampoo's so choose to wash my hair myself. You would think that a dry trim, would cost very little, but this time it cost me £13.50 for 5 minutes of snipping. I will be glad when it is a little longer and I can do it myself. I of course realise that hairdressers have to make a living, but I have been given differing prices for a trim and they can vary from the £13.50 to £30. Yes I said £30, I of course said No and that was just within Warwick alone. Hair trimmed it was back to the boat, nattering to the Winter moorers who are with us again this Winter. I love catching-up with folk and hearing about where they have been cruising during the year. We will do a lot more catching-up through the Winter months.

With the days getting darker much quicker, little will get done outside during the afternoons, so I am going to have to make an effort to get all outside jobs done in the mornings. I still have cutting back to do in the garden and I want to cut our hedge.
Christmas is coming friends, so I hope your getting ready for it now hahahahaha.