@Grandad - don't blame you. I'm seriously starting to think about where I want to end my days.

I guess worldwide people are starting to move but it sure doesn't seem here anyway that anybody wants to work. They just want everything handed to them AND what they want handed to them is pretty high level stuff - a house? all furnished? It is all happening so fast it is quite unbelievable really and very hard to describe as there is so much daily going on.

Finally had the Landscape guy arrive to finish one more area of the backyard. He is going to be making a patio on the last gravel area which my back will thank him for as hopefully this will stop all the weeds sprouting in the gravel! It'll also give me a larger backyard outside spot to put a table, chair, maybe firepit (maybe - not sure given how close to the trees I'm at and in summer we're tinder dry). Been waiting for him for almost a year but his work is excellent so he is really in demand.

Yesterday morning it was absolutely pouring rain so the Landscape guy only unloaded the materials and left his work trailer parked here. Then, naturally, about 11am the sun came out and it was quite a lovely day (but he didn't return).

Today weather-wise it is neutral so am hoping he'll appear soon and get started. Don't think it is much more than a 2 day job and I do need somebody to fix the fence out back. Good if he gets it done now cause then I"ll be able to get a few more plants in place come spring AND VOILA! As I type here he is!!

Really nice sunny day today although a fresh nip in the air.
I needed to go into town to collect my repeat prescription from Boots and I also went into M & S to get some euros in anticipation of the pound dropping further with the uncertainty over Brexit. The city and the stores were crowded, everyone seemed to be Christmas shopping early so I needed all my driving skill to avoid all the jaywalkers

@Ruby Slippers
RS, you mentioned recently that you were going to come into the city to look at mobility scooters. Did you do that and if so have you decided to buy one? I really do find mine a boon and it allows me to get anywhere in town, even in the lift this morning in M & S

Grandad, I was going to come again - I came about a month ago - but unfortunately it has had to go on the back burner at the moment. I mentioned in another post about my brother who had the stroke nearly a fortnight ago, well, he was taken to St Thomas's late on Thursday evening; operated on yesterday, but unfortunately something went wrong in recovery and he's now in the high dependency unit! We're all worried sick, and the powers that be have made it so difficult to travel into London now, let alone park, that we are relying on phone calls to and fro. So the scooter will have to wait for the moment.

@Ruby Slippers
Yes I remember you telling us about your brother RS. Sorry if my question seemed insensitive but I was thinking of your comments before your brother was taken ill.

I do hope that he gets good treatment in the HDU and that he is soon on the road to recovery.

@RS - Hope all turns out well for your brother. I'm not sure what a "high dependency unit" is but it doesn't sound overly positive and I hope his stay there is only temporary. I also hear you re: travel into high urban areas and am sure that is adding to the worry of you not being able to be there, see your brother yourself and ask questions of medical people first hand.

Hoping all works out well with hopes & wishes for a speedy recovery.

Really nice day today, it was cold overnight but bright sun and blue sky right now. Mrs G gets a 'bye' today because we are going to lunch at #2 sons home.

RS...hope everything turns out well for your brother

We had a really hard frost here last night. Everything out there has a thick layer of frost.

Yesterday afternoon was sunny so I would outside and cut back the lavender into mounds vs scraggly lumps. Was also able to trim up a few other plants, take off dead leaves.

Today I'm meeting up with friends for breakfast at the Pub but am leaving at 1pm as am then taking the twins to a Hockey game. Most hockey games go into the evening but occasionally on Sundays there are games at 2pm which fits much better with their schedule while they're in school. I went to get pre-tickets a couple days ago but the box office was closed (not sure why as I checked before leaving to make sure it would be open) so we'll have to line up today to get tickets. Tickets are only problematic in that we're carrying blankets and snacks (their allergies) and all the flags and things they wave around when their team scores. Almost like we have enough stuff to camp out!

The council collect garden waste this week so yesterday we pulled out all the annual plants and blew the leaves on the patio. That proved to be good thinking because it is raining today and leaf blowing would have been a messy job.

We have been using the heating for a while now and as this morning was the coldest so far, the heat will be on all day. I hate feeling cold.

But I did get my £150 in the bank today from that nice man Philip Hammond to help with winter fuel costs. Such a nice man

£150 - I got £200.Al Hamdullilah! Must be a compensation for living with the Welsh weather!

But my other half also gets £150 MD but she doesn't know that I transfer it from her account to mine. After all, I DO pay all the bills, she would just spend it on cosmetics and beauty products

As Grandad says, it's a really filthy day here in Kent! Pouring with rain, bitterly cold and as dark as night! I've closed all the curtains and turned on all the lamps. Now it looks cosy. DH has gone to London to see my brother so I think I will be waiting with hot soup when he gets back soaked to the skin probably. Bless his little cotton socks!

Bless him indeed and you. Please give him my respects and a for you. I hope DH comes home with a good report.

So do I, MD! He is still in the High Dependency Unit and every day he says he's coming home! It's breaking me apart!

We don't get any allowance here for heating costs however this year we are getting the on-going news that due to a pipeline (Enbridge) breaking down we probably are not going to have sufficient natural gas. They're asking us to turn down water, save gas, not use as much cause we're probably not going to have enough gas over the next few months. I have electric heaters for emergency use but I've never had to use them to heat the entire house. I will use them but I can imagine the $$ costs to heat this winter is going to be astronomical.

@RS - Hopefully you DH arrives back with good news about your brother. Sometimes the not knowing and seeing first hand lets our imaginations run. Best thoughts for a positive outcome.

Weather a little better today but I will not be going far.

I was beginning to wonder where Horus was but see he has posted on the 'Cards' thread. Hope you are OK mate

I got this email last night, it says it all really - addressed to me with CC to Care and Repair.

Electrical works proposed as our previous inspection (15/3/18)

Good evening,

Time as moved very quickly,possibly.However,for the proposed agreed electrical works to proceed a final meeting/quotation is required,eventually.
We are now unavailable to proceed until the end of jan. 2019,earliest.

However, possibly contact me anytime to finally formalise specific requirements to reach an eventual satisfactory conclusion.

Regards



I did wonder if he was a relative of MT.

Was out to pottery today. It is raining now but it has been extremely dark all day long. Looked like it was going to snow big time. Now that I'm home and watching the TV News I'm seeing that it IS snowing heavy up the mountains which means the ski hill will be open (maybe) for Christmas.