Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Sunny and calm here Maz!

[Stanley]

Quietly hunting down a running engine. I am on to the parallel motion now.
Watching the post for delivery of an augmentation to my stock of very small spanners and three new 1/8" HSS taps. Must be better prepared for the next engine! (Buying tools at my age is ridiculous I know but I was in the grip of superior forces!)
Accepting what looks like a wet day.

[Cathy]

Stanley - ‘in the grip of superior forces’.
Haha, I like that, it often happens to me.

[Stanley]

Like you Cathy I am but a weak human being... Some forces are irresistible.

[Sue]

Morning

This will be short, I have to be at the Drs for 8, for a blood test, which means trying to get across Rochdale in the rush hour (2 hours) . We shall have breakfast when we get back.

As planned yesterday, I did some cutting out, and a short walk into Rochdale, there and back to buy some fruit and veg. Being the hot spot for Covid for Rochdale we don’t hang around in the centre but go there and back. Its an energetic walk back up hill so even though it is barely 3.5 miles the round trip it gets the heart beating.

So today is my blood test before seeing the specialist about my gum next week. Its a wet day so I think I will be sewing.

Have a good day everyone

[Sue]

Needless to say it took 7 minutes and we are now sat in tge car outside ! Traffic was really light, apparently the other road down into Rochdale from us is shut due to an accident. The effect has not filtered through to jam our road yet . It will!

[Stanley]

Sod's Law strikes again Sue! Never mind you're there in good time. Best of luck with all of it!
I've read your email Sue, look forward to seeing you. One request on Bob's behalf, let him be adventurous and shove his head in the shed?
I am sat down after 2 hours almost in the shed. Good productive morning and I'll post later on Shed Matters after a walk and during breakfast.

[Sue]

Sod's Law strikes again Sue! Never mind you're there in good time. Best of luck with all of it!
I've read your email Sue, look forward to seeing you. One request on Bob's behalf, let him be adventurous and shove his head in the shed?
I am sat down after 2 hours almost in the shed. Good productive morning and I'll post later on Shed Matters after a walk and during breakfast.

Will do Stanley. We were back home by 8.10 and the queues were already building up in the opposite direction, going up our hill. It was one of the reasons I retired early and that's 15 years ago . A journey that took 7 minutes today could take 45 minutes, and I still had 7 mikes to do to get to Bury for 8.45 am . In fact I needed to be there for 8.30 or there was no parking left.

[Stanley]

Ah, the joys of being retired! What surprised me when I stopped driving to work was how much it had been costing me. It must be even worse now.

[Wendyf]

My ex neighbour at Brown Hill used to work in Bury. I have no idea how she coped with that journey twice a day especially after she was widowed and she came home to a cold, empty house each evening.

[Stanley]

That struck a nerve Wendy. Arriving home after driving from Rochdale in the snow to an empty cold flat and tea to make.... Glad those days are over.

[Sue]

Bob worked away for 15 years and lived away during the week. I taught in the evenings two days a week on top of my day classes and got home at 10.00 pm having left at 7.15 am. Horrid!

The cost would have been more for me Stanley as I needed two buses or one very long walk a train and a tram, or one very long walk and a bus. It is not easy or cheap to get to Bury from this end of Rochdale by public transport

[Stanley]

A good point Sue. Thank God it's behind us. Old age does have some benefits!

[Stanley]

Usual exercise and shed, in other words looking after myself mentally and physically! Someone's got to do it!
Helping others if I can.

[Sue]

Morning

A grey start to the day but due to be cloudy rather than wet, and it was certainly wet yesterday. Our half empty pond filled so much it overflowed into the marginal plants area and across the patio. I have never seen it so full. So I filled the day sewing. I made my yoga/ pilates leggings and am very pleased with the result but could do with fabric with more lycra in. I searched thoroughly online and the only place I could get it was from the States. The evening was the double pilates and yoga session and an opportunity to try out the leggings. All seams held firm

Today we are having a little trip out to Barnoldswick, followed by lunch at the Anchor Inn in Salterforth. Its is 53 years today since Bob and I met so a good excuse for lunch out. We are meeting Wendy and Col there for coffee Stanley and shall pass over the book , so see you later Stanley and Wendy, socially distanced of course.

It will be mid afternoon when we are back so will probably carry on with my sewing. I have started some needle cord jeans. Hopefully the corded braid I need to make the handle of Brionys bag will arrive today and I can get that finished too.

We had a little crisis this week as Erin had a high fever and a cough. However her covid test was negative so it is probably a cold.

Have a good day everyone, stay well

[Stanley]

Lovely! Bob gets his loot and Wendy her book. Thanks for taking the trouble Sue, I shall be ready to do the handover at noon.
I've had my usual two hours in the shed (getting light exercise of course) and I am having a breather before posting walking and having breakfast.

[Marilyn]

Photo?

[Stanley]

Your wish is my command Maz. They look well and happy. Bob was quietly pleased I think.



Today I shall be adding to my collection of tiny parts for the Watts Parallel Motion.

[Marilyn]

More sunshine in that photo than we have had today.
We have had so much rain hitting one side of the house these past two weeks, that my laundry door was covered in dirt and muck. It had worked its way into the door jam etc, plus the screen door looked disgraceful too. Between the doors was a layer of mud. I couldn’t put it off any longer, so I’ve cleaned every surface today, and cleaned the window in the door. Looks so much better now. Took about 2 hours! Finished before the rain started again...

[Stanley]

It was a decent day for the time of year Maz. We have been very lucky lately. Most parts of the UK have been lashed by rain and gales and we have had none of that.

[Sue]

Morning

In Rochdale we have had the lashing gales Stanley apart from a couple of sunny days, and we have woken to yet more rain, and now with the pond full, there is no no where left for the water to run to except to fill up the gravel paths . Yesterday was very pleasant relief from the downpour of the last few days, 6 inches of rain we have had since October 1st. After a damp start the sun shone for our trip to Barnoldswick , so it was a very pleasant drive there and back. Bob is very happy with his copper tubing and also enjoyed his trip into Stanleys workshop. I enjoyed my lunch out and chats with Stanley, Wendy and Col. They all look well The Anchor were really good, very covid aware. They sat us on adjacent tables, far enough to be distanced, close enough to chat. The food was as good as usual. On return I did a bit of sewing on my jeans but only for an hour.

Today is an all day Zoom art workshop with Jeremy Ford, 9.45 am till 4.00 pm, so little time for anything else. By the time I have cleared up and had a sit down and a chat it will be yoga time.

Have a good day everyone, hope its not too wet .

[Stanley]

I'm glad you enjoyed your day Sue, I certainly did.
As usual I am having a sit down after 2 hours in the shed not improved by the fact I have just spent half an hour on a tricky little part, let my attention wander for a micro second and buggered it up. Ah well, I always knew I had feet of clay.
It isn't raining here so a walk, breakfast and a bit of posting on Shed Matters.

[Wendyf]

I enjoyed my first meal out since lockdown and a good chat with Sue and Bob across the gap between the tables. Col was distracted by persistent tooth/jaw pain but he survived! Opticians for me this morning, it's a year since I had my last eye test when I was diverted to the emergency eye clinic with high pressure.

[Stanley]

Commiserations to Colin and good luck to you Wendy....
He had something in common with Sue though!

[Sue]

We loved the malt loaf Stanley, note past tense there. Every cup of tea we have had has been accompanied by a slice of malt loaf. Just a bit left for tomorrow now