Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

That's an interesting observation on security Sue. I'll bet lots of people are in the same position.
I've just come in from the shed, I shall do some posting on Shed Matters.... I'll be back.



A thrilling image for you! Half way towards trunnions for the carronades.....

[Stanley]

A spell in the shed, not a lot of outside exercise from the look of the forecast (rain all day in Barlick). Plenty to occupy me indoors....

[Sue]

Morning

Busy busy day yesterday. I was tired last night and was in bed early. We managed a walk in the afternoon as the forecast rain didn’t arrive. It was cloudy and very windy but a much warmer wind than it has been. When I logged our three mikes on my walking app it showed we had reached our virtual destination of Calais and were on the road towards Boulogne. It showed we had walked 34 miles in the last 8 days.

This morning is Bacup market , followed by a bit of general housework. Later I shall try and finish my jeans. I have no other plans. I may have a go at my art project.

Have a good day .

[Stanley]

Morning Sue.... I have had a busy morning but got in the shed.



We're closer. If you want to know why one bar has smaller trunnions, have a look at shed matters! Breakfast now, then second sleep.

[PanBiker]

Getting or Covid vaccinations and trying to buy a camera.

[PanBiker]

First one was flawless and very efficiently organised. Camera deal fell through I was outbid by the time we got home and it was past my budget. I am watching other deals.

[Stanley]

Growing trunnions onto the carronades.... Apart from that appreciating the fact that we seem to be into a spell of warmer weather.
I'm sorry to report I have let the side down. I had some cooking to do, not a lot but I had no drive to go in the shed so I gave myself a day off. I don't feel at all guilty.

[Sue]

Morning

Its a nice dry morning but due to rain later in the day. I have ironing to do after our usual Sunday Brunch and at noon we have a zoom chat with our friends Jean and Bob so I think by then the best of the day may be over but if we can grab a walk we perhaps will. However there are also a couple gardening jobs stacking up. I need to replace some of my garden pots which have fallen apart over the winter. Maxine’s ( my sewing teacher) husband makes and sells wooden ones on Hebden Bridge market and says he will give me a quote if I let him know the sizes. We have also taken delivery of some larger planters ones so that I can grow a few veg this summer , the rest of my garden space being full of other plants. These are still in pieces in the conservatory waiting for suitable weather to assemble them.

Yesterday , after the market and the housework , I finished my jeans and am pleased with the effect. Some of the seams are not perfect but I found that the fabric marked wherever I unpicked so decided to live with . Most will be covered by a jumper or T shirt etc when I am wearing them. I have done contrast fabric on the pockets and on the tabs for the belt. After finishing sewing we just had time to eat before a u3a zoom wine appreciation meeting. The topic was sparkling wines and a sparkling presentation was given by sister Jane, wine writer and trainer of www.onefootinthegrapes . There were 10 of us and between us we had a good variety of fizz to talk about.

No real plans for today it is rather weather dependant. I will measure up my pots so Ian can give me a quote but other than that, I will be take it as it comes

Have a good day.

[Stanley]

I shall exhibit better moral fibre this morning and go in the shed!
After that it all depends on the weather.

[Sue]

Morning

I wonder where the day goes these days. ironing and such in the morning, chat to friends on zoom, chat to Eve on whats app, filled the bird feeders, uncovered the begonia troughs in the greenhouse and gave them a bit of water, sewed in the afternoon and made a roast chicken dinner. I was tired out and went to bed early. Bob made up the wooden planters to grow veggies in the garden and they are now in situ, we just need to order some soil to fill them .

Today is pilates and yoga this morning and if it stops raining a walk this afternoon. I shall carry on with my sewing. I am trying out a new pattern in some old material I had never used to see what the fit is like before I make it up in some really nice new fabric I bought online before Christmas. Its needed a few modification as it is working out rather large. Obviously the designers idea of semifitted and my idea of semi fitted do not coincide. This is when I really miss my lessons with Maxine as she helps with the fitting and pattern modification.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue. One family at least that isn't getting bored by lockdown....



This says all that's need about this morning. The carronades have their trunnions and are glued and curing. (All right, the Carron Foundry didn't have Gorilla Instant Glue but if they had.....)
Breakfast now and then second sleep.

[Sue]

I think I may be getting a bit bored Stanley but keep doing the same old with a difference if we came. Time is going to hang heavy after this week when I stop doing pilates and yoga for a month . Hopefully I can get out in the greenhouse soon, sweep it through, wipe down surfaces and set up seed trays but It needs another couple of weeks yet

[Stanley]

I agree Sue, I find I am getting just a bit jaded. I got quite concerned last week when I had a couple of bad dreams, not something that normally causes a problem.
But you'll keep yourself occupied I'm sure.

[plaques]

Time is going to hang heavy after this week when I stop doing pilates and yoga for a month .

I assume this pause is something to do with the pain in your foot. Normally I would keep quiet on other peoples medical problems but yours does have similarities to mine. I've long suffered back problems with partial loss of feeling in one leg. Unfortunately this loss of feeling doesn't apply to the occasional massive spasm from under my heel. The other week I spent most of the night hopping about trying to kill the pain. This spasm can vary from a light tingle to a 1000V electrical shock. I put it all down to nerve damage in my back. Life carries on as normal but always with one eye on how it affects my back muscles. One of the problems is that cause and effect are not immediately obvious. eg; I now leave at least two hours between having a swim and doing any work or walking a distance.

I hope you solve your problem but its not going to be easy.

[Sue]

Time is going to hang heavy after this week when I stop doing pilates and yoga for a month .

I assume this pause is something to do with the pain in your foot. Normally I would keep quiet on other peoples medical problems but yours does have similarities to mine. I've long suffered back problems with partial loss of feeling in one leg. Unfortunately this loss of feeling doesn't apply to the occasional massive spasm from under my heel. The other week I spent most of the night hopping about trying to kill the pain. This spasm can vary from a light tingle to a 1000V electrical shock. I put it all down to nerve damage in my back. Life carries on as normal but always with one eye on how it affects my back muscles. One of the problems is that cause and effect are not immediately obvious. eg; I now leave at least two hours between having a swim and doing any work or walking a distance.

I hope you solve your problem but its not going to be easy.

Yes it is to do with my foot. The physio, a specialist as I found out on Thursday thinks it may be related to my back but is so minor that even if I had a scan they would not operate and all physio options have been done. The idea is to just see wether resting it from the pilates etc makes any difference. After that to Just to carry on as I have been doing omitting certain exercises that aggravate the problem . Luckily I have no continuous pain . The pain only occurs when I do certain stretch movements . Movements I have resisted doing as much as possible since last November. As far as I am aware I have no back issues these days and haven’t had since I took up pilates etc on the advice of the consultant back surgeon. If I do really strenuous gardening or cleaning which I do a lot of in France i get' back ache but it goes after a good nights sleep. The last two physio sessions concentrated on my back but they have made no difference to the problem . He said leave it a week to see what happens then give up for a month, but don’t hold my breath

[Stanley]

Whatever the cause I wish both of you the best. Touch wood my back is much better these days because I have learned what I must not do. If it's any consolation, my old doc, Arthur, once told me that God would cure my back as I got older. He was right. I have to do something really stupid now to trigger it.
Having said that, the last episode was painful and I took a guess that it was the divan base under my mattress that had gone soft. I got a new solid divan base and it was a cure. That's the trouble with these back related pains, the cause can be so obscure.
As for what I'll be doing today in the shed, I'm not sure, I need to take a look at the rabbit and make some decisions.....

[Sue]

Morning

Exactly Stanley, I have to do something really stupid to trigger any pain in my back which is why I don’t think this is a big back related problem if it is back related and we will never know . I have all the usual ageing aches in the morning , usually gone after a warm shower and moving around.

I woke to a fabulous sunrise this morning, now gone. I was quick enough to get a picture on my ipad.

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Today there are a couple of things organised. It is the funeral of our son in laws grandmother today, she was 99 and not a covid related death in any way. We liked her very much and have been invited to link online to the funeral at 10.30:. Later we have the soil being delivered for the veggie boxes in the garden and that will need barrowing through to the back garden. We no longer have a wheel barrow here so we are borrowing one from our neighbour . Also the man is coming to measure for the new front door and adjacent window. So much ‘excitement ‘ for one day !

Other than that I hope to finish my top that I am making and alter the patter accordingly. It fits OK with my initial alterations but the sleeves are too long for me. I cannot shorten them now it is made because of the shape but can alter the pattern for the good material that I have for it. I have an art project that I need to get started and having read the next chapter of the Celts I am ready for my next assessment. Those tasks will keep me busy for a few days .Pilates and yoga this evening.

After Boris’ announcements it looks like nothing is going to change here for another few weeks.

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

I think I heard this morning that the good colour in the sunrise was down to dust from the Sahara.
I hear what you say about your back Sue, or whatever it is. I hope you find some way of avoiding the pain. Don't be pushing that wheelbarrow this morning......



This morning I moved further on and now all three carronades have a blank made to fit the tail. Now all I have to do is fashion an eye in the head of each blank and fit them permanently to the carronades.

[Sue]

Soil just come, mine will be a supervisory and tea making role. Skips across the road just been collected too. Lovely service online. It was nice to see Adam, Erin and Claire, even in such sad circumstances. Nana was such a lovely lady .

[Stanley]

Good! That sounds about right.
I shall be working on my carronades and from the look of the weather, avoiding going out! Lots of reading....

[Sue]

Morning

Bob managed to get half the soil moved round to the back garden and the pots filled. We have a whole bag of soil left but will spread some on the garden and use some to fill new garden pots when they arrive. I think rain has stopped play today! After the funeral I finished my top and then discovered that the pattern does not fit on the really nice fabric I bought . I shall have another play around today. I think if I make it slightly shorter I can do it. Other than that Bob has a u3a online photography group meeting and i think I may wash some of my seed trays and pots. Its a messy time consuming job but needs to be done.

Yesterday was cold, we did not walk as so much was going on. We did however see our neighbours in the garden so I went out for a chat . Winter seems to prevent people from seeing each other. Sue was telling me she is part of a covid antibody study. Not sure exactly what that entails but initially she was told she couldn't have the vaccine because of it but they have changed their minds so she has. They are now going to monitor antibody level after the vaccination in conjunction with the treatment she was given. She does not know of course, if she had a placebo or the treatment in the trial. Apparently we have a new research centre in Rochdale so she doesn’t have far to travel for her regular assessments.

Thats it for today. Have a good day.

[Stanley]

I'm sure you're right Sue, rain has stopped play here in Barlick!
I've just come out of a varied morning in the shed but we have progress.



The carronades are a bit closer to being complete, almost there now, I shall have to start on the carriages.
Now for my second sleep.

[Sue]

They look very good indeed Stanley, as I have said before, so tactile. When we have been round model engineering exhibitions that is something that has always struck me about the various builds at different stages and how the metal and wood takes on a new life as it is nurtured into shape.

[Stanley]

Thank you. I couldn't agree more Sue. I have always said that there is a lot in common with sculpture when you tease a shape out of a piece of brutally hard metal in the lathe.
Today looks like being busy. Not only the shed but my weekly Co-op shop and the gas man cometh to service the boiler sometime this morning.

[Sue]

Morning

Drab old day yesterday. It seemed to be semi dark all day. Bob managed to get some more soil moved but had to stop when it started raining. He has distributed some on the more soil deficient areas of the garden too, I just need a dry day now to go and dig it through. I managed to cut out my top from the fabric after a great deal of manipulation but got no further. I decided I ought to tackle my art project but my heart wasn’t in it so not much was achieved. I made a pizza for tea, in fact I made enough dough for two so thats a couple of lunches sorted too.

This morning I have pilates, followed by another try at my art. This afternoon we shall walk over to the pharmacist to pick up our prescriptions and will extend the walk in some way depending on the weather. This evening I have a zoom meeting with my old university friends, Sue and Jean. We usually meet up twice a year for lunch but of course its not happening at the moment, instead we have a monthly zoom meeting.

Have a good day