Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

No sun here Sue but like you, bitterly cold. according to the Met office it's -5C and I'll believe them having just been out to put some trash in the bin.
I have just put a panful of chopped red onions on to quietly cook down with spices and other condiments. They will make a lovely topping to go on what veggies are left.....

[Gloria]

Just been for a walk, 2.3miles and well wrapped up, it is bitterly cold, but at least it’s fine, and going to get warmer, we may even have some sunning

[Stanley]

Yes Gloria but not today! According to the Met Office we start the day with -6C if you include the wind chill..... Deep Joy!
Yesterday afternoon was brighter and dry but overcast and I think that was true during the night. First thing this morning we had a cold breeze and a very thin overcast, I have just been out for a shufti and it hasn't changed. The glass is steady on 1020mb and the forecast is for a bright day with sunny spells and some uninterrupted sun later. The constant ESE wind will be moderate and will allow us a high of 4C and a low of 0C tonight but with a -5C wind chill for much of the day. That's what is giving us the -6C temperature at the moment..... We can expect a slightly warmer day tomorrow but then on Thursday we are promised clear skies and 12C with double figures for the rest of the week.
I shall be in the shed at 06:00 doing useful things towards having more crankshafts!
After my sleep I have two letters to post, my meds are ready for collection at Well and I could shop for a couple of small items. So I shall be taking exercise despite the cold wind.

[Stanley]

Half an hour of very careful high stress eccentric turning and we have another crank pin. I set up for the next and final one and came away. I know my limitations, I shall come back fresh tomorrow to cut the final one. Good progress, we have two pins cut. Now I want (and deserve!) my breakfast....

[Sue]

Morning

Well the painting is all done, just the wallpaper to do so its definitely over to Bob. I think he is planning on doing some of it today. Meanwhile I have a morning sewing with Maxine and a quick turnaround for a u3a history session in Tod. Its the second history group that I am in and goes under the name of Alfresco history as the whole idea is to go out and about making visits to places of interest. Todays meeting is a planning session for the first few months of the year. I am hoping to plan a Rochdale Town Hall visit with a talk by the archeologist Bob and I chatted to last Saturday. There is no pilates and yoga tonight as Taira is on holiday and could not arrange cover. Instead I went to the studio last night instead of doing yoga on zoom. It was very enjoyable.

A dry cold sunny day is forecast today. A nice day for a walk if wrapped up well. Sadly I have no time today. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

"Sadly I have no time today. "

Never!

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual first thing and hope to cut the third crank pin. After my sleep I am expecting Robin my chiropodist. I am nearing a cooking day but will not be doing anything about that today, I shall go shopping to the Co-op on Thursday when it is warmer....

[Stanley]

No need to tell you what I've been doing or how hard it was! We now have three crank pins. Now I want my breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning

Awake late again today, it being nearly 8.00 oclock. Its amazing, all those dark mornings of waking at 6 and when it starts to be lighter in the morning we are sleeping later. Then it was a busy day yesterday it was non stop till I got back from Tod at 4.00 ish and Bob was wallpapering most of the day. Its more than half done and the end is in sight. We are very pleased, it looks very fresh and clean. Only the kitchen , dining room and lounge to go …..

Today I have a few bits and pieces to do, and zoom pilates this evening. If It stays dry , which it should , I may go and titivate the front garden. I never did get it finished in the autumn. Have a good day all.

[Stanley]

You remind me of all the things I ought to be doing Sue!

[Sue]

Its my brother in laws birthday today, he is 88. Stanley I thought of you, did anyone wish you Happy Birthday on Friday. I am sorry I forgot. So belated wishes. Anyway I digress, I thought you were just 5 days older than my brother in law , but I checked and you are a year and 5 days older. I cannot believe you are 89, you are an example to us all.

[Wendyf]

Its my brother in laws birthday today, he is 88. Stanley I thought of you, did anyone wish you Happy Birthday on Friday. I am sorry I forgot. So belated wishes. Anyway I digress, I thought you were just 5 days older than my brother in law , but I checked and you are a year and 5 days older. I cannot believe you are 89, you are an example to us all.

We wished him happy birthday in the What Attracted Your Attention Today topic Sue.

[Sue]

Excellent Wendy, I just couldn’t find anything and I was really getting at me because I forgot and only remembered when it was my brother in laws birthday and I thought they were the same age. I should have remembered being my Dads birthday too but because I went to the cemetery earlier in the week it completely escaped my mind

[Stanley]

Sue, you fod nothing wrong and even if you did I would forgive you so stop beating yourself up. Thanks for the kind words, I attribute the fact I am still here to good routines and cooking my own food!
Today I shall put my chicken in to roast and then go in the shed to do useful things to my nascent crankshafts. Then I shall order my next delivery of meat and after that probably sit here and watch it rain.... My feet are singing, Robin came yesterday and he does such a good job!

[Stanley]

This morning's task was to make three buttons that can be fixed in the gap with Loctite to give support when the billet is under pressure from the centre. The crank pin is so small it couldn't remain rigid. So I started parting off the blanks for the buttons in the lathe but hit a problem with my parting tool that had reached its sell-by date. I spent more time on that than on the buttons so I finished up today with three buttons ready for final fitting and installation. Tomorrow I shall finish that job and be ready for some serious turning! Now I want my breakfast! (PS the chicken is in the oven roasting.....)

[Sue]

Morning

The wall papering continues, and it’s looking very good indeed. Its a complicated little hallway, many bends, light switches, burglar alarm box, wall lights etc. The hallway is finished but there is still round the toilet to do. It hasn’t taken anywhere near as much paper as we thought despite the long pattern match, although the contrast paper has no pattern match. We are promised a refund if we return unopened rolls within 30 days and of course there is the faulty tin of paint to return too

This morning is the start of Thursday art but our numbers are down again. One person is on grandparent duty and our ‘leader’ who spent two months in New Zealand since our last meeting has been unable to return ( hence our late restart) as she fell in her sons garden and broke her elbow just before her intended return. We have decided to start without her as we do not know when she will be back. After our frequent sleeping late episodes Bob and I. have made a determined effort to wake up as I am out just after 9. I will leave my morning Duolingo french till this afternoon as it takes 45 minutes to complete all the daily exercises.

Its warmer, its raining but there is still no wind. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! Back up after a second sleep and dealing with my fresh cooked chicken. We had both rain and wind but now I see the rain has ceased but I doubt if it will be for long.... On with the day!

[Stanley]

I never intended to cook veggies but I started after dealing with my chicken. I have four pans on the hob so I think I've started!

[Stanley]

All veggie cooking done, pans put away and hob clean. I never intended doing that but it's a big job out of the way.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed first thing doing useful things to my crankshaft blanks....
The rest of the day will take care of itself, I have nothing planned beyond frying some parsnip chips for a change!

[Stanley]

This morning I spent about half an hour making my buttons exactly the right size to be a snug fit in the cut in the blanks and then installed them using instant glue. Then I put the original 9" 4 jaw independent chuck on to Mrs Harrison. A long time since I had this chuck out but I wanted the chuck with the largest hole through the centre and the truest jaws, you'll see why later. Now for breakfast.....

[Sue]

Morning

Its Friday so lunch out, but with a difference. Adam and Erin are coming over this morning, then Erin and I are going shopping for her birthday present. She is 11 when we are in France in a couple of weeks and she has opted for clothes for her birthday, after the shopping Bob and Adam will join us and the we are joining Keith and Wendy for lunch. We will be back for a meat delivery at 4.00 pm

The decorating is finished and we are very pleased with the results, now to plan the next phase which I think will be a coat of white gloss paint in the bathroom which otherwise is fully tiled, then perhaps white gloss on door frames in the central hallway. No rush, the trip to France is on the cards first.

Warm and damp today. Have a good day all

[Sue]

Morning

Its Friday so lunch out, but with a difference. Adam and Erin are coming over this morning, then Erin and I are going shopping for her birthday present. She is 11 when we are in France in a couple of weeks and she has opted for clothes for her birthday, after the shopping Bob and Adam will join us and the we are joining Keith and Wendy for lunch. We will be back for a meat delivery at 4.00 pm

The decorating is finished and we are very pleased with the results, now to plan the next phase which I think will be a coat of white gloss paint in the bathroom which otherwise is fully tiled, then perhaps white gloss on door frames in the central hallway. No rush, the trip to France is on the cards first.

Warm and damp today. Have a good day all

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[Stanley]

There's no doubt about it Sue, compared to you and Bob I live in a genteel slum! I shall not allow it to get me down!

[Sue]

There's no doubt about it Sue, compared to you and Bob I live in a genteel slum! I shall not allow it to get me down!

We reckon this is probably the last time we will physically be able to decorate through ourselves , who knows what it will be like in 10 years