Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

Morning

Glad you had a good day Stanley anf it was OK weather too. I even half dried towels outside and on the airer in the conservatory Its a bit wet and snowy out there today, more sleet than snowy , and above freezing which it barely managed yesterday.

We decorated most of the day yesterday, painting radiators ( we have two big ones in the lounge) and skirting boards ready for the next two and a half walls to be wallpapered. After that we have to empty and move out a big unit so we can do behind it. The chimney breast will be left till the end, although drying out measurements show it to be still quite damp.

So today will be more of the same plus stripping the bed and washing the bedding. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

I have had two good sleeps and so I am aiming for normality today with an hour in the shed early doors doing useful things to my engine.
Yesterday was good, Mick borrowed a power washer and washed the back yard after scrubbing it with hypochlorite. Looks much better now with all the moss and muck blasted away!

[Stanley]

This morning I spent an hour making the eccentric sheave that goes on the crankshaft. It still needs drilling and tapping for the Unbrako grub screw that will fasten if onto the shaft but that will do tomorrow. Now I want my breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning

Yes your yard certainly looks good Stanley. We must do our garden pavings when it brightens up a bit, we can’t use hypochlorite as it drains on to the soil and would be toxic to the plants.

We did a lot of little jobs related to the decorating yesterday. We noticed that the paint on the windowsills that I did a few weeks ago had lifted so we redid one of them after sanding and washing down once again. We gave it two coats of undercoat this time and one of gloss. Fingers crossed it won’t lift again. When we went to look at the one in the dining room we decided to strip some of the wallpaper around it and that brought some of the plaster down round the window frame. Thus Bob ended up doing a repair with filler. Today will be more wall papering in the lounge which leaves the wall with the chimney breast which is still drying out and is too damp to do yet.

Lucy is coming this morning. It is half term so she can switch her day, at my request as we want to go to the u3a meeting on Thursday as the talk looks interesting, about the life of a Roman Legionnaire. This evening I have yoga in the studio, it promises to be a damp morning and a drier afternoon. Have a good day all

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[Stanley]

Morning Sue! Yes, they are telling us we can expect rain as well but at the moment there is no rain from the low broken cloud. One thing that's noticeable is that it is light earlier now. Ten Days ago it would have been dark now but this morning it's light.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed early doors and later, after second sleep, I need to start shopping for a cook in later this week. Amazing how quickly it comes round!

[Stanley]

Today's short stay in a cold shed was nothing to do with the engine. 50 years ago I found this sharpening steel in the midden at Hey Farm and I have been using it ever since. It is a very good smooth finishing steel. I decided this morning to do something about the handle so I put it in the lathe and sanded and polished it. It looks much better. Now for breakfast....

[Sue]

Morning

It’s going to be a cold dry day today. Being dry is good news as we are going to the cemetery in Burnley this morning with flowers for the family plot. The area is now fenced off due to safety concerns over some of the older large victorian headstones so we have had to make an appointment for someone to let us in. Appointments can only be made for weekdays which meant we could not go on Dads birthday and anniversary of his death last Saturday. It also means that Jane can no longer visit due to work commitments during the week in Liverpool .

This afternoon Bob is off to the park for an engineers afternoon. They are busy doing track maintenance before reopening in about a month time. I shall probably do some work on my jacket. I have pilates and yoga this evening but will make a decision as to whether I go later as my arthritis in my lower spine is playing up a bit. I did not go yesterday as Paulas classes are so strenuous.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Don't do anything that hurts too much Sue! Gentle exercise is good but don't punish yourself.
I have just got back from a Co-op veggie shop and I have the leaves off three cauliflowers in the pressure cooker. Chicken roast tomorrow and then veggie cooking on Thursday I think.

[Stanley]

I shall put my chicken in to roast before going in the shed this morning. Later I shall deal with it after second sleep and beyond that I don't know. All will become clear later.....
It's 4AM and yes I admit to being a wimp! I am declining the shed, having my breakfast and going back to bed. I have done quite enough for one morning!

[Sue]

Morning

We paid our respects at the cemetery yesterday morning. It was very calm down in the old section as we were the only ones there, very tranquil. We disturbed two deer that were down by the site of the grave and they bounded off into the distance as we approached. We usually buy flowers at Morrisons in Bacup as it is on the way. Yesterday we were given a huge free bunch as we walked in the door. They were giving away all the left over Valentines Day flowers to the customers. What a nice idea. Dad would have liked that, he always liked a bargain.

In the afternoon I pottered with small sewing and tidying jobs in my sewing room whilst Bob was out. I intended going to Pilates and yoga but it became apparent that there was a degree of discomfort in my back whenever I bent down and as there is a lot of bending down in those classes I did not go. I will not do today’s class either to give it a full weeks rest. We do however plan on walking to Rochdale . We pay £10 per year with our bus passes which gives us free train and tram in the Greater Manchester area. Ours needs renewing which we can do at the bus station, we also need a few bits that did not come on our Tesco order. We will have our usual coffee and a toasted tea cake before we do the 1.5 mile walk back up the hill. I have no immediate plans for the afternoon, but otherwise it’s wallpaper stripping in the dining room and skirting board painting for Bob. I will help as much as I can but it's a bit crowded with all the furniture and the decorating stuff

Its due to be a cold, dry windy day, have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, a week's rest for your back sounds like a very sensible idea.... As for the weather, if you are anything like Barlick you will be dry but below freezing point all day so wrap up well.
I have just finished dealing with my chicken and I'm having second breakfast of pork on oatcakes.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed early doors and after second sleep I'll be cooking veggies for much of the day.....

[Stanley]

This morning after a bit of cleaning up I drilled and tapped the eccentric for the 1/4" Whitworth grub screw that will lock the eccentric to the shaft eventually. That was enough time in a cold shed... I retired to the kitchen for breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

It will be a quiet morning for me, I shall be attempting to put the second sleeve in my jacket ( for the third time ) it just does not want to fit properly. Bob will be wallpapering under the window in the lounge and then this afternoon we are going to the monthly u3a talk as the topic appeals to us. MY LIFE AS A ROMAN LEGIONARY, particularly with reference to Hadrians wall. It will be about 4.00 pm when we get back. Sleet and rain are forecast. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

They forecast wintry showers for us as well Sue but all we have seen is overcast and very light rain. I have just this minute sat down after cooking veggies. Now I wait for the hob to cool so I can make sure it's spotless. I think I'll have my dinner!

[Stanley]

Shed early on for OT and then after second sleep I need to post a letter and go to the chemist's....

[Stanley]

This morning I spent half an hour on the eccentric sleeve. Then I spent another half hour uploading it! Now for breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

Its a busy but social day today. This morning our cleaner comes, so glad I am not doing that today as I don’t want to set those back twinges off again . Afterwards I have a few savoury nibbles to prepare for our u3a wine group lunchtime social. Then its a meal out at our usual Friday venue, but it will only be a small meal due to having had the social at lunchtime. Bob is then giving a talk tonight at the monthly model engineers meeting.The talk at the u3a yesterday about being a roman centurion was very good indeed, very informative and also funny.

Rain forecast all day, have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! I am back up, washing machine going and gearing up for a walk despite the rain. I have to post a latter and enquire whether my meds are ready as there has been no text message after the incorrect ones earlier in the month.

[Gloria]

We enjoy our u3a, all the speakers we have had have been very informative, even when you go with “ I’m not really interested in this” in your head, you come away thinking that was good.

[Stanley]

So you might enjoy the Wilfred Spence Lecture....

[Gloria]

Very interesting Stanley. Do you read Robert Neill’s books? He is best known for Mist Over Pendle, but he also wrote others, one which may interest you and I got it from the library is Song of Sunrise (1958) retitled as a paperback The Mills of Colne. I think you’d enjoy that if you can get hold of it.

[Stanley]

I have his books Gloria.... But thanks for responding.

[Stanley]

This morning I spent half an hour refining the eccentric strap, milling the remaining surfaces that needed adjusting and drilling the oil hole. It is ready now for fitting the bolts that hold both halves together and then splitting and boring it. But right now I am chasing my breakfast.