OneGuyFromBarlick

We put up a Rose Arbor today, one of those assemble it yourself ones. I needed about 8 arms to hold bits for Dave as he screwed things down. Our male neighbours (father and son) laughed at us from their balcony. Anyway, we managed it, but we ache now, especially after going up the stepladder to tie the Rose on. No bike ride today because I think we have done enough. The David Austin Rose already looks good draped over it, but now we have to pretty up the surrounding area.

Morning

I have a lovely image of you assembling the arbor Maz. I am sure it will be worth the effort. I love them.

Yesterday was drier than expected, but we didn’t go out for a walk. Bob was busy moving furniture and stripping another wall in the study. I was busy preparing my craft session. This morning looks promising , the dawn sky is quite stunning. As we have a couple of things to post we will potter out to the post office this morning and make a round trip of a walk . I shall then make my weekly batch of soup for lunches.

I have no immediate plans but may cut out a pattern for a jacket to make with one of my woollen fabric bargains I acquired last week . I do intend getting on with my archaeology too as I have only two more chapters to go.

Have a good day all.

Morning Sue, I've been doing one of my least favourite things, painting!





I'll have to wait now for the paint to dry and set. I can find things to do.....
Now for a walk and breakfast!

A walk around two garden centres today. Covid must have affected these businesses hard, because at this time of year they should be packed with plants and thriving. Neither of them were. Both seem to now only be stocking the cheapest range of plants - the few seedlings they had were not the best quality ( some looked as if they should have been half price or in sick bay).
In the second garden centre, neither of the two lasses behind the desk could be bothered to show us what we asked for, just waving us off with general instructions “go to the back corner diagonally and if we have any that’s where they will be”.
The two punnets of Alysum I bought hadn’t been watered in ages. Nothing else we wanted was available. It is tragic to see formerly thriving garden centres turning to dust.
Anyway, back home I uprooted and divided a climbing Fuschia plant that I had grown from cuttings. This has been potted and will be trained up one side of the Arbor. It is a beautiful deep purple Fuschia and will mingle beautifully with the soft pink Rose. I have planted Alysum around the bottom. Give it time, it will all look pretty.
That’s me exhausted for the day

As usual, chasing a beam engine! The paint has dried surprisingly well considering the cold weather. Not sure what I'll be doing this morning.
We are promised a wet windy day so walks are going to be compromised I think.
The certainties once I am out of the shed are meals and my China reading.

Morning

We have a red rose on one side or our arbor , Maz , and on the other, two different clematis, one in lilac and one in a deep purple. I haven’t come across a climbing fuchsia. It sounds nice, must keep my eyes open. As I said yesterday I love arbors and I love climbing plants .

This morning is very wet indeed and due to continue all day. I am at the hairdressers at 9.30 am so could have forecast the rain as the two always seem to coincide, though that is not difficult in this part of the UK. Yesterday we managed a good 4 mile circuit, risking moorland paths for our return journey from the post office. Even the lower paths were puddled and waterlogged, but I only sank in once, and a very quick reflex stopped me sinking up to my ankles, the river was fuller even than last week and I bet the waterfalls would have looked good but we didn’t walk that way. We could however hear the roar from the top path.

The day was filled otherwise with decorating for Bob and I completed chapter 9 of my archaeology course, only one left to go. I had pilates at 5.15 pm but zoom crashed for the yoga at 6.30 pm . So we had an earlier tea than anticipated and we were able to watch the link to Erins nativity that Claire had sent us. The film was very well done and I had the usual grandparent tear in my eye all the way through. Erin made an excellent job of being THE Star. As usual the little actors and singers were well rehearsed and very enthusiastic.

So we are still waiting to see what will happen to Greater Manchester and its tier. We have a parcel we would like to hand deliver that is out of area but may have to post if it is to arrive on time now. We have a couple of others to deliver but being in Greater Manchester we will still be able to do so. Thats on the list of activities for the next few days.

So thats it for today, rain ,hair, and something ! Have a good day everyone

Sue wrote: ↑16 Dec 2020, 07:28 Erin made an excellent job of being THE Star. As usual the little actors and singers were well rehearsed and very enthusiastic.

I remember the terror of nativity plays in my very young days. Hated every minute of them. Kids poncing about waving little sticks with stars on them. Made no sense whatsoever just another fairy story in my book. Purposely forgot my lines to a point I got the bums rush and relegated to audience status. Suited me down to the ground.

For some reason Ken, the only time I got nailed for the nativity play was for the 15th Stockport Scout Cubs. I had to read the narrative whilst stood at the side of the stage holding a staff and dressed in sacking. I had a small clipping from the Stockport Express for years in which the reporter praised the clarity of 'the diminutive narrator'. (I didn't know what 'diminutive' meant.)
Sue, morning, you're right about the weather. I've just done two hours in the shed and have made an executive decision that after being on my feet for two hours I didn't need a walk in the wind and the rain. Bugger exercise!



Margaret's engine is on a temporary base and ready for serious work on the motion and fitting. Nice morning.....

I have done all kinds of exciting things with Fuschia plants over the years. Some things take time - I have trimmed and grown them into standards....I have trimmed them and trained them into cascading hanging plants etc. when I found them in my son’s garden, climbing in the Ivy completely naturally and competing for sunlight, I took a few cuttings...hence I know they will climb.
I can’t tell you how many beautiful gardens I have nourished. They sell houses...but it is soul destroying to drive by them after a year or so to find people just do not care. No problem. We made our money (!) but what a waste of my time and love.

Marilyn wrote: ↑16 Dec 2020, 08:56 I have done all kinds of exciting things with Fuschia plants over the years. Some things take time - I have trimmed and grown them into standards....I have trimmed them and trained them into cascading hanging plants etc. when I found them in my son’s garden, climbing in the Ivy completely naturally and competing for sunlight, I took a few cuttings...hence I know they will climb.
I can’t tell you how many beautiful gardens I have nourished. They sell houses...but it is soul destroying to drive by them after a year or so to find people just do not care. No problem. We made our money (!) but what a waste of my time and love.

I had a work colleague who did wonderful things with fuchsias too. He taught me how to do standards and cascading hanging baskets, all of which I do. but I have never seen a climbing one . The standards struggle to survive the winter here, invariable the wind blows them over in the end.

Fuschia are not natural climbers, you are correct ( no tendrils) but they can be trained into shape and secured to the frame. They will find their way eventually I think. I know you can grow them on flat frames against garden walls to and they look stunning. I got such a shock to see this one quite high up in my son’s Ivy, and it had long branches...had to have a piece of it. It took really well too.
Amazing how the Alysum has perked up already after only 24 hours in the ground with a bit of feed and water.

Just back from a bike ride. We only rode the neighbourhood streets so nothing thrilling, but it was nice to get a cool breeze.

I shall have short shed this morning as I need to do the Co-op shop as soon as they open at 07:00. I shall be working on my crankshaft......
A dryer day is forecast so I'll get all my walks in.

Morning

I shall give it a try amongst one of my clematis, thanks Maz.

So yesterday was hair cut and colour . I feel so much better for that. I cut out my jacket pattern , and I finished all but one one question of my last archaeology assessment. I shall finish that today. Bob was back in the workshop as the decorating has come to a standstill. We need the wallpaper to arrive so we can choose the paint for the other walls.

Today I have a physio appointment , as I am experiencing some pain at the back of the heel of one foot. It is limiting the movement of that foot. I have had the problem for some weeks and have been adjusting the exercise accordingly but it isn’t getting any better, so I made an appointment. I could have gone NHS through the GP but that would have meant a wait and a trip to the hospital. I would rather go sooner rather than later and not to a hospital or health clinic , mixing with lots of other sick people . Afterwards I shall probably cut out the toile of my jacket. I shall be missing pilates this morning and yoga with Mandy is finished until January. So thats it for today

Have a good day everyone

Nice to hear Bob is in the shed.....



Here's where I ended up this morning after a short shed because of Co-op shopping. We have a crankshaft and can move forward.
I have made a major decision. I have to collect my medicine this afternoon and will buy a shopping trolley, I think they sell them at the post office. It feels like giving in but makes sense, heavy shopping bags are playing hell with my knees. Enough is enough!

Good decision to buy a shopping trolley Stanley...
You won’t know yourself, it will make such a difference.

Thanks Cathy. Yes I hope so. It is time I did something!

No shame in a shopping trolley. I have one...don’t use it often, but it is damn handy when I need it.
Get one with bigger wheels rather than smaller wheels.

Relaxing slightly....that's Col a couple of days into his first cycle of chemo and hopefully no trips to Airedale for a few days. He was there till 5.30pm on Tuesday and came home with a 24 hour pump attached which was removed yesterday. The worst side effect so far is neuropathy in his hands causing spasm and pins & needles when he touches anything cold, also scarily high blood sugars caused by the doses of steroids and the glucose in the drug infusions. For 7 days starting tonight he has injections to self administer which make his immune system think it is under attack. We might be in for some tough nights!
I'm going to try and get out for a walk as it's nice.

It's a bit of a perverse situation with chemo. On the one hand it's a relief that you have stepped on the roller coaster but on the other it is not a nice experience. I wish Colin well and you do right to get out yourself Wendy, the fields and moor will help you stay sane.

Shopping trolley , good idea.

I apparently have a problem with my achilles tendon. I have had manipulation ( ouch) and have exercises to do before next appointment on NewYears Eve

Wendy, I am thinking of Col, hope the side effects don’t last too long.

Wendy, the only upside of reading your report is that I can't think of anyone better qualified by temperament and resolve to pull this chemo trick off. I thank god that I don't have to do it and wish you both all the best. Ian is right, the fields and the moor will be good friends but having a daily chat with Dennis and Sparky could also be a good idea. I have an idea they will be good and sympathetic listeners.
Today I shall be chasing Margaret's engine of course and my exercise. I did all my shopping yesterday as it looked like a dry day and that worked, it started raining just as I got back in the afternoon.



I got the shopper but I have to report that the video would sell. I forget the name of the lady in the Post Office where I bought it (£15) but she used to run the PO at Salterforth. I cracked a joke with her and asked if there was an instruction book with it but she reckoned I would manage. She couldn't have been more wrong! It ended up with me and Gulam in Chaudrey's wrestling with it on the floor to try to stop the bag swinging in the frame. We achieved a temporary fix but it wasn't until I got it back home and had a proper investigation that I cracked it. It's fine now and is going to be OK. I did a heavy veggie shop and it was a wonderful improvement on carrying shopping bags. Note that it is the 'sports' model and has large soft rubber wheels!

Mine is slightly more “girlie”...

What I found when I really examined mine at home is that there is an extra layer on the bag at the back and the whole of the frame passes up though that and so the bag is securely captured and all the weight of the bag never comes onto the top strap. Have a look at yours and see if it is the same, it looks the same design as mine. There is also a piece of webbing at the bottom that fits over the bottom rail and has a Velcro strip to hold it in place.

Mine’s a bit bigger and quite old now.
Worth it’s weight in gold, I have to put my foot underneath it to help lift it onto the bus, haha.
Don’t forget to ‘keep’ your shopping bags 🛍 in it.

Good idea about the bags Cathy. Looks as though yours has a slot for the frame to slide through as well.