Still somewhere in January

Another day spent frittering my time going down the rabbit hole that is the internet and youtube in particular but I laughed, I cried and I learned things so not a total waste of an afternoon.

The current threats made to Greenland, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico would be funny if spoken by anyone else but out of his mouth they can only generate a distinct sense of unease. 

This time around he has managed to surround himself with like minded egomaniacs who have money and that is the really scary thing because money can bribe, buy and bully. 

My afternoon perusing brought me to one of my favourite English families who parody so well ...

I think it's Friday

I came across this today and it pretty well sums up January.

We did a quick top up supermarket shop. Christ on a bike prices are high. I really don't know how those on low incomes manage. We are on a fixed income with the ability to dip into super, which we try not to do, but at least our lifestyle is simple and we don't have children or expensive health issues. Things we used to purchase without a second thought now require some soul searching or, more often, we wait for the specials. Half price these days was full price not that long ago.

Continuing the theme of having a whinge, I came across this on a news page. It was written by a senior contributor with a degree in media and journalism.

... hails from Santa Monica, revealed to her millions of followers on Instagram that her and her family are planning to donate ...

Please tell me I am not the only one whose teeth itched reading it.

Like many I use the internet for just about everything and use a kindle for my books. I do miss the smell of a real book and the glorious anticipation when opening one for the first time but e-readers are just so much easier to handle and hold so many books. I started using the kindle when I would go up to Sydney when Himself was working up there and I would have had to cart 3 or 4 books with me on every trip as I would spend the days sitting in parks or cafes reading while he was at work.

Which is a long winded way of saying that some things just have to be in print form and this is one of them which arrived this morning.

 
I spent a very pleasant couple of hours this afternoon browsing and getting ideas for future projects. 

I finished The Running Grave a couple of days ago. I almost need to go back and read it again as there were a lot of loose ends and red herrings that got tied up in the concluding chapters that I think I missed during the main read. This is a downside of a kindle - I can't flip back through pages to clarify something.

We are in for a warm weekend. I plan to stay home and try to get some of my craft projects finished. WIPs (works in progress) and UFOs (unfinished objects) are all very well but I cannot start anything new unless I finish at least one thing. Well, I could, but that would just add to the growing pile.

The ear is slightly better today. At least I don't have the urge to dig around with the crochet hook.

What did you say?

My left ear is blocked. Everything sounds muffled. I know it's wax and I am soooo tempted to grab a small crochet hook and have a dig around but I remember being told by someone much wiser than I that you should never insert anything into your ear canal smaller than your elbow.

I shall use drops to soften the wax and see if that works and if not I shall join the queue for the doctor for a proper clean out. 

Living with a deaf man who doesn't wear his hearing aids it leading to some interesting conversations. And giving me the excuse that I couldn't hear him calling me!

We had a U3A committee meeting today. Somehow I ended up in charge of publicity which is fine but I have no clue! I have managed to sort out their Facebook page (it was set to hidden so nobody could find it) and the secretary has promised a coffee catch up to explain the process with local media. She is an absolute delight with a wicked sense of humour so the coffee catch up is a win for me!

It is so hazy today that we can't see the ocean. Compare this with yesterday's white caps.

I remembered!!

First of all, yet again, I have to apologise for comments going to spam. Don't know why I need to apologise as it's not my fault but it seems I can check every day for weeks and all comments appear and then forget to check and the gremlins decide to party.

Then I realised that because it was late when I "didn't" post yesterday I hadn't replied to the comments which I do try to do. So thank you for all the lovely words - Mini's head has just about regained normal size - and Andrew and Jabblog, I use the osteopath because the alternative here is a chiropracter and that is a big no for me (I know many swear by them and I did use an excellent one decades ago but I have seen and heard too many issues with crunching especially when arthritis is thrown into the mix). The osteo uses massage and exercises - sort of like a physio, I guess, but they are thin on the ground here, too. So far he seems to be helping.

Himself is currently up at Prue's house trying to sort out her internet. We had a power outage last night and that seems to have buggered up her connection. It must be hard for her being on her own but I doubt the soon to be ex (STBE) would be much help in that department as he seems pretty useless in many areas that involve the interwebs and computers.

The house has started to whistle again. It happens when we get a southeasterly wind and the white caps on the ocean are testament to that ...

I took this the other day when we were walking the dogs along the foreshore. It is so lovely to see people enjoying the lakes and all they offer. I am sure when Sally is down at the end of the month she will coerce a father or a grandfather into another ride on the pedal boats.

There is a U3A committee meeting tomorrow to organise the registration day and other bits and pieces. It will be nice to feel that life is returning to normal. I don't like this feeling of living in limbo that is so prevalent at this time of year.

Gin o'clock ...

No post today

Up early to avoid the crowds. It was a cool, drizzly sort of morning and the supermarket was sparsely populated with individuals of a certain age as opposed to the hunting packs of tourists. 

Home to unpack my goods and then pick up Prue for a coffee and a chat. Popped into the fishing co-op for some prawns for dinner. They have only started running so are still a bit small 🦐 (and no, I have no idea what I'm talking about).

A friend came over for a catch up (she owned our favourite cafe but had to sell due to ill health - can't remember if I mentioned it but am on the phone so too hard to check) and it was so good to see her.

A long phone call with the Mermaid and a brief one with Three.

Prawn salad with an Asian dressing for dinner (microwaved some pappadums for crunch) and then settled in to knit and watch 7 seconds (to be honest, Himself is watching, I knit and vaguely tune in).

Realised I hadn't done anything about a post today and wasn't going to until I was reminded that I had promised myself to do my best to post every day for January, at least ...

 ...  and you can't argue with a German Shepherd!!

Another very quiet day.

I have nearly finished The Running Grave and it is getting very involved and very exciting. It's not like me to read during the day when I "should" be doing stuff but I am really enjoying the down time. So much so that at 2.20 I just happened to look at my phone and realise I had to be at the osteopath in 10 minutes. Yay for small town living so I was only 5 mintues away and for pissing rain so the tourists weren't taking all the parking spots in the normally packed street near the bridge to the beach! 

After a good, albeit painful, session with the osteo I am feeling looser. I teared up as I was telling him about Two's visit with his family and how awful I felt. I think I need to do some work in this area as it is obviously still affecting me. In the meantime I will try to remember not to store my stress in my neck, shoulders and back. You can tell when I am stressed - I lose my neck as my shoulders are so hunched up!

After yesterday's scorching heat we finally got a cool change late this morning. The temperature at midday was probably 10C cooler than it was at midnight. With the change came the aforementioned rain as these photos attest ...

This wee lovely lives on a table under cover so no rain drops but isn't she gorgeous? A Chinese money plant (or so google lens tells me).

And because I have been so generous with the magnificence that is Max I thought I should share the delicate beauty that is Mini ...

 

... black cats are very hard to photograph and as the second photo shows they can't really understand the fuss.

The tomato plants seem to be doing well. I think the issue was pots on hot concrete which meant water was drawn away. Since placing the saucers under the pots the dirt has remained damp and more fruit is forming. I just want one decent tomato and I will be happy! 

Dull

It's days like this that make me reluctant to try to write something every day!

It has been so hot I haven't been outside other than to top up the water in my tomato bowls and hang a load of washing out (which I have just remembered is still out there!)

I have spent the day faffing around on the computer playing word games (good for my memory I keep telling myself - not wasting time) and reading.

Boud asked what I am reading at the moment. It is The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). I really enjoy a good mystery/whoddunit (or "bloods" as my dear old dad used to call them) and Galbraith/Rowling is an excellent story teller. Her eye for details is very satisfying. This is the 7th book in the Cormoran Strike series and I have loved them all.

I don't even have a photo for you today as I you don't want to see any more tomatoes and my washing is hardly exciting. I could show you the bloody flies that come in every time someone opens a door but you know what flies look like.

Dinner tonight is parmesan crusted chicken baked in the oven with a salad and panna cotta with berries to follow. Still from the F800 books.

I have just wasted half an hour looking for something interesting/funny to share from youtube amd failed.

I am going to have a gin and read more of my book.

Tomorrow may be more interesting - I have an osteopath appointment.