Thinking about stopping...

 

Hello again! Where did January go...?

When I left you back in the middle of January we had just entered into a very cold and icy weather spell. I never let the weather deter me from swimming though and went for the usual swim on Tuesday afternoon after finishing at the food bank in the morning. I was back to making up food parcels as one of my colleagues had gone to New Zealand to visit her daughter and would be away for about 5 weeks. Meanwhile the crates of toiletries and hygiene products continued to accumulate in the middle warehouse. Even if I'd had the time to sort it all out there was nowhere to put it...

Wednesday was cold at 4 degrees but very bright and sunny. I walked with my group from Deepdale in Potton close to  the Sandy Heath TV transmitter. This main local TV transmitter covers Beds; Cambs; Suffolk; Northants; North Herts and NW Essex. I'd never been so close to it before but it's always visible from any higher ground in Bedford; especially at night when it is distinguishable by several eerie red glowing lights. Our walk was 7 miles in length and took in the village of Everton and Gibraltar Farm where we visited the RAF Tempsford Memorial Barn. Set amid the remains of a secret WW2 airfield, this barn was preserved as a memorial to Allied agents who parachuted into Europe. You can read more about it HERE.

Remnants from Armistice Day 2022.

I spent much of the afternoon finishing my last Christmas gift book; 'Random Commentary' by Dorothy Whipple; a memoir of part of her adult life as a writer.  I was interested to see that she had lived in Mapperley in Nottingham and then moved to Barton Seagrave near Kettering; where my mum and brothers moved to from London in 1999. I lived in Mapperley from 1976 -1977; when I worked in a unit for children with learning disabilities based in Nottingham city hospital. I loved the people of Nottingham; a very friendly bunch of people. They called everyone 'duck'; said they were 'starved' when they were cold; called someone in a mood; 'mardy' and called a bread roll a 'cob'. I then moved onto reading the last of my Deborah Moggach books. I totted up the books I'd read in 2022 and found I had read 98 in total. I still don't understand how I read more books

 when I worked!

I went for my swim on Thursday morning and after eating a late breakfast I was getting ready to do the weekly shop when the phone rang. It was my hairdresser wondering where I was. I hadn't transferred the appointment to my new 2023 calendar and had of course forgotten all about it. Luckily she was able to fit me in for the following Thursday. This was Thursday's outfit. Skirt has been worn on the blog several times before; both skirt and jacket pre-loved. Pre-loved belt by Diesel. The green shirt from Zara was a belated Christmas present; chosen by me because I'd wanted a green shirt with a collar for absolutely ages. All jewellery pre-loved. Thursday is a hectically busy day for me and I collapsed onto the sofa at about 7.15 that evening having taken the youngest grandson to basket ball practice; gone to the farm shop for kindling; to Lidl and Aldi for groceries; unpacked and put the groceries away, sorted out the fire hung up a wash and made dinner. Next Thursday I'll have to squeeze in a hairdressers appointment as well...

It was an unofficial bus walk day on Friday. A small group of us met at Russell Park in Bedford and walked along the river to Great Denham. We walked right to end of Great Denham where there is a new cafe and stopped there for coffee and cake before walking back via Queen's Park and through town. I ran a few errands in town and by the time I got home I'd walked 8.75 miles. I spent the afternoon  in my walking gear with my feet up reading and doing blog stuff.

Saturday's outfit

Everything pre-loved except the boots. Skirt found in a West Drayton charity shop; jacket by Betty Barclay; pre-loved belt and polo neck from my Barnardo's. Both my earrings and necklace were found on my way back home from Friday's walk in 2 different charity shops and both were 1.00 each. I wore my fur coat; a scarf and gloves as it was an icy, foggy day to start with.

I think my necklace might be back to front!

My daughter and I had a day out in London on Saturday. By the time we arrived in London around midday; the sun was out and it was bright but still very cold. We went for a meal at the restaurant where my eldest grandson is one of the managers and what a delicious meal it was, too. It was lovely to see him. Before that we went to West Hampstead and Golders Green for a rummage. Between the two places there were 8 charity shops. I finally found a cross body bag at London prices but I was fed up of looking for one by then and paid the price willingly. I also bought a wooden print of a 2016 New Yorker cover to hang alongside the two I already had on the dining room wall. I found an interesting book in a bookshop along the way as well. Just before we made our way to the restaurant in Soho we went to Oxford Street (aka - hell on earth) where we went to Zara for my daughter and queued in the refund queue for 30 minutes - I kid you not. After that brain numbing and back aching experience we were so glad to get to the restaurant and sit down.

Mural in Carnaby Street - too much reflection, sorry...

Carnaby Street decorations

I realised I hadn't worn my jump suit for quite a while so with thick tights underneath I wore it to Barnardo's on Monday. I think I bought the jumpsuit at Barnardo's; boots from Tu; Christmas present from my daughter; polo neck under the jumpsuit by Tu; retail. All jewellery pre-loved. It was minus 2 degrees in the morning and it took ages to scrape the ice off my car. It didn't warm up much throughout the day.

The jumpsuit was a nightmare to get off for the loo; whoever designed it deserves to wear it for a week!

We were stocktaking until 11 am then I went to Kempston post office to do the banking. The morning flew by. I spent the afternoon making soup from Sunday's leftover chicken; doing a wash and catching up with blog land and 'Happy Valley'. I'm so frustrated I can't watch the whole series on i Player.

Both Monday and Tuesday were very cold. Each time I left home the temperature was minus 2 degrees and 4 degrees when I went home. I don't have the central heating on at home when I'm on my own as it's just horribly expensive and it seems daft to heat the whole house when I'm usually in one room. (I have turned off the radiators in a couple of the rooms to help save fuel, too). We have the heating on for an hour or so when we first get up and then I use an oil filled radiator to heat the living room. By the time OH gets in from work I have lit the fire and we stay in the one room all evening. Inspired by Beate HERE and Ann HERE I invested in a 'cherry pit pillow'. I heated it in the microwave to test it out initially which was fine; but then tried warming it on the top of the fuel burner; which heated it more but unfortunately I manage to scorch the cover leaving it on too long! It works very well, nevertheless, but doesn't retain heat as long as a hot water bottle. To keep me warm when I'm up I use the cherry pit pillow and in bed I use my hot water bottle. I find it's my hands that take the longest to get warm...

I wore this to the food bank but never took my coat or scarf off whilst I was there. I was still making up food parcels. Everything pre-loved. The trousers by Yessica (old C&A label) have been relegated to the donations bag as they don't fit well; polo neck by Primark; cardigan very old. Boots by Kickers; recent find from the Daycare Hospice shop. All jewellery pre-loved. Went for the usual mile swim in the afternoon and it was a no cooking day - we had fish and chips for dinner.

Apologies for the crap photos; I'm still experimenting with my phone camera. Unlike my previous one the selfies are coming out fine but not the others...

I wore this on Wednesday. I didn't walk with the group as the walk was too far away and would have entailed me leaving home around 8.30 am; when I might have got caught up in rush hour traffic. No, thank you. Once again it was cold but the frost which had been covering every available surface had been washed away. We had drizzle off and on throughout the day and the cold was the chilly, dank sort that you can feel seeping into your bones. I can't wait for the spring. Everything pre-loved except the leggings bought from a Store 21 sale years ago and the recently acquired New Look boots. Dress by Tu and polo neck by Isle. All jewellery pre-loved. 

I ran errands in the morning including a trip to Aldi where I forgot the very thing I went there for! Had a rummage in the Daycare Hospice shop near my hairdressers as I wouldn't have time on Thursday. I found a nice pair of navy cropped trousers by Phase Eight and a tank top. I went to a couple of shops looking for a side table but didn't find one. I wish I had bought the one I saw a few weeks ago in the Daycare Hospice shop but at the time I didn't realise I needed one...

Thursday was a lot warmer than the previous days. It may have been the rain but at one point during the day it was 9 degrees. Still needed layers; coats, scarves and gloves...

These are the cropped trousers and tank top bought on Wednesday. Worn with my Isle polo neck and boots from Tu; present from my daughter. All jewellery pre-loved. I didn't go for a swim as usual on Thursday. I'd overdone the heavy lifting on Tuesday at the food bank; lifting by myself instead of with a colleague and seemed to have pulled a muscle in my neck. I thought I should rest it and not over strain the muscles - so I did. I went to the hairdresser then home to get ready; off to the farm shop for coal and kindling. Then off to Lidl and to pick up youngest grandson from school. Home to cook dinner, hang up a wash and sort the fire out; then off to take grandson to basket ball practice after dinner.

Friday was unofficial bus walk day and 7 of us met at a garden centre and explored the 'new' village of Wixhams. The area was originally known as 'Wixhamtree;' which during WW2 was an ordnance depot. There were about 7 lakes and lots of children's playgrounds spotted; as well as a huge retirement village complex (they keep inviting me to open days!) a small shopping centre; 2 schools and a community centre so more like a small town, really. A station had been planned but no one knew when it would be completed as it was still under construction. It was an interesting walk of more than 5 miles and we finished with coffee and cake -  as always.

Everything I wore was pre-loved. Of course I walked in proper walking boots and socks; I have to otherwise the plantar fascisitis would flare up again. Trousers by New Look; boots as before; jumper by Tu and yellow suedette jacket was a find in the Castle Road junk shop whilst looking for a table...I still haven't found one. Jewellery pre-loved.

We started watching a new 'Walter Presents' Danish crime thriller 'Grow' on Thursday evening and continued with more episodes on Friday evening. The two brothers who are the main protagonists in the drama are brothers in real life and the series is highly recommended. So tense in places I forgot to breathe...

Boots retail as above;

Christmas present. Leggings also retail but old. Pre-loved dress bought from Vinted during lock down when the charity shops were closed. All jewellery pre-loved. OH and I went for a rummage to Wellingborough on Saturday after I'd walked to the big Sainsbury's for a few things I'd forgotten to buy on Thursday. I found a fur collar for 1.00 which will fill the neck gap of coats and jackets quite nicely...

Sunday was a strange sort of day. I spent most of the day in the car. I drove to Birmingham to pick up Priscilla and then drove to London to drop her at my mum-in-laws; then drove back to Bedford. Just in time for dinner cooked by OH and very welcome it was, too!

Back to Barnardo's on Monday where I did the banking and then processed donations all morning. I found a green tank top and summer weight tunic/dress which will be put away for the summer. I wore these trousers which were by M&S but unfortunately too large so will be re-donated; top by Laura Ashley and yellow suedette jacket by F&F; all pre-loved as was all the jewellery.

In the afternoon I walked into to town to get my eyebrows done and then walked to the Cecil Higgins  art gallery and museum to see this exhibition -  only to find out they close on Mondays. I shall go on Wednesday instead after I walk with either my group or the recce I need to do before I lead a walk on the 15th February...

If it's Tuesday it must be food bank day. We are really feeling my colleague's absence; the numbers of food parcels has increased but we have decreased. We worked really hard and we both stayed on a bit longer to complete one food parcel load to go out to one of the distribution centres. After I had to go to town to buy birthday cards for my son who'll be 43 next Monday - where did those years go? Then it was off for a swim x 48 laps; home to make some vegan coconut and raspberry slices for my daughter and to cook dinner.

Everything pre-loved except the boots. Dress by Tu; jumper underneath by Bon Marche (aagghhh!); leggings by M&S. All jewellery also pre-loved. I chilled out reading my latest and last book of January:

I've been thinking about giving up blogging. It's very time consuming and whilst I enjoy it very much I've noticed that just recently the number of views/visits of/to my blog have decreased considerably. Although I don't get a large number of comments that doesn't worry me; but the lack of views does. Roughly speaking the number of views decreased on my last post by about half and the most recent post has only had about a quarter of the usual amount of views. I shall think about it some more and make a decision one way or another and let you know in what I hope won't be my final post!