Not a good end to 2023

 Hello again - that fortnight flew by but then it usually does! The festive season is almost over and it's been wonderful but I'm always glad to get back to normal...

When I left you last it was a Wednesday; what a dreary, wet day it was. I knew the ground would be water logged and muddy thanks to all the rain so once again I didn't walk with the group, but walked by myself 5.3 miles along the river, on hard paths to Priory Marina and back home again. The river was high:

The footpath usually enables you to walk in between this low brick wall and behind the metal railing. The ducks had claimed it! On the extreme left of the bridge above I usually walk under the arch  to get onto this footpath but on Wednesday it was full of water and impassable.

Bedford town bridge.

I got very close to this heron who was keeping vigil - waiting for a frog or a fish or something to pop by for his lunch. 

 Once I was home again I changed and set out for the Rambler Christmas Lunch held at a nearby golf course. It was a lovely afternoon; the food was very good. Our table came second in the Christmas quiz and we finished off by singing carols.

I look like a ghost! It's the light in the bathroom...

I wore this skirt and wrap top by Chianti which was bought pre-loved from an online second hand shop;during the first lock down; back in March 2020. I think the site was called Re-Fashion but then I discovered Vinted...the outfit had sequins on it so I felt a quite festive.

 I wore my bronze retail boots and this pre-loved Gerry Weber leather jacket. The scarf was a present from OH ages ago. I'd almost forgotten I had it. All jewellery pre-loved. Wednesday was quite a busy day because soon after I arrived home from the Christmas lunch at 4 pm; I was off out again to meet up with my best friend Ann. I couldn't eat anything further so we had a couple of glasses of wine and a catch up. A phone call in the pub from middle grandson, who'd got out of work early saw me collecting him and home by 9 pm. Two social outings in one day - get me!

Day 5 - Tea Tasting

I almost forgot to sample another tea with all the gallivanting I got up to but I did finally remember. Wednesday's tea was called 'Sweetest Dreams,' it had chamomile, apple, silver lime flowers and I didn't like it very much. 4/10. The day's suggestion was

I went for a 46 lap swim on Thursday morning and after eating breakfast and getting ready I went to do the weekly food shop at Lidl, Aldi and Sainsbury's. I passed by the local Castle Road charity shops and had a quick browse; I found a M&S sweater dress, a coat for my daughter and a plant. The Mercy in Action charity shop often has plants for sale which are grown by a local keen gardener who donates them to the charity shop. My daughter loved her coat. Once home I did the usual sorting out of the fire and cooked dinner. Then it was off to drop youngest grandson at basket ball practice. The last Thursday practice until the second week in January 2025. Thank the Lord and pass the gravy!

Day 6 - Tea Tasting

'Chai' - described as 'complex, spicy and incredibly tasty' - it was! I had it with milk and sugar. 9/10. The day's suggestion was ' Get out into Nature' which I had done on Wednesday and would be doing again on Friday...

I think I may have bought this Zara dress when I volunteered at the Red Cross charity shop which shut down in 2018. Tights by Snag and pre-loved polo neck by F&F. Boots; Tu retail last year. They're fabric animal print with fur lining and very warm.

All jewellery pre-loved.

 

We began watching this Norwegian series on Netflix in the evening: 'Gangs of Oslo' .

Day 7 - Tea Tasting

Friday's tea was 'Tummy Tea - a wonderful after dinner minty treat'. No, thank you. I don't like mint tea but I drank most of it. 3/10. The day's suggested activity was 'repair it yourself'. I haven't anything to repair at the moment but do have some jeans to turn up...

The unofficial bus walk group met at the Madingly Park and Ride in Cambridge on Friday morning. Another grey day and quite chilly but it didn't rain which was something to be thankful for. We started off with a cup of coffee at 'Kettle's Yard' where we visited the exhibition; 'Making New Worlds - Li Yuan Chia and Friends' in the gallery. You can see more about both HERE. I wasn't terribly impressed with the exhibition but took a couple of photos of things I did like:

From Kettle's Yard we walked along the river Cam covering areas by the river I hadn't walked before. I didn't realise there were lots of houseboats, for example, but the punting along the Cam is always going on...

I also didn't realise there was a lido in Cambridge. I'd like to check it out one day.

We passed these sculptures on the balcony of a block of flats:

We have a similar bridge in Bedford but ours is only a footbridge. This one is for cyclists too, and believe me there an awful lot of cyclists in Cambridge...

This is the Cambridge University Rowing Club - the club that takes part in the annual Oxford - Cambridge boat race.

As we left the river I spied this 'Airstream' caravan trailer. We then walked to the Cambridge Museum of Technology:

You have to pay to visit the museum but the door to the where the huge fly wheels were, was open so I took a sneaky photo.

This was outside the museum and I thought it might be a type of submersible, but no, it's a 3-person air raid shelter!

We then made our way back towards the city centre but via lots of back streets. I always think the back streets are just as interesting as the beautiful colleges and chapels in Cambridge and of course it's where the 'real' people live. I was very taken with this street where everyone had taken tremendous care with their Christmas decorations:

I loved this Christmas tree; a largish branch stripped of greenery and decorated. I might steal this idea for next year...

Two very old churches. On the left St. Peter's; situated just beside Kettle's Yard and the Leper Chapel; the Chapel of Mary Magdalene. Both buildings date back to the 11th century.

We continued our walk stopping in Mill Road for more coffee and walking along Mill Road we saw this; a beautiful pink sandstone archway originally from an Indian shrine but bought by the shop owners of Mill Road for £1.00 (!) and enclosed in this small garden and now renamed the 'Cambridge Gateway'.

The sculpture above sits on Parker's Piece and commemorates where in 1848; 'Cambridge University students first posted rules for the game of football - elements of which were later adopted by the Football Association (FA)'. At Parker's Piece I parted company with the rest of the group - all 4 of them -  to walk to Burleigh Street to have a rummage around the 8 charity shops that are situated there. I bought a pair of earrings. Once I was home I wasn't in long before I took OH to his company's Christmas do at Chicheley Hall near Milton Keynes.

I spent four hours decorating the Christmas tree and mantel piece on Saturday morning. I went a bit OTT with the tree and next year I promised myself I wouldn't throw every decoration I had on it, but go a bit more low key...a bit like the Christmas tree branch I spotted through someone's window on our walk in Cambridge.

 Lights off/lights on.

I then walked into town to post some Christmas cards to Ireland; I'd also culled some of my beads again and took them and another bag of donations to the 3:16 charity shop. The woman who runs the shop loved my floral boots. I spent what was left of the day hanging up washing; catching up with blogs and blogging and choosing new books for my TBR pile. OH cooked dinner.

Everything pre-loved. The skirt came from my Barnardo's last year -  no label only a care label; the tank top  from Amaranto (part of the Matalan label). Skinny rib jumper old and one of my many layering pieces.  I wore my new blue Snag tights underneath the skirt but you can't see them in these photos. Boots bought online last year.

All jewellery pre-loved.

Tea Tasting - Day 8

I started Saturday off with a cup of 'Singapore Breakfast' tea. Made from Puerh (black tea) green tea, coconut and pandan; it has a sweet, toasty and coconut flavour. I liked it. 7/10. The day's suggested activity was 'Recycle'. It was this that reminded me to drop off my bag of donations which had been in my car all week but also to try and reduce the number of beaded necklaces I have - far too many!

Sunday was a different one to the usual. I went for a swim first thing but I wouldn't be cooking dinner or doing housework. We went out with Mandy, Paul, my daughter and middle grandson for a Christmas get together lunch at a Turkish restaurant in Bedford called the 'Olive Tree' - I know, I've been living it up lately! The restaurant was very good and the food was delicious. Mandy and Paul came to back to our house for a cup of tea afterwards and we had a great chat; there wasn't really time on Monday when we went to see Julian and the band.

I wore this outfit which was all pre-loved; except the boots. The trousers are velvet and without a label. The top by Wallis;  the long jacket by David Emmanuel is pretty old. All jewellery pre-loved except the earrings which were an eBay buy.

I was going to wear this Betty Jackson pre-loved jacket but rejected it; we walked to the restaurant from our house and it wouldn't have been warm enough. I couldn't have fitted a coat over the top of it.

My latest TBR pile. 

I may have already read 'Bricks and Mortar' (Persephone) but I have other Persephone's still to read if if turns out I have. Lately my TBR pile usually consists of 2 non-fiction; 1 Persephone and 1 from my Virago collection and 2 other novels.  I also need to read some more classic novels such as Dickens. I've only read 5 in my entire life and none of Jane Austen books! I'd like to read Dickens; 'The Old Curiosity Shop' next. I remember it being televised in the 1960s and 'Oliver Twist'. It was watching the TV series of Oliver Twist that encouraged me years later to read the book itself;  which I did sometime in the last ten years.

Tea Tasting - Day 9

Sunday's tea was 'Melbourne Breakfast' which I enjoyed after my swim. Described as a'full bodied, sweet tea' it was a black tea with added vanilla. It was very pleasant. 7/10. Interestingly, Gisela who blogs as 'Miss Magpie's Musings' HERE commented on my previous post that T2 who produced the tea advent calendar; closed down their shop in Oxford earlier this year. That might explain how the advent calendars ended up in charity shops. It seems to be quite common practice for shops that are closing down to donate the stock they haven't been able to sell off to charities. The day's suggestion was to 'Watch a Sunset'. Fat chance at the moment; the days are so dark I have trouble waking up in the mornings...

No Barnardo's on Monday. The manager texted me on Sunday evening to say she had come down with shingles again and that the Great Denham shop would be closed on Monday. I could have gone to the Kempston shop if I wanted, but I decided to use the extra bit of time it gave me to do my Christmas shopping. I had a few gifts to buy in an actual shop and I wanted to go to Marks and Spencer to buy some stuffing and to pick up some mince pies (no, I don't make my own and the only time I tried; the tops blew off in the oven!) and a Yule log from elsewhere. Off to the dreaded retail park I went, but luckily as I was there quite early it wasn't too busy. I also dropped grandson off to work. OH and I finished watching 'Gangs of Oslo' on Monday evening and it was an excellent series.

This is the M&S sweater dress I bought at The Children's Society last week. It was a tiny bit too short for my comfort zone and needs leggings underneath for future wears but in fact; by the end of the day my arms were red because I kept scratching them; the material was very itchy and the dress will be donated. The snow flake patterned tights I wore it with were found (new and unopened) many years ago but can't remember where;  I'm surprised they've lasted as long as they have. The boots were found last year in the Cat's Protection League which sadly is no more.

All jewellery pre-loved. The pendant and earrings are Moonstones set in silver but were found separately.

 I spent the afternoon wrapping presents and making dinner as well as catching up with blogs and blogging.

Tea Tasting - Day 10

'Singapore Breakfast' -  a 'herbal wholesome carrot, ginger and turmeric' tea. I wouldn't want to drink it again but it wasn't too bad. 4/10. The day's suggestion was to 'Stretch'. I try to do a couple of stretching activities each day - if I remember.

Tuesday was not a good day. It started as usual by me going to the food bank where I made up food parcels. I'd be going back to the food bank on Thursday to make up kettle packs for over the holiday season when the food bank warehouse and distributions centre would be closed. From the food bank I went to the hairdressers for my monthly cut and blow dry and I had a quick look in the hospice charity shop whilst I was there. I bought a pair of earrings.

Everything pre-loved except the boots and earrings bought in Primarni. The suedette jacket by F&F; the corduroy jeans and floral tank top recent finds from Barnardo's in Ampthill (I think).

OH had a day's holiday on Tuesday. On Monday he had gone back to the GP as he was still feeling (very) breathless after his recent chest infection. He had to provide some blood samples on Monday. On Tuesday, the GP called and asked him to go in and discuss the results of the blood tests. The outcome of the discussion was he had to pack a bag and leave for the hospital immediately as he needed to be admitted. We arrived at the hospital around 4 pm; I left OH in the Accident and Emergency waiting room at 11.30 pm waiting to be taken up to the ward. He had had an extensive range of investigations done in the period we had waited; and he was finally on the ward and linked up to a heart monitor by 12.30 am. I know A&E departments are always busy, but if you want to see how the NHS is on its knees, A&E is the place to see it. Not enough rooms available to examine patients of which there were many; having to take bloods in the waiting area; not enough equipment; and staff who were clearly very tired but unfailingly pleasant, cheerful and helpful.

Tea Tasting - Day 11

My first cup of tea on this awful day was 'Earl Grey' - a 'Sri Lankan black tea combined with the citrus delights of bergamot'. I wouldn't describe bergamot as citrus; to me it always seems lightly perfumed. It was delicious all the same and I gave it 10/10. I would buy it if I saw it on sale anywhere. The day's suggestion was to 'treat myself'.

 I'd found and ordered a sleeveless sweater dress from Vinted this week so I had treated myself.

Something else I'd found on Vinted but quite a while ago had its first airing on Wednesday. Worn with pre-loved polo neck from my Barnardo's; brown tights and retail metallic boots. All jewellery pre-loved.

 

During the day I walked into to town to collect various parcels; dropped youngest grandson's dad off to his school and took middle grandson to work; before going to the hospital to see OH in the Coronary Care ward. He was already far less breathless; had been seen by the cardiologist and was about to start on the second infusion of a diuretic to reduce the fluid build up in his lungs and other parts of his body.

Tea Tasting - Day 12

 'Java Mountain' described as 'cocoa, brittle pieces and green tea with a hint of chocolate and sweet hazelnut praline'. It tasted fine; the hazelnut praline came through quite strongly, I thought. I drank it as I relaxed in front of the fire in the evening. 5/10. The day's suggestion was to 'plant a tree'. Not enough room in our garden for anymore trees, I'm afraid. 

I forgot to put my proper jewellery on; I changed my earrings to red drop earrings and wore red beads, red bangle and ring.

This sweater dress pre-loved from Vinted; striped top by Primarni (very old retail) tights by Snag and retail boots.

I wore these earrings went I went swimming on Thursday morning. I found them at a charity shop in Cambridge the week before.

Although I did neither shopping nor go to the farm shop on Thursday it was still a busy day. I went for a swim, then came home ate breakfast and got ready to go to the food bank. I made up 20 kettle packs at the food bank and from there went to the hospital to see OH. He has heart failure; the cause still to be determined. When he is discharged he will be under the care of the Heart Failure Team and today they came to speak to him on the Coronary Care ward and left him a lot of literature. He will also have go to Papworth Hospital (specialist heart hospital near Cambridge) for an MRI scan in the New Year. He will need to find a 'new normal' way of being in the world now with this diagnosis and needs to consider whether he should carry on or give up work. We are both just grateful he has been diagnosed and treated so promptly and efficiently; because it could have been a whole other story. Thank you to our wonderful, if somewhat battered, NHS.

Tea Tasting - Day 13

'Southern Sunrise'  - winter hibiscus, lemongrass and grapefruit this was quite a fruity tea and quite pleasant. 6/10. The day's suggestion was 'take up a new hobby'. I'm not sure I have the time!

 I woke up on Friday praying OH would be discharged from hospital; he called mid morning to say he was being discharged later in the afternoon. Yay!

Once I was up and dressed I set out to do the Christmas food shopping going to Lidl, Aldi and Sainsbury's. Then I went to the farm shop and stocked up on coal and kindling.

OH was very pleased to be home; he hadn't enjoyed hospital food at all...

I finally hemmed the wide leg jeans I bought in the Tu sale; pre-loved shirt by New Look and tank top by Primarni with the Atmosphere label. Boots; retail last year from New Look. All jewellery pre-loved. I bought the earrings on Tuesday in the Hospice charity shop. Red jacket by Fenn, Wright and Mason bought in the RSPCA charity shop in Newport Pagnell about 5 years ago.

Tea Tasting - Day 14

Go, Go Goa

A black tea containing 'cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, orange peel, and pink pepper' it needed something sweet in it to be palatable to me.  I would have drank it with milk and a bit of honey if I hadn't been in my fasting period. 6/10. The day's suggestion was to 'have a laugh'.

Saturday was dry and the sun came out occasionally for short periods. It spurred me on to go for a walk, not having walked since last Friday. I walked to Bromham village and back again along the by-pass. The river Great Ouse at Bromham bridge was in full spate. There was no sign of the heron.

I wore my Vinted 'Damsel in a Dress' again with a pre-loved striped top, pre-loved Nike leggings and pre-loved boots.

All jewellery pre-loved.

In the afternoon I went into town to pick up things I'd forgotten to buy on Friday; salad being one of them. OH had errands to run in town, too, then took his car to the car wash and went to 2 supermarkets to buy the Christmas drinks. He's back to his old self i.e. not breathless. 

Tea Tasting - Day 15

'French Earl Grey' was the order of the day on Sunday. 'A medium bodied black tea with pretty petals and notes of fruit'. It was very pleasant and I drank it without milk but with a little bit of sugar. I'd drink it again. 7/10. The day's suggestion was 'Speak up'. 

Although it was Christmas Eve, OH and I did the usual housecleaning and I prepared things ready for Christmas Day. I underwent the annual ritual of ironing the table cloth while I listened to the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge on the radio. I also laid the table ready for Christmas dinner; it all saves time on the day.  We had a takeaway curry for dinner so no cooking. I prepped all the  Christmas vegetables whilst watching TV in the evening; we'd started to watch a French crime series on Netflix called 'Blood Coast' which proved to be exciting if a bit too violent for my taste. 

This was my outfit on Christmas Day. Pre-loved blue velvet trousers by Cos;top old retail buy from La Redoute. Boots; retail.

All jewellery pre-loved.

As I was leaning back to take this photo of the Christmas table I leaned against the dining room door and it closed. Our dining room door only opens from the outside so there I was trapped in an empty house; locked in the dining room! OH had gone to Kettering to collect my brothers. Luckily, middle grandson only lives a 10 minute walk away and I phoned him to come and let me out! Note to self - must fix dining room door in 2024.

Tea Tasting -  Day 16

'Gorgeous Geisha'; green tea with the flavours of strawberries and cream'. It wasn't bad for a green tea. 5/10. The day's suggestion was; 'ride a bike instead'. Only 8 teas left to sample...

Once everyone arrived on Christmas Day; two brothers; three grandsons plus eldest's girlfriend, daughter and her partner; no more thought was given to taking photos. We all enjoyed our Christmas dinner which was turkey crown; beef wellington and a mushroom wellington with all the trimmings. When dinner was over we opened presents and then proceeded to play a number of games which always includes charades; a source of great hilarity as several family members don't get the idea of 'no talking'.  It was a lovely Christmas and I received some fab presents which I'll tell you about in my next post. Until then I wish each and  everyone of you a peaceful and Happy New Year!