How do you eat yours?

Malteasers - pop a whole one in, carefully chisel the chocolate off the outside, silently smug if you get it off in arcs! Then suck the honeycomb ball till it sticks to the roof of the mouth.

Yoghurts - Peel the lid away from you, to avoid being splattered and then lick it clean, blatantly ignoring any scaremongering of your parents warning you of the dangers of cutting your tongue, look on in horror if someone in your family uses a spoon to scrape the lid. Next is either use your tongue or finger to get the thick ridge of yoghurt around the rim of the pot. Eat the rest with a teaspoon. ( I am civilised you know )

Crisps - only if they are light in colour will they be eaten. Large ones, are held up and admired, then licked clean of all flavour before being crunched!

Fry's Turkish Delight - remove and eat all chocolate with teeth. These are excellent for this. Good thick chocolate! Eat squidgy pink stuff last.

Sunday Dinner - Always leave the Yorkshire till last to mop up any gravy. Look on aghast at your son ( remember he doesn't *do* gravy )  who eats them FIRST?!! What is this monster you raised?

Kitkats - chisel off the chocolate with teeth from all the top and sides ( you sensing a theme? ) but never the bottom. Then, disect , lengthways each layer of wafer and fondant. I just lolled at myself then, imagining being described in a David Attenborough documentary about the skills and dexterity I'm using to extract the goodness from the kit Kat.

Crunchies - one of my favourite chocolate bars - chisel and lift off slabs of chocolate off the top and sides. Not the bottom. It's generally too thin. Then suck a piece of honeycomb till it melts.

~~ I'm actually trying to think of a chocolate bar I DON'T chisel the chocolate off first, but am struggling!~~

Chips - must be barely brown and only just cooked. Causes no end of arguments in this house. The HG complains if the chips are anaemic. I hate dark chips. They are burnt to me.

Toast - the same as crisps and chips - barely brown! The HG calls it warmed bread. We have 'toaster control wars' in our house. I like it just done with butter and loads of jam. He likes it well browned with a scraping of butter and jam. What is wrong with him?!

Pasta - I actually like it if it's slightly over cooked. I don't like it al dente! Would you be surprised if I told you the HG likes his just done? I have to dish up tea in our house with military precision.

Soup served with bread - I never ever ever ever have buttered my bread to have with soup. He does.
Bacon butties - I never ever ever butter my bread for a bacon butty. He does. It's how we've been brought up differently!


What about you n yours?


Lots of love from

Rachel *hope I didn't gross you out too much* Radiostar xxx

Cold hands, warm heart.

That's what my beloved Nanna used to tell me. Well, as I blog away here in my radiator less bedroom with open chimney in it, I'm reckoning my heart must be at blast furnace temperature.
Thank you to all those who mourned the passing of Little Theo in my last post.  He is buried at Miss 22's inlaws. Though I rather fancy she was seriously considering a state funeral, with the cavalcade driving slowly cross country to our house so he could be laid to rest with the remains of all his predecessors in our hamster cemetery. Maybe she thought people would line the streets and throw mini flowers like forget me nots at the car!

The red boots are still in the house and I may wear them today! I don't feel too Christmassy yet. I've bought a few presents but no wrapping done alas. It's not December yet anyway. But I can't wait to get my tree up. I've bought some teeny led lights on copper wire to wind in amongst my Kitchen silk flower display I've got going on on the window sill. It doesn't sound attractive but it's beautiful turquoises and I love it! I bought the lights at Asda after looking at them for weeks. I went to Asda for a top up shop last night. £70 just for basics. The HG is eating me out of house and home. I have set him with the task of meal planning next week. He complained and moaned but I said I a man sick of thinking what to have for tea all the time. It does my head in. I am quite happy , in fact, I adore eating left overs, but he has never ever done it with me. I think it stems from him having the same pan of stew on the go for the week when he and his dad had a bachelor pad together!
So far his suggestions have been - and I laughed because he started off by saying "and I don't want chips"
Cottage pie
Spag Bol
Mince pie - a plate pie, with chips and peas!!!
Hmmmm.
That's it so far. Well that's mince on the shopping list so far....
At least his appetite is back!

It's his birthday on Saturday, so once that's out of the way I can think about Christmas. The tree might go up earlier this year as it's Mr 19 who will be getting it down out the loft. I've just got to pre Christmas clean first. Furniture out and skirtings cleaned etc. That's a job for Sunday. The day of rest!!

I have made some Christmas sausage rolls though. They are in the freezer. I don't know if I showed you them already. Half of them I mixed the sausage meat with half a packet of pork and mushroom pate. Just to see. Oh my stars it was delicious! 

Right, I must away to my chores*

Lots of love from

Rachel*redboots* Radiostar

* Get washed n dressed for work!

Note to self..

I must stop buying boots! But the are in the sale and so warm and comfy!! I've been keeping my eye out for some in the Amazon deals and for once struck lucky!!

The tan boots are some old faithfuls but so comfy! The navy ones are Rieker boots and comfy from day 1. As are the red boots, but the sole isn't up to

Much. But they are soft red leather and so lovely. Want to keep them but probably won't!  The black ones are by rocket dog? I'm not a label person at all. As long as I like them and they are comfy, I'll have 'em! 

Now for some knitting news...hardly news but there's blocking going on. These are two

More little waistcoats and I went a bit fancy and added a couple of flowers to one! 

There's also a matching beret going on...( hope to finish it after I've blogged! ) 

I've doubled stranded the wool to

Make it thicker and warmer. 

A new knitting project to be unveiled soon...involves this..

.

And I'm planning on making two bags, one with this gorgeous map of the world oilcloth and the liberty kit one! 

Just need to get motivated and find the time. 

Things are pretty slow here really. I think there's a hefty dose of the big fat Fed Ups going around too.  A lot of it is to do with the fact I'm going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. 

I do like being snuggled up in bed when it's so cold outside. I will admit to breaking out my full flannette sheets/duvet cover combo. However, still only one Autumn tog quilt. Full fat version is being saved until its Baltic. 

I have sad news. RIP littleTheo.. 

He was nearly 2 1/2 years old and we know they don't last forever. 

You may remember this post...

http://eternally28.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/murdiddlyurder.html?m=1

And then this one 

http://eternally28.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/hamster-search-squad-can-stand-down.html?m=1

He was a well loved lovely little hamster. Why oh why do we put ourselves through this heartbreak??

I was going to do a post on the Christmas Adverts but I haven't got time now! But I did think the Sainsbury's one with the Gogglebox families on it was GENIUS!

Right, I must away to my chores*

Lots of love from be from Rachel *So many crafty projects, so little time* Radiostar

*knitting

I THINK I DID IT!

It appears I can now get some photos to work after following online forums. I had to allow pop ups etc. Anyway I now can't scroll down to the end to do my signing off! So can't have everything! 

So, before they all disappear, let's get some show n tells done before work! 

Clever Freddie...

Montage of the jumper. Pam's quilt was very useful for blocking. The HG picked the design of the jumper. I don't actually like it! 

Nice and clean  after a bath and my dove shower gel, needed because of a muddy romp round the park. 

Floor shot of jumper! 

 My new hair colour in my quest to revert to my normal hair colour - this IS is quite like my normal hair colour!  and go grey gracefully whilst hiding the roots!

Sleepy Freddie dreaming up ways of getting into mischief. On Pam's quilt.
Mischief like this....

Has Blogger gone totally tits up?

I tried to post photos onto my google plus thingy what I rarely go on because I can usually then use the photo tool on the dashboard to add them here in my posts. I could barely do one at a time. I kept getting error messages. If I click on the ' use photos from my phone' option, it only has a select few to choose from and the latest ones it goes back to is June.

The reason I do my blogging off my iPhone n iPad is because my laptop is knackered. Well, it's the charging jack and the battery. The battery holds zero charge so it has to be permanently plugged in. The charging jack is so broken that the connector has to be jammed in *just so* for the power to flow that even a 1mm shift will cause the laptop to just shut down. Can you imagine how annoying that is????
I don't really want to buy another laptop. With only my wage coming in for the foreseeable too I could do without the expense because it's not an essential thing we need.

The three nights away in the New Year, in the luxury log cabin we holidayed in August in, is however, an essential we need!! Booked it on Friday. Knee jerk reaction! Plus I don't go back to school until the NINTH of January! Doesn't it sound so far away! The glorious 9th! Far more civilised than the brutal return of the 2nd of last year!! Who needs money anyway?!

Anyway back to my technical issues. After trying and failing to send feedback about the fact photos do not want to work for me, except the feedback page kept freezing I'm now here via the google chrome app. About to try again. Let's see what happens. I feel like I'm a Google Slave now. No choice but to give in. Grrrr
 Take just now for instance, I tried again and failed to add any pics.
I took screenshots. Oh the irony. Tried to send feedback. No joy. Even typing this is laggy.
 Tried again just now. The whole thing froze. This IS NOT putting me in the best mood ever. I refuse to give in though and go to the dark side - i.e. WORDPRESS. I love Blogspot, I just wish they'd sort it out pronto! Going to try again to give feedback once I've pressed publish. I just sent feedback begging them to get this sorted!

The show and tell is done. I just can't show you yet! I can tell you though...
The HG's jumper is finished and it fits like a dream! Hooray!

Lots of love from
Rachel *cheesed off beyond belief* Radiostar xxx

Pork chops disaster

You know the phrase ' no point  crying over spilt milk' well I'm changing it to pork chops. Not that they are spilt. But that they are Out. Of. Date.
With the HG being home and ravenous I'd stocked up on shopping when I had the chance to go with a friend. I bought some lovely looking outdoor reared French trimmed pork chops and put them in the fridge. But because my fridge was full of probiotic yogurt and yoghurt drink things ( see other blog ) the pork chops went in a drawer. Delicious and varied meals have been made by me EXCEPT I FORGOT TOTALLY ABOUT MY FRENCH TRIMMED OUTDOOR REARED CHOPS and they were out of date by five days!! At first I was so GRRRRRR about this waste. But then, decided in the grand scheme of things, it's really not worth crying over chops at £4. It wasn't worth the risk of food poisoning either. So in the bin they went. Not that it stopped me developing the same symptoms as food poisoning.

Yesterday was a Big Day. I woke at 5ish after no sleep ( mind you I'm blogging here at twenty to two in the morning after falling asleep at just 11pm ) feeling a bit 'off it' . I think my hysterical throat had come back and the pizza I'd scoffed as a late tea had lain heavy. So stress, late ( lovely ) pizza and the fact five members of staff had been off with a tummy bug meant I was bathroom bound for the foreseeable. Except I couldn't be. Me and the HG had to get to a 9.45am appointment.
I took deep breaths, I also took alka seltzer - which ALWAYS settles my stomach, deflatine  for the wind too n bottom and two Imodium to keep things in place let's say. My sister took us to the hospital and we waited in the waiting room. I know I should have probably stayed away but there was no way on earth I was missing this consultation.  I got hotter and hotter. My tummy was gurgling and churning. Eventually we were called in. The doctor looked at me a couple of times, I'm wondering now if he thought 'she's going to barf all over my desk any second'. I think I was getting a bit squirmy. Even The. Best. News. In the. World. didn't stop my tummy ache. Anyway the minute we got out I ran to the loo to be sick. It was non productive. I composed myself and we got in the car n came straight home. Thanked my sister, fussed Freddie. 'Ran' to the bathroom and spent a good old length of time in there let's say. Then I took to my bed. Took more painkillers and sips of iced water. I was raging, albeit weakly. We'd had the best news ever and I was feeling wretched. I think it was probably more nerves and stress than the school bug because even though I date the risk or want anything to eat I felt better once I was fully empty. People at school had the illness for days. I stayed in bed. Updated friends and family on the Good News, watched a bit of telly, read a bit and slept a bit.
During this time the HG was downstairs. He was,therefore, in charge of Freddie. Freddie had had a whale of a time. I know this because the HG came upstairs and told me that my rug had big bald bits in it now!! Freddie had had a jolly old time pulling all the tufted bits out at two sides of the rug. We have a big through lounge dining room. Freddie's cage is in the dining room on this rug. Normally he plays with his toys in the lounge where the HG chair is. The cage is also behind the HG chair. The HG  said Freddie had taken some of his toys in the dining room and was playing. Ohhhh no, Freddie had used his toys in a bid to distract from his new game of 'Let's pull the tufts out of Nanna's rug'.
Hmmmmm.
The HG had thought, he's quiet, but obviously at the minute moving is tricksy, so didn't discover the game until a large bit of the rug had been stripped!!! Freddie was thoroughly told off and slunk away, head down, tufts of rug sticking out of his mouth!!! The little git!
Couldn't stay cross at him forever! I think the rug can be fixed. The HG struggled to picked up the tufts off the floor and put them up high. So tomorrow I'll have a go at rug repairs tomorrow. If it looks a mess I'll have a go at trimming it. If it unravels I'll get rid of it. There's no point crying over puppy ruined rugs either. It's a lovely rug that I got in the Next sale for £40. There'll be others.
I feel like I've been holding my breath for two and a half months and I'm certainly not going to let a few tufts of wool tip me over the edge! Naughty Freddie!
His Mum n Dad came back last night. Miss 22 offered to buy me a new rug but I told her I don't want her to.

Here is the naughty boy! 

On the rug he hasn't chewed. He was five months old yesterday.  He's staying til Sunday morning and  I'm going to miss my little shadow. Nose pressed to back of my legs where ever I go in the kitchen. Sat at my feet when I wash up. I'm glad I feel better because I missed him yesterday! 

To solve the photo thing I'm having to put the photos I want onto my google plus profile so apologies if you've seen them twice now.  

Although I can only see this one of Freddie to add and I know there's at least 20 others I posted. I think I will have to look at getting my laptop sorted. The charging point has had it n will only stay on if the wire is held 'just so' and it holds no battery. Bloody Blogger should not have withdrawn its App. 

Right I think I'm going to publish this and try to get comfy n nod off. The HG is awake too now. He's sweating. I think he's going to need more antibiotics. 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *relieved* Radiostar xxx 

Almost there

I'm almost there with the show n tell. Just not 100% finished.
We've been looking after Tigger from Winnie the Pooh disguised as a stocky little Springer pup who is 5 months old today. He is as good as gold mostly. If he can, he'll nick your slippers. If he can, he'll bring his sucky toy up on the couch. If he can, he'll put everything in the garden in his mouth! It's worse than having a toddler. He moves a lot faster than a toddler! He has these mad half hours where he tears up and down chasing a rubber pig. He's so fast! It makes me laugh and laugh so much. He's like a thing possessed when he does it!
I've been whistle training him and it's not taken long at all. He'll hurtle towards you after a few pips and then sits at your feet. He LOVES doing tricks and learning. But nowhere near am I as good a trainer as some of the people on you tube if you search for 'five month old springer . I've had to put him in Time Out a few times. When I come in from work, he's so wiggly and excited but then he's jumped and mouthed a few times. So Time out for Freddie is just to close a door on him and say Time Out. He hates it. He's young enough to want to be with us all the time still. After ten seconds I open the door and say be calm. First time it took four time outs. Now it's one. Yesterday when I got in all his wiggling n wagging was floor level with no jumping n mouthing so hooray! Too funny for the HG is when a little puppy clambers up on my knee n puts his bum in my face n settles. I don't think Freddie knows how much he has grown!
It's been a great distraction. Work has been busy since we went back on Monday and even though it's a seven week term we are rapidly running of time to do things!

Oh and I've discovered why my app doesn't work, blogger and google decided not enough people use it and so have taken it down. A very unpopular move because it was so easy to use. A lot of schools used it for the children to blog from too. So I'll have to figure out the best way to get any photos on here, as Blogger open on Safari on an iPhone or iPad is a bit pants.

Miss 22 and her young man are flying back from their holiday in the Canary Islands today and are staying until Sunday. So they can resume full responsibility for picking up the poop! Freddie's  fed a certain amount of puppy dried food a day and a few treats when training.  How that translates into the amount of poo he produces is mind boggling. Although the cold n frosty morning was great! Easiest poop scoop ever!! It'll be fab to see them both too of course.

Me n the HG have a very important appointment this morning.

So I'm off to look at blogs as a distraction before I get up and let the puppy out for his morning rampage around the garden!

Lots of love from
Rachel *doesn't know what she'll do when Freddie goes home* Radiostar xxx

You know you 'learn something new everyday'?

Here's my new nugget of knowledge.
Let me set the scene....
Yorkshire Pddings. They can be tricksy little gits at times. Huge billowy sky scraper puffs of crisp in the outside, softer and beautiful on the inside tasty or
Taste the same frisbees.
Thanks to it being half term AND being confined to barracks, there's a lot of telly watching going on. Yesterday, there was one of those Heston BloomingheckImnoteatingthat's programmes on.  He was trying to make a massive YP. Originally called Dripping Pudding, back in the day - the day being the 1609s or something. Apparently, Dripping Puddings were better Oop North, in particular, Yorkshire - probably spoke about by rich and wealthy Southern travelling folks and Yorkshire Pudding stuck!

ANYWAY, I bet some of you know this already... but the reason for them turning out flat could be that the fat is TOO HOT when you pour the batter in. I know,I know - the fat has to be sizzling hot, but a couple of degrees too high means it sets the batter too quickly meaning it CANNOT rise! So I now can sleep easier at night knowing my YP fails have been scientifically explained by Heston!

I would insert a photo but I still can't!

In other news.
It turned freezing yesterday. I pegged out my washing and my fingers hurt. My washing hung limply all day refusing to dry and when I brought it in at 4, my fingers froze again and it was as wet as it was when it'd gone out. So that's it now until March. Unless we get a sunny windy day and it's something that can't be tumbled, the drier and my Beautiful Lakeland Airer it is!

The show and tell us almost there. Not quite. I was going to yatter on about something else but I've totally forgotten now.

As Half Term's go, I've had better. Went to town on Monday with my sister n her brood. Went out for breakfast Tuesday with my work chums. Pottered about a bit at home yesterday and repeat that today. Normally pottering is my favourite- but enforced pottering is making my teeth a bit itchy. Setbacks for the patient are to blame, not the patient. But this won't last forever.
Miss 22 is coming tonight with her young man and the pup. They are jetting off to the Sun this time tomorrow so we are Freddie sitting! I might have been to TK Maxx and bought him some new toys. We shall see. We've also got a book and a whistle to have a go at training him with it just to keep us all amused!

Right that's it, time to do the Ward Rounds

Lots of love from
Rachel *Barbera Woodhouse* Radiostar xxx