Losing it…

 for the annual ramblings, please scroll down to the 1 December entry

When I logged on yesterday to amend the order for today’s grocery delivery, I noticed - fortunately - that I’d booked it for next Thursday rather than today.  Far too late by then to bring the delivery forward, so there was nothing for it but ordeal by Sainsbury’s in person: a delightful prospect two days before Christmas.  Having awoken around 05:00, I hauled on some clothes and consciousness and was at the shop door - along with scores of others - when it opened at 06:00.  It has been a while since I pushed a trolley round the shop, and in the meantime they have moved stuff around, so this added to the fun of the occasion.  My phone tells me I have hobbled 0.64 of a km.  Learning?  I hate the chore of navigating Sainsbury’s ponderous on-line shopping site, but must take more care when booking slots, since I hate shopping in person even more.

So what achievements this week?  I’ve succeeded in unblocking the sink drain gully - a lovely job involving rubber gloves and a bin bag up to the shoulder.  Anyone else done anything quite so joyful and romantic this Christmas week?  

On a more positive note, we have improved the view from the dining room door a little by planting some pansies and cyclamens in the pots on the steps, supplementing the stalwart but slightly tired polyanthus.  Feeding the robin adds interest to the outlook as well.  Just as well, given the amount of time I sit by the window reading, surfing, word-gaming and otherwise prodding the iPad.  

The garden has had a bit of attention this week: the last of the rudbeckias are chopped down, and the bolted leeks are in the bin.  There are still more to come, and we have started sharing them with selected neighbours.  The herbs in the raised bed need a bit of tidying up, notably the dead tarragon.  

Trip to the butcher’s yesterday: a nice plump chicken for Christmas dinner, some lamb neck fillet to which  to add lots of spices, apricots and chick peas for a tagine that will do three meals.  While that was chuntering away to itself in the top oven, Martyn’s Christmas cake was cooking in the lower one, and I was fiddling around with sausage meat, breadcrumbs and some sage from the garden to make stuffing balls to go with the bird.  Quite the hive of industry sometimes, our kitchen.