House Blitzing Begins.

There was a bit more snow to be seen on the hills today. Here it has been cold but drier with the odd spot of rain and hail and even a rainbow all accompanied by the usual wind.

Speedy's warm spot on the radiator though it quickly got too hot for him and he retired to the sofa for the rest of the day. Currently he's purring on my lap with his head on the desk and making the occasional attempt to poke the biro that's lying there.

I could not put it off any longer, no more excuses, today I began my spring cleaning or should I call it New Year cleaning? It is hard to work up a lot of enthusiasm as the place is clean and tidy anyway so it won't look a lot different. Though once I got started today I realised there were forgotten corners filled with dust and crumbs. And once it's all done it resets the house back to (almost) as new.

I like to begin with the kitchen/living room so that if I get diverted later on at least that has been done. I started with the worktop as sanding it down creates a certain amount of dust plus I like to get the worst jobs out of the way first. The very worst bit was taking off most of the sealant around the sink, sanding off any darkened wood and reapplying the silicone sealant. I also cleaned all the spice jars on the shelves tucked out of sight next to the hob.

Above is the photo shoot version of the finished work top. I'd love to keep it like that but you have to be practical so below is how it looks in reality.

Mach Monday.

A bitterly cold wind has blown all day long. Along with the wind came just about every kind of weather conditions at some point in the day; cloud, rain, sun and hail.

It was a Mach Monday for us (the usual meet up at the library) so my day began with the ring of the alarm clock. I jumped out of bed, got the morning routine done and took myself off to sit outside with a big mug of tea. I was well wrapped up, not only did I have a thick bodywarmer on over my fluffy dressing gown and fluffy trousers but I'd put on an extra hooded fluffy top. (Who doesn't like fluffy clothing?) With fingerless mittens and sheepskin slipper boots I was as warm as toast as I watched the sky lighten and the snow dusted hills appear out of the dark. 

Later as we drove out of the village we came across the usual obstacle, a long stretch of flooded road by the golf course. We turned round but decided to watch the cars we could see driving towards us. Peter then felt he could drive through the flood which he did carefully while I had my eyes shut. No quite sure why, it felt safer that way. And it was still as bad on the way home. At least there was no ice on the roads.

Driving up to Mach we saw more and more snow on the hills. It looked quite pretty with the sun shining on the gleaming slopes while down in the valley everything was a verdant green. We met our friends at the library, exchanged our Christmas news and worked our way through the exercises in the next couple of Welsh classes. Afterwards I had my usual look in the charity shops and found another bag of glass pebbles, green and iridescent which fit in with the design I'm thinking of for the porch windows (whenever that happens).  

It was bright and sunny while we were in Mach and for a little while after we got home but then the sky went dark as rain and hail fell. My next big project is spring cleaning so in a nod to that I found homes for all the stuff that had accumulated on the kitchen counter doing my best not to simply relocate it to new piles in other rooms.

Wet.

For most of the day it's been impossible to see beyond the village due to fine rain in the day. We've also had heavy rain, last night and again tonight. For a brief moment this morning the sea mist or rather the no-see sea mist lifted enough for me to catch a momentary sighting of snow covered mountain tops. Either the rain has now washed it all away or the low temperatures (almost freezing here) have turned the rain to snow in which case we will be well and truly snowed in.

My back was sore this morning which forced me out of bed before six. It was raining too fiercely for me to sit in the doorway waiting for the day to lighten up so I got on with my routine - Duo Lingo, Pilates and piano. I'm trying to create a routine where the piano practice follows on directly after the Pilates and so far it is working as I have done both every day. All I need to do now is work in guitar practice as well. 

Yesterday evening I took down all the Christmas decorations including the small driftwood tree which only took 15 minutes. Today I did the longer job of sorting everything into boxes. Of course having put away the steps I used to reach the cupboard above the coats I found first one and then another last decoration that needed putting away. Speedy took an interest in one of the two strands of tinsel chasing the end and then rolling around with it. I love the sparkle and glitter of the Christmas decorations and take a lot of pleasure in making the house look festive, especially the lights around the windows but I also love the calm feel of the white rooms with beautiful ceramics and glass on the shelves and art work on the walls.  I think it's the contrast that makes me appreciate both looks.

Since the forecast wasn't good our group walk was planned to start in Borth. I walked round to one of the group's home and arrived wet even though it only takes 3 minutes to get there. As a small contingent gathered we drank tea and ate hot home-made mince pies. Eventually we decided we might as well try our luck and headed out for a walk along the beach and then along the river Leri before swinging back to the church and heading for home. All this in the steady rain and an icy wind. There was no point in taking my camera as not only was it wet but there were no views. Despite the offer of more mince pies I went straight home to warm up and continue putting away the decorations.

Snow On The Way ?

Dry and cold today with a fairly calm sea. There is much talk of snowy weather working its way up from the south. According to the Met Office page it will be raining by 5.00 and snowing by 7.00.

This morning I could see a sprinkling of snow in Snowdonia but it wasn't until I zoomed in with the camera that I saw a snow covered peak further north. 

This morning I put out the recycling bags, three of them this time! in the hope that they would be collected. And sure enough they came for the bags and the bottles. In fact I was talking to some people I know at the garden gate when the lorry went by and we gave them a wave and thumbs up in appreciation for their work. We are  very fortunate to live in a country where our rubbish is taken care of one way or another though of course we all need to take responsibility for reducing the amount of waste we produce. (Ethical practice announcement over.) I know that I look at documentaries of countries where rubbish disposal is much more up to the individual and think how dreadful it is to have streets, countryside and beaches strewn with rubbish without appreciating the difficulty of dealing with all that waste. Just think how horrible a layby gets when there are no bins and people 'can't be bothered' to take away their own rubbish.

Love the seagull's expression.

I'm keeping up our Christmas decorations until tomorrow which ties in well with 12th Night and the natural end of the Christmas and New Year's holiday but since the forecast is for rain tomorrow I took down the outdoor driftwood tree today. The poor thing had taken a real battering in the storms and if it hadn't been supported by ropes it would have been on the floor. The central metal rod had broken in two places and was only held together by the plastic covering. I'll keep an eye open at Pete, the local scrap man's yard when I walk past to see if he has something stronger than the garden stake I used. 

I needed to go and see if the shop had any oat bran in stock (they did) so of course had a stroll along the beach. There was a lot of driftwood on the beach including a few tree trunks. For scale the stones around the one above were the size of bread loaves. There was a certain amount of plastic rubbish mixed in with the wood and seaweed so I may have a litter picking session soon. If I ever see any of the fine plastic net I'll always pick that up and put it in the bin but the rest can wait for plastic gloves and the long handled litter picker. I did take a  bottle to the bin and then realised I could be giving entirely the wrong impression as I stumbled my way over the shingle with a wine bottle in my hand.

Cold.

I was mightily relieved this morning when I saw that the road was dry and knew that I wouldn't have to worry about ice. Driving to the stables the fields were frosty after the first mile and there was a lot of frost and a little ice at the stables. I made sure to drive slower and more carefully.

No ice or frost here first thing but it was cold as I sat outside with my coffee. This time I followed the progress of the blue lights of an emergency vehicle that was making its way from Tywyn towards Mach.

Having arrived safely at the stables I saw that I was riding Margaret again. I had wondered if it might be Cadno for a change but he was allocated to a less experienced rider (Cadno is a real gentleman) but then his rider never turned up. Usually I ride in a short sleeved top as I warm up quickly however today I wore a long sleeved top on top of the short sleeved one as it was pretty cold. I wear cotton gloves when I'm riding but I can't do the buckles on a bridle with them on. That was a hard job today as not only did the leather feel extra stiff but the ends of my fingers were burning with cold. I always warm up the bit in my hand first too as it can't be nice to have a cold piece of metal shoved in your mouth. It all got done in the end and I warmed my fingers up by sliding them under the saddle before taking Margaret out of the stable. The lesson went well. It was leg yielding again but it is important to be able to use our legs to either encourage bend or to ask the horse to move sideways and I guess we haven't quite got that skill yet. The horse mad child in me would love to charge round popping over little jumps.

After riding I went to Morrison's. I'm sure they've done some slight rearranging of the fresh produce section. I couldn't quite pinpoint it but it felt very disconcerting. We still have plenty of food in the cupboards so I only needed a few things. I called in at Charlie's and might have bought a few more Christmas decorations at 50% off. By the time I came out it was raining lightly and had got even colder so I went to Lidl but didn't bother walking into town.

At home I unpacked the shopping, threw my riding stuff in the washing machine, had a break and then did my Pilates and piano practice. 4 days in a row now.

Cold.

A clear starry night brought us a frosty morning followed by a crisp sunny day. 

We don't get the sun in the garden at this time of year but it warms up our bedroom and my study beautifully. The forecast is for -1C tomorrow at 9.00 so I've covered over the car's windscreen. I only hope the roads won't be icy on my way to the stables.

I managed to do my standing Pilates and piano practice again and then helped Peter sort out the rowing club's kit order. Many years of sorting out 30 assorted sheep, stars, raindrops, kings and other assorted costumes every Christmas made this a relatively simple task. That was despite some items already having been collected, some missing from the order and somebody (mentioning no names) having forgotten to order himself a t-shirt. All is now sorted and everybody can pick up a bag with their name and order stapled to it. 

While Peter was out rowing I wrapped up well and did some tidying in the shingle garden. I went round and picked up all the leaves and stems that had been blown down by the last few storms. The hydrangea leaves in particular were on their way to turning into a nasty brown mush, not the look I want on my beach shingle. Some of the plants are looking good but there are a few others that may or may not make it through the winter. It's all a learning curve.

Happy New Year !!!

Happy New Year.

Wishing everyone the best for the next year.

The weather was so awful last night with lashing rain and strong winds that only a few token fireworks were set off. One lot from a house behind us went set off before 11.00. I guess they got fed up with waiting. I heard a few bangs at midnight but that was it.

I thought this image was appropriate. The old year is now washed away, what happened happened and now there is a fresh year to look forward to. Personally I am going to try and focus on the positive events in my daily life and also to get on with the things I intend to do instead of prevaricating and then feeling guilty when the routines or lists (that I created to make life better) don't get done. 

The worst of the storm was over by the morning but conditions did not look good for the New Year's Day Dip. A dozen people braved the cold waters but did not stay in very long. I got no further than out on the terrace.

There were frequent rain showers for most of the morning then as the wind veered round to bring cold air from the north we had some blue skies before sunset.

I appreciated my lie-in this morning thinking of all those years when being a parent gave no option for such luxuries. After breakfast I did the standing Pilates session followed by piano practise. Two days in a row! That's very good for me. The extra job I gave myself today was to write up Autumn 2024 in my hobbit journal. It's all up to date which is amazing. Having these journals helps me see what we've done over the years. Sometimes it feels as if everything is the same year on year or that we've made no progress but then I read the journals and see that it was not so.