That Was (Most of) The Week That Was

 The thing about living in town in an all mains gas/electric bungalow is that for the first time since 1979  we have no alternative self reliant heating or cooking.
Anyway, with dire warnings of a cold winter and possible problems with electricity supply (something to do with no spare capacity from power stations), I suggested we go and get the gas ring from the beach hut. Now we have the gas cooker out in the caravan and the gas ring indoors, I don't feel so vulnerable, but I will be so glad to get back to the country where we will have a wood-burner and hopefully, eventually, a propane-gas range cooker.

There had been some high tides in Felixstowe near the hut,by the looks of the stones washed up onto the prom and a strange phenomenon............. loads of oyster shells washed into the corners by each wooden groyne.

The weather on Wednesday was awful - rain all day. We didn't get out for a walk at all. I just made a card for the wedding next month, read and then started writing my Penny Pinching News letter which is due to go to friends for January 1st . A very lazy day.

 It was Col's blood test on Thursday morning (platelets are up a bit again thank heavens) and then in the afternoon we got out for a 2½ walk - up to Asda and back and no sitting down halfway. Definitely the furthest he has walked since he started feeling poorly a year ago.

Today he is off out for Brunch with ex work colleagues and I haven't got much that has to be done so will get on with finishing the tapestry glasses case or reading.

I've actually abandoned quite a few books recently, yesterday  the new Ann Cleeves, Shetland series - Cold Earth. I've been spoiled by the TV series and the books are completely different. "The 12.30 From Croydon"  is another of the British Library Crime Classics but the story is told from the point of view of the murderer -hate that! "Antidote to venom" was another the same. A friend had told me about a crime series set in Canada by Louise Penny but I couldn't get into the first of these "Still Life" so that went back unread. I wanted to read "A Woman's Place" by Ruth Adam but had several other books at home I preferred first so it went back but it's still on the shelves at Broomhill so I may borrow it again.

 This is the latest photo of our grandson Jacob which daughter has sent, now 5 months old this is his first time on a (rather too big for him) swing. What a difference from the poorly little fella back in July. Can't wait to get down to Surrey soon to see him properly.

Thank you for comments, I shall mention nothing about the country across the pond and just say welcome to another follower.


Spending up-date in Low/No Spend November
Milk, veg and other bits from Aldi, bread and bits from Asda and fruit from the greengrocers £16.50
That book 50p
Pack of 4 gas cartridge thingys for the beach hut gas ring. £8
Boiler repairs £80 Aaaaaagh!  ( That's rather spoiled the low spend plan)

£299 +£105 = £404

Back when something exciting/interesting/noteworthy happens
Sue

A pretty sight, and NOT a pretty sight!

It might have been the Med today, even the grey old North Sea had a tinge of blue and not a cloud in the sky, but it was just Felixstowe with a lovely breeze keeping the temperature to a comfortable level.

This plump old whale waving (not drowning) is me in for a swim, Gawd knows why Col zoomed in so close! People with beach huts who are regular swimmers there say the sea is much warmer than usual for mid July.

Thanks for comments on the last blog post.
It's quite a few years since we went to Hay-on-Wye and some of the second-hand bookshops have disappeared. I noticed more shops selling new books along with the second-hand and now you have to pay 20p for the toilets too!


Back in a day or 3
Sue

More views from a beach hut

On a clear day, it's possible to just make out the huge offshore wind farm further down the coast














This boat isn't the RNLI or coastguard but Felixstowe Volunteer Coastal Patrol Rescue Service.
Formed in 1997 to make up for a gap in coverage by coastguards. We've seen it a couple of times on Sundays, zooming along between yacht clubs in the River Orwell and the River Deben






 Both the above were taken a few weeks ago but today we managed to get down to the beach hut again, although there wasn't a lot happening out at sea. Just a few yachts and this wind surfer.

 Although lovely and sunny the wind was really cold and if we had known before I packed up lunch just how chilly it was and that we were going to have to come back to the hospital for 4pm we possibly would have stayed at home where it was about 10 degrees warmer. The hospital thing was for Col to have another platelet infusion, they hadn't got any in for him when he went in for a blood test earlier this morning on our way to Felixstowe.

Last week our son printed off some pictures of baby Jacob and took them in to Col in hospital  to show to all the nurses ( he's been in hospital so many times in 6 months that practically all the Somersham ward staff know our whole life history!). M printed off 2 sets, so on Sunday we invited Col's dad and brother over for tea so they could see their great grandson/nephew and pick up one set of photos to take home.They were also able to look at all the other photos of Jacob on various peoples facebook pages.


 Thank you to everyone for gnome comments and Lizzie asked how life compares generally, living in town compared to the countryside. I think the answer deserves a whole post on it's own........I'll work on it.

Back soon
Sue

Dirty British Coaster - A bit more poetry by John Masefield

 The ships out at sea heading into The Port of Felixstowe are no longer Dirty British Coasters but ships like Majestic Mearsk a huge container vessel approximately 399 metres long, 44 metres wide, carrying 194,000 tonnes of c**p from Asia that will be on the shelves of a shop near you in a week or two.

That very small boat behind the monster is the Pilot boat which comes out from the port with the Pilot to guide the container ship safely into dock.

I suppose in fairness it may contain a few useful things - clothes perhaps? but I bet a lot is stuff people buy and then throw out a year or two later!

Some of these containers will go by train but most will be on the backs of lorries heading through Suffolk and all round the country.

I remember this poem from primary school.

 Cargoes

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays

I shall be back with a diary post at the end of the week

Sue

We go down to the sea again, the lonely sea and the sky

Yesterday with Col still waiting to go for the 6th chemo cycle and the weather not too bad we packed some lunch and nipped down to the beach hut.
It was deserted, except for dog walkers and walkers without dogs

Took my big camera and zoomed in on this big ol' gull

The windbreak is ours - not a soul in sight at any of the other huts( except a man doing repairs down the end)

 Sailors going into the sailing club on the River Deben

The sandbank is Felixstowe side of the Deben and the trees in the distance are Bawdsey on the other side of the river Bawdsey is famous for being the birthplace of Radar during WWII

The post title comes with apologies to John Masefield!

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Eating out for £1.80

Unless you count our trip to the feed mill and shopping in Leiston, we've been nowhere interesting since the start of the year. So a half day out was called for. My choice is always the same - see the sea and charity shops!

Felixstowe was the destination, with at least 8 charity shops to look round. Unfortunately the charity bookshop was shut for refurbishment, but never mind we went round all the rest.
Nothing wildly exciting found, only useful things and this lot was bought with the change in my purse so I didn't even break into a note.

A new flannel, a new clutch bag ready for the wedding, 2 books also brand new and a cotton top. £4.50  for the lot. The book with the train on keeps coming up on my recommended list on Amazon. So I'm curious to read it, its a crime novel originally written in the 1930s and recently re-published.
 The charity shop with the bright pink clutch purse also had a bright pink fascinator which would have been OK for the wedding if only my hair was long enough to clip it on, and a fascinator with a headband won't work either for the same reason. I may have to have a hat after all. Ha Ha Ha me in a hat is hilarious!

Our meal out for £1.80? Soup from home and a hot sausage roll each from Greggs. Eaten in the car overlooking the grey north sea. We had hoped to walk along the prom after eating but it started raining hard and the wind was blowing a hooley so we came home instead.

Grey north sea and grey sky to match.

Thank you for so many comments yesterday. One day I will share with you my whole collection of Amish and Mennonite books. Angela at Tracing Rainbows suggested The More with Less cookbook which I have plus about 8 other various books collected over the last 20 or so years.
A couple of people from the States mentioned 'puppy mills' which  is what we call puppy farms, where dogs are bred continuously in poor conditions with no thought for their welfare. It seems odd for Amish people to have got into this when they ought to be following the Bible and  caring for all God's creatures.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

Driving practice

We had an early start as C had to be at Ipswich hospital for 9.15. He could have driven today as it's 4 weeks since I notified the insurers about the Heart Attack, but he said I ought to have as much practice as possible!
We started off at the hospital then went down to Felixstowe to see the grey North  Sea, the  wind was right off the sea so it was good and rough.

  Next into town for a browse round a few charity shops ( just £2 spent on 2 old Enid Blyton books..... I'm reverting to childhood!) then home via a car place so C could have a look at a car he saw for sale on t'internet. It's A Ford Fusion -  a possible make for downsizing, but he's undecided at the moment. Everything seems very small compared to the Jeep Cheroke which we've had for the last 7 years. Our final stop was the feed mill to pick up a some bags of chicken pellets. In all a round trip of about 100 miles. He said my driving is fine and my confidence is certainly building. His being in hospital for 10 days forced me into the driving seat and has done me no harm although I've still got no experience of Motorway driving or on really busy A roads.

Thank you for comments yesterday

Back Tomorrow
Sue