On Wine And Sleepless Nights

Thank you to everyone for your comments on my last post.  Some of you naughty ones would try tasting the wine and Cherie really made me giggle!  We decided it wasn't worth the risk.  The first bottle opened with a pop but didn't smell very nice and was full of sediment, the second didn't pop so must not have been airtight.  It smelled awful, so both were poured onto a dry patch of the garden.  We fully expected to see dizzy bumble bees and other insects but they all seemed to be unscathed :)

At the moment G is suffering badly from his neck problem.  His tummy bug cleared up but the last 2 nights have been spent largely sleepless due to this head twitching he is getting.  Last night he was in and out of bed so often that I got up with him and made some tea.  We were still up and awake at 5am.  At 5.15am we decided to try to get at least a couple of hours, managing to doze off until just after 8am.  This morning he has managed to get a GP appointment because this can't go on.  He has more than a week to wait until his physio appointment at the hospital and I'm sure that something more is going on other than a spinal problem.

For this reason my blog will go quiet for a while.  I am exhausted; too tired to think, in fact.  I will continue to read other blogs when I can and I am carrying on with my Stash to Cash challenge until the end of the year so might update the total periodically for my diary.  There is no craft fair this month but I do have some online sales to total up.

Stay safe everyone and thanks everso for dropping in x

How Long Does a Bottle of Wine Last?

When it was cooler last week G decided to tackle the shed at long last.  He hauled everything out from off the floor, added a new shelf and tidied it all up.  So much stuff! There were containers holding just a drop of this or a bit of that so we used up what we could and gave some away, recycling the containers.  Equipment used in his old gardening business which he no longer needed was given away too.  He came across these tucked into a corner in a gift bag....

They are dated 2009!!  I remember a friend of FiL begged some of our rhubarb from the last house and he made it into wine.  We were meant to keep it for 6 months before opening it but we moved here in March 2010, popped them in the shed and completely forgot about them  What a waste.  How long can you keep a bottle of homemade wine for?  Any records out there? :)

In the early hours of Saturday morning G was throwing up (and, no, he hasn't sampled the wine!)  Somehow he picked up a bug which has laid him flat and off his food for 3 days.  Not much sleep was had by either of us that night....

Today the weather is roasting again but it seems that cooler weather is on it's way, thank goodness.  I will be so glad to get through the day without feeling sticky and uncomfortable.  How are you all coping?

I mustn't forget to welcome a new follower: Margaret, I think...hello!

Anyway, thanks so much for popping in, take care xx

Mammoths, Wasps and Village Life

Gosh, such a lot has happened since my last post.  The visit to West Midland Safari Park last Sunday was lovely.  It rained on and off but didn't spoil the day.  It was GS's birthday and the activity of choice for a birthday treat.  There was so much to see that we didn't manage it all so will be grateful for the free return ticket later on in the school holiday.  We were just going into the new Ice Age area when DD discovered a wasp down the top of her ankle boot which stung her several times before I could get it off her.  This necessitated a trip to the First Aid booth and a dressing of TCP applied.  Everyone for miles around could smell us coming afterwards...lol...but she survived.  Anyway, we all trooped back to the Ice Age for an encounter with Mammoths and wild creatures of all descriptions complete with sound effects....

Their Dinosaur area was pretty impressive too but I haven't posted photos because many other bloggers have covered it.  I loved the Bat Cave too (but not the smell !).  As it was raining again after our picnic lunch, we drove around the safari park for a second time when it was much quieter and we could take our time driving through.  GC thought it was ace.

A couple of weeks ago I broke a tiny bit of tooth off whilst eating my morning cereal and the roughness has irritated my tongue ever since so I brought forward my usual check up appointment, thinking that the dentist would smooth it off for me.  Did he heck.  He took one look and when I was lying prone with his gloved fingers in my mouth declared that he would just ( and I quote) "pop a bit of anaesthetic in, quickly whizz out the two fillings and refill them"  Aaarrrgh!  It was a good job I couldn't speak.  Anyway, job done within minutes and a bill of £59.10 to pay.  Great.....  :/

Changing the subject yet again, we attended a meeting at the village pub on Monday where we discovered two ongoing problems.  The first is the potential closure of the village Post Office which would be devastating to village life.  We have many of the older generation here who don't have transport, computers or smartphones and who rely on the PO for all their financial transactions like pensions and paying of bills.  We are looking to set up a co-operative to buy the shop and PO and carry on the business.  Pledges are being made even as I write.

The second, and pressing, problem is the potential quarry development on farm land close to the village.  It would be so harmful to wildlife and crops, as well as the health of the villagers.  At least 3 schools would be in the vicinity of toxic dust and heavy lorries clogging the roads.  We need to do something fast.

Has anyone else tackled anything like this?  Can the 'big guys' actually be stopped from getting their way?  I do hope so....

Anyway, must dash, it's cooler today so I need to get cooking for once :)

Take care and stay safe x