Ice-man Cometh ....

There are forecasts for snow and ice to be hitting the UK in the next week or so.  It will, in all likelihood, be 2 or 3 inches at most and of course everything will come to a complete standstill.  However those experiencing the devastating effect of the current floods must be dreading the next bout of bad weather, which will be particularly difficult if the big freeze sets in on top of the flood waters.

Check out this YT video of the 'creeping ice' phenomenon which hit Manitoba,Canada some months ago.  It is both eerie and strangely beautiful - but the damage it caused was awful.

Ice Ice Baby 

And also the  BBC News Report which explains what happened.

Mother Nature is a cruel mistress sometimes.

Keep safe!

New Year - New Kitchen!

Hello Bloglies!

Thank you for visiting me.  Isn't the weather bloomin' awful?  I'm enjoying my period of enforced hibernation and rejoicing in the fact that I don't really have to leave the house unless I really need to!

We've been in a state of flux here at Peapods over the last couple of days.  Towards the end of last year, the Council promised us a new kitchen but warned us that there could be a two year waiting list for the work to be carried out.  The old kitchen was barely serviceable with cupboard doors hanging on by one hinge, the work tops scratched and marked and the tiling looking decidedly jaded.   We had resigned ourselves to waiting their timescale, however just before Christmas I got a call saying that they would begin work on the 6 January!  The weekend was spent madly decluttering and dividing stuff in to keep/charity/throw away piles as you do.  The workmen arrived on Monday morning and proceeded to gut the kitchen - honestly the noise they made you'd have thought that the Tasmanian Devil had been let loose with a wrecking ball! They were extremely quick at removing the old units and tiles.

In just a couple of hours this had happened:-

and a little while later the old warped floorboards had been taken up too.

The base units were put in soon afterwards and by the end of Monday we had work tops too.   They finished the majority of the work on Tuesday, just leaving a couple of jobs for the electrician today.  

So here's the finished kitchen - we still have to paint and replace the light shades, and get a new blind for the kitchen window.  We also need to sell our fridge and get a new, smaller one so that we can move it into the old pantry cum storage/junk room (now clutter free!).  This will give us a lot more much needed room in the kitchen and will allow us to utilise the table.  To date the chairs matching the table have lived in the shed for around 8 months due to lack of space! 

Ahh look - there's my new soup maker steaming away next to the microwave!   I mentioned this in my last post I think.  I'm so pleased with it.  It's this one:-

I'm sure the traditionalists will be throwing their hands up in horror at the very thought of such a gadget - but believe me it is SO handy, particularly for those of us who work full time or have busy lifestyles. As you can see, it is no bigger than a large jug kettle and takes up hardly any room. I simply add roughly chopped veg of my choice and some stock and seasoning, press a button and 21 minutes (for smooth soup - 28 minutes if you like your soup chunky!) later the soup is cooked and blended to perfection without any need for transferring hot liquids between receptacles or retrieving the liquidiser from the back of the cupboard.  It makes enough for four people (well four - six meals for me at least!). It cooks and blends so quickly you could do it in the morning before work and decant some into a flask for lunch.  I shall continue to sing it's praises for a very long time I reckon and am currently experimenting with recipes.  I began with a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots and onions.  Today I did pea and mint - which is my favourite!  450g of frozen peas, hot veg stock, an onion and a packet of fresh mint - or 20g if you are lucky enough to have it in your herb garden.  Yumski! And as I'm such a domestic goddess (cough) I made some soda bread to go with it.  I dunno how I do it for the money! A very frugal, filling and nourishing meal. 

Velvety smooth, and a delicate shade of froggy green!

Thank you for all the health enquiries and recommendations over the  past few weeks.  I very much appreciate them as always.  I saw my consultant last Saturday and explained my discomfort to him after meals.  He now wants to do an endoscopy to see whether I have anything else underlying which may be the cause of my pain.  I'm having to wait for his appointment to be sent through, however as I shall go via BUPA again he reassures me that this should follow in around 2 - 3 weeks.  

Stay safe and warm, particularly if you are being affected by Mother Nature's current bad mood.

Love and Light 

xxx

Simple Woman's Daybook for January

 xx  Happy New Year Everyone. xx

I  hope it brings you everything you wish for and more.  

Health and Happiness always 

With love from Peapods

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.co.uk/

Outside my window …  its blowing a ruddy hoolie, rain is lashing on the window pane and its cold!

I am thinking...  that I need to put some socks on cos my feet are freezing as I stupidly went trekking up the garden in nobbut me leopard print slippers and now they're soaked.**

** and clothes, obviously!

I am thankful... for another week and a bit away from work . I'm really not ready to go back yet.  My planned return is the 14th so hopefully everything will have settled down by then. 

In the kitchen... oh you don't wanna know!  The family had to have takeaway tonight as Its like a bomb site!  We are having it completely gutted and refitted on Monday and we are therefore in the process of unpacking cupboards, decluttering and are thus surrounded by bags and boxes of rubbish.  

I am wearing... grubby, less than glamorous worky clothes!

I am creating... apart from a mess, I'm planning to make a journal from recycling our christmas cards - more on that another time 

I am going...  to see my Consultant tomorrow for a post-op check up.

I am wondering... when my new soup maker is going to arrive.  I'd hoped it was going to be here today so I could play!  Home made soup is all I'm eating right now so its an investment!

I am reading... the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez

I am hoping... that some plans I'm trying to put into place will come to fruition.  Fingers crossed.

I am looking forward to... new possibilities/new beginnings.  Hopefully a new chapter.

I am learning… that Life is a journey and nothing will change unless you MAKE it so.  To that end I have asked a question to instigate some change in my workplace for me.  See 'I am hoping' above.  I should hear in the next couple of weeks whether my request is listened to, failing which I fear a new CV may need to be drafted.

Around the house... more change - really looking forward to seeing the completed kitchen.  This is another step on the ladder to the house being 'ours' as in mine and lovely man's, rather than somewhere he moved in to.  The kitchen we currently have is dilapidated and very dated and so the thought of cupboard doors that actually close properly and are not hanging on a single hinge is very welcome!

I am pondering...   about the amount of decluttering that we really must find time to do this year.  No more procrastination. 

A favorite quote for today... 

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.
Don Marquis 

One of my favourite things...  our new little console table on which I can display some precious things.  We recently moved our television to hang on the chimney breast to make some much needed space.  This little table is so welcome! 

A few plans for the rest of the week:   Consultant appointment, shopping, hibernating, sorting, recuperating, sketching (badly), trying to keep out of the way of various workmen, rocking quietly in a chair with my hands over my ears!

A peek into my day...  I won't bore you with pictures of bin bags and boxes.   So a picture of the new table will have to do!   Don't say I don't spoil you!