Thursday, 11 January 2024

Not on the To-Do List and Not Too Cold

I'm still hibernating at home - and loving it - which gives plenty of time for the jobs-to-do list and to do things that hadn't been added to the list including making another batch of cold-cure soup just in case of more colds this winter. The chili pepper was supposed to be a mild one and I didn't take care when chopping it up - which was much regretted later! 

I also remembered I'd bought a bag of mixed nuts to make some spiced nuts as another January treat. Didn't put them in the two hampers this time. So half the bag was roasted  - very delicious - probably a bit too more-ish  and too quickly eaten. I'll leave the other half for later in the month.

The actual To-Do list is shrinking and I finally got around to sorting the grandchildren's toys and craft stuff on the shelves in the small bedroom. Another few things went into the charity shop bag.

The weather forecast of icy cold didn't seem very accurate early in the week as both Sunday and Monday mornings were grey and damp instead, Tuesday there was a touch of frost on the car roof but nowhere else. The water company were working on a leak on Tuesday and while they were doing it lots of water ran down the road past the bungalow which might have caused a sheet of ice for Wednesday morning but luckily Wednesday was also not as cold as the forecast either.
As our weather mostly comes from the west I'm hoping we don't get the nasty stuff that's been happening in parts of the US.

Another book from my shelves has been finished before the library van comes round today bringing me at least 9 books.


Tom Morton has done many jobs in his life but now owns a small bookshop IN Shetland - and you must never say ON Shetland and they are never called the Shetland Isles. Also confusing is Mainland which doesn't mean the mainland of Scotland - just the largest area of Shetland!
There is very little about the  bookshop in the book, it's really just one man's look at his home and favourite place and the quirks of living so far north- a twelve hour boat trip away. It was an interesting and quick read.

Back Tomorrow
Sue



29 comments:

  1. Let's hope the weather stays that way - it doesn't look so bad on the BBC forecast for the next couple of weeks so fingers crossed. xx

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    1. Staying mostly dry but colder next week - 2 hot water bottle weather maybe!

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  2. I have had to buy a new hot water bottle, thank goodness it comes today. At least you're whittling away at the To Do List while this weather keeps us indoors. Colder they say it's getting! Ugh!

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    1. A hot water bottle is always in the cupboard here and I had another for Christmas too

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  3. Well it's been blimming freezing here in the West the past few days....it must warm up by the time it gets over to you in the East!

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    1. I've been staying indoors mainly, keeping warm - colder forecast next week

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  4. Cold here but dry, hate the rain. I've never made a cold cure soup, sounds interesting altho chili doesn't really like me

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    1. It's just a quite hot tomato soup but very tasty

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  5. Roasted nuts are delicious.
    I've often wondered what it's like to live on an isolated island. 'In Shetland' sounds interesting.

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    1. My spiced nuts are much too good to do too often

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  6. I'm layering with clothing here - 3 layers in the morning and by the evening I have been in a t-shirt until this recent cold weather. Of course we have to have the house hot for Keith, whose body can't regulate temperature very well but until recently, I have found it suffocating.

    Debbie - Sorry you are so cold there. Tam bought Keith an electric hand warmer for Christmas as his hands are always so chilly. She got him a heated gilet for his birthday but he's not had much use out of it yet. Now could be the time - or perhaps Next Week when they threaten snow.

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    1. 4 layers here if one of them is the thin hoodie or three if it's the new cardigan!

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  7. I look forward to seeing your new stash of library books - they often end up on my library reservations list. I remember making up your recipe for spiced nuts, one Christmas, they were delicious and far too good to have around. I am gradually finding out why I can't comment as myself, something to do with not allowing 3rd party cookies, apparently. Elaine (Lincs)

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    1. The comment thing is very odd - I don't understand all the variations

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  8. My friend 's mum lives in Shetland (mainland) She says that the population is so small that they really couldn't sustain the number of murders which happen in the TV programme! Her mum loves it - but it is a very long way away from her family.

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    1. There's a little bit in the book about the filming of the TV programme Shetland- some of it isn't filmed on the island at all.
      I used to think it would be good to live somewhere so remote but have decided against as I get older

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  9. Angela's comment made me laugh. I remember my father, at the peak of "Murder She Wrote", saying, "Why hasn't it ever occurred to anyone that there is a murder everywhere that woman goes? I'd find that pretty suspicious."

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  10. It's been very cold here in west Wales but so cheering with the bright sunshine and blue skies. I sometimes make those roasted nuts, too morish!
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. I shall have to put off using the other half of the bag until later in the month to spread out the enjoyment

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  11. We used to say the same about Jersey when Bergerac was on and now say it about Death in Paradise! It’s dreich here and I have four layers on today. Catriona

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  12. The weather forecast hasn't been very accurate at all this past week, I went out to get the engine running to thaw it out the other day and found it sat in weak sunshine and none of the cars in the road even slightly iced up. But then one day when it was forecast to be mild I had to sit in it for 10 minutes before we could pull away.

    I loved the series Shetland, not so much the recent one but the earlier ones were great, and as you say not all filming was done actually in Shetland, and only one of the actors has an actual Shetland accent.

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    1. It's saved me a lot of ice scraping now I've got the windscreen cover although I still have to do the side windows

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  13. Extreme weather seems common this winter. Over the weekend, we got 12 inches of snow followed by warmth and torrential rain. The rain and warmth melted the snow and last night the remaining 3-4 inches froze. Thankfully, my asphalt driveway was plowed and is clear as are my walkways and patios. It is cold today but the stream is flowing. More rain and wind is predicted for Friday and possible snow next week. Today is definitely a 2-layer day.

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    1. We've been hearing about the really bad weather in parts of the US. We might get a bit of snow next week - although there's rarely very much here

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  14. There is great satisfaction in ticking off a to-do list. Well done! :)

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  15. Good for you crossing things off the to-do list. That book sounds really interesting. I'd love to visit Shetland one day. I bet it would have some wonderful scenery for photography!

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