No Joy...

from Parliament and the Autumn statement about the Governments plans for the future of the UK.

On the same day we've had high winds and rain in my part of the world. Thankfully, little if any damage in my area but a few miles away I have heard of roads blocked with trees and debris even some chimneys that are in a dangerous state.

So far no snow...but that was promised for today and tomorrow so we're not safe yet. They say we have the worst surge tide down the east coast in 30 years so some areas on flood alert.

As I write(though it will be dark quite soon)we have clear blue skies and dare I say the winds seem to have dropped.

I slept well through the night and was cosy in bed. Which considering earlier yesterday it was b***** cold was welcome. I prefer my doors open but as I have said before I have taken to keeping my bedroom door closed and I do feel a difference in the temperature. And yes it has to be said wearing more clothes helps too.

I did not have all that I said I would eat yesterday but have put that right today.

I have had toast and marmalade, some tuna and sweet corn sandwich filler for lunch, earlier a cup of soup. And I have a sausage casserole going in the slow cooker. Instead of leaving the sausages intact or taking the meat and making them into meat balls I have sliced them not unlike you do with black pudding. Browned them off in a frying pan and then added them to a mixture of swede, carrot, potato, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onion, leek, Brussels sprouts, parsnip and garlic. And I have even put in the mix the outer leaves of the cauliflower. Waste not, want not. Ditto the stalks of the broccoli and cauli too.

I started at around 6am and took my time and I was not finished until nearly 8am...two hours! Now they say a slow cooker is slow...not really...I checked on it at midday and it is ready but I'll drop it back to low heat or warm setting. The trick is not to put large pieces of vegetables into the slow cooker unless you want everything to be chunky and keep it cooking until you come home perhaps from work. I wouldn't say my vegetables are that small.

Whilst I am able I have been thinking about buying one decent set of plates which I can get for less than £10. I know there is only myself but I seem to have misplaced what I have(I fear they could be in the loft after the big clear out earlier in the year)and I don't want to go through all that stuff until next year and when the weather picks up. I'm not bothered about fancy cups though and I can manage with a mug.

I also quite fancy buying another hat...I know, I know I have enough but I like to ring the changes and where I once would have worn a baseball cap I now prefer a flat cap or a woollen hat or something similar, last summer I even wore something not unlike a panama hat and I could even see me wearing a trilby

I don't have many Christmas cards to write but have made a start on those too.

I have a few little tasks to do before going out to the bingo tonight and its amazing how quickly it comes round. So I guess I better get going...

Update:Found a lovely little woollen hat with fleece lining for £2.49 and its unbelievable warm and I found a fleece scarf for the same price. By it was freezing cold today and I really welcomed these in the cold winds...its been a bad day weather wise for many across the UK.

I held off on the plates. Most of the boxes of lower priced four settings(dinner/side plates and bowls)were £15-£17. Then I looked at a set purchased separately with added soup bowl and a mug for one person and that(though nice)was going to cost £14.

Going to look in a few alternative shops and see what I can find. I may just have to accept that the cheaper sets are good enough even if they are plain. Or perhaps just buy two of everything which allows for possible breakages.

So all I purchased was the hat, scarf and some vegetables...they've reduced the price of a bag of fresh vegetables to £1 at present and its good value for stews/casseroles as you get three or four carrots, a swede, a parsnip and an onion.