Warmer days to come...

Here's a photo of our 'new' Hunter stove. It's it bits at the moment, awaiting the builder to whack a large recess in the chimney breast and the plumber to plumb it into the central heating and water tank. Then we'll have some heat in the house! Hooray! We're using a couple of convector heaters and the immersion for hot water. Cold radiators are horrid when you want to dry out your towels or air anything. Still, the stove will be worth waiting for and it was a real bargain at £400. We were about to go out and spend at least double that on a new one, so it's a wonderful find. It's only a year old and hardly been used; sadly the owner lost a leg and was unable to carry the fuel in for it and has had to install oil heating instead. He was relieved to sell the stove and he's decided to put an aquarium in the recess the stove lived in. I can't wait to get stoked up and cosy!

I upgraded the Mac's memory this weekend, to just over a gig as I have an A1 poster coming in and last time I did anything large the computer coughed a bit! I hope I have enough, I can't afford to get any more at the minute; we're stoney broke, trying not to delve into the house renovation money, but failing. Hubby's not got enough work and I've got enough but it's not well-paid and the clients take an age to pay up. Makes for some uncomfortable cash-flow situations. Don't even start talking about Christmas!

And now the reality!

Taken this very morning...just to balance out the previous two images! :-)

Glam to Grunge

Just uploaded a new profile picture...thought the old one was due for a change and actually looked a bit manic. And the march of time has left it's mark as they say, since I drew the first one, best reflect the fact. Menopausal Woman has been awarded a more 'blurred' jawline; this the legacy of too many hours in front of the computer scribbling for a living. Must get out on my bike more...then maybe I would have the pleasure of editing the picture a little and firming up the soft flesh. Virtual nip-and-tuck, so to speak.

Some 10 years ago hubby treated me to one of those make-over photoshoots; they do your makeup and drape you over exotic furniture dressed in swathes of satin and pearls then take a series of photos. They looked stunning when done but not a lot like me! Here are a couple...


"Start the other cement mixer, Claude...we've got a bit of work to do on this one!" LOL!

Meanwhile...back to reality............
I've spent far too long of late chasing workmen who keep promising to come and finish this job and that in the house and come and look at our fireplace...we have no heating at all at the moment and are waiting for a man to come and install a Parkray fire that will serve our radiators and hot water. He promised to pop over this week 'after tea', as he lives about 200 yards down the road. No sign of him yet. At least we have a couple of electric convector heaters and an immersion for the water so if a cold snap comes along we won't freeze.

21 again...I don't think........

It's my birthday today! Parents and hubby have between them given me the cash to buy a really nice jacket..something classic that I can wear for ages because I like that sort of thing. :-) Son gave me a big box of chocs, so I shall be stuffing them away tonight...with help I have no doubt.

Had a lovely suprise Sunday after the rugby game (we won!), sitting in the rugby club bar with some other 'rugby mums', when there was an announcement over the tannoy to say it was my birthday on the 3rd and someone had gathered all the team around me to sing Happy Birthday while a huge bunch of flowers was thrust into my hands by hubby and a cake plonked in front of me by son! Blimey, my face must have been a picture! What a lovely thing to do, though.......

And this is what's left of the scrummy cake!