COLD DARK ROOM

[Kristoff]

Good morning Lena. Good morning all!

As in Denmark, next week is a school holiday in most UK schools too. It’s “half term” - a week’s break mid way (ish) between Christmas and Easter.

I am feeling so much better. The cough is improving rapidly and so is the quality of my sleep. I think. I still have a lot of sleep to catch up on as I feel wiped out - I guess this is the remnants of the bug that has had me in its grips for the last 3 weeks.

Dinner out was at a French restaurant called Otto’s. It’s very traditional and doesn’t go for special Valentine’s menus or any nonsense so we could enjoy the food and wine

Daughter spent valentine’s night doing voluntary work - rescuing toads In the spring, toads return to the pond they hatched in to mate, but many are killed crossing roads. The weather is relatively mild at the moment and the toads have started to move.

At the worst places, volunteers stand by with buckets and grab them then take them over the road. At peak times there can be hundreds of toads in some places.

Glad you’re improving, Linda!

Otto’s — the name — sounds more like you would find sauerkraut there than like a French place. Go figure with these Brits!.. [emoji23]

Did JoesSis get yo kiss any?... [emoji33][emoji33] She’d know an enchanted one if she saw him, right? [emoji848][emoji33][emoji12]

 

[JoesMum]

Glad you’re improving, Linda!

Otto’s — the name — sounds more like you would find sauerkraut there than like a French place. Go figure with these Brits!.. [emoji23]

Did JoesSis get yo kiss any?... [emoji33][emoji33] She’d know an enchanted one if she saw him, right? [emoji848][emoji33][emoji12]

Otto is from Alsace - an area that has changed hands between Germany and France many times over the centuries. He definitely isn't British

I did suggest daughter kissed a few, but she says that's frogs. Toads exude foul tasting stuff from their backs when under stress so kissing them isn't a good idea

 

[Kristoff]

Birthday present from my children... complete with puns
View attachment 265021

Makes one’s heart melt when children know what’s best for their mom! [emoji8]

 

[Kristoff]

Otto is from Alsace - an area that has changed hands between Germany and France many times over the centuries. He definitely isn't British

I did suggest daughter kissed a few, but she says that's frogs. Toads exude foul tasting stuff from their backs when under stress so kissing them isn't a good idea

She’s a professional! [emoji23][emoji85]

 

[CarolM]

Evening all!
Hope everyone is having a good Thursday and that your significant others are spoiling you on Valentine's Day.....something they should do everyday!
Considering I've done very little except sit and iron I can't believe how quickly the day has gone.
Ironing is about all I can do at the moment so if you want to send me yours I'll have it back to you by Monday!
I'd better go and make myself something to eat. I've been living on sandwiches a lot this week but may try and see if I can get something in and out of the poptyping without spilling it this evening,
Wish me luck!!

Good Luck.

 

[CarolM]

And we have a roof leak!
My husband came home to check it out. Can’t get on roof yet.

Oh dear.

 

[CarolM]

If you figure out how to do that, I certainly want to know...

I will let you know as soon as I do.

 

[CarolM]

I checked out your tortoise's species. Very beautiful... From what I read you have the best environment for the little adorable darling. I was surprised when I saw a Wondering Jew in the 2 plants list. One safe the other toxic. I go through the same thing with a house rabbit and my tortoise. Corn is a low level toxin food for rabbits. I've managed to find 1 type of manufactured food in each category that's safe 1: baby food no corn but has alfalfa. 2: juvenile delinquent food that is timothy but isn't corny. My little Saphire is another story...

And yet I have not been able to find wondering jew here at all.

 

[CarolM]

My gosh, Kathy, if it's not one thing it's another with that house. Speaking of which, did you ever show us the finished fireplace?

ANd speaking of weather. We had rain all night and this a.m., but now we have blustery wind. Constant wind but every so often BIG bursts of wind. I have plastic wrapped around my front porch and the wind is really doing a number on it. I'm sure by the time I go outside later today it will be torn to shreds. Hopefully no more frost and the plants it was supposed to be protecting will be safe.

Oopsie, Did our wind make it's way to you? Sorry, but if you want, you can send your rain to me as payback.

 

[CarolM]

Our roofer is coming tomorrow.
I put up 3 buckets to catch the drops.
The water is following a beam because it’s at angle.

Here it is.

This is dining room side
View attachment 264990

Family room & kitchen area
View attachment 264991

With it on
View attachment 264992

That is gorgeous.

 

[EllieMay]

That would be a microwave oven. I didn't learn that word until I met Lyn!

For some reason, I want to call it a poppity-ping... but I guess that depends on the sound it makes?

LMAO!!! That’s awesome! I could do poppity-ping... [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[CarolM]

Wow....lucky day/evening. Wifey had to run out shopping for a few items (including dandelion... for Sully) but on the way she noticed that a road crew was cutting up one of the very ancient red cedar trees that recently blew down in some common/median strip/roadside area near our house. These are big old trees, been here a long time, and occasionally they topple during high wind events.

• Comment: Last year, during one of these high wind events, probably 15 or more blew over and were sadly cut up and hauled away. Beautiful old red cedar. This is when our big pine trees toppled as well creating many hours of cleanup.

So...we have been watching this one tree...and today was the day. Wifey came home, reported the tree’s status. We popped over and I was able to man handle one really nice hunk of main trunk red cedar. Tomorrow, I’ll pop over and see if they cut the rest up into manageable logs. The sad thing....this ancient wood will end up chipped away on the side of the road...or hauled to a dump. :-(

I’ll get a pix tomorrow.

That is sad. They should sell it instead and put the proceeds back into the maintenance program.

 

[CarolM]

Opo got flowers!

Lucky Opo

 

[CarolM]

That's where I work at. IHOP

I am working at IAMHOPINGMAD for the rest of the day.

 

[CarolM]

Valentine’s dinner here. A nice California red alongside some wonderful mussels in tomato and garlic sauce...with linguini.

View attachment 264994

Yummyyyy

 

[EllieMay]

That is so sweet you had lunch with your Dad!! That brought tears to my eyes!!

View attachment 265017

Valentines has always been reserved for him. It’s just our thing. It was before I married and continues as hubby is usually gone...I’m a big “daddy’s girl”.. lol

I hope you had a perfect valentines too Kathy!

 

[CarolM]

PS: I forgot to add that I’m hoping to cut this man size “log” into a few chunks that might turn into a few nice cedar bowls. Time will tell.

You could try something like this:

 

[EllieMay]

Good mornooning, roommates! Happy Friday to all those who celebrate My own weekend ahead doesn't look horrible for a change: It's winter holiday! No school, courses, lessons for a week after today.

Winter holiday here is aka ski week. It's not easy to ski in Denmark (it's a flat country), but I hear many people are head over hills with ski resorts in Norway and Sweden. I guess we get a week off so that those people can travel to see some real snow.

My kids are out for 1/2 a day today and full day Monday for Presidents’ Day... we have a spring break coming up which is much more my style as skiing tends to keep my heals over my head[emoji31].. that is one of the few sports that I could not master and completely fail! Enjoy your “not so bad “ weekend Lena!!! [emoji5]

 

[CarolM]

View attachment 265016

 

[EllieMay]

Good morning Lena. Good morning all!

As in Denmark, next week is a school holiday in most UK schools too. It’s “half term” - a week’s break mid way (ish) between Christmas and Easter.

I am feeling so much better. The cough is improving rapidly and so is the quality of my sleep. I think. I still have a lot of sleep to catch up on as I feel wiped out - I guess this is the remnants of the bug that has had me in its grips for the last 3 weeks.

Dinner out was at a French restaurant called Otto’s. It’s very traditional and doesn’t go for special Valentine’s menus or any nonsense so we could enjoy the food and wine

Daughter spent valentine’s night doing voluntary work - rescuing toads In the spring, toads return to the pond they hatched in to mate, but many are killed crossing roads. The weather is relatively mild at the moment and the toads have started to move.

At the worst places, volunteers stand by with buckets and grab them then take them over the road. At peak times there can be hundreds of toads in some places.

Sound like a lovely dinner... and I’m SO envious of your daughters work. I love it when you tell us what she’s up to! good morning Linda!