I caught the bus into town again this morning. Timetables are usually difficult to read, if there is one, which at my usual bus stop there hasn't been. But today they had stuck on the most simplified and easy to read one I have ever seen!!

When I got home I started to make a pattern for the box cushion, I thought it was an easy job, that was to prove optimistic a bit later as I will explain in a bit. Tina had gone to the hairdresser that I now go to and even had the same stylist. She got on well and was pleased with the cut. The plumber turned up to check the shower. He went down and  made sure that the fuses weren't the culprit, they weren't. He took it all apart and said that it needs to be replaced!! He can get one on Monday and is coming to fit it on Tuesday afternoon. Not impressed with how long the one in place lasted, but it will be good to be sorted before the surgery. Tina and I went to get some shopping for the weekend then when we got back I carried on with the cushion cover. The pattern didn't really work, I had to keep making alterations as I went along. It is covered now but it is not a good fit. I will look into making a better pattern before I attempt to recover the cushions.

I still need to get a bolt the right size to fix one of the arms and I need to clean and polish it. Then I have to work out if I can re-jig my room so that I can have it upstairs.

I bought a puzzle storage container the other day, it has six trays so that you can sort out colours, edges etc, six trays that can stack, so quite useful. Yesterday evening I sorted out the edge pieces of the Scarborough street map puzzle and separated some of the colours.

This morning I had my appointment at the hospital to check I am fit for surgery. Lots of questions and tests and high blood pressure readings with lots of beeping! The nurse got a different machine and It was in the normal range, but she suggested I go and see the gp and get it checked again to be on the safe side. She did also say that the original readings were high, but not high enough for me not to have the surgery. She also thinks I will be okay to come home and get up the stairs as long as I have a rail, take my time and have somebody with me. Now it is just wait for an appointment.As I made my way to the pre assessment department I had to go across a walkway which was more like an airport that a hospital.

 We were expecting a delivery and as Darren and Tina were going out for the afternoon I took the jigsaw downstairs as it is impossible for me to get down quickly enough to take in packages from the second floor. I did get the edge done, minus one piece which I obviously missed. Didn't take a picture, will take one when it is progressing. After the delivery I came up and watched an episode of House and did a bit to the long stitch picture. Then on a whim I decided to make a pattern for the cushion chair back and ended up making it. Bit of a tight fit but think it will look okay when I get the seat cushion done as well.

Darren and Tina went to York and they remembered me saying I wanted a letter rack. They bought me frame which I can peg unanswered letters on. That will be different, I don't have a particular place for letters I have read but still need to reply to.

 A new Death in Paradise tonight, that should be enjoyable.

Yesterday evening I used the new headphones, they were comfortable and the sound was good. I am not a bit fan of headphones but am really pleased with them. I started doing some sorting and clearing this morning as I have a build up of stuff with nowhere for it to live! I have filled one large bag ready to take to the charity shop and am sure I will find more! I had a package to send off so caught the bus into town at lunchtime. After I had sent the package I walked up to the material shop as I had thought that for now I would buy some material that looked like patchwork, maybe will actually make more covers when I am feeling more inclined. They only had one fabric with enough left on the roll, but I like it and may get started on covering the cushions soon.

I did look at the jigsaw then decided it was just too much of a challenge so packed it back in the tube and it is now in the charity bag! I was given a couple of needlework kits at Christmas, one is done in long stitch which I have never done before, but it is Anne Hathaway's cottage and I am attracted to it, so have made a start. But may not do any in artificial light as the canvas is a very fine weave.

It isn't very big, the needle is at the top which gives an idea of scale. I have my pre op appointment at the hospital tomorrow so need to make a list of questions! I did a bit of ironing this afternoon but other than that a pretty quiet and uneventful day.

I went into town on the bus and passing the Mind charity shop I saw an American rocking chair out the front. I have been looking for one for such a long time, so thought I would get my shopping and then walk back and check it out. In The Works I got a box of puzzles, four 500 piece, four 300 piece and four 150 piece. I like the bigger puzzles but though it would be good to have some that are a little less challenging when I am recouperating, and even before that really.

I walked back to the charity shop and really liked the rocking chair, it needs a new cushion and a bit of work on the wood, but nothing too drastic. Darren drove up and collected it for me. It is downstairs in the dining room and the moment and I will need a bit of a rethink if it is going to come up here. But if it stays there, I should have a little more room when we move.

I have a large cushion which I haven't used in years, but kept it, covered in a spider material at the moment and it is just about the right size.

I will probably cover the cushion and the back rest in some form of patchwork/quilting. There are one or two scratches and it needs a new bolt on one of the arms. But at £20 I think it was a bargain and I am looking forward to doing it up. I sorted out the blue pieces onto boards, this isn't even quite all of them!

I may have put 20 pieces together by looking at the shapes, may not get completed this one!! After Christmas Anya and Isobel got me a pair of earrings in town, mainly because I have geckos on the bathroom wall.Today I wore them!

Tina helped me pick some wireless headphones to order and also an adaptor to make the tv Bluetooth friendly! They came today and Darren has set them up for me so I won't disturb them when I am watching programs later in the evening.

Will be watching Holby later and maybe some House to try out the headphones!

Didn't rush to get moving this morning, when we were both dressed Tina took me out to Deans Garden Centre and also Irton Garden Centre. I got the basket of plants for Christmas and wanted to buy pots to re-pot them. Didn't actually buy them at Deans but Tina spotted this lovely primula.

We didn't buy any plants or bulbs as we don't know how much longer we will be here, so wouldn't get to see them that much probably. We did have a cheese scone and a cup of tea which was very enjoyable. Irton is much bigger and has such a lot of reduced Christmas decorations. I have never seen a Christmas pig before, so this little fellow was a must!

I got four pots and plastic flower pots to go inside. they are white and textured and attractive.

I have got the plants off into their new homes this afternoon.

The skies are looking lovely again at the moment, further round in the winter so I don't get such a good view of them.

I decided to finish the countries in the jigsaw, may not have been my wisest move as I now have two or three hundred blue pieces to fit in!

I was using the daylight lamp this evening but will try to do some in proper daylight tomorrow.

Last night Darren and I drove down to the front as it was raining pretty hard. But we got out of the car at ten minutes to twelve and walked along the beach towards the bonfires. They were along in front of the beach huts. At one point we had fireworks going off in front and behind us on the beach, despite the weather it was good fun to be there. We had a hot drink in the car, watching more fireworks before we came home.
This morning I prepared lots of vegetables, some for the soup I was making with the turkey stock and also for dinner this evening. Put a load of washing on while I was pottering. It was a pretty miserable day today, wet and windy, but thought it would be nice to go to the park and see if there were any squirrels about. I am calling the next picture Beauty and the Beast but not sure which is which!!

It did rain a lot last night and it was obvious in the glen as the water was gushing over the rocks in the glen.

A couple of photos from different angles to usual I think.

I did see some Squirrels and fed them, quite a few other people feeding them too. I walk a bit further into the glen and went up a different path, mainly  because there were a couple of squirrels there that were pleased to get some monkey nuts.

On the way back I took this picture of Mr and Mrs Mallard!!

I have watched some Dr Blake this afternoon and also managed to put a whole seven pieces into the puzzle!! Went down and blitzed the veggies in the soup, and that is now ready ad tastes pretty good. We had a nice roast beef dinner. I will go down and watch the new Sherlock program with Darren and Tina a bit later.

First of all I will wish everyone a happy and healthy 2017, lets hope it turns out to be a great year. Back to more mundane matters, I caught the bus to town this morning but not before I took a picture of a cloud on this bright December morning.

Those that know me will know you will find evidence of spiders around my home, not real ones usually though, think my rooms are a bit high! I wore the winter Crocs again today, they are a great success, haven't had such warm comfy feet in quite a while!

I wasn't in town long and caught the bus home again, will maybe walk one way in future to try and build the muscles up a bit before the surgery. I hadn't been in long when Darren and Tina asked if I would like to go and have lunch with them at Sainsbury's, Tina had a voucher to get reduced petrol and we needed a little bit of shopping. Before we left they gave me a lovely flower bouquet, very naughty but nice. 

When we got home I put them into a couple of vases, they never look quite the same when disturbed and rearranged, but two lovely vases of fresh flowers now.

Haven't seen so many sunsets from the window recently, tonight's was subtle rather than dramatic.

Darren and I are planning to walk down to the beach tonight, usually quite a few people around on the north bay and a couple of bonfires. We will take a flask. So, I will talk to you  again next year!!