Nice slow start to the day... I came down and heated water on the gas-cooker to wash up. Our gas boiler has gone wrong; it needs occasional re-pressurising (I don't understand this) and when Gill twiddled the knob yesterday, it came off. So we're not using the gas boiler at all, even for instant hot water. And of course, it's too hot for the stove, so we have no hot water except for doing it in a saucepan on the cooker.
I don't mind doing the washing up, even before breakfast. There is some sort of satisfaction with rendering a jumbled pile of used plates and mugs into neatly stacked and clean, ready to use crockery. I'm not so keen on doing cutlery, but that has to be done too. Also, I collect the rinse water and water the tomato plants with it. VERY satisfying!
Sorted out various hotel and BnB visits for later this year. This involved a couple of hours phoning and working out logistics.
Anyway, a good day, did quite a bit inside and visited B+Q for Gill who needed some lining paper to do a 'Red Indian' figure as a prop for a play. I also did loads of riddling of some very mature compost... yummy! (almost!)
After lunch the plumber came round and fixed the knob back on the boiler. I think it took less than 5 minutes. The bill will be in the post....
I got an exciting phone call from Mike at York (North Yorkshire!) Credit Union asking me what I was doing on Thursday... as there was a proposed meeting with an important person, and did I want to come to this? I said I was available, and Mike told me that the person was so important that I'd need to be security checked. Wow! I wonder who it is? I have my suspicions but will just have to wait and see.
I cooked tea, rice with onion, celery and some other bits, with added plantain which I cooked yesterday, with fresh home-grown broccoli, and a tomato and onion sauce. I loved the plantain... a really fruity addition to a slightly spicy rice dish. I hope I get some more of those in the compostables!
After tea I popped round to Lynn's to discuss the publicity needed for the LETS Healthy Living event in 3 weeks time, and spent an hour chatting to her.
Back in time for another hour or more in the garden, in at 10 and the internet was down.. I had a phone call from Ben and his was off too, so it must have been the exchange or something.
It came on just after midnight so I caught up then.
Showing posts with label gas boiler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gas boiler. Show all posts
Another late start following a late night. I am basically nocturnal if left to my own devices... if I didn't have children who woke me up so early and needed taking to school....
But our youngest, who needs taking to school, didn't this morning as his cough is still bad and so Gill decided to keep him at home. Our eldest, however, was fine and got himself out of the house at a normal time.
A fairly quiet day... dealt with a couple of Fiddlesticks enquiries and other 'admin' stuff.
At 1.45, headed down to school to see the Green Thumb Gang assembly which I wrote most of, for the children to advertise the Blue Peter Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy sale we're having in a fortnight, as well as explain what Green Thumb Gang does. Also showed a filmlet from Blue Peter emphasising the importance of having a good breakfast. The children did really well, and sang beautifully. I'm really pleased with Julia for bein so patient and good with them, and the children for all their effort.
After this, I did the usual playground bin emptying, as most of the children don't know it's wrong to put their fruit peels in the bin when there's a compostables recepticle next to it, and as it was the Key Stage 1 playtime, they were fascinated with what I was doing. I took the opportunity to get a lot of good messages through to them. A few converts to a less polluting lifestyle, I hope.
Popped in to see Melody and had a cuppa, then home via a log pile, overfilling my bike trailer as usual!
At 5pm, we had a visit from an electrician reccommended by another electrician friend who isn't quite as highly qualified to do domestic stuff (he works on cruise ships mainly!) and this lovely chap, Nick, fixed our gas boiler which hasn't worked for about 3 months. So, instant hot water is now available! Showers will be gratefully had by Gill, who's not as keen on baths as I am, and does her stand-up-wash only because she's had no option. I will continue to have my weekly deep and very hot woodstove-water bath plus daily cold-water stand-up washes. I think the boys will welcome the return of the shower!
Our eldest has started playing a role-playing game on the computer, and as this is one of my sister Anna's favourite activities, I rang her so she could chat to her nephew, but no-one was there. However, seconds later, Uncle Douglas rang back and had a good chat with him, me and Gill. Very nice!
Tea was one of Gill's fantastic quiches with small new potatoes and broccoli. Pudding was home-made chocolate cake and non-dairy ice cream.
A nice family evening, house toastie, boys good, all relaxed.
But our youngest, who needs taking to school, didn't this morning as his cough is still bad and so Gill decided to keep him at home. Our eldest, however, was fine and got himself out of the house at a normal time.
A fairly quiet day... dealt with a couple of Fiddlesticks enquiries and other 'admin' stuff.
At 1.45, headed down to school to see the Green Thumb Gang assembly which I wrote most of, for the children to advertise the Blue Peter Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy sale we're having in a fortnight, as well as explain what Green Thumb Gang does. Also showed a filmlet from Blue Peter emphasising the importance of having a good breakfast. The children did really well, and sang beautifully. I'm really pleased with Julia for bein so patient and good with them, and the children for all their effort.
After this, I did the usual playground bin emptying, as most of the children don't know it's wrong to put their fruit peels in the bin when there's a compostables recepticle next to it, and as it was the Key Stage 1 playtime, they were fascinated with what I was doing. I took the opportunity to get a lot of good messages through to them. A few converts to a less polluting lifestyle, I hope.
Popped in to see Melody and had a cuppa, then home via a log pile, overfilling my bike trailer as usual!
At 5pm, we had a visit from an electrician reccommended by another electrician friend who isn't quite as highly qualified to do domestic stuff (he works on cruise ships mainly!) and this lovely chap, Nick, fixed our gas boiler which hasn't worked for about 3 months. So, instant hot water is now available! Showers will be gratefully had by Gill, who's not as keen on baths as I am, and does her stand-up-wash only because she's had no option. I will continue to have my weekly deep and very hot woodstove-water bath plus daily cold-water stand-up washes. I think the boys will welcome the return of the shower!
Our eldest has started playing a role-playing game on the computer, and as this is one of my sister Anna's favourite activities, I rang her so she could chat to her nephew, but no-one was there. However, seconds later, Uncle Douglas rang back and had a good chat with him, me and Gill. Very nice!
Tea was one of Gill's fantastic quiches with small new potatoes and broccoli. Pudding was home-made chocolate cake and non-dairy ice cream.
A nice family evening, house toastie, boys good, all relaxed.
