Monday 13 February 2017

Memos, Mail, Me: Good In, Goods Out


So Monday, can we do it? We need to find jobs to keep us busy round the house all day. I have to stay in until the big box goes out.

dreaming of finding the sun, thanks to a postcard which arrived last week


It's been a weekend of deliveries here. Saturday, it was cold. Not below freezing cold, but by our standards chilly enough for us to draw a deep breath and turn on the gas fire. It took roughly a minute for us to remember why we hadn't used it in about four years. as the dust it had gathered since the last time we flicked the switch started to burn, the smoke alarms began to shriek. We sorted it and discovered that we were so nicely warmed through by the panic, we didn't need a fire anyway, nooo way. But we had shivered enough to make us think about Studentland and whether it was warm enough down there, if they had enough oil, so we did what I'd been promising to do for weeks now and bought them a little extra electric heater in a big box, which we delivered, with an extension lead. Students do all kinds of things to keep warm - at least they did in our day - so they're probably fine; but now they'll have the flickering glow of fake wood burning stove as they...work.

Other ways of keeping warm: a quick knit to keep her ears from freezing. Midas hat by Laura Reinbach (free pattern on ravelry. It's slouchy and comfy and uses less than a skein of beautiful sock yarn. This is from His Mermaid Yarns by Ewe Mama on etsy)


Sunday, we got up bright and early to make a second delivery, of dinners for Granny to put in her freezer. It's quite a drive, but there was plenty of student news to catch up on on the way. When we got there we discovered that Granny and Little E had been looking at old photos; and as we flipped through the albums we found a set of pictures Little E's mum had taken of us and our two before Little E has even been thought of (no - you're right - it's about as unimaginable as, mmm, no internet, perhaps?) We went back to the days of making cardboard machines and learning to ride without stabilisers and pairing a red dufflecoat with a tutu: long enough ago, now, to make us gasp. I borrowed the photos to scan and clean up, so maybe next week, if I'm on it, I'll have a fresh set of prints in the mail. 

And so to Monday and I'm waiting to send out another delivery. It's the first time we have tried using Uni Baggage to send a box to Scottish Studentland (news just in! he says that he is going to wear a kilt for Graduation in the summer! And no, Mum, you are not going to knit me kilt hose: they're coming from a shop, right?) In theory Uni Baggage sounds excellent. If it's a success, just think of the possibilities. Anything I'm tired of looking at round here? I just wrestle it into a big cardboard box and a nice man will come and put it in his van and take it away..

But that's goods out. And this is Monday and so I need to think of some mail in. Easy. This week's nicest post was a card from Deb featuring her own photo taken in Lagos. It was easy to imagine the Portugal sun warming up my hand as I read her note. She brought back happy memories of a couple of weeks I spent in Lagos some years back, staying with friends. There may have been swimming at midnight. I should look out the photos, add them to my order..

So, thanks, Deb! Now, how about you? Any mail made you smile in the last week? Anything new at the weekend? Maybe you'd like to make a memo. We'd certainly love to read it. Last time I was joied by Mondayers

  Deb, Ruth, Barbara, Mitra, Mary-Lou, Ladkyis, Karen, Maggie, Melissa, Lizzy, Honore, Cheri, Mardi, Alexandra, Krafty Karen and Susanne

Go on, give 'em a wave! And have a good week!

18 comments:

Patio Postcards said...

Your student offspring are very lucky to have parents worrying about them. We use our gas fireplace almost everyday in the winter months (or as I like to call them the whiner months) although I miss that scent of a wood fire. Lucky Granny getting meals delivered which are probably 100% healthier than store bought frozen dinners.

Happy week ahead & lifting cheery thoughts of warmer weather, where ever found.

Deanna said...

I love popping by and seeing what you are up to! I've been miserable on my blog. So many things not talked about. Hope you're happy and warm this fine Monday afternoon! (Still morning here in Savannah, Georgia.)

Jane said...

love the hat, will have to look for that pattern. We've had to put the gas fire on as well, it must be cold!

alexandra s.m. said...

Gorgeous Hat indeed! and I love the yarn you picked!
I always enjoy reading your post and following what you have been up to!
Thank you for the beautiful card I received on Saturday evening!
What a wonderful surprise that was!
xx

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

I do like a slouchy hat and that one looks lovely. Uni Baggage sounds like something that might come in handy if our girl ends up in Cornwall. We're off there for an interview on Friday. Have a great week Sian.

Susan said...

Sounds like you had a busy and fun weekend. We've had both a blizzard and an ice storm in the last week - I'm completely "over" winter and so ready for spring sun and warmth!

debs14 said...

I'm pleased the card arrived safely!
Life before Little E? Can't imagine it. Be sure to share those photos as soon as you can.

Maggie said...

When I read your posts I have something different I want to tell you at every corner. Should I tell you about the flat where I lived in London when I was student nurse where there was ice on the inside of the windows where the glass was so thin? My flat mate slept in gloves and a hat!
Then perhaps I should tell you about when I was a student teacher. One of my friends used to receive the most amazing parcels from her mum. I can see the box now as Trish unpacked it. Oranges, homemade fruit cake, viscount chocolate mint biscuits, a homemade knitted jumper.....Mother love from one end of the country to the other.

KraftyKaren said...

Look forward to seeing your 'old' photographs - uni baggage sounds great, luckily when I was at nursing school I was only two hours from home and only an hour from my grandparents, so care packages could always be left with them. The hat looks lovely and warm, when you read my Monday entry you will see that I could have done with that hat on Friday and some warm cosy mittens too!! Maggie's post above made me smile - in our nurses home they use to turn the heating off on the 1st April and it didn't go back on again till 30th September regardless of what the weather was doing. I too use to go to bed wearing hat, scarf and gloves.

Have a great week and I hope it warms up for you x

Karen said...

Would love to see that hat modeled by the student; love the colors! Our gas fire is on nearly every morning. We're early risers and the furnace takes awhile to heat up. But truth be known, we'd probably be using it regardless. After having a wood fireplace for 30 years, the gas one is so convenient. I'm very late to post my Monday memo, but it's coming!

Lizzy Hill said...

What a busy busy time you've had.....well done with getting warm without a heater & I'm pretty sure students have a variety of ways of keeping warm, besides writing fast with a pen or on a keyboard! Sounds a fabulous fun look-see at the Old Photos.....hoping some of them make way onto some pages for us to see. And that postcard. FABULOUS!!!!

Cheri said...

I'm a fan of the gas fireplace ... ours gets lots of use... way more than the traditional wood burner ever did! Sounds like a busy weekend. I was looking at the photo of that gorgeous postcard and was drawn in by the beautiful background weathered wood - is that a table?

Barbara Eads said...

I LOVE fires---in the fireplace! We have the gas type and the "real" type. We pretty much use them every day. Of course, we have such mild winters, there are 70 degree days to throw a kink in my plan. Love the hat and the card---always a nice surprise!

Susanne said...

Gosh, it's been years since we've lit a fire in our fireplace, and the couple of times I thought it would be nice to have one, in even this mildest of winters, I remembered that it might be risky to light it without a proper inspection and cleaning. So now I just think about how close spring is and not worry about it again until next winter. Lots more stuff in at our house this week than out, and that can't be a trend that continues. Thanks for adding the link to my FB page (where I Monday-ed once again), I know how you feel about that versus a blog, and while I don't disagree, I'm finding it will do in a pinch. Have a great week, Sian.

Theresa said...

Ah, we have one of those wood effect electric heaters, for when we come in, and the radiators take too long to warm up the living room. It looks warm and cosy when it's just the "effect" too! But we do love walking around the village smelling all the "real" fires! Super hat - I don't seem to be able to pull off the slouchy hat look, but I do have a Springtime hat on the needles (to replace the one I left at my Mum's several years ago). We did actually get some proper mail arrive during the week - but apart from a letter from my pension "caretakers" it was all for my son. Several weeks worth of "Match of the Day" and a couple of books. This week's (very short!) mail inspired post is about old letters - such fun memories. Enjoy the rest of the week. Theresa.

Sandra said...

Your posts always make me feel like we're sitting opposite each other at a kitchen table and just chatting and catching up

Melissa said...

Oh goodness, what a great bunch of happy mail going in and out at your place! That knitted hat is wonderful! Do let us know how the Uni Baggage works out.

Jo said...

It sounds like you had a nice but busy weekend!

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