It was another really cold day yesterday, but the sun was shining which always makes me feel more productive, so I set about cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom. I cleaned all the cupboards, the fridge, the floor, the windows even the walls. It was gleaming when I finished. It certainly kept me warm. I had to turn off the heater and take off my cardigan. It reminded me of a story my Dad would tell us when we complained about the cold. Years ago, in the early 1960s, no one really had central heating, then one Welsh chap he worked with in the office had central heating fitted. The fact he was Welsh has no real bearing on the story other than the fact my Dad is very good at accents and always told the story in a Welsh one! He was impressing them all with tales of how wonderful central heating was as they all listened enviously. "Your wife must love it being warm all day." said my Dad "Oh no" said the man "I'm not keeping it on for her all day." "That's very mean." said my Dad and his Welsh colleague replied "It's better they are cold, keeps them on the move boyo!" When ever my Dad used to tell this tale we would all gasp at the unkindness of this man! If ever we complained about being cold Dad would tell us in a Welsh accent to "Keep on the move!" Looking back as an adult maybe the Welsh chap was worried about the cost of the heating and it may not have been quite so unkind as it sounded. Anyway as I cleaned today I thought of his wife and it certainly worked as despite freezing temperatures I felt quite warm most of the day!
I'm starting to get into a routine filling the ducks pond and water with buckets. My family always laugh I could make a routine on a desert island and I think they may be right. I've worked out four buckets fill the aviary water, the ducks water bowl and pond and the bird bath. There are a few more cold days forecast and then things are set to warm up a bit so I'll have to adjust my routine again!
Tom was working until nine yesterday evening so I made turkey burgers and chips for youngest son and daughter and used half of the vegetables that I cooked in the slow cooker yesterday and saved for today for mine. I mixed them with some kidney beans in this small Masons dish, as I'm always very mindful my diet could be low in protein. I put a layer of breadcrumbs and grated cheese on the top and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. It was delicious and I couldn't resist some of the chips I had made for youngest son and daughter.
