The weather is getting colder and keeping warm

We have woken this morning to a thick rhymed frost that is making the rooftops and the pavements sparkle like it has been sprinkled with fairy dust.  It is also very nippy outside.  The temperatures are certainly dropping.  At the time of writing it is forecast that we are to have one of the worst winters in a long time with lots of snow.  When I was a child this was a regular occurrence and we used to wake up with thick ice on the inside of our windows which we used to draw pictures in and whole villages used to be cut off for days.

When I meet my friend later on I shall be very well wrapped up in lots of layers and hopefully the walk will also keep me warm.  I walk wherever I can when OH not around.  Sometimes I am okay another day is hard work (with my hips not cooperating) but I walk to keep myself fit and moving more than anything else.  It is also how I have managed to get rid of my excess weight over the years by walking everywhere.

When we were children we used to have to wear vests both boys and girls and later on girls had to wear liberty bodices.  The summer vests used to be made of cotton which were white but the winter vests were knitted I believe out of a cotton and wool mix which were a cream colour.  They used to keep us warm though.  This practice seems to be little used and out of fashion these days but the chief benefit was that of layering so if there are several thin layers under a thick jumper the air trapped between should keep you warm.  That is the theory anyway. It is something I do and then I have a really thick Marmot jacket which is the warmest coat I have ever had.  It was bought as a Christmas present, it was expensive but if you feel the cold it is a necessary expenditure and certainly helps me face the cold outdoors.  Good outdoor wear is always needed and you have to be practical about what you buy.  I also wear thick socks and warm boots.

On top of this I have lots of jumpers and also body warmers anything to keep warm and comfortable.

In the house I also use thick duvets.  I still use blankets and throws and in the winter months when the children were at home their sleeping bags would also be put on top of the duvets to add a little more warmth.

This is a cold house for the best part and would benefit from a couple of log burners to keep the house really warm and comfortable.  I really crave a fire but I am not going to the expense of putting one in here because the maintenance work over the years on the house has not been good. Chimney stacks in particular.   Although these are still present I think a lot of work would have to be carried out to make them safe i.e. adding in the concertina tube to stop the smoke escaping through the brickwork.  If you own a property yourself you go to the expense of sorting it out but I think it would be opening up pandora's box if we started to do that sort of thing here more's the pity as it would so benefit the house more than anything else.

The sun is starting to poke its head out from behind the cloud so I am hopeful that today will be a rain free day for a change.  We need the rain yes but on days when it is wet I end up walking round like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

Right better go and make a cup of tea and then get stuck into the work I need to do in the bathroom for OH.  Will hopefully catch up a little later.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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