Same Old Same Old

I think I've had a virus and I'm coming out of it. I've been flattened, and I'm still fairly flat, but I'm more or less ticking over. I've absolutely neglected the plants, though, and some have died so I'll have to play catch up.

This is a little annoying as I won't be able to take the garden waste to the tip for the next few weeks. We're not allowed to put garden waste in our normal bins though I may be able to request a 'pick up' of garden waste from the council. I can't take it to the tip because I drive a Citroen C3 and there is a worldwide recall of airbags on Citroen C3s. I read an article today on the BBC that said it was risky to keep driving it. I'd been making a few short runs (nearly passed out in Aldi, which was mortifying) but I told bear last night that I wasn't fit to drive and I'm quite glad that I did. He had to take the bus to his pub quiz, but was fine. However I can't take stuff to the tip if the car isn't safe to drive.

Bear is being awesome and has already cleared a lot of the garden, leaving a mound of cuttings and weeds that I can't get to the tip. Darn it to heck. 

It keeps coming back to not being able to drive because the halogen oven has given up. There's an unnerving crackle when I turn it on and a weird smell. It's around four years old and has been used most days, sometimes for more than one meal, and if I remember correctly it cost something like £34. It doesn't owe a penny and I'm going to miss it as it made the best baked potatoes. I can't take it to the tip until the car's sorted out. We've decided against replacing it and plan to use the airfryer instead, but we'll need to move the airfryer. We haven't been using it that much, which is perhaps just as well, as the only place it has fit has a cupboard over it and when I used it last night, the bottom of the cupboard got red hot. We're going to have to rearrange the kitchen and it's a great opportunity to get rid of a load of junk and check for out of date packets and tins in the back of shelves or to make a decision and donate food that's otherwise fit but that we'll never use. Which I won't be able to take to the tip or food bank because of the car issue. Some expired stuff will fit in the normal wheelie bin for the usual collection, but if I'm getting rid of a lot, it's going to be an issue. 

I've not been doing much, but I've managed some knitting and now that the football is on, I hope to reduce my stash. I've finished the scarves for my brother and his partner.

Though I may do a couple of others for them, depending on what I find in my stash. I started knitting the blanket that needed to have three strands held together, and I was fed up by the end of the second row. It didn't help that it started with dark grey and it was giving me eye strain. I've made a decision - I'm going to get rid of all the dark grey, black and navy yarn in my stash, including the yarn that I used to start the dark blue scarf. There's around 2 kilos of this in total, at a minimum, and I need to either throw it away, donate it or sell it. Of course, without the dratted car I can't drive to the tip, the post office (if it's sold) or a charity shop. 

In fact, I've decided that I'm going to be ruthless with the stash. I'm going to get rid of everything that isn't part of a project that I think that I'll enjoy or isn't DK that could be used for knitting for sailors. I'm also reluctantly parting with any idea of me doing any sewing. I'd quite like to do some, but it isn't going to happen. I'd rather spend my time with the knitting. This means that the fabric, notions and a lot of the tools need to be tossed/donated/sold whenever I can use the car. 

The car is booked in to have the airbags refitted on 29th July. I believe that I'll be doing several hundred miles in the few days after that!

Writing stuff - I published another instalment of the White Hart last week here.

Hugs and good health to all.