Friday 8th December 2023 - More Preparations, In the Garden and a Frustration

I’m well ahead, compared to previous years, with Christmas preparations.  I have made the Dundee cake and a lamb stifado (using my recipe which makes a very rich meaty Greek casserole with spices, tomatoes, red wine and whole onions); these are both in the freezer.  Tomorrow, I will make a Greek soft and syrupy walnut cake, which will serve as a desert and after this, next on the list is a curry.   We bought the chicken for the curry this morning, along with our Christmas Day, joint of pork, from Mundesley Butchers.  All the cards have been written and those that need posting have gone in the post box.  We still have those, to deliver by hand.  Today I have cut some foliage and with the weather set to be wet and windy tomorrow, I’ll settle myself inside and make a door wreath.

A dry sunny spell this week gave me a window to cut back the pyracantha and tie back the coprosma and today I have cut back more crysanths and perennials and cleared more leaves.  The shallot seeds have started germinating but no sign, yet, of the onions.

All very positive this week, apart from one frustration.  Our tumble dryer was only working intermittently; as and when it felt like it!  With weather unsuitable for line drying and with our tumble dryer becoming more and more temperamental and not wanting to have damp sheets and towels creating condensation indoors, the time had come to order a new one.  In the past we have purchased electricals from Currys, who have always given a good service, but their website indicated, many dryers were out of stock and others couldn’t be delivered for over a week.  Another search on the internet and other sellers’ sites, told a similar story but Hughes had what I wanted with a delivery on Tuesday.  Then, on Monday afternoon, they emailed me to say the item was out of stock (it was in stock when I placed the order and they didn't have the bottle to phone me!) and would I like to choose a different machine and delivery date, or have a refund.  Pretty disgusted, I asked for a refund and went back on the Curry’s website and low and behold they had new stock and could deliver the following day; Tuesday.  What followed was excellent service, order confirmation, notifications of a delivery window, a delivery tracker, phone call from the delivery driver when they were twenty minutes away and when he arrived along with his assistant, they provided a professional and helpful service.  I think, in future, I should stick with Currys!

During the night of 5th December 2013, a storm surge hit the North Norfolk coast.  During the following ten years, there have been destructive high tides but nothing of the magnitude experienced on that night.  Today, I have posted a small selection of the photos taken the following day which serve as a reminder, of what nature can do and no man can stop.