Better than expected!

To my relief Tilly was alive this morning and looking a little brighter but still not herself, but after some more water by syringe she did tuck into some yogurt so fingers crossed. I then turned my attention to my TV - the mist had lifted and oh joy my satellite signal returned! So a fairly good start to the day! I spent most of the day then  waiting in for the chicken run to be delivered - whilst I waited I printed out some photos from last xmas to send as cards. Well that took a while getting the colours sorted and the paper to load - laptop and printer obviously not talking to each other! I also had some email bits to send and this set me off hunting for emails my address book on Outlook didn't seem to have. Discovered a tax form to fill in that had a 3 months expiry date that is up in a few days!!! Yes it's been that long since I looked in my paperwork to do pile! Next job was sorting out presents and addresses to send presents abroad in the hope they may get there in time! 
So here comes my moan for the day - why do I give presents to friends, relatives,their husband and children when I receive only one back! The children are now teenagers and certainly capable of reciprocating after years of gifts they always say they look forward to getting - do they not think I would like the same pleasure?  It's not the present I want but the thought behind giving one. So this year is the test - the last time I will indulge in  one way present giving! 
At 2.30 when my kitchen looked a sif a bomb had hit it the doorbell rang and the run arrived! Phone calls to summon help putting it up .... you guessed it, just me and Colourful Mai once more! My fear was that the coop would need turning upside down to fix the fencing around it - with Mai's bad neck and my bad back this was not a prospect I relished nor thought we were capable of! 
Fortunately the allotment Chairman was on his plot and could not resist coming over to see what we were up to and then helped us put the run together which was a much simpler process than we had imagined! But a 3M run sure looks a small space for the girls after the run of the plot. The coop and run will need moving once a week as the ground will be a mucky mess by then.Plus the door is low and so made my back hurt getting inside! But they and us will have to suffer until January 6th when apparently the Defra restriction will be lifted. 
It was dark by the time we left the plot - and wouldn't you know it Mai's van would not start! Decided I would take her to a garage to get diesel. We called in at the car repair garage run by Brian opposite the allotment but he wasn't in although the lights were on, his daughter who lives by the side said he should be back soon but we set off down the road only to meet him! So can of diesel was found and off down the track we set - van still wouldn't start and Mai wondered if gunk had been sucked up from the bottom of the tank or if something else was amiss.She decided to let it sit overnight and if it wouldn't start in the am Brian would check it over.So home we both went by foot! At least it meant I got a blip! The road home through former council houses not only had the usual number of cats lurking under cars and in gateways, but a sprinkling of lit up houses. With no tripod this was the best I got of one of the more tastefully decorated houses! sadly you don't get the row of lit up snowmen lights each a meter high that stand out against a plethora of lights over the entire house! 
I was feeling a mite hungry as I realised in all my activities that day eating had not occurred! Thank heavens for a box of food and menus so I didn't have to think what to make! Halloumi, mashed cooked carrots with oodles of butter, lambs lettuce and  smoked paprika mayonnaise sounded good but not the cumin, so I added  chargrilled courgettes and spring onion, roasted pinenuts and fresh coriander instead! Once I sat down to eat it I had no energy to do anything else but crochet and watch 2 episodes of Midsomer Murders with my undecorated tree to look sadly at me! At least I had carried down the christmas decs from the attic earlier that day so tomorrow is looking possible!