The Robbing Butcher - Bemused by the Patio at FrogMhor Cottage

[TheMustressMhor]

What next for the Robbing Butcher?

Will he wander past Mhor Cottage several times a day so that he can keep an eye on the progress of the patio?

Will Mr. Mhor's measurements turn out to be wrong? And will Mustress Mhor and her DH have too many SLABS as a result?

If they do, what will they do with them?

Will the eggs be dippy tomorrow?

Sign up below if you are interested in the answers to these pivotal questions.

Hope aside from that all is good, Mischief?

The storm has spared my town, we had some 40mph winds in the morning but it's slowed down now.

Gusting here, high tide at 11pm (and we are below sea level due to being on the edge of Romney Marhs). But so far, not as bad as it could have been, much to DD2 disappointment as she was hoping to skive off work tomorrow - oth, she has 8 miles to go on country roads before reaching station so she could get her duvet day after all!

Positively thriving, thanks, 7Worfs.

Just took a lighted candle into the bathroom in case the power went out leaving me in the bath plunged into darkness. That's very decadent for me, I'm usually a functional bather, practically floodlit!

While Storm Ciara has been playing havoc with your lives and gardens, we've been inundated with flooding rains. Luckily for us we live at the top of a hill so apart from a rivulet running down the side of our garden, we escaped most damage. One bonus is that the heaving rains has put out most of the smouldering fires around the states so phew for that - but still the floods have their own risks and damage potential.

One extreme to the other!

Glad to hear the fires have been dampened down ThumbWitchesAbroad, I imagine fire is more frightening than flood, though no less dangerous in extremis. When I move house, top of my list of must haves will be "located on high ground"!

Sorry for those of you whose gardens and rose arches have been demolished by storm Ciara but I've been enjoying the gusts! Very bracing in an English Pride and Prejudice sort of way. Wanted to go for a good walk in the park today but been ill so very unlikely. Might be dangerous to walk under any trees in any case with weak branches falling.

I think we've been largely insulated from the worst of it in SE London, plus no flooding rivers. I was impressed with the squirrels, they were out gathering food and nest supplies in the garden as per usual. Totally unflappable. Very British.

No foxes though clearly not as brave or industrious likely hunkering down somewhere.

@TheMustressMhor how goes the slabs?

CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate I lived in SE London (Blackheath) during the so called Great Storm of 1987. Never known anything like it. How people who live in hurricane zones deal with it on a regular basis beats me. I was convinced our elderly Victorian sash windows were going to smash and our original slate roof ripped off. Miraculously, we had absolutely no damage.

catherine and fleas we were in Balham for the great storm of 87 - it was awe-inspiring in the shock and awe kind of way! A colleague had just got a rather snazzy sports car (company car) and a tree fell on it - she was gutted and the accounts dept weren't happy either.

No damage here, although it's still v windy and I've just spent over an hour re-putting panels up in the chicken run - so they can stay somewhere dry, and they've mostly blown off again which is a pain.

Just seen a vid of today's high tide - crashing over the sea wall. eek. We are below sea level, and all that separates us from the sea is a £32m wall built by the environment agency. OTH, if it does come over it 'should' run off into our field...

Good Morrow, everyone.

What shall we do with the one slab we have left over?

The RB was shut again today. Why is this?

Will the patio ever be flat and straight?

Why did Mr. Mhor revert to type and serve me a hard egg this morning?

The Robbing Butcher is reading this thread and has closed his shop in protest. Or shame.

Hard egg - Mr Mhor is clearly multi skilled but not a multi tasker. He has expended his creative energy on your undulating patio.

Remaining slab - pet cemetery? Or DH buried vertically 😂

Here you all are.

I am procrastinating from doing a piece of work that’s very difficult and hard and urgent and important. It’s the importance and fiddilyness of it that’s putting me off - the responsibility is giving me anxiety! Can one of you please tell me to GET TO IT but in soothing tones, then check back on me in an hour at 5:45pm?

Well now Dandy, you need to make sure you are ready. Pen and paper? Something to eat? Hot drink? You've been for a wee haven't you? How's the temperature for you? Not too warm, or too cold?

Nothing for it, you're going to have to make a start....

Ha ha fleas that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Got everything assembled, now have to start

Problem is it’s basically a negotiation with someone who is completely unreasonable and who comes up with ridiculous reasons for why they can’t pay for the things they should be paying for.

Oops did last post in my royal name for t’other thread, but you know it’s me.

Dandy play hardball - a negotiations book I read taught me to ‘never split the difference’.
It’s amazing how often estate agents try to pull this off!

I’m slowly getting into business mode, working on my 30-60-90 plan for the new job I’m starting at the end of mat leave.

So Dandy - how did it go?

La la la, sorry Mhor can’t hear you

(I did plan what steps need to be completed, reads a start.)

TODAY IS MR. MHOR'S BIRTHDAY

And I only got him slippers.

Does this make me a Bad Wife?

Happy birthday, Mr Mhor!

Are you cooking him a special meal, Mustress?

Dandy did you complete the important task?

The Robbing Butcher is reading this thread and has closed his shop in protest

That, I fear, is entirely possible.

Mr. Mhor was quite insistent that the RB would be closed today (goodness knows why) so when I went down to the village to collect a parcel I didn't bother taking my bag.

Imagine my despair when I discovered that the RB was, in fact, open.

I could have got some square sausage for breakfast after all, not to mention some Stornoway black pudding.

I have got my own back, though. I announced my intention of cooking dinner this evening, to celebrate Mr. Mhor's birthday, and suggested that he goes to the RB to select some steak.

Since he had been out already today (and got very cold and wet as a result) he will have to get cold and wet a second time if he wants steak.

Which he does, of course.

He can get the square sausage and black pudding while he's there.

Steak and Chips

Steak and Chips

Steak and Chips

I am so very happy.

Are Peter and Autumn Philips splitting up?

Yep, it’s been officially confirmed