Been poorly

We have both been very poorly over the Christmas period. This is the first day I have had enough energy to write anything. We didn't go down  to Sarah's on Christmas Day as we were too ill. All we did all day was watch TV. I cooked a roast dinner in the evening and that was it. I had hardly eaten since the previous Tuesday. I spent most of 3 days in bed while Phil fed the cats and bunnies. Then it was his turn so I had to get better quick, although I didn't feel at all well still. Christmas Eve he cleaned out no. 1 shed and I did no. 2, although we only cleaned out their worst sides. The weather has been bitter cold again with overnight temperatures down to -10. Although I turned off all the water pipes in the outhouse, they still froze up and when it thawed on Tuesday we still had more burst pipes. Steve the plumber came out this morning and found 4 new leaks, 2 in the toilet, 1 in the outhouse and 1 in the coal hole. Then he discovered both the water hoses for the washing machine had shattered so they were leaking as well. We had to go out and buy new ones before I could do any washing. I have no idea how we are going to stop this happening. The only thing I can think of is to line the wall behind the sink unit and washing machine with inch thick polystyrene sheets glued to the wall round the pipes and the same in the coal hole before we put a unit in there for making soap. The outside toilet is the main problem as the stop tap is in there. We still have a top level cistern so we can put in a low level cistern which means less pipework, and maybe box in the stoptap and cistern and surround them with either glassfibre insulation or polystyrene.

We were supposed to be going down to Sarah's tomorrow, New Year's Eve, but Phil is not well enough to drive all that way so we are saving our present giving for another day when we are completely recovered. I have repaired Rowan's wooden pram and nearly finished the bedding to go in it. Knitted her a cardigan in pretty random yarn on the chunky knitting machine which I hope will fit her. Casie's scarf is finally finished and I have started a hat with the leftover Big Wool.

Denise our neighbour down the road phoned up lunchtime to ask if we still wanted some of her Dad's  chickens (he died a few weeks ago and her Mum can't look after the chickens as she is not too steady on her feet). We went down and had a look and have decided to take 1 lavender Araucana cockerel and 2 hens, plus 2 black bantams, not sure what breed. We are going to use one of Chris's old sheds to make a coop for them. We still have chain link left over from the fence round the bird garden so all we need to get is 4 posts for the fence. We will put it beside the big greenhouse so they will get some shade from the cherry tree in the Summer. All the sheds will be being pulled down and burnt, so there should be plenty of leftover wood to repair the shed we are having. Doris won't know what's happening to have all her garden back, although I'm sure she would rather have Chris back instead. It must be a terrible loss after 70 years together.

Off to feed the bunnies now, then have something to eat, then probably bed as I still feel very weak and tired.