From one snowy patch to another...

It's cold, but there's no more snow forecast---actually, it looks like (barring overnight frosts) it's going to be reasonably clear for the next week or so, as the snow that was predicted for yesterday didn't arrive.

No, the snow is work: I'm in the process of crossing over from one job to another, and am therefore rather preoccupied. Given the climate, I don't expect I'd be found in the garden anyway, so maybe it's well orchestrated.

However, we've finally got round to ordering a chest freezer, washing machine, and wonder-combi-microwave. The freezer is monster-big (360l, or 12.8 cu ft), owing to the fact that I want to put half a pig, lots of fruit, and considerable quantities of baking/pre-cooked meals in it. This does mean that it would comfortably fit me in it, Snowman-style. Not that this is on the cards.

The washing machine we have at the moment is an antique Hotpoint Electronic De Luxe. Which is to say, it being electronic is a luxury. We inherited it with our last house, and think that it was there since the house was built, which made the washing machine about as old as me. Oops. Anyway, the motor's not very well (I had to twiddle with the carbon brushes last summer), it leaks, and---basically---it doesn't wash very well.

The new beast is another Hotpoint (the age of its predecessor spoke volumes for reliability, in my book), but one that's got an 'Eco Cycle'; uses cold water. My parents-in-law have one from the same range, and swear by the cold wash (you have to use liquid detergent, but that's fine---it even works out a bit cheaper). The big advantage, in addition, is that---being a modern creature---it only requires a cold water feed, and heats its own water. This is much better for us, as it means not having to heat a whole tank (and then feeling we ought to do three loads to make use of all that heated water, which gets impractical).

Lastly, I'm looking forward to the wonderwave, which will mean I can use an oven for smaller volumes of stuff, rather than filling the main oven (which we feel we ought to do, but which is a bit of a pain). Now I just need to work out how to make it fit neatly into the 'integrated appliance' hole/surround that's in the wall. This may be more of a challenge, but I have my hopes.

Anyhoo; while, plainly, not a gardening-related post (unless you count the tangential reference to freezing fruit?), that's what I've been up to. That, and finding out how to do the new job.