Monday

Hello, everyone.  Bit of a chilly start to the day today but I refuse to turn on the heating yet - in fact, I won't be until at least after Matt has done the boiler/combi replacement thingy.  After all, it's only September!   Colder than usual, said the weather lady, but September!

Well, I'm pretty much ready!  I did some more washing yesterday and used the dryer, seeing as the solar panels were firing on all cylinders in the sunshine.  When I get back, all I will have is holiday washing and yesterday's stuff to deal with which will be easy

I took a screen shot of the Elveden weather forecast for this week.  Looks great but not particularly warm so I packed a few more jumpers and my warmer coat.  No complaints, Autumn sunshine is wonderful and the rooms are well air conditioned so they warm up easily as well as cooling down.

Have you ever used packing cubes?  I never have although I've seen then plugged often enough on YouTube and a fortnight ago I succumbed after seeing a really cheap set on guess where!

I suppose that, if you are a very organised packer anyway, they are very much a 'statement' thing, but I'm not and I am shocked at how helpful they were.  Instead of dithering around, adding stuff and taking too much, they 'encouraged' me to do one thing at a time (e.g. undies and socks or nighttime stuff), get that cube packed, zipped up, into the case and ticked off, knowing that bit was done.  Then on to the next.

Everything seems to have fitted better into the case too - I must have less than usual but that's fine because I always take way too much.

It's weird how much they helped.

I might even be super-organised on Friday and pack the stuff that needs washing in two cubes, darks and lights.   😉😆😇

On the other hand . . . 

It's pretty much all done now.   I've even remembered to check the tyres and fill the tank - not that the latter was needed but just to be on the safe side . . .

There's just a few things to do but no rush!  Bins, washing up, packing the tech and packing the cool bag stuff.  And then I'm off.  

Happy Monday to everyone.  Have a great day!  xx

Edit:  I don't seem to be able to access my posted blogs.  No idea why.  I will keep trying.  xx

Sunday

Morning, all!  And it seems to be a nice start to the day too with early sunshine.  A few days ago, BBC weather predicted rain for Elveden this coming week.  That's all changed and now it looks like being nice and sunny instead.  Not warm, just mid teens, but that's OK.  Layers are the name of the game!

Yesterday, I looked for a 'healthy apple cake' recipe, feeling that it was not really going to be a thing - and then I found this.

https://www.cinnamonandkale.co.uk/carrot-apple-and-sultana-loaf-sugar-free/

I made it just as the recipe said except that I had SR wholemeal so I used that and just half a tsp baking powder.
I wasn't sure but you know what - it is absolutely lovely.  I thought it would be really heavy but, while not as light as white flour would have been, it is not stodgy at all.

It's now all sliced, individually wrapped and in the freezer - and I MUST remember to take it with me for a nice afternoon treat with a cuppa or a coffee.

I had a message from my lovely neighbours with two things.
The first was that next week they intend power weeding/cleaning and sanding the car parking space outside my house (it is a shared space) if that was OK by me (as if I was going to say no, bless them) and they will also do my pathway up to my front door (it is all part of the same paved space, open plan so to speak).   How lovely is that?

The other is that this tree, which is in their corner but next to the boundary fence, is going.  I know this has been on the cards for a while and I saw the tree surgeon's van outside a month ago so it's not a surprise. 
It's a tree in the wrong place and, while it was just beautiful when it was a young tree, it is now way, way too big despite being cut back regularly, it is lifting some of the slabs at the end of my garden (Seth and co made allowances for this when building my garden room but even so . . .) and it has seriously cut down the light into both our gardens and into my living room too, especially late afternoon and evening.  
I hate seeing a tree go but it's a relief at the same time. 
Does that make sense?

I got a lot of stuff done yesterday, on and off.  As I said in a comment reply, the place looks like a bomb hit it in parts, but there is an underlying method (I hope) and by lunchtime it should be all ready.

I shouldn't really need travelling instructions but I am a bit paranoid about getting 'lost' so printed them out (yet again) as well as printing out the paperwork for the holiday.  Neither should be needed but - well, belt and braces . . .

Did you enjoy the Strictly launch show?  It was the usual video clips, fake surprise, celebrity waffle (I think a few are going to get on my nerves pretty quickly) and [performances and I enjoyed it all immensely.  All froth and sparkle and Chris McCausland makes me laugh so much!
They didn't mention Diane's pregnancy (unless I just missed it) but it will be interesting to see how she adapts things - she's a brilliant teacher and flexible in her approach so it will be an education to watch, I am sure.

Today is just finishing getting ready, doing the house stuff like emptying bins, etc, all the stuff you need to do.  The nice thing about living in such a friendly cul de sac is that everyone looks out for everyone else and I know that if there's anything that seems untoward, it will be sorted.

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone.  I'm off to get another coffee before I do anything else.  I will be posting through the week, of course, with the usual photos - room, view, walks, wildlife, etc, etc, etc, so see you tomorrow.  xx

Saturday

Good morning, everyone.  Just past six o'clock and it's still dark!  It's dry and it's not cold at all although I gather that's about to change.  

They used to plug Center Parcs as 'the holiday the weather won't spoil' and that is very true.  I have my fold up raincoat coat and waterproof (ish) shoes ready to pack and you get wet swimming anyway!  :-)

My yarn order arrived yesterday - it's lovely, just the right colours for a colourful, traditional sort of - er - thing!  I'm happy!  I'm having to resist starting the thing right now - which would never do!!  

Alex turned up, learned how to make nice, crunchy roast potatoes, ate some for lunch (with chicken and veg!) and took two bags of two portions of them home to freeze for another time although I got a very strong impression that one bag would be used for his and Beth's dinner!
He's going to make some more (at mine) nearer to Christmas and freeze them for the Christmas dinner.  That's my boy!!

I took him home and stayed for a chat with Beth.  Usually she and Alex would be coming with me to Center Parcs as we have done each year since lockdown but this year that hasn't happened (for various very good reasons).
So the plan is to book a holiday there next May for Alex's birthday instead.  Then, the following year, we have a long standing plan to have a family time there for my 75th birthday and go bananas in a very posh treehouse.  Very much a one-off - unless Ernie is very kind to me (which ain't going to happen!)

And Alex's next lesson is roasting a chicken!

It's interesting - teaching someone else who is starting from scratch has really made me realise how much we home cooks do things automatically, instinctively.  It makes writing out instructions for even the simplest things like roasties more long winded than one would expect.

Today I will . . .

get the food/equipment sorted for next week

do some washing so I know all the clothes I need for next week are clean, dry and folded for packing 

find a recipe for a healthy apple cake (if that's not an oxymoron) and make it

do some cleaning and tidying and generally sorting things out

watch the Strictly launch show (how can it possibly be that time of year already?)

How about you?

Have a lovely day.  xx

Friday

Good morning, everyone.

After hearing that Chris wasn't well, I headed off earlier into town, first to B&M (a few groceries/toiletries/Advent stuff), then to Aldi next door (a few more bits and bobs) and lastly to Hobbycraft where I got a little pot of mixed sparkly beads of various kinds, all of them with holes through so they could be sewn on.

The main reason to go was because it was Aldi's yarn event but I was sadly disappointed with the poor show.  Not that I need any more yarn but even so - nothing like the range I saw on YouTube videos and online.  Someone just didn't bother!

It was probably just as well, mind you,  because I decided to buy yarn for the borders of The Project That Will Not Be Mentioned as I didn't think I had enough in my stash and that's arriving from Wool Warehouse today.

Alex will be round for a cookery lesson so we will get those crunchy potatoes mastered!  Most will go into the freezer but we'll cook enough for him to have for lunch with some chicken and vegetables.

After Slimming World this morning, I will pop next door to Morrisons for a very small weekly shop.  I bet it still costs an arm and a leg, mind you!

And, apart from the usual, that's my day!

And I need to go and wash my hair now before getting dressed so I will love you  and leave you with hopes that you have a great day.  xx

Thursday

Hello again, everyone.  Just a quick one today.

Yesterday's rain cleared in the afternoon and we had some sunshine but it's cloudy again today so who knows?  I got stuff done - some housework, some cooking/baking as always, I wrote out the various patterns or links for the calendar I am not going to mention (lol) and generally chilled.

As I was sorting out some 4 ply yarn, I found a whole load of granny squares that I must have made a long time ago because I can only vaguely remember making them, so I have set to to turn them into some blankets for the Salvation Army drop off.  Nothing fancy, just another round and join as you go!

I watched the final of the Sewing Bee early, before I accidentally saw the results on Facebook.  No spoilers but just to say that this year I would have been happy is any of them won, I thought they were all equal and had clear strengths, not all the same strengths but - you know what I mean.  So no disappointment at the results, they deserved it.

This morning, I have made a sourdough with the leaven I started yesterday evening and I've had a message from Chris to tell me she's got an extremely sore throat and the snuffles so no chat this morning - maybe she has what Lindsey has, who knows?  Get well soon, Chris.

I was planning to go to Home Bargains and to Aldi later on but now I can go earlier.  If I get all the slap and folds done, I can pop the dough in the fridge to ferment slowly and get it out again when I come home.  It will still be baked by tomorrow which is when I need it.

For the rest of today I want to get some clothes out to pack, carry on sorting out my 4 ply, carry on with that blanket, do a bit of decluttering and generally potter, as usual.

Oh, and maybe make an apple loaf to take with me next week.

Nice!

Have a lovely day, all.  Take care, stay well and be safe.  xx

Wednesday

Hello again, everyone.  Where has the sunshine gone?  Rain, rain and more rain.  Oh, well, we did need lots and lots of rain to soak the ground and make up for the very dry summer so we shouldn't complain too much, really!

A quick update.  Ian is still in hospital - they are making sure things are properly as they should be before he goes home.  Quite right too.
I don't think I am giving anything away as Stephanie has talked about this in her YouTube vlog.

Thanks for all your advice in yesterday's comments.  I have decided that the squares are going to be edged in either dark red or dark green, as is the border, which means I will stitch them together rather than joining as I go - which actually makes it easier because I can make the lot and then decide on the arrangement.  The sparkle will be in the pictures and, perhaps, in the basic grannies but I will knock up a few today to see how it all looks before deciding that.
The background to all the picture squares will be white.

And that, my friends, is that.  I must have bored you to tears with my Advent ramblings so I will shut up about it for a few months now.

Sadly, for the first time in weeks, I have both cucumber and tomatoes on my shopping list.  I'm very sad about that.  However, as you can see in the collage, there's loads of baby runner beans and this wet weather suits them.  On Sunday, I will pick as many as I possibly can and get them into the freezer and, hopefully, there won't be too many tough ones when I get back from Elveden.

Apart from a bit of housework and a loaf to bake, I seem to have an easy day today.  It should be personal training but Lindsey is unwell and I have told her to rest and catch up on her sleep.  Also, I really don't want to catch anything right now.  She has classes on YouTube so I can do one of them instead.

Well, time to stop rambling and start the day.  I need to check the loaf and, probably, get the oven heated and I have some colourways to decide about!  :-)

Stay dry, people, and have a lovely, cosy day.  See you tomorrow.  xx

Tuesday

Good morning, everyone, welcome to Tuesday.

It really was a very windy day yesterday but, round here, never anything worrying.  The sun shone, apart from one shower, and it was the best drying day ever.  Three loads dried and so blown around that ironing was minimal, if at all.  And the bedding smells so fresh too.

First of all, an update.  Ian came through the procedure safely, thank goodness (it wasn't a definite that he would) and has been in the high dependency ward overnight with one to one care because the other patent went home yesterday evening.  Stephanie was sent home with instructions to have a good meal, a good sleep and come back next day.  
So it is all good news so far and thank you all so much for your thoughts, vibes and prayers.

I had a fair old list of Things To Do yesterday and, apart from dusting and sweeping my bedroom, they all got done as well as all the washing, drying, ironing and putting away. 

Then I sat down and worked on 'designing' the Advent quilt.  I found three backing grannies - the basic one for the alternate squares, a circular one for things like baubles, wreaths, etc and a solid one.  With the last two, I had to adapt the last round so I ended up with the same number of stitches on each one but it works so I'm happy.
It's all written down in my project book, the one I gave myself as one of last Christmas's Twelve Days gifts.

If I do two a day, I will end up with forty eight squares.  I have 'designed' one more picture one with a wee stable outline to go right in the middle of a 7x7.  I can do all the joining after Christmas (I know I have said all this before but I am thinking out loud here so, please, bear with me)

A photo of tryouts using scrap/spare yarn.  

I found and tested pictures, both part of the square and as appliqué, and both work fine.  With the integral ones, I can add deco to give them dimension - beads, bows, shiny things . . .

At the moment, I have twelve different ones.  I can either do them twice with different colourways or I can look for twelve more but I think that will be pushing it somewhat.

If you look around and don't mind sorting the instructions from the adverts, there's lots of free stuff out there as well as what you can find on YouTube.  Sadly, that lovely stocking pattern one of you kindly sent me is just too bulky so can't be used.  I've found a flat one instead.

And finally - should I make the edgings with sparkly yarn - I don't know.  What do you think?

Thanks for putting up with my rambling.  I thought it would be a lot easier than it actually is to sort it all out but I think I am nearly there!

On to today.  Tuesday is always Lindsey's Loaf Day to I've started the leaven and will see how it behaves.  It won't be so fast now because the ambient temperature is lower so I might get it done today or it  might be a cold overnight prove in the fridge!

I will get my bedroom dusted and swept and then I can get on with more craft clearing and reorganising.  It will feel so good when it is all done and dusted.

Are you in the middle of decluttering/sorting out before winter?  How is it all going?

My lovely friend, Mandy, was going to come over for lunch but both she and her partner have been poorly so we will reschedule.

I will love you and leave you now.  Have a great day, stay safe and well and I'll see you tomorrow.  xx