Friday, 25 July 2025

25-07-25

First of all and while I am thinking of it, there won't be a post tomorrow - I have to leave earlyish to get the coach and I will be tired come the evening.
Also, Sunday's will perhaps be a bit late because of uploading and editing any half decent photos I take, not to mention stringing a few words together about Brighton!

Good morning, one and all.  It's sort of sunny right now but whether that will last remains to be seen.  I haven't checked the forecast yet.

What I have checked, obviously, is the garden and there's two happy things this morning.

Firstly and at long, long last, I have baby runners that are not just a random few that haven't gone anywhere or gone anything.  Excellent - really looking forward to runner beans with every meal and bags of them in the freezer, not to mention pestering the neighbours.  

I can dream . . .

And . . .

One of the baby corn has flowered and another has a long hard spike that will open soon.  I guess the rest are not far behind.

I got it wrong, you know.  Remember I thought I needed to plant baby corn in blocks for pollination.  Well, you certainly do for big corn but babies have to be picked just as the tassels are emerging from the top and before pollination.  So now I need to keep eyes open for babies because if you leave them too long, they are not nice.

So I could have planted them around the runners but I'm glad I didn't - there really isn't the room.

Anyway - exciting stuff.

Yesterday, being Thursday, started off with the coffee and chat over at Chris' this week.  Always good, always enjoyable, always lots of laughter.  Always a happy time.

Then I drove over to Val's and ditto.  She made a delicious soup for lunch - lentils and vegetables - and had toasted sourdough bead to dunk.  Perfect, thanks, Val.  And, of course, we had a good old chat too.

Most of the rest of the time was spent looking for fabric online with not much success.  I found a gorgeous fabric on Temu, would you believe, but it was sold out.  Thing is, I don't want to spend an awful lot until I've re-skilled myself - it's been a while.

I wonder if there are any cheap fabric shops in Brighton.  Annabeth . . .  ???

What I am going to do is buy some very cheap sheets and practise with a toile (I had to look that up) which basically is a mock up of what you want to make for fitting purposes.  All the patterns I have are multi sized and I have no idea at the moment.  So I guess it is back to Temu and I will also look elsewhere.  

Anyway, enough of that.  Today is Slimming World and then Alex is over.  At his request, we are practising shaping pizza dough because we really made a right mess of it last time.
Should be interesting!
So when I get home, Thermione will make a full batch and I will pop small amounts into bowls to rise separately.  Then, when he gets here, we can watch some YouTube videos and then have a go.

Wish me luck!!

Time to go!
Have a lovely day, everyone.  Stay safe, be happy and be good but maybe not too good.  Bye.  xx

Thursday, 24 July 2025

24-07-25

Morning.  Another very dull start, more rain and another humid spell overnight which may or may not have been a storm.  Light rain and a breeze is on the cards for today.  I'm now starting to be concerned for my tomatoes and the dreaded blight . . . not that there is anything I can do.

A bit random and lurid but I did enjoy making this and I've learned how to make half hexagons and triangles that fit round the edge.  If I were to make it again, I would change lots of things about it but it was fun to make all the same.

I  got the bus into town and spent a most enjoyable time looking through pattern books.  I just looked at dresses but when I go back to collect the ones that needed ordering, I will take another look and more widely - skirts, tops, etc.
And I must learn how to do a concealed zip.  The way I know is very old fashioned nowadays.  YouTube, here I come.
I also had a good look at some very gorgeous and lavish sewing machines.  Oh, my!
I had a good browse through the fabrics on offer but, like many places, they have gone over to craft cotton fabric which isn't really suitable for what I want which is something more drape-y and soft really.
However, I did NOT go upstairs to the yarn section.  I didn't need that temptation.

On the way back to the bus I popped into Boots for a few things I needed and I went to Bon Marche where I found two nice tops.  No, I don't need tops.  Oh, dear.  There was one nice dress but it wasn't in my size.  I tried the 12 on and it was too big.  Yes, I could have taken in the sides but I didn't love it THAT much.

Then I looked for my nice herbs, spices and all things wholefood stall in the market and, much to my distress, it has been taken over by a junk, pre-packaged, ultra processed rubbish stall.  That's a tragedy.  Where else could you ask for 20h turmeric or 100g steel cut oats . . . ?

One fabric stall was open and I nearly bought some nice polka dot fabric but decided to wait until I have all the patterns and take my time.

PT was fun, as always.

Today I have the usual coffee and chat with Christine and then I am off out round to Val's for lunch, bearing a gift of a cucumber.  lol!#

Better go and get the day started.  Have a good one, whatever the weather.  Jackie, I hope your air quality improves soon.  

Bye, all  xx

Wednesday, 23 July 2025

23-07-25

Morning!
Well, St Swithun knew what he was talking about, didn't he?  Another damp night and dull start with rain predicted this afternoon.  Ho hum.

Yesterday went well.  I baked a sourdough loaf for Beth and took it over to her, I did two loads of washing, got them fried using the hokey cokey method (in out, in out, depending on the weather!) and even got it all ironed during the evening.  I'm happy about that!

A nice, domesticated day.

Today, I'm thinking about getting the bust into town and walking to Franklins (the only proper fabric/haberdashery/patterns/yarn/sewing machines shop in town, I believe) to look at some paper patterns for dresses.  I know they are sold online but the information is minimal and I want to see what's on the back of the envelope as well as the picture.  I also want to look at fabric there and in the market (if the stall is there - it might not be today) and look over the sewing machines, just out of interest.
There's a few other bits and bobs I want to get too in other places.
So I'm going to aim for the 9:30 bus.

Lindsey has asked if we can have PT a bit later today: as a result, I have plenty of time for pottering so I might make another loaf - for me this time, my wholegrain seeded (yeasted) loaf because sourdough is great but sometimes one wants a different kind of loaf.

I tried to watch Sewing Bee as it was on but fell asleep so I need to catch up on that too.

All in all, a pleasant day; hoping yours is too.  xx

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

22-07-25

Morning, lovely people.  How are you all today?  
Sorry about yesterday.  There's heavy stuff going on in the background and I just felt a bit overwhelmed, that's all.  Thank you for understanding and for your kind messages.

The weather certain has changed, hasn't it?  We had rain, we had wind and we had sunshine.  It felt humid but also a bit chilly at times.  No complaints, it is what it is, but isn't it typical just as the children break up for their summer holiday, eh?

Not exactly a challenge - spot the one ripe chilli pepper!  I have been using a few green ones and wow - very chilli!

I went over to Lindsey's for circuits - inside as it kept raining - and enjoyed it, as usual.   There's only one circuits class left now before Lindsey goes away and all classes will resume again in September.

I made some bread - yeasted bread this time but baked like sourdough - and will take it to Lindsey this morning.  It came out really well for once.

I am so looking forward to Saturday - meeting Annabeth, seeing the Pavilion and having lunch and a nice wander around.  It will be so good and fingers are crossed for the weather.  

I've caught up with Sewing Bee.  What a good start and I could see the elimination coming a mile off, could you? As for that garment of the week, wow.  
(no spoilers in case anyone hasn't seen it yet).

And, better late than never, I got round to booking my car's MOT and service.  Another expense but that's what the monthly savings are for.  I don't do separate sinking funds or whatever they are called, but the money is there when needed.  I'm rather hoping I can manage it from income but. if not, it's OK.  I am so fortunate.

Tomorrow is the last day of the school year for 'my' school.   Bless them, I hope everyone had a really good rest.

I will be going to Groove first thing and then it's housework day because I didn't do any today.  Has to be done, doesn't it?
Hoping you had a lovely day yesterday.  All the best, stay safe and stay dry.  xx



Monday, 21 July 2025

21-07-25

 Sorry, no blog today.  Back tomorrow.  Have a lovely day.  xx

Sunday, 20 July 2025

20-07-25

Good morning, everyone.  Well, the weather has broken with a vengeance.  While we didn't experience much in the way of storming, we have had good amounts of moderate and steady rain to soak everything through and through and to fill the water butt again.  Some storms are predicted today which indicates that humidity will yoyo up and down but everything is getting just what is needed - ongoing, steady, soaking rain.
No complaints from me!

I'm feeling loads better this morning after a really good night's sleep.  Yesterday was a gentle day with plenty of reading, crochet, working out how to crochet a bit of a hexagon, learning how to crochet half a hexagon (thank you, YouTube) and generally chilling.  I popped over to Beth and Alex's for a couple of hours.
It was just a quiet Saturday.  

Something really nice - I had a message from Annabeth (one of you lovely readers and a longer term online friend) suggesting we meet up when I am in Brighton next Saturday.  Such a lovely idea and I'm looking forward to it very much indeed - thanks, Annabeth.  xx

Today looks like more of the same.  I have a pile of recipe print outs to go through and organise, I need to meal plan for the week and I must update my finances and see where I am for the last third of July - it won't be amazing because I paid for the September holiday and I'm hoping I won't need to move anything out of savings.

Just a few rain soaked photos to brighten up a dull day's blogging.  :-)




Wishing you a fantastic Sunday, packed with lovely things.  Stay dry!!  xx

Saturday, 19 July 2025

19-07-25

Hello, everyone.  Welcome to a very damp and humid Saturday morning here in Mid-Essex.  I'm really not sure if we had storms overnight, I slept badly because it was very humid and I might have had a tad too much prosecco yesterday evening and there was no lightning but there might have been and it might have contributed to the bad sleep.  Thunder? - not at all, not once the hearing aids are out.  Ditto for any super-heavy rain/hail.  They just don't register.

However, everything is lovely and fresh and green this morning, everything looks really happy and well watered, so we have had a pretty good rainfall and it is continuing through the morning.  Steady, more than drizzle - just perfect.

I took a few photos standing at the French window and going round.

The herb and foliage bed with the cucumbers to the left and some of the tomatoes along the fence.  And while on the subject, I am now picking a small handful of tomatoes each day and, for the first time since last Autumn, tomatoes were not on the shopping list.  They taste amazing!

Straight down the garden, over the flower bed, to the garden room.  I am so glad I put the cover on the egg chair.
Right again and it is the blankety bed and you can see how happy the tomatoes and runner beans are in that bed.  You can't see the chilli; it is well camouflaged and the fruit is still green but slowly lightening.  To the right of that is the baby corn.  Still no baby corns but time will tell.  :-)
Finally, I braved the rain to grab a photo of one of the hanging baskets.  Very pretty.

OK, moving on . . .
It was so hot yesterday but the hall we use for Slimming World was pleasantly cool.  A nice session and it is so nice to have someone on the weighing desk with me.

After SW, I did my food shop for the week (very ouch, as usual) and then pottered at home.
Chris and I popped over for J's 18th Open House party thing and it was really nice.  I met up with some former year one pupils, heard I was their favourite teacher of all time (I suspect that was politeness and beer speaking but, all the same, how nice) and caught up with their lives and doings.  It was fun.

Today, I have woken with what I suspect is a prosecco supported headache although the poor sleep and the humidity won't be helping.  Fortunately, I have a blank day in the diary so I can take it easy, get a few messy corners sorted (that always helps) and catch up on my sleep.
I also want to catch up on the first of the new Sewing Bee series.  

I've realised that October is my double pension month so that's the Center Parcs holiday covered and the Edinburgh one too.  Isn't that nice!

Well, I will stop rambling and get on with my Facebook duties.  Have a lovely day, whatever the weather.  Take care and be safe.  Bye.  xx