Friday, 04-09-26

Morning, everyone.  How are you today?  We're having some funny old weather at the moment.  Not hot, hot cold, but on and off very humid.  Is it like that your way too.  

Yesterday went really well.  I need to work on my strength more after several week off personal training but that's OK, it is do-able.
I always enjoy my chats with Chris and yesterday was no exception.
Then I drove over to Hyde Hall where I med up with Val and we had a really good catch up.  I forgot my camera which was very stupid so, sorry, no photos!

Such a lovely day.

Today I've got going early with a load in the washing machine that I can get out before I go to Slimming World.  
After Slimming World, I am popping into school (pretty much next door) for a quick meeting.  
And then it is home, James, to get on with the washing, etc, so I can pack tomorrow.  It's all organised and planned, I just need to get it done so there's no dashing about and last minute panics.  I hate that!!

Have a lovely Friday, everyone.  xx

Thursday, 03-09-26

Morning!   Just a quick one as it's a busy day.

The audiology appt yesterday was very positive, my aids have been adjusted and they seem much better now, thankfully.  It's normal with new aids and a new hearing profile - it's a case of try it and adjust.  I have also ordered a microphone, the kind that clips on and bluetooths to my hearing aids.  It should make all the difference to guided tours, etc.

Today I've had my early morning PT class and it feels good.  I'm still lacking in energy but getting stronger again.  :-)

Chris will be soon for out coffee and chat and then I'm off to meet up with Val at Hyde Hall - must make sure I have my RHS membership card with me.  :-)

Have a good day, everyone.  Take care.  xx

Wednesday, 02-09-26

Morning!  How are you all today?  It's definitely much cooler morning and evening now, I'm finding, and the days are getting noticeably shorter.  On cloudy evenings I have my curtains drawn by around half past six and I'm starting to feel that cosy, snuggly vibe that autumn and winter bring to an evening. 

Yesterday was good.

It was nice strolling around M&S and then Aldi which is in the same precinct.  I didn't get much, just a few stock up items really.  M&S now do pulses in jars for a very reasonable price and the jars are a very useful size too.  I don't anticipate needing to get much more this month apart from fresh stuff as I'm very well stocked.  It's a comforting feeling while everything goes up so much.

Again, not much festive stuff yet apart from things I'm not going to get - Christmas puddings, etc, and, of course, those inevitable tins of choccies, biscuits and things which have festive decor but which go out of date well before Christmas.  Crazy!

Today is a get everything tidied, sorted and cleaned day until the afternoon when I have a rescheduled audiology appt in town.  I'm allocating stuff now - tomorrow I'm out and about, Friday is washing day, Saturday is packing day and Sunday is woo hoo!!

This seems to be a good time to say that I most likely won't be taking my laptop with me to Spain - just because of the weight - all our luggage is cabin luggage.  That means no blogs next week, so sorry.  

Right, well, sitting here will never do.  I have piles of stuff to sort out.  Better get cracking.  Have a lovely day and, if you're busy, don't forget to have some 'me' time.  xx

Tuesday, 01-09-26

Morning, all.  Welcome to September and to autumn, if you go by the meteorological date!  It looks like a nice summer morning here right now but the weather is very variable right now so who knows?

I had a very pleasant time at the Riverside precinct yesterday.  I went really early so there was plenty of parking and the roads were much easier than usual, than goodness.

There wasn't much in the way of Christmas tut out.  Home Bargains had basic baubles and so on but they really go all out later, so I will go again in November, just for the colour and sparkle.  I did get some things - little gifts, a few candles (I love candles over Christmas) and I realised I was out of milk, not having used what I had for a fortnight (urgh) and cheese.  They also do jars of roasted peppers at half the price of Morrisons, etc, so I got some - they make a lovely soup with tomatoes and, maybe, lentils.

Then I went to HomeSense next door and, again, found a few gifts and the one naughty thing I got was a lovely olive wood board.  I love rustic boards, bowls, etc.

Didn't spend too much and, apart from the board, everything was planned.  Yay me!!

Once home, I did a big sort out, got gifts sorted into bags and written in my book, etc, which was also really enjoyable.  It's all out of the way again now.
I looked up the Advent of Change for this year but it doesn't seem to be available yet.  I'll keep checking.

Today starts with Groove and the walk.  Looking forward to this very much.

I'd really like to take a trip to M&S and use some of my left over money to stock up a bit - that seems a sensible thing to do at any time.  Nothing for the freezer though!
Then I have a whole list of stuff to do, some connected with Spain and some just general stuff.  I read the gas meter yesterday so that's off the list.

Have a great day, everyone.  Take care, be happy and stay safe.  xx

Monday, 31-08-26 - Chr*stm*s, maybe TMI!!

Morning, everyone.  So we have arrived at the last day of August.  In some ways it's not been the best month for me, health-wise and we've had some tricky weather to handle, haven't we?  But it seems to be finishing off much cooler and this morning looks like being a beautiful late summer day with some sunshine and nice and warm but not hot.  This afternoon we might get a bit more of that much needed rain - but we will see.

Yesterday was good.  I had a lovely time at Beth's where we had a good long chat about Christmas arrangements.  We've set the date for Christmas Tree Day and checked other dates.  This year, I will be away over actual Christmas but we decided it would be nice if I did a feast on New Year's Eve instead.

We talked presents, food to make, etc so when I got home I dug out . . . 

. . . my Christmas book.
It's not a fancy-dancy one, it is just a lined notebook with a festive cover but for the last two or three years it has kept everything organised for me.

Christmas 2026 has officially started now!  

(sorry)

I also finished off the August finances and am pleased to have money left over.  I don't have a rigid budget, I don't give every penny a job to do but I do like to know where I am all the time so at the start of each month I start a new spreadsheet that has all the regular payments, subscriptions, savings and regular outgoings (like Oddbox, Wonky Pods, the cleaner, Sharon, etc) already taken off regardless of whether they go early or late in the month.
So the only time my bank balance and my spreadsheet match is now, after I've finished the accounts for the month and moved any leftover money to the new month or into savings.  It makes me happy when everything ties together like that.  Works for me anyway, being a bear of very little financial brain!

This month and with Christmas in mind, I've moved leftovers into September rather than savings and today I plan to start a bit of present buying, using that money.  I know it's not quite September but anything I get will go onto the September spreadsheet.

The other festive thing I want to do is get down all the bits and bobs I already have and start matching them to people or events.  That will be good to get sorted.

Enough of this and apologies - I just like to be organised before what tends to be a busy and chaotic time of year.

There's no circuits today, not because it's a bank holiday but because Lindsey is away.  Groove tomorrow will happen as usual.

So, as said above, I'm off to the Riverside precinct to have a good nosey round HomeSense - I love HomeSense, it's quirky - and Home Bargains.  They seem to be opening at the usual times so I will get there early because that precinct can be a parking nightmare later on.

For the rest of the day it's the usual stuff and I'm finding I'm still quite tired at times so if I need to rest I will.

Have a lovely bank holiday, everyone.  Doing anything exciting today?  Have a lovely day.  xx

Sunday, 30-08-26

Hello, everyone.  A very warm Sunday welcome to you!  Was it cold your way overnight?  It was here and right now I have a snuggle hood and warm fluffy socks on, the first time I have worn either in months.  I'm sure it will warm up soon and I'm fairly sure we will get more rain which is fantastic.  It was very wet yesterday, great for the garden and also good for the water shortage because not only are the reservoirs slowly filling but also people like me are not watering their precious garden produce.

Oh, my goodness, I am feeling so much better now!  No dizzy head, not uncomfortable insides, an unbroken night's sleep and the jam jar is no longer in the bathroom - that's a dead end now.    Small pleasures that add up to a lovely feeling of well-being.

It was nice to feel hungry too!

This is the loaf I baked yesterday.  It looks much bigger than it really is; just a small 400g-ish loaf but it did the trick!

I'm feeling confident that I can (and need to!!!) go back onto my wholemeal bread now so I'll probably take what is left over to Beth's - Alex likes my white bread!

And, finally, a meal with some colour (coming from sweet potato, carrot and tomato flesh) and some taste!  I did enjoy my dinner last night!

Sadly, I have needed to throw a number of things from the fridge away.  They'd been there for nearly a fortnight and either expired or I just wasn't happy to use them.  I hate doing that but needs must.

I've been picking tomatoes but not using them so there's  a pile to deal with.  Since the rain started, some are now splitting so they will need to be processed.

That takes me right back - when we were little, we lived in a village with a commercial nursery four or five doors along.  Loads of huge greenhouses and the dominant summer crop was tomatoes.  They had commercial outlets, of course, but for us in the village, we could pop along and ask for 'a bag of ripe ones, please, or 'splits' or 'greens' come the autumn when chutney season arrived.  Dad used to say it just wasn't worth growing many at the price they charged.  So, once a week (or more), one of us would be dispatched, coins in hand, for 'Mum says please may we have a bag of splits', knowing that Mum was planning our favourite lunch, bacon and tomatoes on toast, the bacon cooked to a crisp and the tomatoes chopped and cooked in the bacon fat.  Nothing ever tasted as good as B&T to us children!!

We also had an 'egg farm' five minutes walk away and we used to get 'a dozed crackeds, please' knowing Mum would be baking cakes when we got home.

Happy memories.

Another thing that's lovely is getting some energy back.  I sorted out the kitchen, did some housework, some washing, some ironing - stuff that has been sadly neglected.  

Today, I'm looking forward to my first coffee for  quite a while, I've sorted the kitchen after making some leek and potato soup and Beth's bread is in Thermione, quietly doing its thing.  I've just brought in the Oddbox and need to get that sorted.

Being nearly the end of the month, I can do the finance closure for August today.  I always like doing that and starting afresh.

I'm looking forward to a good day with plenty of opportunity to chill between other stuff!  Have a lovely day, everyone.  xx

Saturday, 29-08-26

Good morning, everyone.  Welcome!  Thank you very much for your patience while I've not posted and for your very kind messages.

You might feel this post is rather TMI - feel free to close it and come back tomorrow when, fingers crossed, things will be more normal.

So - things seem to be looking up again after twelve days, pretty much!  The silver lining is that I've lost six pounds in that time.  Now an ideal way to lose weight, is it, but I'll call it a sort of positive!  

For the last few days I have been full on the BRAT diet - Bananas, Rice, Apple sauce, Toast, all plain, nothing added.  Extremely boring, especially for someone who loved colour and variety but I didn't fancy much else anyway!  I bought some bananas and a few cans of plain apple slices, I had white rice and I made a wee loaf of white bread, thanking my lucky stars I can bake bread almost with my eyes closed.  :-).
Because of the way I normally eat, everything else I had in the cupboard was wholegrain, whole wheat, legumes, etc, etc.  Lovely most of the time but . . .

Annabeth (thank you, Annabeth) sent me a p m wondering if I had picked up salmonella on my travels.  I never thought of that but it might be so.  I looked it up and it can and take up to a week to show last for a fortnight or so - so perhaps.  I also learned that taking Imodium, once the cramps subside, isn't helpful as it prevents the bug from passing through more quickly.  Ooops.

I have no idea what might possibly have been the trigger but how can you tell?

Getting an appt with my GP is a nightmare.  Easier if you can do phones but not hard of hearing friendly and I didn't feel up to driving to the surgery to speak to a receptionist.  But then I remembered that right by the community centre, school and Morrisons is a walk in private health centre (used to be a GP surgery) and I decided I would use that and swallow the bill, so to speak.

I nearly walked in after Slimming World but then realised they would want a 'sample' to test so I sterilised a suitable jar, took it to the loo and waited, and waited and waited . . .
Yup, since then I've not had any kind of bowel movement whatsoever.   Isn't that just the way!

So, today I am sticking to BRAT and tomorrow I will start adding a few gentle extras - porridge in the morning, yogurt with my stewed apple and, being very brave (!), rice with chicken and a few vegetables and scrambled egg on toast.

And the jar remains on standby in the loo!!  Just in case!

There's three days with an empty diary now.  Plenty of time to get things back in order again, assuming I'm on the mend.  I gave the kitchen a good wipe down with anti bac stuff and will tackle the loo later (I have been cleaning it all through, promise).  There's washing and ironing and general housework but I have plenty of time so being sensible is the name of the game now.
Oh, I so hope things are on the up again now . . .

Thanks, everyone.  See you tomorrow!  xx

Thursday, 27-08-26

Morning, everyone.
Sorry, another no post day.  There's nothing to write about.  I think I will say I'll be back when everything has settled and my life picks up again.

See you soon and have a good day.  xx

Wednesday, 26-08-26

Morning, everyone.  So sorry about yesterday.  No real excuse, I did mean to post but didn't get round to is - busy early morning, etc.

Today the bug is fighting back so I'm taking things super easy again.  Bland food, not doing much at all.  It's quite humid at the moment but we've had some rain and I'm hoping for more.  I was going into town but I'm not now.
It's all rather boring but, thankfully, I do very little nowadays that can't be put off.

Have a lovely day.  I'll be back soon, full of the joys, so to speak.
See you.  xx

Monday

Morning, all.  Did you have a pleasant weekend?  It's lovely and cool again now although I gather it will get a bit warmer through the week.  Nothing like the previous bout of heat though, just mid to high 20s.

After a dubious start, I'm not sure the sourdough is going anywhere.  It did its first rise fine but the second rise - oh dear.  I ended up popping it in the fridge overnight; it's out again now so fingers crossed.  If it does work out, it should have a good sour flavour, the time it is taking.

I'm back to circuits today - I don't feel terribly enthusiastic about it but am pushing on through!  The nice thing about Lindsey is that she lets people work at whatever level they are at - one of the many nice things, I should add.

Then it's home and housework and I really need to plan some meals.  I'm not feeling eager to do that either - dear me, what a wimp!!  :-)

That's about it really - there's nothing else in the diary so I can get on with little things.  

Just remembered - I can drive to the Mill to stock up on flour again because I have a feeling I'm going to need to make Lindsey's bread again.
Note to self - don't use low gluten flour for my bread, not even just a little bit! 

Right, so I'd better go and feed Bubbles, just in case.  Take care, all and have a good Monday!  xx

Sunday, 23-08-26 and a trip to Southwold.

 Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Sunday.  Isn't it crazy how the year is just slipping away now?  It's sunny here but it was quite a chilly night and I nearly closed my bedroom window when I went to the loo at around two-ish.

Yesterday was absolutely lovely.  My tum behaved, thank goodness.  That was quite a worry as it did go a bit doolally Friday afternoon again, but it was fine.  Phew.

It wasn't 100% sunny at Southwold, there was quite a lot of cloud, but it was warm enough and when the sun came out it was very comfortable indeed.
We had a good journey there - no closed roads this time - and arrived about 9:40 ish.  I was able to access the little beach hut at ten (just before, in fact).

Outside . . . 

Inside.  Plain, simple, clean as a new pin and perfect as a base.

From the end of the pier (mine is third from the right).

And with a key even I couldn't possibly lose in my bag!

The brewery tour was, as I expected, excellent.  It was Saturday so there was no work in the actual buildings, but they were busy loading and unloading kegs.

Debbie explained the processes and then took us round the actual machinery.

Very modern-steampunk!  Very clean and shiny!

Then we went into a small bar where we had fun tasting.
I was careful - but I didn't want to opt out.  We tried eight different Adnams products - beer, ale and a lager (all very satisfying) before being given a voucher for the shop.

Last time I didn't buy anything because I would have to carry it round with me.  This time . . . I made the most of having a base.

I got a couple of cans, one of the lager which I really did like and one of Yuletide Festive Beer.  They're restyling their labels and, later on today, I'll take some photos - I do like the new labels.

As well as that, I bought a couple of wee bottles of cocktail - one lychee based and a negroni but they are no longer with us - and very nice they were too.

As well as that, I got a bottle of their Smidgin - their alcohol free gin which is quite the best alcohol free gin I have tasted.  It's also very Slimming World friendly.  I can't have any yet because it needs tonic, of course.

Then they had some beautiful tapas bowls and I fell . . .  :-)

I'll take photos later.

They sell online too - now that's very unfortunate!

After all that, I queued for absolutely ages and the Little Fish and Chip Shop for my lunch and then walked back to the hut.
It was a HUGE portion, absolutely delicious, and I brought more than half home and had it with the cocktails.

Taken earlier in the day - see, we did get some sunshine!

Finally, I walked along the beach, down the pier and had an ice cream (you have to, don't you) before packing up, dropping off the key and getting back on the coach!

Just a really lovely day by the sea.

I started today by picking loads of tomatoes.  I didn't pick any yesterday, of course.  So they need dealing with.

I've started Lindsey's sourdough.  This time it is a mainly white one (the starter is rye) because her son is home for a week and he really likes my white sourdough.

So I starting making the dough and found I didn't have enough strong white.  Never mind, loads of people use all purpose for their bread, so I added that.  Still not enough.  I had to top it up to 500g with some pasta flour!!  However, half way through the stretch and folds, it's making a lovely dough so fingers crossed.
And I feel a visit to Marriage's Mill coming on soon.

I'm hoping to pop round to Beth's this afternoon with her bread and some tomatoes.  That will be nice.
Around that, I have the house to tidy, meals to make, tomatoes to deal with and some chilling time.
And then I need to consider packing for Spain because this time in a fortnight, we will be on the plane.  

And my tum is fine, absolutely fine.  Phew!
Have a lovely Sunday, everyone

Friday, 21-08-26

Hi, everyone.  It's Friday!!  This week has been a real non-event but things are really picking up now, thankfully.

Thanks for the info about pears, Alison.  And that's a great segue into . . .

. . . this!

Remember the lone pear, the only survivor from the June drop?  It's still hanging on, pretty much the proper size for a self-respecting pear now and I need to look up 'how to know when a pear is ready for picking 

 as they don't ripen on the tree, I believe.

(five minutes later)

I did and there's lots of info including YouTube videos.  Who know?  Anyway, this is what I copied and pasted.

How to Know When a Pear is Ready to Pick

To determine if a pear is ready to pick, look for the following signs:

Colour Change: Pears typically transition from deep green to yellow or golden hues. Some varieties may stay green but develop a slightly duller finish. 

Gentle Twist Test: Hold the pear and give it a quarter-turn. If it separates easily from the stem, it’s ready. No tugging needed! 

Neck Softness: Press near the stem with your thumb. A slight give (like a ripe avocado) means it’s time. Avoid bruising the fruit. 

Size Maturity: Pears stop growing in size 1-2 weeks before ripeness. Compare to a grocery-store pear of the same variety. 

Sweet Aroma: Sniff the stem end. A faint, sweet fragrance means the fruit is maturing. No smell? It’s not ready yet. 

These signs will help you harvest pears at peak flavor and nutrition, ensuring maximum retention of dietary fibre, vitamin C, copper, and polyphenols. 

(edited for a bit of mildly irritating American spelling - irritating to me because I am a bit of a pedant, no offence intended - I am sure my spelling is equally irritating to any American readers).

Anyway, not I know.

Moving on, yesterday's biggie was the start of a new series of Ludwig which I have been looking forward to for ages now.  I'm afraid that I watched it on iPlayer, not just the first episode but the first three which were there.  I know I will watch them again as there are lots of funny, quirky bits that one misses the first time round.
Anyway, I love Ludwig and it was really very good with the same overarching long story and a murder solution based on a different puzzle each week.  Plus some new characters.  

Today I am off to Slimming World and then home to pack my bag for tomorrow because tomorrow I am off to Southwold on the Broomfield coach (fingers crossed).

This time, I have hired a beach hut and I'm so glad I did because the weather is a bit uncertain and a base to drop things will be so helpful.  Last time I booked a distillery tour; this time it is the brewery.

So I'm planning to arrive, get into the beech hut, sainted along the promenade to Adnams, taking in a coffee if there's time, then meander up to the shop with my voucher (they hand out vouchers and this time I might spend it as I don't have to carry things around for the rest of the day.  By that time it will be time for lunch so I will buy some fish and chips and take them back to the hut to enjoy.
Hopefully, the weather will be nice enough for a meander down the beach and back again before getting back on the coach.

That's the plan, anyway.  The weather forecast looks promising, although not all that warm, so I will take some kind of warm covering with me like a true Brit!!  Sitting on the sea front in a garden chair (there will be one in the hut) with a blanket over is so iconically British seaside, isn't it?

Right, well, time to go.  Have a good day, all.  I probably won't post tomorrow so see you Sunday.  xx

Thursday, 20-08-26

Good morning.  It's a cool and cloudy early morning here in mid-Essex and it's staying dark significantly longer now.  BBC predicts some light rain at some point today - we will see.

Thank you, again, for your kind and helpful comments.  After a few dodgy moments yesterday morning, everything has stayed put since and I really think that, as long as I am careful, things should stay that way.  
I had porridge for breakfast and then some plain chicken and white rice for dinner - very unexciting but it was bland and there were no repercussions.

Now I need to think about carefully replacing all the good stuff in my gut, don't I?

Yesterday was boring in other ways too.  I did a bit of washing and a bit of housework but kept falling asleep.  Not surprising, I guess.

After exchanging messages with Lindsey, I won't be going to Personal Training today; I have to admit that, much as I enjoy it, it's a great relief.  Chris is away so no coffee and chat but I will be meeting up with Val at Hyde Hall for lunch.  That's the plan anyway although I really don't have much energy and am more than a little inclined to reschedule.  I feel guilty at the number of people I have cancelled on this week but they all seemed to understand.

Actually, while writing the above, I realised that apart from everything else, I am concerned about the drive there and back as well so I have just messaged Val to cancel and offer alternative days.  And now I feel happier and very relieved so that was the right decision.

So another day of chilling and focusing on getting my diet sorted.  Plenty of the good stuff, little and fairly often, I guess.

And tomorrow my post should be a lot more cheerful again.  :-)

Have a lovely day, everyone.  xx

Wednesday, 19-08-26

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to Wednesday!  We have had rain, yay.  Enough that the paving was still wet when I woke.  Not enough to do anything for the water shortage but enough that I don't need to water - every little helps.

Thank you for your ongoing concern.  Yesterday wasn't as good as hoped.  I managed to eat a bit of the bland stuff but nothing stayed inside for long which was a nuisance.  No cramps though - a real blessing there.
I took one more dose of Imodium before I went to bed and fingers crossed.  I'm a bit nervous about eating today but must - maybe some porridge for breakfast, made with water and with a bit of honey for energy.  Later on, chicken and white rice.  Bland and carby but . . .

Fingers crossed!

The tomatoes are building up as I haven't eaten any since Sunday so yesterday I gave a big bagful to my lovely neighbours.  I was going to take some to the Girls' Meal for Beth, Linda and Julia but that didn't come off.  So right now I have some cooking in Thermione with onion and roasted red pepper to make a sort of all purpose sauce/passata (and the smell isn't making me feel too yuck which is good).  Later I will skin a lot of the mini ones and freeze them whole.

There's nothing in the diary today, not even PT now I have swapped to Thursday early morning.  I suspect I will sleep on and off and eat little and often to get some strength back.  
I'm doing a lot of crossing fingers today!

Isn't this pretty?
One of the blooms on the confused dahlia at the front.  Really cheering!

Right, well, I think the tomatoes are done.  I need to blend them and then push it all through my Mouli to get a nice, smooth result.

Have a lovely day, everyone.  xx

Tuesday, 18-08-26

Morning, everyone.
We have had rain!!  Not a lot, but better than nothing at all.

Thank you for your lovely comments yesterday - you are all so kind.  Five Imodiums (Imodia??) later and this morning things seem to have settled into stillness again.  Phew.
After eating precious little plus the problem itself, I'm feeling washed out and lethargic, empty but not hungry and I need to pace myself carefully today.

So no Groove, my meetup with Diane is rescheduled, as was the meal I was having with Beth, Julia and Linda yesterday evening.  Why can't these things happen when there's nothing in the diary?

It's a hard life (said very tongue in cheek!).

Seriously, I will be fine and I hope you all are too.  Have a lovely day and stay safe and well.  See you tomorrow.  xx

Monday, 17-08-26

No post today (apart from this one) - had a really rough night.
See you tomorrow.  xx

Sunday, 16-08-26

Good morning, everyone.  After a deliciously cool night where I was glad to snuggle under my duvet, today has started off so comfortably cool too.  Long may it last.

My Oddbox was waiting for me on the doorstep this morning.  It looks lovely and I'm looking forward to using the contents.  Loads of carrots this time - I dearly love carrots!
You do get a choice - it starts off the a list (I have a small mixed fruit and veg box) and you can swap items or add items so there's considerable choice one way or another -  they email a reminder before the window for subbing closes which is great.

I'm back on the old bread making now.  Lindsey's sourdough is waiting for its second stretch and folds and Beth's mixed yeast and sourdough is doing its first rise.  I've missed the breadmaking this past two or three weeks.

Better go and get a few more things done - meal prep and so on.   I'm feeling more energetic now which is such a relief.

Take care, all, and have a good day.  xx

Saturday, 15-08-26

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to what is hoped will be a much nicer day today.
After not having that many issues with the heatwaves this summer, Thursday and yesterday were not good.  I felt quite unwell and ended up doing very little apart from grabbing whatever was easiest for food and drinking loads of water.  I am very thankful that earlier in the year I was 'influenced' into getting a counter top ice cube maker.  It seemed a Good Idea at the time and, my word, hasn't it earned its space over recent weeks!   An impulse purchase that has paid dividends.

It feels fresher this morning and the predicted temperature is forecast to drop by about 10 degrees from yesterday - fingers crossed.  I'm feeling loads better this morning - not 100% but so much better so phew!

I'm guessing most of you in the UK got the government alarm yesterday evening.   My phone Bluetooths to my hearing aids so it was a real shock and, for several seconds I wondered what on earth it was!  Still - a good use of the system for any people lacking in enough common sense to realise that wildfires are a big threat right now and to play with fire related stuff (fireworks???  Who would let off fireworks at the moment?) or tossing lit cigarette butts out of car windows is not a particularly wise thing to do!
And that's an understatement, isn't it?  xx

Gardens are definitely showing signs of wear and tear now, aren't they.  To be fair, Autumn is approaching and plants are realising their time to reproduce is getting shorter.
I thought my cucumbers were pretty much past it but, after three weeks of not a lot, the mini cucumber has decided to throw out five or six babies, all pretty much from the same point.  The full sized cucumber plant seems to have given up now but we will see.  They've been great this year so no complaints,

Some of next year's foxgloves!

The flower bed is also getting raggedy but there's loads of blooms as well.  This is one of the dahlias that I thought was lost while the other is just starting to bud.  The Japanese anemonies are also looking very pretty.

I also have some big clusters of Autumn fruiting raspberries, the tomatoes are giving generously and the lone pear is still there and getting bigger.  Not bad for a small growing space - could do better but it's OK.

It's worth all the watering, for sure!

I'm taking things very gently today.  

How are you all, if you're living under this unaccustomed heat.  I know people have it a lot worse but we're just not accustomed to it, either in body or in infrastructure.  Maybe we will have to over the coming decades . . .

Stay safe, everyone, and be careful.  xx

Friday, 14-08-26

Good morning, all.  Just a quick one today as I hardly did anything yesterday, it was so hot.

Chris and Tracy came over and we had a lovely chat out in the garden room.  Then it got so hot so I stayed inside, curtains closed, fans on.  

Today is supposed to be hot too, maybe 32/33C, less than yesterday while there's a big drop into reasonable summer temperatures tomorrow.  

Says the BBC!  Fingers crossed.

I have Slimming World today (it won't be great scale news after last weekend), then I need to pick up my prescription, and I expect the rest of the day will be like yesterday - loads of water, fans on, shut the heat out and stay as cool as possible.

How about you?  xx

Thursday, 13-08-46

Morning, one and all.  Thank you for joining me.  Apologies for yesterday - I was a bit pushed for time yesterday morning and every time I remembered I hadn't done it, I was doing something else, if you see what I mean.  So in the end I decided to wait for today!

Not that there's much to writer about, mind you.  It's been a gentle old week here.  I've houseworked, knotted, washed, dries and ironed, done a .
bit of all sorts really

In this hot weather I'm watering twice a day and that seems to be keeping the tomatoes going although some plants are showing signs of wear and tear.  Of course, it's that time of year anyway, isn't it?

I've spotted the first (that I can see) cyclamen flower.  It's very pretty and has grown from a corm Mum gave me, ages ago.  It's a slightly darker pink that it appears in this photo.
It's always a sign that autumn is approaching.  First come the flowers and, a bit later, the leaves, eventually covering the whole bed with pretty shapes during the dull months.  Come the spring, I pull them all up and up they come again in around six months' time.
It's also a reminder that I need to start clearing the bed, starting with the foxgloves that flowered this year but leaving the new plants to flower next year.  I will move some of them too, to a better place in the bed.  (no idea what's happened to the formatting here!

Earlier in the year I dug up some baby foxgloves and popped them into a planter and they seem very happy.  We will see if I get a lovely and moveable display next spring/summer!

While on the subject of garden, the tomatoes continue to be happy with just two minor issues.  
One is the ever present blossom end rot, supposedly because of lack of calcium in the soil, but only one of the types is showing it, the accidental 'Big Red' a huge plum type and I didn't mean to buy.
And the only type that is splitting is the Alicante.  That's supposed to be due to intermittent watering but I don't think that's the case as none of the others are showing signs.  Maybe it is type vulnerability?  Who know?  It's not a bit problem, thankfully!

Today, Chris is round and also Tracy, my next door neighbour, for coffee and a good old natter.  After that I'm popping round to Morrisons as I am running out of fruit which would never do.  There's always bits of housework, of course!

It's going to be very hot (for the UK) over much of England today so do take care, get some water into the fridge early, dig out the sun safety stuff and stay well.  See you tomorrow.  xx

Edit:  I looked up the splitting tomato thing and it said sudden changes in moisture, temperature fluctuations and/or soil conditions.

The RHS says:

 Although easy to grow, tomato fruits can suffer from splitting and cracking in late summer. This is difficult to prevent, as it is caused by fluctuating temperatures and water supply - which are often out of the control of the gardener.

Odd that it is only the Alicantes though.