Thursday

Good morning, everyone.  Another waking at stupid o'clock but never mind, there's plenty to do.

Everything slotted in nicely yesterday.  Jeff has reduced my front weed bed to an orderly state once more and there is now plenty of inviting soil showing for me to plant my bulbs.  At Hyde Hall the other Saturday, I bought some pretty tulips and some crocuses, neither of which I actually have already and then, at what-used-to-be-Wyvale, when I checked out my purchases, I got a free bag of narcissi - unscented, sadly, but you can't win 'em all!
Getting them out, some in the front and some in pots is a job for the weekend, weather permitting.

It's quite crazy - tomorrow will be November and yet the fuchsias are still flowering merrily and there's still some colour on the trailing geraniums and the dahlias.  The primulas are mighty confused too and are flowering now.  Will they flower in spring or not, I wonder.

Al and I had fun in front of the PC, she showing me how to book train tickets online.  Honestly, I'm so naive, I've never done it before.
My disabled person's railcard proved a real blessing by getting us both considerably reduced fares, me as the card holder and Al as my travelling companion.  Around £14 each to get us right to the Natural History Museum and home again.  I don't even have to fork out for the bus fair into the station (although Al does).

Later on, while Al was in town, I went online again and started investigating train fares up to Edinburgh.  It's a little, simmering plan of mine to train it up to Edinburgh and stay for a week in the Premier Inn on Princes Street, slap bang in the centre of the city and with walking distance of loads of interesting stuff.
My brother lives in Jedburgh, not too far away, so I'm sure we could meet up at some point too.
The train fare is not cheap, but when you consider the cost of taking a car, petrol and parking expenses, it suddenly looks a very viable option to let the train take the strain, as the saying goes.
Anyway, it's a baby plan!

Personal Training went well.  Lindsey showed me some exercises I can do on my balance ball thingy and, bless her, after the end of the session, she filmed herself doing them and sent them over to me with guidance.  It's the sort of thing I can do while watching telly!

Then Sharon turned up to do my hair and now I feel half human again. 

Today, as mentioned, we're off to London for an adventure so that's the whole day taken up.  Then it's taster evening at SW in the evening.  Hopefully I'll sleep well tonight anyway.
Have a great day, everyone.  xx

Wednesday

Good morning, everyone.  It was another lovely day yesterday with plenty of sunshine, just perfect for a long(er) walk to the shops in between cake making!

First of all, Marlene, if you read this, I'm sending lots of love and want you to know that I will miss your blog very much.  Many hugs in your direction and may you be happy.

Well, I had a go at the 'healthy' cake for the taster evening tomorrow.  I've banged on about it in the other blog but, suffice it to say, no!  Just don't.  It wasn't nice!  I'm afraid it saw the inside of the bin!

After getting over that disappointment, I gave the fruit soaking in alcohol for the Christmas cake, sent Beth a message, got a reply and set to to make my first ever Christmas cake!  OK, not as grand as it sounds as it's a Delia recipe so hardly any kind of culinary risk but all my adult life Mum has been the one to make the family cake and then Beth took over when Christmas shifted to my house.

It was a mess-creating situation but great fun and highly successful.  It took four and a half hours to cook and in that time the house became warm, spicy and plummy.  Such a shame one can't bottle that aroma as it's the most Christmassy scent there ever was.
It's now well wrapped and in a tin and later on in the week it will get its first feeding of cointreau.  Mmmmmmmm.

In the evening, Alison arrived so I picked her up from the station and we chatted and chatted until I almost fell asleep.

Today is a busy day.  A shame when I have a visitor but we know each other well enough not to have to so 'special'.
Jeff's coming at eight to do a general garden tidy up and then we have some more chatting time until I need to go off to Lindsey's for my PT.  Alison says she'd like to pop into town during the day.
In the afternoon, the lovely Sharon is turning up to do Beth and my hair - I'm feeling very shaggy dog so it will be a relief to get it sorted, it really will.

That's it for the day so, although there's 'stuff', we'll still have plenty of time to chat and to sort out what we'd like to do tomorrow when we might take a train into London.  For someone living so close to one of the great cities of the works, I really don't make enough use of it.  In fact, I don't go at all which is a shame and something I ought to remedy, especially with a bus pass and a disabled person's railcard to ease the financial load.
Fingers crossed for the weather.

So that's my day and it should be a good'un!  I hope yours is too.  xx

Tuesday

Good morning!

As expected, it was a lovely, sunny day around here and the walk round parts of Chelmer Village was lovely.  Not warm though; I was thankful for my cosy coat although I didn't quite need my gloves.  I looked up where we had gone as part of it was along the River Chelmer by Sandford Lock.  A pleasant walk and one I will do again, definitely.

The rest of the day was lazy.  I didn't go elsewhere but I did have a pleasant relax.

Today, this morning, a surveyor is coming to measure up for the work I'm having done next year.  After that, the day's my own but I have a friend arriving at around eight this evening to stay for a few days so I do have a certain amount of clearing and tidying to do plus making her soda bread as, because of various intolerences, she can't have ordinary bread.

I also want to have a go at some pumpkin cake which may or may not work.  It's a taster evening on Thursday at SW group and if I try this today and it doesn't work, I have time to find something else.

I'd better get started.  Have a great day!  xx

Monday

Morning, everyone.  After the horrible weather on Saturday, yesterday was beautifully sunny.  Quite chilly, but that was OK.  Today's supposed to be nice too - bring it on.  It's jolly chilly right now though and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's frosty out there!  The heating is working its usual magic.

It was a lovely day yesterday.  Dave came round to have Sunday dinner with Dad and me and we all had a jolly good talk about all sorts of things while we scoffed roast lamb (a real treat), etc.  Once they had left, I read, watched TV and did some ironing and made a fool of myself with the balance ball.  It's harder than one would think.

Today feels like a holiday.  It's the first day of the half term break for schools around here and my diary is blank.  No tuition this week, I have decided.  I went online and booked a Heart and Sole walk around an area of town I don't really know for this morning so that will be good.  It starts and finishes outside Asda so I'll pop in and look at things in there before heading home for lunch.
In the afternoon, I'll probably do some recipe hunting, plan some Christmas stuff and generally just take things nice and easy.  I might go out for another walk, depending on how I feel or I might pop down to a couple of garden centres and take a look around.  Or there's the garden which always needs a bit of tidying up and I have some bulbs to pop in.

I know people shudder at the thought of mentioning Christmas so early but, for me, all the planning and prepping are part of the fun and I wouldn't change it for the world.  Looking around the displays and decorations is a pleasure that never palls and a feast for the eyes.  Very cheering!
Also, the family Christmas arrangements seem to be sorting themselves out quite nicely.  It won't be the same because everyone has other people to celebrate, not just me, but things are working out well.

I doubt I will ever completely lose that 'it's holiday' feeling at the start of each school break.  I hope not, anyway, it is so lovely.  It lifts the spirits and creates a sense of freedom and gratitude in my heart.
Here's to a happy day for us all.  xx

Sunday

Good morning, everyone.  We had some pretty heavy rain yesterday afternoon and some strong winds as well but all is fine and dandy and it's supposed to be sunny today although, right now, it feels chilly.  I think it's time to start wearing the PJs again.

Yesterday was lovely, despite the weather.  Dad arrived before the rain and had an easy drive down.  Beth turned up late afternoon.  It was just a nice family day.

Today is more of the same.  Dave is coming round for Sunday lunch and Dad will leave after lunch, before it starts getting dark.

That's about it really.  A lovely, gentle day with family.

Happy Sunday to you.  xx

Saturday

Hi, everyone.   Yesterday was an OK weather day.  Not a lot of sun but it was dry and quite mild - no need for a coat when I went out.  Today doesn't look like being so good.  Loads and loads of very heavy rain, according to the Beeb.

Yesterday morning was good, thank you for all the good wishes for it.
I started off in Sainsbury's, noticing that clothes were 25% off - always a good thing!  I didn't get much as I really don't need much this year but I did get some slippers as mine are getting a bit worn.  I wear slippers mostly inside at this time of year and they're not made to last!  I got myself a warmer dressing gown because the one I have is about six sizes too big now and that's just too much.  Finally, I got a Christmas jumper.  It's bright and sparkly and just what I was looking for.  There was another one I really liked but there were none in my size - that's the other side of being the size I am, they go quickly in that size.  However, naughty me, I might go online and see if they have the nice one there.

I also did the food shopping and treated me and Dad (who will be here this weekend) to a small lamb leg joint.  Fingers crossed there's enough as I've asked Dave and Anna over.

And I treated my car to a wash from the company in the car park.  It looks loads nicer now although that won't last for long.  She's now also topped up with petrol so she's good for another month or so.

I head off to Wyvale and found that it now has another name - Longacres.  The Christmas decorations were up so I had a browse around and found a replacement for my wooden, electric, Scandi style seven candle holder thingy that finally fell apart last year after decades of use so I had to chuck it.  This one is red which works well for me as my Christmas colours are red, gold and green.  Old fashioned?  Moi?
I also found a wooden plaque thingy that said 'Retired, happy and spending the kids' inheritance" which made me laugh so in the trolley it went.  I'm not sure where to hang it but it has to be where the kids will see it!
Superficially, it looked more or less the same although they didn't have the wide range of very posh Christmas trees that Wyvale used to have.  There were loads of tree decorations but none that grabbed me by the throat and hissed 'You NEED me'.  I have so many tree decorations now that they have to be overwhelmingly amazing in some way for me to buy!

Finally, I stopped off at Hobbycraft but all I got there were some card mounts as Beth is nearly out of them - a little gift for her!

I was shattered by the time I got home but it was a good morning.  I'm glad I had pre-made the soup!

The rest of the day was pretty lazy although I had ordered one of those exercise balance ball thingies from Amazon and that arrived so I spent a few calories pumping it up using the foot pump provided.  Now I need to make sure I use it!  YouTube, here I come!

(Anyone know what's happened to Zoe Ball?  She's not been on It Takes Two all week)

Today, I have slept in.  It must be all that shopping!  Thankfully, nothing was booked, I have no commitments until Dad arrives later on this morning, so a lie is is not any kind of problem.  I will potter and tidy up a bit, make our lunch and generally take life easy.

Today is Beth's birthday and she's coming over for dinner this evening.  I've got her the new Margaret Attwood that she's been longing for so I guess I won't then see much of her for a few days!

And that's it.  A happy yesterday and, hopefully, a happy today as well.  Hope yours is too!  xx

Friday

Good morning, everyone.  We had horrible weather here yesterday most of the day.  Lashing rain but not cold, thank goodness.  I felt for the teachers - trying to sort things out before half term and the children getting more and more restless.  Not fun.

Yesterday went well.  I got Dad's room ready for the weekend and pottered around clearing and tidying.  Beth came round and had lunch and dinner here which was nice, before we went off to pottery.

I was really pleased with the way my two bowls turned out. 

 I shall use this with the advent candle I treated myself to at Hyde Hall - another personal tradition.

 I think it looks nice - nicer than in the photo.

When advent is over, I will use it for a square candle over Christmas.  I always have lots of Christmas candles.

The pasta/tapas bowl also turned out nicely although I thought the glaze inside would be lighter, more sort of oatmeal-ish instead of the mushroom colour it has turned out to be.  What I am pleased with is the transition from the lighter to the darker glaze - it's neater than I thought it might be.

I might use it for my soup at lunchtime!

This is what I started.  It's hard to tell and the photo isn't great but the centre dips in and the sides curve out.  I've just left it to dry out and will neaten and smooth bits off at the next session. 

I also started a tea light holder and have brought it home, carefully wrapped in wet J cloth and cling film, together with a lump of clay, so I can get on with it at home.  There's no pottery next week, you see, as it's half term.







Today I have absolutely nothing in the diary.  Well, that's not quite true as it's cleaners day, but that's all.  I feel as if I have a gift of a day to have fun in.

I've just done what is turning out to be a simple highlight of each day and that's stirring the Christmas cake fruit and the fat free mincemeat, both of which smell fabulous.  The latter is now ready to go into the freezer but I might be very naughty and have a little mixed in some yogurt as it's really delicious.

Also, I started early and have a rather delicious smelling roasted butternut squash and red pepper soup (partly using leftovers) ready for lunch.  The peppers (with onion and tomato) were already cooked.  I roasted a bit of squash in the actifry, then popped the lot into Thermione with some garlic granules, stock, water and seasonings.  After a short boil and a good blend, I added some milk and a dollop of ricotta and zizzed it again.  I'm lookin forward to my lunch today!

So - what shall I do?  Well, I gather Sainsbury's has their Christmas clothes in so I think I will take a look there and also do my weekend shopping at the same time.  Then I might go to Wyvale as it's not far down the road from Sainsbury's and I have heard that it will be closing which is extremely sad as it's such a lovely shop and garden centre and their Christmas decorations are to die for, they really are!

I might then drive over to Hobbycraft and just have a lovely time wandering around there.  There's nothing I actually need but you never know . . .

Goodness, what self indulgent plans!  I guess it's going to be a lovely day!  I hope yours is too.  xx