Tuesday

Good morning.  There's a weather warning out today for strong winds so it might be a stay inside most of the day scenario!  Right at the moment, it's as still as anything but is supposed to get up rather rapidly between twelve and one.  We will see.

Yesterday was great.
I worked away early morning, to get things ready and sorted for the day before setting off to Admiral's Park (in town).  After parking the car in the appropriate (and free) car park, I had a grand old walk round the gardens and park, up one way and back and then the other way and back.  There's lots of little pathways leading off the beaten track but everything is very muddy so I kept to the concrete pathways.  There were loads of friendly and cheerful people to say 'good morning' too and plenty of friendly dogs too, enjoying their morning constitutionals.

Here's a few photos.

Once home, I had breakfast, did a bit more sorting out and then it was time to set off to school for the first session of the knitter knatter club.  Six young ladies had signed up, two of whom could already knit slowly.  The other four took to it very well, there were no disasters and they all seemed to enjoy it very much.  I wonder what their knitting will look like next Monday!

Then I helped in Foundation Stage before going home for lunch.  Tuition also went well and the day ended up with two of my favourite programmes - Only Connect and University Challenge.  They're both well beyond my knowledge so I feel absolutely great when I get one right.

Tomorrow, Jeff is over first thing to neaten up parts of my garden before I walk round to the community centre for Slimming World.  Pottery starts on Thursday and now that there's a local Tuesday morning group I don't need to drive out to Writtle of a Wednesday evening but can just walk there and back.  Much better.

Apart from tuition, the rest of the day is free but there's loads to do in the way of housework and I want to get out for a walk at some point too, weather permitting.  If not, I'll do some indoors stuff.

May you have a good day too and, if the weather is bad where you are, stay warm, dry and safe.
xx

Monday

Good morning!
Yesterday was really pleasant.
I got to the Hobbycraft retail park at ten, only to be reminded that most of the shops don't open until ten thirty.  However, Argos and a furniture place were open so I spent half an hour meandering around the Argos catalogue and then looking at furniture I wasn't remotely tempted by before finally entering Hobbycraft.  I was very restrained - I got the pinking shears and then saw some rather gorgeous yarn and a pattern that would work with it so guess what!  Yup!

By the time I got home it was later than I had originally anticipated so I had breakfast, thankful that I'd already made up the waffle mix apart from adding the baking powder.

By now it was a very pleasant late morning so I wrapped up again and set out for a brisk half hour walk, that being better than ten thousand steps according to a segment in 'Trust me: I'm a doctor' - did you see it last week?
It actually ended up being a forty five minute walk and I followed it with Lindsey's workout from the other day, seeing as I was nicely warmed up and had the right shoes on.
A few photos from the walk . . .

You can see my house in this photo, that's how close I live to the countryside - lucky me.

After a pretty late lunch, I turned up the heating as I was feeling rather cold and then had a restful rest of day knitting, reading and watching telly.  Lovely.

Today it's a morning at home followed by knitter knatter club at school and then helping in Foundation Stage.  Then home for an hour before popping out for tuition.  I'm hoping to fit in another 'brisk' walk at some point in the morning so I need to use my time well.  Tuition for the week is all planned and ready so I just have to read through everything to remind myself.

Have a great day, everyone, whatever your plans are.
xx

Sunday

Good morning.
I had a good old time in town.  The new bus route is longer but it's OK and I've learnt something - it no longer goes to the station.  That's not such a bad thing as the road past both the bus station and the train station gets very clogged up.  So if I want to go that way, I must get the 54, not the 56.  Next time I'll get the 54 and see how that has changed.

In town it was first stop the spice stall.  I asked about the festive spice but they didn't have any on the stall and won't until next year.  However, they had another that's the same mix, it's just that the recipe included is different and I have the other recipe.  I got a couple of pots (each pot serves four generously) and, as they are cheaper if you buy four, I got a mix for cauliflower, potato and peas and one for a lamb curry to make up the four needed.  I have some thin lamb steaks in the freezer so that's a treat for sometime.

I had a nice meander around, carefully avoiding clothes shops apart from M&S where I got a couple of sports bras, the perfume and some bits and bobs from the food hall.

The rest of the day was usual homey sort of things.  Some meal prep, a walk, exercising, housework, etc.  Nothing all that exciting really.  I didn't get round to making the wax wraps so that's on the list for today!

I plan to go to Hobbycraft, arriving in time for it opening at ten.  I need (want!) some pinking scissors and Beth has appropriated my old pair.  I'll have a good old look round at the same time and make no promises about not buying anything!

After that, once home, I have washing, ironing (amazing how it builds up, isn't it?) and I'd like to go for a brisk walk to shake some fidgets out of me.  I was looking at walks in London (there are loads) and I quite fancy one called the Queen's Walk that starts at Westminster Bridge and finishes at St Paul's, taking in plenty of landmarks en route.  It seems that there is a direct bus from St Paul's to Liverpool Street so I'll probably take that on the way back.  You can see so much on the upper deck!
I wonder if Jackie fancies joining me - maybe not; she knows that part really well as she is a volunteer at The Globe.
I might wait until the days are a bit longer but it's on the list.  It's nice to have a plan!

Must remember to take some photos today - I keep forgetting!

Enjoy your day.  What are your plans?
xx

Saturday

Good morning!  It was another lovely, sunny day most of the time yesterday, although quite windy so it felt colder than it really was.

Despite nothing in the diary, I managed to fill the time, one way and another.  I did some cooking, some housework (mainly tidying because it was Friday - cleaner day) and went to Morrisons to get some needed bits and bobs for next week's food plans, coming back with slightly more than I had on my list (grapes are a treat, right?).

Beth came round briefly to help me get the Christmas things into the garage.  The new tree is a lot heavier than the old one and I didn't want to drag the (new) bag along the ground for obvious reasons.  Now that's done, the living room looks nice and tidy again; as tidy as it ever looks, anyway.

Today, there's a few things on the agenda.
I'm taking the bus into town first thing.  That's a bit of an 'adventure' because the routes have changed and I'm a bit fed up that the previous quick route (the 56) is now going all round the houses, like the 54 does.  I also gather that the prices have gone up although that's not going to bother me, of course.
Today I will discover what those changes are and I must remember to check the new times too.

Once in town, I will wander around for a while but I have a list as well.  I'm going to the spice stall to see if he's got any more of the Festive Turkey Leftovers Curry Spice Mix which was really very, very nice with chicken or turkey, cooked leftovers or from raw.  There's a couple of other mixes I want to get as well, while I'm at it.

Then it's on the the fish stall as I'm out of salmon and we can't have that, can we!  :-)

M&S is also on the list.  I need a sports bra, something more supportive.  I'm sure I don't have to go into why!!!  While I'm there, I will get some more of their lavender perfume which I'm nearly out of and which I love.
My other favourite perfumes are Joy (very appropriate) and Chanel no 5 but they're both very expensive and, when I get some, I tend to go online.

Once I get home, I have ironing, a bit more washing and some clearing after which I will go for a walk (weather permitting) before settling with a book and my knitting.

I will NOT buy any clothes (apart from the bra).

What are your plans for this weekend?
xx

Friday

Good morning. 

Yesterday was a very pleasant day.  The sun shone, I hung washing out on the line, went for a walk, did some ironing and generally enjoyed myself.  It's just a shame the rain clouds rolled in and the rain started later on.

Today is another day with nothing in the diary which is getting a bit boring.  I need to start planning some outings and activities, I think.  Maybe that's something to do today.

Have a great day.  xx

Thursday

Good morning!  I didn't wake until past five this morning, after going to bed just after nine, so it was a good night's sleep, thank goodness.

I seem to be turning a bit 'mother earth-y' at the moment.  Only a titchy bit, mind you, but it feels interesting.
Returning to making my own bread again is one thing.
Growing mushrooms from a kit (if it works) is another.
The third is that I'm going to have a go at making my own wax wraps.  People speak very highly of them and recently I have been concerned about the amount of cling film I've been using for wrapping and covering.  I have loads of pretty fabrics in my cupboards, have sent off for some beeswax (blocks, so I will need to grate them, but they were a lot less than wax pellets) and Googled for info on the process - it looks really very simple indeed.
Watch this space.

Personal training went really well yesterday.  Lindsey has started posting 15 minute slots on Facebook, sometimes aerobic-y things and sometimes toning and stretching, and as one of her 'clients' I have access.  They're quite good, I think, and I can always manage 15 minutes when someone is telling me what to do!
In her little attic gym, there was a new machine.  I've looked it up and it is an eliptical cross-trainer.    Anyway, she's included it in my programme and afterwards, for the rest of the day, I knew I'd had a workout!  Nothing bad but definitely an ache which has gone today.  I do enjoy these sessions and am looking forward to getting back to once a week instead of once a fortnight which I am doing at present.

The rest of the day was spent doing homey things - washing, ironing, bit of cleaning, tidying, etc.  IO now have a tidy drawer for my cleaner than clean tea towels and muslin cloths apart from one muslin that I use to strain blackberries and which I will keep just for that purpose.  I know it's clean, after all.

Today is blank until later when I have tuition followed by SW group in the evening.  Pottery starts again next week so I will have to go to another group and, fortunately, last term Jennifer started a daytime group at the same place, within walking distance, so I will go along to that.

It should be a very pleasant day, I think.  Hopefully, yours is too.
xx

A week in pictures

To try and get myself to take a few more photos, I'm going to start doing a weekly post with photos from the week.  Whether I keep it up or not, goodness knows, but you never know!

Wednesday:  clearing away the decorations.  Very sad but it has to be done.

Thursday:  making bread again, filling the home with most appetising smells

Friday:  Hope.  The bulbs are definitely making their presence felt now.  These will be bluebells in due course

Saturday:   typical 'garden city' houses; there are many different styles and shapes but they still have that garden city look.  I love them.

Sunday:  a walk on a gloomy day - Norton Common.  Pretty damp and muddy at the moment.

Monday:  signs of life and lovely, fresh greens.

Tuesday:  a 'caff' style dinner - and it was lovely!