Thursday evening, 07-03-24

Hello again, everybody!  Another day over and I'm getting a bit more comfortable with evening blogs.  I suppose it is more like a 'real' diary, rabbiting on about what has happened rather than what will/should happen!  😁

First things first.  There won't be a blog post tomorrow because I won't be back until late-ish and will be heading straight to bed.  I'll tell you all about it on Saturday.  

As almost always, today was a lovely day.  It started with a walk to Morrisons to get some flowers (there was such a choice because of Mothering Sunday coming up), then back for SET online and then, having looked up the whole shingles/chicken pox thing, I went over to Chris' for our coffee and chat after all and I'm glad I did.  Goodness, how we can talk!!

Then Val arrived and we had a really good catch up session which I thoroughly enjoyed.  We missed our get together January and February for very good reasons, so there was a lot to talk about.

To my delight, because I had forgotten, the latest Marion Todd book was out today.  I had it on pre-order as I do for all her books, and it's on my Kindle.  I've been very restrained and haven't started it so I can enjoy it on the coach tomorrow and if there's time to 'waste' between shows.  Perfect timing.
Do any of you know Marion's books? - if not, it's worth giving them a go.  They're Scottish detective/police stories with the same characters and so very readable.  There's now eight of them and I have really enjoyed every one of them.  

https://www.goodreads.com/series/272107-d-i-clare-mackay

And now I have used the back pack I bought for the cruise and packed it for my day out tomorrow.  It's a good size, plenty of room, not too heavy, just right for that purpose.  My usual handbag is a small back-pack style thing anyway so it will feel fine.
I'll be going to Morrisons early to buy a few bits for a packed lunch, things I didn't buy when I went today because I couldn't guarantee they would remain uneaten until tomorrow (!!!), then into Slimming World group.  I'll have to leave SW early to get to where the coach is picking us up to take us into London - and we go from there.

Hoping your day has been as lovely as mine.  Sweet dreams, everyone.  xx

Wednesday evening, 06-03-24

Good evening, everyone.  The weather decided to play ball today.  The sun came out and it was quite nice.  A bit chilly but not that bad.

I took a walk to Morrisons this morning.  I needed to get a few items and also some cash - I like to carry some cash and thought it might be worth getting more before Friday's trip into London. just in case of need.
I tapped two boxes going and learned from Lindsey this afternoon that I could have tapped them going home as well.  Interesting!  Once home, I set to and made lunch for tomorrow so I don't have a mad rush before Val comes for lunch.

I got downstairs all nice and clean before going over to Lindsey's for personal training and a good old natter as I worked.

And that was that - just a normal day really with nothing exciting happening.

Still pondering Prague.

Tomorrow I want to go back to Morrisons early as I want to get some flowers for Val (there's a good reason) and didn't want to get them today.  Then it is SET online before having an online chat with Chris this week as her husband has shingles, poor chap.  

Then there's just time to make salad, finish off lunch and set the table before Val gets here.

Once she's gone, I need to get things ready for Friday's trip to London to see The Cursed Child - a packed lunch and anything else I want to take with me.

So it's going to be quite a busy day.

Good night, all.  Sleep well and pleasant dreams.  xx

Tuesday evening, 05-02-24

Good evening, everyone.

First of all, before I forget, a few links about Beat the Street, as promised in one of the comments.

It's not a new thing; the info on this site was written in 2016 but I've never heard of it before.  Perhaps it's the first year this has happened here - I don't know.

https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/beat-the-street-getting-communities-moving

Here's our local link - if you scroll down, there's a video clip showing how it works.

https://www.beatthestreet.me/chelmsford/

And finally, here's an article from the Merton site from last year which gives a bit more info.

https://news.merton.gov.uk/2023/03/10/the-popular-physical-activity-game-beat-the-street-gets-underway-in-merton-next-week/

Lindsey is one of the core team organising it here and she's really thrown herself into it.  She was doing school assemblies yesterday and has organised 'find the boxes' walks as well as contributing classes as prizes, bless her.  She's also running a one-off Shimmy 'n' Groove Fitness-Family taster session near the end, once the schools break up for Easter.
Anyone local interested?  I've been to a few of her family sessions - they are great fun!  Here's the link.

https://www.beatthestreet.me/chelmsford/events/fitness-family-taster/

This morning, Chris was quite happy to walk and tap with me on the way to Groove.  It had been raining but we were so very lucky - it stopped before we set out and started again after we got home.  Yes, there was a real dampness in the air but it wasn't raining.  Groove was great fun and Chris and I are never short of things to chat about so it was a lovely morning.

I did some upstairs housework because I remembered Val is coming round on Thursday so I'd want to give downstairs a quick going over beforehand.  No point doing it two days on the trot - not in my book anyway!

I did get all the ironing done though which I was pleased about.  

Did Facebook go down for you too - it took me a while to realise that it was them, not me, by which time I'd changed passwords and generally faffed around.  It seems fine again now, so fingers crossed.

I know I said about holidays, etc, this year but something has come through from One Traveller regarding a six day holiday in Prague - four really, not counting travel days - and it sounds really lovely with lots of included excursions and, being One Traveller, a bedroom per person, whatever the size.   I'm pondering . . .

On to tomorrow and the only thing in the diary is Personal Training but I want to do out downstairs and also to make as much as I can of the lunch for Val and me so I will have enough to keep me going.

So now, at around nine o'clock, all I have to do is warm up my comfy bed using the electric blanket, get ready for bed and then read until I drop off.  Lovely.
As Mum and Dad used to say to us when we were little and they had tucked us in and given us a hug and a kiss, and which I turned into a sort of rhyme in my head . . .

Good night,

God bless,

See you in the morning and

No more noise . . .

xx

Monday evening, 04-03-24

Good evening, everyone.  It's been quite a pleasant day round here.  Fine, dry, some sunshine and my washing dried on the line - ready to iron, anyway, if not completely dry.  OK, so it's been a bit cold, but that's what extra layers are for.

I enjoyed Circuits as much as usual.  All great fun and I do feel I'm putting in some energy.  It's a good group now and it's hard to believe that this time last year, Lindsey was concerned that it might be too small to continue.  Not a chance of that now! 

Once home and after breakfast, hanging out washing, etc, I set off to Morrisons for a very few items I forgot last Friday and also to pick up my blood pressure prescription - and to find a couple of boxes to tap.  I've discovered there's one just at the top of our short cul de sac that wasn't on the map although it is on the online map and, with the one outside Morrisons, that makes two I can probably tap every day (you have to tap two boxes within half an hour for the points to start counting) and I've suggested to Chris that we walk a different way to the hall for Groove tomorrow so we can find a few more.

Once home again, it was the usual stuff for Monday.  I didn't get all of downstairs done so that can continue tomorrow.  This evening, there's ironing to start - might not get it all done either but it's a start.

Tomorrow starts with Groove and, hopefully, taking a different route there - Chris hasn't confirmed that she is OK with that yet but I think she will be - followed by more washing and housework.  I now have four scarves to take to Potters in April and I'd like to have more so knitting is also on the agenda.  I know, I know, such an exciting life I live!  😁

Has your Monday been good?  Take care, stay warm and sleep well.  xx

Sunday evening, 03-02-24

Hi, everyone.  It's been dry today, thank goodness.  Quite cold but it's nice not to have had to dodge the raindrops when going out to the shed and it was great to see the sunshine too.  Long may it continue.
I had such a lovely sleep overnight.  I think I woke once for the loo but, apart from that, I came to, all warm and cosy, around seven.  Just what was needed.

It's been a typical Sunday; I was thoroughly lazy, taking things very easy and just doing homey stuff.  Very restful, very settling and contented.

Friday evening, Julia brought me some bunches of daffodils and by today they had opened in the warmth.  They are so lovely and cheerful so I took a couple of photos - they filled three vases but I photo-ed two of them.

There's just something about daffodils, isn't there?

I was going over the finances for February.  I had to pay for some coach trips, the headboard and my exercise classes plus a couple of annual payments (as well as the usual monthly outgoings, of course) but apart from that, I did quite well really and was able to move a bit more into savings at the end of the month which I was pleased about.

March should be pretty frugal too, with nothing going out for council tax and water, etc, but in April the car insurance is due so I doubt very much I will have any left over to move into savings for a couple of months.  It's not a worry; I feel very blessed to have the income to cover the essentials and am always grateful.

Given that energy is one of my words for the year, I've been  - well, not exactly unenergetic with the exercise classes I do, but I haven't done any extra.  I didn't feel like Beating the Street today so I didn't.  If I'd made myself do it, I am sure I would have enjoyed it very much indeed.  Bad me, eh?

Tomorrow is classic Monday.  Circuits, downstairs cleaning, etc, and a few loads of washing. Nothing exciting but it should take up a reasonable part of the day once you include meals, etc.  It is supposed to be pretty cold overnight but a lovely, sunny day tomorrow - great for drying my washing outside.  Fingers crossed.

It's just after seven now and I've done the evening kitchen clean and tidy so all that remains is to sit, knit, watch telly . . . the usual evening rest and relax stuff.
Have a lovely evening, everyone, and sweet dreams.  xx

Saturday evening, 02-03-24

Good evening, everyone.  How are things going down your way.  Have you had a good day?

Yesterday evening was the best time ever.  We talked and ate and ate and talked and it was pretty late by the time everyone headed off to their homes.  I did a little bit of tidying up, sorting out the food, before heading upstairs at nearly midnight.  I had expected to sleep really well so set the alarm but, actually, didn't sleep very much at all.  I think my brain was buzzing and, frankly, I'd eaten too much.  I usually eat early in the evening and one course plus fruit sometimes so a full three courses was several mouthfuls too far.  It was so delicious though - worth every twinge of indigestion!

By quarter past eight this morning I was knocking on Lindsey's door for my personal training session followed by the SET class.  Both were really good and I wouldn't have missed either for the world.

I was tired afterwards though and had a bit of a snooze around midday.

The weather started off shocking - absolutely pouring and gusty too so it felt really chilly.  Back home, I turned up the heat and put on my oodie which dealt with the shivers.  The rest of the day was spent pottering around - cooking, meal planning, knitting, watching stuff on the telly - a really lazy afternoon which I appreciated very much, especially as the sun came out between showers and things felt generally warmer.

I'm weary now so, fingers crossed, I'll have a much better night's sleep tonight.  Tomorrow I have some washing to do and, weather permitting, I want to have a Beat the Street walk around this area: BBC Weather seems to think it will be nice.  Cold but fine.

It's a bit early to go to bed so I'm going to recline, read, knit or see if there's anything for me to catch up with on the telly for a while.  Sleep well, everyone, sweet dreams.  xx

Friday, 01-03-24

Hi, everyone.  Welcome to March, possibly the first day of spring, depending on which date you go by.  It was absolutely pouring it down this morning but by the time I came out of Morrison's, the sun was struggling through and it's been much more pleasant.  It feels cold though, I don't care what the thermometer says!!

Slimming World was, as always good fun.   Plenty of people there and a lively second half.  Then I dodged the raindrops for the fifty metres it took to get to Morrisons and did the first shop of the month.  It was a bit ouch - well, the bill was - but I needed to stock up on bits and bobs that won't appear on the list for a while.  The only naughty thing was a treat - a small leg of lamb joint that I intend to thoroughly enjoy on Sunday!

The email came through about next Friday's London jolly to see the Harry Potter plays.  It's mostly just times, of course, but it's exciting as I've fancied going for a long time now.  I'm not even going to think about dinner because there's loads of places to eat and, if worst come to worst, I'll hardly starve and there will be refreshments in the theatre.  I'm taking a packed something for lunch.

I'm typing this late afternoon because I'll be otherwise occupied this evening.  I've got as much ready as I possibly can so thought I'd get this done and schedule it to post later.  I hope you've had a fab first day of March/Spring/St David's Day.  xx