Sunday, 25-10-26

Morning, everyone.  After a very bleak and wild couple of days, the sun is shining round here.  It's a really welcome sight indeed although I'm not complaining about the heavy rain yesterday.  Goodness knows, we need it and lots more.  I really hope you and yours are well and damage free this morning.  

It's a very quiet weekend here.  I have precious few plans apart from making bread.  I can make Beth's but Bubbles isn't cooperating so Lindsey's might have to wait.  That is sourdough for you.
I might pop to Morrisons for a few things but they're not absolutely necessary so maybe I won't.

So this is very short and sweet.

See you tomorrow.  Take care and stay safe.  xx

Saturday, 24-10-26

Good morning, everyone.  Sorry about yesterday - I had to rush out to Slimming World after starting it but not finishing and just forgot I hadn't posted.  I'm fine, the house is fine, it was quite windy yesterday afternoon but it's been a lot worse and it was beautiful over lunch time.  If it hadn't been for the morning and afternoon rain, it would have been a great drying day!

You could see the storm arriving.  It was very wet first thing, then it all dried up and the sun shone.  But it got darker, the wind started and you could almost smell it coming!  And then, with a whoosh and a deluge, there it was.

Back to the morning and when I arrived at the hall to help set up, Heidi and Kim were standing dejectedly under Heidi's boot with everything half in and half out.  Problems with the lock!  It was raining but not too badly and we had to wait ages for the caretaker to come and sort it out.

We were beginning to wonder about asking the library over the way if we could set up a weigh and go there but all was well in the end.  We did a speedy set up with just the essentials and, fortunately, people didn't arrive too early.

After that bit of excitement, I came home and did the usual homey sort of stuff (totally forgetting that I hadn't finished my blog - ooops), the heating came on so it can't have been all that warm, and then the wind got up so any plans I had for going out anywhere hit the bottom of the bin.

Today?  I don't know what's going to happen.  Another storm is on the way, if not already here, but it's going further north so I think we're probably very lucky round here.

I've just nearly fallen for an online ad.  It opened up in Facebook from Laithwaite's, the wine company and it was their small wine bottles advent calendar.  Oooh, thought I, good idea and clicked into the basket before I came to my senses and realised if I wanted something like that I could buy mini bottles and make it myself.  And, really, I don't anyway!!
How easy it is to fall for these tempting and attractive looking Festive adverts!!  I would have been so cross with myself later on . . .

Time to get the day started, I think.  I have bits and bobs to do, just small things, and I might go for a walk if it is dry.    I'll see how I feel.  
Stay safe and dry, everyone.  All the best.  xx

Thursday, 22-10-26

Morning!  I'm a bit late this morning.  No reason except that I should have had personal training early but Lindsey is unwell and cancelled.  I had got it in my head that I would do this after I got home from PT so, because there was no PT . . .
It makes sense to me anyway!

What did I do yesterday?  I can't really remember which means not very much. doesn't it.  I had a successful meeting in school and that is it until after half term now.  I did some washing, some ironing, bits and bobs like that.

Today, Chris and I are out to the Hare for lunch and there might be an online chat this evening but apart from that it's more of the same.  It's sunny outside but it's chilly; I ought to do a bit of gardening but I'll see how I feel later.

And that is it.  I have a bit of good news but it can wait a few days.  

Hope it's not too windy your way and that this oncoming storm doesn't bother you too much.   xx

Wednesday, 21-10-26

Morning, everyone.  After a not terribly good night, I gave up, got out of bed, wrapped up and came down to get the day started.

First of all, thank you for your lovely comments on Monday's post when you shared missing loved ones.  It can hit us all hard at times - my love to you all.  xx

Yesterday turned out to be much more lively (and wet) than expected.

Chris and I drove down to Groove, partly because of ouchy knees and partly because the skies looked very threatening.  It was good - it always is.

When we pulled in to the cul de sac, there was a big old van waiting with two chaps inside - yes, despite being scheduled to do my plumbing work from 1:30 onward, there they were, having finished the previous job much more quickly than expected.
My first thought was probably unprintable but then I realised that, despite having been tempted to leave clearing the corner cupboard until after Groove, I did the sensible thing.  Thank goodness I did!

Anyway, they got going, up came another large van/small lorry with two other men and some machinery.
The issue was that I had a leak between the house and the water meter.  They could have simply repaired it but I decided that it would be more sensible to have the relevant bits of pipework replaced, seeing as the house was built in the late 1970s and things have moved on since then.  
(The leak was just soaking away, by the way, not flooding or anything)

A few hours and lots of ins and outs and banking and drilling later, all finished.  They put the shelves back, wiped everything down, made good what they had taken/dug up outside and, apart from some fresh sand between the slabs, you'd never have known that there had been work done.
And no more leak!

They were all gone by the time they were due to arrive.

And then the heavens opened so thank goodness they were able to come early!

I finished off Beth and Alex's washing/drying and got it over to him later on.  Beth is away in London - some sort of award thing last night and a conference today.
And came home with more washing because their machine truly is on the blink again!  I'll get that done today.

The evening thing was our Director of Education and others telling us governors about changes and what the LEA is doing, planning, projecting, etc.  All very worthy and 'meaningful', I an sure, and I hate to say it but isn't education dreadful for jargon!  Always has been.  As they talked, I felt this sense of deja vu/lethargy creep over me and my main thoughts were 'poor heads/schools' as yet one more project or review or initiative was explained.  Don't they have enough to do already?

I will look at various bits again when they send the link and the slides but oh, dear!

And then I slept badly again!  lol

Thankfully, today is easy.  I'm into school first thing for a meeting with the SENDco and after that it's home, James, to potter and get bits and bobs done.  I might pop out somewhere and I might not, I'll see how I feel and, weather permitting, there's a bit more gardening to do.

And that's my day!  See you tomorrow, everyone.  xx

Tuesday, 20-10-26

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Tuesday.

Yesterday was quite lazy - I mean gentle!!  I just pottered really, agreed a meeting for tomorrow, didn't take Beth's washing back when it was all done because she was busy working and didn't empty the cupboard to the side of the sink.  I did get some ironing done though.

I hadn't slept well over Sunday night so I had a lovely long snooze early afternoon which kept me going.

I've emptied the cupboard now.  It's one of those corner cupboards that you hide things in that you rarely use but don't want to chuck.  It actually didn't take all that long and there's a few things I now feel I can hand on so that's good.
I'm having some plumbing work done and they need to access the actual stopcock rather than the more convenient stop switches which is why the cupboard needs emptying.  The shelves also come out but I am leaving that for them to do because they will then have to put them back again.  lol

So this morning it is Groove, then over to Beth with her washing, then the plumbing work this afternoon (must remember to fill my jugs with water and go to the loo before they turn off the water) and this evening there's an on line 'Director's conference for Governors' .  No, I have not the foggiest but I guess I will know more afterwards - I hope so, anyway!

I'll be glad when today is over - having work done is always a bit stressful, isn't it?

Have a great day, stay warm and safe and be good!!!  xx

Monday, 19-10-26

Morning, all.  Welcome to another new week.  Another chilly start but it does feel milder than the weekend mornings.

Yesterday was a very, very sad day . . .

I'll try to remember to take and post a photo later.  It is too dark at the moment.

Here you go!

The tomato bed is no more - well, the bed is but the plants are now in the bin.  The tomatoes weren't ripening any more and there were a few signs of end of season deterioration - sort of blightish but slow moving - so I had the lot out, sorted out the usable fruit, shoved the remainder in the bin (not the compost, just in case), cleared the bed completely of weeds and dropped tomatoes, and all the canes, wire ties, etc, are safely away until next year.

I will feed the soil today with chicken manure pellets and soul from the compost, and clear any weeds as they come up.  In a few weeks I will maybe cover the soil but maybe not, I'll see how it goes.
Is there anything I could grow now to produce over winter?  Do any of you know?

Anyway - I look at the bed and feel sad.  It's been such a great year for tomatoes.  

Beth came over to me rather than me going to hers.  Annoyingly, her washing machine is playing silly sausages so she brought a pile over here.  She took the fist lot home, the second lot dried overnight and the last pile is just finishing.  I'll take it over later today. 
It was a good opportunity to have a nice chat.  It's her birthday next Monday and originally we were going to have lunch out but the next day we are eating out with Julia and Linda so we decided to have a coffee in John Lewis and then do some window shopping instead of lunch.  That'll be fun.

Today I don't exactly feel sad but can't quite think of the word.  Today was my lovely Mum's birthday. 
Usually, today I would be making the Christmas cake which Mum always did on her birthday but this year there's no Christmas cake.  I will be away, Beth and Alex will just be two and we agreed that it wouldn't be a great use of money.  If they fancy something, they can buy a little slab cake or make a tea loaf or something like that.
Not to worry, there's always next year.

Have a lovely day, everyone.  Stay warm.  xx

Sunday, 18-10-26

Morning, everyone.
Hasn't it turned chilly.  My heating is clicking on intermittently and the hoodies are in regular use.  I even wore socks to bed (very cosy) last night.  I gather some places have had frost so I am counting my blessings!

There's nothing particularly exciting in my life right now.  The days roll past with all the usual things and I am trying to ignore as much as possible all the bad thoughts and deeds swirling around the world right now.  When I say 'ignore' I don't mean not accepting that they are happening, that  wouldn't be right at all.  I guess I mean not letting them chain me down in a pit of fear.  Easier said than done at times.

Today, being Sunday is bread day.  Lindsey's sourdough is resting before it gets kneaded and then I will pop Beth's yeasted bread in without washing the pot so not a scrap of sourdough gets wasted.  :-)

I've goofed a bit and, after my Oddbox delivery, I have more fruit than I know what to do with.  I've stewed some plums already.  Pears stew quite nicely too, don't they?  And I am sure Beth will gladly take some off my hands too.

Right, well, the sourdough has rested so I'd better go and carry on.  Have a lovely Sunday and stay warm.  xx