Monday, 29-05-23

Good morning, everyone.  According to the BBC, it's not going to be as warm today but we will still have some sunshine.  It was pretty chilly last night - down to around 4C - so now I feel better about having the electric blanket on when I went to bed!

Yesterday was glorious though - wall to wall sunshine and lovely and warm without being uncomfortably hot.
It was a noisy day, being so close to the RideLondon route.  I went out the back and watched it for a while.  It's a good viewpoint seeing them come in from the country and down the road.  There were so, so many.  I'm not sure when the race started but by mid morning there were cheers, hoots and claps and it continued for several hours as they just kept coming and coming.  Everyone was having a great time and the cyclists looked pretty relaxed - it was a charity thing so most of them were there for the fun of the ride and to raise money - I missed the serious ones at the beginning.  I suppose it was the cycling equivalent to the London Marathon really.
I filmed a couple of clips - they're not the same, just the same thumbnail.

Apart from that excitement, I spent the day sorting out some mistakes in what I am currently knitting and getting on with it while I caught up with YouTube, cooked meals, etc.  A quiet day.

Today is also quiet.  I might drive to one of the parks to have a stroll around or, more likely, I might just stay at home and potter (again).  I have a few plans for reorganising my bedroom cupboards and I have some meal planning to do and a shopping list to work on, seeing as it is nearly June.
Well, time for another coffee and to get the day started, I think.  Have a good 'un, one and all.  xx

Sunday, 28-05-23 - photo heavy!

 Good morning, everyone, and welcome to a beautifully sunny early-ish SUnday morning.  About half an hour ago, it was slightly misty but now all the mist has cleared and it's predicted to be another gorgeous late-Spring day.  Bring it on!

As expected, yesterday was a gentle, pottering about sort of day, so lovely and ordinary that I can't really remember what I did.
I remember I got all the ironing done which took a little while in the morning and in the afternoon I talked to the tomato plants as I moved a couple from one side to t'other, to give them all a bit more space  and planted out the last two into big pots.  I now have eleven on one side and five on the other with room for a couple more, should Chris have a few left over or if I find a large plum tomato although the chances of the latter are small as it's nearly the end of the tomato selling season.  A large plum type is the only one I don't have that I was looking for and I suppose I could trawl the online garden centres for one.  I didn't get any Gardeners' Delights because that's what Chris has.
It's a nice variety - red, orange, yellow, 'black' and striped with a mix of round plum, medium, cherry, pear-shaped . . .
Just what I was aiming for.

I'm a very ordinary 'gardener', hardly worthy of the name, but I just potter, make mistakes and Dad would laugh his head off at some of my efforts!  I went out into the garden just before the sun broke through (so a bit dull, sorry) and took a few snaps to brighten up the blog - here we go!

Plants move!  This phlox did not start off entangled with the lavender . . .  but the effect is quite pretty, all the same.

I've had the back garden geranium for a long, long time now.  It's been moved a few times, had some poor years and yet back it comes every time.  I love it.  It is a bit later than the one at the front but it just starting to throw up flower buds.  In a fortnight or so, it will be covered.

The urn is looking lovely and should continue to do so for a while to come.
(I say 'urn' - plastic thing is closer to the truth.  I had two of them but one broke ages ago)

Verbena is beautiful, isn't it?  A faithful bedding plant that gives and gives.

The nemesia is a lot prettier than it looks in this photo.  I have three clumps of them and they're lovely!

We don't grow herbs primarily for their flowers, do we; it is an added gift from them.

Thyme . . .

 . . . and chives.

Both looking so pretty.

Now a few edibles.

Loads of tiny strawberries this year and some now not-so-tiny.

The cucumbers have started growing - it took them a while but now it's warmer, they are definitely happier.

Quite a lot of the tomatoes have buds now but there's only a few flowers so far.  This is the tumbling tiger, the only bush plant I have and my experience is that they do tend to be earlier fruiting and earlier finishing.

Maybe, tomorrow, I will snap along the front strip.

After that bit of self indulgence . . .

Today is RideLondon day round here.  The bumph on the site says:

On Sunday 28 May, there will be more extensive road closures in London and Essex when more than 25,000 everyday riders will take on the Ford RideLondon-Essex 100, 60 and 30 challenge rides. There is also Ford RideLondon FreeCycle and the final stage of the Ford RideLondon Classique in central London.

Ever since the great success of the Tour de France around here, pretty much the same route has been followed for Ride London although, being a Sunday, it doesn't mean school closures and it certainly isn't the circus the Tour was.
What it means is that parts of the two main roads west out of town are closed from 6:00 am to 3:30 pm plus a number of other roads also used including our main road that goes past the side of our cul de sac, giving us a great view, should we want it.
I'm staying in unless I take a wander down the road to see if anything is going on.  I'm not entirely 'trapped' unlike some others who simply cannot get their cars out today, but I'm not going to try.  The main roads will be a bit manic with people finding other ways out of town and it's just not worth it.

There's plenty of info out there though, for those who have to travel.  I think they have learned from experience as the first few times it wasn't that well advertised and caused some hassle.  

I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do today but I will find something and I will enjoy it, I am sure.

Have a great day!  Enjoy the sunshine (assuming you have it) and the warmth.  xx

Saturday, 27-05-23

 Morning, everyone.  Welcome to Saturday and the start of a long weekend - or half term!  I think of my teacher friends this half term - it's not much of a holiday, what with reports to write.  All the best with them - it's something I do NOT miss in the slightest!

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely sunny day and today looks like being much the same.  There was a gentle breeze a-blowing which kept it cooler in the shade but made for a brilliant washing/drying day.
Guess who has a pile of ironing to do this morning now!

SW was as good as ever and the tasters were nice.  Hardly breakfasty, most of them, but I felt well fed both in amount and in flavours.  

Jen took photos so I've made a montage of them all.

In between washings, the cleaners came and made me happy and then Sharon came and made me happy too.  I feel neat and tidy again now, both personally and in my home.  :-)

Today - in fact, all weekend - is going to be pretty quiet and home based.  I have ironing to do and I still haven't sorted out my jeans, etc.  I really must get that done.

Apart from that, I don't know.  I might wander out for a gentle stroll around or I might sit out in the garden, if it's warm enough.  And I am definitely Googling for Scandi cruises, as is Diane, to give us some idea of what's on offer.

It's a good old life!

Stay well and have a lovely time, everyone.  xx

Friday, 26-05-23

 Good morning, everyone.  Another slightly dull start to the day but, unlike yesterday, it is supposed to be a gorgeously sunny day.  I'll be happy with that.

Thanks very much to those of you who tested my email with a message.  I've replied and it all seems to be in order with the address in the sidebar.  Fingers crossed it doesn't become a two edged sword but I have been very fortunate with my lovely readers.

After a jolly good chat with Chris yesterday, I drove out to Black Notley to pick up Diane before heading to Cressing Temple Barns where we had a most delicious lunch of smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches with a side salad.  Really fresh, made to order and so satisfying.  Then we wandered across to the walled Elizathethan garden where we sat and talked the hind leg off a donkey.
We've decided that a Scandi cruise of some kind would be really nice and next Thursday Diane is coming to me first thing and I'll drive into town so we can go to the co-op travel agent  That's what she has done in the past and she said they are really helpful and informative.  So, maybe, this time next week, we will have settled something.

Today, being Friday, is Slimming World to start with, followed by my lovely cleaners coming a bit earlier than usual.  That is fortuitous because later on Sharon comes to sort out my mop of hair.  In between times I have two more tomato plants to get out and I will definitely move a couple of others over to t'other side to give them all a bit more breathing space.  Then I think I am all set up.
The little cucumbers have settled nicely and started growing too.

Have a great day, everyone.  Take care, enjoy the sunshine and stay well and happy.  xx

Thursday, 25-05-23

 Good morning, everyone.  Happy Thursday to you!

I've started an email just for my blogs.  Anyone who would like to get in touch privately, please feel free to use it.  The address is to the side.  In fact, I would appreciate it if a few of you would, just so that I can check it works, please.
Suze, as Victoria was so kind and it's all set up, would you mind using that route just this once, please.

It's a bit dull here this morning - a shame after so many lovely bright starts to the day this week.  The forecast is OK though so that's good.  Yesterday was properly warm, a gorgeous day.

I did my trawl around some shops and, pat on the back, wasn't all that spendy either.  I got some undies (needed) and trainer socks (also needed), I found a couple more different tomato plants (very small ones), a small thin bin for the bathroom and a couple of glass jars for the fridge.

That trick about storing berries in glass jars in the fridge really works.  It does keep them good and firm and stops them from going 'off'.  Hence getting a couple more jars.

It was just nice wandering around in the warm sunshine, enjoying life.

Personal training was also really good.  It's the last for a while now as next week is half term and Lindsey is away so there's no classes (no live classes) at all.  However, the thing about subscribing to SHimmy Snippets is that there's nearly half a year's worth of snippets and whole classes available so I won't be totally lazy next week.

Today normally starts with a SET class, either online or at the STudio, but I'm skipping that and will catch up with it in Snippets later on.  I'll pop over to Chris' for coffee and chat and then I'm off out to pick up my friend Diane as we're having lunch at Cressing Temple Barns.

https://www.explore-essex.com/places-to-go/find-whats-near-me/cressing-temple-barns

We will also have a good wander around and, very exciting, we're going to trawl through the various cruise brochures we have and think about next year.  To be honest, I'm not too fussy about where to go but Diane has done two so probably won't want to repeat them.  

Have a super day, everyone.  xx

Wednesday, 24-05-23

 Good morning!  The sun is shining and it feels happy this morning.  It's a bit cold right now but that's OK, it will warm up.

First of all - Suze.  Victoria said she'd be glad to pass on a message but message her phone number rather than an email as she's in the middle of rebuilding the site and might not catch an email.  She has my mobile and can bounce the message straight on.  Very kind of her, isn't it?
I really must see how to open another email thingy, and keep it just for my blogs.

I got a pleasant surprise when I checked my bank account (I'm trying to remember to do so every day at the moment, to keep on top of things) and saw that my teacher's pension had gone up by a smile creating amount.  Teaching certainly has its ups and downs but one big advantage is that its pension scheme is excellent.

Groove was, as always, really good yesterday!  It is the last of this block as next week is half term and then a new block starts leading up to the summer.
After breakfast and freshening up, I went on a tomato and yellow courgette hunt.  I managed to find four tomato types I hadn't already got but, sadly, no luck with the courgettes.  I got a small pack of courgettes seeds and will pop a few straight into the soil where I want them to grow and then, assuming they come up which isn't 100% certain knowing my luck, I can just pick the strongest looking one.  Fingers crossed.

I still have more pots and more soil for them, should I acquire more tomato plants but I'm OK with what I have.  Different types, shapes and colours so interesting.
I'd like a larger plum variety so if I see one I will get it, but it's not totally necessary, just nice.  I won't be short of tomatoes, see . . .

They are a bit crowded and I will most likely be moving some of them to the other side.  I'll see how they go.

There's one thing in the diary today and that is personal training at Shimmy Studio.  However, I rather fancy a drive out to Iceland and Matalan and may very well go on to Home Bargains and B&M, etc.  Just to look - I like an occasional trawl around shops without any pressure to find things.

I've already had a smashing time in the kitchen!  I lifted one of my pyrex bowls out of the cupboard, the rest of the pile toppled over and two of them are now in the bin, well wrapped up.  Grrrrr.  And they were my two newest ones that smashed, of course, not the older, slightly scratched ones.  Typical!
Fortunately, I still have enough so won't need to replace them straight away.

So - plant the little courgette seeds, out and about, personal training.  That will (should) keep me out of trouble, for sure.  :-)
Enjoy the day, everyone, take care and stay safe and well!

Tuesday, 23-05-23

 Morning, one and all.  Welcome to Tuesday.  The sun is shining and I don't feel shivery any more - excellent.
It did cheer up considerably yesterday but it's still not what I would call all that warm really.  A bit more heat would be really lovely!

Yesterday went well.  I got all the chores done and dusted before trundling off for circuits which was enjoyable as always.  
That was about it.  Not a day that there was very much to write about.

Today starts with Groove and then I might pop over to Grenville Nursery and complete my collection of tomato plants, seeing as I have the rest of the day to get them out into pots.  It will be nice to get that done.
The other thing I would like to do is look at a couple of links Matt the Plumber sent so I can choose a new shower.  I might go for similar or I might go different, it all depends on how similar the fittings are (I don't want lots of holes in the tiles) and, to some degree, price.  
Once I have chosen, Matt can give me a date and a quite for the work.

And I MUST go through my jeans, etc, to see if any can come down from storage or go up into storage.

If it does turn out warmer, I could sit out for a while.  The garden is looking nice right now.

Have a good one, whatever your plans, and I hope all goes well for you.  xx