Sunday, 07-06-26

Good morning, everyone.  Welcome to Sunday.

It's another of those days where the sun doesn't know if it's coming or going and the rain clouds can't make up their minds either.  It's all a bit dismal really.  What's it like your way?

Yesterday happened.  
I baked bread, roasted chicken, stripped the bones and made stock and I made a batch of Roy's white bean Alfredo sauce that I use to top lasagnes, etc.
I managed to break off the top of one of the tomato plants as I was tying it up which I was cross with myself for but this morning a little side shoot is forming just below the break so fingers crossed.
I didn't declutter anything.  < sigh >

Oh, and I got my old, defunct PC over to Steve who is very kindly going to make it secure (remove something or other) and take the rest to the dump along with some of his stuff.

Today - well, no idea but maybe I will manage to declutter just one drawer . . . make it manageable.  And I will be taking the loaves over to Beth this afternoon.

Things are a bit depressing round here right now because - well, I'm not going to get into politics, either with a capital letter or now so just let's say I am saddened and worried . . . and I'm saying no more.

Goodness, what a miserable post.  Sorry, all, I will cheer up, I promise.  Take care, enjoy your Sunday and see you tomorrow.  xx

Saturday, 06-06-26

Good morning, all.  Happy Saturday, even if it has been raining and looks as if it will start again soon.

Starting with some photos - the blueberries are blueing nicely . . .

. . . but the last pear has dropped.  RIP little pear!

A nice splash of colour.

My home is smelling very fragrant at 07:30-ish as I'm roasting a chicken crown that will feed me for much of the week in various ways.  I've also started off some sourdough, for Beth this time, not Lindsey, as she still has some to use from previous bakings.

Yesterday's weather was so much nicer.  It wasn't hot but we had plenty of sunshine.  Cheering.

SW group was good (I lost a bit, yay) and how can a small shop amount to so much?  Sign of the times, isn't it?

Today is a homey day, I think.  There's nothing in the diary and plenty to be getting on with inside.  There's the declutter of my bedroom, for a start, and I want to make another batch of a bean-based white sauce for the freezer as I used the last portion yesterday.

Right, time for some stretch and folds and I need to check the chicken so I will love you and leave you.  Have a really lovely Saturday, however you spend it.  All the best.  xx

Friday, 05-06-26

Morning, everyone.  Today has started nice and sunny again but it did yesterday and ooops!  Not a great day weather wise although, to be fair, we did get some sunshine.

I had a nice chat with Chris before finishing off the OFSTED Training and then, later on, attending one entitled Handling Complaints in School.  It really was very good indeed - very informative and helpful.
I've got two more coming up in the next month - next week's one should be heavy, all about exclusions, both short term and permanent.  We ought to know about that as it is wrapped around with statutory stuff.
And the other should be much more positive - Supporting Your Head Teacher.
I will be all trained out by the end of term!

Today, as usual, starts with Slimming World followed by a weekly shop in Morrisons.  I have a very short list this week which is great.

And then . . . ?  Maybe bedroom, maybe garden - probably not both though!

One of the hanging baskets, taken between showers yesterday.

And I have six cucumbers coming along, still very small; the biggest one is 2cms long but it's a mini one so that's not bad.  Once they really get going they grow very quickly so guess what I will be taking for the SW hamper once that happens!  :-)

Happy Friday, everyone.  Wishing you a lovely, happy, satisfying day.  xx

Thursday, 04-06-26

Morning, everyone, and hasn't it turned cold!!!  I have my snuggle hood on (the long one) and last night I had my electric blanket on to warm the bed.  Brrrr.

The heating hasn't quite clicked on but it is close to doing so!
Come back, summer!

I planned to blitz my bedroom yesterday, didn't I?  Famous Last Words!  I was asked a question about some of the Governors' training and answering that pushed me into a rabbit hole, so to speak, and I spent much of the day catching up on training I should have done last week.
It was good, it was worth doing, but I still have a cluttered bedroom!

Oh, well . . . and I did manage to bake some bread in between PowerPoint slides!

By the time I left for personal training, my brain was aching and some exercise was just what I needed to clear it.

And I slept like a log - once I had warmed up.

It's Thursday which means Coffee and Chat with Chris.  I'm at hers this week and it's safe to bet that we won't be sitting out in the warm sunshine this week!
Then I want to finish one lot of training before the next one goes live late afternoon.  Another brain-ache day but it will be good to get it done and my Governors' training record looks quite impressive.  It doesn't mean I REMEMBER it, of course, just that I've DONE it!  :-)

So that's today and maybe it is just as well the there's no enticement to sit out in the sun (or shade) and read today!

And having just written that last, the sun seems to be coming out to play.
That's life!

Have a great day, everyone.  See you tomorrow!  xx

Wednesday, 03-06-26

Good morning, everyone.  I've woken up to sunshine which is nice, and it was cool overnight - it's lovely to be able to snuggle under my duvet and I sleep so much better than lying on top.  Just a sheet to cover doesn't do it for me, not at all.

Let's get the boring garden photos over and done with, shall we?

A bit small and a bit sparse but, given that I thought I'd killed them for this year (lack of water while I was away), I will take whatever I get with gratitude.  The autumn raspberries seem to be recovering too so fingers crossed

The very sad news is that another baby pear has dropped.  Just one remaining and I have no real hopes.

Yay.  Growing slowly!

And the newly planted rhubarb seems very happy and is growing fast.  I'm so, so tempted but no . . . not this year. 

No baby tomatoes yet but I live in hopes!  :-)

Chris came over for a pre-recorded Groove session yesterday morning.  It was a real blast from the past when she was still in her old house and had a fringe!  😊

It was much more fun doing it with someone else than just on my own.

The sun came out later on, which was nice, and I did this and that around the house in between catching up on my sleep - I wasn't in bed until after midnight on Monday (because of the show) and woke at my usual time of just before five so a bit of a catch up kip was very welcome.

Today, there's nothing in the diary until personal training so I am taking bin bags up to my bedroom and starting a good old clear out.  It gets so, so cluttered and, while I do tidy, things need sorting out properly so that's what I am going to do.  Then it is PT so I will get a good old stretch and tone.  Perfect.

Have a lovely Wednesday, everyone.  Stay safe!  xx

Tuesday, 02-06-26

Morning, everyone, and for the first time in what seems like ages, I have woken up to rain.  It's quite steady, the ground is soaked and the garden seems to breathing a sigh of relief.  One can water regularly but it's just not the same as a period of steady rain that soaks down into the soil.

I think it might be a staying in and catching up with stuff kind of day.

So, yesterday I was off to London for Paddington the Musical.  I know the show was a sell-out but there was no-one beside me on the coach which means someone couldn't come at the last minute which was a real shame for them.  Nice for me though to have a bit more room to spread on the coach.
The journey both ways was easy, trouble free and, in the case of going into London at the start of the rush hour, surprisingly easy.  We were dropped about fifty metres from the theatre entrance and there was plenty of time to wander up and down.  It was very much theatreland so no posh shops, just plenty of eateries.
After a walk around, I went into Pret (my default for this sort of thing) and made a bottle of water and a bag of crisps last until it was time to go into the show.

I've never been to the Savoy before.  It was the site of the Savoy Palace in Plantagenet times, eventually the property of John of Gaunt (through his wife, Blanche) until it was burnt down by Wat Tyler's army during the Peasant's Revolt.

The site was used for other properties in the centuries that followed before burning down (again!!) in 1864, leaving only the stone walls and the chapel.

Richard D'Oyly Carte, he of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, bought the site and the Savoy Theatre opened in 1881 to showcase the works of the internationally famous pair.  It was a very modern place, the first public building in the world to be lit by that new fangled invention (discovery?), electricity.  

On February 12th, 1990, guests at the Savoy Hotel next door noticed smoke on the roof and gave the alarm.  Yes - fire again!  Is it beginning to look like carelessness or even an ancient curse?  😁
The safety curtain protected the stage and dressing rooms but the beautifully decorative auditorium was pretty much gutted.

As the designs were very well documented, the place was rebuilt as accurately as possible and opened again in July, 1993, with a performance of Wayne Sleep's specially commissioned ballet, The Savoy Suite.

Since then it has housed many award winning productions such as Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Rood and now, Paddington the Musical.
(I got most of this from the programme - not cheap but well worth the money)

This was my view.  We were in the dress circle and I doubt I could have had a much better one.  It was fab.  There were opera glasses available but I didn't bother.
Can you see Paddington's hat through the window of Mr Gruber's shop?

As for the actual show itself, what can I say?

It was just a magical experience from start to finish.  Costume, lighting, staging, scenery - all amazing.  Fab acting, wonderful songs, dancing . . . the lot!
It was just a magical experience from start to finish and Paddington was just - totally Paddington.

For me, the knock out performance was Bonnie Langford as Mrs Bird.  Oh, she was so funny and what personality!  Mr Curry was very good too, really funny!  But they were all good.

You're not getting an informed review here, I know very little about musical theatre, but I'd go again like a shot.

If you get the opportunity, grab it.  You won't be disappointed!

 Just one down - there was plenty of merch including fridge magnets but, my goodness, the price!  I decided not to in the end but now I rather wish I had.  Oh, well . . .

Life must go on though, so today should be Groove but isn't because Lindsey can't do the class.  She has sent a pre-record and Chris is coming over to mine so we can do it together.

After that, I don't know - I will probably snooze at some point because I have slept well but not that long, waking at my usual time.  There's always some sort of clearing, sorting out, etc, to be doing and I'd like to dig out a few more recipes to try at some point.

Have a lovely day, everyone.  Have you got the rain today?  Take care, stay well, be happy!  :-)  xx

Monday, 01-06-26

Morning.  More sunshine, comfortable night, June has begun and I can only see two pears on the tree.  I'm sure there were three yesterday.  Do you think it was waiting for June before dropping?  :-)

Yesterday was one of those days where stuff just happened really.  I did a load of washing from start to finish, Lindsey's bread came out well, I took Beth's frozen loaves over to her and had a nice chat outside the back.  It was that sort of day.

Today is exciting.

Circuits first, of course, and I bet Lindsey takes us outside for it.  Then it is my Kay-day so by lunch time I will have a shiny gleaming downstairs.  But the highlight is this afternoon/evening because I'm off on the Broomfield coach into London to see Paddington, the Musical.  BBC Weather indicates that it might be a bit showery this evening so I will pack my fold up mac in my bag and hope for the best.  We don't have to be outside for long anyway and the shops will still be open.
The show has such good reviews so it should be a great evening.  

I'll let you know  :-)