Sunday 28-06-26

Morning, all.  And it's a beautiful, fresh, sunny, breezy morning, a perfect summer start to the day.  The oppressive feeling has lifted (for now, anyway) and I have already been out doing a bit of garden work.

I'm glad I checked my phone yesterday morning because Richard had sent out a message saying Community Garden would start at nine thirty to catch the cooler temperature.
I was there first so set to with some weeding and side shooting the tomatoes.

I dug up the row of broad beans which were pretty much over, a row of peas that were ditto and all tangled with the netting and then I tackled one row of potatoes.  I do love forking up potatoes and then getting my hands into the soil to find more.  It wasn't a bad crop for a very short row!
Those three tasks, plus the associated weeding, etc, took all my time.

A few photos from the Community Garden:

The first of the sunflowers - it's lovely.

And Richard gave me some of the potatoes I dug up.  I had some for lunch and they were lovely!

I now know Community Garden has another meaning.  It is not just about the vegetables/food side of things.  The first two weeks I did consisted of me, my friend, J, and Richard but today there were others.  One was a young man with  Down Syndrome and his dad and the other was a young lad, probably around ten or eleven with learning difficulties, possibly with autism.  They were both lovely and were obviously having a great time.   The lad helped me with the potatoes, bless him.

That's community for you, isn't it?

Once home, I had breakfast (I was hungry by then) and then had a nice cool bath (I think I said shower in a comment reply, sorry) and got into one of my lovely, loose kaftans.

It got hot again - not quite as sweltering as the previous three days but not comfortable.  However come the evening, something lifted, a slight breeze got up and it cooled.  No need for a cooling shower last night before bed!

Today I woke feeling cool!  Such bliss!  We haven't had any rain as far as I can tell but at the moment it is lovely, windows opened wide to let the fresh air in.   

It felt so good that after the morning watering I set to and cut more lower leaves off the tomatoes, chopped them all up small as Richard has taught me to do (I've never done that before) before tipping the lot into my compost bin.

Then . . .

in one corner of the garden I had an osmanthus, a shrub with holly-like leaves.  It was actually the first thing I bought when I had the garden totally remodelled in 1998 and got a large (plastic) pot from the garden place in Boundary Mill, up the A1 near Grantham - I remember Mum and Dad came with me.

It did fine for ten years, slow growing but good.  Then came the extension work.  I had to move out of the house over the summer holiday (staying with Mum and Dad) and the garden was thoroughly neglected, I am sorry to say.  And the bush has never been the same since.

I wish I had taken a photo before I started because you would be able to see what a poor thing it was.  

It was pretty hard work, cutting back as many of the branches as my secateurs could cope with, scraping off the looser soil at the top (now in the compost bin) and then turning the pot on its side and over to try to get the roots out.  Phew, they were very tightly impacted but with some bashes on the sides of the pot and some levering, out it came.  

After quite a lot more puffing and grunting, I managed to lift it with a squat lift thing worth of an Olympic weight lifter (and if you believe that . . .) and over into the bin

And my back is fine!  :-)

So is the pot.  It needs a good clean out, of course, and then I will  use it for the olive tree I plan to get using a birthday token from Diane and as a 'memory' of Crete.  Do I need special soil, I wonder.  Must look that up.  I hope not because the compost bin is pretty full and I could use some of that.

And then I took a few more photos because you have to, don't you?

More big cucumber, two of which might be ready to pick today.  They're growing so fast you can almost see it.

You can't see in this photo but there are blueberries to pick for breakfast.  Yay!

The tomato plants don't look so pretty with their bottom leaves gone but the fruit will like the extra sunlight.

And the rhubarb is going from strength to strength.  I am so looking forward to next year's crop.

And now I am enjoying the first coffee I have had in days.  It's just been too hot.

My Oddbox was on the doorstep this morning so I've sorted that out and am looking forward to enjoying the contents.

I will stop waffling now, have my bath, etc., and get some whites into the machine.  I want to change my sheets now it is cooler again.

However, the rest of the day will be a restful one, I think, just pottering in the garden (I need to do some weed scraping, for a start) and generally relaxing.  

I hope the weather is just as pleasant where you are - have a lovely Sunday.  xx

Saturday, 27-06-26

Morning, all.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments yesterday - what a lovely lot you are, to be sure.  xx

So - right at this moment we have had a bit of a storm earlier, some rain and it's cooler outside than in so windows are open and fans are placed to such the cooler air in.  It looks as if we might get a bit more rain so I am keeping one eye on the window (which sounds uncomfortable but you know what I mean) as I type.

What isn't comfortable is that I, like a lot of you, I suspect, am feeling uncomfortably bloated.  I know I'm drinking a lot but I guess heat has that effect.  On the other hand, I've just been in the garden tying up the tomatoes (no need to water, yay) and, pre meds, only one sneeze so that's good.

Last night wasn't all that bad.  I have a routine - get the fans going in the bedroom and then have a cool bath, lie on a towel on the bed and let the fan air dry me off - it's beautifully cooling.  If I want cover, I use another towel.  I won't say it was the best night's sleep but it was loads better that earlier in the week.  What tricks do you have?

There's one thing on the agenda today - it's Community Garden day, ten to about twelve.  I'll go and do a but but if it gets too warm (it's supposed to remain super hot in the east and south east today) I will come home and chill in front of the fan.  It's getting very boring, not doing much, but better than overheating.  :-)

Next week is quite a busy week so a quiet weekend sounds good, doesn't it?  

Have a lovely day, everyone, and I hope it is very much fresher and nicer where you are now.  xx

Friday, 26-06-26

Morning, all.

Today I am remembering my lovely Dad who passed away mid morning five years ago.  I still miss him so much - and Mum too.

Thursday, 25-06-26

Good morning, all.
After a very unpleasant and sticky night, it feels quite nice at the moment.  I have doors and windows open and fans pulling the fresher air from outside into the house.  That will need to stop soon but, right now, it is refreshing. 
I usually enjoy a really hot bath in the morning but today a lukewarm one felt so good!  

It wasn't great going into school yesterday afternoon.  A number of children were being picked up by their adults and it will be the same today - the school isn't closing though.

The meetings were good although I felt for the staff concerned - talking to a governor was probably the last thing they wanted to do.  Good news on the phonics front and then a longer talk with the SENDCo.
When I got home I wrote up the phonics report and sent it off.  Later this morning I will write the SEND one and then my duty is done.

And my TiVo box overheated and there was a warning on the telly screen.  That's never happened before!   Hopefully no damage has been done but I ordered a new one a few days ago anyway - Virgin said I had to - so that's OK.

I've already done the minimal housework I intended to do apart from a bit of ironing which I will do after I've posted this.  
Chris is over for our Thursday coffee iced water and chat.  The fan is blowing in the garden room, hopefully keeping it comfortable.
Then I was supposed to drive over to Val's for lunch but we have rescheduled it for a fortnight.  I'm fortunate to have this flexibility.

After all my moaning and groaning, some good news.

One of the lost dahlias in the back garden has found itself.  There were five but one is better than none and I have the one I planted this year too so that's nice.  The confused dahlia at the front is growing rapidly now.  No buds yet but It can't be that long.

And the lone pear is still there, still growing.

I'd better stop waffling and deal with that ironing and then I can put the basket and iron away.  Clutter make a room feel hotter, doesn't it?

Take care, stay sun-safe and have a comfortable day, everyone.  xx

Wednesday, 24-06-26

Good morning, everyone.
I'm just back from personal training and I am so, so glad it's not this afternoon!!   We have bright sunshine and already the temperature is in the high 20s C.  The windows are open while the sun is round the front.  Later the blinds will be closed and the fans on.  I'm expecting a couple more fans today which, I hope, will help too.

How did you sleep overnight?  I slept OK but kept waking up.  I'm not sure whether it was the heat or because I drank so much yesterday - it could have been either or both.

I took these to send to Lindsey because we were talking about them in P T.  Happy tomato plants.  No sign of ripening yet but some are visibly lighter.  I so love it when the day starts with tomato picking.

And the blueberries are quite content too.  I'm not picking yet but it won't be long before some are ready.

I don't have anything on this morning but this afternoon I am off to school for a couple of meetings, SEND and Phonics.   Phonics will be short but the SEND might take quite a while.
Then I am popping into Morrisons for some ice lollies and other cooling stuff; I don't care what Slimming World says!  :-)

Take care, everyone, and stay weather-safe, whatever you are getting, rain, storm, cold, heat . . .  xx

Tuesday, 23-06-26

Good morning, everyone, and what a surprise!  It is dark, gloomy and pouring with rain right now.  To be fair, I would not have heard any storming overnight (hearing aids out, etc) so maybe it's not surprising to my neighbours but I didn't expect it!

Another surprise.  Perched on the roof opposite to my house and it stayed put long enough for me to grab my camera and zoom in.  A grey heron, Google search tells me.  Definitely not local so I hope s/he found their way home again.

I got stuff done yesterday before it got too hot.
Lindsey did circuits outside which was lovely.  It was warm but there was a refreshing breeze.

I came home again, Kay arrived and, while she was sorting my inside out, I did some garden stuff.  Potted on an indoor plant that had outgrown its pot, did some weeding and some slab scraping and trimmed the lower leaves off the tomatoes.  Now the lower fruit can catch the sun better.

It got quite hot in the afternoon but by then I was inside, blinds drawn, doors and windows open and fans on.  There was still a breeze and it kept my living room at a very pleasant temperature.

Today and, particularly, tomorrow and Thursday are expected to be very hot indeed and very humid, which is worse.  We're just not geared up to such weather in the UK.  Houses are built and insulated to retain heat which is a Very Good Thing most of the time, just not in a heatwave.  I gather temperature records may be broken before the end of the week.  We will see.

Chris and I will be off to Groove first thing.  We were expecting to walk there and back but that depends on the rain.  A bit later, Sharon is round for my six weekly hair sort-out.  Then the rest of the day is my own.
I seem to have a lot of cucumber so I think I will make some simple pickles with some.  I seem to be having cravings for pickles at the moment - beetroot and pink onion.  Some cucumber will make a nice difference.

And we are now in the middle of a storm - that was a big crack of thunder just now!  I certainly won't need to give my garden its morning drink, will I?  It's pouring and I've just had to close the landing window and wipe the sill.

Right, I have to get my other social media stuff sorted so I will say goodbye.  Please, stay safe in this extreme weather and stay as chilled as possible.  Bye.  xx

Monday, 22-06-26

Good morning again, everyone.  My windows are thrown open to catch the morning freshness and I've given the garden its morning drink.  It was warm yesterday but I stayed mostly inside and it wasn't so bad.  A load of washing dried in about half an hour!

Goodness, I was tired after Saturday's outing.  It was very pleasant to not have to do anything but just go with the flow and I did snooze off several times plus a good night's sleep.  Definitely, I am feeling my age sometimes nowadays!  :-)

I said I would take a photo of the little jug I bought.  It looks big in the photo but it is about 9cms tall so really quite small.  No handle so not ideal for hot sauces but fine for milk, cream, etc.

Just a couple of garden photos - it's the season for them, isn't it?

Every time I look, those tomato plants are bigger - and so are the tomatoes.  No sign of colour yet but they will, in their own time, ripen and then it will be delicious.

Just because . . . those hanging baskets look so lovely - photos don't do them justice really.

On to today and it's another day with not very much on the agenda.  I have circuits first thing, then there's some housework, washing, ironing, etc, before it gets too hot.  This afternoon is predicted to be pretty extreme round here (for us in the UK, I mean) so I will be chilling inside, blinds across and fan on.
There's already a jug of water in the fridge, ready for hydrating.  

How do you handle this hot weather?

Take care, stay cool, remember water, hat and sun block.   See you tomorrow.  xx