Saturday, 09-05-26

Good morning, everyone!  The sun is shining and the forecast is very promising for the whole weekend which is just as well because I have a whole lot of washing/drying/etc to do before Monday!  It's also good because the washing machine is working full pelt as I type and the energy thingy is reading zero.  Yay!

Yesterday was lovely.  I will do a separate post about Leeds Castle but it is possibly one of the 'nicest' places I have been to, very carefully designed and planned for great views, some exercise and things for the whole family to enjoy.
A few photos.

More later!

It was a 'try out the new (molto cheapo) camera' day too.  I'm no expert so really can't talk about the actual quality of the photos but it sits well in my hand, doesn't pull on my wrist (I use a wrist strap), is slightly slower in response than the old one but then it is an awful lot cheaper in numerical terms, let alone 'real' terms and it isn't draining the battery like the old one started doing.

On the other hand, the settings are more limited - and I did use some of the settings - and changing them feels a bit clunky.

On the whole, for now, I am satisfied.
Maybe I need to do some side by side stuff, old and new, just to compare.  I (probably) won't bore you with that though.  😉

On to today and there's nothing in the diary all weekend.  That doesn't mean there's nothing to do, mind you - there's the aforementioned washing, etc, I have both sourdough and yeasted loaves to make - double yeasted loaves because there's two for Beth and two to take to Centre Parcs on Monday.  In no way is that a hassle - yeasted loaves are dead easy and very satisfying as they rise, especially in this warmer weather and sourdough is much more responsive too.  There's a pay back in a less sour flavour but it is always delicious, however the starter behaves.

I have food to sort out and packing to do - again, not a hassle, it just needs doing.  Then I would like to ;leave the house in reasonable nick so there's dusting and sweeping, etc.  Oh, and the garden - those weeds need to know their place!!  

Better go and see how the washing is doing, I suppose.  And have my bath, get dressed, start the daily chores, etc, etc.

Have a lovely Saturday, everyone.  xx

Edit to add that there was a very odd comment on yesterday's post - I am sure it was some sort of spammy, scammy thing and I deleted it, of course.  I hope no-one clicked on it and apologies - one the Blogger filter missed.  x

Friday, 08-05-26

Just a quick one because in a while I'm off on a coach trip to Leeds Castle, somewhere I've never been before.  

Leeds Castle

I don't know what our tickets will include but there's loads to do and see there, I gather, so it should be a very enjoyable day.  I'm sure I will come home with guide book, fridge magnet, other tut and loads of new memories.  The weather looks promising too.  Not very warm but dry and sunny all day.  That sounds good to me!

Alex and I had fun making his birthday cake - well, he made it and I just advised and did the side icing.  The decorations are all his.

Happy Birthday, Alex.  Twenty eight today!  xx

Time to stop and do a bit of stuff before leaving for the coach.  Have a lovely day, everyone, and thank you for your kind comments.  I am fine, just a bit sore in certain places.  xx

Thursday, 07-05-26

Morning, all.  It's turned really chilly again round here.  Brrr.  I had the heating on again and used the electric blanket in bed.  I do hope it warms up again soon.  

First of all - I can't remember who it was but whichever of you directed me to World of Books - well, you've sent me down a right rabbit hole.  What a wonderful place.  I now have four books (three bought, one free) on Greek/Cretan cooking coming at some point next week and one of my lovely neighbours will take them in.
I know they will, I'm not just assuming.  We do it for each other, whether it be a delivery or left on the doorstep.

Do I need more recipe books?  No!!

Do I want more?  What do you think?

lol

The phone arrived and it is fine.  It didn't come with much in the way of accessories but that's fine because I already have them as my other camera is also a Panasonic and they tend to work pretty much the same way really.
I can reuse my camera bag, the USB cable and the memory sticks and I'm off on a coach trip tomorrow so I will take it and give it a try out.  Fingers crossed.

Yesterday wasn't 100% pleasant because, silly me, I had a fall.  Not an 'old person fall'. I hasten to add.  I overfilled one of my indoor plants so that the water was slopping out of the outer pot so I carried it into the kitchen, a bit of water slopped out, I slipped on it and over I went, banging hip, head and elbow/shoulder as I did so.  And the stupid container smashed so there was water and pottery everywhere.  Doh!
Fortunately, I was more shaken up than damaged although my shoulder is still a bit sore.  I have full range of movement so I know there's nothing beyond a bit of bruising and I went to personal training and the stretching and more gentle strength than usual stuff really helped.
I shall be more careful in future!!

On the other hand, the evening meal was absolutely lovely and I enjoyed it no end.  J always picks me up as she has an adapted van (so I can't give her a lift) and lives close by so it was all very easy

Today starts with Chris coming over for coffee and chat - I always enjoy that.  Then Alex is coming over.  It's his birthday tomorrow (how can I have an almost twenty eight yrs old grandson?) so he's coming over to make a cake.  Nothing fancy, thank you Betty Crocker!  I need to find two cake tins.  I MUST have some somewhere.

(Edit:  found them)

Better go and look, hadn't I?

Enjoy your day, everyone.  Stay safe and warm and be good!!  :-)  xx

Wednesday, 06-05-26

Morning.  Welcome to a lovely, sunny Wednesday morning.  Not all that warm but not to worry.

Yesterday was a very pleasant day.  Groove went well and I was careful so the old back seems fine.  Lunch with Mandy was lovely.  It's so nice to have a regular catch up and we've got a date for next month too.

I did a bit of gardening and will do some more this morning, I think.  Some things are coming back up but some aren't, including the lupin that started off too early again and then we had frosts that cut it right back.  Such a shame.  The foxgloves are doing their thing and there are several flower head spires appearing and I seem to have a few iris flowers pending.
I'm not getting any bedding plants until after next week though so have plenty of time to think about what I want and where.

I need to tackle the front now!

Today I have personal training and then I'm meeting the girls for a Harvester meal and a good old catch up.

So it should be a really nice day.  I hope yours is too.  xx

Edit:  I forgot to say I think my new little camera might be arriving today - not the bridge camera I am thinking about but a new little slip in the bag camera that will probably be better than my current one because it's new and technology has moved on.
I'm still pondering on the other . . .  xx

Tuesday, 05-06-26

Good morning, everyone!  Welcome to a not all that sunny Tuesday (at the moment).  It's not raining though, so that's nice.

As hoped, yesterday turned out to be a quiet and gentle day.  It wasn't sunny but that was OK.  Lindsey's loaves came out a treat and I baked a white loaf because I fancied some! 
Nothing exciting happened, life just plodded along.

Today starts with Groove.  It's been a while since I did a class because of my holiday so it will probably be tough and I will be careful because of my back (which is loads better so that's great).  

Then Sharon is round to work her magic on my scruffy hair.   It really needs it!

Later on, I'm out to The Angel pub to meet a friend and have lunch and a chat.  I've looked on the online menu and they do a delicious sounding greens and grain salad - but fingers crossed they do actually do it because online menus can be inaccurate.

After all that excitement, I shall chill and enjoy the rest of the day, I hope.  

The light wasn't great but I popped out a little while ago and took a few photos . . .

Plants can be so resilient!  Last Wednesday, these were very droopy and unwell.

Not the best photos but . . . they're off!!

Have a lovely Tuesday, everyone.  xx

Monday, 04-05-26

Morning, everyone.  Just a quick post today as there's not a lot happening really.

Lindsey's sourdough has done a first ferment very nicely in the fridge overnight and now it's just coming up to room temperature so I can do the rest.
It's looking a bit dismal right now but, assuming the weather stays dry, I'd like to start getting the garden sorted out.  I did some weed scraping yesterday - they never give up!
And there's some housework to do.  I know it is bank holiday but the joy of retirement is that every day is a bank holiday but without the crowds.

Have a lovely day, everyone - stay well and contented.  xx

Sunday, 03-05-26

Good morning, everyone!  Welcome to Sunday.  We had some lovely sunshine earlier but it has gone now as the sky has clouded over a bit.  We had some rain yesterday evening and overnight, which I was glad about as the garden was so dry, but why does it always rain on bank holiday weekends?  

Yesterday morning, I went on a shop wander and managed to spend pretty much what was left of my holiday money.
First of all, I went to Riverside.  Home Bargains opens early so I got there about 8:40 but already the car park was filling and by the time I left, they were queueing right onto the main road to get in!

Anyway - Home Bargains can do quite a nice line in plants and they had some hanging baskets, very basic but at £4.99, I couldn't ignore them.  I got three and they are looking potentially very pretty hanging on the wall and the garden room.
(that's not weeds at the bottom, it's raspberry canes)

I also got a few basics - hair stuff, etc - plus a spiral bound book to keep in the kitchen to note how I put meals together because I tend to forget the details - things like herbs, spices, etc.  I'm an awfully ad hoc sort of cook!

Then I popped next door to HomeSense because I love it in there and that's where I polished off the holiday money on a pair of oil and vinegar pourers, a lovely flat based and straight sided platter for either eating off or serving in and, inevitably, an olive wood board which will NOT be a chopping board!  Oh, and an old fashioned rolling pin with proper handles.  I want to try filo at some point and it will be very helpful for that.

I drove on to Marriage's mill shop and topped up with flour and dried yeast before going across the road to Aldi for a few things I needed - carrots and red onions.  Of course, I got a few other bits too, who doesn't, but all useful.
By that time, the roads were horrendous so I decided the garden centre could wait.  I'm not going to get my tomato plants until after I'm back from Center Parcs and can care for them properly!

I was so tired by the evening that I was asleep just after eight.  I fully expected to wake super early but I didn't, I must have had about ten hours sleep, and I feel much more lively this morning.

I've taken some garden photos so guess what - I'm sharing them.  :-)

Potential blueberries

Potential pears although I'm not holding out much hope because they could all fall in June.

Potential raspberries 

Oh dear.  

However, already there is new growth.  It's hard to murder a raspberry cane!

Proper Med herbs - thyme, sage, oregano and rosemary.

And last but not least - not at all potential.  There's around five or six flowers with loads of buds.  It will be a picture soon.

On to today, the Oddbox arrived and it all looks great except that there's a missing mango - I've let them know.

I've already made Beth and Alex's bread and will be taking them over this afternoon with some of my Oddbox stuff.  Beth needs to borrow my secateurs so they're on the pile too.

Apart from the usual meal prep, etc, that's pretty much it for today.  A nice, gentle Sunday.  The sun keeps coming and going as I type so we will see how that pans out.

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone, doing what you love.  See you tomorrow.  xx