Tuesday

Morning, everyone!  Yesterday was (or felt) so cold that I gave up and turned on the heating morning and evening.  We didn't get much rain but we didn't get much sun either; if it hadn't been for the strong wind, I'd have called it a nothing day.
At the moment, it looks like being pretty much the same today too.

The workmen turned up nice and promptly and set to work.  Again, it was noisy and whatever they used to cut the boards and guttering to size, from inside it sounded very like a loud dentist's drill, setting my teeth on edge.  Not a nice feeling at all!

They had finished soon after midday and really, that's it.  They were meticulous about checking the bill over with me to make sure that it all came to the original amount quoted, something I appreciated as it was a niggling worry at the back of my mind.  Time alone will tell as regards the actual work itself, but I can't fault their work ethic, their 'customer relations' and their attention to hygiene.
Now I'm just waiting to hear when the scaffolding will come down again.

Once they had gone, I popped out, first to the allotment and then on to Aldi.
At the allotment, I just watered.  I intend going again, either later on today or early tomorrow, to continue with the weeding and to mow the grass properly.
I took a few photos so you can see how things are coming along.

 The strip along the front (you can see the poor apple tree at the back with the dropped branch) with the sunflowers, tomatoes, squash, courgettes and mini cucumbers.

And here's the first baby courgette.  Beth said 'Fight you for it!!' but there are two more much the same size so I doubt any allotment argy-bargy will be necessary!

I was so worried about the runner beans, wasn't I?  They are fine, growing nicely and developing flower buds now.  The first ones usually fall off - nature knows best - but it shouldn't be too long.
(the smudge was a mark on the camera lens).

 Our local, friendly aphid eating ladybird.  I hope she stays around and brings her friends with her!

I went to Aldi to get specific things but, as always, a few more things appeared in the trolley.  I got the skinny sausages and happy chicken I needed, so that was fine.
At home, after putting things away, I had a mega-tidy up of my work table.  It desperately needed it anyway but the cleaners are coming today, postponed from last Friday, so it will help them too.

Today, I'm off out into town first thing, mainly to collect my prescription from Boots.  I've checked the opening times for Timpson's (and that it is, indeed, now open) and will have some new front door keys cut.  Beth, Dave and my dad all have keys, I need one for the cleaners and one for my emergency keys as well as a few spare and the door came with three.  They're not cheap but they are necessary.

There's no Zoom meeting this morning as it's been changed to Thursday, and Chris is off to Hyde Hall so we've changed the coffee and chat to tomorrow.
That's all good because I have paperwork I really need to catch up on as well as the tidying up and today I have the time and space to do so.  The forecast isn't great so I won't be tempted outside.
It won't be a fun day but it will be a good and useful day.

Stay safe.  xx

Monday

Morning, everyone.  The weather was so variable yesterday.  We had sun, rain, wind . . . and some more rain overnight.  Today is supposed to be 'light cloud and a fresh breeze' and the breeze certainly is fresh as I discovered when I went to get today's stuff out of the freezer.  Brrrr.

Looky look!!!

First beans and first potatoes.  This is a third of what we picked/dug up as it was shared between me, Beth and Alex.  The beans are pretty small and maybe we should have left them a bit longer but . . .
So this evening it's salmon, broad beans, new potatoes and some other veg of some kind (most likely broccoli).  Couldn't have it last night as dinner was already prepared before I went to the allotment.

The corn is shooting up, as are the runners, the sunflowers have buds, the tomatoes have flowers, there's one cucumber to pick soon, the squashes have now decided to stay around and are starting to spread and we have three little (VERY little) yellow courgettes.  You'd not know they were there except that they are yellow so show up, unlike below the male flowers!

And lots and lots of weeds - although fewer weeds than yesterday morning!  We fight back!

However - oh, dear.

Just too much fruit.  Shame but there you go.  It's still partly attached so we'll leave it there and see.  We can deal with it later on in the year.

We were cut short by some heavy rain but, despite the rain we've been having over the weekend, parts  of the ground were pretty dry.  Hopefully I can go today (leaving the guttering men working) and give everything a good soaking as well as attacking more weeds.

Today, apart from a possible allotment visit, is empty as I'll need to be around most of the day - and certainly later on to pay out another highly eye-watering cheque.  That's the last one though, thank goodness.

What do you have planned for today?  xx


P.S. does anyone know the name of this grass, please?

Sunday

Good morning, everyone.  The sun is out again and it is significantly fresher with a bit of a breeze and signs of more rain overnight.  Perfect, just what the vegetables need.

Yesterday, I set off for Sainsbury's good and early, aiming to get there soon after seven.  I haven't been to Sainsbury's since before Christmas, I think, certainly not since lockdown, so I was interested to have a good nosey round at a time when there were very few others there.
I have plenty of clothes, I don't need any more clothes so how come four garments hopped into my trolley when I wasn't looking, eh?
To be fair, they were in the sale and they will be worn.  A cotton top, a lightweight denim skirt, a checked shirt and some pink jeans, all useful.  I wonder if I will ever become totally accustomed to heading straight for the size 12s.  Somehow, after a lifetime of much larger sizes, it feels somehow a bit magical and very unreal.  As for skinny jeans - totally crazy!!

It was fun, meandering around.  I didn't get much else and when I was through checkout, I stepped outside to realise that I'd missed what had obviously been a very heavy downpour.
That put paid to any plans to mow the grass at the allotment and, in fact, it rained on and off for most of the morning although I did get a bit of washing out on the line and dried between showers.

Late morning the workmen turned up and now all the doors and windows work is finished and paid for (OUCH!).  Tomorrow it's the guttering, etc, and then that's all finished.  Now I need to start sorting out the garage and need a plan of action.  It's so confusing in there that one could sped lots of time not really getting anywhere much at all.

I think that first of all I will deal with the cardboard boxes.  Flatten them out and get them into the recycling sack.  Then I have loads and loads of glass jars which, thinking realistically, I won't ever use again.  I'll keep some for any jamming/pickling I do but I don't need that many.  I think I will offer them on Facebook and see if anyone is interested (so I'd better keep just a few of the more sturdy boxes to put them in.  I expect that some will end up in the glass recycling box though.

That would get me started anyway!

Today, I will be meeting Beth at the allotment this afternoon.  I'll make a judgement as to whether to mow the grass nearer the time but I can strim the edges anyway.  We're going to dig up one potato plant, just to see (exciting) and there may be a small picking of broad beans as well, it depends how much they have come on in the last few days.
During this coming week, weather permitting, I'm going to blitz those weeds; they love warm and damp as much as the vegetables do.

In the garden, everything's coming on.  There are three mini cucumber/gherkins to cut and the Tayberry That Refused to Die (remember?) is sending out the first decent fruit of its life.  Not loads and some of the berries are feeble and not worth the picking, but some are looking good.  Promising for next year as there's already plenty of new growth from the roots.  It's like blackberries, you train them alternate ways, each year, cutting the fruited canes right back to the soil over winter.

The ornamental grass is now 'flowering' and looking very attractive.

And some of the fuchsia plants are starting to earn their space.

There's loads of tomato flowers on rapidly growing trusses and lots of baby fruits.  Lovely!

So, what with potatoes, cucumbers and, possible, broad beans, it may not be that prolific in the wider scheme of things or compared to others, but it's all very satisfying indeed.

And now I will enjoy a day without bangs and crashes and strangers invading my privacy! 
I hope you enjoy your day too.  xx

Saturday

Good morning!
We had quite heavy rain for a while - enough to mean I didn't need to water down the allotment - and the garden breathed several grateful sighs.  Then out came the sun again and the rest of the day got hotter and hotter.  I sat under the tree!

The chap doing the garage door turned up, worked and left me with a shiny new garage door.  I should have taken a photo of the old one which was as old as the house itself, an up and over one and very, very rickety.
Now:

IT's more or less the same colour as the fencing which isn't important as the garage is separate but it is somehow satisfying.

The 'window boys' (boys??) got stuck on the M25.  It was closed at some point between the M1 and the A12 as a lorry had overturned, I gather, so they were late.  As a result, they didn't do the front door (and one of the windows is sticking) so they'll be back this afternoon to get that sorted.

The guttering, etc, will be done on Monday and the scaffolding will be down by Thursday.  I'll be glad when it goes - my bedroom view of garden and countryside is  - er - shall we say obscured?

Not a pretty sight!

The baby cucumbers are coming thick and fast now.  I cut the second one the day before yesterday and there are two more that will be ready in a couple of days with more coming behind them.

About three inches long and very crunchy and delicious!

Must look up some pickling recipes!

I only have about three poppies but they are lovely at the moment and I think next year I will leave a few more babies in the ground.  I love their shape, colour and, most of all, I love the seed pods.

I was planning to make some seed pods in clay to stick on canes as a garden decorations.  Ah, well, maybe, when things are safer again, it will resume.  Pottery is one of the things I am really missing.

Today I don't have many plans which is just as well, given the men are back to finish the work.

I guess I need to change the sheets (so washing to do) and I have to put up the curtains in the front bedroom and, hopefully, in the blue room too, assuming they can fix the sticking window.  Before they come, I'm hoping to get to the allotment to mow and strim the grass before it totally takes over. 

I've just remembered; when I was at Dad's and sorting things out, I came across some table linen and brought back a lovely table cloth and napkin set which I popped into the machine and left (without washing) just to get them out of the way.
And then I forgot.
So I need to get them washed first thing and out on the line.

I'd better get started then, hadn't I? 
Have a great day, everyone, and stay safe.  xx

Friday

Good morning, everyone.  I woke early again (early for me = around four) and right now the sky is a very odd colour.  it looks rather ominous. 

I've just checked Beeb weather, to see, and - oh, dear!

Small wonder the sky is looking odd.

Yesterday was lovely - in certain places.  Out in the sun, it was very, very hot but inside with fans on and outside in the shade of the tree it was absolutely beautiful with a cool breeze.  Perfect.

This is where I spent a good part of the afternoon.

I felt incredibly sorry for the two men putting up the scaffolding.  I'd been told I mustn't offer any drinks, etc, they would bring their own, which makes sense in the current situation but poor chaps.
The scaffolding is now up and work starts today (hopefully).

I did warn the neighbours!

I sorted out two bedrooms and took down the curtains so all is ready.  I've left my own bedroom curtains up for now, of course.  Apart from that, I did precious little.  Nice day.

Today, I expect, will be more of the same.  I need to go shopping but will have to find out if/when I need to be around so it won't be an early morning shop.  I've managed to put off the cleaners until next week.  There will be enough people milling around in the house without two cleaners adding to the general confusion.

It's getting blacker and blacker and I need another coffee to console me so I'll stop now, get my coffee and pop upstairs to bathe and get dressed.
Have a good day, whatever happens to your weather, and be safe.  xx

Thursday

Morning.  Wasn't yesterday a glorious day?  Today looks like being exactly the same although Friday might bring thunder storms.  Time will tell!

I'm awake very early this morning - just after six.  That's OK, I need some time to myself before the workmen all arrive - some to put up the scaffolding and others to start replacing doors/windows, etc.

First thing yesterday, I popped a note on the door in case the double glazing delivery arrived and made my way to the garage (it's a separate block at the back of the house) where I proceeded to clear some space for the workmen.  It wasn't as bad as I thought - well, it was, but it was more easily sorted - temporarily.
Apart from the Christmas stuff, gopak tables, paint pots and heavier garden stuff, there are loads of glass jars, plastic storage boxed (both very filthy) and lots of cardboard boxed for stuff that came and I didn't throw the box straight out in case there were any problems.
And dust.  So much dust!!  And dead leaves!

I chucked some stuff into the bin which is now full and out for collection.  I've flattened some boxes ready for collection today too.  I've made a note in the diary to carry on once the work is all done because, really, there's not a lot of work.  It will necessitate organising a trip to the dump with Beth to help at some point but it's not as bad as I thought it was.  Nor was it as hot and sweaty as I'd finished soon after nine.

I looked online for, and found, some metal storage shelving that will be perfect for keeping things in better order, once the mess has been cleared.  That should make a big difference to the look of it all and enable me to see exactly what I have.  It also means that now I will HAVE to do it - always a Good Thing.

One golden find.  A fan, still in its original box (but not any more!)..  I will appreciate it in the next few days, I expect.

Lindsey messaged me to say that it was like an oven on her patio so we decided it would be better to have personal training online.  Such a shame in this lovely weather but , as they say, mad dogs and Englishmen!  It was very comfy inside, not too hot at all, although I had the fan ready, just in case.

All the stuff arrived after lunch and is now shared between garden and garage.  I can hardly believe it's going to happen after spending so long thinking about it and then having it postponed.

When Mel came round, we sat under the shade of the tree where it was pleasantly warm and with a refreshing breeze.  It really was lovely, not too hot at all, although out in the sun it was baking.  It really is a lovely place to sit.  I took this photo yesterday morning - you can just see the shade starting in the top corner and by about two thirty the whole of that corner is in shade, almost down to the archway between the two beds.

Today, I doubt I am doing anything special.  The diary is empty and there will be workmen around.  One of my 'mums' suggested I restart tuition in the garden next week and I am happy to give this a go and see if it works and  I can probably plan for that session today; not that it takes much planning as it will be an assessment lesson.

By the end of the day, I should have scaffolding up and I think the garage doors will be in although I may have got that a bit wrong.  Something new will be in, anyway.  And it will be HOT!

Stay well, happy and as cool as you can manage.  xx

Wednesday

Good morning!  Another cloudless start to the day, very fresh right now but it's predicted to be hot later on.  As usual on these hot days, all the windows are open to catch the freshness, the arbour cushions are out and ready and, in a while, I will put a couple of other chairs under the tree, where it is lovely and shady, ready for this afternoon.

Thanks for all your comments about the jigsaw puzzle.  it is indeed a challenge but I am sure I will get there - eventually!  I did a couple of general replies rather than individual ones this time.

Yesterday turned out to be more than expected.
All the planned things worked out.  The Zoom meeting was fun, it was great to chat with Chris and Lesley and I had a grand old catch up session in the afternoon.  Sandwiched between that was a trip to Morrisons where I only got what was on the list and nothing more (yay, me) and a trip to the allotment to water.  Dear oh my, the weeds are shocking after last week's rain and as for the so-called grass - ouch.

Everything's taking off nicely, not just the weeds, in the second garden (!).  The runners are now merrily climbing up the poles, the courgette plants are growing fast (no female flowers yet though) and, as at home, there are baby cucumbers!  As for the broad beans - loads of half sized pods!  It won't be long.

On top of that, I had an unexpected email from the double glazing company saying they were ready to start the planned work (postponed because of lock down) and could they begin on Thursday.  Eeeek!
Of course, I agreed that Thursday would work well and indeed it will.  So they are dropping off some big stuff early this morning, the scaffolding goes up tomorrow and they should have done the guttering, etc, by the end of the day (I think).
It should all be done by Tuesday!
Three cheers.

Today will be quite full too.  There's a delivery of a garage door and various guttering and associated stuff at some point first thing.
I have personal training at twelve which may be inside on live link if it gets really hot by then.
Later on, my friend, Mel, is coming round for a chat in the garden.  That will be lovely.

In between that, I have to push everything in the garage back to give them space to fit the new garage door.  That will be hot and dirty work but it is an opportunity to dump a bit more rubbish as the bins are emptied tomorrow.
I also need to mow at the allotment but I suspect that will be left until tomorrow, always assuming I can escape tomorrow!  Beth's doing the watering today.

I'll leave you with a few garden photos, just taken.  I'm starting to see why sweet millions is called that; there are so many flowers on each truss.  The cucumbers are growing centimetres every day, there's another one almost ready to cut and others are snapping at its heels.  Brilliant.

Have a grand day and be safe.  xx

Tuesday

Good morning!  The sun is shining and doors and windows are open wide to get as much fresh air as possible before I need to close the blinds.

Yesterday was a nice day although it felt rather lonely after a weekend with Dad.  After a really good drive home I unpacked, started off the washing (I ended up doing three loads, drying it all, ironing it all AND getting it put away), sorted out the garden and set some dates with friends for coming round.

I got the jigsaw folder set up on the living room table and scanned/enlarged the photo of the map.  It's rather clever - the piece of puzzle that has Mum and Dad's home on it is in the shape of a house.  I managed to get about five or six pieces in so, at this rate, I might finish it before the next decade starts.

This is the puzzle - I rather think I have jumped in at the deep end.  Bonkers or what?

Today is busier and more sociable.

First of all it's the weekly SW Zoom meeting.  Then Chris is coming over for our weekly chat.  This afternoon, another friend is, hopefully, coming around.  I haven't seen her since before lockdown so we will have a lot to catch up on.

And the sun should shine all day.  Lovely!
xx

Monday

Good morning!  The weather wasn't wonderful yesterday but it looks as if that's all over and a warm spell is now beginning.  I have the fans all ready at home and I guess it will be ho! for watering cans!

Dad and I found the mini cucumber lovely.  Fresh, crunchy and flavoursome.  Roll on the next one now!  Before I come again, I should have tasted a few broad beans and the first digging of our potatoes.  Exciting times.  On the other hand, Dad's tomatoes are way ahead and there are a few that are changing colour.

Also, his beetroots are looking good.  I pulled a few and, for the first time, made roasted beetroot as a veg for dinner.  You know what - they were absolutely lovely and I'm certainly making that again.

I managed to remember to ask Dad about the jigsaw folder thingy (once I had located it) and he was more than happy for me to have it.  He also pointed out that one of the shelves in the bedroom I use had old puzzles that Mum did many years ago that I could take, if I wanted to.  Added to that, inside the holder was a half finished puzzle, one of an aerial view of the house and surrounding area (with the photo as a guide, thank goodness), so I will see if I can finish that first - it will be rather bitter-sweet, I expect.  Mum loved her puzzles but the dementia stopped this, as it did many other things, so it was just left where she stopped.

So I have puzzles enough to see me through the next three or four years, I  expect!  Let's hope I enjoy doing them.  Some I will hand on afterwards but I don't think I could pass that half done one on.  There must be a way to 'preserve' a finished puzzle - I will investigate..

I'm also going home with other bits and bobs plus a Scrabble set.  Dad never uses it and each Christmas he and Mum faithfully brought it over so we could enjoy several games; last Christmas, Dad continued the tradition on his own.  Now it has a new home with me.
There are other games that Dad would like  me to go through as well so that's on the list for next time, as is finishing the weeding.

It's been a lovely weekend after three months of staying at home.

Today I will need to find homes for my new acquisitions, take a stroll around the estate (!), do the meal planning, start the shopping list and generally get the week going.  I have nothing specifically planned but there will be plenty to do, all the same.

Have a good day, a good week, and be very safe.  xx

Sunday

Morning! Here I am, at Dad's, and it's been raining overnight which has rather put the clappers on me doing a bit of early morning gardening, darn it.

I did a fair bit yesterday afternoon but stopped when it got rather hot.  I rather wish I'd carried on now as the forecast isn't great until about three this afternoon but there you go!

Don't laugh, but when I was at Hyde Hall on Friday, I hovered by the seed area and ended up buying the first seeds for next year (I checked their dates first!).  After my success with growing tomatoes this year, I bought three - sungolds (of course), golden sunrise which is an early, mid-sized, big cropping, yellow tomato (it says on the packet) and some candy tots which are very sweet and prolific cherry tomatoes.  I've never tried the latter two and it's nice to try something new.  I want gardeners delight as well, of course and, if I had the space, I'd get myself a greenhouse or poly tunnel to grow them all in.  But I don't, so can't!  Oh, and maybe a plum tomato too as they are very fleshy and great for cooking.
I also got some baby corn seeds as they can be hard to find in spring.
Now I have to
a) remember I have bought them and
b) remember where I put them.
At least I shouldn't have any 'will I have tomatoes this year' come next spring and you never know - I might even got some in early.

I have no idea what will happen today but I am sure it will be slow and sedate.  I might take a walk down to Bickerdikes, the local garden centre, should the weather permit.
It will be good, whatever we do, because it is good to be here.
xx

Saturday

Good morning!   Today is the Longest Day, the Summer Solstice.  From now on the days get shorter and the nights get longer, not that we notice for quite a while.  I'm glad it's sunny. 

The rain, with the warmth, has really brought the tomatoes on.  Most of my plants have two trusses now, some more, apart from the poor one whose main shoot I enthusiastically pinched out yesterday morning while doing a tie up and side shoot removal.  Ooops.  Fortunately, I was able to tie in a strong side shoot so that should take over.
Happily, the baby cucumber IS big enough (just) to pick and take with me to Dad's.  Here she is . . .

. . . and there are several others also coming on so cucumber will soon be off my shopping list for a few months.

Hyde Hall was lovely.  I was so lucky with the weather.  We had a few spots of rain before hand so I made sure I had raincoat and umbrella in my bag, and just as I got back to the car there were a few more spots.  Neither came to anything though.

It was quite busy, as it was last week, but not crowded anywhere.  I had to queue for the loo but then one usually does, it was just outside distanced queuing instead of being crowded inside.

I had a good wander around, took plenty of photos (some of which are in a separate post I did earlier), ate my lunch by the big pond, had another meander around and then went into the 'retail' area.  I bought no plants but I did get some bits and bobs for Dad for tomorrow and it was just nice to wander around.

I was in bed early, having fallen asleep during Peter Pan and slept the night through although I did have one very odd and vivid dream about being back in school as a teacher with a class consisting of a selection of previous pupils, some of which were playing me up no end while I delivered an observed lesson that consisted of the most ridiculous dictation exercise that was written on a scruffy scrap of paper that kept disappearing and which had been given to me just before the lesson began.
Small wonder they were playing me up!!
Heaven only knows what caused that dream but I was glad to wake up!

I've been pondering about my garden.  I think that's always the way - as soon as you think you've got it just so, along come some more ideas.

One of the problems with a partly container garden and certainly one like mine is height.  I'm lucky that there are the trees either side but in my own garden the annual runner beans is as tall as it gets.
I'm very fond of bamboo and you can get non-invasive varieties, but I don't really have the growing space.  I wonder about some in a container - I have one with a most unsuccessful bush in it that is going to come out.  Do any of my knowledgeable readers know if bamboo does OK in a container?

The other, longer term ponder is perhaps removing some of the paving slabs around the edge in places.  I know Jeff would help with this.  However, it isn't something to be done in a hurry or without some very careful planning so it remains something for the future. 
The whole idea behind the paving and raised beds was for when I was working and really very busy with little time to look after a garden as well.  Now I not only have more time, I also have more energy and interest.
It's something to think about, anyway!

This morning I am off to Dad's for my first weekend with him since before lockdown.  I'm taking with me the cucumber and some rhubarb from the allotment plus my general weeding tool and garden gloves so I can do some weeding for him.

So tomorrow's post might not happen, it all depends but, if not, I'll be back on Monday.
Have a super weekend, everyone.  xx

(I'll finish off with a few garden photos I took a minute or so ago.)

Hyde Hall, 19-06-20

It was a lovely visit so here's some photos.

Friday

Morning, everyone.  No rain yet this morning but it's looking doubtful.  Fingers crossed!

Jackie and I were very lucky with the weather.  The sun shone and we had a really good chat in her beautiful garden.  It was all very pleasant, sociable and - well - lazy really!  Retirement is great!

Apart from that, it was just household chores really, nothing very exciting.

Today, the Main Event is a trip to Hyde Hall.  Just me, so I can wander and meander wherever I like and stay as long as I fancy.  I will take rain gear with me, just in case, but fingers will remain crossed. 
Maybe I will get to spend my birthday tenner, although there are other places to look too.

And that's really about it.  No need to go watering today and it's too wet underfoot to strim and mow.  That's definitely on next week's list of chores.

This is short and sweet today!  Have a lovely time, whatever your plans.  xx

Thursday

Good morning, everyone.  The promised rain has arrived overnight and we have obviously had a substantial amount as the tray holding the few remaining baby chillies was full to the brim when I looked.  It's raining lightly now and today's forecast suggests more is on the way.
No complaints from me; the garden looks a lot happier, even with the wet.  I won't be sitting outside for my meals today though!!

Yesterday passed just as planned except that I didn't go out for a walk.  I felt very lethargic and sleepy all day which is a sign that I probably should have but not to worry.
The chat with Chris was, as always, fun.  It was nice so she came over and we enjoyed time in the sunshine.
In the evening I watched 'Men at the Barre' on iPlayer which was about men at the Royal Ballet.  It was very interesting indeed and I wonder how I missed it when it was on.

Today I have household chores, including changing the bedding, and some cooking in the morning and in the afternoon I'm going over to Jackie's for coffee and chat.  It will be lovely to see her again after last Friday.

That's about it really.  As I've been typing this, it seems to have brightened up and the rain is easing but I'm sure there's more to come.  Hopefully it won't spoil any of our plans today.  Stay safe.  xx

Wednesday

Good morning, everyone.

Fingers crossed the first mini cucumber will be ready to cut by Saturday morning!  It must be about four inches long and seems to be almost doubling is size every day.

Another nice day yesterday.  The SW meeting was fun, as always.  I then went to Morrisons - no queues and no shortages, they even had flour!  After lunch (which I have around two) I popped to the allotment to water and all was well there apart from one corn plant which had been knocked sideways and nearly snapped across.  Beth reckons it was a resident badger!

I had a treat in the mail.  Sue, from My Quiet Life in Suffolk , had a box of surprises and she was giving away some of the items she found in it.  I received a . . .

. . . which I am sure I will find very useful when I get back to quilting again.  Thank you very much, Sue, what a lovely thing to do.

In the evening I got all the ironing done while catching up on some recordings of Back in Time for the Weekend.

Just a nice, normal, homey day, in fact.

Today is pretty much more of the same.  Jeff comes at about eight to weed between the slabs and generally give the front and back a good tidy up.
Weather permitting, Chris is coming over at half ten for coffee and a chat but if it isn't great, we'll have it online instead.  She and partner went to Hyde Hall yesterday so I'm looking forward to hearing about it.
No personal training - we've decided to give the shoulder a proper rest so that's it until next Wednesday.  I might walk out into the country or I might drive across town to Galleywood Common for a stroll around.  I'll see what I fancy doing when the time comes.

So that's my day.  What does yours look like? xx

Tuesday

Good morning!
After giving the new Blogger a try, I've gone back to the old one.  I really liked some features - for example, they have made it really difficult to post a 'saved' entry accidentally - but the inserting images function is slow and clunky and how anyone could imagine it is an improvement on the old way is beyond me.  As I sometimes insert a fair number of images, it really got up my nose!

At least I gave it a fair go.

We had some beautiful weather yesterday.  It clouded over later on in the afternoon and I gather storms were forecast but it didn't feel particularly humid round here and the skies cleared again without any rain or noise!
At the moment, the sun is out and it looks gorgeous.  The forecast keeps changing; at the moment it says light rain mid afternoon but that could easily change.  I've watered the garden anyway and done some side shooting!

Some days just seem to merge into each other, don't they, and one can have difficulty remembering the specifics (or am I just getting old).  I've had to think quite hard about yesterday which is daft but I got there eventually.

Because it was so sunny, I started off some washing and managed to get it all done and line dried.  Now I have a pile of ironing which, I guess, is on today's list of Things To Do.
I popped down to the allotment and planted out the remaining runner beans, grown in pots, to fill the gaps (and did the same thing at home as well).  After those initial worries, they seem to be doing OK, maybe a bit later than some other plots but they will catch up.  They always do.
I also found gaps for the remaining tomato plants, all but two.  Those two are now in the compost bin as no-one around here wanted any more.  I also planted out the last squash to replace the one that does so fingers crossed.  Now I just have the chillies to plant out and I'll do that today and then that's the end of the seedling veg.  All done and dusted.
The allotment continues to look potentially productive.

Broad beans.

 A general view

Tomatoes, courgettes and squashes at the front.











I took some rhubarb round to Julia and was going to take some round to Dave (son) too but he suggested he come round for a chat after work.  He did and it was really lovely, a great treat as he's a busy chap and I don't see all that much of him, considering how nearby he lives.

Oh, I nearly forgot - I had some camping chairs delivered.  On Saturday I discovered that the seat of one of my camping chairs has started splitting (they are very old) so I decided it was best to replace them before someone came to grief in one.  I ordered some on Sunday (Amazon) and they arrived yesterday which is amazingly fast.  I'm very pleased - they are padded and comfortable and the back is slightly higher than the old ones so more supportive.

The only thing in the diary for today is the SW Zoom meeting this morning (pound and a half off - yay) and I need to check whether Beth will do the watering today.  I have a basket of ironing to deal with, the chilli plants to put into the relevant bed and I need to go to Morrisons at some point but apart from that it is just normal, housework-y things.
In other words, a gentle day!

You have a good one too.  xx

(I've discovered an annoying change to the old Blogger - since yesterday, I think.  You used to be able to choose your photos and Blogger 'held' them in the 'insert images' 'area' until you double clicked.  Now it doesn't hold them beyond the initial selection.  Grrrrr)