Tuesday, 11 August 2026

Tuesday, 11-08-26

Good morning, everyone, and welcome.  
Isn't crazy to think that a third of August has been and gone!  Blink and Autumn will be round the corner!  Oh, my goodness!
We're now half way through the summer holiday (for schools) and, dear me, I am so glad I'm retired.  Change of PM and Education Lead in government and, obviously, more changes - even though schools haven't had the opportunity to process that last lot of changes yet.   Will they ever stop treating education as a cheap political football?  No need to answer that, we all know, don't we?

Yesterday felt very busy.  
I gave the garden, and especially the tomatoes, two good waterings (using cans, of course, I am a Good Girl) and, as mentioned, picked loads and loads of tomatoes - and a cucumber.  After some weeks of not much, the cucumbers have decided to fruit again.
I unpacked after the watering and got all that sorted.
I did two loads of washing but not the ironing.  That can wait for today.
I processed some of the tomatoes and now I have four more lots of passata - I use those silicon brick thingies and the resulting cubes take very little space.
I cleared the kitchen, made another mess making dinner for me and Alex, and cleared that.
I went to Morrisons and did some shopping.  It wasn't a big shop but what I handed over was shocking.  Needing some cash didn't help - I know it's mostly cashless nowadays but I do like to have a small amount ready to use.
Alex came round late afternoon and we had dinner after which I took him home again.

I got nibbled to death over the weekend - different area, different bugs, maybe.   The lakes (big ponds) are drying up but there's enough water in them still and I left my window open overnight!!  Oh, well, I have germoline and will apply some soon as I'm feeling mighty itchy after my bath.  No new nibbles overnight though, thankfully.

Just a few more photos - as well as the hotel and to one side of it, there's a set of  . . . I suppose 'flatlets' is the best term . . . each one containing sixteen rooms, I think. the same quality as the hotel rooms.  It's called the Village, it's alongside the gold course and just a couple of minutes walk from the hotel where guests have their meals, etc..  I've never stayed in the Village but I has a little walk up and down.




Today, being Tuesday, starts with Groove.  I can't honestly say I feel terribly enthusiastic about it and would much rather be lazy at home but I'll be glad I went afterwards, I am sure.
After that, it is more of the same.  I want to skin and freeze some more of the cherry tomatoes and I need to do a serious deadheading.
Then there's inside dust, etc, although my feeling is that that can all wait.

Right, time to stop rambling and get the day started.  Get dressed, give the tomatoes a good watering (cans only!!), do my social media stuff, empty the dishwasher . . . and then meet Chris for Groove.
Enjoy your day, everyone.  Stay cool or as cool as possible and, if you know a little rain dance, we in the south east would really appreciate it!!  
xx


14 comments:

  1. I used to work in the admin department of a secondary school, I still remember the year we returned to find that the member of staff, charged with doing the timetable, hadn't managed to produce anything useful. What a nightmare, staff and students with no idea where they should be or what subject was next! It took weeks to sort out.

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    1. Oh, my goodness. Everyone's worst nightmare. At least in primary, with a few exceptions (hall times, assemblies, outdoor games, swimming) , we organised out own timetables. I think there's software now, isn't there? xx

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    2. There certainly is software now and timetables in secondary schools are produced well in advance of the end of summer term ending. Based on most teachers now teaching a second (if not third) subject and having to familiarise themselves with unknown subjects, rooms, curriculum, pupils etc., it would be diabolical if a school had to open without staff (teaching and admin) knowing what they were meant to be doing do or where pupils should go. And it would fail Ofsted.

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    3. It would be an absolute nightmare - even to think about it . . . xx

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  2. Watering duties look set to continue for the foreseeable don’t they? The only consolation with this drought is that time isn’t taken up with grass cutting 😆
    Alison in Devon x

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    1. Indeed they do and I need to go and do the evening watering after finishing my replies. I'm sure I use more water this way too. xx

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  3. Bugs love me, B&B&EM too. I use HC45 and if they keep itching E45 Itch Relief Gel which I keep in the fridge. I've ironed a huge pile today and OH has ironed his trousers, the only thing of his I don't iron. Xx

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  4. E45 stuff is very good - I will look out for that, thanks, Gill. I gave up on G's trousers back in the olden days. I never did them right for him!! xx

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  5. I seem to have avoided most of the midges and bugs this year and I don't know why? Maybe they are saving up a special surprise for me but I hope not. Hope you are getting some relief from the itches.

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    1. It's all settled down now, thank you. I'm glad you have avoided most of the nibblies! xx

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  6. It's the same here in the states with education, Joy. Teachers and students and curriculum requirements are always political footballs. Like you, I am glad I'm retired from teaching.

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    1. Very annoying, isn't it? Some things never change. xx

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  7. Sounds like a really busy day!
    I hate this time of year for being bitten. Sigh

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    1. It can be really uncomfortable, can't it? I never used to have any problems with bugs but there you go - that's like. At least it is only for a short time of the year. xx

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