Monday

 Morning, everyone.  So another week starts and it's really feeling rather cold this morning, in contrast to yesterday which stayed pretty mild.  The lashing rain stopped mid morning and we had some more sunshine before it clouded over again.  I have no idea if the rain reappeared - I'd drawn the curtains by then.
Beeb says that the temperature will rise pretty quickly this morning and that we should enjoy some more sunshine.  Lovely!

I had a nice, lazy, snuggly sort of day yesterday.  The washing all got finished off, dried and pretty much all ironed apart from just a few items that needed to dry a bit more.  It's all hanging around in the living room at present so pretty much top of the list is getting it all upstairs and put away.

I went onto the Hotter site after receiving a sale email without any great expectations as usually my size has all gone but I got lucky in the trainers I really like so went slightly bonkers and bought two pairs in different colours, one of which was black and which I have been umming and ahing about getting for ages.  Black trainers are very useful!
They were half price; still not cheap but then Hotter shoes last for ever, fit me like a glove and are just so, so comfortable.  At my age it's comfort over trend, any day of the week, and trainers are acceptable footwear in plenty of situations nowadays.
Let's see if Google will let me post a picture from the site.

Yes!  No Google Grumbles this time.

Apart from that, it was definitely a 'day of rest' and very pleasant it was too.

Today I will have to wake up a bit as there are two definites in the diary.  The first is circuits with Lindsey and the other is tuition.  I'm starting to count down the tuition sessions now as they will stop in May, once the KS2 SATs are over - I had the older sibling and it was the same then.  By the time you take out Easter and half term, I think it is a maximum of ten more sessions.  Then it will be the end of another era - the very last contact I will have with teaching.  Do I feel sad about it?  No, not really.  We move on from season to season, don't we?
I will miss the student though.

Apart from that, the immediate priority is dealing with the weekend clutter, clean, ironed clothes and other.  After that, I will make a list of the week's tasks, I think.

In the comments, someone was asking about the allotment.  
After taking on board what people said and also something I read elsewhere, I will start on the allotment in March, after I get back from Potters.  I left a lot of stuff to just die back and it will possibly be sheltering little creatures from the cold at present.  March is quite early enough.
Thinking of the allotment, I have remembered that there are (were) a few potato plants that never got dug up.  I wonder if they are still usable or whether they have rotted in the ground.  Anyone know - Sue?  Cherie?

Anyway, I have stopped feeling guilty about the mess there, knowing that I have a date to start.

Well, enough rambling on.  It's nearly eight and I have work to do!  Thank you all so much for the comments you make, they are very much enjoyed and appreciated.
Have a good start to the week, stay warm and be safe and well, and, as dear old Dave Allen used to say, may your God go with you. xx

Sunday

 Morning, everyone.  It's a wet and mild start to the day and there's a bit of wind.  It may very well be a day for staying in and counting my blessings although you never know.

Yesterday turned out absolutely beautiful.  Yes, it was cold, starting with that frost I expected and not really warming up very much until a lot later but the sun shone, the sky was clear and blue and it was wonderful.

By the time I got into the car to drive to Tower Gardens where the walk was starting, the frost had gone but it was still jolly chilly so I wrapped up very warm.  There were seven of us doing the walk yesterday, all but one of us from Jen's Friday SW group.  The other was a husband and a very pleasant chap he was too.

It was the same walk as last time - along the river from Tower Gardens, through Admiral's Park and into Central Park where the coffee shop provides a really nice and warming cup of coffee.  Then it's back round the 'lake' and along the river again.  All of this runs parallel to one of the main roads into town but most of the way you'd never know.

The bird-life on the lake was very active and a couple of us had bought bird food from the cafe (must do that next time) to attract them, causing great excitement. I did wish I had remembered my camera as they were very bold and there were also some swans that are much easier to snap as they move so slowly (usually).
It really was a delightful time and I am looking forward to the next one, in a fortnight's time.

I spent the rest of the day doing little bits and bobs and generally - well, I was going to say 'chilling' but actually it was quite the opposite because when I got in I really was rather cold, chilled to the bone as they say, so I snuggled under the heated fleece and went to sleep!!

Just a really nice day.

Today is much the same but without the walk.  I will see what the weather does before I decide to go out or not but I will probably go into the shed and get the smaller freezer defrosted, something I have been planning to get done for ages.  Then there's washing to finish off, dry and ironing to get done and I might even get one of those cupboards sorted out, you never know.  Fingers crossed!

Have a super day, whatever your plans.  xx

Saturday

 Good morning, everyone.  When I opened a window briefly this morning, it smelled 'icy' (if you know what I mean) and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's a frost once light dawns.  It's supposed to be getting warmer quite quickly through the day but we will see.   I saw this on Facebook yesterday and it made me smile.

I was disappointed with a slight gain at SW yesterday which was a bit frustrating but not to worry, it is what it is!  It was a great meeting; lots of laughs and support and a very short and most unexpected snow shower half way through - the only snow we have seen this winter!  I had intended to walk to and from SW but it was chucking it down before I set off and that rain just briefly turned to snow.

By the end, it had stopped and by the time Alex and I were half way to Letchworth the sun had come out and the rest of the day was absolutely lovely, albeit rather chilly.

Thank you for all your kind words in the comments yesterday.  I did find it all a bit emotional and Alex did too, but we were OK (apart from some emotional scoffing come the evening on my part) and we got done what we planned to get done.
We came home with plenty of cutlery, six of everything in the china line and a list of other things that Alex will be able to use in time but which will stay there for now while the place is being sold.  They're in boxes which I will get into the garage in a little while, once I'm dressed.
The drives over and back were very easy and the new bypass round Little Hadham really does make things so much easier.

We stopped off at Bickerdikes (a lovely garden centre local to Dad's) on the way there for lunch and, while it was fairly busy, there was enough room and the service was very good.  We both had the most delicious bacon, brie and redcurrant toastie with bits on the side and Alex had a Belgian bun to finish off with.
As we walked out through the shop I spotted (and bought) a top that will do me very well for one evening at Potters, so that's great!

On Thursday evening we had another lovely sunset - I hadn't taken it off my camera in time for yesterday's blog so here' the one I like the best today instead although I wish I had caught it five minutes earlier when the sun was just a very little bit higher.  Quite different to the sunset earlier in the week.

Today I can have a lazy start - rather early but that's OK.  I'm currently enjoying a cafetiere of coffee (doesn't it make the house smell lovely!) and will have a leisurely bath in a while.  I'm meeting some of the SW group for a walk in the park in town later on - we walk from the car park to the coffee shop, then round the 'lake' (so-called - it's really just a very naughty bo - I mean big pond) and back to the car park.  It's a gentle walk nothing too hard and not too long but it's all good and the company will be great.

Then I have some washing to do, a bit of tidying, a bit of planning and a whole load of chilling out!  It's going to be a nice day, I think.  What do you have planned for the day?
Stay warm, safe and well.  xx

Friday

 Good morning.  It feels mild outside, it's cloudy and breezy and the sky is already lightening in the east.  The forecast this morning is for rain, rain and more rain which will be good for the parched soil but a bit of a pain for me.

I got the nicer parts of yesterday done.  Chris came round and we talked about getting old!!!  

After breakfast, I went off to Sainsbury's and then Asda as planned and spent a couple of hours wandering around them, looking for stuff on my (very short) list.  I didn't find any tops suitable for evening wear but I did find a nice top in Asda suitable for the summer over leggings/jeggings.  I also remembered to fill up with petrol at Sainsbury's so that's off my list.
Finally, I managed to get a housewarming gift for my ex-neighbour.  I've been meaning to do it for a while and Chris said they will be over on Saturday to pick up a few things she was storing for them so it was the ideal opportunity.

I didn't get the cupboards tidied though!

Today is full.
First of all, it's the usual Slimming World get-together and then I am collecting grandson Alex and we're both off to Dad's house so Alex can take what he would like from the stuff in the kitchen - everyday china, cutlery, utensils, etc.  I will store it all in the garage until such time as he has his own place.

It's the first time he's been back there since the funeral and I think we may both find it a bit difficult.

Have a lovely day, everyone, whatever the weather.  xx

Thursday

 Good morning, everyone.  Was it mild your way yesterday?  It was here, very mild, cloudy, light wind, no excuses not to garden!!   It look as if today is going to be very much the same too.  I missed the sun but at least it wasn't damp and it certainly wasn't too windy.

At last, finally, I managed to get a bit of motivation together and gathered together gloves, secateurs and various digging tools and attacked the garden.  Starting is often the hardest bit, don't you think?  Once I'd got going, it all just flowed with a break for breakfast, a break for coffee and a break for lunch.  I guess I did around three hours of work and now it's a lot better.  All the things I should have done late autumn and all the things that should be done now have all been done.  The ornamental grass cut right down, the autumn raspberry canes removed, I was ruthless with the oregano, the strawberry bed is now tidy, the clematis cut back, the fuchsias . . .  oh, you get the idea.  Then I went round the front and did the same there although that only took around half an hour as it wasn't so bad.
The brown bin is pretty full (collection next week) and all the pots are stacked neatly in a far corner, the rubbish is in the black bin for collection today and it was all very satisfying.

What is really nice is that now that all the old wood, etc, has been removed, there are so many things coming up.  Geraniums, mint, bulbs (obviously), the clematis has tiny green side shoots, there are swelling buds . . . spring is very definitely on the way.

It was also very good exercise!

Then I drove off to personal training and that, also, was great.  Lots of laughs amidst the hard work.  Lindsey had to change the time temporarily from midday to later and I'm finding the current time works a lot better for me.  I mentioned this and we've changed it permanently as it made no difference to Lindsey's schedule.  I was finding that it cut the day in half and meant that anything I did in the morning had to be curtailed in order to get there on time so I'm very happy about that.

We had a lovely sunset as I drove back from Lindsey's so, as soon as I got in, I grabbed the camera and shot out the back to see what I could get.  True to the spirit of AYWMC, I tried various shutter settings and got a variety of shots.  It's really interesting what the camera sees - it was nothing like the below to my eyes - very colourful but lighter and not so dramatic.  The trouble is, I forget what the settings were; I'm just too used to point and click!

(I've cropped them a bit but not edited them in any other way)

I slept well last night!!!

Today, the only thing in the diary <just checking> is the weekly chat with Chris which I always look forward to very much.  
I want to sort out a few behind-doors areas in the kitchen and I'm going to pop over to Sainsbury's for two reasons.  One is to get some skinny oat milk, to which I am becoming rather addicted.  Morrisons does it but not the 'skinny' version.  It's not really to do with slimming but I can have more for my healthy extra A/points/syns/calories/whatever and it's really, really nice, I think.  The other is to look at the clothes in case there are any nice tops for the evenings at Potters.  I might also go a bit further on to Asda which is in the same direction.
I've just remembered that I also need an outside dustpan and brush so I'll probably find one at Asda.  It's a very big store.

And that will probably be it.  There's not enough clothes in the basket to do a wash yet so I can defer that task until the weekend.  I now need to get up motivation to do the allotment!  Next week?  We'll see!

Well, time is moving on and I need to pop over to face book to do some admin stuff there so, as Diane says, I will love you and leave you, hoping that today works out really well for you, whatever you have planned.  Take care and keep smiling!  xx

Wednesday

 Good morning, everyone.  After another gloriously sunny and mild day yesterday, it's started off just a bit gloomy today but it's not at all chilly.  Beeb suggests light cloud today but that could mean a bit of sunshine too, we will see.

Yesterday felt quite a busy day.
It started off with my early morning shop which wasn't a big one and I just popped round the corner to Morrisons to do it.  Once all the was away, I washed my hair ready for Sharon to turn up.  She was a bit late (got stuck behind a learner bus driver who seemed to be out for his first run!) and I was just starting to worry that I had the wrong day! when the door bell rang.

She worked her usual magic, after which I drove off into town to wander round some clothes shops without much luck although I did get a couple of pairs of work out leggings and a T shirt top.  I'll keep looking.

After lunch, I prepped the tuition session and then I set off.  It went well and I heard a lot about the birthday on Monday.  I gather a good time was had!

In the evening. I went online and booked the holiday in the Peaks with Suzanne.  We're taking a cottage in Beeley called 'The Stables' and it does look lovely.  I then went completely bonkers and booked a long weekend at Potters in November.  This is going to the The Year of the Holiday, isn't it?  

Today is loads easier and, as the forecast is for milder weather, I really MUST get out into the garden and do some work there.  Apart from that, all I have on the list is personal training this afternoon, so I have plenty of time, don't I?  No excuses today.

Time to get a move on then.  Take care, be safe and have a lovely day.  xx

Tuesday

 Morning, everyone.

Yesterday went gently and pleasantly.  We had sunshine, lots of it, and some very gusty spells but nothing that caused any worry.  Circuits was really good - we're all loosening up now and it's a lot noisier while we work than it used to be.  I have got a lift to Potters next month from Heather, one of the girls (ladies!) in the group, which is nice.

I did a little bit of gardening but got cold rather quickly.  My hands in particular, do seem to feel the cold.  So I took a few snowdrop photos and came in.  I'm a wimp!

I forgot to mention yesterday but on Sunday a parcel arrived.  It was an outside light I had ordered a week or so before.  I'm in the process of making a list of all the little things that need dealing with in my home and that includes a lot of light fittings and general repairing.  When I have got everything I need, I will contact 'Hire a Hubby' to come and work through my list.  It will be so nice to get all those niggles sorted out.

Today I plan to do a very early shop (Morrisons opens at seven) and get it all sorted before the lovely Sharon comes at ten to sort my hair out.  Then I'd rather like to pop into town to see if I can find anything in the way of a slightly posher or more dressy top to wear over my leggings at Potters.
I can't stay for long because I must be home for tuition - I must actually remember tuition, seeing as it's not on the usual day.
All that should keep me out of trouble anyway.  Hope your plans are good too.  xx