Heating off

My goodness its warm this morning, heat is off, there is a breeze blowing so its a bit cooler outside and the sun has had several goes at coming out from behind the cloud.

Usual breakfast, I have prepped the veg for supper and have a rhubarb crumble in the microwave for dessert.

I want to try and get out to do a bit in the garden, the back patio is a real mess, weeds coming up between the paviours and compost needs sweeping up. The top path also needs cleaning, there is quite a lot of slate on the path. Yesterday I found a hosta which has escaped from the weed suppresant, I am going to have to dig it out and repot it before it gets much bigger. I also want to get another bag of slate, it needs a deeper layer.

DB has been out tootling about, no idea what he has been doing though.

Supper tonight.....roast chicken and veg, rhubarb crumble for dessert.

Book cover in varigated thread finished today.

Its the weekend

Paper is full this morning of queues of traffic going away for the holiday. One of the reasons we always went away out of season.

Woke up to bright sunlight and DB telling me it was 15c outside. Gardener was here yesterday, he has planted the two clematis we bought and also cut back the viburnum on the front, its a really nice shape now and is not overwhelming the other plants in the bed.

I have a small load of washing in, Monday is a holiday, so I am on holiday!!

I sat last night and worked out a design for a piece of embroidery for the cafe we go to at the garden centre, along the lines of the one I did for Angels mother. Something different to the stuff for the fair.

Supper tonight is ADB. We will have banana and icecream for dessert.

Is today Sunday?

No it isn't but we were very late waking up, so we had breakfast in bed!!

The weather is awful, we had a lot of rain during the night, it has stopped for now, but the sky is very grey and overcast.

I made another book cover yesterday, it was better but I have cut out another one just a smidgeon bigger. Will see how that turns out. I am waiting for some varigated thread to come, want to sew this one out and see what it looks like.

Not sure if the gardener will come, we have some new plants to put in, some repotting to do and also the alpine bed to dig out and replant. DB bought a few new plants last week for it. I realised this morning its 15 years since I did the original ones.

When we went for lunch to the garden centre last Saturday I bought a climbing hydrangea which had been reduced, I have one on  the fence which has never flowered, so this one is going in a pot.

I managed to get my left middle finger too close to the needle bar on the machine the other day, broke the nail and squashed my finger a bit, there is a nice bruise down the side of my nail. Will have to cut all my other nails to   match!!

Supper tonight is fish and chips. I have not been able to get haddock for ages, yesterday they had some, so I bought a bos of 4 fillets. We do eat cod, but really prefer haddock. I also bought a couple of bananas, so will have one chopped up with ice cream for dessert.

So thats the shopping done.

Up early this morning and away to Aldi. Everything is going up by leaps and bounds even there. I had to pay £2 for butter that used to be £1.25. I wonder where it is all going to end.

Pleasant drive the sun was out, but we still have a very cold breeze.

DB is ut in the garden, its almost lunchtime, so need to sort out some rolls.

Not sure whats for supper, maybe a ding dinner.

Wednesday

 Not a lot going on, chap came to measure the front window for a replacement double glazing panel. Cleaner has been, so we are all clean again.

DB has put in the Hostas which came last week. The gardener will put the two clematis in on Friday.

Back to the machine, I enlarged the book cover, will see if it finishes any easier to put the notebooks in. Then I will be on to something else. Possibly table mats and candle mats.......Some how I have managed to get some odd ornaments.... will send them as singles.

Supper tonight is ham salad with a jacket potato

Back to normal

A frost was forecast last night so DB wrapped the fruit trees up, three of them are in blossom including the pear. Do not want to loose fruit because of frost killing the blossom.

Load of laundry in, no cleaner yesterday she is coming tomorrow morning. DB is working out a list for the gardener when he comes on Friday. We have plants to put in. I bought 2 new clematis from the garden centre which need to go in, as well as the hostas.

I really need to get back to some sewing this week.

DB has a very big bruise from his fall on Saturday, its a lovely colour. To make matters worse his ganglion started discharging again. Hey Ho, what a wonderful life I lead!!

Back to cooking tonight, pork casserole and rice for supper.

 

So busy morning.

 The last day of our holiday at home. DB had an appointment for a blood test, we then paid a swift visit to see our old neighbour. Then a dash to the local hospital for a blood test and on to the garden centre for lunch. We finally arrived back home at 1 45pm.

It's  a fine day but not very warm.  There is a frost warning for tonight, so DB will be going out to cover the fruit trees.

We will be having rolls and fruit for supper tonight.

Ughhh Rain

 We woke to rain this morning and it had rained ever since. We set off just after 11.15 to meet DD2 and go for lunch at The Harboro in Melton for a carvery lunch. It was excellent, I had beef, as did DD2 DB had gammon and pork. We really enjoyed it.

Back home DB retired for his siesta, I parked myself on the settee with my book.

Its a very grey day.I was hoping to get the plants put in today, no such luck, its just wet and miserable, inside in the warm is a much better idea.

Tomorrow is the last day of our stay at home holiday, it will be back to normal on Tuesday. Have put the cleaner off till Wednesday. so will be a bit late changing the bed.

Supper tonight will be cheese and tomato rolls, yogurt for DB and an apple for me.

Better morning

The sun is doing its best to shine, not sure if the chilling wind has dropped.

We are off out for lunch today, DB is in his scruffs polishing shoes, he will change before we go.

I have a load of laundry in, it should dry on the line. The last of the plants I ordered came yesterday, not very happy with 2 of them, one shows no

sign of new growth at all, another looks as if it has frost damage on it. They were also very wet. Have sent a complaint in. I know they were reduced, but even so you expect to get reasonable plants. They will go in the cold frame to see if they recover.

At last I managed to get cello bags for the bookmarks so spent some time sosrting the book marks and putting them in. I need to find the small sticky price tags to stick on them, then they are done ready. I also have to price up the santa mats. I have a large box that everything is going into. Next on the agenda is the sample book cover. Watch this space.

So supper tonight will be rolls and fruit. I want to prep the melon for tomorrow morning, just melon and coffee tomorrow as we are going out to lunch. DD2 phoned last night, she is joining us for lunch, which will be nice.

Sorry

I missed posting yesterday and very late today.

We were going out for the day, but we woke up to rain, nothing worse than going round a garden in the rain, so we settled for going to the garden centre for breakfast. It rained on and off for most of the morning, cleared up late this afternoon and now was have sunshine.

I have cooked tonight, but will not be cooking tomorrow, Sunday or Monday.  We are going out for lunch each day, so it will just be rolls or sandwiches for supper. Waiting to hear from DD2 to see if she is coming with us for lunch on Sunday. After that it will be life as usual. As we were not able to go away, this is our take on what we would do if we were away. Life will be back to normal on Tuesday.

All the plants I ordered have mostly arrived, so if its fine tomorrow I will be potting them up and putting then in the nursery to grow on a bit before I put them in the garden. The tulips are coming out, they look really nice.

So supper tonight was fish and chips, I can hang my pinny up until Tuesday night!!

Coffee morning

 It was overcast when we got up. I washed the towels and put them out on the line, there was a fair wind blowing. We walked round to the coffee morning. Most of the usual people were there. By lunch time the sun was out, but the wind from the NW made it feel chilly.

DB has spent some time in the greenhouse cleaning off the daffodil bulbs. There are three pots in the greenhouse with fuschias in them, all are showing signs of growth.

Spag bol and garlic bread for supper, banana and ice cream for dessert.

Bright, sunny morning

according to the forecast it is to be warmer than Spain today.........its 9am and the sun is blazing away, but there is a breeze.

I have , at last, finished the ornaments and have started to wash the stabilizer out of them. It will take a day or two although the warmer weather will help. I have 100 to do. First 10 were done yesterday, second 10 are drying.

We have mapped out what we are going to be doing during the time we were supposed to be on holiday, going out for a day trip, 2 breakfasts and a lunch. I have ordered plants so they should be here shortly. I just have the summer pots to do. I will get the plants for them around the middle of nrxt month when they can go straight out.

Having a short break from sewing whilst I sort out the ornsaments. I have sussed out how to make the book covers slightly wider, to take the A6 note books, will sew a sample and see how I get on. Next on the list is Christmas mats.  I already have bookmarks done and packaged, I just have to seal the packets and price them.

Supper tonight is salmon and salad. there is a bit of lemon cheese cake to finish up.

Today is supposed to be warmer

We will see, I have been switching off the heat for several hours during the day. It starts to get colder around 3 pm.

Nothing much doing today except laundry which I hope to get on the line. I did not quite finished the ornaments yesterday, I am really fed up with them now, longing to get on to something else.

DB.s coughing is not getting any better, so I am going to phone the Dr. He has had an Xray and it was clear. I think its a side effect of one of his medications, if so I want it changed.

I have decided to change the time slightly when I take my osteo medication, I have been awake since 5am, waiting for the clock to roll round to 7am.......I am so tired anyway, that does not help.

We are planning an outing to a local NT property on Friday, so fingers crossed for decent weather.

No idea about supper tonight, might do a salad with something.

= 

Sunny

but blooming cold when the sun goes in. I switched the heating off this morning, but had to put it back on just after lunch.

I was hoping to finish the ornaments today, no such luck, I still have 10 to go and then need to soak the stabilizer off, dry and bag them up.

Very laid back day, we did not wake early after a disturbed night with DB coughing, I am going wheel him off to the Dr.

Supper is baked gammon veggies and mustard sauce, lemon cheese cake for dessert.

At least its not raining

Yesterdays gardening came to an abrupt halt when it started to ling it down with rain. T and I had managed to get the cherry tree in its new home just before it started. He also managed to get a few plants in the front. I sent him home after his coffee, it  was hissing down.

Its dry at the moment, hope it stays dry, I have some laundry to go out. Just put a pot of belly pork casserole on, whrn its done I need to slice the gammon and freeze some for later, we are having gammon with white sauce and rosties tomorrow for supper.

We did not have a decent nights sleep which does not help, I am shattered. It takes me a day to get over going to Aldi, which is why I have the groceries delivered evry other week.

Supper tonight, will be half the belly pork cssserole. Dessert banana and ice cream.

Brrrrr

It's really cold again this morning, rain is forecast for later. Gardener is due this afternoon, so need to sort out what needs doing. There are more plants to place and some to go in the front.

Still miffed about having to cancel our holiday. I feel like staying in bed all next week. Have told DB we will be eating some meals out!!

Almost finished the sets of ornaments, should get them done tomorrow, then have an idea for something else.

Supper tonight is the usual fish and chips. Banana and ice cream for dessert.

Gosh its cold again.

Holiday cancelled, Db's IBS has raised its head, so , after going and doing the shopping I came home and cancelled our trip. I am not happy, I desperately need a break, but it does not look like I will get one. I have told him, no way am I booking to go away again.......I have had enough!! So that's an end of it. Life has been difficult since 2020 and I cannot see any let up.

Shopping this morning, DB stayed at home. I have enough in to see us through the next couple of weeks.

Many years ago, when the children were small we used to go camping, first with a trailer tent and then with a frame tent. I was trawling through the Internet the other day and came across a set of videos made by a lady and her husband, they live in Minnesota in the US and have bought tracts of land in IP Minnesota. They have built cabins from the trees on their land and live part of the time off grid. I envy them their freedom. It brought back a lot of memories. I found her husbands posts as well. Recently they bought a plot of land and found an abandoned cabin on an adjoing plot, they bought that and are going to restore it. I will be following their progress with great interest.

It is very cold and windy, I am still ploughing through the Christmas ornaments, have almost finished now, just one and a bit sets to go. Then it's on to something new.

Supper tonight is shepheards pie and veggies. Not sure about dessert yet.

Another sunny morning

Yesterday's trip was a partial success. I forgot the grey thread. We were back well before lunch. I hung out the laundry and put on a second load. I got the first  load mostly dry, but had to finish the second load off in the dryer.

More ornaments done, Once they are all finished I will wash out the stabiliser on one design and sort them into packets, seal them and price them up. Think they will be £12 for a set of four. one white, one red, one mettalic silver and one mettalic gold. There are one or two extras I will sell separately.

I ended up doing chicken and rice for supper yesterday. I have cooked a gammon joint, split pea soup and a quiche, we will have the quiche tonight and the soup for lunch.

Off on a jojlly

Cleaner was here yesterday, so bed change, we had several very heavy showers so the laundry went into the dryer. I have a full basket os stuff ot wash, will put the washer on before we go our, so it will be ready for drying when we get back.

We spent a quiet weekend. Sunday we did a bit in the garden, DB was sowing seeds, I was potting on plants in big containers. Yesterday I concentrated on getting more of the ornaments done.

We are off into Leicester to HObbycraft to get the twid tree and also some smaller cello bags and a reel of dark grey cotton to sew up my trousers. We might have a ding dinner tonight.

So no idea re supper. It is sunny just now, but rain is forecast for later, so the laundry will go in the  dryer again. 

Work in progress

Planted up some pots which will do on the slate bed later

Pots already put out, not neccesarily where they will stay permently.

We left the two obelisks with roses on and also the  bushes etc which were against the fence.

We still have some pots of plants to divide. Some will be going into the front garden eventually.

 

Happy Easter

its another nice morning , sun shining but a bit of a breeze.

Yesterday was a lovely day. We went over to the plant nursery to get Edwin some wood chip, I also picked up a couple of bags of stone for top dressing pots. DB bought 4 small plants for the trough garden we have, I bought a skimmia that was reduced. We treated ourselves to coffee and toasted tea cakes. The garden centre was buzzing, lots of people about. 

When we got home our neighbour lifted the bags out of the car, and then washed it for us, so a gleaming grey car for Easter.

We had our usual Sunday breakfast, I have prepped the veggies for supper, also set the machine off to sew more ornaments. We plan to spend an hour in the garden. I have a peony to put in a pot and also some trailing begonias.

Roast pork for supper, possibly sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

Lovely morning

forgot to post yesterday, but nothing exciting going on just now. I am poughing through the ornaments for the fair.

Gardener was delighted with the new garden, we have placed some pots, there will be more evenyually including a replacement acer. The plants we saved have been relocated in the front garden. once the tulipd etc have gone over they will be dried off and then put in the front in the autumn.

Yesterday was a lovely day, I put the heating off for about 6 hours, so thats good. The sun is shining this morning so the heating is off.

DB seems to have recovered from his chest pain and vertigo incident, so this morning we are off to the garden centre to get some wood chippings for the composter.

Supper tonight will be liver and bacon.

Wet again.

 It started to rain as we were leaving the coffee morning. B & T had come round just as we were getting ready to leave, they collected the electric arm chair I used to use. 

After DB had gone for his siesta I set to and rearranged the sitting room, not sure if it's going to stay like it is, time will tell.

It's still raining this morning, but DB tells me we are to have 10 hours of sunshine tomorrow. We will see.

I am still ploughing on with the baubles. I an going next week to pick up a tree made from a branch of a tree, sprayed white. I am going to use it for display at the fair.

Supper tonight, good ole bangers and mash.

Coffee

Its coffee morning again. I have one bookmark to take, and collect the cash for the mats etc that I made. A welcome boost as there are a few things I need to get.

DB went out to sweep up the bits of slate that had fallen out of the wheelbarrow, he  came in and announced he had vertigo!!! brilliant, I was not amused. His chest pain went off briefly yesterday, he spent a good part of last evening asleep in his chair, I think the codiene is affecting him. He has not taken it this morning, will see how he goes.

I have to take him to get his dressing checked this afternoon, I changed the dressing on Monday, its looking so much better, I think the hole has almost closed up now. Doubtless it will refill, but will will deal with that, if and when it does.

Supper tonight is bacon frittata with salad.

Sorry

forgot I had not posted today. Drs with DB for his blood test and picked up his medication. He went out in the garden and came back in with a vertogo attack......thnkfully after his medication this morning his costochodritis seems to have settled again. 

My silver thread came so I managed to finished the set of ornaments I was working on. Onto the next set now.

I did spag bol for supper,we finished off a couple of hot cross buns for dessert, toasted with butter on, scrummy.

Typical

5am this morning DB announced his chest pain was worse. I dosed him up with his medication aand he went back to sleep. I had a hearing aid appointment and had also planned a visit to our old neighbour, both of which I cancelled. He is almost out of pain relief, so had to ring to speak to a Dr and get him some more. 

I have the washer on, hopefully the clothes will dry outside, yesterday was a lovely sunny day, pity I had not washed then.

We had a look at which pots of plants are to go where in the garden, will get T to move them on Friday all being well.

No sewing, it will be Wednesday at the earliest before I get back to it.

I have found a pattern that takes strips to make the segments, am going to have a go at that after I have finished the tree ornaments.

Nor sure about supper tonight depends on what DB wants.

Sun

keeps coming and going, the sky is clear just now but dark clouds in the distance.

Usual late breakfast this morning, 10 30 before we got up.

Getting used to not seeing the herbaceous border, the chaps put the heavy terracotta pot for the cherry tree in place, I now have to put a bag of compost in the bottom, the tree does not need to be planted too deep, I might need another bag ofcompost if so I can pick it up from the nursery tomorrow when we come back from my appointment at the hospital and seeing our old neighbour.

I am a at a standstill with my embroidery, need the silver thread to continue, what I could do is take the stitch count on the ornament so far and then go on to do several white ones needto complete the set, then I can go back and finish the silver one when the thread arrives.

Supper tonight, roast chicken and veggies, I might make a raspberry jelly to use up more of the raspberries from the freezer.

 

They made it this morning

The gardeners emailed yesterday to say they would have to revert to the original plan, it poured with rain all day, so they were unable to work. They arrived just after 8.30 am were soon hard at work, they lifted plants and bulbs and then started digging out. The whole job was finished by 11.30. The cherry tree, in its pot is just where we want it to be. That leaves us to sort out and place the pots where we want them. I am pleased with how it looks, and no more weeding!! We still have the shrubs by the fence, which will be cut back and allowed to grow up a bit taller.

I have run out of silver thread, £30 for a large cop, will have to wait for it to come before I can finish what I was doing.

Supper tonight, ADB. Have chicken outfor tomorrow.