Resolutions?

         I'm taking this idea from Kirsten at Letters from Home.

And I think it will suit me, instead of Resolutions, Good ideas!

1. Lose at least 1 pound each week.

2. Walk at least 3 times a week and achieve my 1200 step count or more.

3. Use a yogurt with squirty cream instead of ice cream.

4 Fill 2 carrier bags a month for the charity shop.

They are sort of Resolutions but I don't feel pressurized, but I do have one Resolution and that is to stop sitting and dozing in my chair after I've had a sleepless night..

So get showered and dressed after my morning cuppa, even if I've been awake in the night for hours!! My one resolution which will be hard because I've got into the habit of not getting showered and dressed till 10 ish if we're not going out.....

..... is to ....Shower and dress before 9:30am! ( I thought before 9 but that would be planning for failure, so 9:30 am will be fine)

 

The Good Ideas are not too taxing so I can't achieve them, but just ideas to guide me.

I'm remembering what Rachel, our old SW consultant said to me, when the urge to eat 'foods that didn't fit the SW food plan.' 

Think.. 'Do I want to lose weight?'  And its working for me.

So I wish all my blogger friends.

 A Very Happy and Heathy New Year.

 Chrisxx

No ones time??

 Here we are in that time of year when Christmas has gone and New Year is yet to come, when its difficult to know what day it is, a sort of 'no ones time.'  The weather has been rainy and when it stopped it was drippy everywhere. I don't like walking on the best of days but wet puts me right off altho'  I have done quite a bit of walking since moving back here. 

This road leads to the front promenade from Rest Bay, a popular place for water sports. It gets very crowded in the summer months.

I haven't walked along here for many years, but I used to when my children were small,  there is a path bordering  the common, all along down along the coast. I had a push chair with the three squashed in, and then down into town about 2 miles and back again walking back up South Rd. 

(Number 4 child was born in Essex)

Today I'm happy to look out of the car window as Dh drives.

I will be walking this year to keep on losing weight.

I gained 2 pounds over Christmas, which I was very pleased with; some ladies put on loads, one 7 pounds!  

We're back on the SW plan, and I've decided I'd like to lose 10 pounds before my Amaryllis flowers. I planted up the huge bulb yesterday, so now who will win, me or the Amaryllis?

Watch this space  if you're interested; I'll photo the Amaryllis growth and honestly report my weight loss.

Chrisxx

Getting ready for the feast!

 One of my step daughters gave me an Amazon voucher for my birthday. Dh has bought me books, so had a think and bought these. A jigsaw for after Christmas and an Amaryllis and both arrived today.

I've planted the amaryllis and will delight in watching it grow.

Lots of delicious cooking smells here, even though it will be just us two, we still go the whole way with extras and sauces.

I've made Delia Smith's Morella Cherry and red wine sauce to go with our duck and in the oven being roasted is the base for Jamie Oliver's veg, herbs and chicken wings gravy recipe.. Dh is making Mary Berry's salmon mousse and we're listening to Carols from Kings on Radio 4. Our slow cooker is ready to start the pudding over night and the fridge is full!!

Will we dare to weigh after all this food? 

We are starting our day with our reading, Luke Chapter2 and then our breakfast is a selection of continental meats, (Dh has pork pie his family tradition) I like smoked salmon and we have crusty whole meal bread and butter and of course Bucks Fizz! 

What do you do on Christmas Eve?

Chrisxx

Are you ready?

It was a tremendous effort on my part,  but we have a real Christmas tree and its fully decorated, I didn't feel in the mood!

But on Saturday we ventured into our little town and what a picture it was.. Carols from two different choirs and the man  himself was there in the museum giving out presents. The local Round Table had set up a snow machine and to see the joy on the children's faces was delightful.

Dh and I walked the length of the main street and looked at all the Christmas decorated shop windows, which were lovely. Wrapped up warm and just ambling along taking in the atmosphere was just what I needed. Our little town seemed to be buzzing with Christmas cheer.

The florists shop was gorgeous as usual and I had to buy another (Hellebore)  Christmas rose for the garden. 

We stopped off at our favourite coffee shop and included a mince pie with our coffee, it melted in your mouth. I'm not too bothered about SW because since my last post I've lost 5 pounds!!

Yesterday was my birthday and I may have had a few more syns than my allowance,  but you're only 80 once, so I had to have that cheese cake and just a small portion of ice cream.

We're now looking forward to Christmas day and our duck dinner. It will be Dh and myself so we thought in the morning we'd go and cheer the Christmas Day swimmers! Brrrrrr it will be cold but they all wear bobble hats so will be ok!

Thank you to all my followers and those who have left comments this past year.

Merry Christmas All and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year. 

Chrisxx

The Constant Battle

Our present sliming world group meetings are always entertaining and fun, unlike some that I've been to which were very, very boring.

Our consultant is an absolute hoot and if you could lose weight from laughing, we'd all be skinny!!

Most weeks she tells us how much the combined weight loss of the group is. Pre-Christmas the numbers have dropped off, as it seems that is usual; post-Christmas the number of people joining is huge.

This past week the combined weight loss of the group was 42 1/2 pounds, and that 1/2 pound was mine! I am so proud that I could swell the loss by that 1/2 pound, wa-hoooo me!!

So, I am not going to lose that stone in weight by Christmas at this rate, but 12 pounds over............ months isn't so bad. And I probably won't lose even a half this week, as I've had two mince pies already! But hey ho, if I wasn't struggling to lose weight, I could be struggling to give up alcohol, or drugs like some people. And not losing any weight is not so bad, it's only this week. next week I will lose and when I put my mind to it, I will and maybe even more than a half.

So my battle goes on and on and on and on and ......................

Do you want to lose weight, did lockdown get to you too?

Chrisxx

Seasons

One of the gardening FB groups I belong to suggested we could show the four seasons in our gardens.

My spring picture is these lovely white narcissus, brought from our Suffolk garden without me knowing. They were in a pot with some perennial geraniums. A very pleasant surprise.

And one of my favourite summer flowers are phlox, such a heavenly scented flower,

And my own penstemon, grown from a cutting flowering late summer. 

And my very favouritest flower is Rudbeckia which flowers past the first frosts

And I loved all of these too, which made the weedy grass area we moved into full of colour. 

lo

I love flowers, what about you?

                                                     Chrisxx

Grey or dyed??

 In three weeks', time I will be celebrating very big birthday, my hair has gone very grey. My cousin who dyes her own hair says it makes me look very old. Duh? I am old and so is she, as she is my age.

My husband has a lot of hair which is very white, he is very proud of it and he only goes to have it cut when it really needs it! I have a lot of hair too, albeit grey. He and I are very happy, married now 17 years and he is happy with my hair colour.  It means we are growing old together, which is lovely as I love him very much. Many people don't get to be my age, so I'm really pleased that I am this age.

This past week we had what we thought was a good idea; we would do a supermarket shop instead of having a delivery, which we have had since the first lockdown, March 2020. Oh my gosh it was awful. There were no disable parking spaces free, it was tipping down with rain and the huge car park was full. We did get a space not too far from the entrance and there was a gentleman who was unloading his trolley next to us, so I had that to push to the store. 

 Inside, it wasn't so crowded, but we didn't know where certain foods were. There were trolleys left in the middle of aisles, blocking the way for everyone else; why do people do that? We came out vowing we'll have deliveries again! I was exhausted and waited in a pick-up area for Dh to come for me. I've never felt so old.

But here I am, grey hair, stretchmarks, wrinkles, sunspots and scars and I am over weight, But I am who I am and I'm still here. And I love my life.

Inside my head I'm not the age I am. Somedays I'm only 18 and starting my nursing training. I have very clear memories being in my very first kitchen as a new wife and reading the label on the back of frozen veg, I couldn't cook, but I didn't poison us! Then I am 21 looking down at my first baby, my daughter. When ABBA won the European Song Contest, my daughter and I danced all around the house and that week I made us matching satin shorts.  I can see my three sons standing together on the drive of our first Billericay house wearing the duffle coats I'd made them; I was such a proud mum and loved it when my children were young. I loved my teaching years and at this time of year I remember the Christmas concerts where I played the piano. How did I do that?

So, my hair might make me look old to some people but the other week in the SW meeting, another member said how lovely I looked. It did me good, why aren't there more people in the world who are willing to build each other up instead of tearing each other down? We need more people to encourage us to embrace who we are, we ourselves need to rock the bodies God gave us and be happy with ourselves just as we are. I'll still use my beauty cream on my face and neck each night and morning, and look after my teeth and hair, just because I'm old, I don't want to let myself go!

What do you think about grey hair?

Chrisxx

YMA O HYD -(OFFICIAL CYMRU WORLD CUP SONG)

I'm not a great football fan but I will be watching Wales, I'd like them to get a few wins and would be over the moon if they did win.

And I love the song, which I looked up right away to sing the words. Dh and I have been having Welsh lessons, 2 two-hour sessions a week. I do remember some from Junior school, but have a problem stringing the words together and the pronunciation of some, but we're having a good go, but laugh at our attempts. The words look so strange, but we have favourites.

Dh's favourite is smwddio= ironing.

Mine is ...archfarchnad=supermarket

Quite a mouthful I think you'll agree.

Thank you for the comments on Charities, yes I feel guilty if I say no too.

Chrisxx

Here are the words if you want to sing along.

Dwyt ti'm yn cofio Macsen
Does neb yn ei nabod o;
Mae mil a chwe chant o flynyddoedd
Yn amser rhy hir i'r cof;
Pan aeth Magnus Maximus o Gymru
Yn y flwyddyn tri-chant-wyth-tri
A'n gadael yn genedl gyfan
A heddiw: wele ni!

[Chorus:]
Ry'n ni yma o hyd
Ry'n ni yma o hyd
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth
Ry'n ni yma o hyd
Ry'n ni yma o hyd
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth
Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth
Ry'n ni yma o hyd

Chwythed y gwynt o'r Dwyrain
Rhued y storm o'r môr
Hollted y mellt yr wybren
A gwaedded y daran encôr
Llifed dagrau'r gwangalon
A llyfed y taeog y llawr
Er dued yw'r fagddu o'n cwmpas
Ry'n ni'n barod am doriad y wawr!

Why do they do this??

 

This Pudding, she is in her second year of training to be a Guide dog for the sight impaired. it's the second dog I've sponsored. The Association were appealing for new sponsors in our high street a couple of months ago, we stopped to speak to them. I mentioned I was already sponsoring a dog and she was my second, so she asked would I take part in their lottery, but I do that as well and buy their raffle tickets 3 times a year; She still asked could I not sponsor another dog! I said no, as I think I give them a fair amount already.

My other regular monthly charity is the Macular Society and I take part in their lottery as well as a monthly contribution. And a surprise was I've won £5 twice in the last few months. They often send me 'bumff' which includes a request for more money. I phoned and asked them to stop sending me letters as I thought it was a waste of money.

Each Christmas I chose a couple of charities and give them money, this includes, Beds for the Homeless and Smile for children born in 3rd World Countries born with a hair lip.

And this time of year, I get requests for money from different charities. So, when you give to one, they must pass your name around and hence the letters. 

And also, this is the time of year when Pudsey the bear pops up with various very well-off celebrities on TV, smiling very nicely asking for people with a good deal less money to ...give, give, give.

It makes me feel like cancelling my regular giving, because it seems to me, I am like many being targeted as a soft touch.

How do you feel about all these adverts on TV from wealthy celebrities all asking for us to give money to their charities? 

Chrisxx

What do you love best??

 I can't say it enough...' I love books!' And am delighted to see that Jane Harper's book, 'The Dry' which was made into a film, is now available on some 'streaming' services. The opening passage of this book was so vividly written I read it through my fingers covering my eyes! The book shop in Southwold featured it and had the floor covered with sandy bits and dried grass, which the manager said was difficult to keep fresh, so it was swept up each night and re-done each morning. Wow, it was a good book! I hope the film does it justice.

It amazes me how authors think up their stories. A real favourite of mine is Charity Norman, who writes a totally different story each time and none have ever failed to take me away into a different world. When I finished reading her last one. 'Remember Me,' I was bereft and was lost as to what I would read next, what story would give me that excitement when I was on my way to bed; my best reading time and place.

Next month I have a significant birthday, a really big, big number and what have I asked for?? A book by Chris Hammer, his latest.

I've been to quite a few authors talks and some draft writing by hand, some have a story board, and some don't know the ending before they start!! 

Patrick Gale, said he didn't even write the story in chronological order, but wrote chapters as the story came to him.

This was an excellent story..

 I always say of presents, I've probably got it and if I haven't, I didn't want it!! But I'd never say no to a book!

Are you passionate about books?

Chrisxx

Lest we Forget

Just thinking we'll all miss our Queen at the cenotaph this first time without her.. Long live King Charles 3rd. 

Chrisxx

This gives me such joy.

When you've had a bit of a dip in life just like my post of a day or two ago, you need a lift to get on and be happy. So, when I heard that Bing Crosby's recording of Desert Island discs was one of several that had been found deep in the BBC Archives, I had to listen.

Back in the 1980s when I was visiting my aunts here in my hometown, I met one of my mother's friends, my Auntie Dulcie. (not a real Aunty) She told me of the times when she and my mother saved their pay each week to get the bus to Cardiff, to attend singing lessons, altho they could only afford to go every other week. They were 17 years old, it was pre-war! 

They loved singing so when Bing Crosby came to the local cinema, they had to go to see him. 

Aunty Dulcie said my mother was so excited and had rushed home one Saturday afternoon to tell her, his latest film was there in the Casino and would she like to go.

I love to think that my mother liked his films, so listening to the podcast of Desert Island discs was very emotional for me.

And here is his most famous song White Christmas, first recorded the year I was born!

Still lovely to hear, enjoy!

Chrisxx

Not my day!

Well, I'm not having the best of days. We have been into town for me to buy Boots own Number 7 face cream. On Saturday when we were there, they didn't have any, but assured me they were having a delivery Monday and today, Wednesday, but they still didn't have any, so annoying. There is a bigger store in the bigger town near us, but we're not very good in towns we don't know, so I decided to buy it online. Grrrrr there was a glitch in the program, and I was going round in a loop so gave up.   

We have signed up for a Welsh language oral session to supplement our Welsh language lessons, to be held at the Pontypridd Campus of the Uni. of Wales. So, we needed to make arrangements for Nell. We looked up Doggy Day care places near us, phoned one that was recommended, she answered with an abrupt retort, 'I'm not taking any more dogs' and hung up..why oh why didn't her web site say that!!

So, to finish my day I've found a kennels near us that will take Nell each Saturday as Dh read out the dates to me.. Nov 12th and each Saturday right to Dec10th, except when I looked it was only 1 day. So where did he see all those other dates?? Who knows, I've had to phone the kennels back to cancel the other days!

But he has redeemed himself by going onto the Boots web site and bought the face cream for me. But definitely not my day. I can feel a headache coming on, or could that be the flu jab I had yesterday?

Do you have days like this?

Chrisxx 

                

My Blessings

I follow and read several blogs and so admire their photographs. I'm hopeless and mine don't do justice to the subjects I'm photographing.  I'm thinking particularly of our garden which has been spectacular, a lot due to Dh as I can't dig with my duff arm anymore and in all the heat he watered the pots every night.  We are getting ready to put it to bed for the winter, lifting the dahlias and getting those pesky dandelions out. 

I get blog envy when I see some. but I feel so sad for those who write about their everyday lives, some very lonely by themselves, others who can't fit enough into their days, carefully planned as though they're afraid to have one minute unplanned. I don't fill my days with planned activities and am happy to go along as things happen. I don't need to fill my life with things, activities or holidays. Even when I lived alone, I took my time through each day. Now having met my lovely Dh 18 years ago I have many and plentiful number of blessings.

He's not perfect in a lot of things, as he needs time to get round to doing things, which in all fairness, he's decided he needed to do himself. He made a 'to do' list the other day but hasn't actually done anything on it yet. He wants to paint his shed, he has the paint ready and waiting; he wants to sort out the garage, we have the shelves to put things on to be up off the floor; and he will do these things but not just yet. I don't mind, when he says he's ready I'll help, and it will all get done.

But he is perfect in other ways, I have always had a morning cup of tea each day since we married in 2006, he is always willing to stop what he's doing if I need help and he is a very good cook. He has never complained when I've woken him up night after night with my insomnia but will make a cuppa at 3 in the morning. And he happily cuddles up behind me in bed to warm me if I feel cold.  So he's pretty wonderful I wonder what I've done to deserve someone like him. He's generous of heart. He makes me think of the song 'Something Good' from the sound of music, because I must have done something good to have met him and he ask me to marry him.

Chrisxx

What puts you off a book?

We were booked to hear this author talk, this afternoon at the library, unfortunately she is not able to make it and it has been postponed till October 26th, will I still remember the story by then? I had 3 starts because I kept forgetting what I'd read the night before and to my way of thinking there were too many character names, so I kept getting muddled! 

As well as that it was set in Ireland, with some colloquiums and.....other things.

So, these put me off a book.

A lot of character names to start, and where they are police, some christian names and then referred to by their surnames. 

Not clearly defined chapters, when they are in different time zones.

Too faint and small font.

Too big a book, so heavy.

Local colloquiums or dialect.

Swear words and blasphemy.

Overtly sexual antic descriptions,

Too much dull description of scenery.

A Mills and Boone type book, basically 'chick lit.'

And these reasons are before I even look at what the story is about!

So, I found this book a hard read for me, but I read it because we were to hear the author talking about it. Dh read it too and came across several typos! But he liked it. 

Basically, and ex-policeman comes out of retirement to investigate old cases where the original cases had unsolved crime, as a hobby.  It was ok, but not my usual choice of book and I only read it because of the Author 'talk.' 

What puts you off?

Chrisxx

Simple things??

 A while ago we bought this weather station. it gives the temperature in the house too.

As well as pictures of clouds etc indicating the weather, there is a little man. He dresses according to the temperature, so he can be in shorts with a deck chair beside him or he can be carrying an umbrella. We love it! Simple things??

We consult it every morning and through the day too, do you think we're going through our second childhood? This morning it is telling us its 13.7°C so a bit chilly out there! There are already autumnal signs and we have put our heavier duvet on our bed. 

We've done a little gardening at the weekend getting the garden ready for winter. I don't wait till the frosts these days to lift my dahlias for the winter, I do it when I am able to; with just a little weeding on Saturday my achy muscles yesterday have reminded me of my age! So these days I like simple things that need little or no effort and do things when I can rather than when perhaps they should be done! 

Do you have days when you feel your age?

Chrisxx

🥪 👜 Ma’amalade sandwich Your Majesty?

She had the most amazing sense of humour, I'll never forget this..

Chrisxx

Our Beautiful Queen

 A sad time for our country

Queen Elizabeth 2nd her reign...1952-- 2022

Chrisxx

Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

1. Find something that makes you happy.

2. Something to give to someone else to make them smile.

3.Find something that you love to smell.

4.Find one thing that you like to look at.

5.Find something that is your favourite colour.

6.Find something that you are thankful for in nature.

7.Find something that you can use to make a gift for someone.

8.Find something that is useful for you.

Something like this was a favourite with my Guide Company when I was a Guider, and each Guide was given a match box to go off and find given objects. (I had all my friends collecting match boxes for months!)

Chrisxx

A Darling Visitor.

 We have a regular visitor and we're thrilled.

Who'd have thought that we'd have this little fellow in our garden, that was a barren grassy nothing when we moved here. Dh set up one of our bird feeders within a week of being here and we had 1 robin and about 4 sparrows at first. No butterflies, no bees not even a hover fly. The first flower bed dug did encourage some cabbage white butterflies and a few more sparrows, but insect life and birds were slow to arrive. Now it is alive with flying insects, bees and butterflies and this little fellow.

A few weeks ago, late at night, when we had popped Nell out for her last pee-pee, when we heard her bark then a very loud squeal. Dh rushed out and there bathed in the outside light was a hedgehog!

And he's been back a few times, and he's left little poos in the garden, so look like he's around a lot and we're delighted. We haven't put out any food, because with having with Nell, she'd wolf it down. Again, the other night when Dh had opened the door for Nell, there was the hedgehog, I rushed to get a good view and he was running like a 'bat out of hell' up to the top of the garden, to the safety of the hedge. We were cheering him on, and Nell stood there on the top of the steps behind us. 

Isn't that wonderful?

(Not our photos, he/she was too quick for us!)

Chrisxx

Bill Turnbull

 This has made me feel so sad this morning.. Such a lovely man, age 66 has died.

He lived in the next little village from us in Suffolk; you could see his house from the main road going through his village and as we drove along and it came into view I used to say 'Good Morning Bill' every time

RIP 

Good bye Bill.

Chrisxx

In under a year.

In only a period of 9 months this scrawny flower bed has bloomed and now is absolutely gorgeous. 

As you can see it has burgeoned and filled out, in fact its probably the best of the three beds Dh dug for me to plant up. The others are suffering from the intense

 heat we've had this summer

And this is my favourite dahlia, I love the colour and its mop head.

The first bed that we dug has been prepared for Autumn planting; it had dried up completely.  So we have  cut back all the top growth of the perennial geranium, Ladies Mantle, hollyhocks, and the bright pink with silver leaves plant. < Can't remember its name name>

We've thinned out the Shasta daisies and cut the penstemon down to 6 inches as well as pruning the two roses in that same bed. 

I love  the lime colour of the Ladies Mantle and I don't mind one bit that it seeds everywhere.

And this west facing bed has grown into...

.... this, with our grape now growing up the pergola and we have grapes!

It's a wonder we have any flowers here, as this is where Nell squashes her little bum into, when she's feeling too hot. 
So over all not too bad,  when you see what we had when we arrived here, June last year.

A bare weedy grassy garden! 

As well as our flowers, we've had potatoes, runner beans, carrots, lettuce and tomatoes which are all still producing, so not bad for two oldies, what do you think?

Chrisxx

Another problem, to decide on.

 I am still having urinary problems and the latest treatment I was given by my local Drs was two sachets of powder which contained an antibiotic, to be taken 3 days apart!!

So I drank the first one last evening obeying the instruction, in a glass of water 2 hours after food or could have been 1 hour before, fully confident that I'd have a good nights sleep.. ha ha, did I heck??

Nope I slept for 2 1/2 hours, then woke for the loo and then had to visit the loo every half hour or there about. Gave up at 5am and got up and read my book, but did then doze in my arm chair after my own Cystitis relief bought remedy and 2 paracetamol!

It's difficult to get through to our surgery for a Dr app, which would only be a telephone app. anyway. ( I was 90 mins one morning) This is now a chronic problem because I never really have sufficient treatment, when I have had a really bad bout of cystitis... According to the Urologist I saw, the best treatment should be a double amount of time of taking the antibiotics, ie. 2 lots over 4 weeks. I'm still waiting for my follow up app. with him. Grrr in the mean time I'm sleep deprived in a lot of discomfort.. Getting old with a failing NHS is agony! 

But who cares?? Now GPs are asking for more pay and threatening to drop out of the NHS, if they do I think they should pay for their training either in money or constant pain! What would you vote for how they could  pay, money or constant discomfort for months and months? I know what I would wish for them!!

Chrisxx

What do you think?

While many of the British public are being told how their energy bills could top £4000 this coming winter, Boris our departing Prime Minister is enjoying a holiday in Greece. It seems he left a tip of 50 Euros (£42) for their last meal, where he was joined by friends.

Here at home there are strikes which are going to affect the cost of living even further, according to the experts.. Train, Docks, Post, and Refuse workers are all either on strike or are proposing to strike. 

Liz is promising tax cuts, which won't help the poorest of Britain, as many earn below the tax threshold. But she is promising a new Budget and spending review that will reverse April's rise in National Insurance and next years Corporation tax hike from 19% to 25%. 

Rishi has promised to deliver tax cuts that drive growth, but only after we get a grip on inflation.

What does it all mean and who will carry out what they're promising? 

We can only judge after the event.. Boris promised a lot, but things haven't worked out.

He seemed to me to be portraying himself as the amiable buffoon, but with brains? 

Who knows what will happen but one thing, we the people can be assured of, the MPs will be fine and with no worries about their salaries until the next General Election??

What do you think?

Chrisxx

One of those days.

Do you ever feel like I have on one occasion this week. Nothing was right, even Dh came in for some criticism.. although I do usually say to him, its not a criticism, just an observation!

We have been desperate for rain, the garden was crisp, dying as I watched although, we were watering the pots, especially the tomatoes. (which actually have done really well) And then it really rained, yippee.

The next day, I cleared one flower bed of dried plants, dead leaves and dead headed the dahlias, tidying the edges and hoeing the ground. It did look good and showed it had been done. It was a real effort as I'm still not sleeping well. The next day I started to do the same to another flower bed. I had only just started and the heavens opened. I came in not pleased, as I really wanted to get as much of the  garden sorted as I could before the weekend, it had really suffered in the heat.

In the house, the lounge looked untidy, Dh is a love but putting things away is not how he works. I usually just sort things out, but I was tired, hot and bothered, while not the awful heat of the previous week it was humid. My hair was flat, washing my hair is my 'bête noir' I can wash it one handed  but not push it into style and so I felt and looked miserable. 

And we had to go into town as I needed a birthday card for my GD, I had bought a whole lot a while ago but none suited a 27 year old young business woman. I had to get out of my scruffs and dress tidily, a real effort! I huffed and puffed getting into the car, Dh was quiet!

It was when we were in 'Robin's Nest,' a very nice shop that sells lovely cards I saw 'her.' A lady with a scarf like a turban round her head, like ladies wear who have lost their hair with chemo treatment; we were both looking at Grand daughter cards. She held one up which was priced £3.50 and we both smiled and said at the same time,' She's worth it.'

My mood lifted, she had a lovely smile. I am so blessed.

Such lovely thoughts......'more to you 

that you have yet to know.'

Chrisxx

Still Trying.....

 

Two weeks ago my efforts to lose weight fell by the wayside. One night, we were up at about 3:00am drinking tea and eating copious rounds of toast with butter and homemade marmalade.. so we were way over the extras that SW (Sliming World) allow, before the day had even started!

So last week and the start of this week, we've been strictly on plan. Dh does the cooking and we've had some very tasty meals that filled us up, so we didn't snack later in the evening.

One of my favourites is Chicken Kiev, with a baked potato and a full salad; the tomatoes are from the garden, grown by me.

And followed by a pud which was cherry clafloutis, which is made with quark, fluffed up with egg white. Really delish and we have squirty cream with it.

So a very tasty meal, altho I don't snack, but sometimes I just fancy something. One slimming consultant gave an example of what happens if you think you're hungry and you go to the fridge and all that was in there was raw liver, 'would you eat it,' she asked..'NO, so you weren't hungry just fancying'  she said, but if it was pigs liver and I could just sear it in a pan, I'd have eaten it!!

Kuchisabishii... this could be me, it's the Japanese word for 'lonely mouth!!' Do you  have kuchisabishii?

Chrisxx

Such delightful TV

It was such a delight to hear all about Raymond Briggs' life and hear how he got into drawing.. and Art College. I didn't know anything about him apart from The Snowman and a couple of his other books. He died Tuesday age 88.

A very pleasant man, as well as being very talented, although his choice of career was not something his parents thought was any good. 

After the programme about him, there was the film of the story he wrote about his parents.  Ethel and Ernest was a graphic novel which told their story from their first meeting in 1928 till their death in 1971.

We thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Such talent and such wonderful books.

Did you watch his life story and then the film about his parents?

Chrisxx

A surprise and toms.

I was  looking for 3 inch pots and so emptied out some pots from the plastic little green house.  There were 6 that looked as though the seeds hadn't germinated and whoops this arrived from the pile of compost that I had tipped out! A pleasant surprise and doing well without being watered in this very hot dry weather. 30°C on our patio this afternoon! We are so glad we bought a A/C unit a few weeks ago, with the curtains closed we are staying cool.

Loads of tomatoes and all beginning to ripen, not that we'd mind if they didn't. as I found that green tomato cake recipe a year ago and it  was delicious.

And we'd be happy with red tomato chutney too, as we have no homemade chutney left. 

The flowers are beginning to dry up, but being good citizens we're only watering the pots and veg. We need rain!!

How is your garden faring in this extra-ordinary hot weather?

Chrisxx

I've never seen it.

I 've never actually seen this film but seen lots of scenes.. I think now I should look it up and watch it.  So sad to think this lovely star has died.. Cancer is a horrible disease, lets hope and prayer a cure is near.

Such a lovely voice, 

RIP Olivia Newton John

Chrisxx

I was hoarse some evenings!!

Have you watched and enjoyed the Commonwealth Games? I've followed and enjoyed the netball.

I've shouted and  yelled as if I was there. I loved it although I was very disappointed that England was pushed out by Australia.

And then by NZ so didn't even get a bronze medal.

I didn't play when I was in school, but I did take over the Netball team in a school,  when the young teacher said she didn't want to do it  anymore. I was 54 at that point in my teaching days!

I read the rule book over and over, increased the practice sessions to twice a week after school and then once at a lunch time. This increased as the girls got more enthusiastic and over that first year my team gradually improved. Then every girl wanted to be in my yr 6 class although I had girls from each of the three classes, and girls who had caused problems in classes who wanted to play in the 'A' team started to be less bothersome. 

I loved it too although it increased my work load. As senior teacher with a Head Teacher,  who had a lot of sick leave and a Deputy who had more colds than was ever heard of, I took a major role in the school.  

Also as I played the piano, I took most of the Assemblies so I was very busy,  but netball became my passion and so these games were right up my street. 

One of the girls I coached went on to play at her senior school and then for Essex, she was brilliant. It was lovely to think I had introduced her to the game. 

Happy Days!

Chrisxx