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