Sunshine, a walk and a talk.

 I felt so old yesterday, lack of sleep had pushed  me into that awful feeling of old age is 'B' awful.

Aches, pain, a bladder problem and insomnia doesn't make life easy. Since we moved here, 5 years ago now, I've not seen my daughter, as it is an awfully long way. I think that's what compounded my mood as its her birthday this weekend. 

Suddenly I've really felt old. I had wobbly coming out of our walk in shower. I felt unstable and we talked about a grab bar at the entrance. Then yesterday I realised  that I was stepping too far from the edge of the shower, moved nearer and the stepping out was fine. 

The sun was shining, so Dh said... 'lets go for a walk and go by the harbour for a decaff coffee this afternoon.'  Along the Eastern Prom, where it has been surfaced is excellent for walking, all very flat and even paving, gold in colour and is being called 'the yellow brick' road. 

And so we did, parking half way along so it wasn't so far to walk. And we sat facing the harbour with our coffees. A gentleman came and sat at the next table and we spent a very pleasant half hour chatting. He had lived for a while on a narrow boat, so he had some interesting tales to tell.

When we got home, I felt really cheered up. It was just what I needed and we had lamb chops for our evening meal. Perfect end to what turned out to be a lovely day after all. 

Chrisxx

Calm to sleep.

 I think I've said before I have trouble sleeping. What is awful about the lack of sleep is that it steals my days and some days I have little or no energy, so fail to do anything. 

However I've come across this.....

10 Things to tell yourself before sleeping.

I did my best today and that's enough.

I am allowed to rest without guilt.

Tomorrow is a fresh start.

I am grateful for all the little moments of joy today.

I release all thoughts that no longer serve me.

I am safe, I am loved, I'm at peace.

My body and mind deserve deep rest.

I trust that all is unfolding as it should.

I let go of all stress and welcome calm.

Breath deeply and sleep.

Chrisxx

7 to 70 UP!

  I see blogs are up the spout again, which is a real pesk and the reason I gave up my other blog, and this craft blog changed to news items.

                                                   *****

Have you been watching this programme, first started in 1964 when all 12 were seven years old.

I first saw the first episode in 1979 when I was doing my Degree in Education and I've seen most of the other episodes since then.

In a way it was prejudicial, as there were 8 boys and 4 girls. 3 of the girls went to a Comprehensive in East London, and the 4th was a poor little rich girl! Of the boys, three were in a private school and came over as very upper class and snobbish.

Nick the young lad who was a farmer's son and started his school life in a one class school, became Nuclear Scientist and a lecturer in an American Anniversary. Sadly he had developed throat cancer and asked to speak for the year 70 Programme before the programme, and died three days after.

Listening to them in the first of the final episodes, what came across to me, were the regrets in their lives, as well as the joys of their achievements.

It is well worth watching and made me go through my life every 7 years to remember what I did.

If you think of your own lives, you might be surprised when you look at it every 7 years as to what you've done.

Chrisxx

REMEMBER!

 25 Years, since the horrendous attacks in America.. I don't think anyone reading about it this week, could not be moved by the loss of so many lives. 2977 ordinary every day citizens gone just like that.

I was teaching in a school in Billericay, so didn't know what had happened until the Head rang the school bell to summoned us to the Staff room just after 4:00pm We were advised to go home, as there were messages that London could be next.

Like everyone else when I saw it on  TV I found it hard to believe it to be real, and not a film. It was unbelievable, one thing I've always wondered how did the terrorists plan such a clever coordinated attack.. This must have been planned for months before by someone or more, who were very clever.

So to people today who complain about CCTV, Police Stops  and Strict Laws, which to some impinge on an individual's way of life, its all there to protect you and me.

Because then there were the London bombings in 2005, more lives lost, more heart ache and more restrictions and check ups where ever you went.

School trips to London for us stopped and people were scared.

Such a dreadful time for everyone.

Chrisxx 

Visitors and a SW meal.

We have had visitors yesterday afternoon. My son, Jonathan and his wife, Jenni, who live in W. Wales but always have have a long weekend here in Porthcawl in their motor home, this time of the year.

Jenni asked, were we having a SW meal because she is at her Target weight.. so it was SW air fryer chips and chicken.

I had a baked potato as that's my favourite with lots of lettuce. Dh had also done roasted baby tomatoes, cucumber in ginger and coleslaw. We also had some of our chutney and they took a jar home with them.

We had fruit with Greek yogurt and honey, for a desert altho, Jonathan had Honey Comb ice cream!!

It was lovely chatting and Dh did us proud with all the cooking.

So we kept to the SW food plan as we both had a good weight loss, me 2 lbs!

Chrisxx

(Food pics are from the book)

Is this really me??

 Our holiday at home resulted in us both having a 2 1/2 pound weight gain. So this week, not only have I kept strictly to the SW food plan, I have been walking.

And I have walked in a big way! I've walked, Saturday nearly a mile and Sunday, then a mile on Monday, and on Tuesday, so Radiant B, came into use! My little legs were aching yesterday, and was I tired, especially as I slept badly.. When I was in the Hairdressers, in the afternoon,  I could have slept while she was blow drying my hair!

But the weight gain has got me walking, something I used to hate. I don't look like the pic above, because I walk with my 

Rhett Butler!

I love this, altho' some people think you look old using them, it gives me confidence and keeps me upright and with it I can walk and I do! Do you walk?

Chrisxx

All done and enough for family too!

 We prepared all the ingredients on Saturday afternoon. I peeled the tomatoes, took for ever, even with hot water!

Dh peeled and chopped the apples and onions. We have one of those chopper thingies, which I bought for him!(He likes kitchen gadgets as a gift!)

So all in with the vinegar, it was left to marinate over night.

We added the ginger, salt, spices on Sunday afternoon and it simmered away, permeating our bungalow with the delicious smells!

And, here it is in jars waiting for labels. 8 in total, but they are all different sizes.

 

It will be very tasty with cold meats and a strong cheese!

But I shall restrain myself being on a food plan to lose weight, altho' it is no worse than any bought chutney.

We loved cooking together again in the kitchen!

If you want to try it, the ginger packs a punch!

Chrisxx

Back to normal.

It's back to normal here, after the summer and our 'holiday at home,' last week, and so it was SW first thing. I struggled to get out of bed and shower, as we leave the house around about 9 o'clock.

If we leave it later, we can't get a parking space near the hall and joke, we have to park in Cowbridge!

I struggled to walk to the hall, having walked yesterday after several days inside. My leg muscles were aching! So I'd better get back to normal and walk every day.

We both had a gain, so a back to normal lunch was soup!

And after lunch, the tidy bed looked so comfortable, I went for a lie down to read and after a few pages I went out like a light!

Gosh I was tired, apart from Sunday right, when we were both shattered, I've not slept well all week. I guess my tiredness had built up over the week.

So I best get back to normal bed time of 10 o'clock!

    Summer is over for me, what about you?

Chrisxx

Autumn is the time for chutney!

 So here we are September 1st! I don't know how you feel that it's Autumn, but I feel cheated.. Summer was so hot, we didn't really enjoy it.  We hardly sat outside, or even walked too far, it was just too hot. 

One thing we realised over the weekend with the 'Girls' here, we no longer have any chutneys. So as we have a lot of tomatoes and cooking apples, I thought a Tomato and Apple chutney would be nice to make and easy. 

So we will at the weekend as I had to order some pickling spices.

The pic is just for show...

My recipe is....

3lb tomatoes, 3lb cooking apples, 1lb onions, 1lb Muscavado sugar.

3/4 pint Malt vinegar.

1/4 oz pickling spices tied in a muslin bag, 1/2 oz Salt, 3/4 oz ground ginger.

Peel and finely chop apples, tomatoes, onions.

Put all ingredients into a large pan and stir and gently bring to a boil with spices in the bag.

Simmer gently for about 2 hours.

Remove spices bag and pour into warm dry jars and seal.

This makes about 6 1/2 pounds.

It is delicious with cold meats, cheese or just a hunk of bread!

Enjoy!

Chrisxx

Time Flies

These are Dh's twin daughters.. they visited us over the Bank Holiday weekend with their husbands and each have a child, but don't want their children in the internet, so I respect their wishes. 

 

They didn't stay with realizing we can't cope with that these days, but we met up and they ate some meals here. 

It was lovely but we are shattered and taking it very slow the rest of the week! Now approaching 36 years, they were 16 when their dad and I married, so I won't lie, but there were some 'air clearing' moments!

Chrisxx

Goodbye Dolly.

 

                             Chrisxx

Still some colour.

We do have some colour in our garden and  these larger Michaelmas daisies have survived!

And this lily has bloomed too but sorry I can't think of its name!

There are dahlias and Asters and some self seeded Nicotiana, so not all are dead.

Our tomatoes are ripening at last and we've had some Greek Salad meals with them and there were delicious!

Amazingly this little frog has lived between the tomato pots all through the hot summer months.

Our front pots are looking very pretty.

We've had all our hedges cut this week they had grown too tall, so we've had them cut by 8cm.. and they needed it.

But the garden is dry and we've lost some really pretty plants, but there's always next year!

I've tried not to get despondent about the garden, but it is very big love of mine and I could cry when I look at the dried up shrubs. Dh has watered the pots every night so they are still looking alright. And that self seeded California Poppy is still flowering!! So that's what I'll sow next year too!

How has your survived?  And we've had rain, at last!

Chrisxx

Panic!!

 We had the Nationwide alert this evening on our phones and the message came through all in Welsh!! Well, yes we're attempting to learn Welsh, but we're only just starting our 3rd year.. Oh heck what does it flipping well mean??

We recognised one of the leading words, 'gan' It's a fire alert I said, then reading through we recognised the names of towns.. I quickly switched on my laptop and searched for 'Alert' and there it was AB advising the dangers of open fires etc and  then again the Alert came through this time in English!! Phew! 

I can well understand why people in WW2 felt panicky when the Sirens sounded warning about air raids. 

So our new Prime Minister, Andy Burham has spoken to the Nation!

Gosh that sound did make us feel panicky.

What did you think?

Chrisxx

Falling!

 Ugh!! I'm not usually afraid of spiders but don't go out of my way to love them!

Yesterday I nearly did what I always dread, over balancing in the bathroom while in the 'nud!

I keep my shower cap hanging on the side of the towel rail, I picked it up and went to put it on and this little fella, (or one like it)  fell out down on to my boob!!

I screamed and went to jump back and over balanced and nearly fell. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to grab the basin and kept upright.

Dh came rushing in and put his arms around me. He thought I'd tripped on the bath mat, and had quite a fright. When I said it was a spider, he just smiled. I had to shout,  'it fell on to my boob.'

'Cheeky thing,' he said.

I did have a dreadful fright and now  will check inside my shower cap, each time,  before going to put it on! I'm sure you'd have had a fright too?

Chrisxx

Back!!

 Its lovely to see plums on our Victoria plum tree. we had a few last year,  but this year its loaded. We shall just eat them altho if there is enough, I wouldn't mind making some Spiced Plum Jam with walnuts, a favourite of mine.

I've pulled up my big girl pants and got on with things by cleaning, and sorting out some clothes and shoes for the charity shop. In fact the shoe 'grave' yard under my chair in the bedroom was my first task! Nine pairs all tried on and discarded for one reason or another and gathering dust! Some went back into the bottom of my wardrobe, some out and new bought and never worn in the bag for the charity shop! And I feel better for doing it as well as tidying one section of my ward robe.

It was like a perfect summer afternoon yesterday, only 20C and we've had some rain, so a lot cooler and we had our French doors open, enjoying the breeze and the sunshine.

Our beautiful 'Susan' rose continues to bloom and give us joy.

 Has it cooled down where you are and have you had rain?

Chrisxx

In the dumps!

 I've neglected my blog and reading blogs, the hot weather has really got to me.. the garden is looking as sad as I've been feeling, I've been down in the dumps!

We have been out, but hurried home before the midday temps as 28C and even 24C is just too hot. 

The AC in Costa, which we have always complained about as being too cold, has been as welcome relief, when we have had to go to town for anything!

Dh has been so good watering the pots, tomatoes and our small veg patch with watering cans, even though we don't have a hose pipe ban. All the garden is looking dry and there are crisp leaves on the ground, except that self seeded California Poppy, which is thriving and even more flowers have appeared! What magic has it got to survive without watering??

I've been listening to this book from the library through Borrow Box. Sad and  poignant about an 89 year old man Bo, his aging and increasing fraility and his carers and love for his dog Sixten. 

When it starts to become obvious, that he is unable to care for his dog, not being able to take him for walks, his son Hans steps in to suggest that Sixten should go.

The feelings of Bo, his look back at life and relationships are heart rendering.. so lovely, yet sad.

I am thoroughly enjoying the story and would recommend it to anyone, whether you read the book or listen to someone reading it to you.

Chrisxx 

20 Years

 

20 Very Happy Years today.

It was a very hot today like today and we had a lovely day with our families and friends.. 

Chrisxx

TAX

 A new Prime Minister and new Chancellor of the Exchequer could mean a loss of income for people like me, an Old Age Pensioner.

Our pensions have a so called guarantee of the Triple Lock so that state pensions stay with or abreast of the cost of living. A new broom could mean we'd lose this, but even worse for me, if it is risen,  take my pension above the tax thresh hold. I already pay tax on one of my pensions, which I paid into voluntarily. 

It grieves me to think I thought ahead and prepared for my old age and yet  people, who made no provision get relief.. I'm not saying they shouldn't have anything, but I don't want to pay tax on my own paid into pension nor any more tax on money I have saved. 

Am I being mean or just protecting my own income. I have never claimed anything from the State.. even when my son was desperately ill, and his prescription costs were above my income. I did some private teaching to pay. So I suppose you could say I was earning without paying tax. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do!

The new PM has all sorts of ideas, but where is the money coming from? Yes the ordinary everyday people through tax!  Are you a tax payer, is it fair?

Chrisxx

10 Facts every woman should know.

 1.Everyone has rolls when they bend over.

2.When someone tells you you're beautiful, believe them, they ain't lying.

3.Sometimes we all wake up with breathe that could kill a goat.

4.Some women complain about their stretch marks, and there are others who wish they had them.

5.You should definitely have more confidence , and if you saw the way others see you, you would.

6. Don't look for a man to save you, be able to save yourself.

7. Its ok not to love every part of your body, but you should.

8.We all know that woman who appears to have it altogether, that woman with the seemingly perfect life. Well, you might be that woman to someone else.

9.You should be a priority, not an option, nor a last resort, or a backup plan.

10. You're a woman and that alone makes you pretty damn remarkable. 

Which of these facts do you agree with the most?

Chrisxx

All true

 

Chrisxx