Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Got to the Allotments today but not before I had dealt with this.

Luckily I was able to put the skinny spare on then leave wheel at a little independent place near to the plots. Picked it up on my way home. Only £15 for a vulcanised repair and refit to the car. He checked all the other pressures at the same time.

 

I’d planned to do some serious gardening today before the storms hit, but OH persuaded me to come with him, while he took his brother to our local seaside town. I suspect he wanted me along because the car parking ticket machine is so difficult to use! No use following the instructions as they don’t make sense! I did go with them, as there was something I wanted to buy, but I made OH operate the ticket machine, so he gets the hang of it!
We managed to avoid the few showers and had a very pleasant walk on the seafront and along the riverside. Unfortunately I am now too tired to do any gardening!
What a nuisance re the flat tyre, @Allotment Boy, very good that you got the repair done so conveniently.
Love the knitted flowers, @Ladybird4. Would make great table decorations for weddings, and invite guests to each take one home as a keepsake!
What a busy weekend, @Obelix-Vendée, it sounds like a great opportunity for local people to get involved in interesting activities. When I was in my teens, the local college, which provided facilities for evening classes and activities, would have open evenings each autumn. The sports clubs and adult education groups would have a stall to advertise and sign up. I registered for the fencing class (the sport, not the potentially more useful DIY activity!) where I met OH, and the rest is history, as the saying goes!

 

Gosh that's cheap @Allotment Boy.

So much for gardening. I changed into my gardening jeans, went outside and it started to rain. Now the sun is out but it's too late. Cleaned the sitting room instead and watched GW.

I've spoken to grandson, as it was his birthday on Thursday, and daughter 1. She, her OH and her 2 other sons all have Covid. Oldest doesn't as he's at Uni.

 

We've had a really nice day. It even stopped raining.
I'd booked lunch at the Crown in Llandegla and bringing Gin. They put us in the snug, with blanket, water and treats. He was as good as gold. We chatted to the owner (and pie maker) who was a dog handler in the RAF. He was quite impressed with Gin.
I chose a steak and ale pie and, my word, it was the best pie, ever. I ate the meat and most of the chips, but it was too much for me. So tasty.
Hub had what he described as the best steak cooked exactly to his liking.
Very little supper required.
LNOTPs then, I hope, a good night's sleep.

 

I hope everyone is doing ok with their ups and downs (tyre pun intended!).

How do people know they have Covid these days @Busy-Lizzie? Are tests more common or recommended in France? Tests are only done for hospitalised patients with specific and severe symptoms here. I can’t see what difference it makes anyway - the only benefit being that hospital staff can take extra precautions to avoid taking out all the workers.

Just making my usual Saturday supper of Chinese-style chicken. Have a lovely evening folks.

 

Good evening. I hope your new shoes are comfy @AuntyRach. I believe you can get Covid tests at the pharmacy and some medical labs that do blood tests and so on. We all keep our jabs updated and I haven't had to do a full strength covid test since 2020 when I went to fetch Possum from Belgium. I hope your family recovers without probs @Busy-Lizzie.

Busy day today with plenty of compliments for our stand and all the projects we have lined up for this coming year and several more inquiries about joining us. Luckily, someone from "La Vie Associative" at the council passed by to say hello and we asked about having more people - our outgoing secretary who always handles in person contacts with them always insists that our limit is 45 but then she never wanted to go over 35. No, no, chappy says, you can have 60 in that hall. Ha! We never have more than 30 present so up to 50 we'll go.

It's wet here and set to get windy but not as wet and windy as forecast tomorrow. Once again, rain is disappearing elsewhere. I shall stick to looking out the window to see what's coming.

A walk by the sea sounds fine to me @Ergates, especially now the place has cleared of tourists but I'll wait for some sun to drag OH off to the beach for walkies.

Can't remember the last time we had steak pie @Penny_Forthem. I might just have to make one to convince Possum she does like stewed meat after all. We've got local Toulouse sausages baked with fennel and red onions for dinner and some hispi cabbage. The sausages are local pork with herbs and a local beer called Melusine after the legend of the fairy/witch who lived in the forest of Mervent in the Vendée.

 

I'm enjoying last night of the proms but just had a little catch up on here. Gosh @Allotment Boy that flat tyre must have come as a shock. Like @Busy-Lizzie, I think you did very well to get it repaired so cheaply. That garage sounds like a good 'un. @Penny_Forthem, that picture of your meal fair made my mouth water!
That is a good idea of yours @Ergates. I love knitting little things like that - but in my own time. I do not think I would like deadlines etc.

 

Good to read that your chimney is now swept @Busy-Lizzie. One less thing to worry about. When in October do you return to the UK? @Obelix-Vendée it does sound as if you had a very successful day - in more ways than one. Glad your capacity has been increased, hopefully you will draw in more members.

 

Signing out now. See you all tomorrow.

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Evening everybody, I meant to post earlier but the day kind of ran away from me. It started not well when I woke up about 4 am worrying about the insurance claim for the wall and trying to compose a long letter to the ins company in my head. OH's alarm then went off at 5.30 am so I got up to make tea whilst he got ready. I took mine back to bed, then dozed off till 8, looked at the clock, turned over and finally woke up properly at 10.15 am! More tea and a light breakfast and I finally got out the door at about 11.30 to drive up to the GC. It was chaos on the main road because the students were all moving in, with the help of their parents pushing dinky little trolleys with the darlings possessions piled high.

I had an e voucher for a free drink if I bought a cake at the GC so that was the first stop. A very moreish lemon and blueberry drizzle sponge and a latte. There is a tremendous view from that cafe, about 30-40 miles right over to the Mendip transmitter at Wells if the visibility is good. I could just about see it today. I bought a heavy black metal hook for the metal lantern/candle in my new sitting out area on the terrace. I hadn't realised that the candle is in fact a fake battery operated one which is probably better - as long as I remember to turn it off.
Two bags of J.I No.3 compost completed my shopping so I battled my way home through the students again.

Back home, I wanted to finish picking the apples and pears before the forecasted gales tomorrow. My goodness me, it is the largest harvest we've ever had. I've got two big pink trugs full of apples and one of pears in the kitchen. The biggest pear weighs a 1lb (400 gms) and the biggest apple 8 oz (300 gms) - I think that's correct, or it might be the other way round! No idea what I'm going to do with them all, probably give a lot away if poss. Not sure if the pears will be eatable, the last one I tried after a week in the house was still rock hard.

I hope your family recover soon @Busy-Lizzie and are not too miserable. Strange to think Covid is still around somehow.

Result @Obelix-Vendée !

 

Thank you @Obelix-Vendée and @lizzie27. @AuntyRach you can buy Covid tests in pharmacies in France or they can test you there. My daughter is a teacher, she used to get them free, not sure now if that has stopped but she always has tests at home as teachers aren't supposed to infect their classes. That reminds me, I think I'm due a Covid jab, but I'm not sure if they are still doing them for people in their 70s like they did last year.

 

Very much enjoying last of the proms. Been a great season.

 

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Hello there everybody. I must echo your sentiments @Penny_Forthem. I thought last night at the proms was incredible and as for Bohemian Rhapsody - magnifique! Loved it so much it made me cry - bringing back so many memories of my youngest brother who vied with me to be the best Queen fan ever. I recorded the whole evening so that I can watch it again. I could probably get it on Catch Up or I-Player but can't be bothered using either of those. Tea/Coffee morning after Church this morning. I've stuck a list of things I must remember to take on the fridge door.
Last night there was an incredible lightning storm - hardly any thunder but impressive flashes that lit up the bedroom. I was so pleased Cricket was asleep on his blanket near my bed.
I meant to say last night how sorry I was to read about your family @Busy-Lizzie and hope that they are all recovering well. I have never done a Covid test ever and have never suffered (that I know of anyway) from the ailment.

 

Good morning all.

Thank you @Ladybird4. I had COVID in 2022 despite being vaccinated. I felt awful for 3 days then recovered quite quickly. Would probably have been worse without the vaccine.

We have a church coffee morning too after the Creationtide Service. The church is looking well decorated now and my painting of a bluebell wood is in there.

I hope it doesn't rain this afternoon as rain prevented my gardening yesterday, but I think drizzle is forecast for the day.

 

My neigbour spent almost half an hour in pouring rain, wandering around my garden, looking for her elderly, senile cat. We eventually found her sitting at the top of my stairs! The cat has health problems and my neigbour has decided it is time to end her days.
I feel under siege with her feral chickens and cats coming into my garden. She has had to put some chicken wire along the edge of her porch to stop the new feline in No 1 from using her porch roof as an access point to come into my garden. He is the culprit that keeps knocking down her guttering. I feel sorry for the cat, it spends a lot of time sleeping in my greenhouse and in a derelict barn in the field behind me.

I had a selection of surplus veg. so decided to make some "Odds and Sods Chutney" My daughter had told me they had no chutney left from what I had given them at the beginning of the summer.
A mix of runner beans, cucumber, apples, onions, etc. It took hours to cook down but tastes very good. Having had a massive clear out of empty jars a few weeks ago I now have to go to The Range to buy some new ones. Not today, Storm Amy is on her way in. I am hoping to go tomorrow. I should have known better than throw out jars at this time of year.