Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Happy anniversary, @lizzie27! I was wondering if you were going to attend the Sidmouth Car Show yesterday. I think it rained for a while, but I was so busy getting the house back in order that I didn’t venture outside. OH had F1 to watch, amd we both watched the women’s rugby, which was very exciting.
Looks like another day at home today. Our house is technically a bungalow, as all the living accommodation is on one floor. However, as it is built on the side of a hill, there are stairs down to the utility room and the garage, which are underneath the house, and steps up to the front door. Plus a steep driveway from the road up to the garage and steps. It does keep us fit, I suppose, but if / when we become less mobile, we could risk being confined to the house.
No Strictly for me, I don’t like any of those programmes with a competitive element. If I had the energy and the interest, I’d record the programmes and edit out everything but the dance routines. I did watch a recording of Bill Bailey’s routines, and found that great fun, but no way would I risk seeing the ‘presenters’ and ‘judges’ doing their thing.
Looks like we missed last nights high winds. There was a little drizzle and the trees were waving about a fair bit, but it looks like the bad weather hit further north. It did get very cold overnight though. Looks like autumn is definitely on its way.

 

Good afternoon all. The meeting was as expected - person who loves sound of own voice monopolised proceedings. I was glad when it ended but dismayed when another meeting was arranged for October 8th - if it follows today's format. Anyway, enough of the whinging. @Goldenlily26 I was disappointed not to read that you went surfing after your mention of Fistral Beach! Only kidding. It is such a pleasant - if chilly - day today and the sun is shining. Its just nice not to see rain. I need to hunt out some free flower knitting patterns on the 'net as friends and I want to run a craft table at our Christmas Fair (Fayre - depending which spelling is flavour of the day!). I was so sorry to read about your OH having a fall @Penny_Forthem. That kind of stumble can be most unnerving. Once when I was coming down the stairs, arms full of laundry as you do, I stepped off what I thought was the last step and it was the one before so my drop to the hall was rather more spectacular than intended. Luckily the laundry acted as a crash mat but it did make me realise I need to take more care. I now count the stairs carefully and lessen the load carried.
p.s. @Penny_Forthem I found your birthday date!

 

Here is where we were. Cobble Beach, by the Georgia Bay. just beautiful. https://youtube.com/shorts/mJKLYVumJ_w?si=8lkKIfb9sadfDUVE

 

I went down a rabbit hole today, aka the cupboard of shame by the front door.
However, I wanted to put my unused glass jars in there - nope, no room. So, one thing lead to another, then another, as they do.
3 unopened kitchen rolls, some bags of artisan flour I'd forgotten about, an old toaster, slow cooker without a lid, old high viz jacket etc and a mountain of cardboard.
But the empty jars are all stored away securely and the doors actually shut!
The cardboard has been flattened and is with the recycling. I now have a pile for the tip!
Labelled the hedgerow jelly, put a ham shank in the s cooker for pea and ham soup, ran the dogs, prepped the veg for supper, made sage and onion stuffing to go with the roast pork and now I deserve a sit down. Himself has found a bottle of Bordeaux, which will slip down a treat.
He is walking wounded, but is better than anticipated.
Tomorrow is another day!

 

Loving the colour of your hedgerow jelly @Penny_Forthem

 

Signing out for tonight. Have a wonderful evening. See you all tomorrow.

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Many thanks for the anniversary good wishes. We enjoyed a walk around the local town and a view of the river today - most amused at seeing a boat named 'Lady Elizabeth' moored outside the Compleat Angler - I wish!
We're completely stuffed now after having a most wonderful 3 course evening dinner complete with complimentary champagne and petit fours. Only hope I don't regret it at 3 am tomorrow!

That's a most beautiful colour jelly @Penny_Forthem. Your tale of the cupboard of shame amused me, sounds just like one of mine. I got rid of boxes of jamjars last year and now wish I hadn't. Hope your OH is better today.

I did much the same as you @Ladybird4, stepped off the wrong step carrying laundry so now keep towels and bedding in the spare bedroom but I've always been in two minds about it as I know going up and down stairs is good for you - just not when you're carrying things you can't see over the top of.

Sounds like we've got the same sort of house @Ergates, except our stairs go up to the loft conversion which is part office/2nd sitting room/spare bedroom as needed. Because I had that dreadful polymyalgia two years ago, we had various grab handles installed in both bathrooms and more hand rails in the back garden which was a good investment for future proofing our lives here. I wonder if we could get escalators for our drives?!!

 

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A very good morning to you all. Well the 'f' word was mentioned on the forecast last night and it has been repeated this morning. It certainly felt chilly in the house this morning. I must get my wall troughs sorted today - put it off long enough but not helped by weather. No excuse today as I will work in either the garage or GH. What ever you have planned for today I hope all your plans work out for you. That is an excellent name @lizzie27!

 

Good morning all.

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal yesterday @lizzie27. Was it at The Compleat Angler? I went there with first OH and his mother when I was young. It was wonderful and we had lobster. Then we went again with my children years ago and it had all changed. The food was cheap things like offal, pork belly and pig trotters which we didn't like. First OH was so disappointed.

Yesterday we went to Daughter 2 for lunch. Turned out that lunch was to celebrate my birthday (16th Sept). We had foie gras, prawns, scallops, roast chicken, a home made beans and carrot dish like cassoulet without the meat, roast potatoes, mushrooms and garlic, a big cheese board and the 2 puds that I brought. Her French husband is the chef in their house and he's a good cook. They all sang Happy Birthday.

The builder who was going to sort out the upstairs loo drain today isn't coming until Wednesday. Bother, I've already waited 2 months for him.

It will be a big ironing day today in front of the Sewing Bee final and Bake Off.

It's wet and much cooler today.

 

Good morning. Sounds like some very good celebratory meals @lizzie27 and @Busy-Lizzie.

We have had a wet night of steady rain and it is to continue damp this am. That's OK as I'm indoors anyway sorting out stuff and paperwork for this afternoon - first workshop of the crafty sewing club year.

No "f" here for a while @Ladybird4 but we have a high of only 18C expected today so I may need sleeves. Single figures overnight later this week too so I may have to think about putting the summer duvet on the bed. CH service due on Wednesday so it'll be ready when needed.

Since I got my new knees I have to think about things like getting up on chairs and which leg to come down on first and always count the stairs as they turn 180° - typical Vendée apparently - with a big window at the half way point and the downstairs floor is tiled so a tumble would not be good.

 

Good morning!

Your birthday meal sounds wonderful, @Busy-Lizzie . Hope you slept well last night!

We're in a bungalow here in Ireland, having moved from a tall thin house with lots of stairs, approached from the road below by 50 steep stone steps. OH is accident-prone so the lack of stairs and steps is a good thing, on balance, though they did keep us fit. Until OH had severe cellulitis and we had no downstairs loo...

I'm keeping fit (hopefully, rather than just making myself rather achey) by continuing to scythe the meadow area round the fruit trees. I've done about two thirds, and the weather is good, at last (though cold - minimum 1.3 last night!), so I'm hoping to finish today or tomorrow.

Hmmm. Just had a message from Farmer Gracy to say they're going to deliver my bulb order on October 1st. I'm leaving for Scotland on the 2nd... I'll try to find a cool, mouse-proof place for them, unless I'm amazingly organised and have time to plant some.

Beautiful Autumn day here. Hope you get some of the same!

 

Sounds like some serious gourmet food being enjoyed! Glad all the celebrations went well.
There is a definite autumn feel in the air today, only 8C last night, but its sunny and dry this morning. Out for breakfast and a walk, then get into gear for some chores.
I think I have my ‘back to school’ mindset coming on. Looking for some interesting activities to start while im in the right frame of mind. OH is talking enthusiastically about finishing the painting and decorating that he had to put to one side before our various visitors arrived. Don’t know how long that enthusiasm will last! I need to find out how to put some of the garden to bed. One wall trough is full of nasturtiums that are now going to seed. The two begonias are still flowering, but Ive never grown them before, and don’t know how to look after them. Ditto the canna plant I bought in a sale. I shall be doing searches and posting queries in the rest of the forum!
Maybe we need to install ski lifts on our front drives, @lizzie27! We at least need to replace the handrail beside the front steps. The old wooden one rotted away a few years ago. We often enter the house through the garage, so I tend to forget about it.

 

@Ergates We only use the front door if we have guests arriving or are going out to empty our mailbox or need to ventilate the hall. Otherwise we use the annex door as it's closest to the garage and access to the pantry for unloading shopping as well as our gardening boots and gloves store.

You need to protect your begonias from frost and excess wet, like dahlias, so once the foliage dies down lift, clean and store in a dark, frost free place. Cannas in pots can just be placed in shelter but in the ground they either need protecting or lifting and storing. Mine were finally planted out this year and will be left in the ground so fingers crossed we get our usual winter with, at worst, a -8C for one or two days. Their whole bed will be mulched with wood chip once I get all the bulbs and some more plants in and that will help.

 

What a glorious morning, mild, sunny and DRY!

I pottered. I picked a few stems of sweetpeas, gathered the last of the windfall apples from under my early apple tree, picked a few tomatoes, and picked some apples from my second apple tree. I cut 3 stems from my ginger lilies to give to my daughter to put on the dinner table, and juiced the damaged apples to take to the dinner for the family to taste.
They went for a walk in the morning and picked blackberries for the apple and blackberry crumble dessert, with Cornish Clotted Cream and some Bullace, to be frozen for the time being. My son and DinL took over the kitchen and prepped and cooked dinner. Cornish Dexter sirloin with home-grown veggies. After coffee, we played a few rounds of the family's favourite board game, Sequence. We are all so competitive! To hear the whoops, shouts, and see the high fives when a line was won, you would think we were competing for an Olympic gold medal. It was, of course, girls versus boys, the boys won by one line, which we will not be allowed to forget for a long time.
Today is serious business, they are scattering their father's ashes and taking other family members for lunch in Truro. I will see them on their way back to my daughter's before my son and Din L leave tomorrow to enable my DinL to attend her father's cremation, poor girl, before they return to Canada. At least they have an exciting trip to New Zealand to look forward to.

I am tackling my next project, finding a parcel that Evri says they have delivered, and which I have not been able to find. I have now been asked to double check with family, friends, neighbours and look in possible hiding places. I has a quick look at some of Evri's reviews, they are awful. Lots of people are dissatisfied with their service.
I was shattered again so another quiet day today.
I am going to try and get some washing dried outside.
Have a good day everyone.

tomorrow

 

It’s a lovely day here too, after a chilly start. Washing on line, garden waste bins full and coffee outside. Might pop my wellies on and collect/clear some apples as the ground is covered again.
I have the crumble ingredients and I be had a request to make one for work again so that’s my afternoon sorted.

Have a smashing day folks and may ups and downs be the right way round.