Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Good afternoon to you all!!

Happy Birthday @Busy-Lizzie I hope you have a lovely dinner tonight!

I have been pickling and fermenting green tomatoes and aubergines. Cutting vegetables takes so long!! I mark melanzane sott'olio which is delicious on some crusty bread with a salad for a light meal or on rounds of crispy bread as a nibble.

Oh visitors!!

Enjoy your evening everyone.

 

The best laid plans...
Had a message to say a locker at the van had suffered wind damage, so we went up there to effect running repairs.
Then Bryn and Anu had vet's jabs. Deep joy for them.
If you had the money. Alan Titchmarsh's gaff is up for sale. I'd spend as much redesigning the grounds and interior
Church Lane, Holybourne, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4HD | Property for sale | Savills
Lovely property, made ghastly!!

 

I'm late on today with my birthday good wishes for @Busy-Lizzie, hope you have a lovely dinner out tonight.

It's been a good, and dry, day here. Sunny as well which was a bonus. We were late getting up again so it was nearly 12 by the time we got back from our usual walk. Managed without lunch and chucked myself out into the garden to catch up on various jobs whilst it was dry. Picked yet more raspberries which I was pleased about. Relaid a small path which had had to be removed for the builders, dug up half a large penstemon 'Garnet' and replanted it by the big water butt near the house - I needed to fill a gap left by the removal of a large winter flowering honeysuckle.

Then I dashed indoors to get washed before a chiropodist arrived. I had a problem with a half split large toenail I'd damaged which was proving troublesome. Fortunately all went well and I enjoyed a pedicure afterwards. I was fascinated with a small battery operated nail smoother she had with a range of attachments. She was a lovely lady and we got on well.

I keep peeling and chopping apples @Tui34. Made two small apple crumbles yesterday to freeze and meant to offer the chiropodist lady some apples too but forgot! I'll ask my friend tomorrow if she'd like some. We're having a day out at the nice GC where OH bought me some dresses a while ago.

Enjoy your visit from your son @Goldenlily26, he'll probably be glad of your support the day of the wake etc. I bet they're excited though about the trip to New Zealand. My niece and her family live out there so we don't see her very often now. I usually buy all my trousers from Cotton Traders as they do a very short leg length.

Enjoy your evening folks.

 

Evening all.

Happy Birthday @Busy-Lizzie - I hope your Birthday meal is gorgeous.



Been busy here so just flying in.
Off tomorrow but it will be another rainy day. Is it too early to start wearing boots? I’m just looking out a smart outfit for a conference and thinking the time for my Summer shoes has gone.

Take care all.

 

Good evening all. Well I got to the garage in plenty of time - couldn't check in with their machine as it didn't recognise my number plate (its personalised) but it didn't hold me up too long. I was told that my car was about ready for its first service and I knew as I had received a text re this yesterday. I was asked if I wanted to have it done there and then and I agreed as it was one less faff to organise. Cutting a long story short, repairs done and service carried out. It does not need another service now for 2 years but will have to have its first MOT done this time next year. It heaved it down with rain after I got home about lunch time ish but late this afternoon there was a rief sunny spell - not must warmth in it though.
I hope @Busy-Lizzie is enjoying her dinner tonight and that she has had a nice day. @Penny_Forthem I had a look at that house - not to my taste (and they couldn't even spell aerial correctly!)
@lizzie27, I remember you mentioning about your toe nail the other day so pleased to read you have got it sorted out. Don't go dropping any more pots on it!
It will be quite an emotional time for your son and the other family members @Goldenlily26 so I do hope everything goes as smoothly as it can.

 

Signing out for this evening and getting ready for the final of Sewing Bee. See you all tomorrow.

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We are about to leave for our first dance class of the season so will watch Sewing Bee later.

Glad your car is done now @Ladybird4 and your feet too @lizzie27.

@AuntyRach I think you have to wear what makes you feel good whether your priority is style or comfort or dressing to impress. I haven't worn knee length boots since we moved here but keep them, just in case. I do start wearing ankle boots in December.

I don't like the garden or the house @Penny_Forthem - too many big pots with topiary trees and the kitchen is all wrong for me and some of those window treatments......... Nice big rooms tho.

@Tui I've tried making kimchi. The first time was fine but not the 2nd so we're off home fermented foods. OH not a fan anyway.

Have a lovely evening everyone.

 

Final tinkering. Think he's done

 

That's very good Penny, you've got him to a T.

 

Good morning everyone. @Penny_Forthem I LOVE that portrait of Gin. He is a gorgeous dog. Try to keep him away from sniffing out illegal substances though!

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It is absolutely teeming down with rain here. The garden will be loving it but it is somewhat restricting when I'm itching to get out into the garden.

 

Good morning. Bright sunshine here so I expect we'll top the 21C forecast. friday has been reduced from 30 to 25C but tomorrow will be warmer - so says the Météo but they haven't got it right for ages.

I shall sow my seeds later on and then protect them against the chooks who will no doubt want to scratch in the bed. OH managed to catch th ebutterfly net on the cavolo nero in his machine the other day so we need to get some new netting on those as there are still cabbage whites about.

Sewing Bee was good and the right person won on the night. We watched it after getting home from dancing so Bake Off has to wait till this evening.

Interesting time getting to dancing. About 3km from here we pass a farm of Angus beef cattle down a wee lane. Came across a calf sitting on the verge and looking unhappy. Nobody home at the farm or in the barns so we went back to fetch it and put it in a field. Bit of a chase and much carrying then we managed to deposit it just inside a fence where it could see older cattle but by then it was exhausted and stressed and not moving anywhere.

Called our farmer neighbours to see if they knew the farmer's number so he could go and make sure it was OK and the silly moo called at our house and looked round our garden! Possum of course knew nothing about it. Anyway, calf gone when we passed on the way home but I have to wait to see if the farmer found it.

 

Unbelievably I managed to get the washing almost dry. There was a short downpour 10 mins. after I put the washing out so decided to leave it out and go shopping. It is finishing off in the airing cupboard.
I spent a ridiculously long time buying my fuel. It ended up with five members of staff, all lovely, all being helpful and polite, me being given a free trial bag of briquettes and a partial refund because they didn't have the fuel I wanted in stock.
I then drove to the other side of town to The Range to buy some new jam jars. That ended up with me wandering up and down aisles looking for them with the help of two members of staff who eventually tracked down the remaining few. I came home exhausted. The chutney is now safely in jars thank goodness.
An unexpected, for me, winner in the Sewing Bee. Typically some disasters for Bread Week in the Bake Off. I do not watch Alan Titchmarsh either, thinking about it there are not many TV presenters I do enjoy watching. David Attenborough, being an exception, my heart throb when I was in my teens and still is.
I was not impressed when I went out to my car to find four heaps of dog poos close by. The new woman in No 1 has two dogs that are left to go out unsupervised for toilet breaks. I shall have to clear it up today, my next door neighbour has picked up several deposits lately and left them by the gate of the owner, so think I will do the same. I have to watrch where I walk to get in and out of my car. So irritating.
It is raining and I have a car full of logs, kindling and fuel to bring down to the house. Not a job I fancy, I also have to go to the SM to buy some fresh salad ingredients as my son and daughter in law are currently on some kind of health diet, I have yet to find out what it involves. It sounds like maximum veg., minimum meat, fish and carbs., but I am not sure. Jamie Oliver has started a new series which looks like minimum everything, judging by the size of the finished portions. Not as small as "nouvelle cuisine" used to be. £50.00 for a single pea in the middle of a plate, with a pea leaf, I seem to remember.
I hope you had a lovely birthday Busy lizzie.
Lizzie27 the machine chiropodists use to smooth down cut toe nails, is a Drimmel. My chiropodist uses one that is electric because I have to go to her premises. I have tried several times to find a home visit chiropodist but no luck so far.

 

Morning all,

Sounds like you had a good workout even before you got to dancing class Obelix but what state were your clothes in when you got there?! Good of you to help the calf though.

Drizzly here all day apparently but as I'm waiting for my friend to arrive for our visit to a new GC I don't suppose it will worry either of us - too busy gassing.

 

Good morning all.

I think I would ask the neighbour to remove the dog poo @Goldenlily26. That's a job I hate!

We enjoyed our meal last night, sitting on the restaurant terrace. It was a mild evening. We watched the last episode of Parenthood when we got home. I have loved that series. I like David Attenborough too.

Today we are going out for a meal again, lunch this time. We are taking a friend whom we have known for years, out to lunch at the lovely restaurant trout farm on the river. She lost her husband earlier this year. I had thought tomorrow but she has an appointment.

It should be warm today, 28° forecast for 5pm. Off to hang out the washing. Put it on rather late.

 

Oh well done @Obelix-Vendée in taking care of the calf. I hope it got reunited with its mum. I thought Sewing Bee was super last night and I really like at the end when they tell us what all the contestants are up to now. @Goldenlily26, you did make me smile with your description of "nouvelle cuisine". We used to describe it as 'you have to move the pea to find the steak'. It is still hammering down here but I have made a gluten free orange and poppy seed loaf for a meeting at Church tonight. It is not one of my recipes but a cake mix I spotted. We are going to be discussing our Christmas Fayre - yikes!