Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful

 As the song goes, the weather outside is frightful, but hang on a minute, isn’t it September…yes of course, still September. With the last vestiges of Summer now fading in has come Autumn, and isn’t she in rather a hurry this year?

Back in August we did indeed manage to get away for a short break. One lovely day spent in Ironbridge, followed by an overnight stay, then onto the Black Country Living Museum. It was all just so lovely, and a wonderful way to spend my Birthday this year.

I was mistaken whilst at the Black Country Living Museum for someone who works there, apparently my shawl was a red herring, and seeing myself later in the mirror I suppose my longish floral dress, woollen shawl, and black lace up boots did rather give the impression I was somewhat living in the past. 

Anyway after that we headed up further North to visit our Son and his family, including granddaughter.

All in all it was a fantastic few days, which now do seem rather a long time ago. Hubby helped remove Sons’ conservatory and old kitchen whilst he was there, they are having major building works in a few weeks time. 

One small disappointment at the Living Museum, well two actually. Firstly I consciously decided not to take many photos, and instead was going to buy the souvenir book, however there wasn’t one, apparently they are in the process of having a new one printed. Of course we only realised this when on our way out of the attraction. Secondly we purchased a set of three packs of vintage style playing cards including Donkey, Old Maid, and Snap thinking they would be lovely to take back home and play with the boys. Wrong, they are a load of old rubbish and I’d have been disappointed to even have had them pop out of a cracker. Moving on the rest of the experience was a joy.

Back home, eldest daughter offered to wax our multitude of small beams in the living room that have remained unloved since we had them sandblasted before moving in. They now fit together more with the large beams we have.

Earlier in the Summer I washed our two sets of living room curtains and the door curtain. unfortunately they’ve just about come to the end of their useful life, the layers all shrinking at different rates over the many years they have been in service across three properties. Sat in a roll on our carpet is some curtain fabric, Along with some nap lining fabric. I need to get busy at the machine soon to shut out the darkening evenings, and hold onto our warmth.

I expect I am amongst some good company in having been feeling a little under the weather for a couple of days, rather achey and tired. Medication and a willingness to pace myself seem to be controlling it to some degree. Youngest was unfortunately really rather poorly for a few days last week and I had to go and assist with her little boy as she was really off her feet. Once a Mother I guess!

Two out of the three little boys next door are suffering to some degree too…and guess what, it’s Grandma day tomorrow!

Anyway, a roast isn’t going to roast itself, so I really need to set to and help it along a little. Just a few photos of Ironbridge and the Black Country Living Museum…

Until next time, blessings, J. x

Waiting

 Well I’ve caved in this afternoon and lit the woodburner.

Yes it’s August, and not even raining today, but the cottage had just begun to feel damp. Damp washing, damp in the air, damp walls, Not pleasant, and I think I may be getting a cold so was in need of a little bit of comfort.

Aside from looking at all things pumpkin I think I am almost ready to embrace the new Season when it arrives, and this morning it certainly felt chilly.

Now do I really need a pumpkin mug, or a witchy one, no but they would be quite nice to hold on cold Autumn mornings, and would help me start the working day with a smile. I’m as yet undecided, however they are in a certain shops cart for now.

Hubby has managed to resurrect our ailing tumble dryer and I’ve loaded it up with a motley assortment of damp feeling items.

I’ve been listening to music more, a sure sign that things are a changing, during the Summer I couldn’t give a fig for music during the day, but now…well a little Spotify never did hurt anyone did it?

We have some upcoming plans for my week off which I have started today, hubby hopes to have some time off in the next few days…exciting…I hope!

Last evening my journey which should take about half an hour ended up taking an hour and a half. Roads, closed, due to roadworks, roads closed due to accidents, and fires. I thought I could escape the queues once I’d left the big town however things never do go quite to plan. I travelled on lanes I had not been on for years and witnessed the biker behind me come over the front of his motorcycle after skidding on some mud. He said he was OK but his bike didn’t look too clever. Having fallen down a step at the weekend and doing my shoulder a mischief there was no way I could help him lift the thing. A car had reversed up around the corner for us though, just out of sight, so I drove up to tell him what had happened, and then a Sainsbury’s van was behind him and he said he had a first aid kit. I hope all was well, but aside from making sure he was OK there wasn’t anything apart from getting the additional help I could do.

Between us and the family next door we have been looking after youngest daughters’ beagle this week. beagle meaning hound, meaning little wotsit on occasions. She’s very tolerant of the children though which is I suppose the main thing.

OK so now I’m roasting, quite literally, I think the damp should soon be driven off quite successfully!

Wilbur here looking quite accusatory I feed!

The buddleia has been attracting plenty of butterflies 

  This clever moon helped youngest grandson off to sleep the other day.

Hopefully the weather can cheer up a little for the next few days, I may even have something of interest to impart instead of mere ramblings.

Blessings, J. x

Loveliness

 And so Summer is drawing to a close, not quite ready to relinquish her reign, but still we can feel Autumn is ready in the wings, waiting for her turn to encourage leaves to drop, Summers’ flowers to fade and fruit to ripen. A time to continue to harvest and store what we are able to help see us through the uncertainties of Winter.

This morning found me pottering around with a pair of secateurs, snipping here and there. Deadheading to prolong the blooming…beginning to trim the fruit trees, and a little weeding.

I keep thinking life will slow down a little, but as soon as it does something fills the space. We entered a float in a local carnival at the weekend on behalf of the ploughing association hubby has an hand in helping, and yesterday spent a few hours down at Bucks Mills. I didn’t take a single photo, but did paddle in rock pools, dip my feet the sea, and generally nothing. But it was good to go. Even taking into consideration the very steep decent and climb back up to the car. I have awoken muscles in my legs that have long since been forgotten.

The weekend before this we went to a heavy horse working event which wasn’t too far away in Chittlehampton. Glad we looked ahead at the weather forecast and went on the Saturday as I don’t think they were able to combine on the Sunday.

Hoping to cook over a campfire this evening, though we may get a few spots of rain, I’ve invited the tribe from next door. I need to find the tripod and set it up as I’m doing a strange invention which was a happy accident some time ago. Stewing beef marinaded in mint sauce, a few bits of Smokey bacon added, onion, puréed tomatoes, possibly some green beans. Delicious, strange but true. That will bubble away in a hanging pot over the fire, whilst jacket potatoes bake in the embers. And not a pointy hat in sight!!

Just a couple of pics, feels like I could nod off sitting here.

Blesssings J. x

Reasons

 Just a few reasons why I’ve been rather absent from these parts of late..

Picking

Preparing

Proving

Party planning

Patio finishing

Plotting a surprise

Pottering

Paddling

Panicking about the extreme heat

Phew it was done

Finally a night to remember!

The occasion…our youngest recently turned 30. 

She had no idea until she arrived and everyone was already here!

Including Gran & Grandad (hers) who we somehow managed to winch up a total of 9 steps in their wheelchairs on ramps.

The getting back down was fun…Grandad saw the error of his request to descend forward facing quite quickly.

So along with the usual work, and some inside mess…rather a lot actually from Son in Law re lime-mortar pointing our fireplace it’s’ been quite a hectic time.

Bit more chilled this weekend and right now it is thunder raining & Grandma roast is about to go in the Aga. Blessings, J. x

And Springing Into Summer

The sun has returned, possibly just for the day, and the wind is rather blustery, ideal for drying washing…believe me my day has not been wasted. 

Much has been happening since my last little tale on here…it all started with me mentioning that the logs we had used to edge the flower beds had ceased to be useful, indeed most had begun to powder up when pressed upon. We always knew it wouldn’t be a long term solution. Anyway I happened to mention to he who is strong and can do, whether we should use stones or bricks to edge our many and winding flowerbeds, Apparently he’d been thinking…uh oh! Well he thought we’d better take up the slab path and concrete under, then re-lay the slabs on top to save weeding the things all Summer long (otherwise known as ignoring the problem and running the mover over occasionally),then decide what edging to use…OK…but wait a minute, when hubby thinks, he does rather a good job, and little did he know I’ve been hankering after a level space in our garden for the table and chairs, we never levelled or seeded or anything so it was very rough and ready. As more plants and trees have come into our lives so the size of the grass area had diminished. Anyway, the question he put to me next was quite unexpected…what do we need that little bit of grass for? Steady girl, don’t show your excitement too much, this sounds expensive and a lot of hard work, and I’m not that strong! 

Out came the tape measure, the really long one! We plotted and planned, had a morning looking around builders merchants, and decided that everything was really pricey, so…plan to level and concrete this year, edge and slab next year…of course I nodded not wishing to push my luck too far. Of course this wasn’t going to even begin until mid May as we had a few things planned for our free time. Of course I nodded again, I can be patient…but hubby can’t. That very Sunday he started to dig,  very soon the grass was gone. I had to bite my tongue a few times as soil and stones and old slabs began to decorate the flower beds…really bite it! But I managed. Over two weekends with help we concreted two levels and the path. And that was all we were going to do this year. Despite the piles of earth all around, several bits of plants hanging limply after some big boots had trodden on them and some old paving slabs dumped just so I nodded grateful for the new level area. Did I mention my first estimation when asking for a paving slab quote was woefully inadequate? About 20-25mt square…err not quite, actually not much shy of 70mt sq. As I said paving next year.

It was a beautiful Sunday evening, we had eaten outside  when hubby said in a very serous manner, I know it’s going to cost us a bit but I think we really need to edge the beds this year so you can move the soil. Oh I said, I suppose so…we duly chose what we liked, and ordered, only for hubby to then say, trouble is I really want to put a slab up against the edging and before I can do that we need a little wall around some parts. I didn’t even ask for a quote for the cobbled bricks, they are now here, along with 2 patio packs of slabs, another has been ordered this month, the edging has begun to be cemented into place, we are waiting for someone to do the walling. Oh and we are doing our best to eat out the freezers and garden!

Have I mentioned extending the pergola, re-painting it plus the grill shed, doing out the shed with left over bits of parlour board, and an upgrade for the grill from the cardboard box it came in to a stainless steel lid. Once nabbed at a sale with a view to using it as a sink splash back. That never happened thankfully!

So a few piccies, taken before the space was converted in mounds of slabs edging and cobbles…

And the work continues…my goal of weeding a meter of flower bed today has been surpassed many times thankfully, but with two days of thundery rain predicated and yours truly at work I can foresee it needing attention again soon!                                                                                                                        Until next time, Blessings J. x

Be Careful What You Wish For

Time has runnith away once more. Life is full and good. Days have been filled with lots of family entertaining, work (of course), birthday celebrations, child caring, sorting the never ending stuff that finds it’s way to our home…however today I learned a very valuable lesson…BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR…

I took a day’s annual leave so basically because of my working pattern ended up with six days off in a row, which I much enjoyed, so much so that yesterday I was heard saying I didn’t want to go back to work today. Oh how I came to regret that telling for during the night when I rolled over in bed a great dizziness overcame me. Forgotten by morning until you guessed it, when trying to get up I veered across the floor into the en suite door frame in a most undignified manner.

After a cup of coffee I was managing to walk with my head right up, and chin slightly tilted forwards. Rather like a goose. On phoning my she who must be obeyed it was decided that I should not drive with my head positioned like a goose as it would not be safe, and besides being unable to look down is pretty useless in our clinic. And so another day at home has befallen me, though not of my dreams when wishing for a day off, things have improved, now I feel I’ve progressed to walking like a duck. Hopeful to be able to get to work tomorrow I have prepared my calorie counted snack pot. yes it’s that time of year once more.

One unexpected bonus to walking along like a goose is that I have spotted many cobwebs that are usually out of my line of sight…

Having been thinking how I came to end up with this bout of vertigo, could it have been weeding, picking toddler up from floor, then I remembered. I took a bath, and decided to wash my hair so placing my head right down and tucked in to shampoo it under the water level. Never again. It is a decidedly weak point of mine. Lesson learnt the hard way.

Luckily our neighbours saw the funny side of the Easter gift I presented them with. Bunny butt cinnamon biscuits with currants on the side!!

Anyway this typing has been a little test as to how my equilibrium is recovering, and I think I’ve done enough for now.

Until next time, blessings, J. x

Pasty Perfection

Lets just say I’ve been trying to emulate a pasty from my childhood…

This past weekend I came pretty close enough to be very happy indeed!

Yes I know there are two larger than the rest…that was on purpose to keep hubby happy with his packed lunch for a couple of days.

Enjoyed by all for Sunday tea…even the fussiest grandson!

I have tomorrow mapped out with house tidying tasks…much painting of furniture has been happening here, and there is not a lot of available table space due to half decorated doors! All worth it I hope.

Blessings J. x