So How Did We Do?

The sun shone brightly after a misty start on ploughing match day. The turnout was good and the charities benefiting should soon be sent their much needed boost.

Hubby did rather well with his vegetables, getting first prize for both potatoes and beetroot. Second for carrots and onions and third for runner beans.

My, turn yourself into a gonk hat won first prize and my bag and card both won second places.

Not a bad little haul between us!

In the evening I headed to our local carnival with eldest and the two boys...her hubby was taking out a group of students on a D of E weekend walk so couldn't be with us, and hubby stayed put at the ploughing match. It was for me the best carnival I'd ever seen in Bideford, and afterwards the massed pipes and drums played on the quay...such a beautifully stirring sight and sound. We left part way through though as both boys were trying to lie down and go to sleep. Short of carrying them back to the car which they are now too heavy for us to manage we decided to go whilst they were still 10% awake! Sadly we didn't stay to watch the fireworks, however I dropped them off at home and then returned to the ploughing match and collected hubby after catching up with a few people. 

During the night we had tremendous thunder storms and downpours which messed up the plan to take down all the marquees in the morning, but by early evening things had dried off enough to get the fields almost clear. 

So that was that!

The week has mainly passed in a blur...I have been suffering with labrynthitis shortly after being given my live MMR vaccine...I'm due the second one next week so am holding out to push for antibiotics if needed until after then. I've been checked and the ear is inflamed...the leaflet says one in ten people get a middle ear infection after the vaccine but they are reluctant to prescribe antibiotics at the moment. I do wish I could get rid of the rushing sound in my ear though at the moment my balance is OK after I did the Epley Manoeuvre. Such trials I tell you!

Our weather can only be described as miserable at the moment. The fire was lit yesterday, but I'm hoping to keep moving enough this morning not to need it. Work looks as though it could be a soggy affair later.

Right the clock has been ticking with me sat here and my job list for the day needs some attention!

Blessings, J. x

May I Present...

 My show entries...

My bag...made this morning...and which has some bits I'm not totally happy with...however it is a bag...which is lined and ta da da...interlined with a cotton bump...

A New Home card...complete with verse inside...

A knitted hat which is guaranteed to turn the wearer into a gonk...but gonks are fashionable right?!

Finally photos of a farmer at work and a resting Kitty.

As hubby is still out in the fields preparing for tomorrow I have been tasked with picking his vegetables and choosing which to exhibit. I still need to pick the tomatoes, but everything else will have to take its chance. The beetroot and carrots I've yet to wash, but the potatoes, onions and apples are good to go. I've left most of it outside as being rather damp I hope it will stay in fairly good condition...better than indoors anyway.

Now I'm determined not to take my sewing machine and Cricut back upstairs until their respective work stations are readied. Both the sewing table and cart were used for the wedding, and I need each of these back in place in order to sort everything out...(AGAIN)!

Oh well...

Blessings, J. x

Wilting...

Now I really really should be still catching up on the paperwork...I mean computer stuff...however my mind keeps wandering to different things than it really should...like whether it would be cool enough to go along the lane and pick blackberries...guess what...it wasn't and I found it really draining just collecting a few. Oh well...there is at times a bit of a breeze...but not all the time and boy I'm fit to melt!

Arthur the budgie has spent yet another day outdoors, taking a welcome shower earlier. He's looking very pleased with himself...protected from the worst of the rays of sun beneath a rather overgrown clematis.

Sleeping is proving difficult...hubby stores a lot of heat and seems to come further over my side when it's hot...I've warned him not to touch me!!

I've literally just poured myself a cold glass of larger shandy...after all it must be five o'clock somewhere as the late Jimmy Buffett sang.

Hubby will be off getting things ready for the local ploughing match this evening...it's a busy week so I have a few evenings to myself. I've opted out of doing any of the cookery classes this year, though I won the cup last time...in this heat the food will not fare well in the tent I fear! I have however knitted a cable hat and added a bobble. It has turned out rather large...oh well it is supposed to be for an adult and every head is a different size! I actually like the sizing ...it will keep my ears lovely and warm this coming Winter. Not overly sure what the judges will think though. I'm also needing to make a bag...before Saturday...and a New Home card...other than a couple of photo entries that's my lot for this year.

Motivation...that's what I need, and I need to find it right now...

This photo I'm entering in the cat or dog at work rest or play class

 And this is the hat, part way through being sewn up...and inside out!

Well enough of this...now to watch a reminder tutorial on how to make a lined bag...I know I can do them...I have done them before...just not recently!

Blessings, J. x

Of Mellow Mists And Fruitfulness

 I'd never make it as a serious blogger that's for sure...But my life has been full of all sorts of goings on of late...Though it seems to have been mainly work there have been other doings as well...Such as bringing in the harvests...

 

Of both food...

 

 

And fuel... 

I have yet to make any jams or chutney, but this week hopefully should see the first jars being produced.

We took the grandchildren and their parents (that live next door) to a mill for a visit the weekend before last...

Realising that the Mini Run was taking place we made a stop on the way to see them pass...

Which for a time I thought might have been a mistake as we were then stuck in the traffic that 200 plus Minis caused!

However just as I was beginning to get frustrated I reminded myself that it was all for a good cause...The local Children's Hospice South West.

Sadly the mill wasn't in operation the day we visited...we did however enjoy the treat of a sumptuous cream tea...though we were visited by the Millers' bees as well as some local wasps, all eager to share our sweet treat.

Our weather appears to have cheered up drastically and rather shamefully I found myself complaining about the heat over the past couple of days more than once...Whereas only last week I was berating the fact it was so cold and miserable I had lit the fire...can't win either way I suppose. 

The morning has dawned rather overcast, however the forecast remains set for wall to wall sunshine.

After tea last evening I started the mammoth task of cutting back the garden...making a start on one side of the steps, there is such a pile of cuttings that I'm not quite sure what to do with it all just yet. The choices being, chip it up for compost, or lay out some of the woodier bits to dry and then use as fuel. Son in law said he has seen a second hand wood chipper for sale locally and he was going to ask if it was still available. I'm feeling rather lazy today and have to work later so the pile may well stay as just that for today at least.

Have just had notification from Wilbur's tracker so I'd better see if he needs breakfast.

Blessings, J. x