A few weeks ago, when Eden was staying with me, I wrote a post about an 'unfortunate happening' when we were on our way home. At the time I was wearing a brand new white T shirt with coral embroidery on the front only to have a seagull score a direct hit over me and missing Eden.
Eventually I did get the stain out but in the washing process something with dark dye touched the T shirt and I had to use some bleach which lifted out the mark.
This morning I was going to wear one of the T shirts that I bought the other day, the orange one as it happens. However, at the last minute I changed my mind and decided to wear the T shirt that had not been very lucky because I like the coral embroidery on the front and it goes with my coral cropped pants. This is the first time I have worn it after removing the other marks.
We had breakfast and then headed into town to get a few items of shopping and stopped to get the paper and lottery tickets on the way. We hadn't got too far from the paper shop and we were about half way into town when, I know you won't believe this, but a wood pigeon sitting on a lamp post dropped a huge, very smelly poo onto my left shoulder! Eden nearly choked where she was laughing so much and again, although she was right next to me, she got missed! Again everyone received a text message within 30 seconds! I reckon she has the speediest texting fingers I have ever seen.
I got her to wipe some of it off with a 'wet wipe' but she was gagging because of the smell and also laughing so I had to do it myself. I was going to come back home again and change because the smell was so bad and I had a great big greenish grey stain on my shoulder. However, we continued into the centre because we were only ten minutes from the shops and we went into the shop where I had bought the T shirt in the first place. They actually had one in the sale so I took it to the till and asked the assistant if I could put it on when I had paid for it after I had explained what happened.
She was very sympathetic and said that I could because a similar thing had happened to her once. ONCE? I told her about this particular T shirt and asked if any other ladies had suffered the same misfortune when wearing this particular one but she hadn't :-( so I suppose it must be me!
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Friday, 30 July 2010
All shapes and sizes
It's amazing how the same style outfit looks totally different on people of the same age and ages that are light years apart.
On my travels today, both into town and going to get Eden, I noticed that this year's 'must have' in fashion seems to be a tunic or large clingy T shirt on top of leggings with some of those Ugh! boots or boots that are flat with a turned down ankle cuff.
On my way into town I passed a young woman who was pushing a youngster in a pushchair and she was wearing a version of this outfit. After she had gone past I just had to turn my head round to see if my eyes were deceiving me but sadly they weren't. She had one of the biggest bottoms that I had seen for a long time and she had cellulite. With the tight, clingy T shirt which just about covered her derriere her bum resembled one of those bumble balls that Eden had when she was a baby or, two bags of potatoes jumping about independently!
The next time I saw a similar outfit I was in the centre and this time the lady was somewhere around the mid-forties and a normal build. She had accessorised the outfit with a very wide belt and lots of bangles and necklaces. The outfit didn't really look right on her because of the gaudy purple colour of her top and the bright green turban type headwear. She also appeared to be wearing her entire jewellery box which meant she was a tad overdone.
The last one that really caught my attention was a young lady on a pedestrian crossing when I was driving to get Eden. She was painfully thin with straggly hair and she too was wearing a wide belt and she had those boots with a turned down cuff so that she looked as though she had just walked out of a production of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' or even 'Cadfael'! All that was missing from her interpretation of this style was the moneybag with a drawstring top.
On my travels today, both into town and going to get Eden, I noticed that this year's 'must have' in fashion seems to be a tunic or large clingy T shirt on top of leggings with some of those Ugh! boots or boots that are flat with a turned down ankle cuff.
On my way into town I passed a young woman who was pushing a youngster in a pushchair and she was wearing a version of this outfit. After she had gone past I just had to turn my head round to see if my eyes were deceiving me but sadly they weren't. She had one of the biggest bottoms that I had seen for a long time and she had cellulite. With the tight, clingy T shirt which just about covered her derriere her bum resembled one of those bumble balls that Eden had when she was a baby or, two bags of potatoes jumping about independently!
The next time I saw a similar outfit I was in the centre and this time the lady was somewhere around the mid-forties and a normal build. She had accessorised the outfit with a very wide belt and lots of bangles and necklaces. The outfit didn't really look right on her because of the gaudy purple colour of her top and the bright green turban type headwear. She also appeared to be wearing her entire jewellery box which meant she was a tad overdone.
The last one that really caught my attention was a young lady on a pedestrian crossing when I was driving to get Eden. She was painfully thin with straggly hair and she too was wearing a wide belt and she had those boots with a turned down cuff so that she looked as though she had just walked out of a production of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' or even 'Cadfael'! All that was missing from her interpretation of this style was the moneybag with a drawstring top.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
A real bargain!
Tomorrow Eden is coming to stay for a whole week so when I went shopping on Monday I decided to treat myself to a couple more T shirts so that I don't have to wear my tatty ones when I go out. Around the house or garden I tend to wear things that are baggy or faded but I won't throw them out while there is wear left in them.
I went into the only shop that caters for 'ladies of a certain age' and doesn't charge the earth and they have just started their sale. They also do a loyalty card which I have and on certain days you can get a good discount if you have this card. So there I was looking around but there wasn't anything I liked in the sale so I wandered around and the T shirts were on offer, 3 for £12 and they are all cotton.
The only problem now was choosing the colours and after some deliberation I picked out three, white, orange and turquoise. Then I thought I might get another pair of their canvas cropped pants and found a pair in my size in a neutral sort of stone colour. These are usually £14 but I noticed that there was a fairly big red mark on one of the legs. I hunted around but couldn't find any other pairs in this shade so I went to the till and asked the assistant if they had any more.
She was very helpful and went upstairs to check but came back and apologised because they were the last pair. I said I really liked them but there was a mark on them which looked a bit like beetroot juice so I said I was willing to take a chance and asked if I could have a reduction on the price. So she asked if I had a loyalty card which I gave her and then she put all the items through the till and gave me a 40% discount on the whole lot!
I washed the pants on Tuesday, using a stain remover first but the mark didn't budge, however, when they had gone through two washes and I ironed them, the mark had come out completely. I feel really chuffed because I got a real bargain there and all girls like a good bargain!
I went into the only shop that caters for 'ladies of a certain age' and doesn't charge the earth and they have just started their sale. They also do a loyalty card which I have and on certain days you can get a good discount if you have this card. So there I was looking around but there wasn't anything I liked in the sale so I wandered around and the T shirts were on offer, 3 for £12 and they are all cotton.
The only problem now was choosing the colours and after some deliberation I picked out three, white, orange and turquoise. Then I thought I might get another pair of their canvas cropped pants and found a pair in my size in a neutral sort of stone colour. These are usually £14 but I noticed that there was a fairly big red mark on one of the legs. I hunted around but couldn't find any other pairs in this shade so I went to the till and asked the assistant if they had any more.
She was very helpful and went upstairs to check but came back and apologised because they were the last pair. I said I really liked them but there was a mark on them which looked a bit like beetroot juice so I said I was willing to take a chance and asked if I could have a reduction on the price. So she asked if I had a loyalty card which I gave her and then she put all the items through the till and gave me a 40% discount on the whole lot!
I washed the pants on Tuesday, using a stain remover first but the mark didn't budge, however, when they had gone through two washes and I ironed them, the mark had come out completely. I feel really chuffed because I got a real bargain there and all girls like a good bargain!
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
His are bigger than mine!
Some of you probably know that I do the garden for an elderly man round the corner who is housebound. His garden is much smaller than mine and at the beginning of last year he got someone to clear it and build a small patio. They put some weed suppresing membrane down and covered this with bark chipping.
Last spring I planted a few small roses and some other perennials on either side of the patio and everything grew very well. I suggested that he could have a couple of tomatoes in growbags on the edge of the patio where it abutted the fence as that area got plenty of sunshine and seemed to be crying out for something. He agreed and I planted a cherry tomato (Gardener's Delight), a beefsteak tomato and a standard variety (Alicante).
The plants grew well but then we had a very windy spell and although they were tied to canes, the stalks broke on the bigger ones and the crop wasn't so good. Last year mine did better.
This year he has got three plants again, all the same varieties and this time I split the growbags in half and stood them on their end to give the roots more depth then put in sturdy canes much earlier. I had reminded him to water them daily even if it rained and to feed twice a week.
All three plants look as though they will have an excellent crop this year but I only had room for one plant myself, a cherry tomato in a large pot. This is a long way behind his and has fewer, smaller fruit despite the fact that I give it the same attention. The only reason I can think of is that his three plants get an extra three hours of sunshine compared to mine. Perhaps mine will catch up later.
Last spring I planted a few small roses and some other perennials on either side of the patio and everything grew very well. I suggested that he could have a couple of tomatoes in growbags on the edge of the patio where it abutted the fence as that area got plenty of sunshine and seemed to be crying out for something. He agreed and I planted a cherry tomato (Gardener's Delight), a beefsteak tomato and a standard variety (Alicante).
The plants grew well but then we had a very windy spell and although they were tied to canes, the stalks broke on the bigger ones and the crop wasn't so good. Last year mine did better.
This year he has got three plants again, all the same varieties and this time I split the growbags in half and stood them on their end to give the roots more depth then put in sturdy canes much earlier. I had reminded him to water them daily even if it rained and to feed twice a week.
All three plants look as though they will have an excellent crop this year but I only had room for one plant myself, a cherry tomato in a large pot. This is a long way behind his and has fewer, smaller fruit despite the fact that I give it the same attention. The only reason I can think of is that his three plants get an extra three hours of sunshine compared to mine. Perhaps mine will catch up later.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Now I really HAVE seen it all!
Yesterday I took a trip to the centre for a few odds and bits of shopping and one of my destinations was Boots. I like to look around in there from time to time and prefer it when there aren't hoards of wretched schoolgirls trying out all the make-up and putting it back. This is what you usually find on a Saturday and although it's the school holidays, I happen to know that teenagers don't get up that early!
So there I was, armed with my shopping list in hand pulling my shopping trolley and a basket in the other hand. I found the eyeshadow I wanted and gave it a shake to make sure that no-one had pinched the applicator (taking the one behind the front one usually works)!
Then I headed for the display where they have the false things like fingernails and eyelashes. I wasn't looking for those but I had been pointed in that direction by a helpful assistant when I explained what I was looking for. As I stood there marvelling at the lengths of the false eyelashes I was wondering if anyone actually wore them, apart from the occasional drag artist! I was particularly taken with the ones with the diamante but I don't think they're my style because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to see anything as the weight of them alone would pull my eyelids into the 'shut' position.
I spotted what I was looking for and it was on offer so it was my lucky day. As I stood up after picking up the item and putting it in my basket, my eyes fell on some very strange false nails. I looked at the display and there were all sorts in various colours and styles but these looked quite different. Then I noticed the description and I couldn't believe it. They were FALSE TOENAILS! Yuk! The assistant, who was filling up a display a bit further along asked me if I needed any help and I said that I was fine. Then I asked her if people actually bought these things. She laughed and said they sold quite a few, especially in the summer. I'm sure she must have thought I'd arrived from another planet but I have never seen them before. I know I won't be trying them anytime soon!
So there I was, armed with my shopping list in hand pulling my shopping trolley and a basket in the other hand. I found the eyeshadow I wanted and gave it a shake to make sure that no-one had pinched the applicator (taking the one behind the front one usually works)!
Then I headed for the display where they have the false things like fingernails and eyelashes. I wasn't looking for those but I had been pointed in that direction by a helpful assistant when I explained what I was looking for. As I stood there marvelling at the lengths of the false eyelashes I was wondering if anyone actually wore them, apart from the occasional drag artist! I was particularly taken with the ones with the diamante but I don't think they're my style because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to see anything as the weight of them alone would pull my eyelids into the 'shut' position.
I spotted what I was looking for and it was on offer so it was my lucky day. As I stood up after picking up the item and putting it in my basket, my eyes fell on some very strange false nails. I looked at the display and there were all sorts in various colours and styles but these looked quite different. Then I noticed the description and I couldn't believe it. They were FALSE TOENAILS! Yuk! The assistant, who was filling up a display a bit further along asked me if I needed any help and I said that I was fine. Then I asked her if people actually bought these things. She laughed and said they sold quite a few, especially in the summer. I'm sure she must have thought I'd arrived from another planet but I have never seen them before. I know I won't be trying them anytime soon!
Monday, 26 July 2010
Cheapskates!
Two weeks ago up the end of our road, the council put up some notices to warn commuters who park there that they would not be able to do so from last Monday to Friday because the road was going to be 'top dressed' and if any cars were parked, they would be towed away.
The message obviously wasn't read, or believed by all because I noticed four cars parked there when I went shopping on the Monday morning and they were still there a half hour later when I came home. If they were towed later on, I don't know.
Anyway, on Wednesday when I went to the farmer's market the road was free of cars and it was quite noticeable that something had been done to the surface of the road and it wasn't a very good job either!
Now, I know that we have extreme financial problems in the country and we all have to put up with being squeezed a bit harder than normal in order to get out of this recession and that public spending has to be cut to the bone. BUT, the job that's been done on the road looks as if it was the work of a blind, one armed road builder who had retired from road surfacing before he had finished his apprenticeship!
It's false economy to do a job that's so bad it will have to be done again in a very short time. They might as well have not bothered. None of the potholes have been filled, there are still great cracks and there are huge areas where there is no gravel so when the sun shines on these patches it will melt the tar.
The British motorist pays so much duty on petrol and also in road tax that the government must receive sufficient funds every year to pave our highways with gold!
The message obviously wasn't read, or believed by all because I noticed four cars parked there when I went shopping on the Monday morning and they were still there a half hour later when I came home. If they were towed later on, I don't know.
Anyway, on Wednesday when I went to the farmer's market the road was free of cars and it was quite noticeable that something had been done to the surface of the road and it wasn't a very good job either!
Now, I know that we have extreme financial problems in the country and we all have to put up with being squeezed a bit harder than normal in order to get out of this recession and that public spending has to be cut to the bone. BUT, the job that's been done on the road looks as if it was the work of a blind, one armed road builder who had retired from road surfacing before he had finished his apprenticeship!
It's false economy to do a job that's so bad it will have to be done again in a very short time. They might as well have not bothered. None of the potholes have been filled, there are still great cracks and there are huge areas where there is no gravel so when the sun shines on these patches it will melt the tar.
The British motorist pays so much duty on petrol and also in road tax that the government must receive sufficient funds every year to pave our highways with gold!
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Sunflowers and goldfinches
The sunflowers are just beginning to open as you can see from the one below. The shiny bit on the left hand side of the middle is actually a bee! I didn't realise until I put the picture on the computer that the bee was there.
This morning while I was in the kitchen washing up I was watching the house sparrows on the seed feeder and saw one flapping about with what I thought was something stuck on it's wing. Because I have a net curtain up at the window to allow me to see the birds and squirrels without them being able to see me, I couldn't be quite sure what it was. The little bird flew up onto the fence and I was able to get a good look at it. That's when I realised that it was a female goldfinch.
Over at the surgery the other day when I went for a check-up, they have seed feeders outside the window and one is filled with thistle seeds and the goldfinches love it. I always watch them while I wait.
This morning while I was in the kitchen washing up I was watching the house sparrows on the seed feeder and saw one flapping about with what I thought was something stuck on it's wing. Because I have a net curtain up at the window to allow me to see the birds and squirrels without them being able to see me, I couldn't be quite sure what it was. The little bird flew up onto the fence and I was able to get a good look at it. That's when I realised that it was a female goldfinch.Over at the surgery the other day when I went for a check-up, they have seed feeders outside the window and one is filled with thistle seeds and the goldfinches love it. I always watch them while I wait.
Well, I thought, I know there are some goldfinches around here because sometimes I can hear them singing, so after lunch, I went over to the garden centre and bought some thistle seed and a special feeder. When I got back home, I filled the feeder and hung it out on the bird table. Now all I have to do is wait to see how long it takes them to realise that it's there!
I hope I can attract a few over because they are such pretty birds and I would love to be able to get a photo of them to put on the blog.
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Why?
I wish I knew why Tesco has decided to change the store around. I knew where everything was last time I went to the big store and I always write my shopping list so that it's in the right order to save me time. The first problem I had this morning was finding a small trolley in the car park. After going round the whole car park I was lucky to find one, yet three weeks ago they had dozens of these and nearly all were new but I couldn't find them hiding anywhere today.
Then as I got nearer the entrance I saw that the cash dispensing machines had been moved and instead of the 'hole in the wall' they are now 'hole in a hut'. It doesn't look very secure either, if anyone came along with a small digger they would soon make light work of that!
As I got into the store entrance there was a great big notice to say that they were 'improving our store'. Some of the things include more trolleys! I should jolly well think so but I can't see why we would need 'a hot pie cabinet'.
Anyway, my shopping took me longer than it usually does and all the way around the store shoppers were stopping each other asking if they had seen the apple sauce or the canned fruit! I had difficulty finding batteries but eventually, I had all the shopping on the list and got to the checkout.
The young man at the checkout has often served me before and always has a chat so today I said to him about things being moved and making it harder for everyone. He agreed and said "That's what Tesco does!". Then I told him about all the empty cabinets with notices on them that tell shoppers what they can find there in two weeks. I said that I wanted to know where it was TODAY, never mind in two weeks. I also pointed out that it would have been a bigger help to all shoppers if they had put another notice on the shelves to tell shoppers where they could find the items that had lived there before they were moved. He agreed with me and said he would pass that on to the manager.
When I came out and started crossing the car park I became aware that I was being followed. "It's broad daylight" I thought "so no-one is going to attack me here as there are too many people about". As I got to the car a large man said "Here, let me help you, then may I have your trolley! I can't find any this morning!". He kindly put my shopping in the car and as we were talking another lady came up and asked if he had finished with the trolley! We all stood there having a grumble and I did warn them both that they wouldn't find anything where it was a week ago!
Next time I have to go there, I hope they have more smaller trolleys and notices to tell us where things are now.
Then as I got nearer the entrance I saw that the cash dispensing machines had been moved and instead of the 'hole in the wall' they are now 'hole in a hut'. It doesn't look very secure either, if anyone came along with a small digger they would soon make light work of that!
As I got into the store entrance there was a great big notice to say that they were 'improving our store'. Some of the things include more trolleys! I should jolly well think so but I can't see why we would need 'a hot pie cabinet'.
Anyway, my shopping took me longer than it usually does and all the way around the store shoppers were stopping each other asking if they had seen the apple sauce or the canned fruit! I had difficulty finding batteries but eventually, I had all the shopping on the list and got to the checkout.
The young man at the checkout has often served me before and always has a chat so today I said to him about things being moved and making it harder for everyone. He agreed and said "That's what Tesco does!". Then I told him about all the empty cabinets with notices on them that tell shoppers what they can find there in two weeks. I said that I wanted to know where it was TODAY, never mind in two weeks. I also pointed out that it would have been a bigger help to all shoppers if they had put another notice on the shelves to tell shoppers where they could find the items that had lived there before they were moved. He agreed with me and said he would pass that on to the manager.
When I came out and started crossing the car park I became aware that I was being followed. "It's broad daylight" I thought "so no-one is going to attack me here as there are too many people about". As I got to the car a large man said "Here, let me help you, then may I have your trolley! I can't find any this morning!". He kindly put my shopping in the car and as we were talking another lady came up and asked if he had finished with the trolley! We all stood there having a grumble and I did warn them both that they wouldn't find anything where it was a week ago!
Next time I have to go there, I hope they have more smaller trolleys and notices to tell us where things are now.
Friday, 23 July 2010
They want to put me in a box
I may be 62 and retired and have a few health issues but I'm certainly not ready to be put in a box of any kind. The house I have been living in for the last 25 years is rented privately from a landlady who didn't even come near the place for the first 22 years that I was living here and she is very reluctant to do any repairs or redecoration but still charges the earth in rent. In the time I have lived here I must have paid for it twice over and I know there was no mortgage on it when I moved in.
The house is very small and was built early in 1900 and is very expensive to heat and needs a new kitchen and bathroom because these are still stuck in the 1970's. It doesn't even have full double glazing. I pay as much in rent every month as most people pay when they have a mortgage and this has been set by the Fair Rent Office. I have never been in the privileged position of inheriting anything from my parents or anyone else and being a woman, my wages have always been very low especially when I was nursing just after my divorce many years ago. So I have never even had the chance to save for a deposit or had enough money to buy a house of my own as I have been struggling just to keep a roof over my head and buy a few sticks of secondhand or flat-pack furniture.
When I retired and discovered that, despite working all my life and having the right to a full state pension which can't be taxed, the Inland Revenue tax my very tiny occupational pension and out of that they also take tax for the state pension so I have virtually nothing left every month. On top of that, I tried to claim some help with my rent but the government says that I only need £130 per week to live on after my rent is paid and this has to cover everything including food, clothing, heating, insurances and council tax etc. I can tell you now that it's a struggle.
Because of this I put my name onto the social housing list in Wiltshire in order to find somewhere cheaper and so that I could move nearer to my daughter and grand-children as I am very isolated here and have never liked the city. I lived in Wiltshire for most of my life and only came here to work once I had qualified as a nurse so I want to move back to a small country town.
Every week the council puts the available properties onto their website and if you are interested in any you have to 'bid' for them. However, I can only 'bid' for old peoples properties which is fair enough but most of them are 'studio flats' and the bungalows are 'sheltered accommodation' with a warden.
I would love to have a bungalow but need a garden as this is one of my hobbies and helps to keep me fit and healthy. I also need somewhere that has a kitchen where I can cook a meal and entertain my family from time to time without them having to sit with food on their laps. I also want somewhere that has sufficient room for a washing machine, not 'the use of a laundry room' and I don't need a built in alarm or a warden.
Why is it that these people think that as you have no money, you don't own your own home, you have no interests and therefore you do not need to be independent because you are just waiting to die, so we will put you in a box before you get put into your final box.
It's little wonder that most people vegetate and die prematurely when everything is stripped from them, including their independence and dignity, and they have no interests or can't pursue them.
I am an independent, talented woman with a very active brain, I'm going to live to be 100 and I am NOT going to be put in any box before my time!
The house is very small and was built early in 1900 and is very expensive to heat and needs a new kitchen and bathroom because these are still stuck in the 1970's. It doesn't even have full double glazing. I pay as much in rent every month as most people pay when they have a mortgage and this has been set by the Fair Rent Office. I have never been in the privileged position of inheriting anything from my parents or anyone else and being a woman, my wages have always been very low especially when I was nursing just after my divorce many years ago. So I have never even had the chance to save for a deposit or had enough money to buy a house of my own as I have been struggling just to keep a roof over my head and buy a few sticks of secondhand or flat-pack furniture.
When I retired and discovered that, despite working all my life and having the right to a full state pension which can't be taxed, the Inland Revenue tax my very tiny occupational pension and out of that they also take tax for the state pension so I have virtually nothing left every month. On top of that, I tried to claim some help with my rent but the government says that I only need £130 per week to live on after my rent is paid and this has to cover everything including food, clothing, heating, insurances and council tax etc. I can tell you now that it's a struggle.
Because of this I put my name onto the social housing list in Wiltshire in order to find somewhere cheaper and so that I could move nearer to my daughter and grand-children as I am very isolated here and have never liked the city. I lived in Wiltshire for most of my life and only came here to work once I had qualified as a nurse so I want to move back to a small country town.
Every week the council puts the available properties onto their website and if you are interested in any you have to 'bid' for them. However, I can only 'bid' for old peoples properties which is fair enough but most of them are 'studio flats' and the bungalows are 'sheltered accommodation' with a warden.
I would love to have a bungalow but need a garden as this is one of my hobbies and helps to keep me fit and healthy. I also need somewhere that has a kitchen where I can cook a meal and entertain my family from time to time without them having to sit with food on their laps. I also want somewhere that has sufficient room for a washing machine, not 'the use of a laundry room' and I don't need a built in alarm or a warden.
Why is it that these people think that as you have no money, you don't own your own home, you have no interests and therefore you do not need to be independent because you are just waiting to die, so we will put you in a box before you get put into your final box.
It's little wonder that most people vegetate and die prematurely when everything is stripped from them, including their independence and dignity, and they have no interests or can't pursue them.
I am an independent, talented woman with a very active brain, I'm going to live to be 100 and I am NOT going to be put in any box before my time!
Thursday, 22 July 2010
The BIG Bang
As we have had some very heavy showers this afternoon I have not been able to get out into the garden to do anything which is very frustrating. I had been to the surgery this morning for a check-up and was still feeling deflated because the medication has had to be tweaked again and I've been told not to worry about my weight gain. I was really upset about this because I am nearly three stone heavier than I was at the start of all this.
Anyway, I have been eating salads almost every day for the last goodness knows how many weeks and although I like salads, I decided to make a chicken Jalfrezi for tonight. I got all the ingredients together and prepared the spices and other things to make the paste then sat down and did some reading and forward planning for some meals when Eden comes to stay at the end of next week. She will be here for her week's 'holiday' and we like to try different things because she likes to help in the kitchen.
At around five o'clock, I went back out into the kitchen and started to prepare the vegetables and chicken for the curry and I noticed that the heavy shower had stopped and everything was extremely quiet, which is quite unusual. Then there was a huge blinding flash followed very quickly by the loudest clap of thunder I have ever heard. It made me jump about two feet into the air and I think it was right overhead. I did wonder if the roof was still on but as it hadn't fallen on me I thought it must be still there! The thunder rumbled on for about a quarter of an hour and then stopped.
At least I wasn't the only one who 'took off' because one of the presenters on the local television news has just said that he did the same, then he presented the weatherman for tomorrow's forecast which is supposed to be better.
Anyway, I have been eating salads almost every day for the last goodness knows how many weeks and although I like salads, I decided to make a chicken Jalfrezi for tonight. I got all the ingredients together and prepared the spices and other things to make the paste then sat down and did some reading and forward planning for some meals when Eden comes to stay at the end of next week. She will be here for her week's 'holiday' and we like to try different things because she likes to help in the kitchen.
At around five o'clock, I went back out into the kitchen and started to prepare the vegetables and chicken for the curry and I noticed that the heavy shower had stopped and everything was extremely quiet, which is quite unusual. Then there was a huge blinding flash followed very quickly by the loudest clap of thunder I have ever heard. It made me jump about two feet into the air and I think it was right overhead. I did wonder if the roof was still on but as it hadn't fallen on me I thought it must be still there! The thunder rumbled on for about a quarter of an hour and then stopped.
At least I wasn't the only one who 'took off' because one of the presenters on the local television news has just said that he did the same, then he presented the weatherman for tomorrow's forecast which is supposed to be better.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Progress report!
Last weekend I decided that I would make the birds a new birdbath as the other one, which is made of cast iron, is getting very rusty.
Well, I had assembled all the things I needed and on Saturday afternoon, I took the tiles outside and placed some kitchen towel over them and broke them up with a hammer.
So far, so good. Then I started to stick the pieces in a random mosaic pattern into the flowerpot saucer with some waterproof mastic which is a little like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The going was fairly slow but I did make quite good progress and continued the work on Sunday, but by the evening I had to stop because I kept bleeding all over the place.
My hands, fingers and thumbs are covered in small cuts where I have been pulling the broken tiles from the backing and with the bottom of the dish three quarters covered I have had to leave it for a couple of days so that my hands can recover.
I don't see the point in rushing it as I want the birds to be pleased and I also want it to last for as long as possible. Hopefully, I will be able to do some more by the end of the week in between all the other things I've got planned.
Well, I had assembled all the things I needed and on Saturday afternoon, I took the tiles outside and placed some kitchen towel over them and broke them up with a hammer.
So far, so good. Then I started to stick the pieces in a random mosaic pattern into the flowerpot saucer with some waterproof mastic which is a little like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The going was fairly slow but I did make quite good progress and continued the work on Sunday, but by the evening I had to stop because I kept bleeding all over the place.
My hands, fingers and thumbs are covered in small cuts where I have been pulling the broken tiles from the backing and with the bottom of the dish three quarters covered I have had to leave it for a couple of days so that my hands can recover.
I don't see the point in rushing it as I want the birds to be pleased and I also want it to last for as long as possible. Hopefully, I will be able to do some more by the end of the week in between all the other things I've got planned.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Crash, bang, wallop!
Every Tuesday we have our re-cycling collections which start just after 7am with the arrival of the lorry that collects paper, glass bottles, cans and a few other bits and pieces.
Now my house is the first one on the round and I always sort my re-cyclables so that the collectors don't have to spend ages doing it before throwing it onto the lorry. This week I had a can and an aerosol in one small bag and a bottle and a jam jar in another bag. As I had just returned back upstairs with a cup of tea, I peeped out through the venetian blind and casually watched the collectors as they started. They didn't bother to pick up my black box because they could carry the items in one hand and threw them onto the lorry which was empty, so they only made a little noise.
Then they went to the 'neighbours from hell' next door who do not have a black box, instead, they put out their re-cycling in carrier bags. The two men picked up five large carrier bags filled to bursting with bottles. Each bag must have held about eight bottles and the noise when they throw this lot into an empty metal lorry is quite horrendous and wakes up the whole neighbourhood! That's the reason that I'm always up earlier on a Tuesday!
To anyone who didn't know, they would think that the neighbours were either running a pub or had recently had a party, but that's not the case because this is a weekly occurrence. I think they could do with some help from Alcoholics Anonymous because both of them frequently look as if they are still 'under the influence' or hungover.
I think I'll stick to my glass or two at the weekend, I certainly couldn't afford to drink anymore. Besides, I belive in 'all things in moderation'!
Now my house is the first one on the round and I always sort my re-cyclables so that the collectors don't have to spend ages doing it before throwing it onto the lorry. This week I had a can and an aerosol in one small bag and a bottle and a jam jar in another bag. As I had just returned back upstairs with a cup of tea, I peeped out through the venetian blind and casually watched the collectors as they started. They didn't bother to pick up my black box because they could carry the items in one hand and threw them onto the lorry which was empty, so they only made a little noise.
Then they went to the 'neighbours from hell' next door who do not have a black box, instead, they put out their re-cycling in carrier bags. The two men picked up five large carrier bags filled to bursting with bottles. Each bag must have held about eight bottles and the noise when they throw this lot into an empty metal lorry is quite horrendous and wakes up the whole neighbourhood! That's the reason that I'm always up earlier on a Tuesday!
To anyone who didn't know, they would think that the neighbours were either running a pub or had recently had a party, but that's not the case because this is a weekly occurrence. I think they could do with some help from Alcoholics Anonymous because both of them frequently look as if they are still 'under the influence' or hungover.
I think I'll stick to my glass or two at the weekend, I certainly couldn't afford to drink anymore. Besides, I belive in 'all things in moderation'!
Monday, 19 July 2010
Not for sale!
I wandered over to the garden centre this morning to buy some more bird seed and decided to have a look at the plants. It isn't a very big garden centre but I love looking around at all the plants and never ceased to be amazed at just how many they have there. Despite the fact that it is fairly small compared to those that are out of town , they sell an enormous range including pots, garden machinery, composts and other various sundries so there is a very good choice for the gardener.
Now while I was strolling around poking my nose into all the plants, I was very tempted to buy a couple that really that really took my fancy but had to resist the temptation because my garden is very full at the moment. As Eden likes to put it when she comes down "Your garden's very 'flowerful' Grandma!" and she's absolutely right, it is. So I continued looking around with my hands in my pockets and that's when I saw it!
Perched on the top of one of the stands and just above my eye level, was a beautiful male blackbird with very glossy black feathers, a bright yellow beak and extremely bright eyes. He had obviously just finished having his morning bath in one of the display water features because the water was splashed everywhere and he was sitting there having a jolly good old preen. He looked at me as if to say "Who do you think you're looking at? Leave me alone to finish my preening!". Then he carried on with the job in hand. I stood and watched him, smiling, for a few minutes and then carried on my way.
I know the blackbirds nest in the garden centre and some of the staff put food out for them too, so it wasn't unusual to see one there and that it was reasonably tame. As I was on my way into the shop to get my bird seed I remarked to one of the young men that works there about the blackbird. He told me that it wasn't a very bright one because they had found three blackbird's eggs laid on a trolley out in the open and not in a nest when they came in this morning. I pointed out that it was a male blackbird and he laughed and said "If she left him in charge of the eggs, he hasn't done a very good job then!"
This must be at least a second or maybe even a third clutch of eggs so perhaps Mrs Blackbird was too tired to build another nest!
Now while I was strolling around poking my nose into all the plants, I was very tempted to buy a couple that really that really took my fancy but had to resist the temptation because my garden is very full at the moment. As Eden likes to put it when she comes down "Your garden's very 'flowerful' Grandma!" and she's absolutely right, it is. So I continued looking around with my hands in my pockets and that's when I saw it!
Perched on the top of one of the stands and just above my eye level, was a beautiful male blackbird with very glossy black feathers, a bright yellow beak and extremely bright eyes. He had obviously just finished having his morning bath in one of the display water features because the water was splashed everywhere and he was sitting there having a jolly good old preen. He looked at me as if to say "Who do you think you're looking at? Leave me alone to finish my preening!". Then he carried on with the job in hand. I stood and watched him, smiling, for a few minutes and then carried on my way.
I know the blackbirds nest in the garden centre and some of the staff put food out for them too, so it wasn't unusual to see one there and that it was reasonably tame. As I was on my way into the shop to get my bird seed I remarked to one of the young men that works there about the blackbird. He told me that it wasn't a very bright one because they had found three blackbird's eggs laid on a trolley out in the open and not in a nest when they came in this morning. I pointed out that it was a male blackbird and he laughed and said "If she left him in charge of the eggs, he hasn't done a very good job then!"
This must be at least a second or maybe even a third clutch of eggs so perhaps Mrs Blackbird was too tired to build another nest!
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Flabbergasted!
Flabbergasted! Gobsmacked! Jawdropping! Absolute shock! Stunned! All of these and many more words could be used to describe what I felt early this morning when I took the car to the garage for petrol.
I have a tiny Kia Picanto and don't do that much driving because I can't afford to and I'm not an erratic driver whose speeds vary from 10mph to 70mph. The car is an automatic and I am a steady (not slow) driver who has put less than 2,000 miles on the clock since the beginning of last August when I bought the car.
Two weeks ago when I went to fetch Eden, I did think of getting petrol then and at that time it was only 93 pence per litre. How I wish I had filled up then instead of waiting until today. The price for a litre this morning was an eye watering £1.39p and I reckon that filling up cost me an extra seven pounds.
I don't buy my petrol at a BP garage so I knew I wasn't helping them to pay to clean up their mess in the Gulf of Mexico, I go to the Shell Garage. Most of the price is duty which goes straight into the government's coffers and what they do with it is anybody's guess. It's probably saved up to pay the wretched expenses of MP's because as motorists, we don't benefit from decent roads because they're still full of potholes.
The trouble is, putting up the price like that just doesn't deter a lot of people from using their cars, instead, it causes hardship to people who have to use their cars out of necessity. I don't use mine unless I have to, but I have to have one in order to go to Tesco once a month to shop and that's three miles away. There's no question of me walking there, it would take me a couple of days with my prolapsed discs and trapped sciatic nerves, not to mention the pain. Unfortunately, I can only get to the Tesco Metro in the week and that's more expensive and you can't get a lot of items there anyway.
I have a tiny Kia Picanto and don't do that much driving because I can't afford to and I'm not an erratic driver whose speeds vary from 10mph to 70mph. The car is an automatic and I am a steady (not slow) driver who has put less than 2,000 miles on the clock since the beginning of last August when I bought the car.
Two weeks ago when I went to fetch Eden, I did think of getting petrol then and at that time it was only 93 pence per litre. How I wish I had filled up then instead of waiting until today. The price for a litre this morning was an eye watering £1.39p and I reckon that filling up cost me an extra seven pounds.
I don't buy my petrol at a BP garage so I knew I wasn't helping them to pay to clean up their mess in the Gulf of Mexico, I go to the Shell Garage. Most of the price is duty which goes straight into the government's coffers and what they do with it is anybody's guess. It's probably saved up to pay the wretched expenses of MP's because as motorists, we don't benefit from decent roads because they're still full of potholes.
The trouble is, putting up the price like that just doesn't deter a lot of people from using their cars, instead, it causes hardship to people who have to use their cars out of necessity. I don't use mine unless I have to, but I have to have one in order to go to Tesco once a month to shop and that's three miles away. There's no question of me walking there, it would take me a couple of days with my prolapsed discs and trapped sciatic nerves, not to mention the pain. Unfortunately, I can only get to the Tesco Metro in the week and that's more expensive and you can't get a lot of items there anyway.
Saturday, 17 July 2010
My daily bread
Wholemeal Loaf9 ounces strong wholemeal bread flour
9 ounces strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ounce lard or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 level tablespoon dried yeast
12 fluid ounces hand hot water
Firstly grease and flour a 2lb loaf tin and heat the oven to 240 C (475 F) Gas mark 9.
Sieve the flours into a bowl with the salt and sugar then rub in the lard (or add the oil). Add the dried yeast and water then mix to a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Roll into an oblong or to fit the loaf tin. Put tin and dough into a large polythene food bag (without holes) and blow it up as far as you can so that it is well above the tin. Seal the end with a clip or rubber band and leave in a warm place for at least an hour until the dough is well risen and looks like a loaf.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. When cooked the loaf should sound hollow when knocked on the bottom.
Leave until completely cold before slicing (if you can!).
Leave until completely cold before slicing (if you can!).
Friday, 16 July 2010
The weekend project
The weather has been very stormy with dry and windy spells interspersed with very heavy showers which has made everything in the garden grow at twice the speed. As the forecast for the weekend is for some of the same but without the wind, it doesn't seem that I will be able to get out to do much tidying up so I have got myself a few things to keep me busy inside.
The bird bath that I bought for the birds back in the early part of the year is made of cast iron and it has become quite rusty so I have to give it a good clean every day. I did think about removing all the rust then giving it a coat of primer followed by a few coats of paint, but I don't think that will work because the combination of water and strong sun will soon have the paint peeling again and besides, it will take me far too long to do.
Then I looked in the garden centre to see what else they could offer but all they had was a rather expensive painted dish that could be put on the ground or hung in a tree with chain hangers. As I don't have any trees in the garden and I don't think putting it right on the ground is such a good idea, I decided to make my own.
I bought a large terra-cotta flowerpot saucer and a shallow terra-cotta flowerpot for the base. Then I went into the tile department and bought some small tiles which were very cheap, (the manager's specials), some grout adhesive and a small pair of tile nibblers.
What I am going to do is break the tiles and stick them in the saucer in a random mosaic pattern, I might get artistic and make a picture or geometric design, I shall just see what happens. When it is finished I can put it on the upturned flowerpot then the birds will have their very own designer bird bath!
The bird bath that I bought for the birds back in the early part of the year is made of cast iron and it has become quite rusty so I have to give it a good clean every day. I did think about removing all the rust then giving it a coat of primer followed by a few coats of paint, but I don't think that will work because the combination of water and strong sun will soon have the paint peeling again and besides, it will take me far too long to do.
Then I looked in the garden centre to see what else they could offer but all they had was a rather expensive painted dish that could be put on the ground or hung in a tree with chain hangers. As I don't have any trees in the garden and I don't think putting it right on the ground is such a good idea, I decided to make my own.
I bought a large terra-cotta flowerpot saucer and a shallow terra-cotta flowerpot for the base. Then I went into the tile department and bought some small tiles which were very cheap, (the manager's specials), some grout adhesive and a small pair of tile nibblers.
What I am going to do is break the tiles and stick them in the saucer in a random mosaic pattern, I might get artistic and make a picture or geometric design, I shall just see what happens. When it is finished I can put it on the upturned flowerpot then the birds will have their very own designer bird bath!
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Earlier and earlier
I really didn't want to mention this, but have you booked your firm's Christmas Dinner yet? The Marriott hotel has had a b****y great big banner stretched across it since May....yes, that's right, May!
When I was channel hopping a few weeks ago to see what was on the television one of the shopping channels was having a 'Christmas Weekend' and that was June. Now all the shops are advertising school uniforms for 'back to school' and the schools haven't even broken up for the summer yet! Don't they realise children actually grow a lot quicker in the summer months when there is more and brighter light and children are more active? If mums have to manage on a tight budget, buying a school uniform now ready for a child to wear in September could well be false economy when they find that it's too small and they have wasted their money. Some shops may not refund if they have not got the receipt.
I really hate it when shops get seasonal goods in ever earlier year by year. I know that they do their buying well in advance but I DO NOT want to buy summer clothing in January or thick winter woolies in an August heat wave. Neither do I want to buy Christmas cards in July (I'm not posting any to Mars) and I don't want to buy Easter eggs two days after Christmas!
No wonder people suffer stress when we are encouraged to live life at 100 miles per hour instead of taking each day as it comes. Besides, I don't have the room to put presents if I were to do my Christmas shopping too early and I certainly don't want them cluttering up the place, that means more to dust!
When I was channel hopping a few weeks ago to see what was on the television one of the shopping channels was having a 'Christmas Weekend' and that was June. Now all the shops are advertising school uniforms for 'back to school' and the schools haven't even broken up for the summer yet! Don't they realise children actually grow a lot quicker in the summer months when there is more and brighter light and children are more active? If mums have to manage on a tight budget, buying a school uniform now ready for a child to wear in September could well be false economy when they find that it's too small and they have wasted their money. Some shops may not refund if they have not got the receipt.
I really hate it when shops get seasonal goods in ever earlier year by year. I know that they do their buying well in advance but I DO NOT want to buy summer clothing in January or thick winter woolies in an August heat wave. Neither do I want to buy Christmas cards in July (I'm not posting any to Mars) and I don't want to buy Easter eggs two days after Christmas!
No wonder people suffer stress when we are encouraged to live life at 100 miles per hour instead of taking each day as it comes. Besides, I don't have the room to put presents if I were to do my Christmas shopping too early and I certainly don't want them cluttering up the place, that means more to dust!
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
A voyage of re-discovery
Because of the heavy showers we've had today I haven't been able to go 'out to play' or sit outside the back door watching the birds in the garden so I've been in all afternoon. I have quite a few cookery books and also a great big folder of my own recipes and some that I've cut out of magazines and other publications for lots of years so I thought I would look through these for inspiration.
It's great fun looking through these and re-discovering recipes that I haven't made for years. There are things like home made faggots, my own extra chocolatey brownies, savoury plaits for picnics and all sorts of other goodies.
Looking through the cookery books always takes me back to holidays that I had many years ago when my partner was alive. I love to cook dishes from places where I've been and also places that I've never visited. In the summer I eat a lot of Mediterranean style meals and salads and love eating 'al fresco' especially when Eden comes down and we try new things together.
While I was engrossed in the books I realised that I would never be able to try all these recipes unless I had a different one every day for the rest of my life but for now, I have to make a decision about what to have at the weekend!
It's great fun looking through these and re-discovering recipes that I haven't made for years. There are things like home made faggots, my own extra chocolatey brownies, savoury plaits for picnics and all sorts of other goodies.
Looking through the cookery books always takes me back to holidays that I had many years ago when my partner was alive. I love to cook dishes from places where I've been and also places that I've never visited. In the summer I eat a lot of Mediterranean style meals and salads and love eating 'al fresco' especially when Eden comes down and we try new things together.
While I was engrossed in the books I realised that I would never be able to try all these recipes unless I had a different one every day for the rest of my life but for now, I have to make a decision about what to have at the weekend!
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
A drop of rain
Today has been overcast and quite dull so I decided to do the washing and cleaning because it's also a little bit cooler which suits me better.
At lunchtime it started to rain but it was quite light and so didn't make all the flowers droop their heads the way heavy showers do. Although I have been watering the garden regularly it's quite amazing how much different the plants look when the water comes from heaven rather than from the tap.
The other thing I have noticed is that they all suddenly start to grow very fast, you can almost see them growing too. Last Monday I cut my chives right back to two inches high but by teatime today they had grown back to ten inches and I swear it was the rain that did it!
The birds have enjoyed the rain too, even though they have been having regular baths in my water lily tub. I noticed a couple of the little sparrows standing under one of the patio roses having the equivalent of a shower where the rain was dripping off the leaves. They were quite wet too and stood there having a jolly good preening session in just the way they do when they've been in the water lily tub.
The weather forecasters say there is more to come but I doubt it will make up for the last six months where we've had very little rain. That will probably come in the autumn......all at once!
At lunchtime it started to rain but it was quite light and so didn't make all the flowers droop their heads the way heavy showers do. Although I have been watering the garden regularly it's quite amazing how much different the plants look when the water comes from heaven rather than from the tap.
The other thing I have noticed is that they all suddenly start to grow very fast, you can almost see them growing too. Last Monday I cut my chives right back to two inches high but by teatime today they had grown back to ten inches and I swear it was the rain that did it!
The birds have enjoyed the rain too, even though they have been having regular baths in my water lily tub. I noticed a couple of the little sparrows standing under one of the patio roses having the equivalent of a shower where the rain was dripping off the leaves. They were quite wet too and stood there having a jolly good preening session in just the way they do when they've been in the water lily tub.
The weather forecasters say there is more to come but I doubt it will make up for the last six months where we've had very little rain. That will probably come in the autumn......all at once!
Monday, 12 July 2010
A garden full of sunflowers
I am hoping that very soon now some of the sunflowers that I have grown from seed will come into bloom.
Despite Squidge trying to bury his peanuts in the cells where the seeds were planted, they have all grown except for one. That's not bad from a single packet of seeds. Luckily, I bought some that are only supposed to grow just over two feet tall but these look as though thay may be a lot taller! Thank goodness I didn't go for the real big ones that tower about eleven feet or more from the ground.
There is one lesson that I have learned for next year and that's not to plant the whole packet! With just a very small garden it will be a tad overcrowded when this lot come into flower but it will look spectacular. I know the bees will love them and I am hoping to save the seed heads for the birds.
I just can't wait to see the flowers because I have forgotten what colours I bought too. I'm afraid I never put labels in where I plant seeds or put plants as the element of surprise makes the experience similar to Christmas once the plants flower and I love surprises. The other thing I never bother about either, is colour and plant co-ordination. I just go with the flow because after all, anyone who looks at a truly natural wild flower meadow will see that God and nature put the short ones with the tall ones and all colours mixed together.
So be it!
Despite Squidge trying to bury his peanuts in the cells where the seeds were planted, they have all grown except for one. That's not bad from a single packet of seeds. Luckily, I bought some that are only supposed to grow just over two feet tall but these look as though thay may be a lot taller! Thank goodness I didn't go for the real big ones that tower about eleven feet or more from the ground.
There is one lesson that I have learned for next year and that's not to plant the whole packet! With just a very small garden it will be a tad overcrowded when this lot come into flower but it will look spectacular. I know the bees will love them and I am hoping to save the seed heads for the birds.
I just can't wait to see the flowers because I have forgotten what colours I bought too. I'm afraid I never put labels in where I plant seeds or put plants as the element of surprise makes the experience similar to Christmas once the plants flower and I love surprises. The other thing I never bother about either, is colour and plant co-ordination. I just go with the flow because after all, anyone who looks at a truly natural wild flower meadow will see that God and nature put the short ones with the tall ones and all colours mixed together.
So be it!
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Peace...............at last!
Yesterday afternoon, just up the road on the school field, the local pub held a fete so from about 1 o'clock until 6pm we could hear the music which was quite loud. As it was a hot afternoon, Eden and I sat outside as we had done our cooking and prepared supper which we put in the fridge.
At about 2 o'clock we became aware that there were two different lots of music. The second was obviously for a younger audience and seemed to be coming from the park which is quite close by but in the other direction from the school. This music became much, much louder during the afternoon and eventually we had to come inside because it became unbearable.
We knew that the fete was ending at 6pm so when the music continued from the children's park we thought that it would stop later in the evening because the park is just over the road from houses where there are very small children. However, it continued throughout the evening and was still going when we went to bed about 10:30pm so I had to close the windows.
The heat was unbearable and I had the fan on but it was quite noisy so after an hour I opened the window. Luckily a breeze had developed and was blowing a little cooler air through the window and just before midnight, the music stopped.
It was then that I became aware of other music somewhere a bit further off and then I remembered that there is a nightclub about six hundred yards away and I could hear the music from there every time they opened the doors. I suppose it must have been hot in there too because they opened the doors a lot and the music didn't stop until 3am. All of this was interspersed with people coming home in varying states of inebriation and talking, shouting or slurring their obscenities as is usual on a Saturday night.
Today has been very quiet so I am hoping for a peaceful night's sleep especially as it's a little cooler now.
At about 2 o'clock we became aware that there were two different lots of music. The second was obviously for a younger audience and seemed to be coming from the park which is quite close by but in the other direction from the school. This music became much, much louder during the afternoon and eventually we had to come inside because it became unbearable.
We knew that the fete was ending at 6pm so when the music continued from the children's park we thought that it would stop later in the evening because the park is just over the road from houses where there are very small children. However, it continued throughout the evening and was still going when we went to bed about 10:30pm so I had to close the windows.
The heat was unbearable and I had the fan on but it was quite noisy so after an hour I opened the window. Luckily a breeze had developed and was blowing a little cooler air through the window and just before midnight, the music stopped.
It was then that I became aware of other music somewhere a bit further off and then I remembered that there is a nightclub about six hundred yards away and I could hear the music from there every time they opened the doors. I suppose it must have been hot in there too because they opened the doors a lot and the music didn't stop until 3am. All of this was interspersed with people coming home in varying states of inebriation and talking, shouting or slurring their obscenities as is usual on a Saturday night.
Today has been very quiet so I am hoping for a peaceful night's sleep especially as it's a little cooler now.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Home made pizza
I should have taken a picture of our lunch today because Eden and I had home made pizza with bacon, mushroom, tomato and cheese topping with a small, simple side salad. However, we ate it before I gave it a thought so I don't have a picture but I can give you the basic recipe!
Pizza dough:- put 12 ounces of strong white bread flour in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Activate 2 teaspoons of dried yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 6 fluid ounces of hand hot water until there is half an inch of froth on the top then add this to the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes then place back in the bowl which has been smeared with olive oil and put some oiled clingfilm over the top. Leave to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Tip out of bowl and 'knock back' then divide dough into two pieces. If making a pizza for two, put half in a polythene bag in the freezer and roll out the other half into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick.
Then add your favourite toppings and place on a hot pizza stone or baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated oven 475F (240C) or gas 9 for 12 to 15 minutes.
When using the piece in the freezer you need to oil a bowl and put in the frozen dough. Cover with cling film and leave to defrost and rise (I leave mine for about 6 hours) then 'knock back' and roll out. Continue as before.
We also made moussaka for tonight so we'll be having that after I've watered the garden but I won't give you the recipe for that just yet because I am still working on it!
Pizza dough:- put 12 ounces of strong white bread flour in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Activate 2 teaspoons of dried yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 6 fluid ounces of hand hot water until there is half an inch of froth on the top then add this to the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes then place back in the bowl which has been smeared with olive oil and put some oiled clingfilm over the top. Leave to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Tip out of bowl and 'knock back' then divide dough into two pieces. If making a pizza for two, put half in a polythene bag in the freezer and roll out the other half into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick.
Then add your favourite toppings and place on a hot pizza stone or baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated oven 475F (240C) or gas 9 for 12 to 15 minutes.
When using the piece in the freezer you need to oil a bowl and put in the frozen dough. Cover with cling film and leave to defrost and rise (I leave mine for about 6 hours) then 'knock back' and roll out. Continue as before.
We also made moussaka for tonight so we'll be having that after I've watered the garden but I won't give you the recipe for that just yet because I am still working on it!
Friday, 9 July 2010
Result!
Yes! It does pay to moan or complain because it gets things put right. We pay for everything whether it is in the form of goods or services and now I am retired I have the time to make darned sure that I get value for money.
Last week, after tackling Tesco (that one is still ongoing and I haven't followed it up yet), I contacted the city council because a path that I use regularly is very overgrown. The pavement runs along the side of the local primary school field and there are brambles, thistles and elder spreading right across with various other weeds that eagerly grab at your arms and ankles to scratch, sting or poke you in the eye as you pass.
I pointed out to the nice lady who took the details that there were a lot of elderly people and Mums with buggys that had to use that path every day to get into the centre to the shops. There is also a scrapyard that has very heavy lorries regularly collecting and commuter cars parked all the way up the narrow street and that makes it impossible for people to walk on the road.
She dutifully took all the details and I did say it seemed strange that the school had recently spent thousands of pounds to make a garden for the children who use the school but the rest of the school grounds resembled a waste site. The grounds around the school had also had several thousand pounds spent on them in the past five years but you'd never believe it to see the weeds now!
Anyway, this morning she rang me to give me a progress update and it seems that someone who deals with street safety inspected it last week and the school have now been sent a letter which gives them fourteen days to address the problem or the council will do it and charge them.
I thanked her for ringing me to let me know and at least I feel better because it should all be tidied and cleared before the school summer holidays.
Last week, after tackling Tesco (that one is still ongoing and I haven't followed it up yet), I contacted the city council because a path that I use regularly is very overgrown. The pavement runs along the side of the local primary school field and there are brambles, thistles and elder spreading right across with various other weeds that eagerly grab at your arms and ankles to scratch, sting or poke you in the eye as you pass.
I pointed out to the nice lady who took the details that there were a lot of elderly people and Mums with buggys that had to use that path every day to get into the centre to the shops. There is also a scrapyard that has very heavy lorries regularly collecting and commuter cars parked all the way up the narrow street and that makes it impossible for people to walk on the road.
She dutifully took all the details and I did say it seemed strange that the school had recently spent thousands of pounds to make a garden for the children who use the school but the rest of the school grounds resembled a waste site. The grounds around the school had also had several thousand pounds spent on them in the past five years but you'd never believe it to see the weeds now!
Anyway, this morning she rang me to give me a progress update and it seems that someone who deals with street safety inspected it last week and the school have now been sent a letter which gives them fourteen days to address the problem or the council will do it and charge them.
I thanked her for ringing me to let me know and at least I feel better because it should all be tidied and cleared before the school summer holidays.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Playing statues
With this hot weather that we are having I like to sit outside the back door in the shade in the afternoon where I listen to the play on the radio and watch the birds, butterflies and bees and look at the flowers.
As there isn't really a lot of room, I find it best if I place the chair just to the right of the door as this is the best place to be able to hear the radio without bringing it outside and I also get a good view of the garden without moving my head too much.
The main reason I don't want to move is that I would like the birds to get used to me being there. They do come over but are very, very cautious so this week, I have been paying particular attention to their behaviour.
The hedge sparrow doesn't bother about me at all because she is pottering about under the plants finding insects and only appears briefly from time to time and even then she doesn't seem to be too worried despite the fact that they are very shy birds.
The house sparrows however, exhibit totally different behaviours. They will come and sit on the fence behind me and I know they are there because I can hear their feet scratching on the wire. Some will even come onto the bird table which is about three feet behind my head but only if they can't see my face and eyes. So I sit very still and probably all they can see of me is the top of my head.
The ones that get on the seed feeder, which is about five feet in front of me, also don't seem to worry if I keep my eyes looking down but the strangest thing of all is that if I am bent over (as I did this afternoon while I did some 'dead heading') none of them bother about me even if I am moving about. I think they feel happier if I don't resemble a human shape in the upright position!
As there isn't really a lot of room, I find it best if I place the chair just to the right of the door as this is the best place to be able to hear the radio without bringing it outside and I also get a good view of the garden without moving my head too much.
The main reason I don't want to move is that I would like the birds to get used to me being there. They do come over but are very, very cautious so this week, I have been paying particular attention to their behaviour.
The hedge sparrow doesn't bother about me at all because she is pottering about under the plants finding insects and only appears briefly from time to time and even then she doesn't seem to be too worried despite the fact that they are very shy birds.
The house sparrows however, exhibit totally different behaviours. They will come and sit on the fence behind me and I know they are there because I can hear their feet scratching on the wire. Some will even come onto the bird table which is about three feet behind my head but only if they can't see my face and eyes. So I sit very still and probably all they can see of me is the top of my head.
The ones that get on the seed feeder, which is about five feet in front of me, also don't seem to worry if I keep my eyes looking down but the strangest thing of all is that if I am bent over (as I did this afternoon while I did some 'dead heading') none of them bother about me even if I am moving about. I think they feel happier if I don't resemble a human shape in the upright position!
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Special visitors
I feel very lucky now that the birds have returned to the garden. At the moment I share it with the 'Chip Chip Gang'. This is a flock of about twenty or more house sparrows, not very pretty birds as their plumage is various shades of brown, but they are very entertaining.
They are called the Chip Chip gang because they sit together and have a conference in the honeysuckle, or in the hedges across the road so that all you hear is 'chip, chip, chip, chip'. Occasionally they will all stop at the same time and a few minutes later, they will all start again, almost as though someone was giving them a signal.
From time to time the parents leave their young in the garden under the plants so that they are out of the sun because they seem to know they are safe if I am around. Then they all share a communal bath in my water lily tub but so far, I have been unable to get any good picutres as they are very shy at the moment. The picture above is of a youngster who was left on the bird table for an hour or so this morning when I returned from the farmer's market. The back door was open because I was washing lettuce and vegetables at the sink and I suppose Mum and Dad thought I could keep an eye on baby while they went off with the rest.
There is also a little hedge sparrow who spent all day yesterday just pottering around the garden picking insects off the plants and the wall. These are the same size as the house sparrow but a more speckled brown and they are insect eaters. They are also more solitary than the house sparrows who prefer the company of others. The hedge sparrow has a beautiful song which is totally different to the 'chip, chip' of the house sparrow.
The little blue tits were shown where to find the peanut hanger by their parents, so they too are regular visitors as is the great tit. The most amazing thing about this cheeky bird is the way he has worked out how to get a whole peanut out of the squirrel's nut box. I couldn't believe it when I saw him do it. He could see the nuts through the perspex and tried pecking them through that, but then, to my utter amazement, he popped his head in through the gap and helped himself to a whole peanut! Anyone who says birds have no brains don't know what they are talking about.
This morning there were other visitors too, a garden warbler dropped in and the most wonderful sight of all were the gang of long tailed tits. These can be heard coming as they always travel in a small flock whistling to each other continuously. They methodically 'work' all the trees and hedges as they travel and all came into the garden whistling then cleaned the honeysuckle and roses of any little insects including greenfly and other aphids. These little birds always make me smile and I feel blessed that they pop in and clean my shrubs.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
A tale of two T shirts
Finding myself rather larger and lumpier than last year I had to splash out on a couple of pairs of cropped pants and some more T shirts to see me through the summer. The weight is very slowly decreasing but everything I wore last year is just a bit too snug for me and I hate things that are tight or clingy (including men - and I'm not 'gay' either)!
So I went off to the only shop that sells some classic clothes for ladies of a certain age and that don't cost a fortune. Actually, the shop is called Bon Marche and sometimes I find things I like but sometimes the colours are 'not quite me'. This year they have had some really nice cotton canvas cropped pants so I bought a coral pair and a saxe blue pair. They also have a good range of T shirts so I got a white one with coral embroidery and a white one with a bit of posh sequin detail aroung the neckline as these went nicely with the pants. Then I bought three more T shirts for £10, white, sky and olive, a real bargain.
The first time I wore the coral pants and embroidered T shirt, a seagull pooped on me and stained the T shirt. After soaking, the stain was mostly out so it went in the wash where a stray pair of navy briefs left blue marks on it. I had got rid of the seagull poop but had been left with a blue stain in three very obvious places.
This morning before putting the washing in the machine, I decided to see if I could get rid of the blue dye marks so put a small amount of bleach in some water and dabbed the areas for about ten minutes which lifted the marks out. However, being a messy sort of person, I splashed the water with the bleach and it went over my T shirt, the new olive one.
Now I have strange pink splashy areas on the front and I'm wondering if I should mix up some more bleach and flick it over the whole T shirt with a paintbrush so that it is covered with pinky splodges or just keep it for gardening and 'messy' jobs.
Sadly the days of tie dye are far behind me but perhaps I could start a new trend with splashy splodges!
So I went off to the only shop that sells some classic clothes for ladies of a certain age and that don't cost a fortune. Actually, the shop is called Bon Marche and sometimes I find things I like but sometimes the colours are 'not quite me'. This year they have had some really nice cotton canvas cropped pants so I bought a coral pair and a saxe blue pair. They also have a good range of T shirts so I got a white one with coral embroidery and a white one with a bit of posh sequin detail aroung the neckline as these went nicely with the pants. Then I bought three more T shirts for £10, white, sky and olive, a real bargain.
The first time I wore the coral pants and embroidered T shirt, a seagull pooped on me and stained the T shirt. After soaking, the stain was mostly out so it went in the wash where a stray pair of navy briefs left blue marks on it. I had got rid of the seagull poop but had been left with a blue stain in three very obvious places.
This morning before putting the washing in the machine, I decided to see if I could get rid of the blue dye marks so put a small amount of bleach in some water and dabbed the areas for about ten minutes which lifted the marks out. However, being a messy sort of person, I splashed the water with the bleach and it went over my T shirt, the new olive one.
Now I have strange pink splashy areas on the front and I'm wondering if I should mix up some more bleach and flick it over the whole T shirt with a paintbrush so that it is covered with pinky splodges or just keep it for gardening and 'messy' jobs.
Sadly the days of tie dye are far behind me but perhaps I could start a new trend with splashy splodges!
Monday, 5 July 2010
Let's ban spitting
There's one filthy habit that I really can't stand and that's spitting. I think anyone who is caught doing this should be fined several hundred pounds and made to scrub the pavements within a mile of the offending mess with a nail brush, every day for a week. Perhaps this is the punishment that would stop them from ever doing it again!
After all, people have to pick up their dog's mess and I think 'spitters' should clear up their mess too.
This morning I had to make a quick trip into the centre where I saw at least four people, all men I may add, spitting on the ground. Not only that, you have to watch where you put your feet in order to avoid the offending gobby splodges and messes. I also have to be very careful where I wheel my shopping trolley too because that's the last thing I want to bring home with me.
Years ago spitting was discouraged because TB was rife and in this city we have a very large immigrant population and quite a few have open TB when they arrive. Unfortunately, etiquette and good manners are rarely taught in homes anymore and you only have to watch a football match or any other sport where you can see sportsmen gobbing and spitting everywhere. These people are the (overpaid, overrated) 'heroes' and role models of the impressionable young so is it any wonder that the youngsters pick up these revolting habits and continue them throughout their lives?
There is absolutely no need for anyone to spit because if you have saliva in your mouth, you swallow it, a natural reflex. If you need to expectorate sputum then you should be carrying tissues to collect it in and then disposing of it. Better still, if you are coughing up anything at all you should be seeing a doctor and not out near other people spreading your germs. Some of the stuff I've seen on pavements has obviously come from very sick people, I should know, I saw enough of the stuff when I was nursing.
After all, people have to pick up their dog's mess and I think 'spitters' should clear up their mess too.
This morning I had to make a quick trip into the centre where I saw at least four people, all men I may add, spitting on the ground. Not only that, you have to watch where you put your feet in order to avoid the offending gobby splodges and messes. I also have to be very careful where I wheel my shopping trolley too because that's the last thing I want to bring home with me.
Years ago spitting was discouraged because TB was rife and in this city we have a very large immigrant population and quite a few have open TB when they arrive. Unfortunately, etiquette and good manners are rarely taught in homes anymore and you only have to watch a football match or any other sport where you can see sportsmen gobbing and spitting everywhere. These people are the (overpaid, overrated) 'heroes' and role models of the impressionable young so is it any wonder that the youngsters pick up these revolting habits and continue them throughout their lives?
There is absolutely no need for anyone to spit because if you have saliva in your mouth, you swallow it, a natural reflex. If you need to expectorate sputum then you should be carrying tissues to collect it in and then disposing of it. Better still, if you are coughing up anything at all you should be seeing a doctor and not out near other people spreading your germs. Some of the stuff I've seen on pavements has obviously come from very sick people, I should know, I saw enough of the stuff when I was nursing.
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Nothing like a good prune!
I've spent the afternoon pruning back some of the climbing roses and given some of the hardy perennials and herbs a 'good haircut'!
The roses on one side of the garden get very little sun on their roots but it hasn't stopped them from towering about ten feet from the ground. The wall is about four and a half feet high and there is about eighteen inches of trellis above that. Although I bought varieties that were supposed to reach six to seven feet, these exceed this height every year!
Now that they have all finished their first flush of flowering, I have decided to prune them back really hard and I mean, really hard. This is not something I normally do at this time of year but this year they have put on an exceptional amount of growth so I had to do it if I want to keep them under control. This gives them a choice, they can grow again and enjoy giving me pleasure or they can die!
I did cut one right back at the beginning of June when it had flowered and already there is a lot of fresh new growth so I don't think I will have to worry about the others surviving.
As the thyme, oregano and chives have all flowered I cut them back hard and also the geranium 'Wargrave Pink' and the campanulas. The geranium will soon put on more growth and flower again in a couple of weeks.
After all that, I gave the garden a really good watering and guess what, it's raining! Now that wasn't forecast for us today!!
The roses on one side of the garden get very little sun on their roots but it hasn't stopped them from towering about ten feet from the ground. The wall is about four and a half feet high and there is about eighteen inches of trellis above that. Although I bought varieties that were supposed to reach six to seven feet, these exceed this height every year!
Now that they have all finished their first flush of flowering, I have decided to prune them back really hard and I mean, really hard. This is not something I normally do at this time of year but this year they have put on an exceptional amount of growth so I had to do it if I want to keep them under control. This gives them a choice, they can grow again and enjoy giving me pleasure or they can die!
I did cut one right back at the beginning of June when it had flowered and already there is a lot of fresh new growth so I don't think I will have to worry about the others surviving.
As the thyme, oregano and chives have all flowered I cut them back hard and also the geranium 'Wargrave Pink' and the campanulas. The geranium will soon put on more growth and flower again in a couple of weeks.
After all that, I gave the garden a really good watering and guess what, it's raining! Now that wasn't forecast for us today!!
Saturday, 3 July 2010
A matter of taste
We, as humans, all have our own preferences whether it be food, fashion, music, lifestyle or whatever. It wasn't until this week while watching the sparrows in the garden that I realised that they too have their own preferences.
Where they drink is one example. I have a cast iron tailor made bird bath which I bought earlier this year and although I clean it out almost daily, it has some rust inside and is prone to green algae growth where it sits in the sun for part of the day but is only occasionally used. Further up the garden, on the patio, I have a large tub which contains a miniature water-lily, a couple of other small pond plants in pots and an oxygenator weed. This is where most of the sparrows prefer to do their drinking and bathing and I even had to fit a piece of wood across like a bridge so that they didn't fall in!
I watched them on the seed feeder too and I buy a mixture which is 'ready to eat' as it has no outer husk to remove. It contains various things like millet, sunflower seeds, corn, other seeds and some dried mealworms and other assorted insects. Some of the sparrows actually pull out the seeds they don't want and drop them on the ground where I have a large plant saucer so that I don't get a build up of uneaten bird food. This can then be emptied onto the bird table or thrown away and usually it contains a lot of the small millet type seeds.
Recently I have also been putting some breadcrumbs on the bird table because they have a lot of youngsters, who are now feeding themselves, but I have discovered that they prefer wholemeal breadcrumbs to the white ones, probably because the wholemeal is home made!
Even Squidge the squirrel prefers his peanuts despite me leaving the occasional apple core and bits of carrot to add variety to his diet. He likes to munch on some of my roses instead! I suppose the petals are quite sweet and juicy to him.
Where they drink is one example. I have a cast iron tailor made bird bath which I bought earlier this year and although I clean it out almost daily, it has some rust inside and is prone to green algae growth where it sits in the sun for part of the day but is only occasionally used. Further up the garden, on the patio, I have a large tub which contains a miniature water-lily, a couple of other small pond plants in pots and an oxygenator weed. This is where most of the sparrows prefer to do their drinking and bathing and I even had to fit a piece of wood across like a bridge so that they didn't fall in!
I watched them on the seed feeder too and I buy a mixture which is 'ready to eat' as it has no outer husk to remove. It contains various things like millet, sunflower seeds, corn, other seeds and some dried mealworms and other assorted insects. Some of the sparrows actually pull out the seeds they don't want and drop them on the ground where I have a large plant saucer so that I don't get a build up of uneaten bird food. This can then be emptied onto the bird table or thrown away and usually it contains a lot of the small millet type seeds.
Recently I have also been putting some breadcrumbs on the bird table because they have a lot of youngsters, who are now feeding themselves, but I have discovered that they prefer wholemeal breadcrumbs to the white ones, probably because the wholemeal is home made!
Even Squidge the squirrel prefers his peanuts despite me leaving the occasional apple core and bits of carrot to add variety to his diet. He likes to munch on some of my roses instead! I suppose the petals are quite sweet and juicy to him.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Technology failure?
Yesterday evening, as they have done many times before, the weather forecasters gave 'a severe weather warning' for this part of the country. From early evening we could expect rain which would turn very heavy, giving us at least one and a half inches before morning.
So, like an idiot, I believed them and only watered my pots and not the whole garden as I had intended. The pots have to be watered whether it rains or not because there is so much foliage that the rain wouldn't get in them in sufficient quantities to do any good.
And what do I find when I get up this morning.......not much! We had about three drops before I went to bed at 10 o'clock and by six this morning there had only been sufficient to dampen the pavements.
This is not the first time that these people, who are educated to degree level and have all the most up to date technology at their fingertips, have got it very, very wrong. To make matters worse, they did not apologise on any of the forecasts today for the lack of rain that all gardeners and farmers have been waiting for.
Did their computers fail them or have they not got the hang of the software? This is getting to be a habit with all the weathermen and women. They just can't get the short term forecast right never mind the long term ones.
I think I'll have to get a piece of seaweed and hang it outside the back door. That's always right, when it's wet it's raining and when it's dry, it's dry!
So, like an idiot, I believed them and only watered my pots and not the whole garden as I had intended. The pots have to be watered whether it rains or not because there is so much foliage that the rain wouldn't get in them in sufficient quantities to do any good.
And what do I find when I get up this morning.......not much! We had about three drops before I went to bed at 10 o'clock and by six this morning there had only been sufficient to dampen the pavements.
This is not the first time that these people, who are educated to degree level and have all the most up to date technology at their fingertips, have got it very, very wrong. To make matters worse, they did not apologise on any of the forecasts today for the lack of rain that all gardeners and farmers have been waiting for.
Did their computers fail them or have they not got the hang of the software? This is getting to be a habit with all the weathermen and women. They just can't get the short term forecast right never mind the long term ones.
I think I'll have to get a piece of seaweed and hang it outside the back door. That's always right, when it's wet it's raining and when it's dry, it's dry!
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Scaring the hell out of the neighbours!
This morning I got up a bit earlier and decided that I would have a good clean up right through the house before showering, as it's my usual cleaning day. The reason I did it before having a shower is because I have cerebral hyper-hidrosis which is very excessive sweating of the head, face and neck. It's incurable and extremely embarrasing and there are times when I just sweat profusely for no reason at all. Very warm weather doesn't help either so that's why I don't 'do' heat.
Anyway, I pulled on a vest and shorts and scraped what hair I have into a pony tail (it resembles an artist's paintbrush and any self respecting pony would not be seen dead with it!). I set about the cleaning and after finishing upstairs, I came downstairs, had breakfast and continued in the kitchen. By this time it was about nine thirty.
The back door was wide open to let some fresh air in and then I heard it! Loud thumping music, but this time it wasn't coming from next door. I went out into the garden and peeped through the fence to find out where the culprit was because I was certain it was coming from a vehicle. I was absolutely right but the cheeky blighter had parked his van on the bit of ground next to the house so out I went, on the warpath to sort him out.
As the music was quite loud I had to raise my voice "Oi, you!" I yelled "Do you know this is private land and not a car park? And turn that music down please, I can't hear myself think!"
He took one look at me, not a vision of loveliness, 5 feet 2 inches, overweight and devoid of make-up, sweating like a pig with a very red face and he turned quite pale!
Then he explained that he had come to do a gas safety check next door to me, and there was nowhere to park so he wouldn't be long, and his Mum and Dad used to own the pub up the road (as if that would make any difference! His Mum and Dad could own Buckingham Palace for all I care).
Anyway, I told him that as long as he was quick and didn't have the van 'bouncing' off the ground with the music, he could park there.
As I came back in, the young man from just round the corner came past. "Hello Danny, off shopping?" I asked. He looked a bit taken aback and said a bit hesitantly "Yes, but where's Sonia? She lives there." "It is me" I laughed and he had to take his sunglasses off to have a good look. "Oh, I didn't recognise you, I'm used to seeing you with your hair down and your face looks different." I had to explain the I hadn't put my make-up on or washed my hair because I was cleaning.
At least I had showered and done my hair and make-up by the time the window cleaner came, otherwise he might have fallen off his ladder! He had a good laugh when I told him about what had happened.
Anyway, I pulled on a vest and shorts and scraped what hair I have into a pony tail (it resembles an artist's paintbrush and any self respecting pony would not be seen dead with it!). I set about the cleaning and after finishing upstairs, I came downstairs, had breakfast and continued in the kitchen. By this time it was about nine thirty.
The back door was wide open to let some fresh air in and then I heard it! Loud thumping music, but this time it wasn't coming from next door. I went out into the garden and peeped through the fence to find out where the culprit was because I was certain it was coming from a vehicle. I was absolutely right but the cheeky blighter had parked his van on the bit of ground next to the house so out I went, on the warpath to sort him out.
As the music was quite loud I had to raise my voice "Oi, you!" I yelled "Do you know this is private land and not a car park? And turn that music down please, I can't hear myself think!"
He took one look at me, not a vision of loveliness, 5 feet 2 inches, overweight and devoid of make-up, sweating like a pig with a very red face and he turned quite pale!
Then he explained that he had come to do a gas safety check next door to me, and there was nowhere to park so he wouldn't be long, and his Mum and Dad used to own the pub up the road (as if that would make any difference! His Mum and Dad could own Buckingham Palace for all I care).
Anyway, I told him that as long as he was quick and didn't have the van 'bouncing' off the ground with the music, he could park there.
As I came back in, the young man from just round the corner came past. "Hello Danny, off shopping?" I asked. He looked a bit taken aback and said a bit hesitantly "Yes, but where's Sonia? She lives there." "It is me" I laughed and he had to take his sunglasses off to have a good look. "Oh, I didn't recognise you, I'm used to seeing you with your hair down and your face looks different." I had to explain the I hadn't put my make-up on or washed my hair because I was cleaning.
At least I had showered and done my hair and make-up by the time the window cleaner came, otherwise he might have fallen off his ladder! He had a good laugh when I told him about what had happened.
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