Spirally art.

Hello. Presenting. . . . . the new artwork. . .  it's finished. Trying to get a true representation of the colours is a nightmare. You will see slightly different shades due to me trying a variety of locations for photographing it. The purple and pink are deeper and bolder in real life, and the green is more leafy green. 

 I had a couple of  ideas on how I could mount the spirals, on a piece of fabric for a wall hanging, or in a conventional frame, maybe behind glass, or maybe not. Then it came to me, why not wrap a frame with wool in the same way, and then crisscross the whole frame with the same wool. Luckily I had a ball of green wool which I think goes well with the other colours.

 I decided not to take the wrapping right to the edge of the spirals, I thought it would look better with some of the chrome showing.

This is the back. I cut circles of black felt which I stitched into when I attached the spirals. Then I cut twelve more circles out of black felt with a sticky back, so I could cover up the stitching.

The frame is one I already had, it used to be a childs chalk board. I previously used the centre for something else, and this happened to be exactly the right size. It was painted different colours but that didn't matter because I was going to cover it with wool.

Spot the deliberate mistake. This picture is upside down, ha ha.

I like the novelty of the spirals apparently floating on the green wool, and the fact that you can see right through it.

The wire attached to the back of it for hanging is wrapped in wool also, so it blends in with the other wool and can't be seen from the front.

Above my gas fire.

Another one finished, it looks much better in real life. I need to make more pictures between now and August. I have some work in progress which needs to be completed, and some new ones will be started.

Call out to the International Walking Group. Could you please report in tomorrow with your miles for April, and your totals for the first four months of the year. I have to admit I haven't done as much as I could have done. Still ahead, but not by as much as I was last month. Oh dear, will have to pull my socks up. I can hardly inspire the rest of the group if I have been slacking myself  :o( glum face.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Car booting bargains

Hello. I went to the car boot sale this morning at the football ground, looking for some picture frames. I am often needing a frame of a certain size but find I haven't got one, so if I have a few extras in stock I can make pictures to fit the frames. 

There weren't many sellers, although dry, it was a bit cold, quite a few buyers were mooching around. I found a box of frames and picked one out and asked how much. 20p, oooh, that's cheap, so I rummaged through the box again and found some more. Nine frames for £2. 

Then this caught my eye. A black wire heart shape, to hang on the wall I imagine. It was 50p. I have a plan for this, it would look nice wrapped in wool.

Then I came across this mesh. It's metal, a very fine mesh, like you might find in a sieve. It's a 2 foot square piece, 50p the man said. I am thinking along the lines of cutting it up into suitable size pieces then stitching onto it. Just ideas at the moment.

I had a poke around in a box of bracelets, they were 50p each. I picked two out and have dismantled them to use the parts as embellishments. 

So, a few interesting bits and bobs. My lunch today was mushrooms and noodles, iceberg lettuce, and an avocado.

Back to the sewing. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Checking out the art space

Hello and Good Morning. I had things to do yesterday so I was away from the computer and the house. A trip to Burton upon Trent was planned. Auntie Pat had a plant sale in her garden. She is a member of the Soroptimists, which is an international organisation of women who raise money for charities all over the world. It's a shame the weather wasn't too good, but they managed by moving things indoors. As well as the plant sale there was a raffle, a bric a brac stall, and coffee and cakes on offer. I bought some plants to fill in a few gaps in the flower beds. Those that I bought last year are doing well. 

After that I went to the library to hand in my booking form, and check out the art space which I will be using in August. The building is just off the High Street with a big impressive entrance. The boards are just inside to the left. 

The library is spread over two floors, and is quite a hive of activity. There was a book sale going on, and the display boards are right next to the coffee shop. Photo taken from the upper floor looking down on the art area.

The present artist has 47 pictures on show, he wasn't there so I couldn't ask him questions. Some of his smaller paintings were doubled up, one above the other. I counted the panels, there are 32 if I put one picture in each of them. I will have to make some more because I don't have that amount at the moment. I could always put the bigger pictures over two panels.

It's a very good system of hanging. Strong nylon cords come down from the top of the panels which can be lengthened or shortened. Each panel has a light over the top of it, shining down on the exhibits. Yes, I think this is going to be a good place to show off my art.

From there I went to see my sis and have a catchup with her. At 5.30pm I went to meet up with more family members at a pub for a meal. It was very busy, a family pub which has plenty to do for children. It is not far from the football ground as well, so there were some groups there sat around the big screen TV's having just come away from watching their team win their match just up the road. All was jolly. Overall a good day out.

Thanks everyone for putting your name in the box when commenting, it is working a treat. When I get the moderating list up on the screen the Anonymous label down the right hand side of the screen really stands out, so all I have to do is zap them.

Tomorrow is the last day of the month...again, so Tuesday the 1st of May will be check in day for the walking group. I have been slacking a bit this month, but I am still ahead of the monthly target, but only just. I must not let myself slip any further and need to keep on top of the job. Note in diary, must do a daily walk.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

I've been stickered

Hello. Mission accomplished. I've been to Tesco tonight for the yellow stickers, haven't been for ages, thought it was about time I did. Got a good haul, this little lot was £7.46. The rest of the shopping was £13.95, making a total of £21.41.

So, a brief breakdown, they all had the third sticker on so it was a 75% reduction. This will keep me going for a while.

Cooked chicken for the cats 50p
Cous Cous 56p
Melon Medley 50p
Doughnuts 16p
Yoghurt 26p
Cheesecake 12p
Bananas 6p
Veg selection 32p
Seasonal veg 50p
Bread 40p
ourgettes 17p
Brussels sprouts 38p
Brassica veg 25p
Small potatoes 44p
Crispy potato slices 40p
Noodles 31p
Mushrooms 22p
Mangetout peas 25p
Salad leaves 38p

This is what I had for lunch today. Iceberg lettuce, salad leaves, avocado, spud in the microwave, and an egg.

Where's the best place to look if you can't find your cat? On the top of the fridge of course. Heidi can be a little madam sometimes. The cats have been bored today because it's been raining and they haven't been able to go out.

I'm off to bed, thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.

A readers question.

Hello and good morning. It's sunny here, I wonder how long it will last. A question came in overnight by email, while we sleep here in the UK, others are awake on the other side of the world. Thank you, I will answer here.

Crazy question lol Do you ever crave a veggie pizza? Being vegetarian I know you make a lot of stews. Just wondered if there is anything you have besides stews and soups.

Not a crazy question at all. Everyone has something they crave for, that's normal, but I don't crave for pizza, that's for sure, ha ha. I tried a shop bought one not so long ago, I was not impressed. I don't make my own because I can't be bothered with the faff.

Yes it does appear that my meals consist of mainly vegetables, either in soups and stews, or steamed, but I do vary the types of vegetables, trying to get a good variety into my diet.

When thinking about which foods to eat I think you have to take into account why you are eating,  what is the purpose of eating, and what motivates you to eat? Is it because you are hungry, is it because you eat at the same time every day, is it because you like the taste of certain foods, and is it because you think you deserve a treat? For me it is one of those things, I eat when I am hungry, plus I eat to keep my body alive, and hopefully in good condition.

Yes I will have an ice cream occasionally, a packet of crisps occasionally, a piece of cake occasionally, but I don't crave them, I can manage without. I can happily walk past those things in a shop.

What else do I have besides soups and stews? I eat dairy, cheese, eggs, yogurt, fruit, pasta, cous cous, bread, seeds, and nuts. I buy veggie burgers or sausages, or something similar like bean burgers and Quorn products. I sometimes buy a cheese and onion quiche but the prices are rising on those so I have moved that to the treat category, only to be eaten occasionally. Grated cheese on steamed vegetables is lovely. Or a spoon of mayo or a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil.

I don't want to spend a lot of time on meal preparation, so that means I don't mess about with food. I don't put it in a dish, add some of this and some of that, put it in the oven and wait, I can't be bothered. All the well know recipes that people seem to eat on a regular basis, spag bol, shepherds pie, pizza, chilli con carne, roasted this and that, I don't do any of that. I do grill some things. I have a slow cooker but don't use it, I'd rather put everything in one pan and cook it on the hob. After all, vegetables are still vegetables whichever way you cook them. Plain and simple is how I like things.

There is a page of photographs of the food I eat, link above, and here, Food Gallery. Please note there is fish in some of them, they are old photographs, I stopped eating fish a few years ago and haven't updated the page. I don't know enough on nutrition to give advice, all I can say is be mindful about what you put in your mouth, and be aware of the consequences if you are comfort eating the wrong type of foods. Food only stays in your mouth for a short period of time, but can hang about in your body doing damage for a lot longer. 

Thanks very much for your question reader from the USA, I hope you are suitably enlightened.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Thought processes

Hello again. Just popping in with a quick one. Remember the chrome coasters I bought for £1 from a charity shop. This is the stage where they're at. I am wrapping wool around the spirals. My first thought was to completely cover them, like the purple one on the bottom row, then I decided to stop and not cover the outer chrome circle. Still not sure, will decide when I have finished the frame. 

My first idea was to join them all together without a backing, then realized that wouldn't work, they would be all floppy and wouldn't be rigid enough to hang on the wall. Then I thought about making a wall hanging and putting them on a fabric backing. Green fabric might be nice. I only have green silk though and that would sag with the weight it's too thin, they are quite heavy. Should I buy some thicker green fabric, decided not to. Then I spotted a ball of thick green wool in my wool box, aha, another idea. I had already found a frame which they would fit nicely into, so now I have wrapped the frame in the green wool. Now I can picture the finished art in my mind, it's coming together. Not telling you any more, you will have to wait and see.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Let's clean up the world.

Hello. An interesting article in the Guardian today. Eight months on, is the worlds most drastic plastic bag ban working? Kenya's ban comes with the worlds stiffest fines, and some businesses are struggling to find affordable alternatives, but in Nairobi's shanty towns the clean up is changing lives. Waterways are more clearer, the food chain is less contaminated with plastic - and there are fewer flying toilets.

It's going to be a long difficult haul towards a plastic free environment, but it has to be done. So keep making those cloth shopping bags everyone, and do your bit.

Read the article here.  The discussion in the comments is interesting.

Weather looking a bit better today, I have to go and check on Scruff, Barry has had to go out. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Reusing and recycling rubbish

Hello. I had second thoughts about going outside yesterday, it was windy and I didn't fancy doing  more painting, so I stayed in and made some flowers instead. You might remember I made some of these last year, using knitting needles for the spikes. This time I dismantled an old umbrella and salvaged the metal rods, they are 13 inches long. I had some plastic left, I always keep colourful plastic containers with a view to cutting them up eventually. First I make templates with cardboard, three different sizes of petals, and use nail scissors to cut the plastic. 

I make two holes in the centre of each one, thread a button on a short piece of flexible wire, and poke  it through to the back. The umbrella spokes have a small hole at one end where the fabric is attached to, so I push the wire through this, and twist it around the spoke. Then stick some tape over it to hold it in place.

Ready to stick in a flower pot, or anywhere in the garden. If you want to see more of these click on this post from a year ago. There is a video as well.

At last, I have two quarterly bills from Ebico, they arrived at the same time. I sent an email, then rang them, WHERE IS MY BILL? 

So, my bills cover the periods 12th October to 11th January, and 12th January to 11th April. Total payable £285.82 for six months, which is what I expected, as I have been using the heating a bit more than previous winters because it has been so cold. My £200 winter fuel allowance will pay for a large part of this.

There was a price increase in March which they told me about. Electricity went from 15.19 p/kWh to 16.10 p/kWh. Gas went from 4.73 p/kWh to 4.96 p/kWh. I am on Ebico Zero tariff, so no standing charge. I am also not locked into a contract so can leave at any time without having to pay an exit fee.  

I expect a lot less in my summer bills, the gas heating will not be turned on until the late Autumn, so it will only be for cooking and heating a tank of water once a week. My electricity consumption rises only a little bit in the winter because of the longer nights, more lights on. So, I have the money to pay this, I've been saving it as I knew it would come eventually. Not looking so good outside at the moment, a bit dull, a bit cold, I'll stay in till lunch time, then go and pay this bill. 

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Tarting up the summer house

Hello. I went to Crafty Club this morning at the Village Hall, as usual. The heating was on and we were all sweltering hot. It's a bit windy today but still dry. There was a fabulous rainbow last night as I was finishing my walk. Apparently there were thunderstorms somewhere close by but we didn't get any. 

I made a video yesterday while I was working in the summer house, and this morning I uploaded it to yoooootoooob. So here it is. 



So now I have had my lunch, one slice of bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and one egg. I'm off outside now, lots to do, I have a list, so I'll leave you to it. Well done the Duchess of Cambridge, a baby boy has been born.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Scruffy dusters

Hello. When I looked out of the window this morning, I saw that my feather dusters were looking a bit bald. How did that happen? It hasn't been particularly windy. Very strange. 

Five minutes later I had the answer. Just as I looked up a little bird was taking flight with a bundle of feathers in it's mouth. Aha, there is the culprit. I watched as it flew straight across the road and landed on the roof of the house opposite, and went underneath the eaves. Nest building, what a clever bird, finding this lovely soft material to make a comfy place to lay some eggs.

I was thinking about chopping the top off a very tall conifer which is at the bottom of my garden. It leans over the boundary into my neighbours garden and I don't want it to grow any taller. I should have done it ages ago but kept putting it off because it means climbing it with a saw in one hand and holding on with the other hand. I mentioned this to the neighbour yesterday and she said there is a wood pigeon nest in it, so I will have to wait a bit longer before I can take action.

I tackled the Forget me nots yesterday, pulled quite a lot up. Put some in a big tub, transplanted a bunch to fill a gap, and left a few where they were. Trouble is that now I have some bare soil in the beds and the cats see this as a toilet. I have spread some plastic trellis over it to hopefully keep them off. Now I need to buy some plants to fill the gaps. I am going to a plant sale next Saturday at Aunties, so I will get something there.

The home made wooden tree is coming along nicely. All painted, now I need to put the leaves on. I'm going to get some bird feeders for it.

Another sunny morning so I'm going to get off this computer and go outside. Some painting to do in the summer house. Luckily someone gave me some free paint so I have enough to freshen it up.

Thanks for popping in. Make the most of the sunshine and go out, that's if you are in the UK, those knee deep in snow stay warm indoors. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

The cost of shopping

Hello. I think summer is here to stay, another nice day. This morning I did a Bailey poodle walk, then I went to see Scruff, Barry's dog, as Barry is out for the day. Scruff had his dinner, then we went for a little walk. He is a very laid back dog, just mooches around, it's just a case of follow him. He didn't want to go far, so I sat out in the sun reading Barry's newspaper, while Scruff laid in the shade next to the hedge. 

After I had my lunch I couldn't decide whether to go to town or not. I have a bill to pay at the bank, and I need some food so Aldi would be convenient. On the other hand the bill could wait till next week and I could do the yellow sticker dash tonight. I thought, yes, that's what I'll do, so I'll get on with some gardening now. 

Then I changed my mind. The garden needs sorting out, these plants have taken over and some of them need digging up and replanting, but I haven't got any compost. Oh bother. Change of plan, I'll go to the bank, go to Aldi, and see if they have any compost. If they haven't got any I will have to go to Home Bargains on the retail park. 

I don't know what these are, or where they came from. I remember scattering a lot of seeds last year, but there was no sign of these then. Anyone any ideas what they are, should I dig them all out, they seems to be taking over and choking everything else up. They are quite pretty but I don't want so many of them. If the bees like them I would rather transplant them in other parts of the garden.

Aldi did have some compost. I thought this was a good buy so I bought four bags. When I checked the receipt they had gone through the till at 99p each. Not sure why, there was no sign to say they were cheaper than the marked price.

If anyone from overseas is interested in the prices we pay, here is a breakdown.
Pack of four cans of pear cider. £1.99
Australian Chardonnay £3.99
1 pint of milk 49p
Tinned spaghetti hoops 14p
Tortelloni 300 gr £1.15
Baked beans 23p
Apple and orange juice 1 ltr carton 55p
Banana milk shake 1 ltr carton 85p
Greek style yogurt 500 grm 68p
Wafer thin chicken 400 grm £1.49
Frozen raspberries, and blue berries, 300 grm £1.29
Six pack of mini pears 79p
Chopped iceberg lettuce 48p
Avocado four pack £1.58
2.5 kg white potatoes £1.15
Farmhouse seeded batch loaf 79p
Packet pasta sauce Macaroni 37p
Broccoli 46p
Salad leaves 47p
Porridge oats 1kg 75p
Cream crackers large pack 40p
6 Large free range eggs 90p
Carrots 500 grm 26p
Cheddar slices 250 grm £1.49
Flavoured cheese 5 slices £1.29
Cauliflower 72p
Bananas 13p each, cheaper than buying a bag

I often buy two or three or more of something if it doesn't have a short date on it. Most of these things I buy on a regular basis. So there you have it. This will last me a week or more.

I'm starting to yawn, so I'll sign off. Have a nice weekend. We'll catch up soon,
Toodle pip.

Well done Tammie.

Hello. That must have been a terrifying experience for all those people on that plane when the engine blew up. The time it took for the pilot to turn it around and head for the nearest safe place to land must have seemed like forever, and the turbulence inside the cabin as filmed by one of the passengers looked frightening, to say the least. One can only imagine the relief when Tammie managed to bring it down safely, but it's so very sad that one passenger lost her life.

It brought back memories of my first flight to the USA, Toronto was where we landed. Word got around that we had a female pilot, I was thrilled to hear this news. I said to my boyfriend that I would love to meet her, so he had a word with the steward, and we were invited into the cockpit to say hello. I was over the moon, it was an experience I'll never forget. She was happy to chat for a few minutes, while the plane flew on auto. This wouldn't happen now, such is the fear of a terrorist attack.

I remembered asking her some of the questions I had been asked as a trucker, like how do you get on with your colleagues, are you accepted, and do you get the same opportunities. I was curious to know how difficult she had found it to get to where she was in her career. The fact that she was in charge of a whole aircraft made my achievements of driving 38 tonne truck, pale into insignificance.

I am so pleased to hear about women who have set their sights on aiming high, (sometimes literally), in their career, and actually achieved their goals and dreams. It takes a certain kind of personality to push ahead when the odds are stacked against you. I'm not a feminist, not a women's libber, and I would never go on a march for women's rights. I have never wanted preferential treatment in my working life, I just wanted equal rights, and equal opportunities.

I remember doing a live television interview on a morning chat programme in the studios in London. The topic was that BP, the big oil company, were offering free training courses to women who wanted to become lorry drivers. I was outraged at this, so I asked them live on camera if they were offering the same opportunities to men. They weren't, but I was glad I had made my point.

Thank goodness for Tammie, she managed to save the lives of a lot of people.

The sun is shining and I am going to spend the day outside. Thank you for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

A new floor for the summer house.

Hello. It's been a glorious day, quite hot in the sun. I did a Bailey poodle walk this morning, then I was out in the garden painting the tree. It needs some more branches and then I can add the leaves. 

After lunch, which was a tin of M & S Carrot and Coriander soup, it wasn't too bad, nothing special, I made a start on the floor in the summer house. Everything had to come out, including the carpet tiles. There is a damp patch where the roof was leaking.

And this paving slab is broken, it needs replacing.

I have stored the carpet tiles in the garage, they really aren't fit for anything else after 25 years. They may get taken to the tip when I next go.

Ooooh look, I found just the thing for the repair. A chopping board that I got out of the Village Hall skip. A few bits of wood underneath to level it, and some pieces to fill the gap at the side. Perfect, just the job.

I think I deserve a sit down after that. cheers.

I got all the vinyl flooring out of the garage to see which pieces fit the best. There were three long pieces which went right across from front to back,  then I had to add a strip which was a slightly different shade of grey. That's ok. Now my summer house has exactly the same floor covering as the library in the town centre. A jolly good skip find if I might say so.

And Mayze slept through it all in her cosy little shelter.

Thank you for all your comments on yesterdays post, it was an interesting topic of conversation. A few people didn't know about the 'put your name in the box', system we have going now, so I have put a reminder under the header at the top of the page. It works well when everyone is doing it.
The start date for the exhibition in Burton upon Trent is August 20th.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

It's just common sense.

Hello and Good Morning. Someone mentioned that I have a lot of common sense. I sort of agree with that, but it got me thinking about where common sense comes from. I haven't always had it, I was a bit dim in my teenage years. I probably acquired some when I started to go to work, not a lot because I was always learning from my peers and accepted their instructions. Practical matters came easy, but anything that required extra input from the brain box department was a bit more difficult.

What does common sense mean anyway? Is it something to do with how the brain is wired up, or how many experiences a person has throughout their lives, is it hereditary, (it has just taken me four attempts to spell that), or is it something you just learn as you go along?

My mum was a practical woman so I picked up a lot from her. I started washing my own clothes from the age of eleven, I was particular about my clothes not getting crushed with everyone else's. I spent hours hand washing in the sink, so now I don't chuck them in the washer every time I take something off. They have to be dirty or smell before I wash them. They last longer because they have not been bashed about. Common sense. I helped her in the kitchen, learnt how to cook by watching her. Now I eat all the food I buy because I know how to cobble a meal together from whatever I have. Common sense.

It was common sense to me that I needed to go out to work to earn money so I could pay for things I need. Mum didn't have a bottomless purse and needed the few £'s I was able to contribute to the household budget. My 'bank of mum and dad', was totally empty. That is a common sense attitude which is sadly lacking in today's modern world.

In my work I was always changing jobs, because whenever I learnt something it became repetitive and boring. Common sense to move on to pastures new. Learn another job. I enjoyed lorry driving, different trucks, different loads, new places to drive to. If I had to go to the same place every day to work it would do my head in. Common sense to choose a job with lots of mental stimulation. I only started slowing down and reducing my hours when my age was against me for finding new and exciting work. I had to stick with what I had to pay the mortgage, but changing to part time made it easier.

My mum warned me about boys of a certain kind who would be keen to have their wicked way with me. Her mantra was, 'keep your hand on your halfpenny', which I did, until about a year after I left home. I was too frightened to take it away. There were many snogging sessions which fizzled out when disgruntled person finally got the message that it was 'top bit' only. Nowadays mum's go clubbing with their teenage daughters dolled up to the nines. Is that the new way of keeping tabs on them? No, the mum's are keen to flirt alongside their daughters. How times have changed.

When I got a steady boyfriend, my first proper boyfriend, I thought I could be pregnant, shock horror. Thankfully I wasn't. It was at that moment when I found a massive dose of common sense which came from deep within my head. I was never going to take that chance again, so off to the doctors for contraception. After many years on the pill, it was obvious to me that I was never going to have children, so common sense told me that I needed a more permanent way to stop the little tiddlers in their tracks. I was sterilized.

I suppose the more you see of life the more common sense you gain. It's about living and learning every step of the way. I see it as keeping an open mind about all kinds of possibilities. There is enough information out there to spell everything out, it's a matter of if you are willing to get out there and absorb everything which is on offer, and explore all opportunities.

I was young and scatty, now I am older and wiser. I went through the stages of being grateful if anyone asked me out on a date, then falling in love with totally unsuitable people, the heartache of breaking up, and the realization that I am just very fussy about my idea of a perfect partner. Now common sense prevails and I am happily free of all that angst, I love my single life.

When I have to make any decisions, I nearly always base them on common sense. I think about what I should do, or what I ought to do. I think about what I can do, and what I can't do. I know my strengths, and my limits. I think about what people want from me, and whether I am capable of delivering it. Based on the information available, I am able to say yes or no.

Oh, I have made a few bad choices in among a lot of good choices, but I take responsibility for that. I blame no one for my mistakes. I am not perfect, I have been a bitch, but with age I now have a sense of calm. If I was my own best friend I would like me.  Does that make sense to you? Well it does to me :o))

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

A wheelie good idea

Hello. It hasn't been as nice as yesterday but still warm enough to play outside. I was searching through all of my jumble to find something that I could use for the base of the tree. It's a bit top heavy so it needs a wide and sturdy bottom. Then I spotted the office chair which I threw out a few months ago, the cats have been lying on it. It is now soaking wet and only fit for the dump, but hang on a minute, I might be able to use part of it. So I got the spanners out, the screwdrivers and the hammer, and proceeded to decapitate it. 

I needed to find a way to attach the tree to the base, I know, I have a piece of black plastic pipe, out of a skip of course. I cut a piece to the right length and slipped it over the stump, then wedged it tight with pieces of wood.

The diameter of the pipe was 4.5 inches, the same as the width of the pink, square, tree trunk. I had to shave s bit off the four corners with the saw so that it fitted snugly inside the pipe. And there you have it,  a tree on wheels, it will match the summer house when it's done.

I made a start on painting it, but at 4pm there was a heavy shower so I quickly packed everything away and beat a hasty retreat indoors.

I made a big pan of allsorts for lunch, eaten with a microwaved spud, and just had a portion for dinner. There's enough for tomorrows lunch. Mushrooms, onion, Quorn mince, a spicy bean burger, peas and beans, in a mild curry sauce. Very nice.

That's me done, thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip