Just another manic Monday

Crafty Club was a bit different today, we met in a new venue. It went very well and we all thought it was nice to have a carpeted room and not to have to move tables around. It was all set out and ready for us. They put out an urn for the hot water, and plenty of mugs. We organise our own coffee and tea, and biscuits and cake, and the bonus is that we don't have to wash up afterwards. 

After lunch I had an hour litter picking. Tidying that mess I left on the roadside grass verge. 

Another bag added to the pile. 

Tonight I did a Billy dog walk. It was trying to rain. I think we have to start getting our winter clothes out of the wardrobe. 
 Now I am tired and will say goodnight.

Toodle pip.   ilona

Listen to Daviana

 A quick post before I go to Crafty Club. We have a new venue to try out this morning. Should be interesting to see how it works. It's local, I can walk there, I just need to be more organised and get there on time. 

Have you come across David / Daviana? He is a body builder, he has been married and has a daughter, and likes embracing his feminine side. He is an intact male who has no intention of getting his bits chopped off. He is a straight male who likes dating women. If you listen to what he says, he talks a lot of common sense. 

In this video he puts out a message to his haters. How he deals with them. My haters are still around. I wouldn't like to deprive them of their fun. 

Catch ya later, Toodle pip.   ilona

Grot spot sorted

 The nights are drawing in now. Half past eight and it's getting dark. The hedgehog food is out but they don't seem to be eating as much now. Perhaps they are full up, perhaps I don't need to put so much down now. The birds will eat what's left in the morning. 

Oscar cat is a sillybilly. He has the choice of three bowls of dry nibbles, yet he goes outside and eats the hedgehog food I put on the lawn. It's the same as the food in his bowls. 

Mickey cat is doing well. 20 going on 21, or so I am led to believe from his previous owners. He doesn't go outside very often, he stays upstairs and has his food delivered by his slave. He sleeps a lot. 

Mayze gets up late in the mornings, so I can get my coffee first. When she has eaten she wants to go outside. She has a choice of beds up at the Summerhouse, and throughout the day she gets her food delivered. 

When it gets to 12 o clock I am thinking about getting my lunch, and deciding what to do in the afternoon. I need to go out, even if it's for a couple of hours. Litter picking fits in well with that. When I have sussed out a grot spot that needs sorting I can go straight there and get on with the job. 

Today I did just that. I went back to one of the locations I found on Friday. Two bags filled, with some assorted other bits and bobs, added to my pile awaiting collection from the Council. They will be pleased. 😆😜😁

I will keep my eye on that and when it's gone I shall start again. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Location is everything.

Imagine seeing this as you step out of your front door. This is the view from a friends house, she lives in a small village. Isn't that just fabulous. The view out the back is even better. The house is high up overlooking fields full of cows, beyond is the river, and over yonder is Yorkshire. Imagine sitting out on the decking sipping a glass of wine, or beer. They bought the house for the views. For me the views are far more important than a box on a new build estate. I would rather live in a shed in a field. 

Yesterday morning saw me tidying up on the Industrial Estate for a couple of hours. 

Now, Sunday morning, and it is sunny. A new day and lots to do.

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona

A walk back from town.

Yesterday I got a bus to town and walked back home. The road out of town is very busy, it is also full of litter. I am not going to have time to pick it all up so I concentrated on just picking up the cans and plastic bottles. There are three public litter bins along that road, so as soon as my bag was full I emptied it into a bin. When I got to this point I decided to speed it up a bit and stop picking, making a mental note of where I would come back to at a later date. 

I carried on walking at a normal pace and turned left down this road. Oh dear, lots more litter here. I pulled it all out of the hedge bottom and left it there. 

Then I took a short cut into the Industrial Estate I normally pick on. Look what I found. I filled my bag, plus another one that I had found. 

I dropped the two bags here, that's it no more picking, now I'm going for a walk. 

Then I found a whole load of bottles and cans among the brambles here. No more bags left, so what I did was pull all the debris out with my stick, and leave it spread about on the grass verge. Maybe when people drive past and see it, it might make people stop and think before they chuck something out of the window. Or maybe they won't. 

I walked through to the other end of the Industrial Estate, and thought I would explore a route I hadn't used before. Someone told me about it ages ago. As I was searching for the way into a wooded area, a young man came by with his dog. I asked him if he knew about it. He did and pointed the track out to me. He was right. I recorded a short video as I was walking. 

 

I will keep this new walking route in mind when I am heading this way again. A nice end to the day. It had been raining when I left town, and now the sun was out as I headed towards home. 

Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona

No hopes.

 Good morning. Soapbox Saturday.

Thinking of getting a loan. Something you want to buy right now but can't wait. Deadline looming. Got to get your application in or you will miss the boat. First read this story. . . . . . 

NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE JUST STOP PAYING STUDENT LOANS… Logged in this morning to check my balance. Borrowed $32k back in 2013. Been paying $420 a month, every month, eleven years now. Do the math on that and it's over $55,000 that's left my account. Balance today: $28,900. Eleven years. Fifty five grand. And I've knocked about three thousand off what I actually borrowed. I have now paid them more than I ever took out and I still owe basically the whole thing. WHERE DID THAT $55,000 GO?

Do you want to saddle yourself with a lifetime of debt, then take note. You will never be free of it. When you owe money that's your freedom gone out of the window. This person doesn't understand how loans work. 

Money and loans were never my strong point, that's why I steered clear of them. For 35 years my  mortgage payments were always covered. There was no other way to buy a house forty years ago. I always saw it as a better way than paying rent over a whole lifetime. I'm glad I bit the bullet and did it. 

With the world monetary system on the brink of collapse, the young people of today will not have the opportunities I had. The Government are dashing any hopes of prosperity for future generations. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Drooping

I haven't had a 'bus out and walk back' day for ages, so after lunch I got myself organised and hurriedly packed the backpack. I fancied a nice leisurely walk along field tracks, so the plan was to get the bus going in the opposite direction to town, for a change. Blow me down, I missed it. 

45 minutes later it comes back, so I got on it to town. Not what I had planned, never mind, I need to walk anyway. 

I was not intending to pick a lot of litter, but I took my stick and a bag with me just in case I found some. And boy did I find a lot. 

The last part of the walk took me on a regular route through fields. The sunflowers looked like I was too late to see them at their best. Heads drooping, petals falling off.  

I am too tired to write any more tonight. Five miles is enough. I'll be back tomorrow with some litter pics. 

Enjoy your weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

Jeff has joined the dots.

 Jeff speaks a lot of sense. I'm on his side. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Waking up.

 FIRST THOUGHTS OF THE DAY

The Home Office are blowing their own trumpet. They think they are doing a good job. They say that the removal of foreign criminals and people illegally in the UK has reached a near decade high. New legislation in the appeals process will cut unnecessary delays and speed up the removal of people with no right to be in the UK. I don't believe them. This is a distraction to what is really happening. 

They, people from both camps, are still fighting about whether transwomen should be allowed to pee in women's toilets. Another distraction. It's all about feelings and not about the biological sex you were born with. 

Apparently, it is said, that Britain is going to start building floating windfarms. That will be fun. Will they start moving them around like chess pieces. Drag them to the most windy areas. Perhaps they could run excursions to them on speedboats. 

I'm going to buy one of these. 

So, the two people who buggered off to the US, are planning on coming back to the fold. I couldn't care less what they do. It is of no interest to me. 

Wales online is reporting the devastation of a historical manor house which has been destroyed by fire. Wonder what that is about. Lots of theories being bandied about. 

At this point I abandoned my attempt to cobble together a blog post. If you want to know what is going on, you could do some research. There's plenty of sites to look at. I see pockets of people waking up to the realities of life in the midst of psychological warfare. This I think is an indication of people taking notice and joining the dots. Don't be left out. When you know, you just know. Then you can get on with the rest of your life.

Have a good day. Toodle pip.   ilona

£105 spent, just like that.

Good evening. 

A new shopping video. This is a few of the items I bought from Aldi yesterday. I spent just under £60 in total. You might like to tell me where you are in the world, and how much you pay for similar items. I don't do a regular weekly shop, I go when my fridge is almost empty. I also put £45 worth of fuel in my car, so that's £105 gone just like that. 

It finally stopped raining tonight, so Billy had a late walk. 

Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Out of bounds.

 Good afternoon.

It's been a wet day, chucking it down a lot of the time. I am now wearing extra layers because the warm summer has gone. The new flower picture is coming along nicely. Something to keep me busy while I am indoors. 

I have been reading reports that the Government has drafted new guidelines for people new to this country, on how to behave around women and girls. It seems flirting, chatting someone up that you like the look of, is done differently where they come from. Hence the misunderstandings of social etiquette between the east and the west. 

It is not advisable to follow a young girl around waiting for the right moment to grab her. Even if she is drunk, that is not the signal to help yourself. It is not advisable to pass your trophy onto mates when you have finished. Check the age of the young person that you would like to engage in sexual activity with. Nine year olds are definitely out of bounds, even if she did seem willing.

Here is the whole document as issued by the Home Office, with instructions on what you cannot do. 

Notes for an asylum seeker. 

You are expected to:

• always make sure the other person freely and clearly agrees to sex or sexual contact
• never use threat, force or pressure to make someone have sex
• never try to have sex with someone who is asleep, drunk, or unable to consent clearly
• stop if they say no or change their mind

This is how our Government is going to solve the problem of gang rapes and murderers walking our streets. Tell them not to be so naughty, slap their wrist and tell them not to do it again. Have any of our politicians lived in the real world? They allow thousands of men between about 18 and 40 ish, to set foot on our shores, welcome them with open arms, and expect them to give up sex and become celibate. For goodness sake, this is unbelievable. 

For 32 years I have worked mainly with men. I think I have a good understanding of what goes through their minds. Ok, there are some decent ones out there, some real gentlemen, I don't want to tar them all with the same brush. But the truth is many many men are constantly looking for their next sexual  encounter. Even the married ones. How do I know, because I have been approached many times. Some of them are obsessed with that dangly thing between their legs. I know that sounds vulgar, but their brains are in their penis. 

Edwina Currie thinks she has the answer. Provide them with a prostitute, that might stop them attacking innocent bystanders. She has a point, it might help. The oldest profession is still in demand and still providing a service. 

Anyway, that's my thoughts on the matter. 

See ya later.

Toodle pip.   ilona

Blockage

Good morning.

I've had a blockage, a creative blockage. I set off on a journey not knowing where it is going to end up. Now at last the creative angels have descended, and I can see which way it has to go. I see a picture. Flowers on a dark background. How to sew them on without blitzing it with stitching. Some French knots in the centre, and a bead on each of the petals. The finishing touch will be a few leaves peeping out from behind them. 

I have got to backtrack a bit on this project. I put stems on the flowers, they now have to be removed because they will be too thick to go behind glass. Hey ho, such is life. You go in one direction and find you have to make a detour. 

This is the frame I want to use. I think it lends itself to the delicate hues of pastels and contrasts. Still a long way to go, but I am now getting glimpses of the end result. It will be good. 

Best get on with it, but first, wash hair and go to the Coffee Morning. At some point I will have to get some supplies in from Aldi. My fridge is bare. 

Enjoy your day. Toodle pip.  ilona

Heartwarming.

 This will warm the cockles of your heart. These two little lads are just magic. Edward and Reuben are excellent presenters. They are our future farmers. Give them a thumbs up. They are stars in their community, and have been featured in their local newspaper. Children are our future, we must continue to fight for freedom of choice. Support our farmers.  

This is their Faceboook page. 

Thanks for popping in. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

This could be the answer

 Will this get rid of the nasties on the streets. Worth a try. 

Summary of the knives and weapons surrender arrangements  

This guidance sets out advice on how you can safely surrender and dispose of knives and  bladed weapons by using a bespoke Home Office funded surrender bin which has been installed by Word 4 Weapons. The surrender scheme is operating from 3 to 31 August 2026.

A mobile surrender van will be operated by FazAmnesty and will be stationed at locations in Greater London and West Midlands on certain dates during the surrender arrangements. The mobile surrender van will provide a safe way to dispose of knives and bladed  weapons.

You can read the Home Office article here. This should make us all feel a lot safer as we walk about the streets in London and Birmingham. 

Here is an article in the Independent about Fazamnesty. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

My latest collection

 Monday always seems to be a busy day for me. Crafty Club, which actually starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm. I am always an hour late though. Then home for lunch. Today was a Billy Dog walk. The temperature has dropped, so I can now go back to walking him in the afternoon. This takes about 45 minutes. Then a change of footwear. Put the boots on and the yellow vest, and off I go to do an hour or so litter picking. 

I started at the permanently grottiest grot spot, to try and keep on top of the job. Across the main road from the Industrial Estate is this back ally. When I get to this point I carry on along this public footpath because I want to fill the red bag. Almost there, once I have squashed these tins flat that will be it. Only one bag today. 

What's this I've found, hanging in a tree. A pair of jog bottoms 

I'll keep these until the bag is full, then put them in just before I tie the top up. Should make it easier to squash the whole lot down. 

This is gross. A quiet corner being used as a toilet. I see a lot of these hidden places on Industrial Estates. I don't know why people don't use the facilities at the premises where they are visiting.

Another bag added to my collection. I started this pile on Thursday. Let's see how long it takes the Council to come and pick it all up. 

That's all for now. Toodle pip.   ilona