Can I have your autograph please?

Hello. I was looking through some old diaries tonight and came across an autograph book with entries from 1960 to 1964. Did you have one of these? I used to go round all my school pals asking them to sign it. I bet the youngsters of today don't know what one is, what with the internet and emails and social media sites. We used to have pen pals, written letters sent back and forth in the post. Now they look at a screen and check Facebook and Twitter. 

We collected autographs from our friends, now people collect celebrity autographs in the hope that they may become valuable one day. 

When I left school in 64 I didn't keep in touch with any of my school friends, except one, and Carol is still my best friend now. Everyone went their separate ways, some went to college and most got jobs, I didn't know anyone who went to University. It's easier to keep in touch now, they all have mobile phones .Can you imagine the youngsters of today collecting autographs, ha ha. No, I can't either, it all seems so old fashioned now.

I'm glad I've still got mine, reading through the names I can picture what my friends looked like. And all the rhymes we used to write now seem ancient. At the age of 15 I was still a skinny kid. I thought I was grown up, but ha ha, I hardly knew anything about the birds and bees. I was very slow when it came to chatting up boys, I hadn't a clue.

looking at some of these little verses, I think we were all in the same boat. We thought some of them were a bit naughty, a bit rude. Got to laugh now.

I went to pick a rose
A rose so sweet and tender
I went to pick another
And BANG went my suspender

Good girls love their brothers
But I so good have grown
That I love other girls brothers
Far better than my own

Mary had a little lamb
She also had a bear
You often saw her little lamb
But never saw here bear

Ilona is a good girl
She goes to church on Sundays
Prays to God to give her grace
To kiss the boys on Mondays

Mary had a little cow
She milked it with a spanner
The milk came out in shilling tins
And little ones a tanner

I love you much I love you mighty
I wish my pyjamas were next to your nightie
Don't be mistaken don't be mislead
I mean on the clothes line, not in the bed

We all sat down on some nice soft grass
The softest we could find
But Ilona sat on something soft
The cow had left behind.

I didn't like actually going to school and sitting in class, but I did like my friends, and lunch times in the playground. We were a group of silly giggly girls, and if any of us had a crush on a boy and we told our best friends, the whole school  knew about it. Of course we wanted the secret to get out in the hope that the boy would fancy us and ask us out. Never happened to me though, the boys I fancied just laughed.

My how times have changed, I bet that doesn't happen now. They are all texting each other, no need for face to face chatting up. These days you can chat to somebody online, get really friendly, then dump them when you are fed up, without ever meeting them. Crazy world.

It's been a lovely day, I've been sat in the summer house sewing. The picture is coming on nicely.

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

Using up the smellies

Hello. I've been on a mission to use up the toiletries that I already have before buying more. The hair conditioner is gone, I used it instead of shampoo. The Value baby shampoo has been used up, and a new bottle of cheap Aldi shampoo is now in use. I could use the bath foam on my hair, but it will get used when I have a bath. I have two deodorants, one given to me by my sister, and the other from a friend, both didn't like them. I don't care, it's all the same to me, I have no particular preference when it comes to under arm spray. 

The Nivea sun lotion is being used as a face moisturizer. I got the Yardley violets spray out of a skip, someone's  house clearance. The Youth Dew perfume is about 35 years old, it doesn't spray very well, that's why it has lasted a long time, ha ha. I don't buy perfume now, I think it was about 35 years ago when I last bought some. The So Soft body oil gets used as a face moisturizer, I don't feel the need to moisturize my whole body. What's the point of scrubbing yourself clean, only to block your pores with gunge. The Baby lotion also gets slapped on my face from time to time, as does the Aloe Vera Jelly. 

I am holding off buying anything new, until I really have to. I use everything sparingly so it lasts ages. I don't need a lot of bottles cluttering up my bathroom cabinet, these few items will last me for a while. 

I've just had a bowl of fabulous soup, and plenty left for tomorrow. I found two packs of celery in the small Tesco yesterday when I popped in on my way back from the council dump. Always worth a look if passing. Aha, celery soup I thought when I saw them. I also threw in a few other bits and bobs which needed using up. Half a dozen mushrooms, half a parsnip, a carrot, a potato, and a handful of spinach. I used six sticks of celery, still plenty left for another batch. Chuck in some spices, simmer for ten minutes, zap with a stick blender.

It was bloomin lovely. I love these chuck it in and see what happens kind of soups.

I did my walk early today, and I have hit the 250 miles, YAY. Trouble is it took me over three hours to do it, ha ha. Paul was in his garden as I passed so I stopped to say hello to him. Then I popped in to see the other Paul, as he was on a late shift. I didn't stop long there as he was watching a film on TV. Then I saw that Phil was in his garden and as I hadn't seen him for ages I stopped to see how he was. He was hobbling because he had missed the step as he was getting out of his lorry, and pulled a muscle in his leg. He said come on in and see Angela, so I did and ended up staying for a coffee, two coffees in fact and some lunch. Angela has a new hobby of painting up old furniture to give it a new lease of life, and she is making a good job of it. I was dead impressed.

Almost the end of the month, are you having one last splurge to top your miles up? Only another nine months to go. You can make a start on the 1st of April if you want to. The next target to work towards is 500 miles at the end of June. Or if you are a late starter try for the 250 miles in three months. Come on, put your best foot forward, you can do it.

The kids are all in for the night, I'll give Heidi her tablet shortly. She has been such a good girl, mostly I get it straight in and she swallows it, sometimes my aim is not so good and she spits it out, ha ha. But whatever happens she is never annoyed with me, always after lots of cuddles.

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

 

Can the right and left work in creative unison?

Good morning. Please excuse my shorter posts, and total absence yesterday, but I have got my head stuck in artycraft mode. I struggled with this picture, had an idea in my head but got the colours wrong. After a couple of false starts I eventually got going. Getting into arty mode involves wandering around the house aimlessly, searching through bits of fabric, playing with paints and marker pens, cutting out and arranging, then saying, that doesn't look right and starting again. 

The background to the flowers is yellow, it hasn't come out right on the close up photo. The black velvet is predictably picking up fluff and dust and will need a going over with sellotape before it is framed. I'll get there eventually.

I've been reading somewhere about the workings of the left and right side of the brain. The left is to do with words, the right, creativity. Well that explains it, I write lousy blog posts when I am stuck in creativity mode. But's that's not strictly true, I need to be creative while writing also, to string a few sentences together, so maybe I am using the whole of my brain for blogging, or maybe not. If it's waffle erupting from my keyboard then my right and left side must be having an almighty battle between my ears.

When I feel a creative surge coming on my brain is in conflict with itself. One side says get on with the tasks you have to do on a daily basis, the other side says oh sod that, it can wait. When creating I have to go with the flow, or else the ideas will stop. I end up stuck in a rut and don't know which way to go next. This is a haphazard way of working, creativity is not a 9 to 5 job, it's a 24 hour process which I find hard to switch off from. By the time the evening comes, if I haven't made much progress, I feel stuck. My body is tired and is telling me to switch off and go to sleep.

I happened to come across this video while I was pondering this topic, and low and behold it is a technique I use in my search for solutions. When I lay my head on my pillow to drift off to slumberland, (it doesn't take long for me to drop off), I am thinking about what to do next with the project. Which way will work best, is there something I haven't thought of? Then I am out like a light. The next morning, as if by magic the answer appears, it is there in my head. I have to get up and see if it might work. The first thing I do is go to the table and take a look, maybe re arranging something, or draw a diagram, or do a few stitches.



I am finding that the respite from continued walking is helping me to focus, it gives me a window to let my mind wander without the need to search for an idea or a solution. I am sure that being out in the open air drives fresh oxygen to the brain, giving a fresh clarity to insurmountable stuckness. Although sometimes I struggle to make the effort, my thoughts are much clearer after a bit of huffing and puffing around a three mile track, and the benefits are definitely worth it.

We are coming up to three months of the 12 month challenge, a quarter of the way through it. How are you all doing? I am on target to make the 250 miles, I am pacing myself so as not to burn myself out in the early stages. If I go hell for leather and push myself too hard I will get fed up with it, and will be more likely not to go the whole distance. Little and often works for me. Hopefully there will be a few splurges through the summer months to boost the miles. Don't forget to check in with your mileages on or around the 1st of April. If you haven't yet got started, why not do the 250 mile/3 month challenge. Nothing to lose having a go, and everything to gain. For those who are plodding on at a steady pace, keep doing what you are doing. Every step is the way to better health.

Well I can waffle on can't I? This is supposed to be a quick post, so now I'll carry on. We are getting intermittent rain and sun here, wish it would make it's mind up. I might make a dash to the tip with some rubbish, or I might say stuff it, and keep on sewing. That's the right and left side of my brain arguing again, ha ha.

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

Happy Easter Holidays

Good morning and a very Happy Easter to one and all. The sun is back today though it's a tad breezy. I shall be getting out into the garden later, but for the moment I am piecing together this picture. The colours haven't turned out very well on this picture, a quick snap behind glass, but in real life they are great. I haven't started sewing yet, just putting shapes and colours in place. 

As usual I have a helper who likes to plonk herself just where I want to work. Doesn't she look cute with red spots, ha ha. 

I shall leave you to it. Hope you find all the Easter eggs, and have a good holiday. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

What could be better.

Hello. Change in the weather today, blustery and cold, We don't mind, snug and safe indoors with lots of playing for me. I popped to the retail park this morning, I've just discovered I can paint fabric with emulsion and acrylic paints, and I need some felt tip pens to add detail. This should be fun, Now, if I don't have the right colour fabric I can paint some. Opens up more possibilities. 

We have a large department store called The Range, not somewhere I shop on a regular basis as it's a tad expensive. Sometimes they have offers on pet food, but I wasn't looking for that today. I like to browse the craft department, not so much for buying things, but to pick up some ideas. This time I did buy a couple of packs of felt tip pens at £1 each though, the others in the picture were from Home Bargains, a cheaper store. I was a bit naughty, instead of an Easter egg, which are not worth the money, you pay for packaging, I bought a tube of Rolo as an Easter chocolate treat for me for later. 

The advertising board outside the store grabbed my attention, because my tummy was rumbling, I stopped to peruse the menu. Good grief, £3.25 for a plain jacket potato. I'd rather go hungry. It was time for me to get off home anyway, I'll last till then. 

This is my version of a jacket potato, I do mine in the microwave. The skin isn't crispy but I don't care, it all goes down the same way. My 2.5k bag of potatoes cost 25p from Aldi, that was in the super six offers, I also got a bag of carrots and a bag of parsnips. Bit cheaper that the plain potato in The Range, eh! I bet they don't fill the plate with trimmings like I do, spinach, tomato, pickled onions, mushrooms, sprinkle of grated cheese, a squirt of mayo, and half a tin of Value beans for 12p. This is why I rarely if ever eat out.

Well that's me stuffed, a full tum, a glass of wine, Susan Boyle singing to me, what could be better. I could almost fall asleep, ha ha.

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

PS. Don't forget to put your clocks forward by one hour tonight.

Staying at home on this Bank Holiday weekend

Hello and Good Morning on this Good Friday bank holiday. The sun is out and it looks promising. I'm kicking off with an early blog post because I have things to do. Thank you for joining in the discussion yesterday, lots of thoughts about vegans and carnivores, and all variations in between. It's a topic that will be talked about forever and a day. 

A quickie post today. My redundant bed upstairs is coming in useful as a place where I can gather a few materials together to plan out a new project. It's raised enough so I don't have to bend down too far, and low enough to see the whole picture as I piece it together. It's loosely based on a picture I saw on Lovely Grey's blog. Not an exact copy but it's given me some ideas. I want to get away from using traditional colours when constructing landscapes. The piece of A4 paper to the right of it is a pencil drawing I made, I'm using this for the scale. Bit by bit, it will come together. 

The daffodils outside my back door come up year after year. I put the plastic markers there as they start to appear, because I forget in the early stages and keep stepping on them. Luckily they have survived my clumsy feet to flower again.

I hope you have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend. I am not going anywhere, I don't like joining the throngs in their dash down the motorway to wherever. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

A matter of life and death

Hello. Just something I think about at this time of year. Spring conjures up idyllic scenes of rolling green fields full of mummy sheep and gambolling lambs. A lovely sight to see when I am walking through the countryside. 

In my neck of the woods we have small farms and country estates, advertising a series of open weekends for families to go along and see close up the cute lambs, with the possibility of seeing one actually being born. How exciting is that. A real treat and an opportunity to introduce small children to love animals.

Come Sunday lunch time when the meat and two veg is served up, I don't suspect for one minute that the kiddywinks associate the slices of roasted flesh on their plate, with the fluffy lambs they saw in the field. It seems hypocritical to me that on one hand we are encouraged to go oooh, and aaah when we see fluffy baby animals that we want to take home with us, and on the other hand we are not encouraged to visit slaughter houses where all the blood and guts are laid bare.

The pieces of flesh bought ready packaged on a neat polystyrene tray from a supermarket bare no resemblance to an animal chewing the cud in a field. I want to see slaughter houses have open days where the actual killing of the animal is on view to the public. We can see them at the beginning of their lives, why not the end? If people can stomach that, then they are entitled to eat meat. If the thought of viewing the moment of death sickens them then they shouldn't be eating meat. You can guess what I am going to say next. I couldn't watch an animal being slaughtered.

Change of topic for today, keep it fresh. Your thoughts are welcome, but no preaching, we are all different and have our own opinions. This is mine, you do what you like.

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

Goodbye rotten wood, hello bricks.

Hello. This is the state of play tonight with the decking makeover, I've been working on it for most of the afternoon. As you can see it had turned into a pile of wood which needs sorting out, most of it needs chucking. 

Everything removed and put into piles, some for keeping and most will go to the tip. The underneath was crumbling and had to be bagged up for transportation. Quite a few slugs were stuck to the wet wood and will be relocated to a new home, the skip at the tip. I spotted a small froglet hopping about and was able to catch it and move it to a safe place at the back of the garage.

The rubble I accumulated from cleaning up the first lot of bricks came in useful. I used it to level the ground before I covered it in compost.

This is as far as I got tonight, I packed up at 5.30pm I was ready for my dinner. I'm not going to take the bricks up to the edge where the decking was, it doesn't need to be that wide. I'll get some grass seed to cover the bare compost. I've put a bubble wrap membrane underneath so the weeds won't come through the cracks. Just got to tidy the edges, and put a couple of pot plants on there and it's done. Looks a whole lot better than the wood pile.

I can't decided whether to do a yellow sticker shop before Easter. Not much in the fridge but there's food in the freezer. Today's lunch was the same as yesterday with the addition of an egg scrambled into it. Dinner tonight was steamed broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes, with a big splodge of mayo on it.

I caught naughty Heidi scratching in a flower bed. I think she was planning on spending a penny but I put a stop to that. She has been by my side in the garden most of the day, watching my every move. You wouldn't think she had been poorly, she is full of mischief now. The tablets are working, and I think she is getting used to the routine of taking one every night.

I spend too much time sitting on this office chair, I'm going to move over to the sofa and relax. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

There's a bit more life left in the shelves yet.

Hello. Hope you're not getting too bored with the garden posts, but the sooner I get it done the sooner I can move on to other things. Today the wooden shelving got a makeover. The bottom is rotten so the plan is to saw that off. First I removed everything from it, and tipped it over to lay on it's front. Then I removed the shrink wrap from around it. I think Mayze is stalking Heidi, they are not the best of friends and mainly give each other a wide berth. 

Here we go, the last bit is getting the chop. I've peeled back the plastic backing so I can get at the wood. I knocked a few nails in where some of the joints were a bit loose.

The next thing to do is encase it in fresh shrink wrap. To do this I laid it on it's back and went round and round several times. There is a brick under each corner to raise it off the ground so I can take it right to the edge at the back and front which will keep the rain out. Shrink wrap is like a gigantic roll of cling film, it's very strong.

Next I laid out a base of bricks for it to stand on. The ground is not flat so I put some compost underneath to level it.

This is the before picture, it's leaning crazily. 

This is the after picture. A bit shorter but much more stable. I now need to paint the garage wall above it to blend it in. I hope I've still got some paint left. I've put some sheets of strong glass on the top, the cats are bound to climb on it so it will stop their claws from tearing it to shreds. Mayze will be happy that her bed is still there. .

I did a small lunch today, this is on a tea plate. I can't stuff my face in the middle of the day when I have got physical work to do. I needed protein so I zapped a Quorn fillet in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it, then I cut it into pieces and put it in a small pan with a splash of oil. Next I chopped up a couple of spring onions, I find scissors do this job better than a knife, opened a tin of chick peas, half in this, half in the fridge, and washed and cut up four mushrooms. Chuck it all in together with a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese, and a teaspoon of vegetable granules. Stir while cooking for a few minutes. It was chuffin lovely. You could serve this as a dinner with potatoes, pasta, or rice, or salad. 

This is why I have a big car, it doubles up as a van. Off to the tip again to get rid of this.

Bit of a climb to lug it up the shiny new steps, but I can manage. They have a non slip surface so not much chance of falling. There is a man to help if anyone turns up with larger items. 

I've had some comments come through from Alison, another enthusiastic new reader who is lost in the bowels of the blog. I'm sure she will turn up here soon, she says she is reading five months of posts daily, so by her reckoning she will have caught up by the summer. She's recently taken early retirement, is de cluttering, and has got the sewing machine out. Sounds like she will fit in just fine here.

It's been a very sad day for the people of Brussels who have been caught up in the terrorist attacks. I can't begin to imagine how anybody can recover from losing friends and family in such horrific circumstances. Those who are injured will carry their pain with them for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to all who are affected. Tears in my eyes as I write. Lots of love and best wishes to the people of Brussels. xxx

Thank you for popping in. We'll catch up soon. xxx

Just perfect

Hello. This pampered pooch loves his bed. He lies on the edge of my duvet, and has his own small duvets, one underneath and one on top. I get up in the morning and he lies there waiting for me to get dressed, go to the bathroom, then come downstairs and open the back door. 

I went to Crafty Club this morning, and after a lunch of mushrooms and scrambled eggs on toast, I went out into the garden to finish off the beds. davee is disappointed that I spent £28 on some plants, when there are plenty of seeds going free at the local park, and cuttings can be taken as well. Yes, I agree there are lots of freebies if you look around, but I haven't had hardly any treats over the last few months. Last holiday was in September, an odd day out here and there, and considering how much I have actually saved by scrounging free bricks and doing the job myself, I think I can splash out on a few plants. It looks a bit bare at the moment but there are lots of seeds in there as well, so I am hoping for a splash of colour for the summer.

These two popped in to see me when they were passing. Lulu on the left and George on the right. They know where to come for a tasty doggy treat. Quite a few dogs try and pull their owners up my driveway because they know this is the house where the owner is soft about dogs, ha ha. Aren't they adorable. 

My job for tomorrow if the weather is dry. That pallet decking has to go, and see how the wooden shelving is leaning, it's rotten at the bottom and is in danger of keeling over. I have a plan for that, I can't take it away altogether because Mayze cat likes to snooze in it. Some adjustments are needed to keep it upright.

Isn't it lovely that we have more daylight hours now, I am waking up earlier as well. The first thing I see when I open my eyes are the silver birch trees in the garden behind mine. My bed is facing the back window and I leave the curtains partially open. Some mornings it's the sunrise that wakes me. Every morning I lie for a few minutes and contemplate how I might fill the fresh new day ahead of me. My life is just perfect at the moment, I have everything I need. My house is not modern, everything in it is a mish mash of different styles and colours, nothing matches. The interior decoration is the choice of the previous owners, I can live with it. My garden is my playground, there are no manicured lawns or block paving. The garage needs demolishing and a new one put up in it's place, but it won't get done, I'll manage with it. Show house it most definitely isn't, but it's my home, and it does me just fine.

A nice mug of hot chocolate will finish the day off nicely, so I'll say goodnight. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Four new beds are ready.

Hello. I've been cracking on in the garden today. The first day of spring was lovely, I definitely had a spring in my step. I've made this small bed where I flattened one the other day. 

The fourth and last bed to get a makeover is this one. It's got scaffolding boards around it and they are starting to rot. It's been a bit of a dumping ground since I covered it up at the end of last year.

Everything shifted off and I moved some of the compost over to the small bed to fill it. Another trip to the tip I think.

The fourth and last bed is done. I still have some boxes of compost to use up, no doubt I'll find a use for it.

This is what's left of the 300 bricks stacked on the pallet. I still have the 200 behind the garage, and about another 75 which I cleaned up. I have a plan for them. The pallet decking will be removed and bricks laid in it's place. 

Nothing is planted yet, I wanted to get all the beds ready first so I can divide up the plants and seeds I have. It will look a bit bare at first until everything gets going. Work will resume tomorrow, weather permitting. Heidi is doing really well, the tablets are working. She is not too keen on me wrapping her in a towel  every night though, and chucking the tablet down her throat.

I made some peanut butter tonight. Easy peasy, two bags of cheapo peanuts in the processor.

Three minutes and Bob's your uncle, much better than shop bought, and cheaper.

Howz everyone doing with their walking? I did my three miles a bit earlier tonight and now I'm on 226 miles. I am aiming for 250 miles by the end of the month, eleven days left so if I don't have a day off I should finish on 259. Doesn't sound so daunting when you break it down to chunks of three months. Doesn't time fly.

That's it for now, I'm going to relax in an arm chair and read a bit before bed time. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Slow slow stitch stitch slow

Hello. It's been a bit chilly for gardening and there was a few spots of rain, so I kept busy indoors instead. It's my friend Carol's birthday soon so I made her a card. It's amazing what you can do with a few scraps of fabric. I used to make a lot of cards, but don't do so many now. I don't like gluing things so I sew the embellishments on instead. The cards I already have, bought ages ago from The Works, £4 for 50 cards.  Four sequins and four beads, a Happy Birthday taken from an old card and attached with sticky pads, and there you have it. I have inserted a piece of white A4 paper cut to size and attached with embroidery thread down the centre, it covers the stitching on the inside.. Left blank to add a personal message.  

These are the offcuts I used. The fabric doesn't fray, it has a rubbery backing.

I fancy having a go at making a fabric picture using a machine instead of hand sewing, but my electric one has two settings, either stopped or going like the clappers. It's hard to regulate the speed to a steady pace where I can control the direction of sewing, so I have dug out my old hand machine, buried somewhere under the piles of stuff in the spare room, crafting supplies and fabric warehouse. The last time I had it out was a few years ago, it was playing up a bit. After much fiddling and twiddling knobs I gave up and buried it under a couple of dining chairs. So here it is, a bit more fiddling and it works.

Ready to go, just need to work out an idea for the picture. Glad I didn't give it away.

Walk all done for today, I did it while it was still light. Stopped half way round though to deliver some Easter Eggs to my friend Helen's children, as a thank you for tipping me off about the bricks. Helen got to keep the home made bag as well. Lovely friends, lovely kids.

Thank you so much for the smashing comments you have been sending my way, I am chuffed that you like my blog. Now the evening is mine to chill. Enjoy your Saturday night, and have a good day tomorrow. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

An English country garden

Hello. Nothing done in the garden today, it was too darn cold. Instead I have spent some money in a small Garden Centre. I don't like the big ones, they have too many add on's, loads of stuff for sale that have nothing to do with gardens. I don't want a drink in a coffee shop, or to buy anything for the house. 

This small one is a family affair, they live in the house next door, and grow their own in massive greenhouses. I prefer this set up because I can ask questions and they are really helpful. I know very little about flowers, can't remember any names, so it's a case of suck it and see for me. 

Janet came with me but wasn't tempted to buy anything, she already has a well stocked garden. I however spent £28 on these plants. Not a lot really for four beds, but mixed in with a few plants I have in pots, and some seeds I bought in the £1 shop, I should have enough. I can always top it up later on if I come across some bargains. 

These are what I bought a few weeks back from the £1 shop. The 50 bumper pack is the same as I had last year, I planted them in five tubs, there is such a lot for £1.

These multi pack seeds are also £1 each, let's see what we get from them this summer. Worth a try.

I did two jobs in one journey and took another load to the tip. I couldn't resist having a nose in a woman's car to see what she was throwing away. Nothing exciting, a lot of crockery oddments. I asked her if she takes anything to charity shops, she said she didn't have time.

Of course there was the usual visit to the small Tesco as we were passing, I got a bit lucky, four packs of mixed prepared veg at 15p per bag, which I am eating now, and a cheap melon, and reduced mushrooms. Always worth a look.

I had a phone call tonight from a journalist wanting to write a story about me for a magazine. This was on the cards ages ago, but didn't go ahead. I thought it was because I refused to sign an exclusivity contract. I could hardly hear what she was saying, she spoke all breathless and feathery if you know what I mean. I decided not to bother, the moment has past now, it is history.

What did you think of the Jo Brand Documentary? It was interesting to see how she got on after I left her. I'm not sure if they followed the Trans Pennine Trail to the letter, but some of it was grueling, and she was struggling. I don't know if it has given any other middle aged over weight ladies inspiration to have a go. I would imagine it has put quite a few off. She did it at the wrong time of the year, but I don't suppose she had any choice in the matter. At least she got off her bum and did it.

For those who haven't see it, here is the documentary. You catch a glimpse of me following her as she goes over the bridge, three minutes into it. I have a speaking part at four minutes. It's available for 29 days on iplayer, after that it might turn up on yoootoooob. I'm not sure if our oversees readers can get it.

We are at the weekend again, time flies, make the most of it. I hope you have a good one. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Deep rooted problem

Hello. Another garden day today, aren't we lucky with the sunshine. The next raised bed to be given a  makeover is this one. I forgot to take a photo before I removed the rotten pallets. It's not very big and always had the runner beans growing here in the corner, sheltered by hedges on two sides. Should be an easy job, should have it finished today. 

I soon got a sweat on with the digging and took a layer off. Heidi has found it on the table in the summer house. She does like to lie on my clothes, especially as it means snoozing in the sun as well.

I brought Rocky's spare bed outside. He lay watching me as I cursed and swore at the roots I found under the compost.

Bugsy moves up the garden to stay in the sunshine. He got off the towel and lay in the hedge bottom, then he moves up onto the decking. Eventually going back into the house to lie in the front window sill. He's not daft. 

Mayze is peering out of the summer house watching me huffing and puffing pulling the roots up.

 And this is how it finished at 5pm. A big pile of roots, I suspect they come from the surrounding hedges. I was in two minds whether to build a raised bed here or leave it flat. The ground has a slope on it so I have spread the compost about to try and level it. I have got enough bricks so I think I might put one in as it looks a bit bare. I don't want to plant anything too tall in the space because I have to get a stepladder alongside the hedges to cut them in the summer.

I'm feeling a bit knackered now, those roots were a pig to get out. I feel like I have done a three hour work out at the gym, the muscles in my legs are aching with all the bending down and pulling. I had to use the loppers to cut some of them off. They were too big and too deep to remove with my hands after loosening them with a fork. I could have done with a JCB, ha ha.

I've had my dinner and don't know if I can get off my chair. Now I have to decide if I can manage a walk or not. I'll make a drink first, then decide. Tomorrow I'm going to the small garden centre to see what plants they have. Janet is coming with me. We pass the tip so I'll load the car up and chuck a load of pallets in the skip on the way through. I put a notice up on the front gate this morning, free firewood, but no takers.

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

Adding a PS. I did get up off my bum and walk. Just come back and collapsed in a chair. Now I am really knackered. Ha ha. 

PPS. My sister has just rung, she says I am on the Jo Brand documentary. 

PPPS Carol, the links to my long walk work now, I have fixed it.  Thanks for letting me know about it.