Time to leave home.

It's been rather dull today but never mind, I found things to do. This morning I made some bunting. Angela gave me the satin fabric and I already had the ribbon, which wasn't really wide enough for the job. It was quite difficult to trap the top of the flags in the fold, and sew in a perfectly straight line while the fabric was slipping about. I gave them to Angela, she was chuffed. 

This afternoon I took Billy dog for a walk, or should I say he took me. I just follow him. There are some dogs that he doesn't like, and goes ballistic, barking like crazy. One such dog is the British Bulldog that lives in my street. We were almost back home at the end of the walk and the BB appeared. Instant reaction from Billy. Rather than drag him the few hundred yards or so back to his garden, I picked him up and carried him. He wasn't best pleased about that. In fact it did actually calm him down. I might try that again when he kicks off. I think he was glad to get home. 

I found some videos about Blackpool. I left home when I was 18, and rented a room there. I got a job on the Pleasure Beach selling hot dogs, donuts, and waffles. I had a fantastic three years there. 

This picture is me all packed and ready to go. I remember the coat was green, and the case was a cheap plastic one. It was all I could afford. I loved my calf length brown suede boots. I have always done my own hair, cut it and coloured it. Put rollers in it, back combed it, and blow dried it. Finally a blast of the hair spray. Must have got through tons of the stuff over the years. This picture was taken in the small back garden of our terraced house. 

I changed my hair colour to red. This was from 1969, taken on the Pleasure Beach. 

I worked with Ada and Maura. Our stall was opposite the Log Flume. When we were quiet I often went across and cadged a free ride. 

Those three years were the best time of my life, until I found lorry driving years later, of course. When the Pleasure Beach closed, around ten-ish, a group of us went to the Casino. It was more a night club than a casino. We stayed there till gone 1am, in the Horseshoe Bar, watching the cabaret. 

The Pleasure Beach job was for the summer months, once it closed at the end of the season I went to work at Empire Pools, the football coupon place. They liked people to go back for the winter because that was their busy time, and the returning staff were already trained. We could just drop straight back into the job. It was a large office with rows of desks. When it came round to Easter again I was back to the Pleasure Beach. It suited me to have a summer job and a winter job.  

Happy memories. Now I'm going to watch another episode of the Pleasure Beach videos. Thanks for popping in. Don't forget check in day tomorrow for the walking group. Toodle pip.   ilona

Fuzzy head

I haven't had time to write a post today, it's been a bit manic, things to do. I started on some more bunting, my friend gave me some lovely silky fabric so I cut out the flags, sewed them up, and ironed them flat. That's as far as it's gone. 

I sorted out some stuff to give away. Emptied the filing cabinet in the office, picked out some other things that I don't want, photographed them and listed them on our village page. Messages came flying in, can I have this, can I have that, me tapping away on the keyboard, trying to keep track of things. Yes it's yours, when are you coming to collect. Some people came straight away, collect from the porch, me standing back as they help themselves. Five out of the seven items gone. 

Oscar has taken to using the bed underneath the table outside the back door. It has a manky cushion in it which has been rained on numerous times. It's very stinky. I thought he should have a new clean bed underneath there, so I got a spare drawer out of the garage. It was from an old dressing table, it fits perfectly under the table. A spare pillow, an old towel, and a bed throw makes a comfy bed for him. He has taken to coming into the house overnight which I am pleased about, but he likes to be outside a lot. I'll see if he uses the new bed tomorrow. 

I've got a commission to make two shopping bags. These will be a bit different, with linings and gussets, as they are to be Christmas presents. 

One hour chat with my sister this afternoon, so no walking done yet, still time to do a village walk. 

I was going to cut down on my time on the computer today, but it hasn't happened. Comments to moderate here and on the yooootoooob channel, and the monitoring of enquiries for the giveaways. My head is a bit fuzzy, too much screen time I think. 

Mayze has discovered the joys of warming her back on the radiator on the landing. 

Thank you all for your comments on the previous post, we got quite a good discussion going there. I will leave you with one of the troll comments, the rest were deleted. 

You are either cleverer than all the scientists and politicians put together or you’ve lost your mind. Either way I’ve had enough of your ignorant rants. Stay safe goodbye

Thanks for popping in. and don't forget, Tuesday is check in day for the international Walking Group. Tattybyes.  Toodle pip.  ilona

 

Dear Government.

 I have some questions. What on earth are you thinking of with these Tiers? Are you on a mission to trash the whole economy? Do you want the independent businesses to close down? Do you want the unemployment rate to rocket? Will you be paying people to stop at home and do nothing, forever? Is your aim to destroy family life? Haven't you noticed that lockdowns don't work? When are you going come clean about the figures you keep spouting out? Can you give us a breakdown, county by county of how many positives have no symptoms at all, right through to the top of the scale, of how many actually die of Covid? Can you break down the deaths into ages of patients, and whether they had any underlying health issues? What about the figures for seasonal flu deaths, where are they? Do you not agree that all this information is relevant? Do you not agree that it is pointless to mass test everyone, even if they have no symptoms? Are you on course to frighten people to death so that they beg to be vaccinated?  Are you messing with people's minds deliberately? Do you realise that this planned psychological warfare is going to cause endless damage to people's lives for a very long time? Don't you know that the divide in the country is going to get even wider when you bring in the Freedom Passport? Have you thought of the possibility that people will rise up against these rules?  How are you going to tackle mass demonstrations? Or do you think that people will comply like lambs to the slaughter? Is your aim to make the richest people on earth even richer, and grind the poorest people into the ground? Are you planning to force people to take tests, and force them to get vaccinated? Will you refuse privileges to those who do not comply with your demands? Will you employ more police and security officers to make sure we don't overstep the mark? How much of our lives do you want to control? How many more arrests will be made? How many old ladies will your police force manhandle into the back of a van? Will we have no freedom left in five years time? Are you planning on turning the United Kingdom into  Communist State?  

Truthful and honest answers would be appreciated. Thank you. 

Yours sincerely,

ilona

Institute of Common Sense. 

I am editing this post to add links to relevant articles. Thank you for your comments and questions. It's good to get a discussion going. At the moment there are too many to reply to, I have other things to do. You might find the answers that you require in the links. 

The Covid Physician 

German Neurologist warns against wearing face masks.

Lord Sumption Cambridge lecture

The Great Reset

Doctor Reiner Fuellmich 

The Conservative Woman

Mass vaccination plan for Wales. 

Agenda 21

Indoor use only.

How about this then, warm snugly boots for in the home. Fully lined with fleece, two pairs of socks underneath, my feet are toasty. I look like a little Eskimo. They were a Christmas present last year. I have only just got round to wearing them, wanted to keep them clean. Must remember not to go outside in them. 

I made a video this morning but it was a bit too long, so I deleted it. Maybe try again tomorrow. 

I'm having a sort out in the small bedroom which used to be my office. I have filing cabinets and drawers full of stationary and suchlike. Paper, envelopes, notebooks, folders, plastic pockets. I shall box it all up and offer it free to anyone who wants it in the village. The paper would be suitable for kids drawing. the play group might like it. 

I have seen some Christmas lights going up on people's houses. I have brought my little light up tree down to make the room more cheerful. 

I've just watched a live discussion on zoom. Couldn't join in, it was for guest speakers only. 

Going out for a walk now. Adios. Toodle pip.  ilona

Number 7.

Another one finished. Pink and white cotton fabric, twisted to make rope, made into a bowl. It's more like a cross between a plate and a bowl, wanted it to have a flat bottom and it doesn't need to be very deep. It has been suggested that a mat for the floor could be made by this method. yes it could, but it would take a long time. And it would need to be in darker fabric as this would get very dirty when continually walked over. A waste paper bin could also be made, yes it could. It would look very lovely in a pink bedroom. 

Added to the other bowls I have made. I'll move onto something else now, don't want to become bored with doing the same thing over and over again. 
 

I'll catch up with you later.   Toodle pip.   ilona

Thank goodness for pickled onions

 I burnt the steamer pan the other day. I bought it from a car boot sale years ago, it's just the right size for the steamer basket thing. I thought I had put enough water in it, but obviously not going by the stink coming out of the kitchen . I lifted it off the gas stove and held it over the sink. The lump of hot metal sizzled and crackled as I carefully dripped some water into it around the edge. 

Luckily the vegetables were not burnt so I ate them. Not looking forward to cleaning the pan, I filled it with water and left it to soak on the draining board. I wonder how long it will need before I attack it with a scouring pad. It was there for 24 hours before I felt ready to lift the basket thing out and inspect the damage. 

Oh lordy, not nice. This isn't the first time I have done this. I remembered the remedy I used last time, vinegar, I need a bottle of vinegar, but I haven't got one. 

I looked in the cupboard. Mint sauce might do the job. Then I noticed I have a few pickled onions left in a jar, that would be better. I poured the vinegar into the pan and diluted it so the black was covered. I left it overnight. Bingo, success. It easily came off  and now it is back to being sparkly clean. 

Now I'm off to make my dinner. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.    ilona

Turning into my dad

 Every evening my dad sat on his comfy chair with a tray on his knee, and ate his dinner. He timed it so that he could watch the news, followed by the Tonight programme with newsreader Cliff Michelmore, while eating. That was followed by several cups of tea. We had to either be quiet or leave the room, while this nightly ritual took place. 

I am now going to make my lunch and sit down at the computer to watch UK Column news which goes out live on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 1pm. It's raining so I am keeping busy indoors today. 

I can't find a picture of my dad, but this one will do. A nice young man gave me some instructions on how to play with his balls. 

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.  ilona

Basket case ;o)

A corner of my kitchen just after I have had a tidy up. I try and keep it tidy, but this corner gets a bit busy after I have been shopping. In the basket on the left are bananas, onions, and potatoes. Other fruits are in a bowl, and loose. I keep them visible to remind me that I must eat them. The smaller basket in the corner is where I keep the stick blender and a toilet roll, in case I need to wipe up a spillage. The basket on the right is for bread, crackers, buns, cake and biscuits. Yes, I do have the occasional sweet treat, I am allowed.  

As this is the side where I do my prep, the mini chopper is kept here because I use it most days. 

Just along from there on the same side, next to the cooker, are a couple of trays, which I keep forgetting to use. Mostly I walk through to the next room with my meal, carrying  the plate. Four mugs which I saved from a skip. They were about to get chucked and I was there at the right time. You will see that a mug is upside down on a can of cider. I do that if I don't want to drink the cider all at once. Sometimes I drink it over two days. 

My glass chopping board lives here permanently. The picture isn't very clear because I put the flash on. First I put a pillow case or a tea towel down, lay the board on top, then fold it over to cover it. I can leave utensils and plates on the board and cover them up so that it looks tidy. The two knives, one for spreading one for peeling and chopping, always stay on the board. Sometimes I have a couple of spoons there as well. So all I have to do when starting to prepare food is lift the cover without having to go into the drawer for utensils. 

I think it's important to have a kitchen laid out properly so that everything is close to where you want to use it. My crockery cupboard is next to the sink so that when the pots have air dried on the drainer they can be put straight into the cupboard. 

My dried food, canned food, and cereals are in the tall cupboard to the left of the baskets. Easily reached when I prep a meal. 

The cooker is next to the chopping board, next to that is the microwave on top of a small cupboard, and next to that is the fridge freezer. All in a line, all on one side. 

I don't like a lot of clutter on the worktops, so as soon as I have finished making and eating a meal I rinse off the pots and pans, and put them on the drainer. Sometimes I get a bit lazy then I have to blitz the lot and have a big clean and tidy up. 

Kitchen and bathroom and toilets are priority here, they get cleaned. The other rooms do not have to be pristine. I live here, it's my home, it's not a show house. So if anyone comes to visit I point at the sign I have in the front porch, You are welcome to come in, but do not moan about the cat hairs. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Big scoff

I felt the need for a cooked breakfast this morning, have a look to see what is in the stores. Don't fancy beans or spaghetti hoops. So I sliced half a courgette, and a small onion, cooked in a little oil until soft. Then added some green lentils, and finished off breaking an egg into it. Garlic granules and veggie seasoning added at the beginning. Served on a slice of bread spread with houmous. Definitely a gut buster. Loverly. 

This post is in reverse order. Last night I had steamed vegetables for my dinner. That's all, drizzled with toasted sesame seed oil. I love to savour the different tastes, no need for gravy or sauce. Cauliflower, sprouts, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, and beans. 
 

Yesterday morning I had a bowl of four fruit porridge. Yes, four fruits. Banana, pear, blueberries, and kiwi fruit. I make it in the microwave in a pyrex bowl. Two big spoons of oats, plus mixed seeds, blitzed in the mini chopper first. Add water, one minute in the microwave. Add frozen fruit if needed, another minute. Stir and add any other fruit, and back in the microwave for one more minute. Very filling and a good start to the day.

People often ask me if I can do a breakdown of everything I eat in a day. The answer is no, sorry I can't be bothered. But I will put some of the meals on here, as and when I think about it. 

Now I'm going to get a mug of coffee. Weather looking good for a walk. 

Thanks for popping in. Catch ya later.  Toodle pip.   ilona

Get tested

My sister just sent this to me. Good advice from John Bishop. 

I'm off to get a test. Beer, cider, or wine?

Toodle pip.   ilona

Corona Virus

Sorry, got to put this on again. Still valid.

Cracks me up. Toodle pip.  ilona

Saturday morning thoughts. Pick and mix.

 Charles Dance looks pretty good for 74. 

What's going on with those two silly wags. C'mon Mrs Vardy and Mrs Rooney, for Gods sake get yourselves sorted out. Two mothers having a playground spat, costing them thousands, but I don't suppose they care. It's all about, she said that and she said this. What a chuffin waste of time. If you hate each other just go your separate ways. 

Amazed at the Daily Fail headline this morning. Have they done a U turn. Moving on from project scare the shit out of everybody, to telling it like it really is.. 

The best Black Friday deal. You can fly to Barcelona for £8.99. But don't bank on being able to come back again.

Doctor Michael Mosely is talking common sense again. The secret to treating diabetes is losing weight. 

There is a nasal spray which could be ready in weeks, to protect from the convids. It lasts 48 hours, so when you get ready to go out give yourself a quick squirt up the nostrils and you will be safe. You can chuck your masks away when you have protection from within. 

Oh dear, Ruthie has been caught cheating. Celebrity viewers were left fuming. She really shouldn't be talking about her shagging session with prince eddy. 

Good to see that Katie Piper has received an honorary doctorate for her work as health care leader. She came through a terrible ordeal to achieve great things. 

When I look at Mr Hancocks face, I wonder if he ever has sex. Can't imagine him getting excited. 

Rishi is still on a spending spree. Is there any money left in the pot? 

Jim Davidson is doing a lockdown diary on yooootoooob, every morning except Sunday. I like his rants. 

It's flippin cold, Oscar has been in for his breakfast, now Mayze is up and wants hers. I'm going to put the heating on and make porridge. Then decide what to do for the rest of the day. A billy walk is planned for this afternoon. 

Ave a nice day. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do. Toodle pip.   ilona

Thanks David.

I've just spent an enjoyable night with David Jason. Started off with Only Fools and Horses, finished up with Open All Hours. Laughed my head off.  

Now going to bed. Goodnight. ilona

Nice to chat with someone new.

The weather is changing day by day. yesterday it was a lovely sunny day, just right for a walk, today dull and gloomy, so a day indoors. 

I was ten minutes into the walk when I came across a young man in his little pickup truck, I have seen him before, he works for Lord Sheffield who owns the estate. He stopped to chat. What a nice young man he is, 17 years old, loves his job, goes to college two days a week to study land management, has a girlfriend and a dog. I am nosey you see. It was refreshing to have a grown up conversation with a level headed and interesting teenager. I hope he does well for himself in his career. 

 I had to up my pace after that. After standing talking for half an hour there was a chance that I might run out of daylight again. I marched on, not stopping for the rest of the walk. 

The sun was going down just as I was arriving back in the village, and the moon was visible. 

The floodlit church looks mysterious. 
 

After lunch today I went into the kitchen and gave it a good going over. I do that every so often, when I am fed up of the mess. All is tidy again now. 

Once again I am sitting on the cheap office chair, both cats are occupying the best ones. 

That's about it. Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Saving money on hand washing.

Hello, plenty of sunshine today, so I went a walk while this video was uploading to yooootoooob. Six miles walked today. 

I've got a few photo's so I'll put them on tomorrow. Short and sweet tonight. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

My babies.

The wind is howling outside, but we are snug and warm inside. Mayze on her office chair.

Oscar on the best office chair.

And this is my office chair. Not much chance of relaxing on that. 

Goodnight and Toodle pip.   ilona

If I Ruled The World

Hello. This song popped into my head this morning. 

Questions.

Who rules your world now?

Who will rule your world in the future? 

How much of your world are you willing to give away? 

The decision is yours. 

Take back your world before it's too late. 

That's all. Lots of love.   ilona

A lot of logs

 Good evening. I did five miles this afternoon, and I have hit the target of 916 miles for eleven months. Which means I can have the rest of the month off, of course I won't. Best foot forward, keep going.

For lunch today I had mushrooms and fresh egg noodles. Underneath this is a secret, a helping of steamed vegetables, I made two portions last night in the steamer pan. My goodness it was lovely. 

I discovered the reason for the huge logs placed across the path along the bottom of the wood. They have been busy there, chopping trees down. What a sad sight it looks. I suppose there is a reason for it. The wood is going to look pretty sparse after this. They did the same thing a few years ago. It will recover, but it looks awful now. 

All down to money I should think, wonder how much they will get for this lot. 

Brrrrrrr, it was flippin cold. Big jacket, woolly hat, and furry hood. 

The windfarm blades were not moving even though it was windy. Maybe they have enough electricity and they have switched them off.. 

I was rather hoping that this lot had been taken away. It was reported two weeks ago, a load of books, cd's, dvd's, and tapes. Such a shame they weren't picked up and relocated to a charity shop when they were first dumped. Now they are weather damaged. 

Thanks very much for popping in, now it's time for dinner. 

We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip. ilona

Making another rope.

 And the day turns into night once more. It's been a lovely afternoon, sunny but also bitter cold. I was well wrapped up when I took Billy dog for a walk. We saw lots of people all doing the same thing, walking dogs around the village, and couples walking without a dog. Cyclists and joggers were getting their daily exercise. It was nice to stop and chat to people. 

I wasn't too keen on how this rope was turning out, the colours were a bit lost within the twisting. In the videos the instructions are to go round and round in a zigzag stitch. I tried that but the needle was struggling to go through it, and it was difficult to hold it together as it was going through the machine. 

So I cheated and put some iron on stabiliser on the back, and stitched across it with straight lines. That made the job a bit easier. It is now a coaster. Not a very successful experiment. 

So now I am trying another one. This time the strips are 2.5 inches wide, instead of the one inch. I already had the pink strips, someone gave them to me, I cut up an old tablecloth for the white strips. This makes a thicker rope, it's easier, quicker, and not so fiddly. I think I will have enough to make a bowl. 

Now it's time to get the dinner on. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Words.

 I woke up this morning, early, with something on my mind. I have to put it into words before it disappears. I made a mug of coffee, turned on the computer, had a flit around, what else is going on. Now my words don't seem so important. 

It's not yet light, I might go for a walk, nobody about this early on a Sunday morning. Best time to go for a walk. I might have a go at putting the words together. It is important that I get this written down. 

It's all well and good to write chitter chatter, if that's what floats your boat. I do it sometimes, just write anything to fill a space, always putting off the more important issues. I can be a deep thinking person, and can also be frivolous and scatty. I think that's a good thing. Many people misunderstand me. How can you make judgements about someone you don't know? I don't understand that. 

I will try and put my words together, it may take a while. 

Catch ya later.  ilona

Bimbling around Manton

 Blue skies, a bit windy and no rain, was the cue for me to go for a walk yesterday. I drove to the village of Scawby. I have walked this area before, a long time ago. I set off down the road towards Greetwell. There is a shortage of footpaths around here so some road walking is inevitable. Passing Greetwell Hall, I turned left down a track towards Manton. Big open spaces, fields and disused quarries. There are some woods, but I tend to not wander into them because there's a good possibility that I might not find my way out. 

I was sorely tempted to sit on that bench for ten minutes, but decided not to. It was as windy as heck. Definitely a woolly hat day. 

I came into the village of Manton. Looking back through my blog I found a picture of this church taken in 2013. The first time I saw it, a few years before that, it had been abandoned and was in a state of disrepair. Pity I wasn't carrying a camera at the time. In 2013 some of the work had been done to turn it into residential accommodation. Here it is now, all done.  

They had to bulldoze a new entrance from the road. The garages and courtyard are separate from the main building. I would assume that was because the graves could not be disturbed. It looks magnificent now. There was no sign of life so I sat and ate my lunch on a pile of bricks. 

At the top of the hill coming out of the village this memorial looks like it hasn't been here for very long. 

From there on it was a matter of walking along quiet roads back to Scawby. I like the way they have carved these big logs. The phone box is empty, it hasn't been re purposed. 

The light is beginning to fade now, two last pictures before I get into my car and drive home. Scawby Church. 

The old school, now residential. 

My circular route was eight miles, going in an anti clockwise direction. 

My fridge is now stocked up again, I went to Aldi last night. It's three weeks since I last went. I picked up a few things when I got the cat food from Home Bargains, ten days ago, and Carol gave me some fruit and veg for walking Billy. I am getting used to this minimalistic way of shopping, only using two shops and only going when I need to. It suits me fine. 

Looking dull outside. Have a good weekend, whatever you are doing.  Toodle pip.   ilona

Learning the ropes.

 Hello. Did you like JP, he's a hoot isn't he. A very funny man if you like a bit of micky taking. 

I've found some videos about making rope out of strips of fabric, so that's what I am playing with at the moment. I've got some remnants of bed sheets and duvet covers which I previously used for pet beds, so I am cutting them up. There is a method of twisting two strips and making them into rope, which can then be used for making coasters, place mats, bowls, and even floor mats if you have the patience. 

The twisting can be done while watching a screen or listening to the radio. The strips are one inch wide, I might try it with wider strips to make thicker rope. I will keep going, it's a learning curve. 

Tonight I made a pan of stew. I added some Quorn pieces to the vegetables, and then thickened it with some broccoli and stilton cheese soup mix. It is lovely.

It's been a lovely day, plenty of sunshine so I did my three mile walk around the village, then took Billy a walk. I've opened a bottle of vintage cider tonight.

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

How to Get Instagram Famous

Good morning. Let's have a bit of frivolity, all chuckle together. I love this man, JP is such a piss taker, he lightens my mood. When things get heavy step outside the box, and have a bloody good belly laugh. 

Catch ya later.  Toodle pip.   ilona

My latest arty crafty makes. Video and pics.

Here is a bit more information and a closer look at the new artwork. I call it Pollution. 

It's been windy today and I haven't been out, so I'm going for a walk now. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona