Yesterday was a lovely day for a walk. I chose a different route from what I normally do. No targets on miles, walk along the riverbank and take one of the several tracks towards the woods. They are not all designated walking tracks, so best not to wander alongside fields which have a no access sign. No problem with walking along the riverbank, plenty of people do it. In fact I met a group of five people and three dogs. They had driven from Scunthorpe for an afternoon ramble with a pub stop.
I put a fleece in my rucksack, I needed it. A bit breezy.
Carry on along here, turn left when you get to the end.
There are still some bluebells to be seen. They won't last much longer. The wild garlic flowers are dying off a bit now.
Someone to chat with? Luckily my mother came along as well. 😎
Now it's time for lunch and I will take Billy dog out at 3pm.
Have a lovely Sunday. It's warm and sunny here again. Toodle pip. ilona
Have a look at this Farm Shop with me. All very nicely laid out, lots of fresh produce, and a good choice of foodstuffs. Here is a link to their web site. Booth House Farm Shop.
Now I'm off out for a walk. The sun is shining. Have a good weekend.
I had another trip to the tip this afternoon. More junk thrown in the skips. Slowly getting down it and the place is beginning to look a bit tidier.
I need some shopping so I thought I would do something a bit different. There is a well established Farm Shop which I haven't been to before. Worth a look I thought. It has a good reputation. Maybe it is time to support a local small business.
I was impressed by the selection of fresh food on offer.
I really enjoyed browsing, and filling my basket.
What did I get for £30.
I shall be going again. It made a nice change to pick up a few new items to try. This is not going to save me any money, but it was fun. I made a video which I will upload tomorrow.
I had to laugh when I read the Government announcement that they were planning an emergency test alert signal to be sent to all mobile phones. Apparently it was a loud buzz with a message flashing up on the screen. It was timed to happen at 3pm on Sunday. I didn't get one, where was mine. 😱
There has been a lot of speculation about what constitutes an emergency which is so serious that requires all of us to be ready for whatever might happen. A heavy downpour of rain for instance, perhaps hit by lightening, or maybe an alien spaceship landing on our country and obliterating most of mankind.
I see from the discussions that followed the test alert, that many people did not quite grasp the thinking behind the experiment. People were happy to report that they did indeed receive the buzz and the message, others were quite miffed that nothing came through on their phone. What a disappointment, all that build up for nothing.
Some of us are one step ahead of the Government trickeries being foisted upon us. The Nudge Unit are playing a blinder by moving us along to the next so called pretend disaster. They have just wasted 2 million £'s on this test.
The idea behind it was to test how compliant people would be in the face of some impending disaster. It was a data collection exercise, they need to know how much control they can muster, and the demographic location of all the phones capable of receiving the alerts.
Project Fear has worked well up to now, they need to come up with new ideas of how to control the masses. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
Today I have been de cluttering, sorting through stuff I have collected, stuff that might come in useful for something. I am being brutal, giving stuff away, chucking it in the bin, and yesterday I took some stuff to the tip. There is stuff that I haven't touched for years, I am never going to use it. This process will take a while, I will go through everything I own and decide what goes and what stays.
It's been a nice day and I have mowed the lawn. The bins are out on the front awaiting collection tomorrow. I had a soak in the bath. So life is back to normal.
Someone has sent me a comment on the yoootooob channel. I have had lots, I have read them all but haven't replied to any of them. Most of them don't need a reply, they are just nice people who wish me well.
One comment is quite worrisome. I copy it here.
Ilona, please check in. Even if just to tell me to mind my own business. I hope you did not have a relapse and that you continue to be on the road to recovery.
This person is letting their imagination run wild. I have given no indication about my health deteriorating, there is no need for anyone to worry about me. Everything is under control.
There are aspects of my life that I do not wish to share. I don't want the responsibility of people worrying about me if they don't hear from me. I am well. If I don't post on the blog, or don't make a video, it's because I have nothing to say. This is about simplifying my life. Blocking comments means I take back control of my life.
Nine pet beds made out of two donated duvet's. Normally I would go around the four sides a few inches from the edge to hold the layers together, but they are going to be too bulky to fit under the foot of the sewing machine. Instead I will hand stitch through from front to back in the four corners. That will stop the contents from scrunching up when they are put in a washing machine.
Here is a catch up video, just to let you know what is happening. You will probably be able to hear Mayze's snoring.
I hope it stops raining so I can have a walk around the village.
I've had some really nice emails from some really nice people. It sort of puts everything into perspective. Like a smack in the face to those nasty people who are so bitter they would pick a fight with their own shadow. The wedge has been driven deep. That's in the past. Life is good.
Photo taken from my window. Mau Mau has made himself at home here. A different cat to what he was a year ago, roaming the streets and getting into punch ups. He wanders in and out, like he owns the place, and never goes walkabout. He has everything here.
Exciting news! We have a new collection point in the village. Donate your unwanted stuff, there are limitations. Don't dump your bags outside on the ground if the bin is full. Easier than driving to town to a charity shop.
In the absence of my family, Janet has been looking after me and the cats. A true friend, the best anyone could have.
It's a strange journey I am on. I am not used to being ill, but ho hum, it is what it is. I'm playing the waiting game. Resting has given me a lot of time to get my thoughts together. Things start to click into place. It is no longer important for me to sit at the computer for hours. When people expect to see blog posts and video's churned out on a regular basis, then question why I haven't posted in a few days, that's my cue to walk away. I don't want the pressure.
I won't be abandoning the ship however. From now on the computer will spend more hours switched off, than it will be switched on. I need to get off the treadmill. My blog posts will be short and simple from now on as I reclaim my life back.
Thank you to those who have sent me emails. I will get round to replying eventually.
Things are looking up. Day five and this Convid bug thingy has fizzled out. I have slept a lot, and sat around doing nothing. Easing myself gently back into normal life. Steady little tasks that take very little effort. Put dirty washing into machine and hang on line when it's done. Spud in the microwave with grated cheese. Porridge with a banana. Simple food. Did a bit of hand sewing today, and put the wheelie bin out at the front gate. Fed the cats myself. Nothing too taxing.
I want to keep up this steady slower pace of life, so the plan is to eliminate anything that creates stress. The only time I will be checking on what is going on with the current situation, is to keep myself up to date. Anyone else who is interested in that subject should do their own research. For three years I have shared links to articles and videos, which never make it onto main stream media.
I have no regrets. I knew from the start that the whole WEF, WHO, the Pandemic, The Climate Crisis, The War, Build Back Better, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Globalisation, was all built on lies. And so it will continue. The Western World do not have leaders, they are under orders from the Bankers, Big Tech, and Big Pharma. The most powerful are evil psychopaths and they will stop at nothing.
There are a lot of good people fighting for democracy, for our freedoms. I hope they carry on.
Just a quick hello. Thank you to those who have sent me emails. I will get round to replying to them soon. Everything is fine here, enjoying some me time in this lovely weather. I needed to take a step back, to stop, to take stock of where I am going. I ain't no spring chicken any more. I'll be back in a few days. Toodle pip. ilona
When I came back from my walk yesterday the last mile was a struggle. Five miles has always been easy for me. Aching legs and back, shoulder and neck muscles feeling tight, and uncontrollable shivering. I was glad to get back in the house. I put the heating on and layered up. An early night for me.
I didn't sleep well, up and down to the bathroom. Today Janet came in to feed the cats, my energy was completely depleted. I have been in bed for most of the day.
I wasn't going to switch the computer on, but curiosity got the better of me. I want to know what is going on in the world. I see things are going from bad to worse. Shocking scenes of riots in France. Unarmed people being beaten up by baton swinging riot squad. The Two Freds speaking about people losing trust in the medical system. They speak the truth. Last night I wondered if I should call for an ambulance, I felt pretty rotten. No, not much point. I don't want to lie on a trolley for 12 hours waiting for a doctor to see me. I will stick it out at home.
After a day of doing nothing I am feeling a bit better. I know I have been pushing myself too hard. I expect my body to keep up, but at 74 next month, I have to be realistic. Maybe have a few more days of doing nothing. I will struggle with that because I hate wasting time, but looking after my health is important.
Sorry but comments still closed. I can't face dealing with all the negativity that is thrown at me. People have to sort their own lives out. Bed time. Goodnight.
Here's another video I knocked up this morning. Might as well show the cat food for all you animal lovers. I think we all know owning animals can be a very expensive hobby. I suppose I could tell them to go out and catch their own food, but I have only ever seen one badly mauled mouse here, and a few feathers on the lawn. I think they would hop it and go and live somewhere else if I stopped feeding them. They have it dead easy here, the slave, (me), puts out a buffet selection each morning, with top ups during the day if I am here. Janet does the same if I am not here. I put some supper out if they want to eat overnight.
I was itching to go a walk this afternoon, but what to wear? Is it cold enough for a heavy jacket with a furry hood, or a lighter jacket with several layers. I chose the furry hood. The wind was bitter, whipping across the fields. I turned my hearing aid off because the noise was too much. I walked in almost silence. The sun did come out on occasions, then I was too hot.
When I got back home I was back to being cold again, couldn't stop shivering. Heating on and a drink of hot lemon and honey helped to warm me up. I am feeling my age a bit now. I'm glad I didn't commit to walking another 1000 miles. It's nice not to have that pressure.
Now I am going to relax for the last hour before bed time. Thanks for popping in. Catch ya soon.
Good morning. Not looking good outside. I am half way through making pet beds out of old duvet's. It looks like it has been snowing in here, with all the stuffing escaping as I cut them up. They are stacked up in the corner waiting to be covered. I might as well crack on with that and see if the weather improves enough to go out this afternoon.
Breakfast has gone down a treat. Avocado on toast spread with peanut butter, and an egg on top, with a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil. Watching a vid while I eat.
I have been following Mike, the German in Venice for quite some time. Always down to earth, always entertaining. He lives in LA and has recently been home to see his mother in Germany. This video is a little different to what he normally puts out. He loves Hollywood and has a wealth of knowledge about the stars who live there, past and present.
In this one he tells us about his health problems. He comes across as full of beans and loving life, but inside there is something else going on. He has always been a big fella, now he has had a wake up call and must change his lifestyle. As he says in this video, if it helps one person to wake up and change some unhealthy habits to get their weight down and get fit, then it's worth it.
Sharing information is the way to go. Good luck Mike, stick with it.
This has taken a long time to upload. I have had requests to do another food shopping video. People in other parts of the world are curious about how much we pay for food in the UK. Here I show you what I bought yesterday at Aldi. I don't do the yellow sticker shopping like I used to, because I am not skint any more. Although I am still careful with my spending, I also allow myself a few treats.
It's time I went to bed, we'll catch up tomorrow. Toodle pip. ilona
Here is a quick look at what I am working on, on the craft table. You may remember that I have a lot of plastic offcuts given to me by a friend who makes signage. I picked out these and played around with the layout. Random colours and random shapes. Then I drilled small holes in them.
Once I had decided on the layout I started to sew them onto a piece of thick black fabric. I have added a few buttons as well.
So now I need to think about the next stage. I had planned to put this onto a board, pulling it tight and lacing it at the back. Then mounting it on a larger board covered with a coloured fabric, giving it a frame. There is still something missing. It needs something else. I am tempted to turn it landscape, or should it be portrait.
I did a big shop this afternoon, spending £200 in three shops. I have been asked to do a food shop video so I will film it in the kitchen tomorrow and get it onto the blog later.
The wind is howling outside tonight. All pussies are inside safe and warm.
Regretfully I have had to turn off comments again. Apologies to my genuine readers who appreciate the time and effort that I put into my posts. There is so much abuse coming through from people who are stalking me.
Please can we go back to 1969 when a black man and a white man sing Good Golly Miss Molly, together.
Fast forward to the present day when someone complains that a pub has a lot of black face gollies on display, because the landlady collects them. Six police officers are dispatched to the job of removing some of them. Landlady is determined to keep her gollies and puts up a notice saying if you are offended don't come in. If anyone has a spare golly please send it to The White Hart (Golly Pub) in Grays, Essex. Thank you.
No walking today, heavy rain on and off. It's very quiet here in the village, I suppose a lot of people have gone away for the Bank Holiday weekend. The Park was busy yesterday, I did six miles, it was sunny and warmish.
The squirrels that live in the park seem quite tame. I suppose they get used to people walking through the woods.
The ducks were scattered about around the pond. I think it must be mating season. I felt sorry for one female who was trying to fight off four males. The poor thing. I had to step in and shoooo them away.
Alone with my thoughts, let's make a video. I always get that urge when walking past the memorial bench. Something on my mind. Pondering as I am walking along.
The sun has miraculously come out, I might get chance to do a village walk. Thanks for popping in.
Richard has a passion for England. This monologue resonates with me.
We must rise up. Look on Easter as the new beginning. Fight for our freedom before it is too late. Back to my sewing. The weather is not too good today.
It was a fine sunny day when I arrived at Pickering. I put a two hour parking ticket on the car, that should be enough for a mooch around. First stop of course was the railway station. Can't go to Pickering and not go looking for a steam train. I spoke with one of the volunteers who checked the timetable for me. Yes there is one due in, and it is a steam train. I am in luck.
People started gathering on the platform, cameras at the ready. Not long now. The wooden steps are set out along the platform edge so passengers can safely alight from the carriages. Tension is mounting, more people arrive to join the queue to get on, ready for it's departure.
I was ready for it and started filming a few seconds before the arrival. But who is this person coming towards me with a big grin on his face? Why, it's Andrew Ditton, of motorhome and caravanning fame. I didn't expect to see him again after our meet up yesterday. What a nice surprise. I stopped filming because I didn't know if he wanted to be on my video. A coincidence that he arrived just before the train did? Probably not. Out came his camera and we both pointed at the incoming train.
A short and sweet video.
I hung around to watch what happens next, and take some photo's. This is the end of the line, so the engine uncouples from the carriages, moves over to the empty track, and there it is in reverse going to the other end.
Passing all the stationary carriages, they begin to hook it back up to what is now the front end.
The train will now travel back to Whitby in reverse.
Chuck a few more shovels of coal on the fire to get the steam up.
Driver waiting for the guards to wave the green flag to signal all doors are shut and it's ready to go.
Looks good, all safely coupled.
By by train. See you next time I am in Yorkshire.
A blast of the whistle. Love that sound.
I had time for a bimble around Pickering, while enjoying my favourite icecream, a Magnum of course. A look at the church, and explore the nearby shops.
Time to set off back home. It's a very pleasant drive through the North Yorkshire countryside. Malton and Norton, the B1248 through Wetwang and Bainton, to Beverley and the Humber Bridge.
Ah well, back to normal now, and thinking about where to go next. It's sunny outside. I have a Billy dog walk this afternoon, and I might spend some time in the garden. Enjoy your Easter whatever you are doing. Toodle pip. ilona
Hello Good Friday. The sun is shining so we might be lucky for a walk out later. I will wind up the Whitby visit now, so we can move on to Pickering.
A walk on the beach as the sun was rising. Lots of happy dogs. The rules for walking dogs on the beach change on May 1st. When the holiday season kicks off dogs are only allowed on the beach further along towards Sandsend.
Climb back up to the Promenade. Anyone with mobility difficulties can take the lift up and down.
Whitby Pavilion is an entertainment and exhibition venue. Looking at the advertisement boards they have a busy season ahead.
You know when you meet a stranger for the first time, and you get a feeling that this person is going to be on your wavelength. This is happening to me more frequently now. I think some people are keen to stop and have a chat. Of course there will always be those who are in a hurry and don't want to engage in conversation. Their thoughts are elsewhere and they wish to stay in their bubble without interruptions.
I am drawn to dogs of all kinds, and love to see them happy, so naturally I want to greet them. If the owner responds with a smile, then it's possible that they will stop for a few minutes. I saw a woman with three dogs, they loved a bit of attention when I made a fuss of them. The woman was in no hurry and we ended up in a 30 minute conversation.
She said she was from Barnsley, she was fed up with working for the Council for 33 years and decided a change of scenery was needed. Her and her husband sold their house and moved to Whitby just eight weeks ago. She is now training to be a teaching assistant and the smile on her face said everything. We discovered that we are both singing from the same song sheet. I apologised for taking up so much of her time, she said no, I have enjoyed it and I have learnt something today. A stranger after my own heart. She was in a place where she didn't want to be, and made some changes.
I was going to make this a short walk because I wanted to take a steady ride back, stopping off at a couple of places. I spotted the distinctive bright yellow tour bus down on the quayside, so I made my way through the narrow streets down to the bottom. By this time the cafes were opening up and people were sitting in the sunshine having a coffee. A yellow bus arrived so I paid the fare of £7, for a 45 minute ride.
Then it was time to leave Whitby. I didn't have a lot of time so I made the decision to stop off at Pickering to see if there were any steam trains about. That will be covered in my next post.
Have a nice Easter. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip. ilona
Good morning. It's Thursday and I am catching up with blog posts. As two people mentioned on a previous post, this is indeed Dougal on the left and Ted on the right. I met up with Andrew Ditton at Whitby Railway Station. He is in Yorkshire doing some filming for his channel and came on the train from Pickering where he is staying on a camp site.
I have been following Andrew for a few years. His passion is camping, caravans, motorhomes, camp sites, ferry crossings, and good places to visit. I watched his How to Hebrides series which inspired me to take a holiday there. Here is the first of six videos to get you started if you are thinking of travelling there. I have to warn you that once you start watching you will be thinking can I do this.
After a good old chinwag over a coffee for me and tea for Andrew, we had to say goodbye, as he caught the train back to Pickering. I am so pleased that he found time in his busy schedule to meet up with me. He is just as nice in real life as he is in his videos. His channel has over 600 videos, the link is here.
I still had some time left on my parking ticket so off I went on a walkabout. I have been here before, and anyone who comes knows that they have to take the 199 steps up to the Abbey and the church. It's compulsory. For those unable to take the steps there is a road you can drive along to get there.
There are seats positioned at intervals along the side of the steps, so if you need to catch your breath you can rest a while. When you go up stop for a few seconds and look back. The views are glorious.
This is a photograph I took from the top deck of the tour bus, which I went on the following day.
The Youth Hostel is close by, I have stayed there several times.
The view out to sea from the churchyard.
Then it was time to move the car, my parking ticket was soon to expire. I needed to find a parking spot for the night, preferably free. On the other side of the town is the West Promenade. Plenty of parking on the side of the road along there. I drove right to the end away from the Cook monument and found the end of the parking which required a ticket. There were five of six spaces beyond the disc parking scheme. That will do nicely. There was time to go for a walk along the Promenade and the beach.
I had brought food with me, plus a quiche I bought from the Co op. As it was getting dark I got into my bed. I kept my clothes on apart from the trousers. No point in stripping off just to get cold. I slept well under my duvet. and woke with the sun streaming in at 7am.
There are more Whitby pics to come and another video. I'll post them tomorrow. Thanks for popping in.
Hello. My working life ended 15 years ago. Now I just please myself. This is my diary. What I do and what I think about. You are welcome to read it. Toodle pip.
