Very rude

 I had a phone call the other day. A very well spoken gentleman with a foreign accent, background noise of a call centre. I was very quickly alerted to the fact that it was another of those sales pitches that was coming down the line. I jump in with both feet and within the first few words I say, 'I don't need to speak to you, goodbye.' 

Within a couple of seconds the phone rang again. I picked it up and said, hello. The same man said why did you put the phone down. I replied, because you are selling something and I don't need anything. He said, no I'm not. 

That's the tactic they use. Pretend that they are your friend, a little bit of chatty small talk, like how are you today. I'm not falling for that, so I cut them off quickly. Then he said, 'well I don't want to talk to you today'. And he put the phone down on me. 

He rang me back just to tell me that. Ha ha. Silly bugger. I wonder how many people would listen to him reading from a script for any length of time. 

And before any of the woke mob say I am very rude to cut people off like that, they are only doing their job, piffle. I know selling is a hard job, I have done it, on the phone and face to face. Expect the 'no thanks, I don't want it', and move on.

A sales job is a bit like life really. Expect some knockbacks. Get up, move on, and you never know, you might hit the jackpot with the next one. 

By the way, saying 'no' gets easier the more often you say it.  

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

How does she do it!

Speed Week at Elvington Airfield in York, UK.

Setting up the bike 'Odyssey' for the track.

Not perfect conditions with a head wind but after 6 full throttle runs we have some information we can use to set up for running at full speed at the next event.

Our Becci's been at it again. There is no holding our Speed Queen back. No doubt we will get all the low down at the Chat and Craft meeting next week. 

More pics on  Worlds Fastest Woman. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Not alone.

 This is from .Active Patriot. He has 118.6k followers on da tweeeeter. 

Mental health and depression are real. My only wish if worse come to worse is to be buried near my mum, if anyone can make that happen I'd be internally grateful. Sorry in advance if I've let people down but this pain is unbearable, I don't think I can do this no more.

I would like to apologise to everyone, I'm sorry I've not been in touch, I'm not in a very good place at the minute, when I feel better I will thank every single one of you for your messages of support, you've made me realise am not alone and for that I'll be forever grateful.

Some comments,

This has shocked the hell out of me. You don't know me, but mate, we need you. You're a legend. Please know the way you're feeling will pass. Be strong and focus on this fact.

DM me, I will give you my number. Let’s talk this through. I have been where you are. I ate the whole bottle of aspirin. Thankfully someone found me. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but your are stronger than you think.

Just seen this, hope you are ok fella! Please don’t do anything hasty and make sure you speak to someone close ok, you have thousands of followers on here that love what you do and would be happy to help, take care my friend.

I’m so sorry you are feeling so very bad atm. Yes depression is awful and sometimes medication can make everything very unclear. You have to count the good days, because whilst they might be smaller in numbers, they are worth 100 bad days. Have a goal and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Thank you so much for all you do, WE really appreciate you and your work. WE need you, so let us be here for you.

You have many followers who are concerned- and it takes guts to take note what you said - and to apologise - you work hard on exposing what is happening - and we are grateful for it - I truly believe what we are witnessing has dragged you down.

Don't ever, ever give up. There are lots of people that can help you including me. All you have to do is reach out your hand, take the first step and make contact. Know that you are not alone in this fight .

The rampant corruption in government and deliberate destruction of our country is taking its toll on many of us mentally, you're definitely not alone but I know you're an absolute warrior and you'll get through it, stay strong buddy, we're with you.

We have to have hope, there is no other way.

Make today the best day of your life. Thanks for popping in.

Toodle pip. ilona

Laughing out loud.

 Sorry, can't write a post tonight. I've just spent an hour laughing my socks off at Mr Brown, also know as Chubbs. It was foocking funny. 😂😂😂😂😂

Now I've got to go for a walk. 

Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Covered.

Oooooh heck mother, my roof has gone. 

Off with the old. 

Looking neat and tidy so far. 

Here comes the new. 

An advert for the company. 

Brilliant team work. Would recommend. Saved up and paid for. It was either change the car or a new roof. The car will last another year. Now let it rain. Peace of mind. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Clutching at straws

 Here is an important message load of baloney, from  The Conservative Party. 

A future Conservative government will introduce mandatory National Service for every 18-year-old. This is a bold new model of national service for 18-year-olds to be spent either in a competitive, full-time military commission over 12 months or 25 days a year (equivalent to one weekend per month) volunteering in the community. This will give young people valuable skills, make our country more secure, and build a stronger national culture. The first pilot is open for applications in September 2025, and we will introduce a new National Service Act to ensure that every 18-year-old will be required to do either military or civic national service by the end of the next Parliament.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Will they be able to distract young people away from their mobile gizmo's? I don't think so. By the time this plan comes to fruition they will have been well indoctrinated into giving up cash and handing over all their monetary transactions to CBDC. They won't be able to afford a half decent car and will have to walk everywhere. Or get on their bike, or get a bus. Their diets will be synthetic man made in a laboratory junk food. The Government will take away every bit of pleasure and fun that they ever had, and expect them to fight for their country. And that's only the half of it. 

Without writing a lengthy post on the New World Order and the Great Reset, thus giving the trolls a field day, I'll leave it at that. 

Clutching at straws smacks of desperation. The lies will keep coming. 

Have a nice Bank Holiday Monday. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Art at the Hall.

The weather has been a bit confusing today. I decided to go to Normanby Park and have a look at an art exhibition in the hall. An umbrella was needed so I took my new posh Van Gogh sunflowers. It started raining when I got there. Here are a few snaps of the pictures on display. 

The Jon Dent Art Group meet weekly in the North Lincolnshire area. They have a Facebook page. If you go to this link there are more photo's of this exhibition. I don't know if it will work if you are not on Facebook. 

I picked out a couple of my favourites. 

The weather by this time had taken a turn for the better, so I walked around the park. The sun came out. The Bambi deer were close to the fence. 

On the way home loud booms of thunder could be heard over yonder. The sky had darkened and I wondered if we were in for another downpour. Luckily the storm moved on and missed us. 

No plans for tomorrow yet. We'll see what the weather brings. Enjoy your Bank Holiday Monday. 

Toodle pip.   ilona 

Art through a camera lens

It's a wet Sunday morning here in North Lincolnshire. A new roof is a great comfort to me. Yesterday eight men worked in harmony, stripped the old one off, installed the new, and now I have peace of mind. What a great team. 

The exhibition on at the moment in Scunthorpe is a collection of photographs showing all aspects of the town and surrounding areas. 90 photographers took part in using their cameras to show the best and the worst bits of the town. All in the name of art. I took a couple of photo's but wasn't happy with them so I didn't enter. I later found out that I could have picked a couple out from my computer files. I was under  the impression that they had to be recent photo's, but there are snowy photo's in the collection. 

I went to the preview event on the 8th of May. Drinks and cakes were served. It was interesting to meet some of the photographers who had submitted entries. 

This exhibition is on until June 22nd. Still time to see it if you so wish. Check the 20 21 web site for details. 

Have a good, wet, Bank Holiday Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Make a seat cushion.

Good morning. The sun is shining on this Bank Holiday Saturday. 

Here is a little project I knocked up yesterday. You might like to make something similar. This fleece sweatshirt has seen better days, it is worn out. So why not turn it into something else. 

First wash it, then lay it out flat. Cut off the waistband and the sleeves. 

Then remove the cuffs and open the sleeves out. The neckline was bulky so I cut that off as well. The back and front become the base, then layer the smaller pieces on top. 

Pin it all down and run the machine over it a few times to hold it all together. 

Find a piece of fabric to make the cover. I have lots donated to me from a house clearance. You could use a pillow case, a piece of curtain, or a bed sheet. It needs to be washable. 

Make a pocket and insert the home made wadding. Close up the end. I sew a line with the machine about three inches from the edge. This keeps it in place when in the washing machine. You could do a fancy quilt if you like. 

I have three office chairs which I move about in the living room. Mayze cat has first choice, I utilize the others depending on what I am doing. 

Sometimes I get to relax on the easy chair. 

I have a few of these covers now. Most of them are made from cut up duvet's. They are useful to use on garden seats as well. No need to buy new. 

Anyway. My builders have turned up. Looks like I won't be going far today. No doubt endless cups of tea will be needed, and yes, I have bought some teabags. 

Toodle pip. ilona 

Checking out the new bank.

Ha ha, you've gotta laugh haven't you. This mornings entertainment was provided by those plonkers who's only way to get their message across is to do it anonymously. I am deleting loads of comments because I haven't time to play verbal table tennis with them.

Anyway, let's move on. I thought I had better go to town and check out the Barclays Hub. The website gives their opening times. Five days a week apparently, and closed for lunch 12.30 to 1pm. Well that's not too bad. They are not able to do cash transactions, that's ok with me because I use the Post Office for that. As I have to pay a large amount direct to a builder, I went to see how that works. It is very easy apparently. The man was very helpful and talked me through it. So now I do not feel completely abandoned.   

I had an hour free parking so I had a mooch around the town. There is a Home Bargains store so I picked up a few things that I can't get in Aldi. 

I see there is a new cut price shop opened. I haven't seen that before. Curiosity got the better of me and I spent five minutes checking to see what was on offer. There are shelves in the window display but once you get inside it is like a warehouse. Nearly everything is stacked on pallets. Wheeled straight from the lorry at the back and put in place on the shop floor with a pallet truck. I can see that this shop will be useful for those who are on a tight budget. 

I had to be quick because my one hour parking was nearly up. Just as I was about to leave this 25p shelf label jumped out at me. Oooh, what's that. Worth a try so I bought two packets. 

On the way home I called in Barnes Cash and Carry. Haven't been there for ages. I used to buy quite a lot from here. Funny how shopping habits change when you can slacken the purse strings. I bought two bags of ready cooked rice for £1. 

We are coming up to another Bank Holiday. Enjoy yourself whatever you do. I might stay local. Waiting for the builder to contact me. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Healthy? Not really.

What the heck? This is the reason why I don't eat out. Someone posted this as a celebration meal. They were on a night out in a restaurant. I don't tell people not to eat meat, just because I don't, but this looks like the burnt offerings from a barbeque. How absolutely revolting, I feel sick just looking at it. Is this a meal for one, or a platter for two people to share? I don't know. 

If people choose to eat this way then they should take responsibility for their health 5, 10, 20, years down the line. Surely if someone continues to eat this kind of food long term it is going to have disastrous consequences on their expanding waistline.   

I'm not saying my diet is perfect, but if people could incorporate more vegetables into their meals, maybe their clothes would fit them better. Home made chick pea patties and salad. 

Avocado, raw button mushrooms, chopped fruit and salad leaves, with a yogurt dip. 

Steamed vegetables, can't get enough of them. 

More steamed vegetables. 

Mushroom omelette. 

Spinach can be added to everything. 

Salad leaves with pasta and cheese. 

I mix and match everything, experimenting with different flavours. I break the rules. Now I am hungry. Time for brunch. 

I am back in my winter clothes, it's cold here. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.  ilona 

Ants in your pants

It's been very wet today, so I have done nothing outside, not even a walk. I went to Coffee Morning at the club, and called in at Angela's afterwards and had a natter and another coffee.

This afternoon I spent £68 at Aldi. I needed to restock the fridge. I was quite surprised to see that the checkout area has been re arranged. Some of the checkouts have been taken out and replaced with self serve scan yourself tills. This leaves four normal checkouts with assistants to scan things through. There was only one open though. Mind you this is normal anyway because the staff have to do all the jobs in the store. They are not allowed to sit on the till and wait for customers. I asked if there was ever going to be a time when only the self scan would be available. Say for instance quiet times when there aren't many customers in. I want to avoid those times because I never self scan. The young lady said there will always be someone available to open a normal checkout. It's a relief to know that. 

This is a short video that I recorded yesterday, it should have gone on the previous post. 

My attention was taken down on the ground yesterday while walking down a farm track. Millions of ants going about their business. They marched from one side to the other, never stopping. Obviously on a mission. Perhaps they were moving house, or stocking up on their food supplies. At one side of the track there were holes, like little caves. They kept crossing to the other side, and coming back again.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

What I saw today.

I desperately need some shopping, the fridge is empty. I can't be bothered to go tonight, too tired. Tomorrow will have to do. This morning three men arrived in a truck. I am having some work done on the house. They put up scaffolding. They will come back on Friday and start the job. It will only take a couple of days, and will cost a lot of money. It needs to be done. I have saved up for it so have the cash ready. 

This afternoon I did my usual five mile walk. Looking for something different to take a photo of. I didn't expect to see this crane. Looks like it is set up ready to do a job tomorrow. Jacked up, wheels off the ground. What a beauty it is. I love cranes. 

Don't know what this crop it, but it's coming along nicely. 

Plenty of flowers in the hedgerows. 

The soil round here is mainly clay. Sets as hard as a rock. 

A ladybug. 

Cute, eh! Took ages to get this photo. They kept moving around. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

See the Reds here.

 Anyone fancy seeing The Red Arrows this year. Here are some dates for you. 

Here is a list of  dates and events where they can be seen. 

Happy Monday. Toodle pip.   ilona

Glorious

Let's wind this Belton visit up shall we, with a walk around the lakes. This is within the grounds of the National Trust House. A glorious day to finish. 

I have seen lots of geese over the years, but this is the first time I have seen mom and pop with babies. 

Stunning tree. Aaaah the beauty of the great British countryside. 

Children love this place. Plenty of room for families picnicking. 

Today, Sunday morning I did an early walk. It's going to be another nice day. I came across another walker who was at the end of his walk and about to land back home. He described his walk, 6 miles, he said he started at 6am. Good for him. 

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona
 

Inside Belton House

I do like to look inside a big house, but only if there aren't many people. If it's too busy and people are shuffling around a one way system it's not very pleasant and I would probably give it a miss and go back later when the crowds have thinned out a bit. 

Belton House is beautifully furnished, and was not too busy. I am not really interested in the history of the buildings or the artifacts. I like to look and let my imagination do the rest. I think about what it might be like to live in such splendour. 

I love the wallpaper in this room. Can you imagine waking up in a garden. 

Oooops, my crazy modern dress sense looks way out of place here. 😎😝😁

I'll take breakfast in my room please. 

The sitting room to welcome guests. 

Lovely view of the garden from the bedroom. 

I didn't do a video from inside the house. Here I am relaxing in a deck chair. Soaking up the sun. 

Saturday morning and it's sunny. Yesterday it was too hot to go for a walk in the afternoon, so I went at 6pm to do my five miles. Plenty to do in the garden at the moment. The lawn needs mowing, it is growing quickly. A few more pics of Belton House left to show. Tomorrow a walk around the lakes. 

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