Killing three birds with one stone.

Hello. The weather hasn't been so good today. Although it has stayed dry there was no sun. I spent the morning sewing while watching catch up TV. After a lunch of beans on toast I took Rocky for a walk around the churchyard. While I was out I noticed some litter which needed picking up so when we got back he went indoors, while I got my stick and bag, and went straight back out again to tidy up. I needed to be outside walking, a good excuse to take some photo's for the blog, and the litter needed clearing away, so three birds with one stone. If Rocky could walk further and faster I could have made it four birds with one stone and picked while he ambled along beside me. 

So, a few Autumn pics of the village. This is the old Vicarage, and that is Jim on his bike, the handyman in the village. He does a lot of lawn mowing and other jobs as well.  

Looking across the Village Green, I zoomed in on Joyce as she was passing with her poodle, Bailey. She goes out every day about 1pm for the afternoon walk. Next week she has a luncheon to go to, so I will walk Bailey on that day so she needn't rush back.

At the top of the hill I decided to go down it a short way, because that is where people chuck rubbish out of their cars. There are no houses at that point and they think they can't be seen. The pedestrians have probably bought something at the shop and by the time they have got to the top of the hill they start discarding the wrappings and empty cans in the hedgerow. We shouldn't be getting so many carrier bags being thrown away now.

I've got a full bag so I empty it into the big bin next to the pub, the council come on a Monday to clear it out.

A scout round the churchyard, especially where the kids gather at the gate and I find some sweet and biscuit wrappings. The grass is carpeted by crunchy golden leaves. This wonderful big tree is near the door of the church. 

Next it's up the High Street past the cottages, and checking the bus shelter. Nothing in there. The lady who runs the B & B. has the job of clearing it out, she gets paid a small amount once a year. 

Turning left just before the Chinese takeaway and I am dismayed by the amount of rubbish dropped on the corner. Kids hang out there and any food which doesn't get eaten is thrown on the ground with the plastic boxes, and the plastic forks are then stamped on and broken into tiny pieces. Drinks cans are also discarded. I found a smashed beer glass, probably lifted from the pub. So I pick it all up and put it in the large litter bin, which they can't be bothered to use. The contractors are still here, digging up the pavements and putting new gas pipes in. Glad they are not coming down my street, such a mess.

In front of the Medical Centre we have a communal herb garden. Anyone can take some for their cooking. Such a nice idea.

There is a snicket from the Medical Centre to the Village Green which usually has a few bits of rubbish lying around. It's the route a lot of children take coming from and going to school. There are plenty of fallen leaves here. A big difference to when we have the Summer Fair in June and everything is lush and green. 

It's a popular place for dog walkers as well. There are bins to put dog poo in here, and thankfully most people use them.

Ah well, I've eaten my dinner, a second portion of yet another veggie stew. I had two thirds of a swede in the fridge which needed using up, so it got chopped up and put in the big pan, along with an onion and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. I also added wholemeal pasta to bulk it up. Just the thing to come home to in the dark evenings. Time to take Rocky out, so I'll sign off.

Catch you soon. Thanks for popping in. toodle pip

Sewing in the summerhouse

Hello. The days are whizzing by, it will be Spring before we know it. Today was like a summers day in the summerhouse. It was lovely to sit and stitch. Heidi joined me, and so did Rocky too. It's warmer in here than it is in the house. 

I am making some even smaller flags for a new bunting, started it this morning at the crafty club. Numbers were a bit thin on the ground, only five of us turned up. Still, it was nice to have some decent conversations without everyone talking at once. The less people there are means I can join in because I can hear what's being said.

After the sun went down over the houses, I went to the library. My friend Irene turned up, she handed a book to Stan which she didn't want. I didn't know that our library accepts donations of books. Apparently they will take books in any condition, and the ones they can't put on the library shelves are sold to a salvage company which will recycle the paper. I suppose with the cutbacks they have to make money in whichever way they can. Mind you, I do see places where they have wasted money as well, doing jobs which didn't seem necessary.

Annie asked a question on Wednesday.

I have tried to keep my heating off for as long as I can but have had to give in as we do not have an airing cupboard. My mother drummed it into us that all our clothes should be aired properly and not be put on damp. I have often wondered how you manage to keep you home from becoming damp with mildew etc. Looking at my hygrometer we have 70% humidity today. Is this a problem for you?

I don't have a problem with damp even though I am very frugal with my heating. I have the gas fire on at the moment, I give it half an hour in the living room I am sitting in, then turn it off. I won't put the central heating on until it is freezing, and even then it will be just for an hour. I don't have any mildew or mouldy walls. My house is brick built, about 60 years old, with a cavity wall, which is insulated. There is loft insulation. Occasionally when it is freezing I get condensation on the windows which I wipe off. 

All my internal doors are open, I don't close any of them, I like a flow of air through the whole house. There are ventilation bricks in some of the rooms, I have the back door open, and sometimes open a window in the kitchen or bathroom. this goes against what is generally advised, but it works for me. I don't know if damp is down to what the house is constructed of. 

My clothes hang in a wardrobe, Tshirts and sweatshirts are in a cupboard, and pants and socks are in drawers. They are not damp when I get them out and put them on. I have an airing cupboard which has bedding and towels in it, but the water is only heated when I have a bath. I personally think it is not important to air clothes before putting them on. as long as they are fully dry when you put them away. Mind you, if you do have a very damp house you might need to warm them first. 

I have no idea what the humidity is in my house, or what it should be, I don't have a hydrometer. That's as much as I can tell you. We never did the airing clothes thing when we were young. We didn't have central heating in the council house, and we couldn't afford to heat a tank of water so we didn't have many baths. The house I live in now is ex Council and very similar to that one. Our second house didn't have any hot water at all, no tank, and when we had a bath it was get the tin bath out and heat the water in pans on the gas stove. That was a very old terraced house and was prone to damp, mainly due to the steam in the kitchen. Thank goodness those days are long gone. 

Hope that has been of some use to you. You didn't say if your house was prone to damp, I'm assuming it is, that's why you put your heating on. Or do you put it on just to air your clothes? I don't know. Thanks for the question, I hope you get it sorted. 

Nearly bed time. Thanks for popping in. 
Toodle pip 

Pensioners are doing alright

Hello. Blimey, it's not yet 8pm and I feel I should be going to bed. Don't like these short days, and they're going to get shorter. I shall have to get up earlier. I've done lots of little jobs today, though when I look around me I can't see any difference. Bugsys bedroom is cleaner, I've had the dyson around upstairs. I seem to be spending a lot of time cleaning endless litter boxes, and feeding dozens of cats. It's only three cats actually, plus Garcia from up the road, but it feels like they are always eating. Garcia is upstairs at the moment asleep on the pile of maps on the office desk. I'll turf him out when we go to bed. If I leave him in he does the most horrendously stinking poos during the night and I have to get up and take the litter box outside. He has a bed out the back where he has access to the garden through the cat flap.

I did a wash today, all the pet bedding and the old curtains I have down on the carpet in the bedroom. Bugsy can sometimes have little accidents, puking a hairball up, or bringing up his dinner after he has scoffed it too quickly. Such is life with a geriatric moggy.

Dinner today was a microwave meal, I couldn't be bothered to cook. It was a Quorn spag bol, reduced to 50p. To bulk it up a bit, because it didn't look enough, I added half a tin of baked beans. Saves on washing up, but I still have to wash the tray it comes in before I put it in the plastics recycling bin. .

I've made a start on tidying my crafting stash in the spare room. It's getting very messy and I can't find anything. I'm going to have to cut down on what I collect, I have far too much stuff.

I fancy some toast but I don't have any margarine or butter to put on it, forgot to get some. Never mind, lemon curd will do instead. I seem to be running out of a few things, never mind, I will eat out of the freezer for a few days. I'm finishing off the last of the wine, my treat for the weekend.

I was reading an article in The Times that pensioners have more cash than those in work. It was the Institute for Fiscal Studies which carried out this research. It says that on average pensioners have £394 a week after housing costs compared with £385 among the working age  population. Blimey, I am missing out somewhere, my weekly figure is about half that. Apparently the older generation is around 2% better off than the average worker. So nobody needs to feel sorry for pensioners any more, because we are doing alright, well I am any way, even if I don't get the average pension  :o)

Garcia has just come downstairs, I've put him out with a bowl of Felix food He will scoff that and probably bugger off home. This cat has two homes, we share him. Cats are not daft.

Did I tell you about this wart I have on my cheek? I went to the docs and he put some kind of liquid on it, which turned it black, he said it would drop off in a few days. Well it didn't. Now I have another appointment for Thursday with another doctor who I am told is a whiz with any skin blemishes. So. I hope Doctor Sarawhatsitthingymabob can get rid of it. Scalpel nurse, ha ha.

I think I might go to bed now, not much else to do. I can't concentrate in the evening so it's not worth starting any new projects till the morning. I will probably get a brilliant idea ten minutes after I have woken up.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

Simple sewing project for you to try

Hello from a damp and chilly North Lincolnshire. Rocky came with me to pick up the papers from Irene's this morning. Time to get his raincoat out again. Doesn't he just look like the bees knees in his recycled umbrella. Don't tell him it's home made, he thinks he is dead posh. I think I'll make a little rain hood to go with it. Perhaps when the weather gets very wet he will need some wellie boots. 

I've finished the mini felt bunting I was making. Each one is three inches wide, and double thickness. If you are going to have a go you could make them single thickness. I preferred to make them double, so the stitching is covered up on the back. Not a very good photo, the light was not so good today.

I found some gold ribbon in my bit box which was ideal to match the gold sequins. Fold it in half lengthways and iron, and sandwich the flags in between and pin They are spaced one inch apart and machined onto the ribbon. They could be hand sewn on if you didn't have a machine. Leave about twelve inches at both ends to tie them up.

I used purple embroidery thread, three strands, with a blanket stitch to edge them.

They are so easy to make. You could make multi coloured ones to decorate a tree. You could make them smaller if you have a small tree. You could sew beads or buttons on them if you don't have sequins. Green and red is Christmassy, but any colour is nice for all the year round use. Are you going to have a go, still two months to get them made before Christmas.

Don't forget to put your clocks back one hour tonight, an extra hour in bed. I shall probably get up an hour earlier, if I am fully awake I like to get up. Don't like to waste any daylight hours in the winter, they are too precious.

Have a nice Sunday. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

Walesby circular walk

Hiya. It's been smashing wandering around the Lincolnshire Wolds with my walking buddies today. We left about 9am, and parked in Walesby, and set off about 10am. The route was given to us by our friend Graham who walks with the local Ramblers group. He said there is a fair bit of elevation in it, which is what Paul likes. There are plenty of gentle rolling hills so not too taxing on the old leg muscles. This is typical of the views, not such a clear day, some mist about, but you can still see a long way.  We followed the Viking Way to Normanby le Wold. 

At Normanby village we took a right turn along a track which took us through a wood at Normanby Dales. Look what we have found, a perfect house just ripe for renovation. Paul inspects the interior. It's well hidden among the undergrowth, a perfect hideaway, and for a few quid it could be tidied up nicely.

Ooh look an open fireplace, plenty of wood in these parts.

I think the chimney stack will need a bit of pointing up, and a few tiles needed on the roof. Mind you, you could leave it open and you have the perfect shower room. 

Nearby is the annexe, this would make a great guest room. Outside lavvy at the back. Wonder how much they want for it, ha ha.

A bit of road walking to Thoresway, then onto a bridleway to Stainton le Vale. Here we are arriving at the church for our lunch break. There was a bit of wind whipping up so we took shelter in the porch. The church wasn't open so we couldn't go inside.

Paul and Paul scoffing their pack ups. Mouths full trying to smile.

I've got a big cheese and lettuce sandwich, too much for one sitting so I save some for later. The rucksack I am using was given to me. It's really comfortable. It's slightly bigger than my usual day sack, this one is better for use in the winter as there is room for extra clothing. 

Onward we trekked, arriving at Stainton Hall. It's a big estate with cottages for the workers. The lawns were all immaculately cut. As we passed the outbuildings a group of men were gathered having a drink.

We went round the back of the Hall past the lake, and into a field. There was a notice saying bulls about, so we were on our guard. Just then one of the 4 x 4 trucks came by us and went off towards a couple of bulls which had strayed from the rest of them. He put his vehicle between us and them. The driver got out and herded them down the bank to join the others. We gave him a cheery wave of thanks.

Next was a bit of road walking, then a track to Risby. We picked up the Viking Way again and came across a deer farm. It looked like quite a big herd. Pity they are going to be killed and eaten.  

Just as we were coming into Walesby we stopped to have a look at the Ramblers Church, also known as All Saints. It stands high up overlooking the village. There are some more photo's of it on this site.

The door was not locked so we had a peep inside. It looks a bit dusty, but according to the web site they have services there and it is looked after by Friends of the Old Church formed in 1980. 

Back at the car Paul did a calculation on his mobile phone gizmo which gave a total of 11.5 miles walked. Not very far but it made a pleasant half a days walk. We were lucky with the weather, it stayed dry. Although there was no sun, there was a welcome fresh breeze to cool us down as we went up and down the hills. It's good to get out of the house in the autumn and see all the lovely warm colours.

Saturday again, hope you have a good weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

The plan is 12 miles

Good morning. The eggs are boiled, the cheese and lettuce sandwich assembled, the juice diluted and bottled, the boots waxed, the map is in the bag, and Rocky is with his pal Scruff at Barry's up the road.  I'm off for a ramble with my walking buddies. Lincolnshire Wolds is where we're heading, a nice Range Rover to transport us to the start. About 12 miles is what we're aiming for. I'll be back later with some piccies.
Catch ya soon. Toodle pip

Bag a cheap meal

Hello. If I was working in a sweatshop on the other side of the world I might have been paid 3p each for making these, and I would have probably been expected to churn out at least 100 in my 15 hour shift. My house is not hot, no heating on yet, and I made only eight shopping bags today. I upcycled, silly word, I cut up a very large curtain that I got from the Scrapstore for £1 and turned it into eight bags. These will be sold hopefully on the stall at the Christmas Fair. 

I also did three dog walks and trimmed my Leylandi hedge on the neighbours side, so I have been quite busy today. 

Yesterdays dinner was half a bag of  fresh egg noodles, reduced sticker 30p, cooked with a veggie burger which has broken up in the pan, served with broccoli 39p from Aldi. Total cost, 15p + 13p + 25p = 53p. 

Today's dinner was similar. Tagliatelle, which was 60p on a reduced sticker for a double pack, three portions in each bag, with broccoli, peas and sweetcorn. Cost 10p + 13p + 25p = 48p, and a splodge of Mayo from a 20p bottle = 2p. Total cost 50p.

I felt a bit sorry for Bugsy, always alone upstairs, so I have been fetching him down and having him on my knee while I watch a bit of catch up TV. He generally goes back upstairs at some point during the night when we are all in bed. I didn't have to fetch him last night, he came down of his own accord. I left him on the office chair that I usually sit on, when we went to bed, he was still there this morning. I think he must have got a bit confused when he woke up and wanted a pee, the litter boxes are upstairs. There was a puddle on the desk which had run off the edge and onto the floor. Oh dear. Never mind, I remember waking up in the night when I was a little girl and peeing in the wardrobe. It's easily done when you are half asleep. I have brought a litter box down and shown him where it is. Let's hope there are no more accidents.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

Searching for Mr Right, maybe not

Mid sixties skinny bird, not much on top but great legs and a cranky SOH, WLTM younger guy with loads of dosh and big house. Must have a fit body, hair and teeth, and not stink of fag smoke or sweaty armpits. Call me now on a premium rate number, which will take you through an extensive menu and cost you loadsa money before you actually get to speak to me. 

Just made that up, do you think it will bring any enquiries ha ha  ;o) I've been trawling through the dating pages in a posh newspaper, maybe there is someone out there who just fits my criteria. Let's have a look. You've got to read between the lines with these adverts, it's a sort of cryptic language.

This one might be promising. Male 54 seeks curvy feminine female, 65 - 75  for romantic times. I think that means, I fancy a romp with a pair of large bazookas. Oooops, that's me out then. What about a 74 year old gent who likes caravanning, looking for large build lady for fun. Nope, a bit too old for me, and I'm not willing to put on a couple of stone for anyone.

Hey, here's a cheeky chappie, M 75 looking for F 35 - 55, for loving relationship. I bet you are matey, looking for a bit of eye candy more like, someone you can show off to your mates down the pub. On yer bike, I am not travelling 150 miles for a bit of fun, unless of course you are a multi millionaire.

Here's a good one, I might apply to this. M 38 likes pubs and clubs, WLTM F, no specifications, wonder if he would warm to a cheeky bint who could bop the night away, and maybe take a walk in the moonlight along a sandy beach and watch the sun come up. Ha ha.

Solvent, now that's a word which makes me read more. He is retired, 68, 5'4", and likes golf. Hmmmm, maybe not, I don't want to peer at the top of his head, and golf looks sooo boring. Oh well, let's take another look.

Oooh, here's one, this sounds like a possible. M young 60, artist, zany SOH, WLTM lady 50 creative and positive. Wow, that sounds like me. Wonder if he would settle for a young 66 year old going on 16. Oh dear, maybe not, he lives in Scotland, maybe a non starter, it's a long way to go, would cost a lot of money in petrol.

What about this one, Attractive M 72, tactile and romantic, seeks attractive warm hearted woman. Oh yes, I've read about you types before. Tactile means touching doesn't it. Well sunshine, I've got news for you, you aren't getting your mitts within half a mile of me.

Moving on, someone wants a female to accompany him to football matches. I went to a football match once, not really my bag. Next, Graduate, retired school teacher, 73, looking for F 40 - 70. Another one who would gleefully date someone who is 33 years younger than himself. No wont bother, 73 is too old for me.

What is it with these blokes, they are looking for younger, elegant, attractive, successful, friendly, stylish, and professional women. Maybe I ought to try the adverts in the red top papers, ha ha.

I give up, I'm staying as I am. Can't be bothered to start all that dating Mullarkey at my age. Not going to be washing anyone else's underpants, cleaning stray whiskers out of the sink, not cleaning someone else's tide mark from around the bath, not going to football matches, not playing golf, not going to get a tele, and not going pubbing and clubbing. I am happy with my male friends, they go back to their own homes every night. Me very happy with that arrangement, no need to change things.

Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip

Add a few beads

Hello. The weather has been a bit dull today, overcast but dry. I have ventured out into the garden, done some hedge trimming and filled the garden waste bin ready for collection tomorrow. I've got housework that needs to be done, but as usual can't find any enthusiasm for it. I just do enough to keep on top of it. I'd rather be sewing.

Here are my makes. Remember the car boot earrings I bought last week, 25p a pair. I have turned one into a tree decoration. Put it on a turquoise backing and added red beads and red and silver sequins. I got the backing from the Scrapstore, it's like a woven stiff fabric, a bit like what they make window blinds from. I got lots of small sample pieces in different colours. 

I used iron on bondaweb to stick the back and front together after I put the embellishments on. 

Next, I fancied making a fairy, or is it an angel, they both have wings. The white felt I used is virtually covered by beads and trimmings. The wings are covered with sparkly florists ribbon. 

I stitched the two pieces together with white thread, and added a little stuffing.

It would look nice hanging on a tree. 

I bought a huge curtain from the Scrapstore for £1, it's been washed, and dried outside, now it's ready for cutting up into bag size pieces. A job for tonight when I come back from a Rocky walk. He is crashed out beside me, having stuffed his face with a tasty dinner. I'll give him ten minutes or so to sleep it off, ha ha.
Toodle pip

It's a bum job, but it has to be done

Hello. How do you fancy a poo picking stick from Amazon. Superduper deluxe version for only £46. Saves bending down, saves your back, keep the footpaths clean and poo free. No more accidentally squelching through it and scraping it off your boots. Handy gadget eh! Maybe the council could buy a load and give them away free, nope, probably can't afford it. 

One of these would have been absolutely no good to me this morning. I sat drinking my coffee looking out over the back garden. Rocky seemed to be struggling to do his business, at last the offending lump dropped onto the ground. Success. Then he squatted again, not quite finished, there's more, I thought. Oh dear, nothing happening, obviously he was a bit uncomfortable so I went out to check what was going on at his back end.

Oh my, a great wadge of the stuff was clinging to his hairy arse and wouldn't let go. I got a piece of toilet roll to remove it, no luck, it's clinging on for dear life. I'll see to it in a minute, I thought, when I've finished my coffee. He didn't like me closing the door and leaving him out there. No Rocky, you aint coming in here.

Now, what equipment is needed to poo pick from a dog's bum, not the stick above that's for sure. Boil a kettle of water, and find some old rags for washing it off. Empty an old washing up bowl used for catching rainwater, and mix hot and cold water together to get it to the right temperature. Could do with a doggy bidet actually. But there's such a lot of it, it's going to need cutting out, which scissors, large or small, best take two pairs out. Don't fancy getting it on my hands, good job I've got some heavy duty rubberized gardening gloves.

I don't think he is going to stand still while I do all this, so I'd better put his collar on so I can stop him wriggling free if he gets upset. Now, if anyone else find's they have to do this, follow my instructions. Put dog close to your legs, between them if you have to. Lift tail with your left hand, they don't like this, and carefully snip around the offending lump, a few hairs at a time, and being careful not to get too close to the skin. Keep snipping until there are very few hairs left supporting it. Eventually it will drop to the ground.

Check that you have cut out as much as you can, and while you are at it, trim the hairs all around the area in case it happens again, so that the poo has nothing to cling on to. This will hopefully ensure a clean evacuation next time.

To finish off soak a cloth in warm water and wash the dog's rear end. He won't like it and will sit down. Talk to him nicely, tell him what a good boy he is, or girl if you have a lady dog. Don't pull his tail to get him to stand up, lift gently under his belly. A few sloshes with warm water should clean off any residue. Have a dry cloth nearby to wipe away any excess water.

And there you are, happy dog, and no skid marks on the carpet. Hope this has been a helpful post ;o)
Have a nice Saturday. Toodle pip.

A few dipsticks about tonight

Hello. Haven't we got a lot of Autumn colours around us at the moment. This is the Lime tree near my house, the one that smells gorgeous when the flowers are out in the summer. It's a bit of a funny shape, lop sided, the electricity board had to chop some branches off because they were growing very close to the overhead cable. As you can see there are a lot more leaves to come down. It's not very often that someone sweeps them up, they are just left to blow around. 

This is the time of year when you have to watch very closely where your dog does it's poop. Take your eyes of it for a moment and you have to search for the deposit in the fallen leaves, ha ha.

This afternoon I made a three day big pan of veggie stew. That's the last of the potatoes out of the garden. The carrots are yellow sticker, 6p. Frozen broad beans, the last few in the bag. Two Quorn fillets cut up into pieces, they were on special offer, six for £1. I had a tub of not very nice soup in the freezer, made from yellow sticker chopped veg, that went in as well. I use porridge oats to thicken it. Chuck some spices in, and it's wonderful, warms the cockles of your heart.

I am making cotton shopping bags at the moment, the ones you can fold up and put in your handbag. Finding some nice colours to use up.

This afternoon I went to town, first popped in at the cash and Carry on the way. They had some jars of tartar sauce and only one day out of date, 20p each. I had some of those. Whiskas pouches were £2 a box so I had some of those, a good saving.

A few essentials from Aldi. I found a bag of bananas with nine fruits in it, the price is 68p whether there are seven, eight, or nine in it. Cheese is a good price, £1.55 for 350grms, and the veg specials were 39p so I got broccoli, potatoes, and a big swede. No wine or cider bought, I'll give it another week before I treat myself to a tipple. I also managed to completely ignore the cakes, biscuits, sweets, and chocolate. I have to confess I bought some chocolate brownies last week, but only because they were on a yellow sticker. It's hard to say no when they were only 15p.

I watched the first episode of The Apprentice last night, only because I was curious about what Claude Litner was going to be like as Lord Sugar's right hand man. He has been in previous episodes where he grills the candidates about their CV's and he has been pretty cruel to them. The lad that got chucked off was a bit of a dipstick, a likable chappie but more of a joker than a serious contender. I think I may continue to watch it, I can do a bit of sewing at the same time.

The High Street in the village is closed tonight, they are digging the road up to lay new gas pipes. There is a ruddy great sign on the approach to the blockage warning that it is closed and an arrow for the diversion. I've just been out with Rocky, what do people do, totally ignore the sign and go steaming past it. I'm sure some people must be blind, or daft. What dipsticks they are, ha ha. They have to do a three point turn and go back the way they came.

I'm going to get Bugsy cat down from upstairs and sit him on my knee while I watch the second episode of The Apprentice. Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip