What are you doing today?

[Grandad]

Finally did a short run with a purpose to our Sainsburys Local store. Just half a mile and I went by two different routes to check pavement conditions. I soon decided which is better, the other is in very poor state for a small buggy.
As a 'Local' store the aisles are quite narrow so I will dismount in future and leave it outside.
On Bank holiday Monday we plan to try the disassembled car boot job and go to Folkestone harbour arm where there are now many cafes and live music. This is where the Golden Arrow used to depart for the cross channel train ferry to France. It is now a very lively place, here is a link to the website.
http://folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk/

[Horus]

Thats the ticket Grandad, get some practice in

[LovelyLadyLux]

@Grandad - good that you're venturing out. You'll soon have routes down and know which ones are better than others.

Right now am waiting for the daughter to arrive. I'll be watching the granddaughter for the morning while the daughter goes to take her husband to the Airport. He is flying to visit one last time with a friend he went to University with who has brain cancer. His family called saying 'come now for one last time.' He is only a young man mid to late 30ies. Very sad.

Then the daughter is going to test drive a car. Their old Van is almost on its last legs so they've been looking for another vehicle. She'll go to look at it and drive it but can't make a final decision 'til the husband comes back.

They're HERE now so more in a bit!

[Grandad]

Looks like summer is on the way. Bright sunshine and clear blue sky. long may it last.We don't have a daily newspaper because neither of us can read them. We do however have the Saturday Mail for its weekend supplement that contains all the weeks TV listings. So I went to Sainsburys Local again, I am getting to know where every bump is.

Today we will clear up the patio of any remaining leaves and debris and refresh the pots ready for planting. I did pot the surviving Amaryllis and gave it some water so we will se what happens.

Have a good Bank Holiday weekend all you guys.

[Mad Dilys]

I went to the big garden centre yesterday and had a couple of hours in my personal heaven. The quality of the plants there are absolutely outstanding and beautifully displayed.

I got some reasonably small bags of specialist houseplant compost that I hadn't tried before, some 10/12 inch pots and saucers a couple of plant hoops ....................... and a new Mandevilla! This one is red, plenty of flowers and putting out climbing tendrils. It is smaller than my other was when I bought it, but f course it's early in the year - half price too.

Best of all it is actually a single shrubby plant and not a pot of cuttings, like my Gardenia, so now I'm going to pot on my new plant and fix up a bigger hoop.

I've unwound the two Stephanotis which were incredibly tightly wound around their smallish hoop and going round for the second time, tied tightly in place with black cotton. It really upsets me to see lovely plants abused in the way, both of these plants lost half of their growth after I bought them because the tight cotton cut right into the stems. Anyway, they are both shooting and look pretty healthy now.

We have sun, no wind and a temperature of about 17C - fantastic!

Have a nice weekend.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Today is the day I'm cruising the plant nurseries and bringing home 4 tomato plants. I need to get them in so I can also plant my carrots, beets, beans and squash. Going to try one squash plant.

[Grandad]

We all seem to be doing the garden centres right now. Lots of pictures expected in a few months time.

What have you been up to H? Is Cluckingham Palace now finished? A Piccie would be good

Our dog fox is now visiting in the afternoon. Hopefully mum is looking after cubs so we will try to win his confidence and maybe he will bring the cubs to see us. Doesn't happen often but fantastic when it does.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I headed out to one Garden Center when I remember that I actually won a $25 gift certificate at the Horticultural Christmas party so changed course and went to another small garden center.

Got 2 tomato plants there: Sweet 100 which is a cherry tomato and Oregon Spring which is a determinate early producer with a 58 day to maturity rating on the card. Here we can't grow any of the big Beefstake tomato types as they take too long to mature (which is fine if you have a greenhouse). Mostly I get tomatoes that mature around 60 days which means they're usually small.

Also picked up 3 creeping phylox and 2 dianthus to round out my and finish up my $25 gift certificate.

For some reason today (bright sun maybe) I started brewing a migraine. Beyond headache so I came home early took an ibuprophen and have sat sitting in my chair although I did go out and planted the everything except the tomatoes. I've had a few migraine in my life and I can be totally knocked out for 3 or 4 days by them unless I can get an aspirin or ibuprophen or something in me to stop it. Rarely rarely ever get one but bright sun seems to trigger one.

Course I don't have to worry too much about bright sun here! But it has gone now.

Another tidbit of GOOD news - the POTTERY STUDIO is opening again this Thursday. They did advertise for another Potter, did interviews and have now hired somebody so Thursday mornings will start again this week. YESSSS!!!!!! I've packed it all away cause I didn't think they'd open again before September but am quite happy they are. Will be down there to use up the last of my clay.

Monday (cause pottery was cancelled) I signed up for a summer drawing course. It meets for a few hours Mondays. I don't know too much about it as not much was said other than bring $15 to the first class and the Instructor will give you all the supplies you need and then we'll explore shading and textures. Will see. Something to do.

[Ruby Slippers]

I've been working on two stained glass wall hangings for the club, so hopefully I will finish the second one today. I've never looked forward to some free time before as I'm doing now! The club is starting to become a real chore and I don't know if I will be signing up for next year. I rather suspect not, if this passed year is anything to go by. I seem to be roped in as tutor and the 14th sees the start of three workshops I will be giving. I know there are 17 members signed up for the Bargello day, at the last count, so I will be running around like the proverbial fly! Anyway, I'm hoping the sunshine and fine weather will last long enough for me to get out of the house and feel it, instead of being sat in front of a sewing machine. Fingers crossed!

[LovelyLadyLux]

@RS - When I first moved here just after retiring (like 4 to 5 yrs ago) I joined our local Quilters Guild as I wanted info & direction & workshops on "how to" quilt. Went with the daughter as she joined too as she had the same interest as me. We got to the meeting (our first) and picked a seat. We were then asked to move as THAT seat belonged to Mrs So & So (or maybe being quilting I should say "Sew & Sew." We moved apparently to somebody elses seat and actually ended up sitting towards the back of the room. We did identify ourselves as being 'new' and were then instructed that being new we had to understand that meant donating 2 quilts and 4 placemats/season!

We'd yet to have anybody say "welcome" to us ..........

They did the business portion and the show what you made which was all lovely and they had a fantastic selection of books you could borrow but this group was nothing short of all being high competitive and somewhat secretive of how they were doing their quilts. Nobody was offering any workshops for anybody new or offering to help, teach or learn.

I think we went to 3 meetings before we called it quits as it was probably the most unfriendly group we've ever come across. Definitely wish there had been somebody like yourself who was offering lessons or instruction as that is what we were looking for i.e. which batting goes best with what? How to freestyle quilt and how do you decide what pattern(s) to use with what designs? etc etc etc. This Guild was only for highly highly advanced competitive quilters - NOT for beginners What I'm making is just what and how I figure it goes and what I've found on Utube. (Utube for quilting is my friend )

[LovelyLadyLux]

Last evening I got my entire garden planted and it rained lightly last night so WOO HOO! Everything should be gone and growing and doing well. Will be on garden inspection duty today as I have to transplant all my hen & chicks

@Horus - I have to say that my one orchid I put into an orchid pot and have been fertilizing is showing signs of putting out a bud shoot. Will get a photo of it soon to show you but it is coming out on top of a leaf and is about 2" long now. Might just be an aerial root but I'm hoping it is a flower stem starting I also got another REAL orchid pot in the States for the other orchid (the 2nd one I bought). Hopefully that will provide some light for the roots and prompt it into growing. I actually don't care if they grow but I do care that they'll put out another flower stalk.

[Ruby Slippers]

Just for you, LLL, Yes, I know what you mean about that type of group! I joined one like that back in 2010, but after a while, discovered it was really cliquey, and when they started getting me to organise the Christmas party etc. I left! I have a feeling that this club is getting to be the same though. Maybe it's me! Maybe I'm anti-social!

[LovelyLadyLux]

@RS - GORGEOUS! They're super lovely!

This particular quilters Guild was very cliquey and competitive. The first lady to show her quilt made a full king size quilt by sewing 2" pieces together into an Asian tree with flowers and butterfly motif. It WAS gorgeous and WAS lots of work but both the daughter and I looked at each other, burst out laughing and said "like we are going to bring anything we make here to actually show it?!?!?! NO!!" Highly doubt I would have EVER taken anything I made there to have this particular group there look at it and then critique it! I'm quilting cause I'm half bored but also do half enjoy sewing and making a quilt is, to me, very worthwhile.

I used to sew clothes because I had to and it was a real chore and they were worn and wore out. Now I kinda like quilting because those are more decorative and showy and will last more than a couple months of wear.

Wish you were closer RS cause I'd be attending your classes and workshops.

[Mad Dilys]

You aren't the only one who wishes that Ruby was closer.

[Grandad]

Where's Horus? Not suffering from heat exhaustion I hope mate.

Or have you gone off with that van for a holiday to take advantage of the weather?

Whatever, I hope all is well.....

[Ruby Slippers]

So much for my day in the sunshine! This morning, I decided to at least make a start on some much neglected housework with a promise to myself that this afternoon would be spent in the garden lazing about! Wrong!!! DH has been buggering about upstairs with my workroom TV and Freeview box. I keep telling him that I need a new TV with built-in Freeview but oh dear me NO! I wouldn't mind if he didn't want me up and down the stairs every five minutes to check on progress! There isn't any!! I NEED A NEW TV!!



p.s. Horus has looked in over the past 24 hours, Grandad.

[Mad Dilys]

Shall I call up the heavy mob? Or are the Grandchildren out enjoying themselves today?

[LovelyLadyLux]

Sun is out here and the day looked so nice (and warm too) that I was out back sitting in the chair watching the birds and looking at the flowers that have finally decided to start moving! It is quite enjoyable here watching the marsh, birds, plants when the sky doesn't open and let the H2O fall.

Am going to a drawing class this afternoon. It doesn't say much re: description and nobody at the Registration counter knew much when I signed up so I guess we'll see. I've off and on in the past doodles and sketched but my stuff is put away right now so hopefully this will spur me to bring it back out and take up drawing again. I've never produced anything much of an level of quality that I'd care to hang but I do find it somewhat enjoyable to sketch away at something.

[Horus]

Well thats me finished all the loose ends for the coop, just got to put in about 8 screws tomorrow wand the job is complete.
Typical of my luck, just when I start to jack up the caravan so I can remove both wheels to replace the tyres it starts to rain

[LovelyLadyLux]

Sunshine today but tomorrow rain is predicted which is probably a good thing so I can get the garden really soaked down again.

Not sure what all I'm going to do today. Tonight I'm going to a lecture given by a local Naturopath on hormones, thyroid and adrenal function in (ahem) aging women ......... NOT that "I" am (ahem) aging