I haven't been out walking today, which is just as well as the ankle, or more exactly underneath the heel has been on the verge of being unbearable today. I had strapped it, but took lots of tablets and rested it a bit after rubbing in glucosamine gel. A magazine arrived today which had a piece about heel pain in it, and it seems to confirm that more stretching is in order. So, will step up the exercises and see how it goes.
This morning I made a start on the tombola prizes and labeling until Tina got back with more prizes, then we both got on with it in a very organised fashion. We went to the local cafe for some lunch and then we went off to do some shopping at Lidl. Those two little trips were enough with how my ankle was feeling today/
The post had come when we got home, the five finger shoes I had bid for on Ebay arrived but sadly they don't fit. They are a five but even my little toes wouldn't fit into the spaces. Not to worry, I will put them on Ebay and hopefully get a similar price to the one I paid.

A bit later another package came with the special socks in. They are fine and don't feel at all odd, so hopefully when I get shoes that fit I will be up and away.

While we were in Lidl Tina spotted these cold tea drinks. I wasn't as all sure as one is white tea and one green, both with different flavours added. But I have had the white tea one already and it was really enjoyable.

I posted yesterday that I am painting the large snail for Sandy. The base colours I put on was with the aim of painting it like a common garden snail, but as I was doing it Sandy made the comment that she wouldn't mind it being brightly coloured.  I would prefer to paint it in natural colours, so looked up snails and have printed a few more interesting ones for her to choose from.

Hopefully one of those will be bright enough! 
I have taken it easy this afternoon, have emptied and counted the money in a large piggy bank I have. Got a bag of change ready for us to take tomorrow and some I will bank next week.

Yesterday in town I bought a 'decorate your own fairy door' in wood, so many things to decoupage and paint these days. Forgot to take a photo of it before I got the pyrography tool out, but the back is still plain so that will suffice.

Had a little play on the front, it wasn't dear to buy, may put it into the tombola on Saturday as I am  helping Tina at 'Fun in the Sun' at church. Hopefully it will be a little more sunny than it has the last couple of days.

It rained most of the night and was still raining this morning, and really cold as well. I wanted to get a package sent to my sister, the tree house picture, so that she could send it on to her grand-daughter as I don't know her address. So I caught the bus into town and took my swimming bag so that I could go along to the hotel afterwards. A real sea fret had moved in, took a picture of the south bay, you can usually see the cliff, castle etc, but could just about make out the sea today.

I had the pool to myself again for half an hour or so, which was good. No power failure today so the changing went well too. They did say they would rescue my shampoo and conditioner after the 'incident', but no sign of them. I had taken more as I had a feeling I wouldn't be seeing them again. 
My ankle has made walking very difficult today, not where the surgery actually was but underneath the heel. I made my way to the studio, via a little cafe where I had a coffee. The studio was full of students and it was hot as they had the kiln on last night, but there was room on one table so I got on with the fairy and finished her. It won't be fired until next week but I am in no rush.

They have a bisque piece of a large snail, it is actually in two pieces, the shell lifts off. Sandy wants it and I have said I will paint it for her. I put a base coat of paint on both parts and will get onto the detail next week.

The fifth bowl was fired, quite a dramatic one, just one left to paint now.

I walked back from the studio, did cut through to the cliff top this end, the fret had lifted a bit but was still hanging about over the bay.

The castle end of the bay was very mysterious looking.

Haven't done a great deal since I got home, I have used some of the strapping on the ankle now and it seems to have helped a bit. I think tomorrow is getting the tombola ready day.

At just about 9 pm last night Tina got home and called in to Darren and I to see if we wanted to go and see the sea as it was a bit wild. So we stopped along the north bay, didn't get out, too rough and cold!

Then we stopped briefly at the south bay, which was also unusually rough as well.

Then one for Mike in case he is having withdrawal symptoms about the chimney!

Flood warnings for today were out yesterday, but I doubt we will be going to look as it has been an awful day, raining pretty much all of it, and now gale force winds to add to the unpleasantness. Tina gave me a lift to town as I had a couple of quite large parcels to send off and quite a bit of shopping to get as well. For the second day on the trot I had made a list and left it at home, but remembered pretty well. Decided against the pool today, maybe will attempt another try tomorrow and hope for no power failure.
I bought a slow cooker, calorie conscious, summer recipe book while I was away last weekend. I made a simple risotto in it today and it turned out really well. It was enough for four so I can freeze some portions for another day.

Very tasty, so will be trying other recipes in the book.I sent for some jewellery a little while ago, now the company sends daily offers of watches that are free and you just pay £4.99 postage. Had to send for this one, Tina thinks it is 'bonkers', but in a good way of course, and I like a bit of bonkers so suits me down to the ground!

Miserable evening, curling up on the sofa with a blanket I think!!

No sunset pictures, no sun last night and none tonight either, in fact is has been grey and damp pretty much all day. This morning Sandy said she would collect me on her way to the studio, it was drizzling but I waited outside for a bit and pulled out a few weeds. also took some pics.

I spent a couple of hours cleaning and filling the paint pots. Sandy was telling me about the record speed in which she sold her house on Saturday, the man took less than four minutes looking round, and in three and a half hours they had settled on a price, it had only been on the market a couple of weeks!
I painted a bit of the fairy, but do want to find and print of a fungi picture so that I make the one she is sitting on look real (even if fairies aren't!)

Then I painted the fifth bowl, not as careful as I could have been but although I like them the novelty of painting them now I am on number five has waned somewhat!

Should be quite a striking colour combination though. I walked home from the studio, very painful ankle and the knee not a lot better, but both eased off as I meandered home.
I was talking to Darren about the pyrography and wondering whether I should varnish or now, I could see advantages and disadvantages in that. He suggested that I was them, and what a good idea. Not only does the place smell gorgeous now, but it has added a depth to the items without making them shiny. Not sure if they will look any different in a photo, but will post it anyway.

No plans for this evening apart from seeing Holby and no specific ones for tomorrow, may go to the pool and hope there are no more power switch offs!

Yesterday evening, after marking it out, I spent quite a while working on the pyrography of the tree house.

Doing the blog on the chrome book tonight and I can't rotate the pictures on it like I can in Picasa, think the later one is the right way though! I was up quite early and got on with the tree house before I was getting a lift with Tina to the hotel. I added more shading and put a minimal amount of writing on, I don't really think it needs a lot more.

I will probably varnish it and today I brought some stick on picture hangers and will put that in with it so that they can fix it up wherever they want. 
Tina took me to the hotel and I had over half an hour in there, on my own again which was really nice. I was having a shower, the pool and changing rooms are in the basement, and the lights went out! It was pitch black and I was starkers under the shower in a cubicle. A voice called out and the receptionist said that the mains power was off and would be for some time, then she wandered off again! She came back with her mobile as a torch and guided me through to the changing rooms. She was going to stand with me with the little torch, then she decided to leave her phone with me. There was emergency lighting outside round the pool and in the hotel, but the dire changing rooms didn't qualify obviously!! 
My ankle was painful today and I needed to get back for a delivery, so although I,had a list of bits to get I decided to get the bus home, take some pills and go into town again later. Tina came in soon after me, the cat food was delivered (the cats get through an awful lot) and I did a bit of hoovering with the Gtecs!! That novelty will wear off, but at the moment they are a pleasure to use. Tina said she had a meeting later in the afternoon and would give me a lift back into town. That worked out quite well as the last bus hone is at 5.55 pm. Before I went out I had a play on a little pencil box that I had bought when I first sent for the pyrography tool.

The spider plant I bought a couple of weeks ago is looking very happy, it has a little flower and a couple more buds I think. I didn't realise they flowered, know they have the baby plants on the end of runners, but hadn't seen the little white flowers before.

No plans for more wood burning tonight, did burn my finger earlier when I had an itch in my side and swung round to scratch it! Smelt of singed skin for quite a while!

It was a gorgeous sky last night, but kept it to three images on here

Last night I unpacked and charged the Gtec cleaners. Used the Multi on the stairs before I went ot bed, easy to use, quite loud, and very efficient. I have used the AirRam today and it is light to move around and got up unbelievable amounts of cat hair. I am very pleased with them.
Darren and I went to the boot sale this morning, first trip together there in about a month. I always enjoy it, and when y knee or ankle get too much I head back to the car while Darren goes round the rest of the stalls. I did get a pair of earrings (no such thing as too many earrings) for £1, five little books for Isobel, also £1 and then I saw this rocking/collapsible leg rest, only £3. It is really comfortable to use and matches my little antique side table perfectly.

So not silly spending and useful in the leg rest's case.
Had dinner with Darren and Tina and we watched the very eventful grand prix. Since I have been upstairs I have been trying to get a rough outline of the tree house onto a board so that I can attempt doing it in pyrography. the people I am hoping to give it to have no idea what is in my mind, so no real pressure if I think it is just too difficult to do justice to.

Might have to go and do a bit more cleaning in a bit!!

This morning Michelle and I took a slow walk down to the beach, my ankle still isn't right but it was a bit easier than yesterday. It was a nice day but the wind was a little chilly.

Michelle was wearing Five Finger Shoes this stay. I had never heard of them but they are completely flat and have separate toes so that your feet spread and it is like walking barefoot. They are supposed to be good for feet, legs and posture. Seem like a good thing for me to try, as I have always liked going around barefoot. I will try and track down a less expensive pair to see if I can get on with them, my main worry is that I won't get my wide feet into a pair! One man came across and shook Michelle's had today and said 'Like the shoes'. They are pink so do attract a bit of attention.

We walked back through the park and there were Morris dancers so we stopped to enjoy the show for a bit.

Then there were some tap dancing ladies.

Then a group of colourful Morris dancing ladies.

We came back home and Michelle got packed. We decided to have lunch at the Coffee Beans before catching the bus into town The service there was a bit slow but the meal, fish pie and vegetables, was very tasty when it arrived. They have an interesting group meeting on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so I took a photo of the poster as I didn't have pen and paper with me.

Sounds like it might be worth a visit to see what it is like.
We caught the bus into town and made our way to the station. The train was on time and we had a drink and piece of cake at the station. I bought another ticket for an earlier train, don't know what I was thinking when I booked the one I had! Saw Michelle onto her train and then went over the bridge to catch one back to Scarborough a few minutes afterwards.
I walked home from the station and then unpacked my new Gtec cleaners and now have them on charge!
My ankle is pretty painful right now, but I have done a bit more walking today, so onward and upward with luck.
Casualty later, needed tissues for Holby, will they be required again tonight?

This morning Tina dropped Michelle and I off near the hotel so that we could go and enjoy the pool. No staff around so Michelle got a free pass as there was no one to pay, I had been going to ask if she could go in for nothing anyway because there was a week when it was out of order and I couldn't use it! We were in there for nearly an hour and had it to ourselves, so that was really enjoyable. The changing rooms are dire, but as the pool is so clean and lovely you just accept that it isn't great, you can shower and there is a loo although you do have to be careful not to break your ankle in the hole in the floor!!
The cloud low over the bay was almost like a mountain, I do tend to see things so don't worry if it looks pretty uninteresting to you.....

On second thoughts, not really like a mountain, but quite an unusual torpedo shaped one! I developed a different pain in my ankle and it was really bad today, so we set off walking back and for me with some difficulty. We had lunch at Sunny's and then walked on to the studio. Donna was there and her hair is short now, and very attractive. Michelle didn't fancy painting so we just sat and chatted for a while. I have my trinket box, Sandy has been doing a trinket box as well, which is really good.

And another bowl for the set, this time black and yellow, hard to describe how much I love these bowls!

Michelle went out for a while to have a drink with the friends that brought her up here and I was looking at five finger shoes because she has a pair and I am fascinated by them.
We have been watching a dvd about dolly Parton's songs which is really interesting, it is the story behind the writing of them.
We will have dinner and then a relaxed evening, she is going back to Peterborough tomorrow afternoon.

I doubt I will be taking sky pictures tonight as I am going out in a bit! This morning I stayed in and di some household chores, we had a new vacuum cleaner being delivered and I was expecting Michelle to arrive for a visit about lunchtime. Both arrived at about the same time.
Michelle and I caught a bus to town, took the trolley, and got food in for our meals. I didn't buy food prior to her visit as she has quite specific eating habits, so we shopped together. We also paid a visit to the Grapevine and had a coffee while we were out.
I went to that screening of a live theatre show with Anya and Isobel last weekend and they are doing a different play at The Stephen Joseph tonight, so we are going along to it. The play is called Salome.
We have had a nice meal and will be off before too long.
My great niece is getting married in a tree house next month, well more exactly, a tree house restaurant. I thought it would be nice to do a pyrography memento for her so looked up the venue. A little more complex than I had imagined, but I will give it a go!

I have found another shot of it taken in the summer, as this one wouldn't really be appropriate.

No guesses for the start of the post today!

No chimney or seagull in the last one!
This morning Tina dropped me off at the hotel, I took the trolley with me as I had shopping to get and a parcel to collect for Tina and I didn't want to be carrying the swimming bag around. I had a really good time in the pool, there was one other person in there for most of the time but it didn't stop me doing what I wanted, about 50 minutes in there today. Even feeling more natural doing breast stroke with crawl legs now! 
I got the Hammerite paint today so that I can get on with making the metal planter a bit more presentable. Remembered the spray varnish today to waterproof the fox masks that I painted some time ago. Got some more healthy stuff from Grapevine, have a loyalty card for them now. Collected the package and got some birthday cards and a few other bits. I had forgotten my bus pass but I just paid today as I didn't fancy pulling the trolley home.
I do more coking up here now and the area I use was chaotic, bad enough when just cooking for me, but I have a friend coming up tomorrow and as it was there is no way I could have plated two meals. It is better now so we will manage.
I was given a magazine at the weekend called Modern Gardens, really great ideas in it, I especially liked one of an upcycled chest of drawers, it was an extract from a book called Container Gardener. I ordered it and it arrived yesterday.

This was the project I was really taken with, definitely something I would like to do when we move.

There are lots of brilliant projects and ideas, but this one is definitely one I would like to try. Making a concrete planter using a dust sheet and runny concrete left to dry over a dustbin!!

How funky is that?
Still very warm here and the promised storm hasn't arrived.