Bit more gardening and craft!

This morning when I got back with the shopping the cats, who still don’t see eye to eye used the back to play peek a boo!

I bought myself some flowers when I was out and put them in a bucket, then promptly forgot about them. Was reminded when Tina came in with some flowers when she got home this evening. So a picture a bit later. I went to a coffee morning in the parish hall, just a few people but very nice tea and cake!

I have been struggling with the knee pain today so walked to the chemist for more pills and gel. It did ease up a bit so I went out to do a bit of tidying in the front garden.

Firstly needed to clear the path to the garden bin as it has become a bit of a challenge as I am usually pulling a truck full of stuff up there!

Then a bit of a tidy along the path at the front. It doesn’t look like I moved much but I know I have removed a good bit.

This afternoon before I went down to get dinner I assembled a few more cards. I have so many started bits and pieces it is time to actually have some cards to send!

Lastly the flowers are now in a vase!

Gardening and craft!

This morning I went out into the front garden again. Thought I would make a start on the front bed which is becoming like a lawn at the back with couch grass. So many seedlings but they were going to have to go.

The boulder that had been hit was at the corner of the bed, I though about sorting it out but couldn’t budge it, well, not much anyway! I did dig up a couple of bulbs that I kept to replant. Also dig up some pansy seedlings to replant, plus a mini Christmas tree, do like to rescue on every year and another plant that has been in a pot for months. If I say so myself a good start!

Oh yes, planted the free primula from yesterday as well.

Had lunch with Tina and then sorted out some stamped and embossed images from a while ago to make into cards.

Went out for a while this afternoon to catch up with Sarah and David. We discussed the art class for next week as well as sharing latest news.

Then this evening I have made up four cards, nice to get around to a bit of crafting.

It has been raining all afternoon so I may not get out into the garden tomorrow.

Lidl and a bit more gardening

This morning Tina and I went to Lidl in Beverley after the Ringtons man had been. I bought a great Easter gift for me but more of that later. The Lidl hasn’t been open late and is not near the city centre but it was pretty busy. We had a good shop and enjoyed looking at all the offers but only bought sensible shopping, well, mostly!

We called at Cherry Lane garden centre on the way back for me to get some more bird feeding supplies. No time for coffee today as Tina had a lunch time appointment, just as well because we would probably have had cake as well! If you spent over £15 you could pick a free primula, I let Tina 

I know one and it is really pretty and unusual.

Back to the Easter gift. It is a pair of ridiculously silly egg cups. I made my self boiled eggs and even had ‘soldiers’ to dip in them. Don’t think I have ever done myself boiled eggs without children being present. They were really lovely and perfectly runny. Will definitely be having them again, how could they not brighten your mood?

This afternoon I went out into the front garden again. I decided to work on a bed that didn’t have a lot of attention last year. It was overrun with cornflowers. I like cornflowers but they send out runners and fill the bed, choking or so mothering everything in sight!

Blue was sleeping inside again so Pandora was out with me for over an hour exploring the front garden. She went out of sight quite a lot but when I called her she came bounding over to see me. I left some cornflowers and couldn’t dig them all out as I was disturbing bulbs, but hoes a lot of them away and didn’t damage too many other plants.

I made some soup this evening from some veggies I had left over, it isn’t thick but very tasty. Will try and get a bit more done in the garden tomorrow, weather permitting.

Brass cleaning and gardening

I will start with a picture of the sea this morning, not taken by me but it looks like it was a great morning to be there.

I went across to the church early with Tina when she went across for morning prayers. Took the new cream cleaner and brushes to have another attempt at cleaning some of the lectern. The copper inserts I cleaned last week still had a lot of green showing, after the cream they were a bit better, not perfect and probably not good enough to use on the eagle.

Certainly improved though.

Then someone said I should try Autosol that doesn’t leave bits to go green. Then they said they actually had some so I was able to give it a go.

It is a cream and there is no rinsing off, so a good start. The two inserts at the back on the stand were really badly tarnished, so thought I would try the Autosol on them. Wish someone had mentioned it last week! It actually works, with a lot of elbow grease but not a lot of mess!

Feeling a bit more positive about the challenge thought I would try one of the eagles feet. I think I have the answer, although it will be many hours of work!

I gave up for today as my knees are not happy today. There wasn’t a lot of the Autosol so I have ordered some for next week. After lunch I went out into the garden for over an hour. Blue was indoors so Pandora enjoyed exploring the front garden. I decided on the bed next to the back gate, it is not the worst but it will all need doing eventually. I am going to try and get it in reasonable shape before I have the surgery.

I filled the pink truck twice, surprising how much stuff you remove when you get started. If it is fine I will try to get out tomorrow to get a bit more done.

Homeward bound

This morning Rachel was off so we had some time together. We took Cookie to the groomers early on and then went for breakfast. She sat on my lap on the way there and was so agitated I thought she would have a heart attack! Rachel assured me that this is the way she behaves when taken out in the car!

We went to Sainsbury’s at Breton for breakfast and just as good as usual.when we collected Cookie she sat on the back seat. She does look cute now she has been washed and trimmed.

She was waiting for Ethan to feed her when that was taken!

A quick selfie with Rachel and theN she dropped me off at the station ready for the journey home.

I took two photos going over the bridge to the platform. I quite like the wire in focus and the station a bit blurred!

Then two more it’s the overhead wires and the sky!

The first train was busy but got to my seat okay. Had to go and stand by the case for the last fifteen minute though as my knee has been pretty painful today and it was locking up. The second train was not crowded so had room to stretch my legs. Managed to catch the bridge as we were approaching it.

Nice ghost head in the corner!

The bus journey was a bit bumpy and jarred the leg so was happy to get home. Tina greeted me and made a cuppa and we watched a bit of Countdown. Tina also made pancakes for tea which was nice.

I have had a bath, have unpacked and will relax now. Hoping to try the new cream on the lectern in the morning!

Out to Orton and time with my sister

It has been a lovely day and a good way to end my trip. Rachel dropped me off at Waitrose near the station so that I could get chocolates for my sister and niece, normal chocs for Margherita and dairy free ones for Rose. Had checked last night and Waitrose had the best selection of dairy free. It was raining a bit as I walked to the foot bridge, but not too badly. Took a picture from the top of the bridge which is covered.

Just inside Queensgate, before I went down to the bus station there was this fancy test drive set up for children. How times have changed!

The bus station has changed quite a bit, no kiosk now, just vending machines. Liked this display along what used to be the place where you could buy tickets.

Caught the bus out to Orton and had to go down the underpass to get to my sisters house. More murals, colourful but a lot of extra graffiti on it!

That is the photos for today but the rest of the day was good. Margherita and I had a game of Scrabble this morning, Rose came and sat with us for a while, and we chatted and caught up while we played. Rose showed me her really tiny ‘Beetle’ smart phone and some of her artistic creations. Margherita looked well considering she was in hospital last month. I suggested we go across to the Orton Centre for lunch as I know they used to go quite regularly. They haven’t been this year, so we had taxis and went to the QD cafe where they usually go. We all had egg, chips and mushrooms and it was very tasty. Had a bit of a look round the shop and then got the taxi back.

We had time for a drink and more chatting before Anya collected new to take me back to Rachel’s. It really was a lovely visit and so good to see Margherita looking better than she has the last couple of times I have seen her.

Have had a quiet evening and will have a while with Rachel in the morning before getting the train just after midday for the journey home.

Lazy day and a birthday boy.

Today has been a quiet one, have stayed with Rachel and family and today is Niles’s birthday. Rachel, Niles’s and myself did go to The Barn garden centre late morning and has one on there delicious cream scones. Nice to have an outing with the birthday boy.

While we were there I got some more supplies for lectern cleaning! They had the Scrub Daddy’s there and thought I would try the cream cleaner with micro crystals!

We had a lazy afternoon, watched England win their rugby match and then this evening we all went out to dinner. We went to the Pizza Parlour in the city centre, it is an independent small place and the food and service were really good. They did bring a candle out at the end for Niles stuck in a dessert. I didn’t have my phone with me so I didn’t get a picture. Talking of the phone it wasn’t charging and Skip found another lead that fitted and it started to charge, so it seems I need to get a new lead. When we got home Rachel brought the birthday cake out and we all sung again!

I think that was enough embarrassment for Niles for one day!

We have just watched tv this evening so a very restful day. Tomorrow I am looking forward to spending time with my sister and niece.

Trip to Stamford

Today I went to Stamford with Anya and Isobel, I used to live there a while ago and enjoyed visiting when I lived in Peterborough. Haven’t been for quite some time so it was good to wander round, it is such a nice town. We went into a book shop and Isobel used some tokens to buy books and Anya treated me to a book that was part of a book signing today. A first move by Dominic Brownlow called The Naseby Horses. Set in the fens and it sounds interesting. I will report back on it in later posts. We had a very nice lunch at a small cafe and Isobel started reading her books, well one book!

Took a picture of the church at the bottom of the Main Street.

We went to the public loos and Anya insisted I take a picture of this sign in the window to put on the blog!

Back at their house Isobel and I tried out a little science kit making an avalanche.

This evening Louis joined us and we went out to dinner at Frankie and Benny’s. Anya took a picture of me there.

When I got home Rachel told me that I had my picture on the Peterborough Evening Telegraph website, fame at last, and sooo sensible!

Another good day.

Friends and silly photos!

Skip dropped me off in town just after 8.30am this morning. I had spotted the Wimpy which has been there forever yesterday and decided to have a breakfast sandwich there. It was really tasty, not too big and quite reasonably priced, so a good start. I walked down to The Works, but it hadn’t long been open and the book that I wanted wasn’t on display, thought I would try again later in the day. Got caught up with a charity stall, that turned out to be frustrating but won’t go into that. Met up with Pearl in Cathedral Square at ten and we sat on a bench in Queensgate for a bit, the wind was really cold outside, then we went to a cafe and carried on nattering there. Made out way back to the square to meet up with Mary, Pearls daughter and Mike met up with us there. Mary took pics of me with Pearl and then they went on their way.

As they walked off we spotted dinosaurs wandering around the square, too goo a picture opportunity to miss! Mike didn’t mind being behind the camera!

Then a man with a large camera asked if he could take pictures, so this one was directed at him, there was another guy with a camera as well!

Mike took a picture that included the man. He took my name and said he worked for the Peterborough local paper! My friends In Peterborough will get next Thursdays edition! He did say you can look on line as well.

Mike treated me to a very nice lunch at the steak house, I had the mushrooms wellington which was really quite big, just had salad as my side though. We went in a couple of shops and then went and had a drink and donut! Probably not the best idea as I knew I had overdone it then! I got the book on the second visit to The Works. It is a hardback that hasn’t been out called The Sisters of Auschwitz, £18.99 is the cover price but they were selling it for £6.

We walked to the cloisters behind the cathedral and sat there for a while, it was nice but a bit chilly. Took a couple of pictures from that different angle.

Then we went and had a drink in the cathedral cafe. They had some ‘throne’ seats, another picture opportunity too good to miss, tried to look regal in the first one!!

Mike stayed with me until Angie picked my up after work. Luckily she had got nothing special in for tea so I didn’t eat anything else, although I was feeling a little less over full by then. We chatted about latest news and reminisced about the old days. She had bought me a jigsaw to do when I have had the surgery. She dropped my back at Rachel’s before nine. A good day catching up with people, seeing Anya and family tomorrow.