Bus to Beverley

Cold but bright today, I went over to the refil shop first thing and topped up a few items. Tina was working today so I thought I would take a trip into 

Beverley with the plan of walking through the town to Flemingate. When I got off the bus my right knee was really painful nd I thought I wouldn’t be walking anywhere! So went for a drink at a cafe near the bus station and after that the knee had relaxed a bit. So I set off to walk to Flemingate as I planned. I went into Art and Soul, lots of lovely things as usual but I just bought some note cards. Then I went over to Baytree Interiors, was just finishing my look round when I saw a brown on a silver coloured stand at a really good price. I said I would like two and the lady said that it was the last one but she could order me two that would be the same reduced price. They will be there in about a week, but she said that there was no rush they would be in the back until I could get there to collect them. I asked if I could take a photo so that I could post a picture of it.

I started to make my way back to the town passing the Minster, I leg was painful and I wanted a rest and a loo as public toilets are in short supply!

There is a cafe just near the Minster so I called in there. A bit overpriced but it was a welcome stopping point!

The toilet seat was a bit flash!

I walked back through the town to the bus station, got a plant at a charity shop, may take a picture tomorrow but it doesn’t look to exciting at the moment. I went up to a shop near St Mary’s where there was a bag I had seen when it was closed. The bag definitely expresses what I was feeling like today!

I also got some lovely wall art in there, I had cashed in my 5p’s last week and wanted to buy something as I had been filling the jar for about two years!

I was absolutely worn out when I got home, but despite the aching joints it had been a good idea to go.

Don’t stress!

The more obstacles that are being mailed to me about the trip to see Diversity on Sunday the more anxious I have been getting. First of all we had to transfer the ticket to my Ticketmaster account, the details came in an email, so far so good, then reading on it said that you had to have the app and your phone is your ticket, it will not be emailed or printable. Immediate panic as I really don’t use apps on the phone unless I really have to! Tina helped me get it on but then she couldn’t get it to open! I have opened it once since so fingers crossed I can get to the ticket at the venue. Then I got another email yesterday evening saying I had to do a lateral flow test on the day and have proof, on the phone again! Tina has done many test but has never actually logged them. We started a dummy run last night and it didn’t fill me with confidence! I didn’t have a great night, dreams of Holby and lateral flow tests among others…. Did a test this morning and was filling in the form on the phone then it wanted my National Health number, not my National Insurance number which I put in! I had no idea what my NH number is and didn’t think I had anything with it on. Tried the patient access site to no avail then, luckily I had kept one of the letters from the hospital after the last surgery. So form completed and I did get text and email confirmation so hopefully that will be okay on Sunday.

This morning I had a package to send off so went to the post office. It was bitterly cold, wished I had worn hat and gloves. I did go up to the sea and had a hot chocolate inside Lily’s cafe today!

Taking those sea photos the bitterly cold wind was strong enough to almost unbalance me! Nice blossom tree in the memorial garden on the way home.

The rest of the day has been pretty much kitchen based. I don’t like to waste the vegetables from my box so today I cut up leeks, onions, carrots and celery  plus a couple of potatoes and made soup. It turned out pretty well, Tina and I both had some at lunch time.

Then this afternoon I made a large cottage pie for Darren and Tina and there are now a couple of portions in the freezer as well. Also made a crumble and nipped to the shop for more cream!

We had some sleet this afternoon and it really is very cold.

Another day another family session

Not a lot to write about today. I stayed in this morning as there was a possibility a workman would visit to see about the panels to go behind the garden wall. Last week we had the idea of some Minecraft activity for the older children at the family group. As I don’t have access to a photocopier or a printer I sat ad drew a few images, that took quite a while!

A couple of the older children did sit for quite a while colouring them me in, I also had children decorations cookies with tubes of coloured icing.

I have felt a bit heady today,so just relaxing and looking forward to the final episode of Holby, although I am sad that it has been axed.

Day three of the icon course

Just very similar pictures today, quite a few stages to the icon image and very interesting again. Also very tiring by the end of the day! Firstly we had to put the marks back in for the high lights, we could have traced but I just painted them referring to the tracing picture.

Then the first layer of high lights.

Then the second layer and painting in the facial features while it dried and hand details.

Then we had to make a weak wash to blend the first layers.

Then the final layer of high lights.

Then we had to reinstate the outlines, that doesn’t look a lot different!

I then had to scrape off the book as it was too dark and put a lighter coat on complete with the the gritty stuff which you remove when it is dry!

Then a red edge while that dried, and I had also tried to do the pages of the book.

Then scraped the grit off and added a wash.

I wasn’t happy with the attempt at pages, asked if Icould paint them out and try again next week. He said he thought they were okay but I could if I wanted to, so I did!

Actually, that one has the wash on the book cover.

Off to see Sarah and David now, who have recovered from their bout of Covid.

A good day

This morning I went with Darren to the boot sale as usual, quite chilly this morning but dry and quite a lot of stalls and buyers. We had out sandwich and then had a good wander round, Darren spotted a game that looks fun in a 20p box, it is in pretty good condition and we will try it when the family visit.

I saw some hollyhock plants and later on some foxgloves which I had been going to get at a garden centre as some of ours have died. So that was a real find as they were a fraction of the price I would have paid. Darren also got a tv, without remote, for a pound! Then Darren suggested we go and have hot chocolate by the sea, great idea, as I was quite cold! Quite misty by the sea again.

When I got home I opened the very strange looking package that Anya had left yesterday. It is just lovely and made in Zimbabwe from recycled material. A lily of the valley which she knows I like.

Tina made a lovely dinner when she got home, very large and very enjoyable. Was quite full then! 

I went out into the garden as I had a lot of plants to get into the ground. I was surprisingly tired by the time I had finished!

I put the garden stake into the garden where I will be ble to see it from the summer house.

I did go and sit in the summerhouse for a while. The small birds are going in the cage and it is a good way from the summer house. Took this not great pic with the phone thought a dirty window, but you can see it is being used!

Quite weary this evening so just relaxing. Looking forward to the icon course tomorrow.

Very special delivery!

This morning I went out fairly early to get lunch before the shopping delivery which was due between nine and ten. I went out into the garden to carry on with the edging of the long bed in the back garden. Quite hard going today as that part of the bed really was like concrete! I tied to hoe the bed as well as the edges so that if we do get rain it will at least go into the ground and not just lay n the top!

I decided I would use the edging tool to cut the roots of the ground elder around the pavers that lead up to the summer house after lunch.

Anya had messaged earlier in the week to ask if I would be around for a delivery this morning. I had asked Darren and Tina if there had been a delivery and they said no.mat about 1.30pm the bell went just as I was about to go out and clean the pavers up. It was the delivery, brought in person by Anya! Wow, what a lovely surprise. She had been on the road for hours as she had planned to arrive in time to take me out to lunch, but although we only had a couple of hours it was absolutely lovely.

She brought flowers which are now in two vases.

We chatted in the summer house for a bit while Anya had a welcome cuppa after her long journey then we went over to the cafe over the road to have tea and cake! And another selfie!

Another chat back here before she set off on the journey home, as I said, just a couple of hours but it seemed longer, her journey home wasn’t quite so bad as the traffic was lighter.

I went out into the garden to clean the pavers a bit and then put the tools away. I also had washing out so bought that in.

Best get to bed earlier tonight as we plan to go to the boot sale in the morning.

Visit and garden

Bel had supposed to be coming to me today but when she was a few minutes late I rang. She had got confused and thought I was going to her, so I got sorted and went round and we had a natter and cuppa there. I went to the shop on the way back to get something for lunch and unpacked the veggie box which had arrived just as I was going out. It had the largest cauliflower we had ever seen in it so I told Tina I would make a cauliflower cheese bake for tea.

I did get in the garden for an hour or so this afternoon and carried on round the beds from where I had left off. The cats were both out with me and looked at the birds but didn’t catch anything, always a bonus.

Made a coffee then and sat on the garden swing for a while before clearing away and getting on with dinner. Mad a huge bake with cauliflower, carrots and some sausages. This dish has just the cauliflower, it was huge!

I noticed that some of the plants in that bottom bed were wilting from lack of water so I went out with a couple of cans tonight and gave them a drink.

Will be watching Grantchester later and will listen to a bit of music for a while now.

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Pardon?

This morning I caught the bus to Hull after the Ringtons man had visited. I was meeting Tina a bit later in Hull after she had been to the dentist and we planned to have lunch. When I arrived in Hull I made my way straight to Boots to see if I could book a hearing test. The lady said I could have my initial appointment straight away and it would only take about fifteen minutes. That was fine as it gave me time to do other bits and get to meet Tina at the appointed time. Very pleasant young man asked me questions, checked my ears and then I did a hearing test. I do have some hearing loss so am going back in April to have a more intensive hearing test and then see where we go from there. Another part of the body giving up!

I wanted to stock up with new socks as mine have stiffened with washing and age (know the feeling)! Also got a mindfulness puzzle book which I had seen advertised. A nice mural inTheProspect Centre, shame about the barriers!

I had arranged to meet Tina near the war memorial, so made my way there.

We had a very nice lunch at a small cafe we went to once before, then Tina had banking to do and after that we walked to Princes Quay. We had a good browse in the vintage clothing shop but weren’t tempted. Then we went to a linen store that is closing down andI got a new fitted bed sheet and Tina a duvet set and some extra pillow cases. While Tina was in the card shop I stood by the railing and took this picture!

We had a drink and cake and near the cafe there were people giving out boxes of  lateral flow tests so we stocked up! Then we saw the most bizarre vending machine we have ever seen!

You really couldn’t make that up!

In the water outside Princes Quay there are some big fish.

We made our way back to the car park where the car had been charging for a couple of hours and then headed home.

Just pottering this evening, may get in the garden for a bit tomorrow afternoon.

Sea fret, then like summer!

It was very misty with a sea fret this morning, I have just put the bins out and think it is coming down again tonight. Gives the place a really mysterious air which I quite like.

My legs felt less achey today so I took the coins down to the post office to bank them and then went up to the sea front, quite a few pics and not a lot of sea!

Walking home a few minutes after those pictures the memorial garden looked like a different planet!

This afternoon I spent quite a while working along the side bed in the back garden, edging, weeding and hoeing. The ground was like concrete so a decent work out today!

I had a cuppa sitting on the garden swing when I finished and enjoyed seeing and hearing the birds and smiling at the antics of the squirrels. One managed to get an almost complete suet block out of an open container and carried it to the ground in his mouth. When he had eaten what he wanted I put it back in the container and made sure it was shut!

Pandora has taken to jumping up on the back of the dining room chairs, this time was okay but a couple of times she has tipped them over!

Quite a busy day, so a quiet evening planned.