Todays Lesson is...

...do not put your handbag in the washing machine without checking it is empty.

Hello all.

It's a fabric handbag and so old and shabby looking that I thought a quick machine wash might improve it's look. . The inside pocket where I keep my important but not needed all the time things was still full up. So consequently my £30 emergency money, driving licence (the paper bit), oyster card, memory sticks and various bits are now laid out on the footstool hopefully drying to be as good as new. It is not looking good for the oyster card I feel (a travelcard for London transport) which had just been topped up on my last visit. The memory sticks were scanned and repaired by my son so here's hoping. The money and driving licence are looking ok if just a little stiff but smelling sweetly.

Take care x

Broken.

Hello all.

Can it be... a sunny bank holiday?

The garden has nearly broken me today. The huge privet in the front is beyond me on my own so my son broke from revising and FIFA and helped. Because of this I felt I had the energy to tackle the mowing and strimming. This would have been fine except for the mower packed in within minutes. Straight to google for a reminder how to get the belt...it's always the belt. Half an hour later with very bloody fingers I fixed it. It had been a struggle to loosen the big screw thing hence the blood. But the long grass was still wet so out came the strimmer. The strimmer then packed up. The continuous feed didn't as the nylon was stuck. Eventually I fixed that. The lawn is now cut, sort of. Piles of strimmed grass are waiting to be raked. But they can wait although at least the rake wouldn't break. I can see the dog when she's in the garden so I will call the gardening done for today. The garden nearly broke me today although not quite. And the bleeding has stopped.

Hoping to get some pots of veg out soon. The frosty nights seemed to go on forever but I think it will be ok now. I still have a lot of seedlings on the go and so feel like I am a bit behind with it all this year.  Have diversified with a few geraniums this year as I thought a few flowers would help attract the bees to pollinate the courgettes. Eventually I will transfer some over to the cemetery as my mum loved flowers.

Hope you all have a lovely long weekend,
x

Sunny Memory

Hello all.

Now I'm not one for remembering dates and can often have hazy memories. But for once I can tell you exactly what I was doing on this day in 1980. On Facebook I have liked a West Ham united group and it gives out 'On this day ....' type posts. I was informed that on this day in 1980 West Ham won the F A cup.  Not a purely football post I promise.

I was 11 and getting ready to leave my little primary school and go to big school. We lived in  huge flat that had a roof garden where we kept our tortoises. On that day it was sunny and much to my amusement I had found our cat sleeping in the torties little crate house. I know this because my mum had taken photos of me whilst I was dressed in my West Ham t-shirt and rosette and I am pointing out the cat. We then went shopping down the local High Street as we did most Saturdays at this stage of my life. I cannot remember what we bought but I remember vividly that the pie and mash shop (how cockney will this memory get) had put a record player in the window where takeaways where ordered. It was blaring out the West Ham anthem of I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles. The whole of the high street was buzzing with energy and excitement which made it even more special as I walked along with my mum.
The 3 pm kick off found the place deserted and I kept looking out of the window fascinated by such empty streets. Then by 5pm after our one-nil victory over Arsenal (sorry Rachel) cars started shooting down the road tooting with passengers hanging out the window cheering.
The following day my mum took me to the top of our road to see West Ham bring the cup home. We joined thousands of people and I think some people lifted me onto the front wall of the police station. Although it could be that I wished they had lifted me up so I could get a glimpse of my hero Trevor Brooking lifting the cup as they stood on the Town Hall balcony. Happily we wandered home.

Ah memories eh. Does the sun always shine in memories, although I have the photos to back it up. It was so bright that day. I can see and feel it still.  And the most wonderful and abiding feeling from this memory is having my mum at my side.

Take care all x