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

Happy May Day

Hello

Thank you for the comments on my previous post. After saying how I enjoy the comments and replying to them I never went back. So sorry. I definitely read them.

I was thinking about why I don't post as often as I did. There is a time issue I guess and energy problems at the moment, due to the ear infection - I think. Mainly I think it is due to not having a clear idea of what the blog is about. I'm not giving it up or anything as I love being part of it and feel I have a whole new group of friends because of blogging.
Last year felt clearer, I was discovering frugal living and growing my own veg. Although I am still doing both this year.  Blogging also gave me communication with others after being alone a lot. I also thought I would use it to look back a bit at the home educating and caring I did. But I have now found I'm not so good at looking back and am enjoying moving forward.
I think maybe I shall rattle on for a while and see what happens. It will maybe be like the scrapbook I used to keep as a kid. Full of bits and pieces (but not as much Star Wars stuff I promise).  Or the diary I never managed to keep for more than a couple of days. Things can be so mundane here and yet maybe I will enjoy reading it back one day.

Mundane happenings are:
AS levels approaching
Courgettes seedlings are springing up
My ear keeps hurting.

I still find it magic to watch the seeds turn to shoots. Courgettes are such sturdy little buggers whereas the tomatoes are so fragile. I'm trying yellow courgettes as they look so tasty. I also thought I would plant a few flowers as well to encourage the insects in. Echinacea, Sunflowers, Poppies and Calendula for the companion planting. I will try for some chillies this year even though I don't have a greenhouse. Asda was selling off some potatoes so have them propped on a window ledge in an egg box as per instruction from my gardening bible. It will all be in pots again as the clay ground is a nightmare for digging and also the football would probably squash everything.

My ear hurts a bit and the nasal spray has given me cold symptoms but the hearing is maybe a little bit better. Will keep going for now and maybe look into some natural alternatives. It's not wax or anything like that and because it is behind the eardrum drops will not hurt. It is all middle ear and due to the Eustachian tube.

Elections and Exams are what May brings for us.

Take care
x

Pardon!

Hello all

Have a post I want to write but it is one I really need to take time and put thought into it. I don't have the energy to put what is in my head onto paper/pc yet.
I went to the docs again about my ears and it seems I have another ear infection. it was a planned apt due to my previous bouts of deafness. I actually refused the antibiotics this time as they make my stomach cramp. So the doc has given me a steroid nasal spray that has made my throat hurt. I don't suppose there is much more to be done yet. I did wonder if I could be referred to ENT in case they can offer more than just meds. Although I suspect that would be grommets like little kids have for glue ear.  I think I'll have to go through the meds route first which will hopefully sort this out.
I have had a low level pain in one ear whilst the other one is blocked and usually trilling away with tinnitus. I had blamed my extreme tiredness on the early mornings and late nights. However it often is a sign of infection with me and I still haven't twigged this it seems. Also I must  have adjusted to the low level pain and discomfort.
Not a big problem or illness luckily but I suspect people are getting a bit bored of me constantly saying pardon, especially poor son. Especially when I accuse him of teenage mumbling.

Have got my seedlings off to a start. Beans, peas, toms and courgette in a first batch. Is this called successive planting? I will do a second batch and hopefully avoid the gluts of one thing like last year.  I do love when the little shoots pop up.

This is about as exciting as it gets at the moment.

Take care
x

Geek!

December is going to be such an exciting month.

x

Off the Wagon

Hello.

Hope you are well.

My gluten free diet has been a bit erratic recently. It all started with a nibble on a rich tea biscuit at work which opened the flood gates. The most delicious 'slip' has been a doughnut with pink icing and sprinkles at a family bbq, actually 2...no 3 just remembered the reduced one I bought a few days later. I have even had a bit of white bread.  Dinner tonight with include Chinese pancakes.
I thought to myself maybe I will be gluten reduced to match the meat reduced diet I have started. But slowly it has occurred to me that I think I am gaining the symptoms I had before. The indigestion has not returned but other things have. My tiredness could be due to getting used to the early school runs after the Easter break. In fact everything could be explained away by something else but I know when I was gluten free I felt a lot better. Will have to dig deep for some resolve and return to the gluten free. What with that and the spring fever I get due to summer being on it's way there will be no stopping me.

I had a day off from work today which makes little difference to the beginning of the morning but it's nice to sit in a traffic jam on the return journey and not panic - if you see what I mean. I always try and give Susie a quick walk every morning but it's not enough so today we set out on a mega one. She really was in the mood for it and for once ran around and had fun. She chased sticks in the brook and made me laugh. With the lighter evenings I should hopefully get her out a bit more except she was a bugger last year for refusing her walks. Jack Russell's can be very strong when they want to, even cheese wouldn't make her budge. Was it someone on a blog that said dogs please you, Jack Russell's please themselves.

I managed to walk around with toothpaste on my t shirt again all day at least it was the park and not work this time.

Take care
x