Me on a Monday - 26 April 2021

Hello there.  How was your week?

Mine was .......

Work - Busy, busy, busy.

2nd haircut - I lasted three days with the length a little longer, before I phoned and got myself booked in for the chop on Thursday night.  J cut at least 2" off the back and blended it into the longer sides.  I felt like a new woman.

Haircuts for the men folk - Both boys had their long overdue haircuts this week.  The Younger Male seemed to have developed curls during lockdown and he was going to get them all chopped but came home with a cut that suits him, curls and all!!

Antihistamines - I had to go and collect prescription strength tablets from the GP as the over the counter meds didn't' even help for a few hours.  Two days in and it's so much better.  No more itchy eyes 24 hours a day.  It hadn't helped that the pollen count had been high for the last week.

Crochet - I'm shocked to admit that I hadn't done any crochet for nearly two weeks!!  I picked up my hook on Friday and did a few more rows of my lovely shell blanket.

Airsoft - The Younger Male was back at Airsoft this weekend.  The first time in over a year.  I think everyone else must have had the same idea as he said it was really busy.

Flowers - The Younger Male came home with flowers for me this week.  What is he after?????

Burleydam - On Sunday hubby and I drove about 8 miles down the road to Burleydam Garden Centre.  The coffee shop was still closed but it was nice to mooch about looking at all the plants and wondering where we could put them if we ever get around to sorting out the garden.

Venturing Forth - I took tentative steps and looked at places to stay near York at the end of May.  Hopefully on the 17 May the restrictions will have eased enough for us to travel a little further from home.

I wonder what next week will bring?

TTFN.

Me on a Monday - 19 April 2021

It was back to it last week for all of us.  No more not having to set the alarm or pottering around in the morning.  It was back to up early and at work for 8am.

** We had one little change in the office, but it's a big thing for us.  Miss D is allowed to move back into the main office after being moved around for months on end.  It will be nice to have company every day again.  Mrs W and I still have to swap offices during the week but hopefully it's only until the 17 May when the restrictions change again.

** My flowers this week are Lisianthus and are shades of pink and white.  A definite change from the bright tulips of late. 

** My cucumber seeds are coming along nicely as are my green beans and sweet peas.  I've only got one forget me not at the moment and the poppies are taking their time.  I'm just too impatient and want them all to grow overnight.

** Friday was a good day as I managed to get an appointment to get my nails done.  I have very thin nails that break really easily, but I have to say they had done surprisingly well without the shellac.  They are very short at the moment but hopefully they will grow in the next few weeks and I can get back to my signature dark blue or burgundy.

** Saturday was a long overdue trip to the hairdresser.  My hair was just too long, too heavy and too grey.  I've kept a bit of length and have had layers cut in and I feel so much lighter.  In the afternoon I watched the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh.  It was a lovely service but I did feel for the Queen.  She looked all of her 94 years sitting alone in the church.  I'm glad that HRH got the funeral he planned for himself.  

** Sunday saw us viewing a property, with a look to moving this year.  All very exciting.  Unfortunately the viewing time was at the same time as our zoo visit so that had to be changed.  Every weekend for members of the zoo, is booked up until 6 June!!  As hubby is off for the late May bank holiday I managed to get us booked in for Monday 31 May.  What a long time to wait.   The house turned out to be too small.  We would have struggled to get our bedroom furniture into the biggest bedroom.  Still there's no rush and as my Nana used to say "If it's for you, it won't pass you by".

I hope you all have a good week ahead.

TTFN.

First Quarter - 2021

Here we are.  Already three months into 2021.  I'm not sure where the time has gone but it sure has flown by.  Taking a leaf out of Attic24's blog I thought I'd do a monthly collage of what we'd been up to.

** January **

1. Finished my Virus blanket. 2. Remembered the people who had died from COVID.  3. Wore the same outfit as Mrs W at work.  4. A very chilly walk along the prom.  5. Had my first COVID vaccination.  6. Selfie time.  7.  A family walk in the snow.  8.  Celebrated the Young Man's birthday.  9.  Made a virus scarf for a friend.

** February **

1. A treat of spring flowers.  2. Elevenses.  3.  Finished another scarf for a friend.  4.  Working alone in the office.  5. Making progress on my High Tea Floral blanket.  6.  Tulips.  7. Roses for mum.  8. Another chilly walk along the prom.  9.  Gorgeous sunrise.

** March **

1. Looking at old photos from Kew Gardens.  2.  Dad's funeral in Whitwell.  3.  Parmesan, cream gnocchi made  by hubby.  4.  A welcome bit of green in Derbyshire.  5.  2nd COVID vaccination.  6.  Rainbows to mark the 1 year anniversary of Lockdown.  7.  Tulips to brighten my day.  8.  Hugs and Kisses blanket.  9.  An evening walk up to the windmill.

There you have it.  I wonder what the next three months will bring?

TTFN

Visitors!!

We had people, yes, actual people in our garden on Saturday.  The Young Man had 5 of his friends around for a few drinks and a catch up.  It's the first time they've seen each other, in person, in over a year.  Seeing them on a webcam apparently doesn't count. 

We had a one way system in place,  they socially distanced as much as possible, there was sanitiser by the bucket load along with disinfectant spray for handles etc.  Hubby and I stayed indoors and kept a low profile.

They're all really sensible lads and most of them are being tested twice a week at work so are taking all the right precautions necessary.  The silly thing is, we had all these measures in place when next week they could all meet up in a beer garden and all sit together for a few hours and it would be legal. 

Just so the neighbours were aware that we were having people round, and didn't call the police to complain, I put a message on the village Facebook page letting them know and asking that, if anyone wanted to speak to me about it, they could pop round for a chat.  :0)

Along with the alcohol, there was also homemade pizza and spicy chicken wings to round off the afternoon.

I feel that the younger generation have found lockdown a lot more difficult than us oldies.  They all seem to be a lot more sociable nowadays.  Or maybe, now,  I'm just happier when I stay home!!  

It was a pleasure to hear them all laughing and joking.  It's been too long.

Me on Monday - 12 April 2021

The week started with snowflakes, hailstones and sunshine.

The menfolk did a run to the tip with the old fence panels that blew down a few weeks ago and I did some ironing.  I blocked out my Hugs and Kisses blanket and started to think of what to do next.  I thought that I really should finish my High Tea Floral blanket before I started anything else but I'd seen so many gorgeous patterns I found it hard to control the urge to order more wool.

Tuesday was an early trip to the dentist.  I thought I was going for a filling but it turns out that the nerve in one of my wisdom teeth has died and I have several options of what to do next.

1.  Have the tooth filled but live with constant abscesses, as this is a side effect of having a dead nerve. Cost £62.50 plus £9.00 every time I need an antibiotic and I might still end up having to have it taken out.

2. Have the tooth taken out.  Cost £62.50.  This is not an horrendous idea and is the least invasive.  As it's a wisdom tooth it isn't one to worry about so much.

3.  A bridge.  Cost £750.00+.  This involves grinding down perfectly healthy teeth to make a bridge of false teeth to fill in the gap!!  Even the dentist wasn't keen on that idea.

4.  An implant.  Cost £2500.00+  For one tooth.  Not happening!!

Later I edged my Hugs and Kisses blanket and tidied up my craft space.  I was going to try and finish my High Tea Floral blanket but decided on something new altogether, using wool I already have in.  Back over to Lucy at Attic24 and her Dune Blanket.  Lots of lovely shell stripes and back to something I haven't done in ages.  There is something quite calming about stripes.  You don't need to think too hard or keep an eye on the pattern.

Wednesday I was back at it, with it being the bathroom's turn to be blitzed.

Thursday I went to work for a few hours.  The new carpet was down in the office and the furniture was in place.  Mrs W and I managed to get everything back in, and working, so it's now in a presentable state ready for work on Monday.  Home for lunch and a few more stripes.

On Friday I found myself reading my mum's blog.  Mum passed away in 2016 but I felt like she was right there with me and I could hear her voice. There may have been a few tears. ♥

The Younger Male had 5 of his friends round on Saturday.  All socially distanced, rule of six, in the gazebo, in the garden.  I got myself booked in at the hairdressers for next weekend.  I can't wait.

Sunday was a trip to the garden centre for some  more veggies for the greenhouse, another tidy up of the front garden (it seems like all the leaves in the road end up outside our front door), doing some ironing in preparation for work tomorrow and adding a few more rows to my shell blanket.  

What a quick fortnight it's been.

I hope you've all had a great weekend.

TTFN.

One Photo - Twenty Words

Sometimes a walk, as the sun is going down, is all you need to recharge after a really busy day.

Me on a Monday - 5 April 2021

It's the first week of the Easter Holidays and it's been a busy one.

Monday - Started my Spring Clean by blitzing the dining room and lounge.  Everything got pulled out, skirtings got cleaned, surfaces were dusted and things that "I'll just keep in case" were gone through and recycled.  I moved the furniture about a bit and now the dining room looks much brighter. 

Went to get my 2nd COVID jab.  All done in 25 minutes.  Again the staff were amazing and had the whole process down to a fine art.

Tuesday - It was the kitchen's turn today and everything from the floor to the windows sills were cleaned. We don't use a lot of oil (mainly Frylight) since we started following Slimming World a few years back, but it's amazing how there can be a layer of grease on everything.  Does anyone else have the same problem?  Maybe we need to upgrade the extractor fan.  

I managed to book tickets for Chester Zoo.  They open again on April 12th and we have tickets for the following weekend.  So excited as they have a new baby giraffe called Albert.

Wednesday - We headed over to Derbyshire for my father-in-laws funeral.  It was a lovely service and one he would have loved.  Everyone who spoke about him had a lovely story to tell and you could tell that he was also a much loved member of the village.  Everyone at the service was given an album of his time in Norfolk and some seeds to plant to remember him.  Were there hugs for the family?  That's not for me to say.  It was a long and emotional day.

Thursday - We went to the the local garden centre to get some compost and seed trays.  No use having a green house if you don't make use of it.  We also bought some plants and tidied up the front garden.

Friday - Time to tidy up the spare, spare room as we like to call it.  It hasn't been used much in the last 18 months but I keep my wool supplies in there and every now and again stuff gets dumped in there before it gets put away.  I bet I'm not the only one who has a place like that.

Booked National Trust tickets for Tatton Park next weekend.  They are nearly fully booked already so I was lucky to get the times I did.

Planted my seeds, along with green beans and Sweet Peas.

Saturday - A bit of a down day on Saturday.  It wasn't something I could put my finger on.  I sat and listened to Audible and did my crochet, pottered around the garden and spoke to Hubby's mum later in the day.  Hubby did a curry for tea and I had an early night.

Sunday - A long walk at Thurstaston was just the ticket on Sunday.  It blew the cobwebs away and I felt much better than Saturday.  It's true that a bit of fresh air and greenery can lift the spirits.  Roll on the day that we live somewhere more green.

I finished my Hugs and Kisses blanket and just have to block it out so it keeps its shape.  I just need to decide what to make next.

Here's hoping that next week is a good week.

TTFN