31 July 2021

The Simple Woman's Day Book

 Looking out my window - It is dreich and wet.  A day for staying in and catching up with the Olympics.

I am thinking - of what to have for dinner and I haven't even had breakfast or lunch yet.  Why do your days sometimes just revolve around food?

One of my favourite things - A milky coffee, chocolate and crochet.  Although I have to be careful not to try and crochet whilst eating and drinking :0)

I am creating - A gorgeous new blanket by the very talented Jen Tyler at Hooks n Tales.  The Amanzi has to be my favourite of hers......so far.

I am wearing - 
Cropped jeans, white t-shirt and slippers (I get cold feet all year round)  :0)

I am hoping - The weather stays dry for our trip to Scotland in a weeks time.

I am learning



In my kitchen - I'm not the cook, but recently I did make a fish gratin and hubby ate every bit  :0)


In my garden - This is happening...... Our first ever pumpkin.

Closing Notes - I came across this blog during lock down and I have had it sitting in the drafts folder for months but thought today was as good day as any to post it.




 
















21 July 2021

Me on whatever the day of the week it is - 21 July 2021

It's the first day of the holidays, and I've been up since 5.30am as hubby was off to Doncaster bright and early.  I could have gone back to bed but there didn't seem much point.


There was a lovely morning mist which could only mean another hot day ahead.  It was 30C yesterday and set to be the same again today.

It's now 9.30am and I've showered and had breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, done some washing, looked at places to go at the weekend and sorted out clothes to take away on Friday.  Time for a coffee now I think.

One Photo - 20 Words



The Young Man was rocking the whole action man look, at a recent promotional shoot for 

SWAT Airsoft.  July 2021.

12 July 2021

Me on a Monday - 12 July 2021

Last week wasn't a bad week at all.  Some of things I enjoyed were.....

Flowers - One of our Year 6 parents bought me and Mrs W beautiful sunflowers for taking care of her, and her son for the last few years.  She's such a lovely lady and will be returning to volunteer next year even though her son will be moving on to High School.

Watching "The Fall" on catch up.  (Re-watching the first two series for me and watching it for the first time for hubby).  Who'd have thought a series about a serial killer could be so watchable.  You can read about it here.

Wimbledon (again). Definitely two names to watch out for.  Denis Shapovalov (Canada)  and Matteo Berrettini (Italy).  Two extremely talented players who will, without a doubt, be back in action in the coming years.  Shapovalov gave Novak Djokovic a run for his money in the semi finals and didn't go easily and Berrettini gave an excellent performance against the afore mentioned Djokovic in the final. 

Working hours.  I managed to keep my early dart on Friday by telling the boss that I wouldn't be happy to give it up.  I now have to work until 4pm on a Thursday, but don't now start until 8.30 on a Friday and still finish at 3pm.  A good compromise I felt.

Theatre Tickets - I booked tickets for next April (yes! April 2022) to go with the ladies in the office to see Mama Mia.  I can't wait.  I've missed going to the theatre in the last year or so.

New crochet project - With my High Tea Floral finishing last month, I needed a new project.  Enter the Amanzi Throw.  I'm totally in love with this pattern already.

Buying wool - Of course with starting a new project comes the joy of buying more woolly goodness. It should be here in a few days and shhhhhhhh!!  hubby doesn't need to know :0)

And just like that we are into the last week of term.  The end is in sight.  Until then take care and have a great week.

TTFN.

5 July 2021

Me on Monday - 5 July 2021

Things to be happy and, not so happy about last week.

**HAPPY**

1. Wimbledon - Yes indeed the tennis is back.  I miss most of it with being at work but I record it during the day so I can pick out the best bits later.  Of course I do try and watch Sir Andy Murray play, as why wouldn't you?

2. TDF - Tour de France.  I'm not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination but I love July as you get, not only tennis, but cycling too.  I can't remember the cyclist's names from one year to the next but that doesn't matter.  I love the scenery and this year I even looked up how much houses cost in France,  just in case we won big with the lottery on Saturday night.  We didn't :0(    

3.  Nail.  I've always had weak nails so I a few years ago I started having shellac put on.  It gives them a lot more strength and stops them breaking every five minutes.  I love it when it's time to get them done again.  This time, the lucky colour was Red Baroness.

4.  Holidays - I am really looking forward to time away.  It's less than three weeks until we go and I'm already planning what to take, what to eat and where to go.  Boris better hadn't change his mind or I will not be happy.

5.  Choosing new patterns - My High Tea Floral is finished, as is the other little project I was working on, so I felt I was in need of a new challenge.  I whizzed over to Ravelry and chose not one, not two, but three patterns by Jen Tyler at Hooks n Tales.  She is an amazingly talented designer from Cape Town, South Africa.  Now to purchase more wool!!

6.  Salads.  I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm actually enjoying salads at the moment.  Nothing fancy, just the usual tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and maybe a few fresh peas, but they taste sooooo good.


**NOT HAPPY**

1.  Euro 2020 (2021) - I really couldn't care less if the football is on or not.  It annoys me that, in a time where we are still under restrictions and the infection rate has sky rocketed, the football takes up the first 10 minutes of the news.  If you want to rattle on about who's winning, do it at the end!!

2.  Change to working times - My boss asked me what hours I worked and I jokingly said "why do you want to squeeze a few more hours out of me?"  She said that she didn't think the hours that Mrs W and I work between us was working very well.  Surprising really as we've had the same hours for the past two and a half years.  I have a feeling that she doesn't like the fact that I finish at 3pm on a Friday, which means she has to take up the slack.  She wants to talk about it on Monday so I'll be telling her that I'm not happy about staying later.


Well it seems that the Happy outnumber the Not Happy so that in itself is something to be happy about.

Lets hope for a totally happy week this week.

TTFN.






3 July 2021

Second Quarter

And just like the first half of the year is over.  Here's a little reminder of how the second quarter looked.

** APRIL**


1.  Rainbow Hugs & Kisses blanket.  2.  First visitors of the year.  3.  Starting a new project.
4.  Growing things.  5.  A long overdue haircut.  6.  Booking a weekend break.
7.  Garden centre mooching.  8.  The local fox being photobombed.  8.  Lots of colourful shells.


**MAY**


1.  Homegrown radish.  2.  Bodnant Gardens, North Wales.  3.  New coffee machine
4.  Crochet "Me time"  5.  Silly photo of me.  6.  Starting to grow tomatoes in the green house.
7.  Moody skies.  8.  Delamere Forest lake, Cheshire.  9.  Leaving extra plants in the village plant swap.

**JUNE**


1. Baby Okapi at Chester Zoo.  2. Canal Walk. 3. Trip to the pub.  4. Laburnum Arch, Bodnant Gardens.
5.  Sunshine at last.  6.  Evening walk along the prom.  7.  Selfie time.  8.  The border on my High Tea Floral Blanket.


There you have it.  Another three months come and gone.  I wonder what the next three months will bring?

TTFN