Sunday 29 July 2012

The Olympics

Junior and I watched the opening ceremony yesterday.

Have to say that I felt very proud to be British. 

I loved the bit with Her Majesty and James Bond.  ......and the kids.....bouncing about on their NHS beds, having nightmares and being saved by Mary Poppins.  All mad.  And the mini...  Wonder how many people over the world 'got' our sense of humour?  Then the music...Sex Pistols and Dizzie Rascal...and Mike Oldfield...and, at the end.... all these countries that I have never heard of and their reps marching into the stadium...proud as punch.   Wasn't it nice that instead of some famous British Olympian lighting the flame...our most famous nominated 7 talented youngsters to do the job instead.   Just great. x

You can watch it on the BBC iPlayer.  No commercial interruptions!!..although there is no commentary.    Read the British Newspapers online to get a gist of it all if you're kerfuffled about some of it..

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Let Me Depress You a Little

Do you ever fret about what will happen once you depart this life?  I mean, to those you leave behind.

I do.

I haven't felt that I'm 'long for this earth' for a while.   Illness gets you like that.....Especially when you have a 'bad episode' and pain renders you useless..

So, what plops on the doormat this morning?  Michael Parkinson and his life policy.  The one where you get a lump sum paid on your demise.   The relatives spend it as they wish.   Joke.    Actually, it can be used to 'funeral' you, if that's what you desire.  You even get a 'free gift..before you 'pass on'.   16 inch led tv, little camcorder, sat nav, etc.  Personally, I'd go for the £75 Marks and Sparks vouchers.  Junior agrees, so if I were to take this policy out we would be straight off to their food department, clutching afore-mentioned vouchers!  lol

Then, there's a will to sort out.   Don't want anybody fighting over my costume jewellery and crochet hooks.

Depressing, but these things have to be sorted.  Taking early retirement makes you think of these things. 

Tell you, this getting old lark...not for the faint hearted.

It's not all doom and gloom.  Also in the post, to Junior's delight, was a 'Subway' promotion leaflet with lots of free meal vouchers.  She and Son no 1 are unashamed Subbers.

Back to  it.   At my 'Do'....wear bright clothes, tell jokes and play me out to Status Quo!

Sunday 22 July 2012

Sunday Best

All is quiet here...except for Cilla dog's  gentle snoring.  Give it ten minutes and I'll need earplugs!  lol    She's in season at the moment and a proper sex pest.  The mogs are keeping a wide berth!


Junior made Sunday Dinner.... curry.  Very nice it was, too.  Fruit for pud, or a syrup sponge cake.  Bought some Levi Roots ginger beer which I've had with the meal...also very nice.  :o).  I'll be doing the washing up.  Untypically (is that a word?) she's not used every pot and pan in the house.  Yay. 

I've spent a couple of hours tearing up old newspapers for the cat litters..  Emergency, as we've run out of the 'normal' cat litter.    We are about to experiment with a new litter (Cats Best).  Been highly recommended, so we're giving it a go tomorrow.  It's meant to be more cost effective and eco friendlier than the stuff we use now (mainly Tesco's..'cos it's cheap and not that heavy).  Junior's been beavering away on the net, trying to find the best price for it and for food, too.  (Good for the maths and housekeeping skills!)  The mogs haven't been very happy of late with the normal wet and dry food we give , so we're going to try and get them on a good quality dried food.  It's swings and roundabouts expense-wise.  .  Works out the same nowadays 'cos the internet price finds that Junior has sussed means we can afford them now.   The cheaper stuff doesn't fill them up and/or makes them puke...(and the other).  They need more of it to be satisfied.  Supermarket makes they do not like and they've even gone off some of the well known stuff!  So, we may as well feed them the best we can afford.   So,  tester pack buying it is tomorrow for Applaws, Nutram and Royal Canine.

The weather....sunny today.  Yay!   Might even risk sowing some seeds.   We have a large propogater...which should be a snail-free zone.   Junior harvested some mega sized blueberries. 

Up at the allotment, runner bean plants have only grown about 18 inches!!  Soddened soil there is a lot of!  . But, we discovered that we have a globe artichoke plant in amongst the shrubbery and it seems to be doing ok.  The boys cut down the weeds and mowed the plot for me in June.  Think I'm just going to have little beds of stuff and keep the paths as grass/lawn. Much more interesting.  Saves digging.   You can always tell which of the plots are run by blokes because they just look like giant ploughed fields.  All very industrial...and boring.  Mainly brassicas and spuds!    Anyway, the plot wants moving again, due to the amount of rain......the grass has well and truly grown!  We have an array of garden plants there on ours, if nothing else, thanks to the previous plot holder.  Roses, buddliea, bearded iris, jasmine.  And..buttercups...I love 'em..don't care if other folk think they're weeds...they're so bright and lovely.  Remind me of my childhood when you used to hold them up to you and the yellow of the flower would reflect on to your chin.  And we have clover....means the soil has a good nitrogen supply, apparently, according to horticulturist neighbour.   Anyway. not chopping them.  The bees and insects can enjoy them, too.

I took loads of photos but....ping, ping, pong.   You guessed it.....batteries conked! 




Saturday 21 July 2012

Need To Grow More

We need to get our fingers out and get on with growing some food!    Our efforts this time have been thwarted by all this flipping rain and our super Olympian snails.(rage!!)..  So, there's isomniacal  moi, laying in bed..thinking of ways to make the pennies stretch more, 'cos there ain't many pounds around here at Chez Min.

Wonder what you can grow in a poly tunnel? We're craving spinach at the mo..and beetroot..and all manner of things...but they're expensive up at the shops here, being in Hill Billy Land.   Are these tunnels sturdy enough for our mad weather?   Can you grow fruit and veg in one all year round?  I've only just thought of the possibility of getting one..  Put it off because of cost.  Anyway, wonder if anyone has advice/tips on this?  Shall have to do some 'research'.  Do you need planning permission to put one up in your back garden?  No point asking the council, 'cos they won't know. lol

Would be nice if it all comes to fruition, so to speak.  Just in time for my early retirement  AND...it could be an escape from nosey neighbour!  Yay!! 

Thursday 19 July 2012

NOT HAPPY AT ALL

Been blubbing.

Both my boys have families...and jobs and they work jolly hard ( get up EARLY...one at 3am, the other at 5.30am...to go to work).  They both didn't end up in their 'desired' trades.   Spent years doing college courses only to find that the jobs weren't there at the end, even with qualifications.  They both wish they'd left school at 16 and  had gotten into their desired careers by starting at the bottom and climbing up the ladder that way., instead of staying on at school and massaging youth unemployment figures..

I didn't mind what they chose career-wise, as long as it was safe.  But, there was one career that I absolutely did not/do not want them in.  Don't think it ever crossed their minds, either.

Well, because he hates his boring job so much and that there is no chance of promotion,  Son no 2 has decided that he is going to join the Army.  I am absolutely against it.. Mortified .   Hate it..all that macho bull and the thought of him being target practice in some faraway place..  Ack.

Bloody war has wiped out most of my family.  Apart from one granma, who died when I was very young,  I have never met any  relatives that my parents had.  No Grandads, uncles, aunties, cousins, etc.    No family homes to visit.  All gone, even paper records, so we can't do a proper family tree,    Nothing.  So, I hate and detest war/military stuff.

Why are they recruiting when they are making tens of thousands redundant?.   Probably all comes down to money.  Get rid of the older, well-salaried blokes and train up newbies and pay them a smaller salary.  ££££££££  

Told him ages ago that if he ever went for it then I would knee-cap him.

Off to do a little job!!.....................

Then I'm gonna smash all his computer games!!.

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Jollies, Again.

Well,  Junior's decided that she jolly well can't swim and that it's bloomin hard to learn.  Since her 'dunk' the other day, she's not too partial to putting her head under water...or letting her feet float up!  Oh Dear.    Have told her that I will arrange swimming lessons for her. 

They went out yesterday evening and managed to win £15 and 1kg of chocolate between them!    Sufice it to say, it's 'Film Night' tonight..so choccie sharing should be plentiful......says she.  (Son no 1 is a choccie nut...always has been...so try to wrestle it from him 'cos he's the one who won the chocs..  Pretty apt, really, as he always had a chocolate 'mouth' as a kid...as does Junior.   lol)  They are alike that way.

Today they all went swimming, as per above (cheap day) and went to 'The Dogs this evening.  Apparently, it was really good.  They won a bit.  Hope they don't come back with a 'retired' greyhound, which is what I would probably do.  lol 

Tomorrow is 'Zoo Day.  I know they are looking forward to this.  Big highlight  Expensive entrance fee.  Hope it goes ok.

Meanwhile......I am attempting to 'sort out' Junior's bedroom ready for redecorating.  Man... she has way toooooooo much stuff.    Lots of storage boxes required, me thinks....or knows.   If you have teenagers, then you will know that half of your crockery and cutlery lives, permanently, in thier room.   I freed a load of mine today!   lol

Sorry for any typos.  Blogger playing up.

Monday 9 July 2012

Waiting

Junior's on holiday.

The mogs have been turning the house upside down looking for her.  Bart, Tinks, Henry, Ringy and Popeye are permanently attached to her bed!  Waiting......Bless......

Meanwhile, Cilla has come on heat.  Joy.

She is not fussy and will bonk anything.

Mogs are keeping out of the way.

I am keeping her occupied with bonios.  No pun intended.

The panting gets on yer nerves after a while, though.....lol

Meanwhile....in the land of 'Holiday'....

Junior decided that she was going down the waterslide at the water centre where she's at...Big bros have taken her on hol.

She can't swim.

She's not bothered and seems to have no fear.  Not bothered about wearing water wings or a rubber ring.

So,  Son no 2 was waiting for her at the bottom of this huge slide.   Down she comes.....and, typically,  he got distracted.  Junior lands...splosh....and goes under.....Son no 1 thought she had drowned....  Admittedly, Junior was a bit pissed off.  Didn't cry, though.  Says she's going to have another go tomorrow.....sigh.....

Have told Son no 1 to be on 'catch' duty....or else!!

Sunday 8 July 2012

Ding Dong

It was like something out of a comedy sketch.

As per usual...  after I had hung out a line of washing (mostly Junior's stuff, I might add)   the blooming heavens opened, again....BIG TIME.  Sigh.....   Our weather of late is PSYCHO!!!

'Bugger it' I thought..and left it there...the washing...  'Not going out in that lot'.

So...mutter, mutter...toddles into kitchen...then upstairs and....doorbell goes.  Wonders who is stupid enough to come out in this stuff.    I looks out of the bedroom window and no-one is there.. The bloody doorbell has 'tripped' again and was 'bing bonging' away. 

The rain was so heavy it was constantly 'ringing the bell'..for want of a better expression.

After 15 minutes it tends to get on yer mammeries, so I traipse downstairs and open the door to try and stop the button from sticking.

Bad move.

Overhead gutters were overflowing due to the sheer volume of rain and water was virtually dropping down  like a sheet, right on the doorstep.   So, I retreat.

Bugger.  Am wet and pissed off.

Bing bloody bong...bing bong, bing bong....on and on and on and on and on and on.....

I tries to coax (whack) the indoor speaker to 'shut up!   No joy.

So, bright idea....gets the umbrella and opens it, then the door.......WHAM.....a ton of water kops me  It must have known my plan and was waiting for me, I'm sure!!  Well, there I am, struggling to keep the umbrella over my head while I unjam the bloody bing bong button.

Meanwhile.....water floods into the hallway.   Yikes!!   I give up the umjamming of bing bong and close the door......Where's a sandbag when you need one?    I am SOAKED!...and I haven't even stepped outside!!!

Am mighty fed up at this point. 

'Slop, slop, slop'...sound of me waddling into the kitchen.  I go in there so I can remove my sodden clothing.  Yorks to what the neighbours think.  Off with me kit and on with the dry!!  Who wants pneumonia in 'summer'?

Anyway.  my soaking served its purpose.  Bing bong is no more.  Peace.

It's sunny outside....but I'm staying put.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Forgot

Happy 4th July to 'you lot over there!!' xxx
Junior is busy getting stuff ready for her jollies.  She has so much stuff laid out that I fear that a suitcase will not suffice.  We need a Harry Potter style trunk!  lol

Bikini has been purchased.  Two, actually, so that's one job done.  No point in buying suntan lotion until they get to their destination, given the weather!

I finished my neon orange socks.  They're ok.  Junior has bagged them, so I must make more to, if anything,  perfect the art.   It takes at least 6 hours to knit them, so I don't suppose I will be making them to sell...unless they go for £30 a pair!  lol    Plus, on these one rib is deeper than the other.  Same no of rows so don't ask me how I managed that,  I used the same size needles, too. 
I have lots on my 'To Do while she is away' list.  Be interesting to see how much I actually do get done.

More Piccies
Pear and Almond pie, recipe from River Cottage Family.

Crocheted Wool Blanket, now with new owner.

Rainbow


Think this is a clematis

Junior and Meg

Popeye relaxing

Feeding Time .  The kitchen units have now been painted a sort of duck egg blue.

Crochet cushion front. Made this with bits and bobs from my stash.  Just need a pad.

Back of crocheted cushion. Ran out of colour! lol