The New Normal: Wearing my suitcase

No holidays on the horizon, seems a shame to keep the holiday clothes in a suitcase - so I gave my hand printed kaftan an airing, ideal for a work from home day this heatwave week, lovely and cool but a bit big - I have lost some weight since I bought some of the things I am wearing here  so might get the old sewing machine out for an alteration or two.   The kaftan is from a lady in Brighton who I have got to know well - she has the cottons printed and made up in India so can offer some really good prices.

I went walking twice in the woods - the fields have changed, the white daisies died off and there are a huge variety of seedhead grasses this week.

and loads of this pretty yellow vetch

Another item from the 'holiday suitcase'  an Anokhi skirt with my favourite vintage Anokhi top (both EBay wins in previous years)  you can't go wrong with Anokhi - everything goes with everything even if the pattern clashes in my opinion!

AS I work lates, I got the chance to go to the gym in the mornings this week nice and early (before it got too hot) and do a couple of bodypump (weight lifting) classes.  Next week our gym are offering a free taster with a personal trainer so I booked myself in - why not!  Should be fun.

No idea what this is - could be an orchid although I suspect not, will have to look it up - any idea?

I have been reading this very funny book on my tablet (library download - which I am preferring as they have a better selection online than the physical library lately)

The Boy with the Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies by Sathnam Sanghera (goodreads.com)

At school from the age of 13, my best friend was a girl from a similar culture/background to the writer., I spent more time at her home than my own.  Her huge family were so much fun, so welcoming - the book brought back lots of memories for me - a kitchen full of pots of steaming curries, singing with my friend and her sisters into our hairbrushes (microphones) to The Three Degrees  on her little record player, sharing one of her big sisters cigarettes amongst 6 of us and hoping her mum wouldn't burst into the room! ... being allowed to choose trendy cheesecloth tops and maxi skirts at trade price from her dad's big checked shopper bags - crammed full of stock for his little shop.  Sleepovers on their lovely woven silk and cotton floor rugs in rooms that always smelled of joss sticks, jasmine perfume and late night spicy poppadoms with milk) .... this book has certainly reminded me of some very happy teenage years..... 

The bees had finished with the lavender, the flowers died off so I cut two of the bushes back and dried  the seeds to make lavender bags - haven't done that for a few years - might silk paint the bags.

Dinners this week have been no effort at all - salad, hummus, haloumi, olives, veggie burgers, a very nice higgidy cheese and broccoli flan, the only cooking was a 5 minute stir fry veg and noodles.

Another holiday suitcase item - my Indian silk sari skirt (All About Audrey, Brighton), this is lovely and light/cool to wear - I'm not very photogenic and hate looking at the camera!  it was a lazy day with no shoes and a crumpled top (another Anokhi via good old EBay of course!).

It's our 39th wedding anniversary this weekend - we thought it would be nice to spend it doing a few good long walks, sunbathing in the garden and eating scones with cream :)  Looking forward to Sunday too as our oldest son is visiting on his way back through Gatwick Airport from a lads weekend in Edinburgh and younger son returns from a weekend away, so I will make a lentil dhal and a big chicken curry for the men - the only cooking I really enjoy is curry!

I frequently delete posts as I never get round to publishing them, so before that happens to this one - I am pressing the button - thanks for passing this way, comments are always welcome.