Resurfacing

November has been and gone, some of it was spent with a strep throat virus that caused a nasty cough.  I was signed off work for a while and had to drop my routine.. in some ways it was good to be 'made' to stop and slow down...venture out for a gentle walks (this was the view of our local pub just through the woods, all lit up with fairy lights on a dark afternoon at 4pm, the nights are certainly drawing in,

I had a free month trial of Amazon Prime and amongst other things, enjoyed watching Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind (recommended by my brother).  It was certainly thought provoking and eye opening to learn about the possibility that we can have contact with extra-terrestrials via meditation and thought projection, but I have not joined the club.

I also watched painting tutorials and felt inspired to get my paints out, very rusty but enjoyed it... then started reading a book written by a friend, it's in its first draft and I feel it's a privilege to be trusted to give an opinion  while it's in such a raw format.

My allotment is cold and dormant but I will visit with things to put in my new composter (given by a friend)  and to check for slugs and weeds! I missed going to the gym/swimming but will get back to that soon, no need to rush.

But before I do, we have a short trip to Latvia where the temperatures are a little lower than the UK, there's a Christmas market  and some fabulous Bohemian architecture to see:)  just a couple of nights but a nice adventure.... back soon.....

The New Normal: The Weekend

I did my 20 mins rowing on Saturday morning, had a smoothie for breakfast (banana and apple) then worked from home until 5.30pm.  Hubby heated up a cheese flan with some salad and his home made  potato salad for lunch.   I forgot to take a picture and scoffed the lot!  I was able to observe the one minute silence to remember Prince Philip as the funeral began.  We had the tv on in the background so I was able to watch the coverage whilst working.  

There was only time for a quick tidy up before three sets of viewers came to see our house - they all seemed to like our things (lemon tree, cat, vintage bottle garden), but no offers.... we spent the evening watching The Prodigy on Netflix and dinner was a cheese sandwich and a cider.  Since oldest son moved out and youngest likes to cook his own we have been eating lighter.

On Sunday I did my usual rowing at home, had veggie bacon, egg, tomato and potato waffle fry up and then went to our gym for a booked swim - 34 lengths - with the ease of lockdown gyms opened up this month with distancing - I couldn't believe nobody else had booked in and I had the entire pool to myself - I was so lucky!  

The afternoon was spent with a fruit smoothie for lunch, then a nice rest in the garden with my new book - Justina Blakeney's Jungalow, Decorate Wild.  I pre-ordered this back in November and it has been a long wait for release date but well worth it - a fabulous book of inspiration for furnishing a home with a mix of countries and continents theme - lots of  ideas on style and colour,  and best of all embracing clashes of colour - something I am keen on ... I can't put it down!

It seemed about time I wore those fabulous Indian earrings from the selection my friend Vix sent me recently.  They really are beautiful and not too heavy - thank you Vix :)  The top is an old favourite but has always been too warm on  holidays - ideal though for our chilly British climate!   We reseeded the bald patches on the lawn and put net down anchored with pea sticks to stop the birds.  Mollie cat wees on the lawn and we are having trouble discouraging her - orange peel helps but doesn't look nice!

Mollie's favourite chair is also my favourite chair, she won't budge up 

and share but we haven't fallen out over it yet :)

My favourite room, the conservatory,  is disappearing under greenery! I have moved all our houseplants out there for some sunbathing - they need more light now they are in their growing season and it now gets quite hot in the afternoons if the windows stay shut, so ideal for them (and me!).

Hubby helped put our tomato and cucumber seedlings into bigger pots on Sunday, we have 30 tomato plants  - they are on every windowsill I can find - we are still getting a frost at night so they can't go outside for a while.

I received a gift from THIS isn't.... vegan food company this week - it was a lovely cool bag with their logo and inside was a range of their products to try out and give feedback.  On Sunday night I dry fried THIS isn't chicken - tikka flavour, serving it with salad and Waitrose spicy mexican rice.  Very filling and very tasty for a quick ready meal.

I had time to paint my nails and dip into that book again - then we sat in the conservatory with a few rum and cokes to finish the evening.

Hope you have had as good a weekend as me - it makes such a difference when the sun shines!

100 Days and More..

It's over 100 days since lockdown and the World keeps turning.  At Touchwood things are changing fast, two of the four of us are now unemployed, but I am putting a cheery face on, at least we are all together here and helping each other out.... getting out for walks and trips to blogland are a great escape for me.

I was up at six on Monday and found a Nuffield Health HIIT class on You Tube and got stuck in - these are 30 minute workouts (high intensity but with 30 second slow jog recovery periods between sets, so very easy to get into.  Still doing my 100 fitball sit-ups and venturing into the spider infested garage to do some weight lifting most days.

On our walks this week the fields have been full of these huge daisies.

Monday's walk with hubby was nearly 5 miles, I noticed the hedgerow is changing - blackberries are forming but still green, mallow, wild iris and foxgloves are out and the fields are full of yellow rapeseed. 

On Tuesday the seeds from eBay arrived (radish and spring onion).  Hubbys post wasn't so cheery, he got the Dear John letter confirming his redundancy.   But lets think pink and fluffy for now... this beautiful mallow is all over the hedgerows and roadsides here.

I won a 70s (allegedly) skirt on eBay which is due in the post at the weekend.  I often forget my EBay bids and lose out but remembered this one in the last 3 minutes when another bidder was creeping in.  I should set a phone alert next time.

Wednesday I planted up my spring onion and radish seeds in pots and weighted a tray with bricks on the shed roof - running out of space!  I am working lates all this week so have to rush out in the mornings whatever the weather to tend the garden - I have also done some more lawn seeding and dead heading of flowers.  The border is crammed now with snapdragons and nasturtium.

I flit from one cleaning job to another as I enjoy housework and it's good for keeping myself busy but I know its important to have quiet time too, lately I find it hard to get into books, I start them but dont finish.. (maybe I have adhd - it runs in the family!)  I just started Margaret Attwood's The Testaments - Handmaidens Tale fans probably read it last year when it first came out .. I forgot about it until it turned up this week on my library Ebook list.

Torrential rain this morning (Thursday) so just nipped into town for a few essentials and was pleased to find the rain had it's advantages - no queue at any of the shops or post office and loads of parking.  

I have discovered a jar of uninspiring black olive pesto but my goodness how delicious it was on my pasta with grated cheese and fresh basil from the garden - I think it's the fresh basil that makes it so lovely..  I've eaten it for lunch two days running.  

Ta da - sweetpeas in a wigwam pot.  First time I have had any grow from seed successfully.

The masks didn't work out well - the swimming elastic was all that Fabricland had at the time and it snaps easily - but I emailed them a new order on Tuesday explaining the problem and lots of elastic arrived next day l- brilliant service, I love popping into their shop in Brighton but their online shop has a very good range.  So with the weekend off I will be busy unpicking and sewing!

Here's hubby's collection of fridge magnets, - I like the tuktuk from India best... do you collect anything? being ocd I don't like clutter but can just about tolerate this little gathering :)

Things are not perfect for any of us in these strange times but I am grateful for the extra time to just sit in the moment and think, be and reflect.  I had my paints out in those spare moments this week which, for me, is very restful, will show you next time..... what have you been doing to keep yourself sane? 

 

Travel

As mentioned before, I like buying preloved clothes, you get something you might not consider within your  budget if it were offered at retail price, the pleasure of knowing you are doing your bit for recycling and the knowledge you are less likely to bump into someone cloned in the same outfit.

I won an auction bid for this super featherlight pure silk kaftan, it was brand new with tags and had originally retailed at five times the winning bid, so an extravagant item at a wonderful price.  

I am always on the look out for Anokhi hand block printed items and probably have too many things in  their lovely trademark navy patterns (but I can always sell them)  ... so was pleased to win an auction bid on this midi dress in cool Indian cotton, in the traditional hand blocked print.

You can guess I am planning our next holiday, Jamaica... with the uncertainty caused by Corona virus it is impossible to know what lies ahead, but we booked this months ago and will have to wait and see how it all turns out, whether we will be fit to fly, whether Jamaica will be fit to welcome us and whether the airline will be flying there at all in  2 months from now; things are changing quickly and constantly.   Would it be safer not to travel? Who knows

We are making sure we hand wash frequently with soap.  The shop shelves here are barren of ibuprofen and hand gel... panic buying is not sensible.  I hope you are safe, whats happening in your part of the world?