Monday again, where did last week go?

Here we are again, Monday, they seem to come round twice as fast now that I have retired. Possibly because there are not enough hours in the day for me to do all the things that I want to. Goodness knows how I found the time to go to work.

We took Fran back to Beckenham yesterday, Michael drove as it plays my joints up to do more than 100 miles in one go. I crocheted part of the journey, just trying a few things out and will share later.

We arrived at around 11:30 and had a cuppa closely followed by a ham and salad sandwich and a cookie. We cleared the kitchen up and set off to the park.

As you can see it is colourful.

Michael, Fran and Ben getting ahead while I take my photos. That border smells as good as it looks.

Although I am, not a fan of grey squirrels I can see their appeal, they are very tame in the park and some of them can be hand fed.

This one was much more wary and would not let me get close.

I did take loads of photos and will share them during the week.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. A lovely afternoon wandering around in the sun.

2. Ben met lots of playmates including a very active little Bichon girl.

3. A sneaky ice cream for Fran and I.

4. We spoke to several of the strollers and all were very friendly. Mind you they were dog walking like us.

5. The park was full of family groups enjoying the fresh air and relaxing together.

I was quite surprised at just how many folk were out and about, the parks at home are usually empty except for the dog walkers.

The journey back was iffy to start with, there had been an accident either in or near to the Blackwall tunnel and it took us 30 minutes to cover 2 1/2 miles, g r o a n.

Once through we were off and there were no further hold ups, it was lovely having the extra hour of daylight.

Once home Ben was fed and watered and lots of tea was made and drunk by me.

I have been busy clearing the rubbish out of my blackcurrant and gooseberry corner. I have cut down lots of greenery and put it through the shredder and then back as mulch around the bushes.

I have had a cuppa and a sandwich, Ben needs another walk and then I am off out into the garden again.

      TTFN                                               Pam

Splashing back to Tydd

I want to begin by welcoming Kim, Bridget and Brenda to the "gang" I hope you find something of interest.
 Have any of you popped over to see Sue Baxter Wells yet? She has been leaving interesting comments on lots of blogs recently,  she  blogs at Brown Calico Curtains and hails from the top most Eastern Corner of the US. I have a question for you Sue. There have been a few comments floating around about "circles" what they are and how they work. Would you like to enlighten us?

What a wet few days/weeks, there have been a few dry bits but nowhere near enough. I feel that I have been paddling forever, even on the dry sunny days I squelch with every step.

The funeral went as well as these things do, it was a simple service as planned ages ago. A few unwelcome people turned up but were ignored and left to stew in their own juice.
Jeannie was supported well by her sons, David and Carl, Peter's Grandchildren Francesca and James and their dad, Michael. There was one moment when I had to hold Fran close but she held up well. She adored her Grandfather and was adored right back.
Jeannie wrote a couple of pages for the eulogy but asked Michael to read it out.

Fran stayed here until Saturday and we did lots of chatting and remembering, we also sorted out a car load of her possessions to go back to Beckenham. We were up early and on our way by 8.00am. The journey, thanks to Tom Tom, was straightforward and 2 1/2 hours long.
Ben snuggled next to, on and around Fran the whole way. We had a quick brew and then walked the High Street, I could not resist popping in one shop and they kindly allowed me to take these.

I was very good, thinking of my waistline, and only bought some chocolate covered coffee beans as a gift for someone. There were many of my childhood memories in the shop but the prices!

After all that walking our tummies were thinking that our throats had been cut so we popped into the local bakery and bought some bread and, shame on me, pasties. Not too huge and absolutely delicious, washed down with another brew they gave us energy to walk in the park.

 Just 3 minutes gentle stroll from the house is a lovely park. Lots of walks, some were marked as NO DOGS but the majority is dog friendly. Although there were loads of dogs running free I did not let Ben off his lead.  There was a lot of open water and many of the paths had run off water flowing across them ( lots of mud). We had to make a detour as one path was under about 6" water for a 20 yard stretch and the surrounding ground was completely water logged. There were several little weirs and I got close to this one.

A few steps and there was a plethora of bird life to watch, there are swans in the background who stayed well away from the hoi polloi. Too far for a worthwhile photo with my little camera.
After well over an hour we left the park and went back to the high street to visit the Sausage Shop, they make an amazing array of sausages from Plum and Ginger to Toulouse Garlic with 5 varieties of Lamb, in Lamb casings, and 9 Chicken types. There are also gluten free, beef, kangeroo and vegetarian. I bought 2 each of 4 varieties and will tell you about them later.

We had yet more tea and I left at 4.00, it was a good decision as the traffic was very light. I was home, indoors drinking tea before 7.00.
Leftovers for a quick dinner, a wedge of chicken and Leek pie with half a tin of baked beans that were left from Fran's lunch on Friday.

I had a knock on the door this morning, the Postie left this with a neighbour yesterday.

It was absolutely stuffed to the gills, and I will share it tomorrow, at the moment I want to lust over it in private. mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. An easy and rewarding trip to London.

2. A drool worthy parcel from the US.

3. Ben tired and cuddly after his busy day yesterday.

4. Seeing Michael dry and looking better for it.

5. James asking me to make a cake for his wedding to Cerys.

The date has not been set for the wedding yet, hopefully later this year. I have offered to share the cost and the work of the catering with Cerys,s Mum. It is as good a reason for a long trip to Wales as I could want.

That will be another quilt then, do I feel up to making a Double Wedding Ring?

Now I have a thank you to write and send off for my lovely parcel.

Stay dry and well.          TTFN                             Pam

Still Standing, but only just

It's me! I'm back!

My travel at the weekend was tiring and by Monday I was so stiff from sitting that I could have done with a rub down with The Sporting Life and some horse liniment.
Anyhow, Francesca is moved although I seem to have as much of her stuff here as we have taken out. Ben thoroughly enjoyed going to London and went into the house and took over. One of the sharers is a Police Officer and Ben put on his "love me " face, done job, 1 hour of tummy rubbing and ear tickling and a bit of catch. No not me, Ben.

Beckenham is a very lively area, lovely shops in the centre, and where she is it is a secluded road of large family homes. Free  Parking!! in the large driveway. Once she has sorted out her room and storage the rest of her stuff is going to join her.

This is Ben squirming with happiness on the sofa with Fran, he absolutely adores her.

This is his "it wasn't me, I didn't do it look" usually seen after he has thrown all the cushions on the floor.

I am remiss, I wish to offer a big welcome to some new friends, Lisa, I may have welcomed you before ( forgetful and scatty). Blondie from Derbyshire, I visit there quite often. Love the Mall in Derby. Patricia who lives just up the road and round the corner from me in Peterborough and blogs at Tarragon & Thyme, go check her recipes out YUM. Then there is Lola of And sew on, I found her on a blog hop and had to follow, I love finding new quilting blogs. BEST bit is while I was there I left a comment and won a giveaway, how good is that. I will do a show and tell later. She will be in the thick of Thanksgiving now, imagine doing the full on Roast Turkey now and then again for Christmas, poor timing or what.

I have been to see Miss Whiplash   The Physio this afternoon and what she does to me is awful, it hurts, and Wonderful, when the pain goes so does some of the stiffness. A hot bath and then a hot waterbottle helps with that.

Dinner tonight is a doozy, Bangers and Mash and Mushy Peas. Cheap, cheerful and delish, nothing like Nursery food to lift the spirits.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. New friends.

2. My winnings, of course I am grateful.

3. My beautiful Ben.

4. A gift of free range eggs.

5. The knowledge that it is highly unlikely that I will suffer from  blizzard, hurricane, twister, flash fire or flooding so bad that I lose everything.

I am so grateful for all the little things, it is easy to be grateful for the big joys in life but we mostly tend to take all the little ones for granted. Driving back from the Physio and seeing a field in bright sunshine and a layer of mist about a foot deep laying over it was magical, I just wish that I had got my camera.

The fact that no matter how much we whinge about our weather, we do not suffer from the extremes that seem to be happening so frequently across the world.

The UK may not be hot or exotic but by and large it is safe. And it is never predictable, remember The Big Blow and Michael Fish.

I have been plugging away with my sewing and have some things to share but they can wait, the kettle is singing, dinner smells good and all is well in my world. I hope that you can all say much the same.

TTFN                     Pam