I'm Just The Same........

 
We really enjoyed watching O, aka Charlie Blackwood, perform an acoustic set in the Ipswich HMV

His parents are the perfect roadies. 

This week's coffee morning was our first outside in the garden, so lovely and warm. Hubby said he would take a photo but he forgot so this is the best I could get from the security camera (it's only pointed to see if someone breaks into the back door).

As our neighbours arrived each one praised the blossom on the apple tree that greeted them. 

I had my Specsavers eye test this week and pleased to report very little change in prescription and was told the Macular Degeneration in my right eye is no worse and unlikely to get any worse, so that was good to hear. Having worn the same frames for three years now I did choose a new pair to collect in two weeks. 

Hospital finally rang with my CT Scan results and there were a few medical explanations but basically no significant change, so specialist nurse and consultant happy I keep going as we are. I'm very pleased about that. Next scan approximately four months time. 

I just had to share something that really made me smile. I opened the lounge curtains about 7:15am on Wednesday and spotted this baby elephant relaxing outside a neighbour's house. 

Of course it was just a shadow and I'm so pleased I took this photo immediately as he didn't stay long at all. Maybe he's looking for a circus. 

I'm posting this now, nice and early, as it's a Doggy Day Care day and she'll be arriving any minute.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend. We are remembering VE Day's 80th on Monday. I'll tell you all about it next week.

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Family Fame........

 
O's gig was a great success. I wasn't there as we were looking after the dog but Daughter sent a few video clips at the time and I got a full review from her when she collected the dog. 

As it was O's birthday weekend he had some friends go home with him afterwards for a sleepover, although I don't think any of them got to sleep. 

Hubby tracked R's flight to New York. They were delayed nearly an hour but report from R was all went well and apparently only took about 10 mins to get through customs. 

R sent Daughter a brief video tour of the apartment which will be digs for the two girls for the month. Very exciting. 

Big poster, and their NY tour is underway with a big poster! 

Oops only remembered these were in the oven when I could smell them! 

And another week has whizzed by. Lots of colour coming out in the garden, lots of sunshine but still chilly and I even managed quite a bit of ironing! 

See you next week.

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Still Our Youngest.........

 

So lovely to see the Bluebells and Whitebells in abundance all around the garden. 

Brief late evening cuppa with Son and fiancé on Saturday when they brought my car back. Son always swaps cars when they are being entertained in Ipswich as their preferred car park has tight turns and narrow bays and my car is smaller (and worth a lot less). They had been to a Burlesque evening and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Monday my poor right arm endured a little more punishment, I had a CT Scan which was no problem at all, but the radiographer did have a problem getting the cannula in that takes the vital dye needed. She knew I'd be a tricky customer when she saw the bruise that's still quite dark from the blood test I'd had a week before. I survived but have two more bruises on the back of my sore hand. 

A little word of warning! 

I had two very soft bananas and instead of making my usual banana loaf I grabbed the ready rolled puff pastry from the fridge and spread the mashed banana with a little nutmeg then rolled, cut, dusted with sugar and baked....... they were horrid and hit the bin so quick I forgot to take a photo! 

This year Jewish Passover and Christian Easter are at the same time and as I've no religious observations and our children and grandchildren have outgrown the bunny and egg hunt stuff we don't. However we do make the most of the Bank Holiday if everyone is off work. So this Good Friday they all came here for dinner. A special celebration as it's O's birthday and he is headlining tonight at a local venue performing his new album. Also R flies to New York tomorrow to spend a month performing off-Broadway in the play Ungodly. 

Daughter cooked a yummy spread and Son brought lots of cake 🎂 and candles were blown out. 

I wish you a happy Passover, Easter or just the Bank Holiday (delete as appropriate).

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Tea and Cake.......

 
We had a lovely surprise visit from Son and Fiancé on Saturday although Son got a surprise first as they passed Hubby on the road before they got here and had to phone me to make sure I was at home. Hubby was taking R to work, O to the station and bringing the dog back here, so lunch here together worked out fine. 

Tuesday was a kill or cure day. I got out of bed with painful back ache, guess I'd slept in an odd position. Non stop drinking (tea and water) which normally helps with a blood test. Unfortunately it didn't this time and the vampire did quite a bit of poking and prodding to eventually fill two phials. Then as we were out anyway we drove to our local pharmacy that does drop in covid jabs. I had been invited for the spring booster as I'm on the vulnerable list. They were also happy to jab Hubby as he lives with someone vulnerable. We both suffered a little with achy arms and chills.

And some cheerful photos for this sunny and warm April. 

This quince bush in full bloom is a beautiful colour and there are two others in the garden just as heavily red. Should be a sign of a good crop later but it rarely is. 

Mmmmm rhubarb cake. 

Enjoy your weekend, see you here next Saturday.

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Don't Scratch........

 
A quick trip to the garden centre last week and a short wander round our garden just to decide with Hubby where to plant each new shrub and I've an arm full of insect bites! They itch soooooo much!

A lovely family evening for Mother's Day on Sunday.

Frustrating bit was Daughter ordering Chinese takeaway online and it took almost three hours to get here! So the grandchildren resorted to playing Trivial Pursuit. 

R, E and O also collaborated in making us mums personalised cards. 

Son brought flowers and chocolates and cake and he paid halves with Daughter for the Chinese, although as it arrived so late (9pm ish) he boxed up for him and fiancé (who had felt a little unwell and hadn't come) and took it home. 

SisterS caught me out with her April Fool joke, together with bilK they are on a two month grand tour of New Zealand and Australia packed with tours, events and a couple of visits to relatives slotted in. Her message read "We had a boring day today, nothing much to see" I reassured her that a rest day will do them both good! Then she sent the photos of all they had really done. Hahaha

Hope I'm not speaking too soon but now in my second week of taking these evil pills at the 20mg dose and some side effects but so far much more tolerable than before. Fingers crossed eh? 

Hubby actually came with me to see one of the final preview performances of the play R and cast are taking to New York. 

It was the same powerful performance I remember seeing the first time in 2023. Afterwards, when we gave R a lift home, she told us so much of it went wrong but honestly in the audience we didn't notice one hiccup. 

Supermarket daffs are so worth the £1 per bunch for the smile they bring. 

So a good week all round really (apart from the itch).

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We've Marched On........

 
Started the week with a Doggy Day Care day. 

Sunday I went with Daughter and O and met friendKK there to see this play. It was written and directed by R. 

The Chainers youth group did her proud. This was Daughter's review on X and as I couldn't have said it better I stole her's. 

Another proud Grandma event to brag about.

 Hubby has been in full on garden weeding and clearing mode, which has left large empty areas. 

So off to the garden centre and we concentrated on buying hardy shrubs that will hopefully fill up those spaces in just a few years. 

Unfortunately just two days after planting a few of them seemed to have been picked at and eaten! 

We will have to keep these ones netted for a while. 

Hubby and I had a lunch out with friendLA and her husbandR this week. I have been friends with her for 30 years, we met at our evening college course and been friends ever since. We didn't catch up with each other at all last year as sadly we both have health issues, her's more serious than mine, so that did dominate this conversation quite a bit. 

Hubby was needed to trouble shoot scams twice in the same day. NeighbourA asked for help when he got an email saying there was activity on his ebay account that wasn't his doing. That took a lot longer than expected. Then the lunchtime post brought me three letters from O² confirming three new SIM only contracts on three separate monthly charges! I don't use O² and never have, so Hubby had to sort that too. 

Also had a lovely afternoon with Daughter, R and E on Friday. Tea and sharing my recently made bread pudding over all the chat.

Hope you've had a good week too, see you next week.

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Life is a Gift.........

 
When we met our friends last Thursday, friendVS gave me a gift of her home made lemon curd mmmmmm. I've made a batch of cup cakes, half with the lemon curd and half with rhubarb from the freezer. 

Shared a lovely lunch here with Daughter, E and O.

O brought me a gift of his first album on CD. I'd asked for a signed copy but he didn't want to break the wrapping so he signed a note which I've slipped inside. 

He's planning on writing and releasing two more albums this year. 

I've also had to choose a special gift to send through the post, which took me ages to decide on. 

And my gift to you is keeping this short- hahaha!

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Reasons To Be Cheerful......

 
Yaay the first Camellia bloom is out.

Saturday Hubby and I met up with friendsL&K for lunch, finally after our two previously booked and cancelled dates. Always lovely to catch up with them. 

Hubby fixed my sewing machine and it's already back to good use. 

Don't think you can actually see all the frogs in our pond from my photo. If I get any closer they all hide anyway. There's still a lot more frog spawn there which is why the net is weighed down under the water. 

Hubby has a newer phone than I do with a super clear zoom and he took this next great pic. Reminds me of the Paul McCartney song Frog Chorus. 

Mmmmmmm lemon curd from a jar in ready rolled puff pastry and looks like I slaved away in the kitchen. Our secret eh? 

Monday I enjoyed a long overdue catchup meal with friendM and friendHM 

Wednesday evening our usual gang ate out together in our usual pub. 

Thursday four couples, all still good friends since we lived as neighbours in Silver End more than 45 years ago, had a very long pub lunch together. Then still needing more chat we all went back to friendsN&T's for tea/ coffee and lots more chat. 

I have to confess to making a daft (but amusing) classic mistake when ordering online too quickly! I forgot to take note of the size!!!

I ordered the three manicure items on the right. The apple is just to give you scale as are the items on the left of the apple which are the normal size I'd assumed I'd ordered. Hahaha

Keep smiling.

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Sew Busy......

 
R had asked for help as she wanted to venture into making clothes, so at the weekend when Hubby went out for a morning walk with Son, Daughter and her dog, R and I had a bit of a sewing workshop. We had about two hours to ourselves then they all came home and the kettle went on. Son went home after his cuppa but Daughter and R stayed for lunch and more sewing. 

R can sew and is very confident on the sewing machine just wanted guidance on the process of making trousers. 

There were various problems throughout the day. 

* I wasn't feeling 100% so had to keep leaving her to get on with that stage and come back to explain the next. 

* R is left handed and couldn't cut out with my fabrics scissors. We have left-handed scissors here for her but they had been used for all her childhood crafts so wouldn't do fabric. I remembered I had a rotary cutter and thankfully that worked for her. 

* Daughter went in to help her with pocket placement but they both got confused and they ended up machined in wrong, I was called and had to break the bad news that she had to unpick four pieces before I could show her how to attach them into the side seams. 

With just the waistband and length hems to go my machine kept clunking and jamming the thread. I cleared it a couple of times but it wasn't happy. I would have hated if my machine had spoilt what she'd already done. 

So we called in Hubby and his screwdriver.

 Unfortunately not an obvious fix, so out came the manual. 

  Meanwhile R did some hand sewing. 

By this time it was late afternoon and Daughter needed to go home to cook the dinner. We gathered up everything R had been using including the thread and bobbin from my machine so she could continue at home. 

Daughter was worried as her machine hadn't been used for a very long time, but after a quick clean and test run they reported it was fine. 

I was thrilled to get this photo later the same day she started. R looks very pleased with her achievement too. 

I went to my lovely nail technician lady on Monday. We both have health issues and as good friends now we discuss everything, then we desperately make ourselves talk about the pleasant things in our lives. During all this chat she is creating and painting my acrylic nails beautifully. This time long after I'd got home my nails still hadn't dried hard. Seems she had used the top coat for gels which isn't compatible with basic nail varnish (to much chatting). I told her and she was mortified and wanted to correct it all but I repainted them myself to save further hassle. 

We've had two "help" requests from different friends but both for Hubby to sort out their printers. Coincidence hahaha 

SisterS and bilK flew off this week on their big adventure holiday, two months touring New Zealand then Australia. She sent me their itinerary so it will be fun following where they are when. 

I've had another Cystoscopy. Not a pleasant procedure but I am glad they keep checking on me. Very pleased to report all clear! 

Hubby thinks he may have fixed my sewing machine now, so I'm off to re-thread it and give it a test run..... fingers crossed eh? 

Enjoy the lovely sunshine we are having, which actually is quite warm. Hope it's good where you are.

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Chilly Spring......

 
There seems to be a sudden revival of these little knitted dolls which keep coming up on my Facebook. I made so many of them more than 40 years ago, for my children and for gifts. Now I have a lot of wool oddments so thought I'd have another fiddle. 

If you fancy making one here's the pattern. 

You knit it flat, sew into a tube and stuff, then stitch through to define legs and arms and finally draw in for a neck. For character ideas Google "Izzy Dolls".

Hubby is happy now we are getting better gardening weather. Sunny but still very cold though. 

FriendsL&K and friendsL&M had arranged with us a lunch date quite a while ago which had to be rearranged when one of them was unwell. This Tuesday was the rearrange but just the day before friendsL&K cancelled again because of L's back which is still painful and now they both have colds and coughs. We still went ahead and lunched with friendsL&M. They were running a little late as had a hospital appointment first (old age is exhausting). It was a lovely lunch and catchup for the four of us and we will do it again as soon as the others are well enough. 

Thankfully my ankle is improving enough to walk unaided, although still very sore. I've spoken to both the nurse and the consultant on my care team this week and because I'm due another procedure I need to take a break from the evil pills a week before and two weeks after, then I'll start back on them but at the lower dose. Fingers crossed I'll be more comfortable and the dose is still effective. 

And that's another month gone and another season ended as 1st March is officially spring! Doesn't time fly? 

Have a good week.

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