Dog Eared.........

 
It had been quite wet for a few days now but thankfully the dog enjoys a good rub down with the towel each time she comes in from the garden. 

Sunday was a lovely visit from Son and fiancé with their little dog coming here too. Both dogs had met a couple of times before and although they didn't actually play together they did both tolerate each other quite well. 

Of course Sunday was also father's day and Hubby had visits from both of our children as Daughter came very late in the day to collect R and the dog and stayed for a cuppa and catchup. As they were leaving R put on the jumper I'd finished and told her mum that she loved it and was keeping it for herself which made me happy 😊 

At the same time as collecting Daughter delivered her two tents that she'd had to put away wet, so first thing Monday Hubby opened them up in our garden and weighted them inside so they didn't blow away. Daughter's garden isn't big enough to open two. 

They dried quite quickly and Hubby was going to attempt putting them away but pop ups have a tendency to fight back so he managed to flatten and clip them flat so he could bring them inside and left the tricky bit for Daughter. 

No coffee morning with the neighbours this Monday as we start at 10:30am and the rain started just a few minutes before, although we'd all obviously guessed it would as nobody had put out chairs early. 

New on my needles this week is going to hopefully be a stashbuster cardigan, using up lots of small amounts of leftover wool.

Goes without saying really that I've again fiddled and changed the pattern so another experiment...... fingers crossed 🤞 

Another busy Thursday. Hubby took his bike in for its first service now he's done his "running in" miles and for them to sort some of the things on the snagging list (why do all new things have a snagging list, can't anyone get it all right first time?). NeighbourA was on pick Hubby up duty so that I could be home to dust all the windowsills, as the surveyor came to measure and note details for the windows and doors we have on order. There were a couple of things the salesman had told us we could have that the surveyor said we couldn't as the salesman hadn't put them on the contract so they hadn't been costed in and would cost extra, Hubby will stand his ground and talk to management...... watch this space! 

After lunch I took Hubby to collect his bike. It's empty the bins round the house day so the wheelies can go down the drive for the morning. And it's quiz night which ended up a disappointing 36 out of 50. 

Friday seemed totally uneventful and the afternoon went quite grey and occasionally drizzly so an evening film was very welcome when Hubby saw it was Antman on BBC.

Have a good week and stay safe.

. 

Oops.........

 
We have been using my tablet every Thursday to join zoom with Daughter&co for the evening Jay's Virtual Pub Quiz, it has worked fine since March 2020 until two weeks ago when they couldn't hear me so fiddle fiddle with it as you do then I rapidly switched to my phone before the quiz started. Hubby and I played with the tablet afterwards and came to the conclusion it must be a broken microphone.  Last Thursday Hubby tried zooming with his laptop and caused all sorts of voice delays and feedback squeeling so I rapidly switched to my phone. On closer inspection today (that was last Saturday) Hubby found the most recent system update was two weeks ago and possibly the cause of the problem..... thankfully another full system update cured the problem! 

While testing the repaired tablet we were video calling each other but getting too much feedback so I stepped out of the French doors into the garden, all worked fine. So I stepped back in, unfortunately just as I lifted my foot over the raised door frame my slipper slipped a bit and caught the frame and next I'm sprawled across the lounge carpet with Hubby running to the rescue. Thankfully I was coming in and not out onto concrete but still going to be bruised and achy for a few days. 

I finished knitting the jumper and I'm really pleased with the design.

Unfortunately it's come up too small for me but Daughter loves it so it will head to her when I've sewn in all the colour change ends. She tried it on and I don't even need to lengthen the sleeves, as nobody has as short a reach as I do except my lovely Daughter. 

As you know Boris has now delayed the full unlocking from the previously roadmapped 12 June to the 19th July. Personally I think it's the right thing to do but disappointed at the few things we had in the diary and looking forward to that have had to change. The "Florida Club" lunch for 10 of us booked for the 15th has now moved to the 22nd so not too bad. Hubby and I had to cancel ourselves out from meeting three couples (on holiday together near us) for one evening meal on the 6th as that would make an illegal group of eight. And most disappointing is one of my oldest friends having to cancel her 70th birthday celebration dinner on the 29th June, she'd only invited about 20 ladies but inside a posh restaurant, so now to split into tables of no more than six, very spaced apart with no communication really allowed between tables or even to transfer the whole thing to any other day that wasn't her actual birthday made her say to me "I haven't rang the restaurant yet but guess I'll just cancel". My disappointments are so minor compared to so many others but we can't undo all the sacrifices we've all made for the last 16 months! 

Beautiful lilies open on the pond, shame we have to view it all through the heron proof net. 

Oh there were very heavy storms Wednesday night as forecast, so heavy the beautiful blooms on the rose have gone even though they are mostly under a roof! They are heavy and never last long anyway and hopefully it will bloom again soon. 

Daughter, E and O headed back to Tudor times Friday morning to next Sunday so as usual on Thursday R and the dog moved in here. Quiz night was just the three of us this time and thankfully we didn't shame ourselves with a respectable 41 out of 50.

I  am often accused of being a bit of a keeper of stuff long after some think it should be cleared out, but sometimes my old collection comes in very handy. Friday R had an appointment and it was pouring with rain but she hadn't packed anything warmer than a t-shirt. Anything of mine or Hubby's would drown her tiny frame but Daughter's concert jacket that's about 25 years old fitted perfectly. 

Today Hubby was pleased to have a whole dry morning so another bike ride, meanwhile I was in the craft room sorting a pattern that needs tweeking and wools to hopefully make a start on the next knitting project. Dog is on guard at the window and R is still in bed of course. 

Enjoy whatever you are up to and stay safe.

. 

Hooray For Visits............

 
We have this beautiful rose right outside the lounge window, huge blooms that we can admire while inside and once outside we can take in it's gentle perfume. It was here when we moved in 38 years ago. 

R and E had a very long awaited visit to their dad's in Dorset, just Saturday and Sunday, so we took the opportunity for O to have a sleepover here. Of course he brought all his techy stuff with and soon had a mobile studio set up in the lounge. He's great at explaining stuff to me so I'm a little bit wiser and I love listening to his musical creations. 

I'm sure Daughter and M enjoyed their home alone date night. 

Wednesday morning started with the click-and-collect shopping that then needs sanitising (is everyone else still doing that?) and putting away. Then breakfast, then Hubby went off to get the new pond pump he ordered yesterday when the existing one suddenly stopped working. He came home and decided he had time to fit it, needing my help for a little bit of it. After that Hubby had a couple of jobs to do at Daughter's house so I went too, not for jobs of course just a visit and a chat and lots of tea. I got to see O's redesigned bedroom which looks good. Had an interesting chat with R about using they/them for non gender specific people, she feels it's quite natural in her conversations now, it's still something I'd need to consider each time so as not to offend anyone. Not easy changing the way we've been taught and used for a lifetime but glad the world is becoming a little more accepting of our differences. Fixing her patio doors didn't go to plan and took ages and he needs to order more stuff and try again. All this and home by 1:30pm.  

Wednesday evenings for many many years has been a meal out and pub with friends and after this gap of about 15 months we did it again this week.

It was dinner in Prezzo for four of us, then onto The Grosvenor pub for seven of us. We didn't manage a photo with us all but after a lot of laughter we did manage these in Prezzo where I wasn't pulling a gross face. 

A visit from Hubby's old school friendG. He makes himself available to the older people in his village who need lifts and mostly it's local appointments however he is bringing someone into Ipswich for some reason so arranged to visit us at the same time. Another ulterior motive is he has very limited technology ability and needs help with a troublesome word document that Hubby couldn't help with by phone. Sadly a visit which ended up making me grumpy. He arrived and straight up to me with arms wide, when I didn't want him to hug me he got so offended, loudly said we'd all been jabbed so there's no problem and if we think differently we'd been brainwashed. He said he'd been to Wales and back and plenty of other places and he's fine, apparently he was also offended when someone he was giving a lift to insisted on wearing a mask in the car. I  told him I don't care what he does but he should read all the facts before dictating to others, not one vaccine manufacturer or the government has stated 100% effective, and it's ignorant people that will keep spreading the germs which allows it to mutate, but they won't get sick so must be OK. Grrrrrr......I left them to it and went back to my knitting.

Decorating the downstairs toilet has started. This is before (sometimes known as the library)

Hubby thinks he now has a plan for the carpentry and he's bought the paint. The room has been cleared and the carpet is about to come up. 

Hubby has a new bike to ride and good weather also encourages lots of outside activities so the loo could look like this for a long time but I'll update you here of course. 

Weeds are only plants you don't want and/or in the wrong place. We didn't plant these as the tarmac goes right up to the wall, however they are pretty and we love them there, so they are officially flowers not weeds 😂 I'm wondering if it's Rosebay Willowherb? 

I hope you are enjoying the good weather, although tomorrow according to the forecast may be a bit too hot for me to spend long outside. 

As always stay safe.

. 

Feeling Like Summer...........

 
With excitement and hope that a lot of fundraising events will go ahead this year the gang came to our garden and opened up the new gazebo to see how it all goes together and to check it all. Looks good doesn't it? 

With an audience of like minded bikers Hubby showed off his new machine. After they all left and we'd had lunch Hubby said he was going out for a ride (new bikes need running in gently so good to put miles on the clock), however he didn't come home as happy as he'd left because after a lovely long ride and when he was only two streets from home the bike stalled on a minor junction and tipped over. Thankfully he wasn't hurt at all just very embarrassed and cross at the dents and deep scratches on the chrome and the pannier and the back box and a broken brake lever! It will get a full cosmetic makeover but it will never seem brand new again. 

Hubby is actually fishing, although it doesn't look like it. FriendsM&P are restocking their pond and we have plenty to share.  I'm seeing friendM today (Wednesday)  for lunch so I'll take the bucket that now has some oxygenating weed and seven fish in there. 

I was a bit worried about going to Felixstowe as it's school holidays and thought it might be really crowded but knew sitting at friendM's beach hut we are three levels above the sand so could definitely keep our distance. However, as you can see it was quite empty and watching those brave/stupid enough to get in the freezing water was quite entertaining 😂

Still knitting a winter jumper but decided it's much better to be getting my vitamin D out in the sun on the lounger with the knitting and tea beside me. 

There's been some hairdressing going on in the garden. Daughter gave R the salon treatment, then R took the clippers and scissors to O.

We had a call from the company that did our new front door asking if they could come for the final satisfaction check, so the chap came and also managed to give us a fresh quote for the windows we had a quote for last October and he improved on it a lot. They will be fitted in August. 

We both enjoyed this seven part Netflix series. 

It's totally set around the world of chess but you really don't need to understand the game (I don't) to enjoy the unusual story. Casting, script and acting was brilliant. 

Garden is fresher and greener because of heavy rain yesterday which thankfully started after Hubby had finished painting our iron single gate, and was raining this morning but stopped now so Hubby has gone back to Daughter's to try and fix her patio door that doesn't want to run on the runners since they were manhandled by paramedics in the early hours this week, they were needed so they were totally forgiven for the door and before you ask everyone is now fine. 

Hope you have a good weekend and week ahead, but watch those numbers as the partial unlocking has let the virus spread a bit again so please enjoy socialising again but keep yourself and others very safe too.

.