Diary > Monday 15th June

[Roobarb]

I'm here again, not feeling quite so alone tonight! Strictly speaking I suppose Viktoria started today anyway by adding to Sundays' diary. Viktoria, you do give me a laugh, thank you! 

Usual walk this morning, a few people about and annoyingly rather a lot of rubbish on the field, plastic bottles etc. In the woods there had been a notice fastened to a tree congratulating someone for picking up after their dog but going on to berate them for hanging the poo bag on the tree. The notice had been there for some weeks but even that had been pulled off, torn apart and left on the path. I hate this 'leave it for someone else to pick up' attitude and the sheer vandalism that goes on.

Had been thinking of going to the local nurseries again (being brave!) to get some lawn weedkiller but as the front lawn it would be destined for needed cutting I decided to do that instead after lunch. Mowsehowse, I was thinking of your advice about working in the front garden. My lawnmower and gardening tools are kept in the garage, the drive is next to the front garden of the neighbour I don't want to see so had been thinking about how that would be my escape route which I wouldn't want to take. I normally keep my front door locked all the time (except for going in and out!) so decided to unlock it and if neighbour or her daughter appeared I could just leave the tools outside and step indoors until I felt comfortable going out again. In the event I had no need to do that, the only person who came along was the postie who said hello, she's always a cheery person.

Not so much peace in the back garden, when NN realised I was out there she went along the path next to the adjoining fence to her bin three times during the time I was out there. She's so nosy, it must be driving her mad not being able to see what I'm doing. Today wasn't a record, last week she went to the bin four times in the space of a couple of hours.

Got a text from a friend, we haven't known each other all that long, she lives quite near me and we walk down to the pub for a drink from time to time, that is we used to in normal times. She asked if I would like to go for a socially distanced walk some time, told her I would love to. She is working full time from home and asked if I was free to go today after 5pm. Wouldn't you know it, the one day I couldn't do it as I'd booked a supermarket delivery between five and seven p.m! We arranged to go tomorrow, I'm so pleased. Will have to walk through some streets to meet her, it'll be the first time I've walked down any street for three months.

The supermarket is supposed to give you a more precise slot on the day of delivery but that didn't happen, this is the second time they have not supplied the info. I got a text at 4.55 to say my driver was on his way and I could track my delivery on the link but that didn't work or going direct to the website where it's supposed to update details. I very rarely give my phone number to companies and only did so for this purpose. I prefer the other supermarket but it's not so easy to get a slot, have one booked for my next delivery and have now set a reminder to book one following that when dates become available.
The delivery arrived at 6.30 so by the time I'd wiped things down it was 7p.m. and I was hungry, just did omelette, Jersey potatoes etc.

Haven't done any painting today and here we are the day is nearly over. Hope it's been a decent day for everyone.

[Caw1]

Viktoria is certainly a wealth of information and I love to read her posts, they are guaranteed to bring a smile  to your face...

Oh Roobarb that's a shame you're not able to meet your friend perhaps you'll have another opportunity. Good idea to get out to a nursery... glad you're thinking about ways round not letting NN upsetting you...

Warm day again, up reasonably early had breakfast then messaged our son in Brisbane to say we were ready for a FaceTime if he was... not spoken to him for three weeks so it was lovely to see him. They're doing fine both busy, he's had quite a few commissions for his furniture and sent out lots of quotes. DIL's business seems to be doing ok and she's had her best month since starting up 5 years ago. Glad to know they're ok. They've been out to dinner most w/ends recently and places although distancing are doing ok. He says travel between states is still restricted but expected to lift soon.
Mid morning by now... had wander down the village to post a letter and drop off village lottery money to this weeks lucky winner... in their letter box though...
OH busy on the computer messaging neighbours about motor bikes to find they've all been phoning police too! Parish council meeting via Zoom tonight so he's going to join see what can be done...
Went to my workroom to get on with the trousers finished and start final five pairs.
Lunch, sat outside... quite warm but pleasant... more sewing...
Daughter messaged to see if we're free for a Zoom.... what dors she think we're doing for heavens sake of course we're free!
Nice to chat to her, boys chat for a while... eldest one making a puppet and she's teaching him to sew!
Got told all about the 21 little frogs/ toads they saw in the woods at Virginia Waters at the w/end... youngest one had a meltdown apparently as eldest one kept seeing the frogs first! They had a picnic with friends and children did their best at distancing! Nice to see daughter relaxed and we've had more conversations with her over these past weeks than for sometime! Hope we can see them again soon but they need to try and see other grandparents too... not quite as easy as our garden bigger and generally easier to navigate toilets etc here.
Baked some scones... using Lakeland recipe ... and chocolate and orange cake ready for girls coming for coffee tomorrow morning...
Dinner was pretty rushed turkey bake..
OH had Zoom meeting with PC and others I decided to do bit more sewing!
We sat in the conservatory with a glass of wine discussing outcome of OC meeting.....
Off to bed as quite tired...


Looking forward to reading others daily diaries.

Caroline

[Annette7]

After my breadfast did the 2 Rootschat quizzes as usual and was then on Rootschat for about an hour.   Decided to change the bed and also the duvet from the winter one to the summer one (at last - nearly switched duvets when we had the previous hot weather but glad I hadn't when all of last week was cold).

Tidied up the kitchen and then prepared for a visit from my niece Jo and great-niece Esmae (10) at 2.30.   Got sun chairs out for us to socially distance outside.   Jo wanted to sit in the sun but eventually moved in the shade like me.   I went upstairs to get them a cold drink and by time I came down she was back in the sun again.   Son Luke (16) then phoned his Mum to say he was going out and couldn't tell Scott (step father) as he'd taken the dog for a walk.   Little while later Scott phoned - he'd got back to the house and couldn't get in as he only had his car key with him.   Said he'd come and join us which he duly did.   I hadn't seen the dog since lockdown and she was overjoyed to see me.   Harper then met one of my neighbours and promptly fell in love with him as he kept giving her belly rubs.

They left about 4.30 and I then decided to sunbathe for an hour now the the main heat of the day had passed.   It was heaven!   I then potted around outside tidying up a couple of the many pots we have outside the flats and then watered them all.

Discovered that I'd received an email from my Scottish cousin mid-afternoon - his emails always make me laugh as he has a very dry sense of humour.   Like me, he is confined to barracks but lives in a lovely spot on the outskirts of Pitlochry.   His partner goes to the town centre to get food and today she said that there were more folk around, clearly tourists (English accent a give-away).   Bill has no idea where they can be staying as all the hotels, guest houses and B & B's in the area are all closed.

Dabbled on Rootschat for a while and then cooked dinner - slightly naughty as wanted something quick so had cheese and onion quiche, oven chips with coleslaw followed by some jelly and custard!

Another lovely day forecast for tomorrow so will start with doing the washing.

What an exciting life!

Annette     

[Viktoria]

Waiting for the parcel to be collected,between7 am and 8 pm!
So having a nice cuppa.Not hungry yet.
The beef joint my son got me for weekend from Morrison’s was diabolical.
I did it gently but so  tough .
All the faffing  about with  yorkies too!
I won’t even bother mincing it for cottage pie. I looked  at  it and thought%#&£#  it I am only going to eat fish from now on!

No plans for today other than to cut material for simple blinds in the utility room which is glass on two sides .Facing South and West .
The heat in there - phew!
Plus it is the room where you put something away and run ! It is so full.
Step ladders ,ironing board ,clothes maiden,washer, vases,vac,quick tidy up ewebank thingy, washing baskets, tools for quick repairs, jam jars for jam making etc etc.
Also when I have just tidied it , there is no real difference.
The contents can be seen from the side lane so I want to have white blinds.
Number one son may be able come in before too long and help. unchoke my machine( and put up fixtures for the blinds .
I think I might need the sewing machine shop to service it.They had a branch in Bury but moved to Blackburn I think.

I do have my ancient one but can’t lift it onto the table.
Son again! Well that is what you have them for isn’t it! 
Other son is “ Dahn Saff “ Surrey don’t you know or Sarry where he takes barths.Daughter in Suffolk.
So number one son (who was almost the cause of his father’s early demise
by falling downstairs with laces tied together) is my handyman.
No plans for today ,will just check with him  what fixtures are ok for the blinds ,he goes to Screwfix regularly under normal circumstances .
The blinds  will not be roll up ones ,just in place ,white so light gets through
but hopefully a bit cooler in there and my household junk will not be on view to passers by.
At present you could ripen tomatoes in there !
Must dead head the aquilegias, the seeds get everywhere and gradually only purple ones blooming, used to be some pink .
I throw many seeds in the in the lane verges and lovely flowers grow, bluebells, pink bladder campion, two kinds if wild geranium, pink and purple, yellow welsh poppies,foxgloves I put ther hsve leaves but as yet no flowers ,perhaps next year.And Aquiligias.
Montbretia is diminishing gradually.
Must phone someone who I hope to visit ASAP  in Shropshire.
Been promised some seeds for my garden of the gorgeous Oriental Poppies a neighbour has ,seed heads not yet ripe .
Little pepper pots.
Well must get on with nothing really pressing but better done than left.
No hurry.
I want Henry the “over the lane “cat to come and sit on my little patio with
me as long as he does not leave messages in the flower beds
Hope everyone has a good day, cheerio for now.
Viktoria.

[Caw1]

Viktoria- you brought a smile to my face this morning with the thought of your hubbie tied up shoe laces!
I hope your No 1 son gets to come in and sort out your machine and attend to your blinds for you...
Love your idea of having sons so they can become handymen in later life... good job if they're practical .... luckily mine is but lives in Brisbane! Currently I'm still very lucky to have my OH who is also very handy...
When we moved to this house 33 years ago we wanted a separate dining room so he thought about it for a couple of years and was busy drawing up plans...
When I was presented with the final draft he'd decided to remove the WHOLE front of the house to extend not just downstairs but upstairs too
Change bathrooms situation, move walls on tge landing and bring out the whole front of the house!
I thought we were only having a new dining room... I said
Well we might as well do all the alterations in one go... he said
😱😱😱
Turns out he was right and his handy work looks wonderful...
took him nearly three years to complete it all .....
Every waking moment... as soon as he came in from school and as he was a teacher holidays were very useful too!

Hope you enjoy your day today and that your parcel collection doesn't end up being 8pm!
Take care...
Caroline

[Mowsehowse]

Great progress Roobarb, fantastic. 

Caroline, isn't it annoying when sons move too far away to wield a screwdriver for their mother.
Lovely you have had chats.  As a middle child I can empathise with your little grandson being frustrated by never being first!! Or even last!

Keep em coming Viktoria you are a tonic. I envy your neighbours having the pleasure of your guerrilla gardening, and hope the borrowed cat paid you a visit.

Monday..... I leapt out of bed and thought I would rush to get ready so I could buy some bread before town got busy, but H decided he would come too, so not such an early departure as intended. However enjoyed lovely sunshine there and back, planning a leisurely coffee on the balcony, but surprisingly it was really windy at our level, and then clouded over anyway. So we had the best of the sunshine on our walk, but it made a very long afternoon to fill.  Sat and read some of Philippa Gregory's "Kingmaker's Daughter".

Early evening I drove over to Teignmouth beach to meet up with some of the Morris group. Only 6 turned up, fortunately as there were at least 9 who didn't, which might have become difficult. It was a lovely temperature and no breeze just there.  It is odd that one can see all the large vessels at anchor in Tor Bay far more clearly from Teignmouth, than from Goodrington. Perspective is a fascinating thing, and I thought of Roobarb and her art.  (I wish I may, I wish I might.... but I am rubbish.) 

One of the group brought her scruffy little  black dog, who is not very friendly and is quite mad. It was amusing to watch it chasing around and retrieving stones.

So lovely to have a chat with some chums. Then I was advised to go over Shaldon bridge, and take the coast road back as the inland road would be closed. I definitely saw the sign for Babbacombe, but somehow missed the turn, so ended up going via the Crem and the Hospital. (It did occur to me that was preferable than the reverse possibility!)   Torre Abbey gardens were quite busy as it was still light.

Considering making some face masks for the local hospice, but wondering if tapes would be better than elastic? One size obviously doesn't fit all..... 

Anyone found a pattern that seems to work well for everyone?  The request features a shaped mask which seems a very loose fit, and I feel the rectangular, pleated pattern I used for ours might be more efficient?

Hope you all have a good day.

[radstockjeff]

Not strictly Monday but a reflection on the lockdown situation.
So many things I thought I would be able to catch up on if the lockdpwn lasted as long as once thought.
There are still so many things to do, but the motivation seems to have drifted. Lockdown has been bearable. We have a garden, not too big but manageable, and it has , as always been fun. Most of the planting done; the sunflowers are growing like Jack and the Beanstalk, its a job to keep up with them; soon need some longer supports!(A free packet of seeds, I think they were mixed varieties, but all have germinated!).

The tomatoes(Moneymaker), under glass (not from seed), are at the third truss and the few Ailsa Craig which I grew from seed have now been potted on.
The wallflower seeds which I planted last week are through- dread the pricking out involved with this lot- seemingly hundreds.
OH is really in charge of the garden, i just help where I can!

Then there's the Church Newsletter to which I contribute, needing something else "if you have a spare moment) and I have three writing projects on the go, at varying stages of progress.

We have managed to survive and maintain a good level of sanity; we have been fortunate, being very careful as we also have a son at home who is also vulnerable and requires shielding.

Life patterns change and we adapt.

[Caw1]

[quote author=mowsehowse link=topic=832830.msg6974659#msg6974659 date=1592302418



Considering making some face masks for the local hospice, but wondering if tapes would be better than elastic? One size obviously doesn't fit all..... 

Anyone found a pattern that seems to work well for everyone?  The request features a shaped mask which seems a very loose fit, and I feel the rectangular, pleated pattern I used for ours might be more efficient?

Hope you all have a good day.
[/quote]

There are some good example s on YouTube and Ines that fit over the nose using florists wire wrapped in electrical tape  or pipe cleaners although bit flimsy... then threaded through a stitched Chanel over the nose area and inserted and end stitched so it keeps it safe.
sorry I'm not skilled enough to put links on here... beyond my capabilities... I'm only any good with sewing equipment!

Hope you find something suitable... instead of elastic you can use those ponytail covered elastic more gentle on the back of the ears... or long ribbon ( gros grain type most suitable as non slippy) or fabric tie threaded through leaving a loop on the bottom section that fits round the back of the neck then tied around the back of the head.

Caroline

[Mowsehowse]

Thanks Caroline....

The Dhurata Davies pattern seems very comprehensive, though the instructions have me slightly boggled. I think if I just plunge in it may turn out to be semi intuitive for my skill set.

Generally I simply highlight and copy/paste the link in the https:// box at the top of the page....

https://dhuratadavies.com/blogs/things-i-make-and-do/free-face-mask-pattern-and-tutorial

Very good point about using gros grain rather than satin ribbon.... I had forgotten that.