Diary - Wednesday, 8 July 2020

[River Tyne Lass]

It has been a while since I have started first but here goes .. 

Woke up early and had usual cereal and tea for breakfast.  Checked emails.  Sister in law and my brother want to meet up for a walk at the sea front soon.  Another one is from sister in law's sister and she has sent me photos of the progress of her hand stitched patchwork quilt.  She says it is nearing completion now.  I love looking at any quilts and this makes me want to resume my own quilting project again.  I had been working on a hand stitched quilt top for a good while but then had got tired of it and had put it away into storage.  Another email is a petition against chlorinated chicken and growth hormone beef being sold in supermarkets.  Apparently, Waitrose and Aldi have agreed not to sell this but they want other supermarkets to agree too.  I sign the petition.
I walk to town and go to the bank. I find it is closed.  I had forgotten that this branch is now closed on a Wednesday so I have to go to another branch.  I also buy a couple of books when out as there is still no sign of our local libraries reopening. 
I go to my hairdressers to take a look.  The shutters are up and it is clearly open.  There is a notice posted up outside with lots of new information.  Clients must now wear masks, scarves and other types of cover up are not acceptable.  Tea and coffee will no longer be offered.  Prices are increased.  Home address and phone number are required in case for track and tracing purposes.  I go in and see there is only one client.  In the past this place would have had several people in at this time. My hairdresser is well covered up in a long overall and is wearing a visor which covers the whole of her face.  I ask if I can make an appointment.  Certainly, she says, when would you like?  As there is only one person in I chance if I might be fitted in today.  No, sorry, fully booked I'm afraid, she says.  Really? I think, looking at all the empty seats.  But then again this is probably the new situation.  Perhaps only one person can be seen to at a time.  I book an appointment for another time.  How are things I ask.  Awful, she says, all the things you have to do.  On the way home I bump into my nephew and chat to him for a while.
Back in the house and after lunch I do some housework.  After tea I get my patchwork quilt top out of storage and set about taking the paper templates out the back.  This will be quite a time consuming job  but I think I will have to plod at it here and there to get this to the next stage.

[Roobarb]

Good to hear about your day RTL and that you've been having some well earned leisure time. Have you had a look on your council's website to see if there's anything about your library opening? Glad you got some books anyway. It's difficult getting your head around the situation with the hairdressers, who on earth would have thought that we'd be in this sort of situation in the twenty-first century? Hope the quilt goes well.

My diary:

I must have had a busy day, I left it a bit too late to comment on everyone's Tuesday diaries!

Lovely sunny morning, first one for a while that I've worn short a sleeve tshirt for my walk. Didn't go down the narrow path today, had a few things I wanted to do at home so stayed in the usual area. The bins had been emptied just before I left, intended to bring  mine in when I came back. Amazed to see NN's bins were still out when I got back, she's usually two minutes after the bin wagon has left. Wondered if she'd actually gone out. Took mine through to the back, all was quiet and I could see that her back door was closed. I really wanted a cup of tea but wasn't going to miss the opportunity to do some work on the fence if the coast was clear. Cut the ties that were holding one of the trellises to the fence then removed one of the plastic sheets and replaced it with plant membrane, I can put nails or screws through that to hold the trellis at the top and bottom. In fact it was still so quiet that I knocked a nail in the fence without being investigated. Someone across the road was doing a lot of hammering so I suppose it blended in with that. Fixed the trellises back again and unravelled some more of the ivy and repositioned it. Pleased to see that the clematis is growing again. By this time I was absolutely convinced that NN was out - how wrong can you be?!! She'd been home all the time, I can only assume that she was doing something like a video call that she couldn't leave. Suited me anyway, I'd got lots done.

Had some lunch, by then it was clouding over. Got a notification to say that my Amazon delivery was eight stops away. Took that in when it arrived then went back out to cut the back lawn, the sun had disappeared. Took some cuttings from a climbing plant that I have on the other fence, it grows like mad so I hope they come in handy.

Supermarket delivery was due between five and six pm, got a more precise timing and it was soon here. Wiping it all down and repackaging takes about half an hour, I wonder when there'll be a time that I don't feel the need to do this.

Usual evening, raining later on. Reading back on my day it doesn't actually seem to have been that busy but I feel as if it has been. I think I jinxed the weather by buying that parasol, oh dear! Hope everyone had a decent day.

[Viktoria]

I did some patchwork for one if my daughters in law, very satisfying, but small items, cushions with just the middle in patchwork, the material from the
Curtain off cuts .
I must have another go.
Mind yonI have a small tablecloth to finish embroidering,  I did  a lovely cherries design one for the Church Bazaar ,the first Christmas we were in Belgium.
Are you sitting down? Gulp - that was in 1965,bought another for myself to do to keep,and it is not finished yet!
Almost there , I do a bit from time to time ,but get fed up.
The thing is now, in the intervening 55 years life has changed and not sure if anyone uses pretty tea table cloths anymore.
I am not sure if my hairdresser is open yet or has even gone out of business .
There are two,both good cutters ,but the salon was only open a few days a week . Perhaps they have retired .
I hope not, very reasonable prices and all the local gossip, a decent cup of free coffee and most obliging .
I must have been ill without knowing it— a big ridge across my nails which usually is evidence of past ill health .
I might have to stay in bed tomorrow ,deal with it retrospectively .
Grand daughter has four more exams and then graduates ,Accountancy .
She did it on day release ,  night  College and  also,working for my daughter
doing the accounts ,which of course had to be passed by a Chartered
Accountant .
He said she had been very fortunate in her tutors , she had done well,
Not sure if she will need cap and gown ,but no matter she will have a good qualification.
Her Grandad would have been so proud of her.
I keep wondering what it is like in our little town, shops shut, no Saturday market with its excellent greengrocery stall, farm produce, fish and meat, bread and bakery ,specialist cheeses, pet food and dog  beds etc ,plants and flowers , I haven’t been since well before lockdown.
Soil coming tomorrow, a very big bag which was the only size the garden centre had, but son will take some  .90 litres .
The driver will put it round the back for me.
It is quite handy being the end house.
Gladioli at last starting to get fat, I thought they would not have flowers
this year ,but I fed them well.
Well bathroom and bed and my book .
Son in Law’s real Birthday tomorrow, he had a practice one today  when I mistakenly phoned him to say Happy Birthday!
The days are all the same !
Cheerio .Sleep well, and if you are reading this tomorrow which by then will be today I think! I hope you slept well.
I listen to The Dubliners too much ,if you can ever do that!
Viktoria

[River Tyne Lass]

I am glad to hear that the clematis is growing again - how resilient nature seems to be.  It sounds like you have had a very productive day in the garden Roobarb.

Yes, it is very difficult to get your head around the situation at the hairdressers.  It felt very bizarre to say the least, seeing the hairdresser dressed as she was instead of in her normal clothes, only one client, big empty room, long list of new rules and info, etc.  I did anticipate that the prices would be going up. Also, people can't get a dry cut if they want this now, apparently.  The hairdresser has to wash hair for the client before they can work on it.  I wonder if this will be the case for men at the barbers?  I never imagined this situation happening.

When I have checked our library websites I have found nothing about reopening.  South Shields library has reopened but I have heard you can't go in.  You have to drop books in at the door and order the books you want ahead and they will be given to you at the door.  This library is not one of my local ones but I expect when ours do reopen they will be running along similar lines.

[River Tyne Lass]

If you have another go at the patchwork Viktoria and if you have a camera I would love to see your efforts on my 'All things Quilts' ToT thread on here however many years it might take.  It doesn't really matter if it isn't a quilt I would love to see any patchwork.

Yes, people will miss the complimentary teas and coffee at the hairdressers.  Ours used to have a little basket of sweets for clients on the reception desk and that has had to go too.

It does sound like you have a Grand-daughter to be proud of - she is very hardworking.

Hope you enjoy your book Viktoria.  Goodnight everyone.  Off to bed now. 😴🌛

[Caw1]

My what a lot to read... how lovely to hear what everyone's been up to today...
Glad you were able to have a good session in your garden Roobarb especially without NN interrupting you... good to hear your Clematis is growing back too. Sounds like you've had a productive day...

RTL - good to hear you're having a good break and enjoying meeting up with your family too..
I haven't done any quilting for a very long time, it's something I quite enjoy too... an elderly lady in the village has offered me all her fabrics but she's shielding and her H had a stroke a few weeks ago do can't really call and collect it yet...
I'm going to my hairdresser on Friday so I'll be interested to see how his salon has changed ... no free drinks, magazines or sweets on the counter either... can't wait to go as it's getting bit hard to manage now...

Viktoria- I thinks it's wonderful you've had your tea cloth for all those years.. I'm sure you'll find a use for it when it's finished.... finally!
Sounds like your granddaughter deserved her qualifications... hard for youngsters these days..

My diary

Well it has been wet.. wet wet here today so no outside time apart from veg picking... new pots dug, courgettes ... quite small this year despite the rain... lots of lettuce...plum tims growing well and lots flowers on the runner beans. Mesh covering over the blueberries so those pesky pigeons don't get them before us...
After breakfast did hour and half Yogalates as teacher had two sessions on FB... felt fully exercised and several inches taller with all the stretching!
Shower, hair wash... lunchtime by then!
Decided I needed to make us both face coverings so did couple mock ups for O.H to try and get elastic correct... plain navy for him and nice light blue and white little flowery one for me... coukd make a variety to match what ever I wear when out.... no that's a bit daft... like matching up things though...
Daughter messaged to say boys ready for storytime via Zoom ....
They both been enjoying school and been doing lots of writing.. 4 yr olds is very good .... interesting spellings though! Eldest got lovely writing now joined up small even sized and on the lines!
OH continued with Charlie & the Chocolate Factory then I continued with Tales of the Riverboat... they both seemed quite tired... having to get up early to be at school for 8.15am... come as a shock to them all I think as they've been more relaxed since lockdown!
OH now started another jigsaw of The Rialto Bridge.... all stone work canal and sky....
cooked pork tenderloin tossed in garam masala sealed in pan wrapped in foil and cooked in oven, had roasted onions, new pots & veg... I had some ratatouille with it. White wine sauce to go with it. Quite nice dish and tenderloin very succulent sealed in the foil.
OH did some jigsawing, I had a read watched Perry Mason... time for bed..
Another day bites the dust... hope it's dryer tomorrow got some washing to do!

Take care everyone

Caroline

[River Tyne Lass]

Thanks Caroline.  If you have a camera I would love to see any of your patchwork efforts on my 'All Things Quilts' thread (Totally off Topic Board) on here too.😊  I plan to post a photo of my own quilt on there too when I eventually get it finished - but don't hold your breath - it will likely be a long time before it is finished.  I work slowly, all hand stitched very small stitches.  I am useless with a machine.  Try as I might I can never sew a straight line.
I do have a photo up though at the start of that thread showing a small quilt that I made for my Grandson.  As I work so slowly I started this just prior to son's marriage, long before Grandson was even on the horizon.  Well, they do say if you make it they will come.  I don't think this only applies to wildlife.😉

I am a real sucker for looking at quilts.  If I go to Beamish or a stately home anywhere these are always an attraction for me.  I have found that I had one ancestor who was a 'hawker of cotton'.  I like to imagine that she might have been resourceful and made quilts with her scraps.

I think it sounds like you will have the prettiest mask when you turn up at the hairdressers.😊  Do let us know what your experience is like after you go.  Part of me would have liked to wait longer but it is embarrassing having to go to work all the time feeling like I look like I live in tornado valley and not Tyneside.  However, I also think it is the right thing to do to help my hairdresser out with the business.  I do feel for her about the changes and having to reduce drastically people coming in.  She usually has an assistant too.  I wonder if she will be able to afford to keep this person on?😕

[Mowsehowse]

I will just throw this here and come back to read properly later.
Hope everyone has a reasonable day. 

Grey, windy and cool, this morning.
After a slow start we walked over to the lakes.  It was warmer than I expected and slight intermittent drizzle too.  The strong scent of buddleia in bloom was lovely and attracted lots of butterflies.  I saw at least 6 different species.  The 2 swan families seemed ok, despite I know one of the males was savaged by a dog yesterday, and had attention from a vet, being re-homed during the evening.  We saw the heron catch, and struggle to eat a small eel, and then returning across the playing field several swallows were skimming the grass catching insects.

While eating a sandwich lunch I noticed a small yacht moored halfway up the beach with the tide going out.  Half an hour later it was high and dry, and the skipper was cleaning the hull with a yard brush, so perhaps it was deliberate.
H doing a tutoring session so I walked along the gardens above the cliff walk to take some arty photos of the steam train through the flowering agapanthus, but they weren't very successful as I think I might need a special lens for that distance. Still, it was fun trying, and nothing lost for the attempt.
Spent some time on Ancestry, using the library service link.  It will probably desist at the end of July, which is a pity as it has been very valuable.

After tea walked along the beach front to the end, and then watched Repair Shop and an old episode of Lewis.

[pharmaT]

Just a bit of housework and reading today. Not a great day over all, bad news kind of day.  Dinner didn't go well either.  Was supposed to be soy and ginger chicken stir fry but when I defrosted the chicken it was a whiffy so had to go for standby food of chicken nuggets with a side of cauliflower and broccoli cheese and some chips.  Just what I needed a failure to round off the day.