Somethin` Fishy in the Kitchen......

I hope you`re all enjoying the weekend. It seems to have gone really quickly and we are faced with another Monday already...sigh. We have stocktaking this week.....Oh what fun that will be (she says with heavy sarcasm...lol!).

This morning I solved a mystery and one that`s been bothering me for a few days. On Friday evening I noticed a funny smell in the kitchen. Following my nose I traced it to an area in one corner but could find nothing at all and put it down to imagination. On Saturday morning while I was making a cup of tea I noticed it again. Even after my usual clean of the worktops it still lingered. This morning however it was really strong and I asked Jim had he noticed it. He had but had failed to tell me, then he said it might be the microwave oven as he`d cooked some mackeral for his lunch on Thursday and forgot to clean it up.  THURSDAY?   FISH?  No wonder there was a bad smell!  I opened the microwave and the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. I can`t describe how awful it was. Suffice it to say I opened the kitchen door immediately and attempted to clean the oven whilst trying not to breathe. Jim decided this was a good time to take Jake for a walk and left me to clear up HIS mess on my own! Well I cleaned and cleaned but the smell hasn`t shifted. In the end I picked up the oven and put it in the garden. It`s very old and doesn`t work well anyway. Guess who will be buying a new one but doesn`t know it yet?  ....lol!

Danny came round for dinner this afternoon. I gave him sirloin steak, mushrooms and roast potatoes which he enjoyed. The least I can do is make sure he eats well even though he doesn`t live here anymore.

Jim is going to call the garage again tomorrow morning and hopefully he`ll actually get to speak to someone. My car seats are almost dry and the sunroof is covered over so it won`t get wet again if it rains. I`ll be covering it up while I`m at work too, I`m taking no chances until its repaired. I know it`s not too serious a problem and shouldn`t cost much to fix but that`s not the point. Anyway it leaked when I bought it so either they knew about it or the previous owner `forgot` to tell them.

That`s about all my news for today. I just had to tell you about the smelly fish story. Bye for now and take care. :o)

 

 

Oh No....Not Again!

Hello everyone,

It`s been a bit brighter today after a couple of days of heavy downpours. Mind you, it`s rather dark outside now and the skies are very threatening. I do hope it doesn`t rain as much as yesterday. I`ll explain.

When I got into my car after work yesterday it was to find my seat wet and water coming through the roof. The sunroof is leaking after all. Making a mental note to call the Renault garage Saturday morning I drove home with water dripping on my head. I was not a happy bunny I can tell you. In the afternoon I went out with Kerry and as it had stopped raining but no more water was dripping through. So, last evening in my wisdom I used a windscreen sun cover to deflect any rain from the sunroof by covering the roof and fixing the sides of the cover by tucking them inside the doors. Brilliant idea in theory, in fact it was a disaster. When I checked it this morning it had stopped the rain from coming through the sunroof seal but instead it had come through the doors, soaking not one but both of the passenger seats. I was mortified and have been trying to dry it out all day. Now in preparation for the rain that will soon fall I have used the same cover but have attached it to the bottom on the car instead of inside it. Hopefully it will do the job until I can get it repaired. Jim did call the garage this morning and left a message to the salesman who sold it to me. He was assured he would call back and we`re still waiting five hours later! I suppose they don`t want to know know that I`ve paid my money but they haven`t heard the last of me yet. If we get nowhere with them we have a good friend who used to work for a company who fitted sunroofs and windscreens. Jim thinks he will give us advice about getting it fixed or even do it for us. One way or another it will be fixed soon.

I had the results of my blood tests Thursday and they were all clear. I`m particularly pleased that the ones for diabetes and cholesterol were negative, and as for the others will I`m just happy that all`s well. Now I have a clean bill of health now I can concentrate of the mysterious lumps I keep getting. The dermatologist isn`t too worried but wants to keep and eye on things for the time being. I must add that there`s nothing sinister going on just a bit of a nuisance.

Jim is doing well researching his family tree and has unearthed some skeletons in the proverbial cupboard. He has discovered marriages that weren`t marriages and all, children born out of wedlock when these things were definitely frowned upon. He was also surprised that many women were unable to read and write but the men were. I suppose it was all about educating the boys but the girls didn`t really matter. While looking for a long-lost uncle he has found cousins that he and his other family didn`t know existed though only one has shown the very faintest of interest. If that were me and I was contacted by a very distant relation I`d love it. One of the cousins J told Jim his Uncle died in 1967. Uncle F was born 1903 and was 18yrs older than Jim`s mum.  It`s a complicated story but there would have been quite a scandal at the time.

Right, I`m going to cook myself something for my tea and empty the tumble dryer.  Then I`m going to read ALL my journals. Take care and have a lovely evening. :o)

 

 

Chills and Winter Breaks

Hello everyone,

I wasn`t going to do an entry today but changed my mind. It`s so cold today, don`t you think? At least you should be if you live in southern England...I know Sara is cold because I just read her journal entry so I know I`m not quite alone. It`s been so mild of late that the cold wind really hit the spot today. I was lucky to be working inside today out of the cold wind, not that it will be very much warmer once we start getting frosts seeing as though we have no heating in the shop.  It`ll be thermal underwear again for me this winter...lol!

One of the comments on my entry of yesterday suggested that I`m an expert gardener...I`m not, just a better one because of my time at the garden centre. I`m quite lucky as I have the type of memory that can soak up lots of small details; like what plant is what and what type of compost is for what and what chemicals to use and when. At the time of my interview just one year ago I was told that there was so much I could learn and how right that was. I am so grateful that I got this job because I`ve learnt so much and it is helping me at home as well as in work. I`ve been interested in gardening for a lot of years but I wasn`t especially green-fingered. I find it amazing that with some things my memory is terrible but with others it`s as sharp as a tack. I suppose it`s a bit like an old computer, one minute it works and the next it doesn`t...lol!

I bought some winter pansies today for a hanging basket that I`m going to put outside the front door. I also bought some basket liner, some winter fleece, some fence paint, bell cloches to protect my geraniums and a tin of sour cherry drops...well I like to keep some sweeties in the car. Staff discount is a wonderful thing you know! Tomorrow Jim is going to mow the lawn and do some weeding and I`m going to do a bit more tidying in readiness for winter. I know it`s only autumn but I must prepare. I might even paint the front fence if it stays fine, it needs doing and it`s not a huge job and it`ll be one thing less for Jim to do. I have a list for him but he doesn`t know yet...lol!

I`ll have to ask Jim to reset the timer on the central heating. At the moment I have to use it manually which is a bit of a pain. Danny shorted the electric once when he was here and it caused the settings on the time to clear.....Jim reset it and it was fine...then Danny shorted it again with his iron..sigh.

Forgot to mention....we are definitely going to Prague in November. Today I had my days off confirmed and Jim has already found a hotel and and flights. All he has to do is book it and we will have our long weekend. I am really looking forward to it even though it will be very cold. I know the old city of Prague is exceptionally beautiful and you can be sure my trusty camera will be coming with me....I can`t wait!

I`ll say goodbye now; I don`t have any journals left to read so I`ll go and play some Bookworm until I sign off at 9pm.  Have a nice evening and take care. :o)

 

 

How`s That for Good Timing?

Phew....I`m absolutely exhausted after a very busy day at work. I`ve been working hard pysically all the time I was there, bringing in stock and moving things around in the shop. Talk about running myself ragged, I was rushing around so much that I hearly met myself on the way back...lol! Next week is stocktaking and we are going to be VERY busy indeed for the first three days of the week.

When I got home I planted the tulips and just in time I might add. I was clearing away when the first drops of rain began to fall and just as I was closing the greenhouse the heavens opened. I must admit that either time was on my side or I had a little help from up above. Whichever it was I am very grateful, gardening in the rain isn`t one of my favourite pastimes, in fact I just don`t do it...lol! Afterwards I plnted the two Amaryllis bulbs that I bought from the Dorset Show and placed them on the top of the dining room dresser. Now all they have to do is grow and give me some beautiful flowers, not a lot to ask I think!

It seems that the leaky sunroof in my car is miraculously cured. A chap I work with told me that sometimes when you close the sunroof the seals bend and leave a small gap. He told me to open it, check the seals and then close it again...it worked and I`m delighted. I really didn`t relish having to go back to the garage again or having to drive with an umbrella up so all`s well that ends well...lol!

Jim said the other day that it`s nice having the house to ourselves now Danny has moved out. He`s right, as much as we love our son he isn`t the easiest person to live with so it`s best that he has his own place. This way we still see him often and our relationship stays in tact, definitely the best way to look at it. When I remember back to his childhood he was such a good and happy little boy, but fate and events changed him a great deal. I know he`s a grown man but sometimes I mourn the loss of that darling little boy, who was, dare I say it very like Roman. Kerry though doesn`t seem to have changed at all. Her personality is unchanged from that of a toddler,  strong-willed and intelligent, funny but fiercely independent. Oh yes, the woman is the same as the child.

Anyway, that was a bit heavy so I just say a quick goodbye. I hope you all have a lovely day and have better weather than here. :o)

 

Sunday Scribbles

Hello everyone,

I hope you`re all having a good weekend. The weather has been really nice here and I`ve been getting a lot of work done in the garden. I`ve pulled up the bedding plants that have seen better days but decided to leave those that still have a lot of life left. I emtied the hanging baskets and many of the containers leaving the way clear to plant the Spring bulbs. As I got so much done yesterday I will give it a miss this afternoon as I have a roast dinner to prepare and cook and perhaps I`ll go dog walking with Jim. I may or may not have mentioned that we`ve had Marshall for the weekend so we went for a long walk yesterday to make sure both dogs were wwell exercised. The only problem is the children next door, well they are teenagers now but very annoying all the same. They keep on calling the dogs, swearing and making barking noises at them. Consequently they have been barking back at them and I`ve had to bring them in from the garden several times. I have asked them to leave them alone which they do...for all of ten minutes before they start again. It`s no use telling the parents as they don`t care what they do so you can understand that I can`t wait for them to sell their house and move. So far no-one wants to pay the asking price for the property and for that I don`t blame them, I wouldn`t pay what they want for it either...sigh.

Apart from that matter I`ve enjoyed the weekend so far and am looking forward to a quiet week. Kerry has a week off work and I won`t have Roman. I will however be going out with them tomorrow afternoon so I will still see them. I must admit I will miss not looking after Roman when Kerry starts working mornings instead of evenings but I`m sure I`ll do my fair share of baby-sitting as and when I`m needed, I can`t imagine life without seeing him.

I know it may seem early but I`m seriously thinking about Christmas. Not the day itself but of buying cards and presents saving me the task of fighting my way through the crowds later on. I lose all enthusiasm if I have to rush things. It will be really nice this year as Kerry wants to be hostess this year and I can be waited on for a change, a luxury for me as it`s something I`m not at all used to.

Jim has arrived home from work and he`s just asked me go walkies in Black Park with the dogs. I think I will as the sun is shining and I`d like to make the most of it before the colder weather sets in. Enjoy your Sunday afternoon my friends. Bye for now. :o)

 

 

Puppy Tales and a Leaky Roof!

 

Hello everyone,

Thank goodness it`s Friday, I can have a much needed rest for the next two days. I have a hairdresser`s appointment tomorrow morning so I won`t be able to get much housework done, never mind I won`t lose any sleep over it...lol!

I`ve been quite busy at work with one thing and another. Customers are buying their Autumn plants and Spring bulbs at the moment.  We have a special offer of two hanging baskets of Winter pansies for the price of one and they are proving very popular. Today I bought a large white Agapathus that had been reduced to half price, I just had to have it as it was such a bargain and with my staff discount it was even cheaper. I can`t wait to see it flower next Summer, it will be gorgeous. One of my orchids is growing a new spike and I`m sure it will be a beauty too. This one is exceptionally healthy with firm waxy leaves and strong roots. A complete change from the sorry specimen I rescued last year. Usually I don`t say anything about customers but today I`ll make an exception. A lady came in with her young son and asked if we had any children`s playhouses in stock. I said we did, thinking what a nice present for her little boy.....wrong......it was for her puppy.....!!!!!  (they are very expensive, the playhouse that is) A kennel wasn`t good enough and he had to have windows and doors. Jake has all of those things of course.....it`s called our house...lol! Sometimes it`s very hard to keep a straight face at work but it DOES brighten up the day. :o)

Yesterday I was driving home after doing the Tesco shop and it poured down with rain. To my dismay I felt a drop of water on my head, and another....and another. Oh dear I think there is a leak in the sunroof`s seal. When I got home I opened and closed the sun roof just in case it wasn`t shut properly and now I`m waiting for another downpour so I know for sure. If it`s a leak it`s back to the garage to see why they sold me a leaky car...sigh.

Kerry is going away for the weekend to my SIL`s in Kent so I hope the weather will be good for them. It will be a shame if Roman can`t go out to the beach while he`s there. Kerry and Slava have heard from their solicitor that it could take FOUR more weeks to finalise the purchase of their house. Their solicitor blames the seller`s solicitor and vice versa. All they want is to move into the house and they don`t care whose fault it is.

I`m hoping that tomorrow afternoon I can plant my Winter bulbs. Then I can start thinking of a few hanging baskets and tubs. Not as many as I have in Summer though, just a few to brighten the garden up through the gloomy Winter months. We need a bit of colour to get us through the grey days.

I`m off now to read some journals. I hope you all have a great weekend, bye for now and take care. :o)

 

 

 

A Funny Sort of Day

Hello everyone,

It`s been a strange day for me. Firstly it`s weird not having Danny around but then again it`s lovely to have a bit of peace and quiet in the morning too. I don`t have to rush to get in the shower before he does (he spends forever in there...lol!) and I don`t have to clean up after him when he has his breakfast just before leaving for work. It is just very quiet without him but I`m sure I`ll get used to it...lol!

Kerry has told me that she is changing her shifts to permanent earlies so I won`t be looking after Roman for much longer. :o(  BUT.....the good thing is that he will be in bed earlier and won`t have to be disturbed and taken home at 9pm each night. The downside of course is that I won`t see as much of him as I`d like but we DO see more of him than a lot of grandparents so I won`t complain. Also as I`ve been feeling so tired lately this way I`ll get more time for myself and consequently should feel much better.

After 9.40 this evening I mustn`t have anything to eat or drink for 12 hours before my blood tests, that is going to be very hard because I always have breakfast and I`m going to be starving by the time I get to work. Along with the other tests my doctor suggested a cholesterol test as I`m fasting already...that should be interesting as I haven`t had one for fifteen years. I can`t see there being a problem....hopefully!

This afternoon after work I went into town, went to the bank and had a leisurely walk around the shops. I bought Danny a duvet cover set that he had asked for and a couple of pillows for the spare bedroom. I had my eyebrows done and then headed for Marks&Spencer where I had lunch all by myself.....it was very enjoyable just sitting there on my own and reading a magazine. Then I bought Roman a rugby shirt with a dinosaur on the front (he has a thing about dinosaurs at the moment) and a little toy car. I haven`t bought him anything for a while so I was easily tempted by the new autumn and winter clothes in the store. I`ve already seen a few more things that I`ll get him next month!

Jim suprised me yesterday by announcing that he wants to buy a new computer (this one has seen better days and is forever playing up) but he wants to think it over first. He isn`t one to do something on impulse so watch this space and I`ll let you know what happens.

I didn`t tell you yesterday about me falling down the stairs last week did I?  I`m surprised because this wasn`t just a little fall but a great big one. I was about to place a plant on the hall windowsill when I suddenly slipped and crashed down the stairs. As I hit the ground I felt this terrible pain in my leg and at that moment I thought it was broken. I just howled and Jim and Danny came running to see what was wrong but I couldn`t tell them as I was still howling. Eventually Jim hauled me to my feet and I found my "broken leg" still worked but it was very swollen just below the knee. I spent the rest of the evening with a packet of frozen peas across my leg to reduce the swelling! My leg is still painful and bruised after a week and it hurts even more if I accidentally knock it, as I am prone to do at work. I also twisted my back and hurt both hands when I landed but there is no actual damage..,.except of course to my brain but no-one could really notice the difference if I`m honest...lol!

That`s it for today I think, I have many journals to read tonight so I`d better crack on. Bye for now. :o)

 

 

Moving and Photos

Hello everyone,

I hope you`ve all had a nice weekend. It`s been all go here as Danny is moving out and I`ve been so busy helping him get sorted out as has everyone in the family really. Slava got a van from work to move his furniture from one here to his new place. Jim and Dan spent ages in the loft trying to find the things he needs to take with him. As he couldn`t move into the house until 7.30pm, I had Roman while Kerry was at work and Slava helped Danny. Jim was lucky enough to be at work away from the chaos of the day. Our spare rooom will once more resemble a bedroom and not a store cupboard and soon Jim and I will move in there while our bedroom gets a long overdue makeover and I can`t wait to start planning what colours I`ll have in there. I`ve already decided that our present curtains can go into the spare room as they are still in excellent condition and I`ve no intention of throwing them away.

Kerry and Slava have still not moved into their new house as the seller`s solicitor is taking her time doing what is a very basic job. Everything this end is ready to go, the solicitor has done all she can and they are just waiting for the exchange of contracts to take place. Kerry has packed much of their belongings away to save time once they get the word and she is getting fed up with the wait and just wants to get on with it. I do hope they move very soon.

On Wednesday Jim, Danny,Slava, two of my nephews and some friends all went to the England v Russia football match at the new Wembley Stadium. It is some years since Jim was last there and he said the new stadium is a fantastic place, a vast improvement from the old one and much better organised. He said the match was excellent and the atmosphere electric, he couldn`t have enjoyed himself more. Poor Slava, however, had to sit there while England beat Russia 3-0 though he still enjoyed the match and would definitely go there again in the future.

I`ve been really busy again this morning with loads more ironing thanI have usually. I DID want to plant out the tulip bulbs this afternoon but I just haven`t the energy so it will have to wait for another time. I`ve been feeling very tired of late and am having some more blood tests to find out why, I know I shouldn`t feel quite as tired as this though I don`t feel ill. I also made some individual blackberry and apple crumbles and put them in the freezer for another time. Jim collected loads of apples and blackberries while we were in Dorset and I still have loads more to cook up. The garden of the cottage has loads of trees that were heavy with apples after the wet summer we`ve had. We are allowed to help ourselves or they would fall to the ground and get eaten by birds or insects. Far better that we have them instead...lol!

After the recent Foot and Mouth disease outbreak we have found ourselves in the zone where livestock can`t be moved around. At least we were upo till this morning, I heard something on the news about moving it away to the affected area only. I just hope that will be the end of it and that there will be no more outbreaks of this dreadful disease.

Tomorrow afternoon after work I`m going into town alone to browse the shops and to see to a few things that I`ve not go around to. I never seem to have time on my own and I think it will do me good. Danny has asked me to get him a few things and when I`ve done all I wanted to do I`ll get myself a bit of lunch before coming home again. It`s all the therapy I need at the moment because I have the blood tests Tuesday and I have to fast for 12 hours before it...sigh. Wednesday my car goes into the garage for some paintwork to be finished off. Thursday there`s nothing planned yet but there`s still time...lol!

Anyway my friends, that`s it for today. I`ve posted the last of my holiday photos and a few others for you to look at. I`m going to have a coffee and read some more journals now. Have a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon and I`ll see you later. :o)

 

Hello my friends,

I`m back with even more photos from my holiday. I can`t believe I took so many in just a week. Anyway, please don`t feel you have to look at them all, holiday photos can be boring to some people...lol!

Despite visiting Dorset for nine years we have never visited the County Show even though it`s on in the first week of September every year. This time Jim suggested that we give it a try and I`m so glad we did, we had the most wonderful time. The showground is on the side of a hill looking down on the county town of Dorchester, home of the famous author Thomas Hardy who referred to the town in his books as Casterbridge. His cottage is visited by many tourists nowadays. The show has so much to do and see and we never once bored by something there. It had everything from cardealerships to blacksmiths advertising their wares. One stall was selling handmade bamboo Indian Runner ducks of which one has found it`s way home with me....I`ve named him Quackers...lol! Now I must find him a mate, I should have bought two.

We watched a very funny display of sheep shearing by an Australian farmer called Mike. His laid back Aussie manner had the audience in stitches of laughter, me included. He sheared a sheep called Lucy and explained just how to keep the sheep relaxed during the process. I even laughed at the so-called sheep `dancing` at the end even though most of them were asleep instead of boogying...lol!

I also loved the Flower and Vegetable show with it`s beautiful displays of flowers and ....er, veg! The flowers as you can see in the photos absolutely gorgeous and the veggies were huge. As you know I`m more of a flower person but I was very impressed by the vegetable growers efforts. Near the end of the day we visited the mock-up of a village green. We listened to the village brass band and moved on to see the two packs of hounds that belonged to the local hunt. It was so funny because several of the hunt beagles escaped and were hotly pursued by huntsmen in full riding gear. Beagles being beagles weren`t that easily caught as they much prefered the rich smells that the show provided for them. I saw one of them disappear into the food tent and I wonder just how much havoc he caused in there, the mind boggles...lol!

Anyway, it was a very tiring day but worth it. If you are ever in the Dorset area in September I`d recommend a visit. Bye for now. :o)

 

 

Osmington Mills and Weymouth

  my friends,

This is the second lot of photos from my holiday in Osmington Mills. Last Tuesday is was hot and sunny so we spent the afternoon in Weymouth. I really love the town as it`s a really thriving seaside resort in the best English tradition. It`s beaches and coastline are clean and well cared for, something you sadly don`t see in all our seaside towns today. I suppose that`s the main reason why we go back there year after year. We always feel we`ve had a good, relaxing holiday even though every day we are usually busy doing something. I think if the good weather was guaranteed more people would spend there holidays here instead of going abroad. Jim also took some photos from the fields next to the cottage. Standing on the same spot the views are wonderful whichever way you point the camera, I really envy the people who live there all year round. Each morning Roman would look out of the window. He would point to the boats and the sea (although he called it the swimming pool...lol!) and sometimes a coastguard helicopter would fly past, he was absolutely fascinated that all this was happening right before his eyes.

Also I have taken a couple of photos of my new toy...I mean car...lol!

 

I thought I`d take the photo while it`s nice and clean and shiny!

Oh dear, I saved this entry before I was finished, I`d better upload that photo quickly and say a hasty goodbye for now. :o)

 

 

Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island

Hello my friends,

I hope you like the photos of our visit to Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island. Poole is the largest natural harbour in the world and is very beautiful indeed. Brownsea Island is a wildlife sanctuary that is now owned by the National Trust and is home to the rare, endangered red squirrel, Sika deer, peacocks and free roaming rare breed chickens and rabbits galore. The island also attracts bird watchers from all over the country as it is a haven for our feathered friends of many different varieties. Sir Robert Baden Powell founded what was to become the Scout movement there after he took some boys there and taught them how to live off the land and learning survival techniques. This year over 500,000 scouts from around the world have visited the island.

I`ll leave you to look at the photos and I hope you like them.

Bye for now. :o)

 

 

 

Home Again!

Hello my friends,

Just a quick entry to say I got back from Dorset today after a wonderful holiday. I`ve got lots to tell you about and many photos to show you.  Hopefully I will post some of them tomorrow and with luck turn my alerts back on.  I hope you`ve all had a good week and I look forward to catching up with all your news.

 

Love Sandra xxxxx