The name of the bakers is Baynes, they are from Fife and I undeestand they are going to bake on the premises......as for the coffee shop, its quite a way off, they are just starting to rip out the insides of the shop........my favourite coffee shop is the one at Tyninghame...where we have hot chocolate with cream AND marshmallows.......lots of nice things to buy in the gift shop as well.

FM - smack your hand banana jokes are off!! I could write a book about 101 ways to serve bananas, just now I am sick of the sight of them........

Lesley Mac if you are coming down this way let me know........might manage tea and meringues......

UUUUGGGHHHH its raining again!!

Monday morning and its hissing down, we were supposed to have a fine day today, what happened???

OH had an appointment at the dentist, so while he was out I started the Monday clean, was just decnding the ladder from putting some stuff in the loft when he arrived back......got a rocket for that, I had been waiting since saturday for him to do it, did it myself, fed up with falling over the bag by the freezer in the hall.

The smoke alarm has been cheeping for the last 2 days so thats down too, need to get a new battery for that at some point.

Load of laundry done, it will have to go on the airer, no point putting it out.......changed my bed and remade it.

OH will not be bowling this afternoon as its pouring with reain but he is going our anyway to see one of his bowling chums. I have an appointment with a white bowls sweater, felt and the sewing machine........

We have a new b akers opening in the town tomorrow, I might send OH out for fresh rolls for our brekkie, may be bacon rolls....yum yum.......we already have a Greggs, so a bit of competition for them, they have held sway for quite a while, a little competition will be good for them. Another shop is being changed into a rather posh coffee shop, so I am told, I hope its not a costa, we can do without them.

Scotch broth made for lunch, we will finish off the last of the spelt bread I got from the market on Saturday. Supper is cold lamb, salad and jacket spuds, its blooming cold here again. I will not tell you whats for dessert, after Brenda;s comment I will do what she said!!

Sunday

Its a very grey day and we have had a couple of showers of rain,  also bitterly cold.

I wa shattered after emptying and re-packing my fabric store, I still have not found the fabric I was looking for, no idea where it is, I have exhausted all the usual places I might put it and some I would never dream of putting it..........

I had an order for 2 angels last week so decided to do them once I was up, showered and dressed. I then went on to do the badge my granddaughter asked me for. She is going to a Harry Potter themed party and wanted a Griffindor badge, so that is done and dusted as well.

I have sort of got the emboridery bug so might do a few cards whilst I am in the mood. I sold a couple of cards at the sale the other week. I did a special one for my friend in the US it cost an arm and a leg to post it, will not be doing that again. Its my youngest daughter and also my grand daughters birthday next month, we have had a bit of a lull since SIL and Grandson in February.

Supper tonight is roast shoulder of lamb, new potato's, carrots cauliflower and calebrese. I have done the rest of the pineapple for dessert, we really enjoyed it last night, very ripe and sweet.

Thank you to those of you who responded re Brenda's comment yesterday and also her follow up remarks, I have to say that the last sentance showed her in her true colours, very childish.

Anonymous said...


I don't understand why you said "anonymous" wrote the comment. My name is Brenda and I clearly wrote that under the comment.

As for the commenters on this post I would like you to know that claustrophia is not something a person makes up, it is a genuine

distressing handicap.

As for Sue who asked how old is "this person" I can tell you I'm in my sixties and "grown up" as she puts it.

As for Rose's comment that if folk don't like the content they don't have to read it - when I logged onto your blog how on earth would I have known the first sentence would be telling me an MRI scanner is like a tomb?

Anne you might rant at my comment but just take a look at what your commenters are writing, do you think that is justified?

Someone of a kinder disposition would have apologised for causing someone to be upset because of their thoughtless remark. Obviously that person isn't you.

Go and eat your bananas.

Brenda. (NOT anonymous)



28 April 2012 12:12

Actually I did apologise, obviously you did not see what I wrote. Yes I do think the comments are justified, the remark was not thoughtless you chose to be upset by something written in MY blog that is my perogative to write. Your last remarks are insulting but thats your opinion and you are entitled to it.

Any further comments you make will not be answered, but deleted which is also my perogative. I suggest you no longer read my blog. I certainly will not miss you or your comments,

Saturday

If you do not want to read a rant do not read any further......

I have had a comment on the post about the MRI scan........

Anonymous said...


OH NO. I'm booked in for an MRI scan next week, I have claustrophobia. I was told it's okay by a friend and I was holding on to those words. You have made me a nervous wreck. Like a tomb? Why oh why didn't you keep that to yourself don't you realise how many other people who read your blog might have to go through the same thing. I feel awful and my hands are shaking. Just why did you have to do that?

I don't usually comment on blogs but wanted to let you know just what you've done. Some things are better kept to yourself.

Brenda

Well I feel sorry for this lady BUT......its my blog and I can write what I wish, if people do not like it then don't read it. I am not personally responsible for phobias that other people have. My blog is my way of expressing some of my thoughts, fears, frustrations and happiness......... I have answered the lady and suggested she goes and gets some tranquilisers from her GP, perhaps that will help her cope.

OK finished.......we went to the Framers Market and bought some lettuce and a spelt loaf from the bakers who come up from Northumberland, then on the the Town House for coffee, we were the first in, nice cup of coffee and a danish pastry, the nearest things we could find to a crossiant. Then we went off  to North Berwick, on the way back we stopped at Merryhatton Nursery....oh dear my resolve took a battering......£20's worth of a battering.......herbs for the herb wheel, a book entitled The Soup Bible and a white dicentra for the border at the back, it likes dappled shade and thats what it will get there.

Just about to have a late lunch, some of the spelt bread with cheese and cherry toms.

Supper tonight, when I get round to it, spag bol with garlic bread, I have a fresh pineapple in the fridge, so will tackle that and we will have it with some ice cream. I also need to spike the lamb shoulder with garlic and put it in a plastic bag with some red wine to marinade until tomorrow........Roast shoulder of lamb for supper then.

This afternoon I have to go through my fabric cupboard and find that blue toile fabric, cue massive mess......

Update

Well I got my scnners mixed up, it was the MRI scanner thats like a tomb....the CT scanner is like a polo mint.

The whole thing took about 3 minutes, never the less I still had to have help to get up from lying on my back. We were away to Dunelm to get the cushion pads and I also picked up a pair of blackout linings for the curtains in my room.

We called at Tesco on the way back. OH forgot to tell me we needed ice cream, I picked up 4 large pork shoulder steaks for £2.50 and half a leg of lamb half price, so meat for the freezer, enough for at least 4 meals for the two of us.

As we left Tesco it was raining, by the time we had driven round to the apartment it was sleeting.....the sky is still very grey and there are raindrops on the window.

Tomorrow is going to be a bit hectic too, its the farmers market so Oh has to go and see the veg man, we then have a coffee morning at the Town House for Parkinsons Disease and then we have to go down to North Berwick to pick up an office chair. After lunch OH is going round to the playing fields for the Rugby Sevens.

I spent some time this morning looking for some fabric I bought last year, can I find it????? No!! I will have to have all the boxes out and go through them, its a piece of dark blue toile, I want to make another cushion cover.........I just might use tomorrow afternoon to empty my fabric store and having a proper search for it.

Busy Day

A bright morning, blue skies and sun. OH has been to the bins with our rubbish and recycling stuff and says its not too cold for a change. We recycle a lot of our waste what gets me is the amount of packaging on food. I bought grapes yesterday, they were in a plastic container and then clellophane...why.....a label would have ensured the pack did not spring open. Cucumber too in a cellophane packet and then sealed in a polythene sleeve, what happened to unpackaged cucumbers????

Busy day today, friday clean to do, (kitchen done) then after an early lunch off to get  my ct scan done at ERI. I hate the CT scanner its like being in a tomb and I suffer from claustraphobia. Glad its only going to take half an hour rather than the almost 2 hours for the brain scan I had some years ago!! When I have stopped shaking we have to nip to Dunelm to pick up some cushion pads and then its home James, probably through the rush hour traffic.....uuuggghhhhh.

Supper tonight is fish, new potato's, garden peas. No bananas, so raspberries in jelly in the fridge setting.

Caught up with eldest daughter last night on facebook, they are hoping to come up for a few days in August, possibly flying up, so a trip to the airport for me. She booked a cheap holiday to Tenerife, when she had finished the booking she discovered they are flying back to an airport 60 miles away from their departure airport, not a happy lady, neither is DGD, she will have to go and collect them!!

Wet and Windy Thursday

Uuuuuggghhhhhhh..............its wet, windy and 'orrid.

It had rained heavily overnight although it did not keep me awake, it was dry when we got up but the sky was very threatening, we have a bad weather and snow warning out for today and tomorrow. The Tyne was running quite high as we went over the bridge to Aldi.

Shopping, Aldi had celery plants in so a pack bought with the shopping, Another £30+ touch. It really does cost so much more when you shop weekly, but I just cannot carry it. Plus I spent a bit in Tesco when I was there the other day.

I cut out and started another shabby chic cushion cover yesterday, I have to press it, cut the wadding a
nd do the button loops, then its on to the quilting. I might try something a bit different with this one, I'll see.

Todays sewing effort, I have the buttons to put on, then its finished.


OH is not playing bowls this afternoon so he is hoping to go and collect some photos from a fellow History Society member. I will be sewing.

Thats all for now...... cheers m' dears.

Wednesday

A dull, wet, windy day.

OH was at the visitors point in the library for 4 hours today, so I made him scrambled eggs on toast before he went out. I sent him off with a flask of tea and a donut for his tea break.

Quilting for me, I took the shabby chic cushion with me to sew the buttons on. My friend S was there, looking very well after her treatment.

I called at the library on the way home to let OH know that his driving licence had arrived back, he had to submit a new photograph.

Lamb stew for supper with cabbage, carrots and calebrese, no prizes for guessing what was for dessert.

We have had several heavy showers today and the wind from the east is bitter, I have the radiator on in the sitting room. Its very dreich and cold.

I was wondering how K was getting on, she is on a cruise somwhere warmer than here!! She is due back next week.

Tuesday

It was raining when we got up, but had cleared by the time we left for the garden.

OH took the stuff down and I went off to Asda to fill the car up.

When I got back OH was planting spuds, we have 5 rows in so far all Dunbar rover.

I did some potting on in the greenhouse and also planted out some lettuce in the poly tunnel. The tomatos and sweet corn are in now.

The Jasmine in the green house smell gorgeous, I need to try and get some cuttings once the flowers have died off.

The poly tunnel tomato's on one side. sweet corn etc on the other.

The potato planter

The beautiful white camelia by the entrace to the main garden from the walled garden.

The Potentilla, its covered in yellow blossom, so pretty. you can just see the white camelia behind it.

When we got home I put out the washing that was in the washer, the sun has come out and its a nice afternoon, I put the towels in to wash. We are just off out into the town, will put the towels out as I go, hopefully they will dry.

For Wean

                                                  Two chabby chic cushion covers

Monday

A busy morning, bed stripped and in the washer, hung out and another load washed and out to dry. Monday clean done including twizzling the windows to clean the outside.

Its a bright day with a cool wind blowing, we keep getting black clouds scudding over but so far they have come to naught!! It can stay that way until I have my second load of washing dry and in the house. I have another load to do but it can wait till tomorrow, it will wash whilst we are having breakfast and I can put it on the line before we go down to the garden.

This afternoon I have finished another of the shabby chic cushion covers. When I go for my CT scan we will nip to Dunelm and get 3 cheap cushion pads, they might sell better with a pad in them..

OH has gone bowling via the libray to return a book and the bank to draw some cash. Its houskeeping week and he is wanting his pocket money, mind you he owes me most of it for plants!!

Its very quiet on the complex, its too windy for the ladies to sit out in the sun, I did see a couple of them walking down the back this morning to have a look at our border. Its nice to know people appreciate it.

Tomorrow I have to pot on pepper and aubergine plants and also put lettuce in the poly tunnel. The cuttings I took last week from the clematis look ok, they are not showing any signs of dying back, the begonias in the tray are putting leaves up I am going to take them and pot them up tomorrow, will bring them back and sit them on the window cill for a few days then gradually start putting them out during the day. OH is going to start planting the spuds.

I bought 2 upright fuschias at the nursery on Saturday, thye have some decent shoots on, I am going to take some cuttings and see if I can get them to root on the window cill, if successful they will go in the long trough in the garden, 4 fuschias with busy lizzies should do well there.

You would not get me up there!!!

Right now storm damage is being repaired on the Town House, which is our Town Hall. The storms in the spring damaged the roof and spire, the scaffolders put the scaffolding up at the top of the spire this week. The view from there on a good day must be fantastic, you can see the spire from miles away standing proud above the town, tucked in the valley. No way would you get me up there. I have the greatest admiration for the steeplejacks who climb up to do the required repairs.

Sunday

Grey morning when we got up, but todays was garden day here at the apartment, we had plants to put in and some tidying up to do. So after breakfast we put tea in our insulated cups and gathered together what we needed and went down to the garden.

The liles and hostas are showiing their heads, the rose in the corner has buds on and everything else is looking pretty healthy. We weeded and also dug out more of the Japanese Anenome, I planted the clematis, spirea and delphinium and also transplanted what we think is foxglove seedlings, prepared the pot for the sweet peas and I spread some fertiliser on the soil and raked it in. I also put stone chippings on the other lily pot to keep down the weeds.

 The photographs were taken from the steps down into the garden, you can see thesplash of red from the Azalea.

The hosta is well up and the scree gardens are just starting to flower.

The clematis I planted, I need to untie it and fix it to the supports, could not find the string, so it will have to stay like that till Tuesday, I will bring some back from the garden.

The pieris flowered for the first time this year, its now putting up new growth. The herucera is looking pretty, love the colours.

We sat and drank our tea before lifting the trays of veg plants onto the table, we had a visitation by ducks this morning, they can stay away from my plants thankyou, and OH removed one slug he found and chucked it over the wall......into the uncultivated patch behind us.

I did bacon sandwiches for lunch and prepped the veg for supper, pork, roast potato's, cauli, calebrese and carrots. We have bananas so thats dessert sorted.

After lunch we walked round to the library, its open for 3 hours on Sunday afternoon.

 DD2, DGD and BF are coming up in July. We cannot put them all up here so they are going to stay in Edinburgh, there is a new travel lodge opened in Princes Street, they have booked in there for 4 nights. A visit down to see us is on the cards and we will go up and meet then one day, they also want to go and see the Pandas at the Zoo.

DGD has asked me to do a badge for her for a Harry Potter party she is going to, need to source the design for the badge and sort it out.

The sun is shining and its quite pleasant out, no rain today, the ground is very wet so someone else can have the rain for a change.

Saturday

We woke to another grey morning and mid morning the rain came tumbling down.

OH wass working on stuff for the history society exhibition. I was trying to finish a library book.

After lunch we had a trip down to our local garden centre to see what was on offer, I needed some more bamboo canes for the clematis I bought last week. We ended up buying some veg plants to augment the ones we have sown seeds for. I also got a delphinium and two fuschias.

I took what I thought was cooked gammon and some chicken out of the freezer, discovered when I went to make up the salad that it was pepparoni......so a mixed meat salad....pepparoni and chicken........of course there will be bananas for dessert.

Snooker on TV, so I may do some sewing tonight if OH is going to watch this evening.

The sun came out after lunch and it has turned into a reasonable day. Hopefully we will get down to the garden border tomorrow, there are some weeds that need to come out and I want to put the supports on the lupins and delphiniums. We have to plant the new clematis and also a viburnum I have aquired. The Azelea my friend gave me many years ago had once more flowered wonderfully, it makes a lovely splash of deep crimson in the garden. Memories of a very dear freind who sadly lost her battle with cancer 10 years ago.

My appointment came for my CT scan, next Friday at 3pm, so we have a visit to town, we will drive to the park and ride and go the rest of the way on the bus. Parking at the hospital has now gone up yet again.....

Friday

No point in going to plant spuds today. It was wet and cold and so will the ground be. Instead I booked myself on the course for my new machine. Decided to fly from Edinburgh to Manchester and then transport to Stockport for the day, fly back on the last plane just after 6pm. Not a cheap day out but not as expensive as if we had taken the car down and stayed over a couple of nights. I was not happy when booking the flight on line they charged me £4.50 for using a debit card......ggggrrrrrr.......They also charged me a service fee.........

OH went to the local history libray to do some research, I had a trawl round the chrarity shops, but nothing took my eye.

Decided to tackle the quilting on the shabby chic quilting, thread kept breaking, hey ho.......I managed to get it done eventually with a couple of OMG moments.

The sun came out late this afternoon, but it soon went again and it was quite cool.

Supper tonight, fish and chips for OH fish and salad for me.....the remains of the crumble for dessert.

Thursday

My favourite occupation.... not...... this morning. shopping. A visit to Aldi and Tesco, all done and dusted.

Its been a very grey day and we had quite a heavy shower at lunchtime. OH went to take the rubbish out and then carried on to the history library for a couple of hours.

I managed to get a couple of hours on the machine, I was going to do a sample block for a quilt, but could not find the fabric...nothing unusual in that!! I did however find another shabby chic cushion cover I cut out some time ago, so that is now waiting to be quilted and finished off.

Sausage and bean casserole, potato for OH, calebrese, carrot and cauli for supper. We still have some of the rhubarb crumble left so thats for dessert.

Welcome to two readers

At my quilting grup yesterday I discovered I had two readers of my blog. One I knew about. S has a holiday home in Cyprus and she and her husband travel there regularly and I know she uses my blog to keep track of whats happening back at the group.......the other W is not always able to get to the group due to her job, but comes when she can. S told her about my blog, so........a belated welcome to you both.......lang may y're lum reek!!!

Wednesday

A bright morning but just before lunch we had rain and hail.

I made a pot of lemon and coridander cous cous to take to the quilt group. We have a faith lunch before our AGM.

Some familiar faces missing but my friend S made it. She has not been since last autumn after her cancer reared its head again. Thankfully the chemo has worked and it was lovely to see her looking so well.

The AGM was over quickly and we then enjoyed a show and tell by Janet Rae. Some really lovely quilts. I had to smile, she brought her first quilt to show us, it brought back memories of my first quilt........

OH has had two dizzies today, one first thing and he has just retired to bed with a second, he did manage his stint at the tourist information point in the library. He seems to be very tired for some reason........

The sun is blasting out right now, it will turn cold when it goes down.

Supper tonight fritatta and salad with either cheese cake or rhubarb crumble for dessert.

Tomorrow will be a bit of a rest day to gather our wits. We hope to go down to the garden on friday to get the potato's in, fingers crossed its a decent day.

Tuesday

It had been raining when we got up, but the ground showed signs of drying off, so off to the garden we went. Even down in the walled garden it was quite windy and we had a few drops of rain.


The courgette I planted in the polytunnel is doing well, but something ?slugs have eaten one of the french beans coming through. There were signs of some carrots comng through and more turnip have geminated. The blackcurrant I heeled in to the polytunnel is showing leaves, but heaven knows what happened to the two gooseberries, they have completely disappeared.

Seeds in the greenhouse are also doing well. I watered the polytunnel, took the flowers off the strawberries, sowed fennel and dill in the greenhouse and spinich in the polytunnel, we like young spinich in salad.

We went and grubbed round the rhubarb which is growing under the pear trees, pulled out weeds round about and fed it. Whilst we were there we also trimmed a lot of dead wood from the pear trees.

We will be back later in the week and we will be planting the first of the potato’s Dunbar Rover, an old variety we grow, we save seed from year to year. The next to go in will be Anya, we bought new seed this year as they were showing signs of reverting to pink fir apple, one of the potatoes used to produce them.

I also took some cuttings off a really pretty clematis which I have put in and the pot is encased in a poly bag on the window cill, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The sewing machine is out on the van for delivery, so hopefully I will get a message to say that it has arrived safely.

Oly Tyme Dancing tonight......supper chicken pasta and garlic bread with rhubarb and raspebeery crumble for dessert, both the rhubarb and rasps are from the garden....picked the rhubarb this morning and the rasps were frozen last year, enough left for rasps in jelly next week.

Monday

A bright morning, I have 2 loads of washing out to dry. Monday clean has been done, I also scrubbed the grout round the shower, it was showing signs of turning a nasty yellow.

The sewing machine is all packed up and waiting for the courier to collect, I wait with baited breath.........

LL has been, he owed me the money for the new bell which he is very impressed with, he could heat it outside........He has been back since last Wednesday, spent Easter in South Wales watching football matches.

OH off to roll up at the bowls club, he is calling at the post office for me to post a recorded delivery letter. He is well wrapped up, thermals sweater and fleece, so hopefully he will be warm enough.

Supper tonight cold gammon and salad and the rest of the creme caramel.

Trip to the garden tomorrow, rain is forecast at some point, hope it comes after lunch!!

Sunday

Well an eventful two days, I never expected my machine to sell so quickly. I had put an entry on an American site I use and the lady who  bought it saw the entry looked at E  Bay and bought it. I am pleased it is going to a good new home.

I have spent most of the day getting the machine in tip top condition, wiped her all over with a damp cloth, used a cotton bud to clean out her little awkward places and gave her a rub over with a little polish. She looked like new when she went into the box. I have also parcelled up the cothsetter and hoops to go with her and arranged for collection tomorrow, delivery Tuesday.

I cooked the gammon we are going to have for supper and made a creme caramel. I am shattered. Its been quite sunny. OH has been out said it was cold in the wind, the temperature is dropping now, I will have to put the heater on in the sitting room.

Gammon, potato, cauli, calebrese, carrots and white sauce for supper, creme caramel for dessert, all the banans have gone.

My Goodness That Was Quick

I posted details of my Janome machine on Ebay at 6pm last night, by 10pm she was sold for the BIN price. I just could not believe it.

She is going to a very nice lady in West Yorkshire, I spoke to her on the phone just after the notification came through and arranged to send her off as soon as I have her packed up.

I have to admit there were several Janome 11000's on Ebay but none had as many attachments as mine and were , in the main, more expensive.

I am sad to see her go, she has been a very good, well behaved machine, problems have been the fault of the operator, not the machine. It made sense to sell her, I do not have room to use two machines at once and in any case I have a small brother machine I can use if the need arises.

I have taken the plunge and put my Janome 11000 on Ebay. I really do not need two embroidery machines and right now could do with the cash, so I bit the bullet and listed her.

I hope someone will buy her and enjoy her as much as I have, she has been a good friend.

These are the pictures I have put on showing all the bits and bobs that go with her.

Saturday

The sun was quite bright early this morning. OH said it was bitter out when he went to empty the waste bins.

We decided to go down to Dunbar, OH needed a new battery for his watch and I need to get a couple of things as well. As we made our way back to the car it started to hail, which then turned to rain.

We decided to stay in this afternoon it was too cold to be outside and there have been several heavy showers.

I have decided that its time to let my precious Janome 11000 go to a new home, so later this evening we will be taking photographs of it and all the bits I have that go with it. There are quite a lot of bits,extra hoops etc. I shall be sad to see her go, but I need the cash, my bank balance is suffering.

Supper tonight is beef olives with mash for OH, cauliflower, calebrese and carrots. The last banana for dessert.

I bought a new mat for the bath, the other one is beginning to look the worse for wear. I never really likes it, it was pink and I prefer white in our white bath. We also have a pair of scales..........I have not got on them yet but I think I will get a bit of a shock!!

Not sure if I said I have the new bells fitted up, so we can tell if its the outside or our front door bell that is ringing. I have checked and I can hear both of them fine.

I also managed to get more stuffing for the doll I am making, my favourite shop had it much cheaper than I had found it anywhere else...brilliant.

According to the papers we are due more cold weather   bbbbrrrrrrr........

Friday

It was a bright morning with strong sunshine, so we set off for the garden a little trepidatious as to the damage the weather might have caused.

We were relieved to see that everything was ok and that J had been watering for us, quite a few seeds were though. Unfortunately so were the weeds, The poly tunnel has been prepared for the tomato plants, the strwaberries seem a little confused, they are putting out runners but also flowering. We weeded and hoed the onions and garlic, I watered the rhubarb and comfrey and the seeds in the poly tunnel, I also planted a cougette in the poly tunnel, it was threatening to strangle the other plants in the propagater. We walked round to the pear walk to look at the rhubarb thats planed there. Next time I go I will clear the weeds from round it, feed and water it. At the end of the autumn we will dig it up and leave the crowns on the soil to over winter and then replant it in the walled garden next spring. A good morning at the garden.....

Once home I re-heated the remains of the brown lentil soup and we had half a french loaf with it. I have taken a joint of gammon out of the freezer, I will soak it tomorrow and then cook it for supper on Sunday, whats left can be sliced for future meals or as sandwich filling. I part cook it in the pressure cooker and then take the skin off, score the fat and rub a mixture of mustard and honey in, roast it in the oven for 30 - 45 minutes and then cool it before slicing. The cooking liquor I will use to make more lentil soup.

Tonights  supper is fish, chips for OH, salad for me and peas with the remains of the french bagutte from lunch. We have 2 bananas left, one for tonight and one for tomorrow, sunday I will make creme caramel which will do us 2 nights desserts.

A better nights sleep last night, I fell asleep reading........

Thursday

A funny sort of morning, we had blue skies earlier but   it has turned greyish, fingers crossed it does not rain, I have my heavy towels on the liine.

Trip to Aldi to stock up with bits and bobs, no meat bought, I have enough in the freezer to see us through to next Thursday. I nipped into the wholefood shop and bought a bag of brown lentils, they are just simmering in chicken stock, will add the bits of shredded chicken carrots etc once the lentils have softened a little, should make enough soup for 2 lunches.

The internet banking page is down, so I need to walk to the bank and get a statement one of my pensions went in today, need to check on the amount. Also a trip to the library. I have 3 books to go back and need to take more out. I had a bad night last night, ended up reading till around 4am.

Our new door bells arrived yesterday I need to sort the one for the outer door remove the old bell push and put on the new one. A job for after lunch, then I have something I want to try out on the machine, so thats my afternoon sorted.

Macoroni cheese for supper, OH will have jacket potato and baked tomato with his, I will have salad. Bananas for dessert. I did not buy any today, I have raspberries to put in jelly and I also plan to make a creme caramel, they should see us through to next Thursday. Aldi used to do small packs of bananas which were ideal, now they only do kilo bunches, often I can pick up a bunch that needs a couple of days to ripen off which helps.

Off to drink my tea and wander to the bank and library.

Followers

I seem to have gained some new followers, welcome to you all, I hope you enjoy reading about the everyday life of two pensioners. Please comment if you want to......I look forward to hearing from you. While I think about it, can someone tell me why my post appears without any paragraphs despite me putting them in when I submit my entry??????

Wednesday

A brighter morning than yesterday. A load of whites on the line, fingers crossed they will dry, there does not seem to be much breeze and the sky is a bit murky. Thank you to those of you yesterday were kind enough to post comments, I count you as friends, and am greatly appreciative of your continued support. It does make me cross when people make comments without knowing the background to a blog. OH is on his way to the information point in the new library, he is 'on duty' from 10am till 1pm by the time he gets back I will be on my way to the quilting group, taking the jelly roll top for show and tell. I have not done any more to it, I need to join some wadding, find some backing and also put a narrow border on it. Then I have to quilt it...... I started sewing a doll the other day, have done the body and one leg, I will have to get some more stuffing so another visit to Dunbar and Robert coming on I think. She is a rather sweet doll called Victoria. Photos when she is finished. OH spent most of last night sorting out the notes from yesterdays meeting, he and the secretary will compare notes and they should then get an accurate set of minutes. He wanted to watch a programme on TV I was not interested in, so I retired to bed with a hottie to read. Supper tonight will be the last of the chicken chopped with onion and mixed with some mayo and mixed dried fruit, sald and possibly a jacket potato for OH. I am trying to keep off starch just now. The carcass will go in the stock pot for a soup base. Last week at Beamish we had lentil soup for lunch made with brown lentils, I must get some and have a bash, I usually use red lentils as they cook quickly.

Tuesday

UUUGGGHHHHH what a horrible day, its chucking it down with rain, very grey and wet.......thankfully most of my laundry was dry and what wasn't I left on the airer overnight. I have a load of whites to do, they can wait till later in the week as long as OH is ok for vests. Complex meeting this morning. The main protaganist will not be there, they are on holiday, so it should be a pleasant, quiet meeting and hopefully the plans will be passed without too much aggro. I have my speil ready just on case, but a majority vote is what we need and I think we will get it ok.I sent our LL a message re how he wanted us to vote, we hold his proxy, so I guess he is quite happy with what ever we decide........ Nothing planned for the rest of the day, I might do a bit more sewing on the doll I started yesterday, I'll see how I feel when I get back. Sausage, mash and veg for supper tonight, of course we have bananas for dessert.....why would we have anything else???? I have just had a comment from someone who is taking me to task for the heading on my blog.......I do not feel that I should justify what I do or my hobbies. I have published the comment and also my reply. Sarcasm is not apprecitaed.......we live frugally, we have to given the constraints of being pensioners, we are luckier than most in that we both have private pensions we paid into when we were working. How we spend this money is up to us. I do find these types of comment annoying, she had not bothered to read back through my blog, if she had the answers to her questions are there for all to see. We are constanly working towards a more frugal lifestyle, the title of my blog stays. If someone cannot be bothered to read the whole blog before making comments, tough.......

Monday

I knew when I did the first 6 angels, there were more, recently I found 8 more making a total of 14. I stitched them out over the weekend, one is a bit of a mess and I plan to do her again shortly, but thought you might like to see them. Very dull grey day, we have had spots of rain and small bursts of sun, but mostly grey. Monday clean done, bed changed and one load of laundry on the line, not sure if it will dry or not. I have 2 more loads done, one is mostly trousers which I will put on the airer in the living room later the others are in the dryer. If its fair tomorrow I have a load of whites which I will hang out, that will be the washing done for this week. We had chicken yesterday so supper tonight will be chicken and salad OH was out this morning at the opening of the visitors centre in the library, the Provost cut the ribbon, a photo was taken and orange juice and biscuits served. OH is going out for a walk later. I bought a pre printed pattern with a Victroian Doll on it last week. I have cut it out, will be sewing it up later. I also have a Raggdy Annie doll to do but she will have to wait. We have the complex AGM tomorrow morning, it is not going to be an easy meeting, there are changes to be made and we are hoping they will go through by majority. As most of the residents are elderly I think we stand a fair chance but we will see. Its not being held in our usual venue, so cars will be needed. Our LL is away, we have his proxy vote, so that will help.......more later when I know what is going to happen.

Easter Sunday

Its a bright morning, but OH tells me it will rain before lunch, so I guess we get to go for a walk this morning. No idea what I am going to do for the rest of the day apart from cook chicken for tonights supper. I have decided that some weight has to come off, so it will be no potato or stuffing with mine, just chicken cauli carrots and calebrese. Lunch will have to be some form of salad. OH steamed up ready to go out, may be back later.....have a good day.

Saturday

I had a lie in this morning. OH woke me just before 9am with my breakfast. Some time ago an internet aquaintence sent me a file containing the angels I made earlier this year. I knew she told me there were more on the site, but I could not remember where they were. Just this week looking for something else I found them.....I stitched 3 more out this morning and will do the rest possibly tomorrow, there are 14 all told. So very pretty...... OH was at the opening of the bowling green this afternoon, it was rather cold so he set off with his thermals on. My friend K came for a couple of hours and dropped me off at the clubhouse on her way home. There was to be a meal after the game. amd what a meal it was, lentil soup, roast beef, yorkshire pudding, roast and new potato's carrots, peas and sweetcorn......phew.... dessert was trifle for me and lemon meringue pie for OH. Boy were we fu' after that lot. We did not stay for the entertainment, its karaoke which is not our cup of tea at all, so we walked home, it was quite chilly, we were glad to get back in the warm.

Good Friday

Another reasonable nights sleep, we woke up to rain and grey skies and it has stayed that way all day, so......no laundry done instead I shut myself in my sewing room. I have had a golf theme jelly roll for some time. My SIL is a golf nut and is the only one who does not have a quilt, so having swithered for ages about a design for the quilt I decided to do what in the US they call a jelly roll race. A jelly roll consists of 42 pieces of fabric 2 1/2" wide cut across a bolt of fabric. You join all the pieces together in a very long strip and then take the bottom of the strip to the top and sew down right sides together, cut it at the bottom and then repeat the exercise 5 times. you end up with......

A finished quilt top. In the US the race is the first to join all the strips together and produce the finished top, one lady took just 35 minutes, mind you she had her foot to the floor on her machine and the way she was sewing I would not have been surprised to learn that she was a machinist in a previous life working on industrial machines. It took me a little longer, joining the first strip was the worst bit at that point its about 1800inches long. I must admit its a quick way to make a quilt top. I need to to a bit of experimentation to see how many strips it would take to use the same method to make a baby quilt.

Shows one of the strips with a golfer on. I have plenty of time to finish it, his birthday is not until February. No Friday clean to do, I did it on Monday expecting to be at the garden today, no point in going in the raiin, hence the quiltathon. Fish and chips for supper tonight, guess there will be bananas somewhere in the dessert.

Home Again!!

I am so glad we decided to return home yesterday, looking at the weather that appears to have struck County Durham and North Yorkshire after we left we may have had a job to get back. We both had a good nights sleep and the apartment has warmed up now the heating is back on. This morning I had a quick trip to Tesco and Aldi for some shopping and to stock up for the week ahead. OH had an appointment to see the Dr about the ulcer on the roof of his mouth, he has some mouthwash to use twice a day. I have caught up with emails etc and sorted out a couple of bills,including one that had been paid twice. Its been quite a sunny morning but its so very cold out, the wind is vicious, I was glad to get in. Easy supper tonight, tomato pasta and garlic bread. I have just made the sauce using some of the tomatos we harvested last autumn from the poly tunnel. They have been in the freezer. I guess it will be banana something for dessert. I have been eating the bananas whilst we were away. OH was having yogurt. I did manage a quick side trip to a quilt shop and bought some fabric. No idea what I am going to do with it, but I will find something eventually.

What a disaster!!

We are back in sunny Scotland, although we were due to spend another day going round Durham. We slept well, it seems there are no ill effects from the drenching yesterday. After breakfast we set off to walk to the Catherdral, had we know there was a us we would have caught that!! We had just got in the door when OH announced he had a dizzy......aaarrrggghhhhh..........I sat him in a pew and went to get help. A verger rang for a taxi for me and I managed to get OH back to the Travel Lodge and into bed. By the time he surfaced there was no point in setting out again and I did not feel like spending the afternoon and evening sitting in room at a Travel Lodge so we decided to head for home. We left Durham in a hail storm, and drove through wind, rain, hail and snow before we arrived back in Haddington in rain. Everything has been unpacked and put away, the heating is on and I have re-booted both boxes on the TV's. We stopped at Morrisons at Berwick, I bought some smoked haddock for our supper, they have a fresh fish counter in there, I also bought a spelt loaf to have buttered with it. As trips go it was pretty disasterous, rain and snow at Beamish and then a dizzy in a public place away from quick access to a bed, my worst nightmare.....the Taxi driver was very helpful, he did ask if we needed to go to A & E but I told him I was used to dealing with OH's little foibles......it makes me very wary of going anywhere like that again. I can cope with him of we have our own accomodation i.e. a caravan or cottage...... I can put him to bed and wait for it to clear.

A wet snowy day

Well that’s was a day, that was. It was well after 8am before we woke, the sky was a bit grey, but dry. After breakfast we set off for the Beamish Open Air Museum. It was a grey day and there was some rain as we started on the tram to visit the waggon way and Old Hall. They were steaming up one of the engines and at the hall the gardeners were working in the gardens. In the hall itself the cook was working in the kitchen. OH spent quite a while talking to one of the ladies, we enjoyed looking round the house and also the original hall built in the 11th Century. Both it and the Georgian House were original buildings on the land. We caught the train to The Town and went into the café for something to eat. Soup and a roll and BLT for OH and coronation chicken sandwiches for me with a cup of tea filled a hungry space. When we came out it was sleeting, we walked to the train station, via the shops and houses that were open, OH enjoyed visiting the motor engineers, it reminded him of his fathers garage which the airmy took over at the beginning of WW11, it started snowing so we decided to catch the tram to Home Farm…….it quickly became obvious that we needed to get under cover. OH had his ski jacket on, I had a jacket on, when I took it off the wet had penetrated right through to the lining. We hope to complete the visit on the way home on Thursday, we just have the Pit Village and Colliery to visit. We have a ticket that allows us to visit anytime over the next 12 months, so we will not have to pay to get in again. It largely depends on the weather. We returned to the entrance building and decided to have a cup of tea before we set off back to Durham. It was snowing heavily by this time, but not really settling except on the parked cars, it took a while for the car to defrost and the mist on the screen to clear so we could set off. I had looked up the local Sainsbury and we set the sat nav to get us there so I could get something for supper. I bought a small pork pie, and ready made salad and some reduced cocktail sausage. I also got some radox, we had decided that we needed to have a hot bath when we got back. At the travel lodge we removed our wet clothes and I ran a bath, hopefully we have staved off any colds or sore backs, my clothes were wet through to my knickers!! I will never go away without my ski jacket ever again, even in the middle of summer!! Our large golf umbrella blew inside out and broke one of the spokes, so that’s had it, we inherited it, we will have to buy one now. We are hoping the weather will be better tomorrow. It is a shame that the weather was so bad, I did get a few photographs which I will publish later, having looked forward to going for so long, we were disappointed it was so wet, I can imagine it’s a lovely place when the sun is out. What a change in the weather from last week…………………..

Monday

It had been raining when we got up this morning. Bed stripped and the laundry in the washing machine before I had a shower. Bed re-made and the Monday clean done, by 11.20am we were sat looking at each other, so we decided to set off and stop on Alnwick for something to eat. We travelled through mizzle, rain, no rain and more rain. Our stop in Alnwick was pleasant but boy it was cold and wet. We found a nice little restaurant and both had quiche with salad and a pot of tea. By 3.30pm we were at the Travel Lodge just outside Durham, booked in and unpacked. After a welcome cup of tea and a piece of flapjack we set off for a short walk down to the river. From the bridge across the road we had a view of the castle and cathedral high above the city. We stopped on the river bridge and watched rowers being coached from the towpath by the coaches on bikes riding along and bellowing at the top of their voices. We walked back to the lodge, by the time we had picked up a second pillow for each of us it had started to rain again. Tomorrow we are due to go to Beamish open air museum, there is an amber warning for snow, keep your fingers crossed that it does not arrive, I do not fancy walking round in the snow.

Sunday

A bright day with a stiff cool breeze. A bad night last night, heard the closk strike 4am before I drifted off, so late up again this morning, As we were at the garden the Friday clean was not done, so whilst OH was sorting out the car I set to and cleaned the kitchen and sitting room, just leaves the bedrooms to do in the morning after I have changed the sheets on my bed and washed them. The forecast is for rain so I guess I will have to leave them on the airer in the sitting room whilst we are away. Supper tonight is prok chops, all ready prepared and the veg done so I just have to cook it. OH has bananas so we will have banana and ice cream for dessert. The kitchen worktop resembles a junk shop, I have started to collect together the things we are taking with us, the cool box is out and the cool bags for our supper sandwiches. The case is packed, I just have to pick it up after we have had a light lunch, we aim to set off around 1.30 - 2pm its just over a 2 hour journey, so traffic permitting we should be at the travel lodge and checked in by 5pm. OH is just off for a walk, I am going to corrie down on the settee for 40 winks whilst he is out.