Barefoot and Confused in West Swindon with a fruit box.

Today I got lost.

it does not happen often but when it does it really unsettles me.

I had to go to Swindon today, to be precise West Swindon. now this is just a typical 1980's expansion to a town. lots of swirly cul-de-sacs. (just think brookside). I walked back to the bus stop.

Problem, the bus stopped running at 6.30 and this was 6.45.

OK I will just walk to the next bus route.

I walk along the cycle track. (its all going well at this point) Until I come across a puddle. not just a little puddle, this puddle was the size of my sitting room. I have no idea of the depth. It looked deep. The puddle filled the subway.  Now I know if I had rolled up my jeans and took off my shoes and walked barefoot through the puddle I would have been fine. Now I could not face it.
1, not knowing what was in the water and
 2, not wanting to walk the 1/2 mile with very wet feet.

So I ventured off the path and that's where the problem developed, I did not have a clue where I was. After some up and downing. down and up , this way, that way. forward and back way. It took me about 3 times as long to get where I was supposed to be. But get there I did, in the end.

Now, fruit box? Once I was safely on the bus I was updating my facebook with my tales of getting lost, when LSP asked if I wanted her to order a fruit box for the weekend! (no not random at all)

(oh yes It was not until I got home that I could have used my smart phone maps to help me find my way)

I have a day off next week and I am planning a day out with a friend. should be fab,

 (cant tell you as it will spoil the surprise and she reads this)

getting up too early on a Sunday Morning.

 I like getting up early on a Sunday morning. I have a little routine, LSP has a lie in. I potter round the house its nice. However, when my dogs wake me up at 05.30am on a Sunday, I was hardly springing out of bed.    

 The early morning light was beautiful. 

The spring plants are looking pretty.

As it was early, I baked some bread as we were having someone for lunch. 

I made pastry for the quiche, I do not wrap in cling film, I use my baking sheets to put in the fridge

I then roll it out on the baking sheet, It holds it really well for transfer into the tin.

Its a Pate Brisee (all butter shortcrust) 

The morning was glorious, so quiet and calm,

Perfect for hanging out the washing. 

Now this was a lovely morning. I was pottering to the extreme. it was bliss, I had radio 4 on all morning, 

cleaning, cooking, meditating, reading, baking. lovely. 

Then LSP came downstairs. 

I was listening to the Sunday Service and it was a very good one.  within 2 minutes of appearing in the kitchen, the dogs are dancing round the kitchen one of them with a bag on her head and they are both barking LSP is being helpful and ended up putting a bag down on the rolls that were proving. (it was chaos).  

A different vintage tablecloth today. 

I love the way it looks on the table and in the room.

I made a simple lunch of quiche and salad. 

quiche was onion, mushroom and spinach with parmasan. 

Home made bread rolls.

With Salad and new potato's. was yummy. 

I am now shattered. 

hope you all had a fab weekend. 

                                                                                                       

April showers....

drip, drip, drop,

 little April showers. 

Beating a song

as you fall all around

drip, drip, drop

little April shower

what can compare

 to your beautiful sound

beautiful sound

beautiful sound

drip,

drop, 

drip, 

drop. 

A lovely Disney moment to share with you all. However, this April shower as beautiful as it sounds beating on the window will not help me get the washing dry or mow the lawn. Both of which were on my things to do today list. 

Yesterday, we had a washing and ironing debate. who has a tumble drier and then who iron's what? We do not have a tumble drier although I am often tempted especially on days like today. I have a full basket of washing to do. However I know, it will all get dried on different airer's around the house. 

Now ironing. 

What do you iron? 

Do you iron? 

This is very mixed in our team. Some people do not iron at all (!!!) some people iron everything including underwear.  In our house everything apart from underwear gets ironed. clothes, sheets and tea-towels. I think that this is reasonable. Although i have now been informed that socks feel better after a good iron. 

This morning my facebook was full of discussion about the weather and why we were all up before 7am. the reasons ranged from toddler's, snoring husbands, unexplained oh and mine. Dogs do not do weekends. 

(Although I am wide awake and they are both fast asleep now) 

Do not run for the bus with a shopping bag in each hand and baggy jeans

As it will not end well. Yes I did show a little but more of myself than I normally would like to. Imagine how most teenage boys wear their trousers and you will get the idea. However,  my trousers did not fall to the floor! so no indecent exposure.  thankfully!

I am now sat with a curry and a lager! yes I know. alcohol. on a Friday!

We live in the south of England and so were exposed to the sonic boom. that was heard over, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. Well despite most of our friends hearing it and having their houses shake, we were oblivious and it must mean the house is quite solid. at 6.10pm I was cooking dinner no loud music just a bit of radio 4.

Its been an odd week. lots of people not at work as its half term. so its Friday night and I am tired. v tired. hence the takeaway curry and a lager.

This weekend we have 2 guests for lunch one on Saturday and one on Sunday so there is a lot of cooking to be done. I have no idea what to cook! I am thinking for Sunday a nice informal salad type spread rather than  a sit down roast. Tomorrow, we have my sister round so it might be some nice sandwiches and cake. I have some new cake tin's that we got from lakeland.

The other thing we have been doing is starting to plan Christmas. There are some big things happening for the family this year and this Christmas is going to be very different from ones we have had before.

Well, I am going to sit and enjoy the soaps. have a happy weekend. x

100 ways with a salad.

yep its that time again, summer, salad, diet, yawn. ok yawn is maybe not the right attitude. Today we had chicken and grape. tomorrow will be greek. Friday will be ham and egg. not sure about Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, .............repeat I have a lovely new lunch pot. yes lunch pot.

It is fab, LSP has had one for a while but picked me up one when she came back down from Scotland last week. 

it is great for salad, stew, soup etc. the 2 containers mean that you can have pudding as well. 

I have to get ready with the angel delight later. yum. 

other than that today is a no news day. back at work so head is full of work stuff. 

(I keep thinking its Tuesday) 

90% done

Phew, the bedroom is now 90% done. I have spent a lot of time in it today mainly sorting through all of the sewing bits and pieces. It has been lovely. The room is lovely on a sunny day and today was lovely and sunny. Today has just been LSP and I at home pottering. I have been upstairs in the bedroom and LSP has been sorting out the Bathroom. Its so nice just being at home together.

I made pancakes for lunch and home made vegetable soup for lunch . Then a chicken salad for tea. bliss.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I am very pleased with how the room has come out. There are still a few things to be done as I said it is 90% there.

I am so pleased with the blind, I love the fabric its Laura Ashley green gingham, I bought the fabric half price in a sale. I love the fact I have made it myself at a fraction of the price of getting one made.

It was LSP's idea to be able to use it for sewing as well. So it has a lot of the sewing and knitting stuff.
We have the easels so that YD can use it for painting as well. Once it is finished, time to spruce up the hallway.(old houses are never truly finished) I have had a great day off. Back to work tomorrow.

Shopping and Heroic Dogs.

Well yesterday was the bank holiday in England and Wales. In the south west of England we had some light rain. So we drove to Wales where there was much more rain!

We went to Cardiff, Instead of seeing the sights we headed straight for the st Davids centre and went shopping.

We were mainly shopping for OD and YD. We went round lots of clothes shops! However some of the display's were interesting.

(how cute) 

When we were not in the clothes shops we were here. 

yes the apple shop.....

It was a good morning. It was so nice just to have time with both of the children together. 

They are so busy with University, it is nice to get a full day together. 

In the afternoon we went visiting. 

While we were visiting, we learned the story of a hero dog. 

There are 2 dogs that live in the house we were visiting, Alfie and Mojo. 

Alfie and Mojo are very lovely (but can be a little bit naughty) 

Alfie and Mojo were taking their people for a walk in some woodland. 

As they were walking they came across a family who were upset,

 they had lost one of their dogs. 

They had been looking and looking but could not find the lost dog. 

Alfie and Mojo's people said they would also look while they were on their walk. 

Some time later, Mojo ran off suddenly, without warning.

Now Mojo's humans thought he was just being naughty. 

They followed Mojo as he ran though the woodland.

Mojo came to a stop at the bank of a stream.

Mojo, barked, and barked and barked.

As Mojo's humans got closer Mojo continued to bark. 

Mojo was frantic, barking and clawing at the edge of the bank.

The bank at that part of the stream was sheer. 

And there in the water was the lost dog. 

The dog was exhausted he was old and blind. 

Mojo's male human (being tall) climbed down into the stream. 

He passed the lost dog out of the stream.

He then had to wade downstream until he came to somewhere he could get out. 

Mojo, Alfie and their humans took the very cold and tired lost dog 

to its people, who were very grateful.

Animals are amazing.