Stay at home tactics.....

     ......we were getting ready to go out.  "Shall we take the dog?" I asked Darsh.  We both glanced over to the settee, where we knew he was snoozing....

     Listening, and hiding, making it painfully obvious that he just didn't want to come.

    We were going out for a ride to view some little houses I had seen on the internet, there was about 6 of them, some in pretty poor state of repair, some better, all tiny, but with decent gardens.  They were well hidden away in a little cluster off the main road and just accessible with a car along a narrow lane. We pulled up outside them all and although sweet and with lots of scope, we noticed a rumble of distant traffic and a distinct pong to the air, a few yards further along there was a sewage farm and the wind was definitely in the right, or wrong, direction.  No wonder the houses weren't selling, we left and drove to McDonalds, where we remembered to save a few chips for our reluctant little dog who was ecstatic to see us home again.

        Our treasures from the flea market on Easter Monday......

      Can you guess which ones we paid good money for.....which ones Charlotte found in the bin,....and which one I ruined throwing it into the washing machine??!!!!!

Went to the flea market....

     ....in Malvern on Easter Monday.  Charlotte was looking for a kitchen table.  A brilliant day out...we didn't find one, or buy much, but we did find this....

      .....thick with dirt and tossed into a pile of rubbish, it's pretty and not worth a thing, but we thought it far too good to be so carelessly discarded....so home it came.  A good scrub and 2 trips through the dishwasher, now all it needs is somewhere nice to live!

        When I'm not feeling quite so lazy I will put a few more pictures from our good day out.  Including that old leather suitcase that Charlotte found in the same pile.  It was wet, mouldy and smelly and it will look just great when I fill it with bedding plants and put it in the garden fot the summer.

A grand day out.....

      .......to Stourport....

                 

  

        A place we've never visited, although it is only an hour from home.  A glorious day, we sat and watched the barges, admired a proper old fashioned High Street with an individuality, not a clone of so many "all look the same as every where else" shops, walked along the canal banks and went to view an old cottage I have had my eye on for a while.

     The property was totally gorgeous, but maybe just too much of a downsize?  We are thinking it over and counting our pennies.

     Yesterday was spent in the garden and greenhouse potting out seedlings, still enjoying the sun and wondering if the good weather would last to the weekend.  Today, I'm sat in my little room and I can't move my feet properly without kicking the dog, who is in my way in his eagerness to be as close to the fire as possible.  So I guess the good weather isn't going to last to the weekend!  

       So far today I have made a cake, mixed up another batch of yogurt and started making a lasagne for supper.  I'm doing the main course, Irene's doing the starter and June is bringing pud!  The men are just eating, and hopefully not been stupid and drinking too much this time.....eh Darsh.

       Taken a few pictures to download.....pressed the wrong button and had to go and retake them....something's never change.

                    1981!!!!

  

     

             HAPPY EASTER folks, even if we do need umbrellas and those thick coats back down from the loft....

   

             ......do we?.....or don't we?  Still thinking about this pretty little house.....

Just how wrong can you be?......

     .....with no signs of Robins nesting, or even pairing up this year, and Joe suddenly taking far less interest in gardens, birds and hunting.  After all he is now 11or 12 ish, far too old to be tearing round catching any birds....we were thinking it may just be a lot quieter this year.  He has always been keen to catch baby Robins and they seem to nest in the most ridiculous places making it so easy for him to get them.  We have spent many summers watching nestlings grow and counting the days from hatching to fledging, and trying to distract a very enthusiastic dog.

   However a distressed adult robin has just flown onto the patio and Joe managed to look mildly interested as he climbed off his sofa.  Fortunately I was quicker, for once, and shut the conservatory door before he realised that this baby was actually INSIDE and having a bit of a look round.

     The camera, as usual, was in a different room.  It was a very tiny bird obviously just fledged, a real "trainee pilot" as Grandad always used to call them.  I can see the parents in the flower beds feeding and teaching this latest youngster.  And Joe is fast asleep on the top step, snoring not so gently....

Joe's perfect picnic....

      ......no car or leaving the house involved.....

 

     We were busy at home, me in the greenhouse, he in the conservatory with his phones.

We decided if we didn't eat yesterday's planned picnic meat it would spoil, so, afternoon sandwiches and cake in the lounge...... it was!  It may have been sunny, but warm enough to sit out side?.... It wasn't.

     If all those thinned out seedlings survive, Selina, you and I are going to need bigger gardens.

     Charlotte.....the girls who bought your Ebay shoes have emailed me to say how thrilled they are with them.....you didn't really want to keep them....did you?

Bought a picnic lunch......

......planning to go for a picnic today, sun is out, but it's a bit nippy, dads on his phone and we're still full from a cooked breakfast.  Maybe save the picnic for tomorrow?

Sat in my playroom, sorting, putting photos in some sort of order, and failing dismally....

     Found an old picture frame grandma Watson had in her room many years ago, put it in the jumble box and then changed my mind and fished it out.  Deciding what to do with it.  I think it makes a nice background for little bits and pictures.

     Found this old pair in an old album Joan gave me.  No, not my mum and dad on their wedding day, but the little figures on top of their cake.  They are still here waiting for me to find them a pretty box home.

     The old album is still going strong, but the sticky holding the pictures in place has long worn out.  All the pictures fell out in a jumbled heap when I picked it up.  I might try putting them all back in, but had a play photographing a few first.

       Just noticed the little figure dancing in the background of the wedding pic.  He's not very PC by today's standards.  The album looks like something from the '60's 

                           

 

Afternoon tea......

     ......hmm, not the best we've ever had.  My home made lemon drizzle cake is better, dad's toasted sandwich was soggy and the carrot cake went into my bag to eat later, it was mega sweet with not enough filling.  Maybe we shouldn't have bothered with the vouchers after all!

      But we did find some smart, trendy insulated mugs we fancied, so we treated ourselves....

     ......very effective they are too, the drinks stay so hot, for so long....we are both nursing sore tongues....we hate our new cups.  

     I don't actually think they will last very long as they are "not suitable for use in the microwave" so Darsh is dying to try one out to see what happens..."just out of interest" you understand.  Neither are they to be put in the dishwasher, so I'm pretty sure they will shortly be in there too.

     Everything is growing rapidly outside, inside and on my kitchen windowsill.  It all needs planting on and putting out in the greenhouse, but I am waiting for a warmer day.  Now that 3 day mist has moved away it feels very chilly outside.  Even Joe has taken to nipping in and out rather smartish.

    I can hear dad yelling on his phone (as per usual) he is telling some poor deaf person how he was so poorly after eating Chinese prawns the other night.  I don't know about bad prawns, I think it was more a case of eating your own body weight in order to get your money's worth, and then eating 2 double portions of pudding just to make sure.  Went home too full to lie down in bed....something you know all about....aye Selina?

Sorry folks.....

     ......if you have been on the receiving end of dad's April Fool phone calls.  He has been laid in the bath making them for nearly 2 hours now.  I have just been up to try and stop him with the offer of breakfast pancakes, but I can still hear him giggling from here and I'm downstairs in the conservatory.

Only another hour and a half until midday, either that or he runs out of minutes.  Suffice to say Selina-don't expect any rent from Hazel this month!