Damn servers!

Well my server was on "intermittent service" for most of the day yesterday ! On a bright note got a lot done without the PC distracting me and after the routine housework and washing I emptied, washed out and refilled all my kitchen cupboards and drawers!
Today has been another beautiful day so got two loads of washing dried, and put away and pottered around generally.. This afternoon i sat out in the garden reading and it was lovely out there.
BADLY IN NEED OF RAIN THOUGH OR THE LEAVES WILL START TO FALL BEFORE WE GET THAT LOVELY BLAZE OF AUTUMN COLOUR.LOVE THAT SPECTACULAR END TO SUMMER WHEN THE TREES AND HEDGEROWS ARE COVERED I YELLOW,ORANGE AND RED LEAVES AND BERRIES AND THE AIR IS FULL OF THE SPICY SCENTS OF AUTUMN.
Someone posted on Facebook today that there are only 16 Sundays till Christmas------how frightening is that? Where has the year gone? Better get started on making my Christmas cards ASAP..

A lovely "do as I like " day planned as all housework and washing up to date, Bank Holiday here today so will be reading, crafting and listening to music--BLISS! A lovely way to enjoy a Bank holiday and one of the main benefits of living alone!

Struggling!

This was me today,,, found it really hard to stick to my food plan today but i did keep under my calorie allowance BUT didn't choose the healthiest of foods to do so! Too much bread and butter on some of it BUT all weighed and counted.
Think it was a reaction to the news about my son yesterday as my overeating has always been comfort eating when stressed or worried,
Never mind, I  got through the day and hopefully be back to eating healthy as well as less tomorrow.just having a lovely cup of tea and settling to a nights TV with a small dish of fresh blueberries to nibble!

Not a good end to yesterday

Well yesterday ended on a worrying note. My eldest son Glenn went for a check up at the Cardiac unit i St Thomas's after having a pacemaker fitted last year when his heart rate dropped to 30bpm for no apparent reason and they could not get it up again. After numerous tests was told that his heart  showed signs of several heart attacks although he was not aware he had had any and that he only had 65% function left on his left ventricle.
As this could be a congenital anomaly they want him to  go back for further tests and said that his immediate siblings and offspring should also be tested.. My younger son had heart checks a few years ago because he has asthma and they were fine bu it does mean that Ben and Jade Glenn's children will have to have tests. As you can imagine this knocked me for six! Thinking it over during the night was probably a blessing that he had to the pacemaker and subsequent tests as otherwise this could have gone unnoticed.
Thank goodness we are a close family and i know that will help us all especially Glenn to cope with this bt it is not going to be an easy time.

That was me yesterday! This hot humid weather makes my poor legs swell even more and they were so sore yesterday. Today the weather is not quite so hot and humid and they feel better thank goodness,
Last night was hard to sleep as the temps stayed in the mid 20s all night and we never did get the promised thunder storms to clear the air,
Still warm today but oly ip to the mid 20s instead of the 33C we had yesterday so a lot more comfortable.
There is hazy cloud cover and occasionally we get about 10 drops of rain! Think the bird bath is doing better business than the feeder!

Another one bites the dust

Weigh in day and another pound lost- that's 13 lbs in total! Was surprised I lost any as we r in another heatwave and that makes my feet and legs swell so not been as active.
It was in the high 20Cs yesterday and supposed to be hotter today so U took my daily dose of vitamin D b having my breakfast and my coffee break n the garden before it got too hot and will be staying cool indoors from now on!Mind you there is a pleasant breeze today which we didn't have yesterday so will open windows at both ends of lounge and that will keep it pleasant and i have soe grapes in the freezer to suck on!

Monday and it is brighter

After a gloomy start the sun is shining and we are promised a return of the warm weather--HURRAH! At the moment we still have a strong breeze blewing but the sunshine is bright and cheering.
Today my son Scott is bringing his carpet shampooer over and clean my carpets so hopefully will stay warm and dry so we are not walking mud in!

Sunday

Not  a very summery Sunday for us. We have strong breezes and alternate sunshine and showers and it is feeling cool in the breeze.
I will be keeping indoors apart from a quick dash outside to put some food on the bird table!
 Luckily I do have the need to restock my birthday card stash as June, July and August are all full of friends and family birthdays so it has got quite low.  Just grabbed a quick salad lunch and off I go to get on with making some more! Time to start my Christmas cards soon. I always start early as I make about 70 each year and at the moment am just waiting for some new Christmas dies to arrive. and then I will get going as I don't like having them still to do when all the other preparations for the  holidays begin. Started getting the ingredients together for my Christmas cake so it can be made early and be fed with brandy before it is time to ice and decorate it.When the children were at school used to take the date they went back to school in September as my starting point for getting presents and making cake etc and now i do the same with the grandkids!

A soggy saturday

A  wet and windy Saturday here, short spells of sunshine and then back to the heavy showers and it is windy enough to make it feel quite cold.
Don't think I will be going far today so it will be a bit of housework and then out with the sewing!
I have just started a new book "Where the Dead Walk " and am enjoying it so may even sit and read for a while.
Hoping this is just a temporary glitch in the weather and that we get one of those "Indian Summers" in September/October that can  make the winter seem shorter. My favourite season is Autumn with it's brilliant colour and spicy scents.Always seems like the the crescendo of a perfect Symphony to me bringing the Year to a dramatic close.

Where has summer gone?

we have had overnight rain and still more light showers now. The garden has thoroughly enjoyed it and so have the frogs that live in my pond and are are all out searching for the slugs that the rain has brought above the soil. The newts are not so happy and have dived down into the water again after the last days of sunbathing on the lily pads.
This is definitely a day for "indoor living".. no breakfast in the garden with the birds today! this afternoon i think it will be embroidering and the afternoon movie on TV! the evenings are arriving earlier and I have had to put the timer on my standard lamp onto 8pm instead of 8.30pm. so i guess we are into late summer and rapidly approaching autumn,

I.m a HAPPY BUNNY!

One happy lady here as despite my meal out on Sunday, (three very calorific courses), I have still managed to lose one pound this week. I think mainly due to me having most of my calories since then as fruit,veg,meat and fish and knocking the carbs right down.Will be sticking to this course of action as long as the warm weather lasts and reintroduce cards, (although still less than usual ), when the weather turns chilly.
Apart from that the weather is still gorgeous here BUT the garden could do with more rain even if we couldn't. Was breakfast in the sunshine with the birds this morning!Lovely way to start the day with an alfresco meal!

card

Back to the normal routine!

Have spent yesterday and today catching up with the housework and washing which gor left behind during the birthday celebrations last week! All up to date now,
This morning an early appointment at the doctors for routine blood tests and then this afternoon found time to make an anniversary card for my son  and his wife,,, cannot believe they will have been married for twenty years on the 14th!

A belated birthday celebration

A gorgeous day hot and sunny and to make it even better have just got back from a meal to clebrate my 80th,
We went to a lovely little Inn at Longfield in the Kent countryside and eleven of us met in the bar and then sat down to a gorgeous meal, .. /not the usual Pub Food but a long menu of Cordon Bleu atandar and delightful friendly service . Suffice to say we sat down at 12.30 and finally finished eating and chatting and laughing at 3.30pm!
 I started with a selection of olives in an oil and apple balsamic vinegar vinaigrette and followed this with Roast lamb cooked to perfection with yorksh ire pudding, roast potatoes and assorted Veggies (all fresh not a frozen pea in sight).To end it all apple sticky toffee pudding and mind came with *) in birthday candles on top and everyone sang happy birthday..
Really was treated like a queen! Now home and ready for a wee granny nap!

1. 

my birthday orchid

THE SUN HAS GOT HIS HAT ON!

A  really beautiful day... warm and sunny. Have just been watching the birds in the garden and there are a pair of blue-tits feasting away on the bird table and one of my pair of blackbirds splashing away in the birdbath and all thoroughly enjoying this sunny weather. Butterflies and bees buzzing around the buddlieia and the lavender and the newts sunbathing on the lily pads in my little pond.
I have been working on my embroidery out there and just come in to get lunch.

Hitting the big " eight O!"

well today is my 80th birthday! Where have all those years gone.Had my share of the ups and downs of life but today it is the happy memories that are at the front of my mind., and I reached the conclusion that they have outnumbered the bad, Today I am a happy gran to four gorgeous grandchildren and mum to two wonderful sons and proxy mum to two beautiful daughters in law and despite my gammy leg and slowing down I can still enjoy life and keep my days full with my crafting hobbies and although I do miss being able to spend hours working in my garden i can still sit out there and enjoy it.On the whole life as been good to me.
I have just been reading all the birthday messages that have come through on my computer and now awaiting the post man to bring yet more! Lovely to have friends remember you and send their wishes, and I have been blessed with some good friends,
Here's looking forward to a lovely day!!!!

getting there1

A lovely sunny day again. Just stopped for a coffee . have been catching up on some housework and listening to an Andre Rieu CD. Love that man and his Strauss Orchestra!.
Happy bunny as another 2 pounds hit the dust when i wieghed in this morning.. that's 11lbs in total!
 Off to finish the housework and burn a few more calories!!!!

another hot sunny day

A really beautiful warm day again.
Makes dieting so much easier as a diet of salad and fruit is much more appealing than stew and dumplings when the weather is lke this! LOL!
 A good tip for keeping cool ... freeze some grapes and eat them straight fro the freezer! As they melt in your mouth they are both cooling and refreshing and much better for you than ice-cream!!!!

another card

card i made

christening cake

summer is back and hopefuly not a flying visit this time.

 Another beautiful sunny day with temps of 24C and a refreshing breeze, Have been sitting in the garden with a cuppa and reading my book - The Lake House.. anyone else read it? I am really enjoying it., I am a compulsive reader and if I am not card-making or embroidering I am reading!I also love baking and have some skills as a cakemaker.

a beautiful day

Another beautiful day,,,,the sun is shining and the temps have gone up again and we could reach 25C this afternoon.
Had breakfast in the garden today and hopefully will be sitting out there again once the daily chores are done. Loving the weather and hoping it lasts into an India Summer to make the winter seem shorter!

A sunny day

Well after a few days absence the sun has come back, the wind has dropped and the temperature has gone up The crystals hanging in my window are sending rainbows round the lounge and all is well with my world..Funny how much more positive you feel when the sun shines.

Feeling positive.

Surprising just how much more positive I feel about things now I know my arm has healed .Got the big 80 birthday coming up on Wednesday of next week and looking forward to  it now whereas before it just seemed to be emphasising how old and decrepit I was getting. A win on the lottery would complete the job and i could look around for that bungalow with no stairs and that would really give me a new lease of life.---   well a girl can dream can't she?

An encouragung result.

Weigh in day today and another 2 lbs off so onwards and upwards,(or should that be downwards?), we go!
 Aways encourages one to keep going when you get a loss however small!

OH Happy Day!

Have been suffering with a break at the top of my Humerus,  (another result of a fall in November and osteoporosis).  which was being stubborn about realigning and healing and just got back from Orthopaedic Clinic. Hurrah. the bone has finally fully joined  up and I am discharged from Clinic. Pain has eased and should disappear on normal movement of arm as tendon heals and am happy with that although upwards and backwards movement will still be restricted.
A good start to my week.