We went for a walk up the hill (gasp gasp) and collected pine cones for the fire. Yesterday Hubby climbed onto the roof (via a ladder) and cleaned the chimney with the big brush to get it ready for this yearâs wood heater to get started. I cleaned the ash etc from the fire box (down below) and carted about 4 buckets of old ash outside. All good and ready for when we are in the mood to light up. Iâd rather keep using the air con because at least I can turn it off if it gets too warm. Itâs a bit hard once the fire gets going. đĄ Then we start shedding layers of clothes and opening windows and doors until itâs bearable. Also, the Air con doesnât leave a layer of fine ash all over the furniture. The trouble is that Hubby prefers the fire. đ
Back at work this morning. Had a lovely weekend. The sun was out mostly although yesterday was freezing cold. It is lovely and sunny outside today. Not sure about the temperature as I have not ventured out yet.Â
 I live in a town on the Yorkshire Coast which is normally overrun with tourists over summer months, especially so over Bank Holiday Weekends. I am so pleased to say that the streets and beaches were empty. đ I was dreading it as the weekend before lockdown, it was crazily busy.
Morning all/afties Pat. A real fire is lovely, but yes- slightly more difficult to control the heat! Glad everyone was well behaved over the holiday weekend @PurpleRose. It's only taken a month eh? I made some pork burgers for youngest the other day for youngest @Obelixx. Bolognese for her tonight with the pork. At least we were able to get some the other day, so that'll keep her going. The absence of Ed in that countdown was very strange, considering the amount of airplay he gets everywhere. I think his highest was in the 20s or 30s. It was a good, upbeat spell of music anyway.Very enjoyable - if totally pointless Nice wee frost this morning, but the sky is clear - for now. I'll hopefully get a few more things done. I have wildflower seed to sow in the last patch I started last year, and I have some trays I sowed last year as well, so they can get split up, and put in.Â
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lovely morning again, I believe we have another week of it, so beautiful.Â
Macron has told us about the lockdown extending until the 11th May, no surprise really & quite necessary. Unfortunately for me (a restaurateur') it is unlikely that restaurants will not open before mid-July! Very tricky, mentally & emotionally to deal with - the Tearoom has been my life and life saver for the last 3 years. Feeling very overwhelmed by it all, and it's not the financial implications, it's just a huge sense of loss.
But, we can do this, I have to get on with it, make plans, at least now I have some sort of timescale to deal with. I am making a list of jobs that can be done whilst closed. Between now and July workmen will be more readily available and materials too. I might as well get the decking built (if the planning permission is granted, they are saying June before a decision can be made) and the interior decorating done, including some re-wiring that would have been very disruptive without this enforced closure. So, ever onwards....
I am staying at Charlie's dad's house at the moment so as not to be alone. He also has the huge garden that broke my heart to leave so I have started working on that - keeping me busy. It has been badly neglected and is a bit of a jungle so plenty to occupy myself with. It is a big house, a big garden and remarkably we are all getting along very nicely - the whole dynamic has changed over the last four years, I am completely independent now and our only connection is Charlie and we both want what is best for him, so me staying here as a guest rather than in an eerie empty tearoom is a good option for Charlie. Strange, but nice to be treated with respect that was so sadly lacking in our relationship as a couple. The most important thing is that we are all safe and comfortable away from harm. I can easily lose myself in the garden and take time to think and plan for the future. Charlie is very happy and coping well, there is a possibility he might get back to school in May, but I am not sure about that, probably not worth the risk for the few weeks that will be left. We'll see.Â
So, now I am off out to dig out a whole pile of weeds that I had previously hoped might be emerging perennials.Â
Have a good day all, best wishes to everyone suffering in one way or another from this pesky virus!Â
âCoffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?â âBetsy Cañas Garmon
Good morning all đ âïžÂ It must feel good to have got those jobs done @Pat E ... a bit like in Winnie the Pooh when Kanga counts vests to make sure sheâs ready for winter ... or some such ... đ€ was it vests?  I canât find the reference ...Â
Glad you and Charlie are  ok @D0rdogne_Damsel ... we were just saying the other day that the normal human response to scary times is to do something.   It feels wrong to be doing nothing, especially for those prone to a bit of anxiety (and who isnât?) so somehow we have to turn it around in our heads and make âdoing nothingâ feel as if weâre âdoing somethingâ ... turning a negative into a positive. After we talked about it there was a psychologist on the radio saying the same thing Weâre working on it ... sound like you are too đ
OH remarked on the âabsence of Edâ from the list ... I think itâs that he released sooooo many recordings so it seems as if heâs being played all the time, but actually no one individual recording of his dominated the charts. Â
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think that's true @Dovefromabove - he's [Ed] released so much, and he also took a long break, but it was still quite surprising. It was a real 'feel good' few hours. I had thought Uptown Funk would be up there - maybe even No1. When my youngest daughter was in her last year at school, they did a video to it, including the staff. It was brilliant. The head was retiring, so of course - he did the classic line of 'make a dragon want to retire'. Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of that  Look forward to seeing your bench @Allotment Boy. It's like painting trellis - very fiddly! Keep that positivity going @D0rdogne_Damsel. It must be very strange being back in that house though. Good luck to you both - and don't get fooled by anything that might be going onÂ
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Littlest chicklet did her junior school leaving concert as a medley of Take That songs with all the words changed (one of the teachers was a big fan). When we did our recent Tassie road trip we reminisced ......she always hears the songs in her head with the alternative words (âđ¶đ”Never forget the SF way đ¶đ”â).  Youâll be pleased to hear I wasnât the only Mum who shed a tear đąâșïž that day.
So agree about making the âdoing nothingâ feel like âdoing somethingâ @Dovefromabove. Â Gardening, cross stitch, our daily constitutional and Pilates are filling that gap for me. Â Thought I would be reading loads, but as yet my mind hasnât settled enough for me to lose myself in a good book. Â Maybe next week đ.
Posts
Back at work this morning. Had a lovely weekend. The sun was out mostly although yesterday was freezing cold. It is lovely and sunny outside today. Not sure about the temperature as I have not ventured out yet.Â
 I live in a town on the Yorkshire Coast which is normally overrun with tourists over summer months, especially so over Bank Holiday Weekends. I am so pleased to say that the streets and beaches were empty. đ I was dreading it as the weekend before lockdown, it was crazily busy.
Glad everyone was well behaved over the holiday weekend @PurpleRose. It's only taken a month eh?Â
I made some pork burgers for youngest the other day for youngest @Obelixx. Bolognese for her tonight with the pork. At least we were able to get some the other day, so that'll keep her going. The absence of Ed in that countdown was very strange, considering the amount of airplay he gets everywhere. I think his highest was in the 20s or 30s. It was a good, upbeat spell of music anyway.Very enjoyable - if totally pointlessÂ
Nice wee frost this morning, but the sky is clear - for now. I'll hopefully get a few more things done. I have wildflower seed to sow in the last patch I started last year, and I have some trays I sowed last year as well, so they can get split up, and put in.Â
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lovely morning again, I believe we have another week of it, so beautiful.Â
Macron has told us about the lockdown extending until the 11th May, no surprise really & quite necessary. Unfortunately for me (a restaurateur') it is unlikely that restaurants will not open before mid-July! Very tricky, mentally & emotionally to deal with - the Tearoom has been my life and life saver for the last 3 years. Feeling very overwhelmed by it all, and it's not the financial implications, it's just a huge sense of loss.
But, we can do this, I have to get on with it, make plans, at least now I have some sort of timescale to deal with. I am making a list of jobs that can be done whilst closed. Between now and July workmen will be more readily available and materials too. I might as well get the decking built (if the planning permission is granted, they are saying June before a decision can be made) and the interior decorating done, including some re-wiring that would have been very disruptive without this enforced closure. So, ever onwards....
I am staying at Charlie's dad's house at the moment so as not to be alone. He also has the huge garden that broke my heart to leave so I have started working on that - keeping me busy. It has been badly neglected and is a bit of a jungle so plenty to occupy myself with. It is a big house, a big garden and remarkably we are all getting along very nicely - the whole dynamic has changed over the last four years, I am completely independent now and our only connection is Charlie and we both want what is best for him, so me staying here as a guest rather than in an eerie empty tearoom is a good option for Charlie. Strange, but nice to be treated with respect that was so sadly lacking in our relationship as a couple. The most important thing is that we are all safe and comfortable away from harm. I can easily lose myself in the garden and take time to think and plan for the future. Charlie is very happy and coping well, there is a possibility he might get back to school in May, but I am not sure about that, probably not worth the risk for the few weeks that will be left. We'll see.Â
So, now I am off out to dig out a whole pile of weeds that I had previously hoped might be emerging perennials.Â
Have a good day all, best wishes to everyone suffering in one way or another from this pesky virus!Â
Another bright day, but still with an easterly wind.Â
It must feel good to have got those jobs done @Pat E ... a bit like in Winnie the Pooh when Kanga counts vests to make sure sheâs ready for winter ... or some such ... đ€ was it vests?  I canât find the reference ...Â
Glad you and Charlie are  ok @D0rdogne_Damsel ... we were just saying the other day that the normal human response to scary times is to do something.   It feels wrong to be doing nothing, especially for those prone to a bit of anxiety (and who isnât?) so somehow we have to turn it around in our heads and make âdoing nothingâ feel as if weâre âdoing somethingâ ... turning a negative into a positive. After we talked about it there was a psychologist on the radio saying the same thing
Weâre working on it ... sound like you are too đ
Have a good day at work @PurpleRose  đÂ
OH remarked on the âabsence of Edâ from the list ... I think itâs that he released sooooo many recordings so it seems as if heâs being played all the time, but actually no one individual recording of his dominated the charts.Â
Â
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
When my youngest daughter was in her last year at school, they did a video to it, including the staff. It was brilliant. The head was retiring, so of course - he did the classic line of 'make a dragon want to retire'. Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of that Â
Look forward to seeing your bench @Allotment Boy. It's like painting trellis - very fiddly!Â
Keep that positivity going @D0rdogne_Damsel. It must be very strange being back in that house though. Good luck to you both - and don't get fooled by anything that might be going onÂ
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I urge caution DD, us men are not to be trustedÂ
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Littlest chicklet did her junior school leaving concert as a medley of Take That songs with all the words changed (one of the teachers was a big fan). When we did our recent Tassie road trip we reminisced ......she always hears the songs in her head with the alternative words (âđ¶đ”Never forget the SF way đ¶đ”â).  Youâll be pleased to hear I wasnât the only Mum who shed a tear đąâșïž that day.
Had a zoom catch up with my oldest friends yesterday (someone was asking the other day about zoom? - its a video chat thing where you can have as many participants as you want, and you can see them all on your screen at the same time.  We have had 6 on our family catch ups).  These friends have younger children, and were saying how weird it seemed for them to leave their respective schools this year without any of the leaving ceremonies/parties/plays/celebrations.  Just a rather hurried âtime to pack up and go home nowâ.  It was lovely to chat to them - have promised to reconvene in a fortnight đ©âđ©âđ§âđ§.
So agree about making the âdoing nothingâ feel like âdoing somethingâ @Dovefromabove. Â Gardening, cross stitch, our daily constitutional and Pilates are filling that gap for me. Â Thought I would be reading loads, but as yet my mind hasnât settled enough for me to lose myself in a good book. Â Maybe next week đ.