Day Eight looking over the gate!

Poor neglected dog. Protesting his annoyance at the fact that I was daring to communicate with the cat without first seeking his approval. 

Bloody hooligan hound! Meanwhile Charlie cat was happy in his shrubby den safe in the knowledge that Harvey has yet to work out how to undo the latch on the gate. 

Probably just a matter of time tho eh?

Day Seven - Eye Eye! It's Time for a brew

Hello there from the still dicky tummied one!

Yesterday I had to go for an eye test to see whether my headaches were being caused by eye strain and the dire need for a new prescription. My eyes were checked thoroughly, my eye health appeared to be fine, pressures within usual limits, but as expected my middle distance vision has deteriorated quite a bit. I got a ridiculously high quotation for varifocals which nearly had me fall off my chair. My employer pays for eye tests and makes a contribution towards specs but I thought I'd see what else was available in other stores.  As a result I managed to get a mid range lenses, the specs I needed plus a pair of prescription sunnies for over £100 less than I had been quoted just for lenses. 

Whilst I was waiting for my appointment I treated myself to tea and cake in a quirky little cafe which opened recently in the high street.  

As it was quite late in the afternoon I had the place to myself, so enjoyed a hot cuppa randomly accompanied by an egg timer!  I guess this is to gauge optimum brew time!

The tea was hot and good quality. I liked the egg timer quirkiness. The millionaires shortbread was poshly dusted with gold dust but it was thick to the point of breaking me teef! (Ah first world problems eh?!). Great recycled napkins.  Points were deducted for the large chip on the teapot spout.  And I'm not altogether sure why I had two saucers! 

Pretty little place. Just needs a couple of tweaks to make it perfect. :)

Day 6 - The Peg-bag and the shortbread mountain

I'm suffering from a nasty bout of gastro enteritis right now together with rhinitis. Because apparently one can't have too many 'itis-es'.  Honestly,  I think when they removed my gall bladder they also removed my immune system. I haven't been bliddy right since then. As a person who normally enjoys rude health in the main it's getting ever so slightly wearing.

Man has undertaken a baking marathon because apparently one can't have too many pieces of shortbread either!  

Millionaires shortbread with fruit and

Fruit, cranberry and plain shortbread. The house smells delicious. He uses part rice flour to get the crumbliness just right!

In other news, a week ago I met up with a couple of dear friends for the weekend. They're both nifty stitchers, and this was a sweet gift from one of them.

Isn't it adorable?!  Oddly enough just recently we had been looking for peg holders but could only find rubbish ugly plasticky ones. This is farrr more elegant don't you think?! I love it!

So, here's a question for you bloglies. If you were a peg on the washing line of life, what sort of peg would you be?

;)

Day five. Smiles on Sunday

Hello!

Sunday smiles included:- 

First BBQ of the year and blooming lovely it was too. 

A smiley old toothless cat stretching out on the bench in the sunshine. 

A catch up with my friend. Much needed. 

How was your day?

Saturday smiles. Day four.

Well now. The sun has got his proverbial hat on and it's Saturday. What's not to like eh?

I think people seem so much happier when the sun is shining. During our regular foray into town this morning, fellow shoppers seemed so much more relaxed and smiley, dressed to suit the weather in bright summer colours. 

In the church hall, the monthly vintage fayre was in full swing.  We usually sit out in the courtyard anyway for a breather and watch the world go by for a while between shops so were in the vicinity. I proclaimed that I wasn't going to go in this week as I just get depressed at the acres of gorgeous vintage clothes. It appears these garments were all made for twiglet sized people which leave people of a more Rubenesque design (oh. That would be Me then!) gazing sadly at the rails of eclectic finery, stroking an astrakhan coat and dreaming of being able to wear a Dolly Rockers frock!  

Man rolled his eyes at me however and told me to stop being daft and get in there cos he knew I wanted to really.  Okay, said I. But I'm not buying anything.  I'll just have a look.  Man raised his eyebrow knowingly and tucked twenty quid into my hand. Tee hee. 

It was as busy as ever.  The ever glamorous Vicki from amazeballs blog Vintage Vixen was there with her Kinky Melon emporium, together with lots of other tables of gorgeousness to drool over.  On the first stall I looked at, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I picked it up, examined it and put it down again.  Then the woman next to me did exactly the same. The very second she picked it up I knew that I needed it in my life! Suddenly my heart started pounding and my mouth went dry.  The Woman turned it over in her hand and held it to the light in a superior "I know about these things" manner. Nooo!  She couldn't buy it!  It was mine!  It had spoken to me!!  

Step. Away. From. My. Precious.   

The woman sniffed in disdain and set the item back down on the table.  

With more speed than was strictly necessary and a dramatic sigh of relief I thrust my purchase at the stall holder who laughed at me and told me she had seen the veiled look of panic come over me when I thought I'd lost it. 

Honestly.  I'm annoyingly transparent.   

Thing is. There was a "sign" on the tag that underlined the fact that it should be mine. A simple little sign but to me it was karmic. It simply said "Go Ask Alice".  A phrase from one of my very favourite songs in the world by Jefferson Airplane. 

I guess you'd like to see my little frivolous purchase wouldn't you?  You're not going to see the attraction I know but hey, each to their own.  Tis but an insane hare brooch made from resin but I loves him!

Enjoy this wonderful weekend and ...  

"Remember what the dormouse said. Keep your head" ;)

Love and light xx

Happy Post Day Three

Dinner with workmates.  

Raucous laughter. Check

Scurrilous gossip. Check

Lots of filth. Check

Yummy food. Check. 

Naan breads as big as duvet covers. 

Check!!

Thanks for your comments about my rash ridden son yesterday. It's come up again this evening at exactly the same time. I don't think it has been as bad.  Bad enough though. Such a horrible thing to deal with. He's not happy at all. :( 

Happy Friday all. Xxx

Day two - itches and rashes and silly selfies!

Hello there.  Sorry I'm a tad late and we are into Friday already. I've spent a very long few hours dodging between walk in centres and a&e departments with my son who had a raging bout of urticaria. Poor lad. Looked like he'd been scalded all over.

It appears to be some sort of allergic reaction and has been given steroids, antihistamines and anti itch cream. Of course seeking a chemist at half past eleven at night wasn't much fun - particularly without a car. Thank 

goodness for patient taxi drivers.  The chemist had only got half of the prescription and so I have to call in a favour fromy bro tomorrow to retrieve the balance. Gah!  Then we got home to find that the instructions on the tablets were unclear. Take six each day. Hmm. In one go?  Spaced out?  Who knows!  So I've spent the last half an hour on the phone to the 111 service who were very good and clarified things for me. Phew. 

Right. Time for a well earned smile methinks. I saw this pic on the web last week and thought it was hilarious.  

If dogs took selfies!  Tee hee!!

Day One of One Hundred.

Hello. Is there anyone there?  I've been a bit distracted recently with goings on far too boring to blog about. 

I've missed blogging. On the other hand I've not really had anything remotely interesting to blog about so therefore my dear readers have been spared the tedious details of hospital appointments, doctors consultations, work politics, teenage angst and a black dog chomping on my arse. 

Tis now time to pull myself up by my boot straps and get bloody well on with it. 

I'm taking a leaf out of a good friend's book and embracing the little things each day that raise a smile. It may be a photo. It may be a just a comment. This is just a challenge to myself and if you would like to hitch a ride then please feel free. 

Here goes then. When I leave work at five my walk through the myriad of car parks and buildings sometimes reveals a tiny glimpse of a more natural world. It may be birdsong. It may be blossom. It may be evidence of the changing of the seasons. 

Tonight it was this little fella. Blithely munching his supper just yards from the concrete jungle on the verge of a car park. I watched him for ages whilst waiting for my cab;  he was totally unaware of my existence.  Bless!

With love from Peapods. Xx

I Heart Saturday

Hello my lovelies!

How is your Saturday shaping up?

As the man works permanent night shifts plus overtime most mornings it is rare that we see each other until I get home from work and that is literally just for an hour before he has to go off to bed to sleep prior to his next shift starting. Our Saturdays, therefore, are very precious to us as you can imagine.  Our day usually starts with a cuddle and a coffee and a catch up in bed and then we take ourselves off for breakfast in town before doing the weekly shop.

Today we tried a recently opened coffee shop called Vines. We were drawn in by the board outside advertising a full English breakfast for £2.95.  The man opted for the full English with toast and coffee. I chose the Panini with bacon, egg and mushrooms plus a cappuccino. The whole bill came to 5 pounds and 40p for both of us. We were extremely impressed with the food which was freshly cooked and I can honestly say the Panini I had was probably one of the best I have ever had! 

Not too shabby eh?

People might think it odd, but we actually love shopping. We never see it as a chore and always find something to giggle about (mostly other couples who are arguing between themselves or ranting at small children!). 

When we eventually get home (which is always a lot later than we anticipated) (and Charl is on his arse through sleep deprivation!) we unpack the shopping (unless I can palm it off onto the kids because this is a job I hate!) and then he retires to bed and I have a couple of hours to myself to completely chill out for the rest of the afternoon. I may cook something nice for dinner and then again I may have something that I can just chuck into the oven and escape to my shed for that time I would have spent cooking! Now don't look at me like that! I will have you know that today I have stuffed a mushroom! How is that for domestic goddessness?!

Here are some quick photos of some things around the house which are making me smile this freezing cold but very sunny Saturday.

The hellebore in the owl pot was a gift and should be outside really but for fear of hooligan trampling it I've kept it safe inside.  Please note the inventive use of an unused cafetiere for a tulip vase!

I love having fresh flowers around the house. The daffies were just one whole English pound for three bunches and the tulips 99p a bunch. 

Whilst I was sitting typing up this post I was visited by this lil fella. Actually not so little! He was a biggun!  

He appreciated my vases of flowers too! 

 Build it and they will come so the saying goes. Well. My new birdie table has been built and installed. I havent seen any visitors yet though. How rude!!

Steak and mushrooms for dinner then. I'd better put on my pinny and fluffy mules darlings!!

Hope your Saturday is a pleasant one!

Sky-watching

Look it!!!  Mad skies over Wollescote!

Altocumulus I do believe!!

I found this on the Met Office website

"Altocumulus clouds

Height of base: 2,000 - 18,000 ft

Latin: altum - height; cumulus - heap

Altocumulus are small mid-level layers or patches of clouds - called cloudlets - in the shape of rounded clumps. These are white or grey, and the sides away from the Sun are shaded. Mostly found in settled weather, altocumulus are usually composed of droplets, but may also contain ice crystals.

The presence of shading can help tell the difference between altocumulus and cirrocumulus. Cirrocumulus are white but altocumulus can be white or grey, and the sides will be shaded."

S'fab innit?!

I've been a right little sky watcher these last few days - I have a crick in my neck from constantly looking skywards!

A Warm Weekend

 

Just some photographs from the weekend.

Scene at the rear of the house..........

Whilst out front this was happening .....

It was my first Samaritans' training today.  Whilst I enjoyed it, I was a little sad to be indoors all day on such a glorious Spring day. 

When I emerged late this afternoon, blinking like a mole coming out of a hill,  I admired the signs in their pretty little garden which herald the fact that the Wheel of the Year will be turning once again very soon...

Camellia in full bloom. 

.

Fat buds on the magnolia tree 

Delicate blossom in the palest pink. 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend blossoms@