It's Still Here!!!

The energy surge is still with me and I have to say it is rather great to be able to get so much done without wilting.
I'm sure it has more to do with it being a bit cooler than it has been than anything else.

This morning I have spatchcocked a chicken and cooked it with lime, garlic and parsley butter. It is now cooling for DD and I to have with salad for tea. Andy has been fed chilli and rice and four portions have been frozen for pack ups.
The washing up and kitchen tidying are done and I am just having five minutes before I get the painting things out again and add another coat to the walls. Once that is done I'll be a bit stuck until the weekend as there will be some heavy furniture shifting to be done. I could have done it on my own when I was younger but not now.

Shopping done last night but I think I am just about done with T***o. Every week I go there are always several items on my list that they have run out of or have stopped stocking. I can no longer buy the larger bottles of Heinz 30% less fat salad cream from there. Last night they had none of their own brand butter and it won't be in until Friday and it looks like they have stopped selling their own brand battered haddock....I can't abide fish in breadcrumbs but apparently that is all I can have now.
I will either shop at Asda or wait until a weekend and go into the big town to Morrison's.

Sewing is on the back burner for the moment and I am missing it. There is a dress to finish and a quilt to finish for a Christmas present but I really want to get this decorating done now so that will be what I am doing mostly until it is finished.

Hoping that you are all having a great day.
Sheila-x-

Where Did That Come From?!!!

After walking all over York on Monday I had expected to spend the rest of the week hobbling about with a dodgy back and sore legs. Yesterday they were a bit iffy but flippin' 'eck....today I have woken up with masses of energy and whipped through the job list like I was on steroids or something.
Some laundry done, a meal cooked for Andy at lunchtime, a pot of chilli put on for tea today and some to freeze, two walls painted, kitchen tidied and living room hoovered.
There is just a small pile of ironing to be done tomorrow which is mostly Ruby's clothes.
I just need to mop the kitchen floor and I am done and dusted for today.

I will need to go and do some top up shopping tonight as we are getting short of veg, butter and milk but I won't be buying any meat for a while as I want to start to use up what we have in the freezers. I need to make room for all the meat and things I am making in advance for DDIL's party at the end of October.
We have decided on hot meat rolls....pork and beef and for vegetarians there will be veggie sausage which can be served with stuffing and apple sauce in a roll or just tomato sauce if they prefer.

I'm a little bit sad again today. My neighbour who I have known and been friends with for over thirty years is selling up and moving. She has just had the valuer round this morning. 
I'm not looking forward to the For Sale sign going up at all. I'm going to miss her very much.

Right....I shall go and finish off my jobs.

Hope you are having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

A Little Sad Today!!!

Our Summer holiday with Ruby is over and in just one week she will be back at school.
It has gone so quickly but we have had some brilliant fun....in particular our visit to York yesterday.
The Jorvik Viking centre was really good and Ruby loved it but I am so glad that we pre-booked a time slot else we would probably have spent the whole of our five hours there in a queue. I could have quite done without the sight and sound (and smell) of the man using the toilet but Ruby thought it was hilarious.
It was a fabulous few hours and we would really like to go back although I don't fancy going there by car. Traffic was very heavy and I think it could get quite scary if you don't know where you are going once you get into the city centre.

Today I have to catch up on all the jobs I haven't got done over the last few days. I have the house to myself for the first time in a month so I should get quite a bit done.
I also need to catch up on blog reading which I will try and do this afternoon when I stop for a cuppa break.

Hope you have all had a lovely Bank holiday.
Sheila-x-

Nearly Empty House!!!

Well that's it for now. Ruby has gone home for a couple of days, DD is on her way to Manchester and Andy is asleep in bed. It's just me and the dog for a few hours and the house is as quiet as a church until Sunday when it will fill up again.
We are picking Ruby up on Sunday morning morning and going out for lunch then picking DD up from the station. An earlyish night before being up and off to York early on Monday morning.

I'm just having a few minutes and then I'll be dragging out the painting stuff and getting busy until Andy gets up.

It's very cloudy here this morning and although the thermometer says it's only 21C I still feel really hot and bothered. It's just started thrashing down with rain so that should make me feel a bit cooler.

Hope you all have a good Bank Holiday weekend.
Sheila-x-

A Picnic By The Lake!!!

Yesterday was a perfect day. Dry and warm but not overly sunny so we decided to pack up a picnic and drive down to Sudbury Hall and let Ruby have a run around in the adventure playground in the woods. When she decided she was hungry we wandered over to the lake and spread out our picnic blanket. It was a very simple picnic of cocktail sausages, snack eggs and boxes of prepared fruit but in the beautiful surroundings and fresh air it tasted like a banquet.

We paid a visit to the Museum of Childhood which was lovely although I did think the admission charge was a bit steep.
DD at 38 was shocked to see some of the toys she remembers playing with in a museum....lol.

I really shouldn't have but I just had to try the Rhubarb Ripple ice cream on offer....man it was good.

Sudbury Hall has changed quite a bit since I worked there twenty years ago. It's more child friendly and it was absolutely heaving with people which was really good to see.

We must have tired our little munchkin out....she slept until 9am this morning which is very unlike her.

Today Ruby has gone to Trentham Gardens with Aunty DD for a last day out for this week as she is being picked up at 10:30 in the morning to spend the day with Mummy who is off on Saturday morning for an exciting weekend in Dublin.
Ruby will be back with us on Sunday for another couple of nights sleeping over so in the meantime I will probably get some more painting done.

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post.

Have a fabulous day.
Sheila-x-

Happy Days!!!

Well Miss Ruby is in the house and with her arriving early yesterday we were able to go out for a few hours....only to do some food shopping but it was lovely.
Pocket money from Grandad was spent on a couple of toys from the charity shop and I also got a couple of bargains....two brand new kilner jars for 99p each and a brand new cookie cup making pan for 99p which Ruby and I are going to be trying out tomorrow. It makes little cups which can be filled with ice cream and fruit or you can put two together with a little icing and hide surprises in them. I'm not sure I will use it a lot but it's a fun thing for us to do.

We had a snuggly night watching films and then she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.....and so was Ganma....lol.

Today she has gone for a little shufty into Derby with Aunty DD and I'm sure she will return thoroughly spoiled and happy.
While they are out I am catching up on a bit of laundry which didn't get done yesterday and some tidying up before I make a chicken curry for our evening meal.

Busy but very happy days and I love the change of routine when we have Ruby here. It's almost like having a holiday myself.

Hope you are all having a happy day today.
Sheila-x-

Cursing The Blue!!!

Yesterday we managed to get the ceiling painted and once it was dry Andy put up the new light fittings and shades.
I made a start on painting the walls below the dado rail. I am trying to cover a strong blue with my new grey and it ain't going well. I think it's going to take three or four coats to cover it completely. Luckily there is only one long wall and two shorter ones.
I have been cursing.

I've been doing our own decorating now for over forty years and yesterday I really wished that I had as much energy as I did when I first started. Oh I ache so bad.

Today is a day off as I am cooking a roast dinner and then I have to do a bit of tidying ready for my Ruby arriving in the morning.

I went to see her in the musical Matilda on Friday evening and it was totally awesome. The kids had learned the whole thing in a week and I think the prompter only had to prompt once through it all.
Ruby just wanted to go back and do it all again.

Oooops......something sounds like it's boiling over so I will go and rescue whatever it is.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Another Evening Out!!!

Ruby has spent the last week at dance school taking part in a production of Matilda and she has absolutely loved it.
Tonight I will be going with DDIL to see the performance and I can't wait.

Hopefully I can manage to get another couple of skirting boards done before I have to have an early tea and a bath.

The weekend should see the ceiling done and a start made on painting the lower half of the walls but how far I shall get I don't know as I have promised Andy a roast beef lunch on Sunday and I have to clean the bedroom and change the bed for Ruby's arrival early on Monday morning.
All work will stop while she is here but she will be going home on Friday afternoon to spend some time with Mummy who is going away for the weekend and to spend some time on Saturday with London Grandma and Grandad. She'll come back to us on Sunday ready for going to York on the Monday.

By Tuesday DD will be back at work and I will have the house back to myself after a month of having somebody here all the time.....bliss.

Have a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

Passing Days!!!

I must say that this week is absolutely flying by. I feel like I have blinked and missed it.

Not an awful lot achieved yesterday on the decorating front as I was out at the docs in the morning and out to the pub last night to another party planning meeting with DDIL and her Mum. It was a lovely couple of hours.
I don't think Andy can get his head round coming home from work and finding his wife gone to the pub....lol.

Today I have some sanding to do before I paint the skirting boards which I thought were OK until I painted the dado rail. They are certainly not OK so that's an extra job to do.

Any form of catering this week has gone out of the window. Andy is getting something hot before he goes to work but DD and I are just eating very simply and not sticking to any kind of set meal time. I actually quite like it as I don't always feel like eating at dead on 5pm as Andy does.

It has rained through the night and the air is quite cool today which is great if I am going to be grubbing about on the floor.....ooooh me poor old knees.

Hope you all have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

A Brilliant Start To The Day!!!

I have just got back from the doctors and I am so happy.
After a week of worrying since my blood test my blood sugars have dropped by quite a lot and the weight is still coming off.
I now weigh the same as I did 46 years ago when I was 15.
I am over the moon.
There's still a little more to go but I am getting there.

Also getting there with the decorating.
The paper is now gone from the walls and they have been scrubbed and dried ready to be re-papered.
The dado rails have had one coat of paint and I will add another coat today.
Andy will remove the ceiling lights and paint the ceiling for me at the weekend but then work will probably come to a bit of a halt until after the bank holiday as Ruby will be coming for the week next week. DD will be away until Sunday on that weekend and then we are going to York on the Monday.
As long as it's done before Christmas I'll be quite happy...lol.

We're taking a bit of a break later today to go out and get some shopping done. The cupboards aren't quite bare but there are things we need.

What are you all up to today?
I hope it's a good one for you.
Sheila-x-

Still At It!!!

I am so sorry I haven't blogged over the weekend but oh my word removing this paper from the chimney breast wall is proving to be a long hard job.
I don't know what paste I used to put it up in the first place but it certainly isn't wanting to let go of the paper.
There is half of a section left to go which I hope to finish by the time Andy comes home tonight or way before if I can.
Once it's done I'll sand the walls and then wash them and that will be that out of the way.
I'll be glad when it's all finished but I think it's going to take longer than I thought.

DD has started her annual leave for two weeks and she has decided to decorate her bedroom as she picked up some paint yesterday....half price from Wilko and just the colour she wanted. You can't beat that.

So it's all go at Tea Towel Mansion today and for quite a while to come.

Hope you are all having a great day.
Sheila-x-

Blissful Rain!!!

It's been a fairly cool morning and we've actually had more than a quick shower of rain.
Now the temperature is rising again 😟

Today I am scraping wallpaper from the chimney breast wall. Usually I would use my steamer for this job but as I want to preserve the ceiling paper it's a spray bottle of warm water and washing up liquid and some extra elbow grease.
Once that's off I can gloss paint the dado rail and skirting board. I hate gloss painting with a passion so I'll be glad when that is done.

Not much else going off here today, tomorrow or Sunday.
Have you got anything exciting planned for the weekend?
Enjoy it whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

I Feel Like A Whirlwind!!!

Blimey....I thought this was supposed to be holiday week but we have been out racing about picking up decorating stuff.
Jenn...I forgot to answer your question about the paint colours.......above the dado rail will be Grey Whisper and below will be Touch of Silver. Both colours go beautifully with the wallpaper.

We also had a look in the big Barnado's shop as we are searching for a new armchair for Andy. He doesn't like his Ikea Poang chair but I have put my foot down that whatever he ends up with has to go with the new decor in the living room. I refuse to have just any old thing. 
Anyhoo no armchair but we did pick up a lovely little nest of tables for £10 and a really cute Chinese food service set in a box for £4.
Called at the pub for lunch on the way home and also booked a table for Sunday to meet up with The Doodles for lunch.

Home and the tables are polished and in situ, Andy has mowed the lawns and has now gone back to Barnado's to pick up a shoe storage unit (badly needed) that we couldn't fit in the car so that will need cleaning and sorting out when he gets back.
Once I have cooked tea for DD I think I shall collapse in a heap on the sofa.

I won't be doing my normal Friday clean up tomorrow as I will be doing prep work for the decorating and just making a mess again so it's not really worth it.

Sounds like he is back so I'll go and sort out this shoe cupboard.

Hope you're having a great day everybody.
Sheila-x-

Watching Miss Moo!!!

Late Monday evening I got a phone call from DS asking me to go down and look after Miss Moo yesterday while he took Ruby out for the day. Obviously I said yes so hence no blog post yesterday as I was out all day...only just getting in before DD arrived home from work.
Once tea was done I was fit for nothing much but slobbing on the sofa and watching some of our box set of Star Trek Voyager.
She certainly kept me on my toes did my little minx. I think we played a new game every five minutes of the seven and a half hours I was there...lol. My head was spinning but I loved every minute of it.

I totally forgot to take a pic of her new finished dress before I took it down with me but it's the same style of dress I made last with the little puff sleeves and elasticated neckline but the fabric was red, blue and light teal sail boats on a white background. Very pretty and she looked a picture in it.

This morning I will be out for a while.....docs for a blood test and then Andy is taking me out for breakfast after which we are going to try taking Smudge for a walk in the woods if he will go. Miss Ruby will be arriving around lunch time and staying until just after tea so another busy day.
Andy then just has four days of his holiday left and I can't believe it has gone so quickly.

Hope you all have a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

Off Out For A While!!!

Andy fancies a wander out today so we are off to the farm shop to have a look what meat they have for the freezer before we go for a walk round little town.

This morning I have done some tester pot patches of the new paint on the walls in the living room and we like so we might pick that up too while we are out.
It will be good to have everything I need in place for starting the job next week.
Still can't get up any enthusiasm for it but I'm sure I'll be OK on the day.

Very grey clouds this morning but the sun is trying to come through so I expect we're in for another hot day.

Right....I'll go and get changed and let Andy take me out for my weekly airing....lol.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

So Tired Of This Heat Now!!!

I am dreaming of cold nights, candle light and snuggly blankets. I have had enough of being hot, bothered and bad tempered now and would very much like for things to cool down a little.
I feel really mean as so many people love this heat but I am at my best when temperatures are a lot lower.

Today I am getting a head start on the laundry and in between loading and unloading I will finish the dress for Marlowe. I just need to attach the skirt to the bodice and do the hem and that is another one finished. Two more dresses to make and then I have a quilt top ready to make into a quilt which is going to be a Christmas gift and after that I aim to make some fabric gift bags before I have to start on making Autumn themed things for my DIL's birthday party later in the year.

I cooked another piece of gammon yesterday. We enjoyed it so much when we had it last week that Andy wanted a repeat so all I have to do in the kitchen today is make a bowl of salad. I can't believe how long it is since I made a proper cooked meal.......but I'm not complaining.

Have a lovely day everyone.
Sheila-x-

What A Brilliant Day!!!

A few months ago I started looking at wallpaper online to get an idea of the kind of thing I wanted. I must have looked at hundreds of styles and colours but I kept going back to one in particular that I really loved.........

So yesterday our first stop was The Range. First aisle, top right hand corner....and there it was. It took us less than two minutes to decide that it was what we wanted.
Next I had a look at curtains and found a pattern and colour I liked but I wanted eyelet tops and they only had them in tape top so Andy suggested we go over to Dunelm which was very brave of him as the traffic in that area at the moment is horrendous due to some road works. 
Anyhoo....curtains found.........

and purchased along with a new curtain pole and back out into the dreadful traffic.
We took a breather at the pub on the way home so Andy got his well deserved pint.

Back home I sorted out the green beans and we now have several bags in the freezer to use when we want them.

Today Andy is out sloshing his preservative on the picket fence across the bottom of the back garden and I am just pottering before I tidy off the table and get some sewing done.

Hope you all have a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

What I'm Doing Today!!!

My first job today will be to process the huge bag of French beans my neighbour delivered to me the other day.
I was just going to blanch and freeze them but Gill at Frugal In Derbyshire posted a lovely recipe for green beans in tomato sauce so I am going to try that out.

I need to go wallpaper hunting so once the beans are done I think Andy and I will take a trip into the big town where there are three places that sell wallpaper all within a few yards of each other so hopefully I will find something there and I'm sure Andy will want to fit in a visit to a pub for a quick pint so by the time we get back I expect it will be getting on for teatime. I have some cold meats in the fridge and salad left from last night so that will do for today.

Not really looking forward to starting the decorating but it has to be done and I have planned it for DD's first week of annual leave so that I have a helper.

Hope you all have a good day today.
Sheila-x-