Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

I understand that completely Sue (about the shopping). It reinforces what I say over and over again, I am so lucky in that I have no more difficulty doing shopping than I do going for a walk. Bit of a miracle actually!
I am sat down for the first time in almost 3 hours.... I've had a good and productive spell in the shed and there will be a pic later when I have walked Jack, made my breakfast and posted on Shed Matters. At the moment I am just catching my breath! It's nice to have a sit down with a pot of tea!

[Sue]

I am just having a coffee after breakfast, cut my fringe after my shower to try and improve my vision! I have thick hair, especially on the right hand side, my eyes were disappearing under a thick mass of hair which was also very irritating and uncomfortable.it feels better now so I won’t have to keep flicking it out of the way whilst painting. Bob is off to his workshop to tackle one of many projects. Heavy rain outside, glad I have an all day occupation today

[Marilyn]

I admit we go to the supermarket “the old fashioned way”. Got a bit tricky after I herniated my disc...and I would pop the folded walking stick in the trolley until I could go no more without it then out it came to assist the rest of the quest. Always seemed to need it at the checkout...standing about is no good for Sciatica! ( haven’t needed a stick for 12 months + so it doesn’t even travel with us now.)
One day we will look to home delivery. Until then, we will proceed as we do.
If I didn’t get to the supermarket, I wouldn’t get out except for our daily walk!
( but I am not like Mother. She would put her lipstick on to go to the supermarket)

[plaques]

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa. I must confess yesterdays sins. With the main excavations in the garden more or less finished and face with inclement weather we did a Cummings and took a trip to the garden centre in Burnley. Not to spend any money, no no that would never do just to give the car a run and to check my colour vision against some of the plants. Springwood garden centre as local people may know covers quite a large area and although in mid morning there were about 15 cars parked up but inside there was plenty of space to move about in. We knew what we wanted so no browsing or going into indoor areas. The payment area was well controlled, Mrs P paid, I just cried.
Today's task is definitely indoors. Yesterday it looked like the spark generator on the gas oven had given up the ghost. First move is take take the hob off and see what's going on. Wish me luck everybody.

[Marilyn]

Ooohhh..Plaquey...wish you luck with the oven starter. Maybe it just needs a rub with emery paper...
Gas oven you say? Now...take a small pillow...have a good lie down whilst testing. Make yourself comfy. ( perhaps a large Brandy may help you relax) Breathe deep now...

[Marilyn]

Now...you do have clean underwear on ?

[Stanley]

It's raining here as well Sue, a second wet walk requiring a Jack rub down.
Nice morning in the shed. This end of the engine is built and needs no more attention. Runs tight and smooth and the flywheel is perfectly concentric, nice! Now for the valve gear...

[Sue]

What a good workshop that was, I feel tired concentrating for so long. Jeremy was so patient, he had rather a large number of people that had hardly painted before. This meant back tracking a lot. From my point of view it meant I could get my towels washed and dried (in the drier) as well as following his instructions and getting my painting finished.

France has just announced that from June 15 th second home owners can enter France. Paperwork no longer needed. There is a 14 day voluntary quarantine for people from the UK and of course our own quarantine here on return. We aren’t going anywhere but will bide our time, watch the numbers etc. Second wave can happen in France yet, as well as here, or indeed anywhere else in the world. We shall continue as we are, the occasional long walk away from people and the weekly trip to get fresh fruit and veg at Bacup market. Otherwise its home based activities for the foreseeable future.

[Stanley]

Sensible policy Sue. I shall be practising social distance until the vaccine....

As you may have noticed, I had a bit of writing to do and this has delayed shed work but I'm off in there now at 7AM!

[Sue]

Morning, damp this morning but supposed to be drier after the last 24 + hours of rain, and warmer. Its been so cold of late. This morning is Bacup market. I shall get a few more begonias for the front garden if the plant man has any. Talking pf plants my second peony bud has flowered. Its looking a bid bedraggled after the rain.

After Bacup and a breakfast of fresh croissants and coffee , I shall do a weekly clean, finish my washing and then finish Bobs shirt. If is does stay fine we may get a walk in later.

This evening is U3A online is wine appreciation. This weeks theme is stories we have to tell about wine. I have a funny one about my Mum, I am sure she won’t mind me telling. My dad used to work for a brewery and every Christmas he was given a hamper of wines, beers and spirits. No one drank much, we were kids. To Dad it was just work, Mum never really drank. However in a year the hamper contents would be used as we used to get plenty of visitors staying. We lived in ‘VERA’ country in the north east. So by the end of November the cabinet was bare as they say. One year it wasn’t so Mum decided to have a clear out before the annual hamper arrived. Now my Mum had no concept of the strength of alcoholic drinks because she never drank them , except shandy, egg nog and lemonade or port and lemon, perhaps a little sherry on Christmas day. It strikes me it was really lemonade she liked. I arrived home from school to find my Mum in a very inebriated but happy state collapsed on a chair. Lots of empty bottles around and a clean cupboard. It transpires she thought it was a shame to throw these drinks down the sink, there was only an inch in each bottle she said! She drunk an inch of whiskey, gin, rum, port, sherry and whatever else was left She also admitted she didn’t really like them and NEVER AGAIN . Unfortunately there was another well known occasion,wellknown to the family that is but thats another story. Poor Mum. Sadly missed.

One man has stopped joining the group as he likened our meeting to the chatter in the backroom of a pub! What can I say. My reaction was if he had joined at the start of the meeting instead of towards the end he would have heard the discussion on the various wines were drinking, but he just arrived in time for the laughing and chatter at the end. I don’t think he understands it is about still getting together and in some cases supporting the single lone people within the group!

I was pleased with my picture from yesterday, quite put me back in the art mood.

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I have a new project for my two art classes. Where would I like to go when all this over. It would be Venice, which is going to be hard to do. I have a good picture of a gondolier from out last visit and may use that.

Have a good day stay safe everyone.

[Stanley]

That's a very good painting Sue! I particularly like your treatment of the leaves on the tree. It could live on my wall I would enjoy it!
I've had a nice hour in the shed adjusting bearings and having my first look at the valve gear.....
I shall walk Jack and have breakfast......

[Gloria]

I think that’s really good Sue, lovely painting.

[plaques]

Ooohhh..Plaquey...wish you luck with the oven starter. Maybe it just needs a rub with emery paper...

Better than that Marilyn. Pulled the electric oven out to look at the underside of the gas hob. Using my Phd in observation notice a wire from the hob disappearing into the bowels of the kitchen units. Followed it through and saw a plug that had slipped its moorings and come out of the socket. Pushed it back in and voila! . No need to use my other Phd in buggering about.

[Marilyn]

Wonderful job of the painting, Sue, but is there anything else to go in it...like a focal point...or something to draw the eye?
( just asking). It is very pleasant indeed, especially the sky, but one wonders what it was that drew the artist.
Plaques...you must feel like one lucky sod to find the result so easy. ( Mrs P is going to have to raise the degree of difficulty)

[Sue]

Wonderful job of the painting, Sue, but is there anything else to go in it...like a focal point...or something to draw the eye?
( just asking). It is very pleasant indeed, especially the sky, but one wonders what it was that drew the artist.
Plaques...you must feel like one lucky sod to find the result so easy. ( Mrs P is going to have to raise the degree of difficulty)

Thank you all, I was very pleased with my efforts, probably one of my best. I love landscapes and the feeling of depth and the view going on for ever. The sort of place I would sit in for hours.

Thats it, Marilyn, the focal point is to follow the path. Jeremy does a lot of pictures like that..What is at the end of the path. He was also attracted, he said to the shaft of sunlight on the field near the hedge. He showed us the original photo, it was very similar and simply was a typical harvesting day. He changed background hills into sea. I love his style of painting and to me this has everything, it represents wide open spaces, tranquility and just what is at the end of the path?

I would put his picture up for comparison but do not have his permission to do so.

[Marilyn]

Ok...I get it now, Sue. Had to ask, as I wondered if something was still to go in the foreground...
A very full days work.

[Marilyn]

It has been a very dreary, cold, rainy day here. Stepson No2 messaged earlier in the week to say he would be visiting for the weekend. I hovered about, deciding what to have for dinner. Didn’t hear from him again and he didn’t turn up. Very used to that with Stepson No2...so nothing out of the ordinary really. I am so glad I didn’t plan a big meal, but was prepared to upgrade things if he did show. (I just wish he would let us know).
Anyway, we have had plenty to keep us busy today, despite the weather, and if he turns up now he will find the kitchen closed and we are heading off to bed to our electric blankets. So he can make himself a sandwich!

[Whyperion]

Went walking, bit too far and over tired when I got back ( I can only do about a mile and a half as not been off the sofa much for the last 4 months )

[Sue]

We managed a walk this afternoon when it finally stopped raining and the sun came out. Just a short 2-3 miles, but coming back through the nature reserve on the old railway track it was so busy again.Luckily everyone was giving way and abiding by social distancing. Can’t blame them for going for a walk, its rained nearly every day for 10 days.

[Marilyn]

It seems we all have rain.
Just watching for a break in the clouds to get our walk in. ( so I am curled up playing June’s Journey until a suitable window becomes available).

[Sue]

Morning all
It looks grey out there but I think it may clear later. This morning is yoga, followed by a bit of sewing. I just have the collar to finish and buttonholes to do on Bob’s shirt. Bob also wants me to try and trim his hair. This is not a task I am looking forward to. He has thick strong wavy hair. I think it looks OK, as normally it is very short but even with three months growth it is still not an unacceptable length.

Yesterday we cleaned the house, I finished the washing and even got the ironing done, which is usually a Sunday task, so all is good again for another week. Out in the greenhouse I transplanted my squash plants from the seed tray, and made up a tub of assorted geraniums from so e of my cuttings that have now got established roots. I am still waiting for my chard plants to reach a suitable size to put in the garden. I shall spread them out amongst the existing flower borders as my little veggie patch is more or less full. A bit of companion planting I think its called. I am still waiting for some male flowers on my courgettes. Its a slow process this veggie gardening when you are watching every day .

At Bacup market I bought the last three trays of begonias from the garden man, so I planted those out too, doing a bit of weeding at the same time. Our garden waste is now being collected again so I can carry on with a general weed and cutting back of overgrown perennials in the back garden. I doubt it will happen today though. I have enough cutting back to do today with Bob’s hair!

We may or may not walk, being Sunday it tends to be busy, unless we can find somewhere lonely. I have a hankering after walking round the reservoirs on Widdop moor, so etime in the future. We haven’t been up there for ages.

Have good day everyone, stay safe

[Stanley]

Back combing and small snips Sue, you can't go far wrong. Remember there's only 5 days difference between a good haircut and a bad one!
I have just finished a cooking storm and I will go in the shed and look at Ian's heat sink. It's a question of what material I have available and which causes the least waste.... I shall report later.

[Sue]

Yup Stanley. I have watched my own hairdresser do it, but I know its not as easy as he makes it look. Not going short, just shorter to get him through the next month. Normally our friend Kath does Bob’s hair, ( she is a retired mobile hairdresser who still does her sister and Bob) but of course with social distancing its not possible. Perhaps after July 4 th , the date for hairdressers, she can do it in our back garden.

[Sue]

Phew job done!

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I am rather pleased with that!

[Stanley]

What a handsome chap! Nowt wrong with that Sue....

I did my cooking and got in the shed. The good news for Ian is....



We have two heat sinks, the bad news is that they are slightly thinner than the 1/2" he requested but I think he'll let me off.
Having breakfast now and listening to Broadcasting House then a well earned second sleep