The Weekend - The Stone Jetty at Morecambe

After a stress filled night and early morning on the phone trying to find out about Mum's emergency admittance to hospital, we decided to go and blow the cobwebs away in Morecambe.  There wasn't much wind actually so nothing got blown away, but the clear light and the fresh air was just what we needed.

Both these photos courtesy of Lancashire Tourist Board via Google Images

We didn't want to do our usual walks and coffee shop, without Mavis it would have been too much too soon, so we headed to the Stone Jetty and the café at the end of it.  Sausage and bacon buns were consumed, coffee drunk and then we did something we haven't done for ages ... went into the arcade and wasted a few pounds on the 'Tipping Point' type 2p machines.

I hit the jackpot and somehow won streams and streams of the tickets that little children collect, so on our way out I gave them to a little girl playing on the next machine with her Mum.  The delight on her face at the possibility of trading all these tickets in for a little toy or bag of sweets made my day.

We got home just after lunchtime to the news that Mum was having minimal treatment in hospital and should be home in the next day or two.

Alan on the beach with the dogs at Morecambe Bay last year.

This was another tick in our dog-less adventures.  It's strange being able to go into anywhere we want to and being able to stay out as long as we want to.  Ginger is very self sufficient with his food available 24/7 and his own little pussy-cat door, and although we are purposefully not leaving him for too long at the moment, we know that we could if we had too.

Sue xx

Lonely Walks and Omelettes

 

Since we lost Mavis just over a week ago we have both been trying to do all the walks that meant so much to both us and her.  Alan took her on long rambles all around town, so he keeps disappearing for an hour or so re-tracing their steps.  But as I can only manage short distances, and when Mavis was getting unwell and her breathing wouldn't allow her the long walks, I took her on what we called the 'short canal walk'.

It was so hard to do this for the first time on my own ... but I did it. 

There was a boater to say hello to as he 'sped' past me at three miles an hour.

There were ripples to watch dissipate as he carried on ahead of me.

There was the lovely old bridge to go under, before climbing the old stone steps back to the road.

But there was no dog to chatter to, no dog to wait for while she had a good sniff around and no need to bend down 'poo-bag' at the ready. 

 A walk is a different thing altogether without a dog.

When I got home I got stuck in to making my breakfast, I didn't want to allow time for thoughts.

Every time I make a meal I am chopping up all the vegetables used in the preparation of that meal to save time preparing future meals.  This time it was the turn of the courgette and red onions.  Now they are safely bagged up and in the freezer.  Next time it will be chopped white onions and celery.

My omelette was delicious and very filling and garlicky too.

Lonely walks and omelettes not to bad a start to the day.

Sue xx

There's Nothing Frugal Here ...

March came in with a bit of a whimper after our February went out in such an awful style.  We needed time to regroup, rethink and just be.  The sun came out yesterday and reminded me of this famous Charles Dickens quote, as it really was Winter in the shade and Summer in the sun.

The washing blew itself dry in a couple of hours, a chilly wind is almost as good as a warm wind for clothes on the line.  After a morning coffee sat outside in the sunshine Alan helped me to hang my new curtains.

I'm pleased with them, really pleased.

Which is such a relief as they have cost me my whole final months salary.  So much for my plan to use my last three pay packets wisely and make them last as long as possible.  

Sometimes you just have to do what makes your heart sing.

They replace these curtains which I bought ready made from Dunelm when we moved into this property four years ago.  I felt a smidge of guilt replacing them so soon but it didn't last long.  😊

I felt much less guilt replacing the bedroom curtains.  

They have been with us since we moved into our Oxfordshire farmhouse back in 2009 and they have done sterling service in each of our properties since, but now it was time to let them go.

Now both my rooms match, and when the bedroom door is open it's lovely to see my lovely new curtains almost side by side.

 And of course the old curtains have now been listed on FB Marketplace, so maybe there is just a little bit of frugality still involved.

Sue xx

The Books That I Read in February

 

Bread, Jam and a Borrowed Pram by Dot May Dunn

I started the month of February on a very good note with this really good read all about a trained midwife who has furthered her training and is setting off on a new career in the poverty-ridden streets of post-WWII England as a Health Visitor.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Donated.

The Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames

Another wartime read, this time though pure fiction.  It was still very enjoyable, and although I know there is a whole series of the stories I don't feel the need to read any more of them.

Donated.

Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds

A comic-book style book, not the usual sort of read for me but one that I bought a number of years ago after watching the film of the same name.  It has been sat unread for so long that I decided to give it a go.  It is not my sort of reading at all these days.

Donated.

Gemma Bovery by Posy Simmonds

Exactly the same as above, bought after watching the film.  Both films have Gemma Arterton in them, an actress that I admire.  I was fascinated with an interview that she did for the Gemma Bovery film when she said she had learnt almost fluent conversational French in a few weeks for the role.  Gosh I wish I could do that!!

This is what the two books above look like inside.

Sex and the City

Kiss and Tell

Another book that has been on my bookshelf for years, although this one had been read a few times.  It reminded me that I have the full boxset of the Sex & the City films on DVD, I need to watch them again.  I bet they will seem very dated now.  There are lots of lovely photos and interviews with the cast and crew in this book.

Donated.

Sex and the City 2

This book is purely the tie-in with the second Sex & the City film.

Donated.

I, Witness by Daniel Clark

A good read especially for anyone that has any family members that are Jehovah's Witnesses ... which I do.  It's fascinating to read an alternative view from someone that was on the inside and is now on the outside.

Yes, the truth will set you free ... but only if it isn't skewed.

Donated.

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon

An excellent book.  I got really absorbed in this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Donated.

Quick & Easy by Ella Mills

I had a reread of this as I wanted to find a couple of recipes to add to my repertoire.

Kept.

Easy Vegan by Sue Quinn

I'd forgotten that I had this book, so I had a good look through it, there was really nothing outstanding that made it worth keeping.  But it was nice to look through it again before it left the building. 

Donated.

Eat. Nourish. Glow. by Amelia Freer

I'm still reading this.  It got put to one side with the week we have just had, but I have got it by my chair to pick up where I left off.  As requested by quite a few of my readers, I will do a proper review of it once I've finished.  The first big chunk of it is all about adapting your diet and the reasons for doing so, I haven't reached any recipes yet!!

Ongoing.

So, it's been a good reading month, and of the ten and a half books that I've read I'm happy to say that nine have been donated.  This is my aim this year, to whittle my book collection down to a more compact size whilst enjoying reading through the books that I have collected over the years.

Sue xx

I would like to point out, that although I provide links to Amazon for all the books that I read each month, not all my books are bought from Amazon.  If they are, some of them were bought from the Used section rather than at full price.  You do not need to spend a fortune to read good books. 💖

I share the links so that you can learn more about the books that I write about for yourself, or read reviews from others that have read them.  Of course most of the books I talk about would also be available from your local library, and if you are very lucky you might even find them in charity or thrift shops. 

There are so many ways to bring books into your home if you love reading. 📚

'There will be moments ...'

Art - Vincent van Gogh - Allotment with Sunflower  1887

'Till the Sun Rises Again

There will be moments, days even,

when the sun doesn’t seem to rise in your sky

and the breath feels sucked right out of your lungs.

When food has no taste, the world has no joy

and everything seems like an effort too far.

Yes, my friend, there will be very painful moments in your life.

But you will get through them,

‘This too shall pass.’

Because life has a way of throwing you a rope,

just at the very moment when you thought,

you couldn’t swim another stroke.

All you have to do is grab it.

And one day, as is the way of this life,

the sun will suddenly beat down on your face again

and the air will feel fresher than it ever did.

And there will be laughter.

And love.

And joy.

So much joy.

And life will be sweet, like summer after a long winter.

A winter that was so dark each colour that appears,

feels like the first time you are seeing it.

This is when you must live, really live.

For, just as the bad times do not last forever,

neither do the good,

‘This too shall pass.’

But that is life.

So, embrace the joy when it comes and let fear slide away.

And when the dark times come around again,

and they will,

remember you have what you need to survive.

And you will survive my friend, you really will.

Keep the important people close,

focus on what truly matters

and you will find yourself dragged to safety,

each and every time the storms come.

And on those days,

when your sun is high in the sky

but you notice another facing bad weather,

you drop your raft and you go to them.

And if they won’t climb in with you, to safety,

you simply stay with them in the stormy water,

till the sun rises again.

And it will.

it always does.

Donna Ashworth

from To the Women

Thank you for all your kind words yesterday, you were my raft in a storm and I appreciate each and every one of you. We also really appreciate all our fellow dog walkers and our neighbours for their kind words.

The lovely folks across the road who own one of Mavis' little friends Ralfie, popped this card through the letterbox last night, after taking some goodies from the box of Mavis' things that we shared with everyone.

We are taking everything that is left and all of the dog beds, towels and blankets to the local dog rescue centre tomorrow.

It's been a tough week and I am glad that tomorrow is the first day of a new month. March here we come, lets hope for some sunnier and slightly warmer days in the weeks ahead.

Again, thank you so much for yesterday's comments. 💖

Sue xx