Catching Up!

Yoohoo, anyone there? I'm back online but I don't know for how long. Kate was due to look at my laptop next week but she had a cancellation so was able to fit me in yesterday instead. My problem seemed to be a Google issue rather than just Blogger as I have also had issues with Gmail and the app used for the piano lessons which runs on Google Chrome, and all the problems all seems to be triggered by my music publishing software which also uses Google in some way. After uninstalling and installing clean copies of the apps, minus the music software, Kate has managed to get my tablet working and has taken my laptop away to knock that into shape. So here I am! I don't know whether I can view other blogs yet but at least I can access my own and I can see there are quite a few comments I haven't answered so I'll thank you all for them, but think it's unlikely I'll have the time to respond to all of them now. 

216/365: bee on cosmos


It's only been a week but it seems a lot longer than that and it's made me realise just how much the daily contact with you all via your blog posts and comments enhances my daily life ... definitely comes under the heading of 'Reasons to be Cheerful'! I suppose I should have warned that this post is photo heavy right at the start but I forgot ... I'm catching up with my daily photos!

So I'll catch up with what's been happening over the past week. M came to tend the garden on Friday and was pleased with how it's all doing considering the lack of rain. We don't have a hosepipe ban in this area and Wessex Water are saying that they are not expecting to impose one but are asking us to be sensible about our usage. So, I'm trying to save water as much as I can and have packed the hosepipe away for now. I've changed to using the watering can on the pots every other day and only watering the flower beds once a week and so far it seems to be working. There's still plenty of colour but closer inspection of some of the pots shows that quite a few of the plants have been frazzled by the heat. 

217/365: blush pink rose


My personal training sessions are going well and this week it was obvious just what a difference it has made to my dodgy knee. For the first time I was confident about balancing on that leg ... pain free and it felt really stable. There's obviously a long way to go but it's given me a boost to have achieved that in such a relatively short time. 

I'm taking a break from the piano lessons during the school holidays but will continue to practice daily. I'm also making a start on a couple of new pieces, just to ring the changes and keep it interesting. 

218/365: petunias


Around the home, I've been concentrating on sorting out the kitchen and dining room cupboards, which has added to the pile of decluttered items. Joy came round to see the garden and has been a huge help, taking some of the books and picture frames as well as the box of items for the charity shop away with her, which has saved me a trip into town. I'll be ordering the table and chairs next week so that will be another thing ticked off the list.

219/365: fuchsia


I met with J on Monday to go out for an early evening meal. We had a voucher for 10% off the cost of meal and drinks which is why we'd opted for the Monday but we got to the pub to be told it had all changed and they no longer served food on a Monday! We looked for somewhere else to eat in the town centre (it was way too hot to walk down to St Stephen Square where a lot of the restaurants are) but it seems that all the town centre restaurants are closed on a Monday evening, so we went back to J's home and ordered a takeaway delivery instead. Apparently we can use the voucher on a Wednesday so we're trying again the week after next.

220/365: cosmos

I'm still sticking to my goal to only switch the TV on when I know there is a programme I want to watch and am feeling much better emotionally for doing that. With all the sports coverage there has been very little that interested me but I did watch the first episode of Shetland last night. I think it's a new series, series 7, but it was new to me anyway and I enjoyed it. 

221/365: Japanese blood grass


I haven't been out much because of the heat so have dedicated some time to meal planning. I'm keen to make a few changes to the way I plan and organise my meals to increase the variety of foods that I eat but also to start having desserts again, at least with the main meal of the day. The Simply Cook kits have been a success and I want to continue using them. The ones I've had so far have been very tasty and easily stretch to three portions from each kit (instead of the two stated on the recipe card) so it's working out cheaper than I expected, and is definitely cheaper than takeaways.

222/365: petunias


There's nothing in the diary for today. I was supposed to be meeting with A for a couple of games of Scrabble but her husband is back in hospital so she has had to cancel again. I'll spend some time sorting through the decluttered items currently stacked in the music room ... I'm not sure what's in some of the boxes ... and decide what to do with it all, but will probably spend most of the day curled up with my latest book - Snap by Belinda Bauer.

223/365: fuchsia Dark Eyes

It's good to be back! Fingers crossed that I'm able to visit all your blogs as well!

Comments

  1. Well, helloooooo, stranger. It's really lovely to have you back and I so hope there won't be any more hassles. I've missed your comments too - we have a real community here in blog-land, I think. Being virtual doesn't make it less real or less important.

    I'm delighted that you are enjoying the Simply Cook meals and so glad that the personal training is helping your knee so much. It's made a huge difference to me, having this one on one, tailored to my needs exercise regime.

    The photos are lovely.
    xx

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    1. Thanks Joy. You're right ... it is a real community and I have missed the daily interaction with friends.

      I'm using the SC kits as an alternative to takeaways so am choosing mostly meals I wouldn't regularly cook at home but would more likely choose when I eat out. So far all the recipes have been really easy to follow. xx

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  2. Yay! You are able to post again! Hope that continues! Lovely to catch up with you and I've missed all those garden pictures! :)

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    1. Thanks Bless. It's great to be back. I've caught up with my garden photos now. I've tried to photograph the pomegranate bush which has loads of flowers but can't get a decent photo of it. All of the flowers are on the opposite side from the direct sunlight!

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  3. Welcome back Eileen. I missed your daily posts but remembered you were having Blogger problems but couldn't figure out how you could be blocked from your own blog. Bless let us know you were OK and that was what mattered to me x

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    1. Thanks Eileen. I've read about other people being locked out of their blogs in the past so it's not a new thing, but I am relieved that it now appears to be okay.

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  4. It's good to see you. It sounds like you have been as busy as ever. The thing with the voucher sounds like a nuisance, so I hope that you have a good time when you can finally go.

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    1. Thanks Lyssa. The voucher offer is a bit of a nuisance but the pub is in easy walking distance from J's home and their food is good so we will try again.

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  5. Hi Eileen, good to see you back here! We missed you!
    Your plants look beautiful, I love the Japanese grasses.

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    1. Thanks Carole. I've wanted some Japanese Blood grasses for ages so if these two do well, I will be getting some more!

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  6. How good that you are back, with some lovely photos of you flowers. I missed your posts. So glad that you are ok and just a computer glitch. Helen S.

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    1. Thanks Helen. Yes, I'm fine thanks, it was just computer problems. It was a bit of an eye opener just how much I use and rely on the computer!

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  7. I have missed your posts. Your garden is looking so lovely. Yeah to getting your computer & tablet seen to - remember to repeat "technology is my friend" :)

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    1. Thanks Mary-Lou. The garden is still looking good and I've only lost a couple of plants so far.

      Technology has been so frustrating but I am just about starting to see it as my 'friend' again ... it is on it's final warning though!

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  8. Hi Eileen,
    I've seen that you had some computer problems, but at the moment they are solved!
    I hope you continue to do your work to the best of your ability.
    I loved your flowers. They are very beautiful, despite having to save water.
    In Portugal we are in extreme drought. We have the same problem.
    Hugs,
    Ailime

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    1. Thanks Ailime. Sorry to hear that you are having extreme droughts in Portugal as well. Let's hope for some rain soon. My garden is still full of colour but unfortunately there isn't enough shade to sit outside and enjoy it!

      I'm hoping that my computer problems have been resolved ... it's been okay so far today.

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  9. Well that's a win! My problems have not completely resolved, but at least I can get into my own blog again, even if it is still harder to comment on some others. What a nuisance but good you know someone who can help. I need a Kate!

    Like yours, our water authority says there are no plans for a hose pipe ban but is asking people to be sparing in their use. I now take a bucket in the shower and use it on the garden. I bath rarely but if I do, that water, too, goes on the garden. Ditto washing up and veg water. My butts are empty so I do have to fill cans from the tap to supplement the pots every two days (veggies daily, with fresh water). I had been watering the beds with a hose every 3-4 days but stopped. On my evening walk yesterday I was taken aback to see a neighbour liberally spraying his evergreens with a hose. I didn't judge - maybe he knows something I don't? - but then when I returned over 30 mins later, he was still out there, watering the lawn, which is the only green one in the vicinity! I am a bit miffed about that ... but there are whispers of rain next week so perhaps we will be blessed? Everything is soooo brown! Walking in the country last week, we saw fields and fields of burnt crops - all useless, and the ground cracked. So sad.

    Will shut up now, before you regret being back online.

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    1. Re Blogger, one person said that she found she was able to comment on other blogs provided she had started drafting a post on her own. Strange, but worth a try maybe?

      My butts are empty as well so I am doing the same as you, i.e. collecting water from shower and kitchen to use in the garden. I have a similar neighbour who has sprinklers on every afternoon and another neighbour argues with him about it every time! Fingers crossed that we do get the promised rain next week.

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  10. It's lovely to have you back! I hope you get it worked out soon. It's funny how we miss connecting online. I feel very strange when I don't connect.

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    1. Thanks Sharon. I was surprised at just how much I missed my online community .... and that strange feeling that something is missing!

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