Midweek Catch Up

 

Yesterday's plans to take some photographs of the bluebells didn't happen. A migraine happened instead so most of the day was spent in bed, with a serious case of feeling sorry for myself when I did finally manage to get up. I still feel fragile so have decided against going to the creative yarns group this morning but will go to my piano lesson this afternoon.

The piano lessons are going well. That's my opinion though I'm not sure that Lily would agree! I love the music I am learning and enjoy practicing as a result. We've started working on duets which is one of the things I really wanted to do as part of learning the piano; I'm learning a Scott Joplin ragtime duet which is challenging (for me) so currently lots of wrong notes and restarting. We just seem to laugh our way through it and that really sums up the tone of the entire lesson ... I'm glad I made the change of teacher.

Spring cleaning is progressing though I doubt that any will get done this week. I've finished the upstairs rooms so just need to work on the hall, stairs and landing, and all of the downstairs rooms. It shouldn't take too long to get it all done ... the hardest part will be overcoming a bad attitude to housework and all the procrastinating that will inevitably impact on progress! I've checked and double checked my finances and will be able to employ a cleaner from July/August so that should spur me on to get it done ... she says hopefully!

I've ordered the first lot of plants for the garden with delivery expected mid to end of May ... a mix of giant trailing fuchsias for the hanging baskets (all the same this year), and a deep burgundy coloured bush rose for one of the bigger pots. I've also drawn up a list of others plants that I'd like, though I won't be buying them just yet as I want to speak to neighbour S about a date for getting the pergola done and I also need to check my choices with M and see if she has any other suggestions first. I'll be going to the garden centre with Joy next Tuesday and will hopefully be able to get another climbing rose, a pink one this time, and a couple of perennials to replace some of the ones that didn't survive the winter.

The changes I've been making to breakfast meals has been going well and I have a nice selection to choose from. Eggs are the best choice and I'm currently opting for dippy eggs with soldiers, egg muffins, or scrambled, and any one of those choices, together with a couple of pieces of fruit, keep me full until lunchtime. I don't like to eat eggs everyday so ring the changes with overnight oats, an English breakfast (usually bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes), or bubble and squeak with gammon, again with a couple of pieces of fruit afterwards. I'm moving on to looking at lunches. At this time of the year lunch is my main meal of the day, so I'm currently looking for a few more Instant Pot recipes to batch cook and top up the portioned out meals in the freezer. I also have some of the Simply Cook kits to use up so have ordered the extra ingredients for delivery on Friday to have some different meals to treat myself to over the Coronation weekend, rather than resorting to take-aways.

One of my bucket list items is to meet up with my friend's daughters once or twice a year now that they no longer live locally. I spoke to them recently when we met up at their grandmother's funeral and proposed that I arrange to spend a weekend where they now live and that we meet up for a meal and a catch-up. They were on board with the idea so I started looking at transport and hotels and discovered that the local coach company is running a day trip to Brighton in July (where they now live) so have decided to try that out first ... it'll be so much cheaper and will give us at least five hours for a meal and chat. I'm waiting to see if they can change their shifts for that date and if they can, will book my seat. Of course, it's never quite perfect as it's the day after I arrive home from my other July jolly, but at least I won't be driving and can sleep on the coach if I'm tired!

I've waffled on for a bit, so sorry about that. You'll be relieved to hear that I need to go and do some last minute panicky piano practice so can't write anymore for now!