Hi Brian

How lovely that you had a drive to the coast and that you could enjoy the weather together and wander round the garden centre (thats my plan for tomorrow as over 60's get a discount before 11 am and I have a voucher to use up and a few things I would like to get).

Your son continues to do well at the Archery and your grand-daughter is obviously stricken with the bug too and following in his footsteps. Nice to have a different hobby/sport to enjoy.

Sadly Mum liked nothing about her birthday at all and would  have had me take everything away.  I can be stubborn too and having already labelled them (for home laundry purposes) I took them to her room and hung them in her wardrobe. It will be interesting to see if I get to see them on her or whether she refuses to let the care staff 'put them on'. Still the staff and residents went ahead and sange happy birthday anyway (I think they are used to all the 'characters' they have as residents and take it all in their stride - to be admired).

Well, had our last bingo night in the Club last night and my friend had a win so that was lovely. They had laid on wine/soft drinks on entry and even had a singer prior to the evening session starting so glad we decided to go along earlier than usual.  Many of the old staff as well as current ones came along. The place was packed and a some of the regulars were even up dancing - quite a night.  When the current Manager thanked everyone for coming along to make their last night special hald his staff were in tears but there was lots of cheers and clapping too. My friend and I will miss our regular 'slot' but will still get together until she moves (and then will talk on the phone inbetween visits).

Right, nearly finished a cuppa so am off into the garden as its very pleasant here just now and must make the most of it.

Hope you and Mrs B keeping well and will chat again soon.  Regards Jules x 

Hi Jules,

It must have been a bit sad at you last nights bingo. But glad you had a nice evening and enjoyed yourselves. Hope you managed your trip to the garden centre, and got what you were looking for.

I spent a good ten minutes early this morning watching a young squirel searching our front lawn for the nuts he had hidden last year. He dug up and eat at least three hazel nuts while I was watching (we have a large bush close to the front of our house). When I mowed the lawns the other day I found several shells he had left on the grass in the last few days. They must have a very keen sense of smell.

My son and grandaughter has another archery shoot coming up where he will be competing with blind veterens from St Dunstans and they will also have teams from the army, navy and air force also competing. He is looking forward to this as he has great respect for our veterans and armed forces.

Tommorrow I want to get back to my woodturning and have several things I want to do.

I wish you a very peaceful and relaxing weekend, Best wishe to you and your family, Brian.

Hi Brian

Just taking a break from digging in the garden (unlike your squirrel no treasure found!) to have lunch. Not sure if squirrels have a good sense of smell or just a very good memory. I doubt you ever forget where you keep your supply of nuts!

 Did not get to the garden centre yet as have an internet delivery due and do not want to miss it (half arrived early this morning but second part still to come. Made the most of the time at home by doing some spring cleaning/sorting out and have achieved a tidy sideboard (to be honest has needed to be 'attacked' for ages but kept putting it off - now I have more room to see what's actually in it ha ha).

Have dug over a new bedding area in front of my honeysuckle but this is on the shaded side of the garden and now have to look into what plants would stand the best chance as it does not get much sun - a new little project for me to concentrate on.

Good luck to your son and grandaughter when they take on the veterans. The mention of St Dunstans brought back memories.  My Dad's failing eyesight led him to invest in an electronic magnifier which he used for a good 2 years (for reading).  When it was no longer useful he offered it to St Dunstans. Small world!  (He was a member of  Blesma(for limbless veterans and despite being a veteran himself still loved to support others in difficult situations). When they did not want it he donated it to his local hospital who were overjoyed to use it in their therapy areas (young and old alike).

Very peaceful today; think many must have gone away for the half term holidays.  Being entertained by a family of newly fledged blue *** who are visiting the bird table and fat balls so will wait until they are fed and watered before stepping past the feeding area (just outside my back door).

Peaceful thoughts sent to you and Mrs B. Take care and enjoy your woodturning.  Jules x

Good afdternoon Jules,

Hope you enjoyed your time in the garden but didnt overdo it when digging. Our elderly neighbour has a large climbing honeysuckle plant outside her front door. It's good that you are keeping yourslelf busy and are finding new projects.

Have just turned two sets of salt and pepper pots (Photo attached) You would be amazed how big a p[ile of shavings come from these four items. I have also come up with another new idea to turn; minature naval cannons with carridge in differnt colour timbers. New project for me. Will post photos when completed.

I hope you enjoy your usual Sunday morning constitutional. Have been sent a video of a black cat and a barn owl playing together. Mrs B loved watching it.

Hope you have a peaceful and relaxing rst of the weekend. Sending best wishes and kind thoughts to you, Brian.

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Hi Brian, just for  you tthis weekends culinary delights

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Hi Kathy

Just opened my mail to see your Brian's teaser!  I don't think so much of my healthy choice for lunch now ha ha. Take care, Jules xx

Hi Kathy,

You have done it again; I am sitting here with my laptop drooling over your latest creation. I just love strawberries, they are my favorite fruit next to apples.

I have this morning started work on my latest idea, miniture navel ships cannons. I have almost completed the first carridge with two more part done. It always take a lot longer with the first one as I have to try and make sure the proportions look right and also have to find the way to produce them in a reasonable time scale. I allready have someone intersted in possibly buying one and think this is one item the men will be more interested in than the ladies. Tommorrow I will turn the gun barrels and will post a picture as soon as I have completed it.

I wonder what creation is next on Kathy's Kulinary Kreations list. All I can do is to re-post the picture of Mrs B's Cheese Biscuits in an attempt to try and get my own back ha ha.

Take care Kathy and I hope you've had a peacefull and relaxing weekend, best wishes from Brian.

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Good Morning

Well am just waiting to see if required to go into work (put on standby in case someone does not turn up as I had offered to cover).

The cruet sets are practical and pretty and I hope your new 'mini canon's project' goes well . I am sure it will please the men as well as the boys!  You mention about the 'shavings' produced when 'turning' - can you use these on the garden, the same way as you can bark I wonder?

Keeping busy seems to be my way of getting through the day (never used to be a fan of housework but though there is only me now am finding I do it more often to fill the time).  I am sure it will take a period of adjustment (not sure how long to be honest) as when hubby was ill and at home for those last two and a half years my routine was pretty set (am sad too that the frustrations I felt during that time could not have been put to better use - hindsight eh!!) and it is still feeling strange that I can please myself what and when I do things (is this was they call guilty pleasures ).

Below is my efforts of photgraphing the poppies in my back garden. As you can see still have problems getting pictures turned round before posting ha ha!!! Hope you and Mrs B have a restful day.  If I am not working will be having eldest grandson for a sleepover tonight followed by a day out with daughter and both boys tomorrow to local park/play area for picnic and hopefully fit in visit to nursery/farm shop/pigs to see!(son in law found that it's close to where we will be) before back to work on Wednesday.

Take care and look forward to seeing the results of your new woodturning project. Regards Jules xx

Good morning Brian

Thankfully did not have to go into work after all so went out and did some retail therapy of my own! Different day to what I had planned  and no sleepover for grandson either.  When they arrived at their other Nanny's for lunch they were then told they had all been invited to a BBQ later in the day and understandably it would have  been too late when they got back. We will be juggling diary dates to try and sort anothe time I am sure.

As weather set fair and warm for today, I have just finished preparing picnic bag ready for day out (storing in fridge until pick up time (around 10 am so that we miss rush hour traffic)). There is a nice cafe at Black Park (Bucks) so will get our drinks there as no doubt the boys will want to go to the playgound nearby too. Last time my daughter went, they had a great time with balls, portable badminton (think the grown ups had fun too) and eldest grandson had his scooter.  They are generally  happy just being outside (though we might do a bit of 'bug hunting' in the wooded area and maybe feed the ducks (huge lake).  Probably spend half the day here and then move on to nearby Garden Nursery/Farm which also caters for the little ones with a few animals to ooh and aah over!  It will be a lovely way to finish my Bank Holiday break and a bit of half time fun.

The new line in cannons looks great and am sure will be a big hit at your next show even if you do have to think of having a 'double decker' table to show everything off.  You definitely have an eye for it.  I am thinking your youngest grandson would love it too!

Thanks for the photo hint.  Sometimes I get it right!! and usually do any editing when I upload from the camera but must have got lazy on this set of pics, as when I went to Tewkesbury took a photo of my friend having a cream tea and sent it on to her via e-mail - she would have had a crick in her neck viewing it ha  ha.  Very much an amateur in this respect.  Now have four red poppies out (four buds coming on) plus over a dozen white poppies (red the first year but white ever since!) and still more coming along behind.  The bees definitely prefer the red ones - they are already busy this morning. Over the weekend I have moved round some of the furniture and now have a full view out of the patio doors into the garden from where I regularly sit. Have also put some peanut nibbles (birds only, sorry) on the small garden table just outside the doors and from 5.30 this  morning the blue *** have been flying back and forth so think we have a nest nearby. Gives me a lot of pleasure especially when I am up so early.Love the quiet of the early morning (probably just as well!).

The new solar owl Mrs B was a lovely gift to receive and hope its it a sunny spot in the porch (you will see it light up at night - a welcoming glow).  My sister in law used to have a garden owl that 'hooted' when triggered by movement (it drove her cats nuts).  She will soon have to keep the pets indoors as the TT Races on the Isle of Man begin next month and they live right on the route in the north of the island (humans will also be housebound until the racing finishes each day but hubby's brother and his wife are bike enthusiasts so will no doubt be sitting watching them whizz by - he has applied to be a volunteer marshall but have not heard whether he was successful).

Hope your neighbour had a lovely break in Dawlish and that she and you and Mrs B are keeping ok.

Right, off to top up bird food (again).  Take care, Jules x