There's a vast Dobbie's outside Edinburgh with Food Hall, Soft Play Area, Restaurant, Clothes shops, vendors of greenhouses, aquaria, bicycles, hot tubs and I dare say scented candles. They don't seem though to have the Butterfly World any longer. Why do you never get Earwig World?
There's a vast Dobbie's outside Edinburgh with Food Hall, Soft Play Area, Restaurant, Clothes shops, vendors of greenhouses, aquaria, bicycles, hot tubs and I dare say scented candles. They don't seem though to have the Butterfly World any longer. Why do you never get Earwig World?
There's a vast Dobbie's outside Edinburgh with Food Hall, Soft Play Area, Restaurant, Clothes shops, vendors of greenhouses, aquaria, bicycles, hot tubs and I dare say scented candles. They don't seem though to have the Butterfly World any longer. Why do you never get Earwig World?
I live a few miles away and have family there. My soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law is a police officer there, but given his current status vis-a-vis our family, I honestly don't care if he was one of the ones hurt.
Marking meeting over and I am now watching the inaugural lectures of two colleagues who are new professors, speaking on sexuality and ageing, and death and grief.
Wet and Windy Wednesday in Arkland the Dishevelled, though the Sun-Shiny intervals They promised for this evening have materialised.
Feeling somewhat tired and achy after yesterday's torture Pilates session, I've spent much of the day in Snoozage and Restage, in order to be able to get to Tess Coe tomorrow.
I had hoped to be able to do a little bit of Paint Ing on the Ark, but the threat of Rain at various times over the next few days has put me off making the effort...
Another zoom meeting shortly and then I'm done. It's been a dull day - not the weather, as I've been glad to see the rain, but I haven't left the house beyond sorting out the bins and that's never great for a sense of wellbeing. I'm also trying to read the book for my real life book group and finding it disappointing and am reading it on Mr Nen's Kindle as it's the only way I could get hold of a copy. I dislike Kindles.
I could, and should, have got into the garden in between the showers as being out there always lifts my mood and there's always something to do, but I didn't and that's my own fault.
Hey ho - tomorrow's another day and I've got an old friend from where I used to live coming to see me which I'm looking forward to.
I've just voted in the banknote thing: hedgehog, fox, puffin, owl, bumblebee and fritillary. Why didn't they have a robin?
Mixed weather today: dry when I left for work, trying to rain at lunchtime and absolutely pishing when I was coming home. I got Very Wet.
Because I had a piece of blue cheese left over from one of those cheese selection packs, and I really only like it when it's disguised, I made a pot of broccoli and blue cheese SOUP and had some for supper with sourdough bread.
Back in the day (20+ yrs ago) - when I was an activities organiser for an Elderly Care Home the garden centre trips were very popular with the residents - particularly in November, when there wasn't much opportunity for getting out and about. By then the Garden Centre was gaily decorated and stocked with Christmas goodies, so full of gift-shopping opportunities, but too early to be crowded with small children wanting to see Santa.
My nearest garden centre, about a mile away, is Blue Diamond which is very comprehensive. There are about ten others within 15 miles. Each has its own particular attractions, but all are good for somewhere to go especially when you don’t need anything but just want to get out for a while and maybe meet up with a friend in the café.
More gardening was achieved by daughter and me yesterday between the showers. A busy day with small tasks from my To Do list. Choir in the evening. My out-of-tune friend was away and a new member asked to sit next to me which was lovely.
Today I am getting ready for a weekend away in North Yorkshire, including the NY railway of course.
Many years ago we rented a holiday cottage in Guernsey, on the Le Friquet Butterfly Centre. The centre is now Blue Diamond's HQ.
Our local centre, once Blooms, became Wyevale about 10 years ago, then Blue Diamond. The plant selection and quality have been much improved since BD has been running it. Mind you, the cafe is now huge - I think that's where they make most of their money.
I suppose the same question could be asked of the larger supermarkets.
There is, alas, no cafe in Our Town's smaller Tess Coe, to which I went this morning, dodging the heavy showers and blustery gales of a typical Old Weather-style June day. All went well until I got back to Arkland the Tempest-tossed, but I managed to get the Shopp Ing into the Ark before the heavens opened. Parking the car properly in its usual spot (some 100 yards away) will have to wait until later.
SALMON FILLETS with CHIPS (and Painkillers) for lunch.
I suppose the same question could be asked of the larger supermarkets.
There is, alas, no cafe in Our Town's smaller Tess Coe, to which I went this morning, dodging the heavy showers and blustery gales of a typical Old Weather-style June day. All went well until I got back to Arkland the Tempest-tossed, but I managed to get the Shopp Ing into the Ark before the heavens opened. Parking the car properly in its usual spot (some 100 yards away) will have to wait until later.
SALMON FILLETS with CHIPS (and Painkillers) for lunch.
"When upon life's billows ...". Presumably the salmon, chips and painkillers are three countable blessings.
I walked to Grantchester this morning to meet with an ex-colleague in the Orchard tea rooms. Being in distance learning, I seldom speak to a colleague face to face but she lives in a nearby village so we usually meet every few months to catch up. She is about to move away nearer her children so this might have been our last coffee together but we will continue to chat online.
It is my day off so this afternoon has just been putting the shopping away and doing odd jobs so far.
I suppose the same question could be asked of the larger supermarkets.
There is, alas, no cafe in Our Town's smaller Tess Coe, to which I went this morning, dodging the heavy showers and blustery gales of a typical Old Weather-style June day. All went well until I got back to Arkland the Tempest-tossed, but I managed to get the Shopp Ing into the Ark before the heavens opened. Parking the car properly in its usual spot (some 100 yards away) will have to wait until later.
SALMON FILLETS with CHIPS (and Painkillers) for lunch.
"When upon life's billows ...". Presumably the salmon, chips and painkillers are three countable blessings.
Indeed. There are, as the hymn says, millions more...
Belated sympathy to @la vie en rouge and family from fellow survivors of the hot week in Paris. It was hot, although not extremely hot, even by Australian standards, especially as it is still spring. We were in Amiens for the last three days of that week. We greatly enjoyed our visit to Notre Dame d’Amiens, which was cool, quiet, architecturally impressive and (as the locals inform visitors regularly) twice as big as Notre Dame de Paris. Bonus entertainment was provided by an infant’s class which had come to see the labyrinth which is part of the black and white marble floor. Mostly they were concentrating very hard at following the pattern very carefully, although there were a couple of kids of the charge ahead regardless variety, and one surreptitiously attempting some hopscotch.
I suppose the same question could be asked of the larger supermarkets.
There is, alas, no cafe in Our Town's smaller Tess Coe, to which I went this morning, dodging the heavy showers and blustery gales of a typical Old Weather-style June day. All went well until I got back to Arkland the Tempest-tossed, but I managed to get the Shopp Ing into the Ark before the heavens opened. Parking the car properly in its usual spot (some 100 yards away) will have to wait until later.
SALMON FILLETS with CHIPS (and Painkillers) for lunch.
"When upon life's billows ...". Presumably the salmon, chips and painkillers are three countable blessings.
Indeed. There are, as the hymn says, millions more...
But they can only be counted singly. Which takes time.
Why do garden centres have cafes? How did it start?
On the first point it’s a simple matter of demographics: the people who have gardens, and the time and money for them also have the time and money for tea, coffee etc.
As for how and when it started, I think it was with the first mass generation of outright home owners, who no longer had to pay rent and therefore had more spare cash. To a large degree it’s a consequence of Thatcherism, which excludes many from this.
I had a good catch up with my friend today and did my "chuck it all in the slow cooker and hope for the best" soup with crusty bread, which went down well. It's lovely to see old friends but it always leaves me a bit discombobulated so I went for a walk in the blustery sunshine this afternoon after she'd gone and am feeling more upbeat than I was this time yesterday.
I had a mostly very unbusy day today, and left a clear desk for K, who'll be doing the typing tomorrow while I'm in Dunblane singing in the choir at Jim Wallace's memorial service.
Supper was the rest of the SOUP.
The event at the RAF base was really interesting as they explained about the work they do, and we also got a fly-past from the Red Arrows. Today was busy with lip reading in the morning and an event for local business leaders to meet in the afternoon, followed by a Teams meeting this evening. Being out late afternoons at places with refreshments has really mucked up my eating. I've had a lot of nibbles but no proper meal the last two days. At least I'm home tomorrow night, though it won't be the traditional pasta and pesto as I got some wraps out of the freezer thinking we'd be home for tea it'll be vegan 'duck' wraps instead.
Very blustery day, but not as much rain as I had expected. Made a couple of forays into the garden, one to check on the veg planted last week and the other to pick chard from last year's planting, now bolting.
Chard used, along with a variety of herbs, to make kuku sabzi for dinner
I've just looked up kuru sabzi @Roseofsharon. I'm wondering if I can make a vegan version of it with tofu as we have lots of herbs in our garden and like very herby salads.
This morning I'm leading the U3A philosophy group on the topic 'Is religion force for good?' Wish me luck as I have a feeling I'll be the only person arguing for. This afternoon I have a meeting of our Repair Cafe group. There was a bit of a falling out recently so I hope we can put our differences behind us and get on with the matter in hand. Wine is definitely going to be drunk this evening!
Yesterday I finally got round to doing something I've been intending to do for the past 5 years. My ears used to be pierced but the holes had closed up. Yesterday I got them re-pierced. I have to keep these studs in for 6 to 8 weeks and then I can start wearing my old earrings again. Almost all of my earrings pre-date having children, so they are almost all at least 30 years old.
I've just looked up kuru sabzi @Roseofsharon. I'm wondering if I can make a vegan version of it with tofu as we have lots of herbs in our garden and like very herby salads.
I understand that a slurry made of chickpea flower & baking powder can be used to bind the vegetables together for a vegan kuku sabzi It wouldn't take much, as even the egg version (Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe, anyway) uses only enough egg to bind, so it is less eggy than a frittata.
Thanks @Roseofsharon I'll look up Ottolenghi's recipe and have a go at adapting it.
I survived the philosophy group though the only other Christian in the group is someone who has previously said he thought Hitler had some good ideas so not quite politically aligned with me. On the way home I walked through the market place where the Quakers were having their monthly peace vigil so I joined that which is probably what I needed.
It'll be good to wear your old earrings again @North East Quine . I'm very good at losing earrings so I have very few pairs that are more that a few years old.
Not a good week - Darllenwr actually took a week sick leave as he had a parachynesia (I think that’s how it’s spelled) and had to have it lanced and drained on Tuesday, so he hasn’t been able to bend his finger without pain. He has a large dressing on his finger and has been living on paracetamol.
I was trying to sort out a new debit card on Thursday when my carers came. On Friday, I had a call from the bank to query two payments - my card had been taken my table. Thankfully, the bank had stopped the transactions, but we’ve had to sort out a new card and report it to the care agency, as one of my carers was someone I have had for a long time, but the other was new.
Oh that is horrible @Priscilla. Glad the payments were stopped, and I assume that’s one carer who has just lost her job. Hope Darllenwr‘s finger gets better pronto.
Comments
Seen one earwig, seen them all, maybe?
Hedgehogs love them 🦔
Feeling somewhat tired and achy after yesterday's torture Pilates session, I've spent much of the day in Snoozage and Restage, in order to be able to get to Tess Coe tomorrow.
I had hoped to be able to do a little bit of Paint Ing on the Ark, but the threat of Rain at various times over the next few days has put me off making the effort...
I could, and should, have got into the garden in between the showers as being out there always lifts my mood and there's always something to do, but I didn't and that's my own fault.
Hey ho - tomorrow's another day and I've got an old friend from where I used to live coming to see me which I'm looking forward to.
Mixed weather today: dry when I left for work, trying to rain at lunchtime and absolutely pishing when I was coming home. I got Very Wet.
Because I had a piece of blue cheese left over from one of those cheese selection packs, and I really only like it when it's disguised, I made a pot of broccoli and blue cheese SOUP and had some for supper with sourdough bread.
More gardening was achieved by daughter and me yesterday between the showers. A busy day with small tasks from my To Do list. Choir in the evening. My out-of-tune friend was away and a new member asked to sit next to me which was lovely.
Today I am getting ready for a weekend away in North Yorkshire, including the NY railway of course.
Our local centre, once Blooms, became Wyevale about 10 years ago, then Blue Diamond. The plant selection and quality have been much improved since BD has been running it. Mind you, the cafe is now huge - I think that's where they make most of their money.
There is, alas, no cafe in Our Town's smaller Tess Coe, to which I went this morning, dodging the heavy showers and blustery gales of a typical Old Weather-style June day. All went well until I got back to Arkland the Tempest-tossed, but I managed to get the Shopp Ing into the Ark before the heavens opened. Parking the car properly in its usual spot (some 100 yards away) will have to wait until later.
SALMON FILLETS with CHIPS (and Painkillers) for lunch.
"When upon life's billows ...". Presumably the salmon, chips and painkillers are three countable blessings.
It is my day off so this afternoon has just been putting the shopping away and doing odd jobs so far.
Indeed. There are, as the hymn says, millions more...
But they can only be counted singly. Which takes time.
On the first point it’s a simple matter of demographics: the people who have gardens, and the time and money for them also have the time and money for tea, coffee etc.
As for how and when it started, I think it was with the first mass generation of outright home owners, who no longer had to pay rent and therefore had more spare cash. To a large degree it’s a consequence of Thatcherism, which excludes many from this.
Easy pasta for tea.
Supper was the rest of the SOUP.
Chard used, along with a variety of herbs, to make kuku sabzi for dinner
This morning I'm leading the U3A philosophy group on the topic 'Is religion force for good?' Wish me luck as I have a feeling I'll be the only person arguing for. This afternoon I have a meeting of our Repair Cafe group. There was a bit of a falling out recently so I hope we can put our differences behind us and get on with the matter in hand. Wine is definitely going to be drunk this evening!
I survived the philosophy group though the only other Christian in the group is someone who has previously said he thought Hitler had some good ideas so not quite politically aligned with me. On the way home I walked through the market place where the Quakers were having their monthly peace vigil so I joined that which is probably what I needed.
It'll be good to wear your old earrings again @North East Quine . I'm very good at losing earrings so I have very few pairs that are more that a few years old.
I was trying to sort out a new debit card on Thursday when my carers came. On Friday, I had a call from the bank to query two payments - my card had been taken my table. Thankfully, the bank had stopped the transactions, but we’ve had to sort out a new card and report it to the care agency, as one of my carers was someone I have had for a long time, but the other was new.