Making the most of the weekend

After a painting stint in the kitchen yesterday, we can finally say we have no more bare plaster left.  Yay!  In its place we have ivory and pale yellow painted walls which we are more than happy with.  In fact, the kitchen now looks quite bright and cheerful and part of the house rather than the bit that got left out.  I do need to put another coat of yellow on the walls but after that, I think - and I say this quietly - we may have finished the painting.  Phew!  It's been a bit of a slog but the end is now definitely in sight.  

When I put the brushes down, I pick up my sewing needle and continue with the curtains.  I sew most of my curtains by hand and although it takes time, I really enjoy it.  Hopefully they should be ready to hang this week.

Last night we walked into town to watch the illuminated carnival procession.  It was good to see lots of people out to support it and everyone had a good time. 

Apologies for the poor photo.  This stilt-walker had everyone gasping - he was SO tall!

 Although there were a reasonable number of floats, bands and walking groups, N and I found ourselves reminiscing for the days when the annual carnival was the highlight of the year.  Everyone, it seemed, was involved in one way or another.  All the locals youth organisations (Brownies, Guides, Scouts etc) has a float, as did locals businesses, pubs, TGs and WIs, churches and so on.  Nowadays it seems that insurance and health and safety have taken over and few groups can afford to enter a float.  It's seems such a shame;  I have so many wonderful childhood memories of being involved in local carnivals.  Anyway, we met up with a number of friends and ex-colleagues, so a good time was had by all.

Today we downed tools for the day, packed ourselves a picnic lunch and drove to Gurnard.  It was a beautiful day, and we had a lovely walk along to Cowes and back.  Plenty of others had the same idea; there were lots of people on the Green, making the most of a warm and sunny day.  It was, as always, a delightful way to pass a few hours.

In the garden, and in the garage

All that rain has greened-up the grass in the lawn, and the weeds in the veg plot :-(

Where do they all come from, that's what I want to know.  I'm pretty certain that veg plot was weeded top within an inch of its life not so very long ago, and now look at it again!  Grrrrr!!

But something else has popped up in the garden - a bird-table:

 -  a joint effort between grandad and grandson (that's a little bee hotel on the fence; it's not actually part of the bird-table although it looks as though it is).  The two of them had great fun constructing this, with grandson learning how to saw wood, and use a screwdriver and hammer.  It's a little early to start feeding the birds - we prefer to wait until nature's food becomes a bit scarce before giving our feathered friends a helping hand - but the local bird population will hopefully recognise a potential food source.

We continue to make inroads into the choas that is the garage, and actually, things are looking decidedly more organised in there.  Things are finding more permenant homes and now much of the clutter has been removed it's so much easier to see what is where.

This old wooden unit was left behind in the garage when we bought the house.  It's a 'vintage' kitchen unit that has seen better days but with a good wash and a coat of paint, units like these seem to be in vogue again.  At the moment it's serving good use as a store for all sorts of jars and pots and such like and we're of a mind to hang on to it.  N and I can both remember, as children, seeing very similar units in the kitchens of relatives, before the days when you needed so much more room to store all the 'necessary' gadgets and gizmos we're supposed to have these days. 

More phone calls have been made yesterday and today.  We now have a clearer picture of where we are in the grand scheme of things, and have to accept that patience is needed on our part.  Some times in life you simply have to wait.

Soggy days

So, August bank holiday came and went, as is so often the case, in a shower of rain.  Or rather a downpour, all day, then again all day yesterday.  There was so much rain that the storm-drains were inundated and there was localised flooding on some of the roads.  It was very reminiscent of the problems we experienced this past winter; waterlogged ground unable to cope with huge amounts of surface water.  There was a lot of remedial work done in the spring and summer to try to alleviate further problems but it seems that just a couple of days of, admittedly, heavy rainfall and we are back to the same problems.  

The wet weather put paid to any ideas of getting out and about - a spot of walking or similiar - so we had to turn our attention to work indoors.  There's plenty of that still, indeed it was difficult to know quite where to start.  I cleaned the kitchen walls in preparation for painting (remembering just how horrible the gluey residue had been in the bedrooms) and N made a start at sorting out the garage, known hereabouts as the 'dumping ground'.  As so often happens, one job entailed tackling several others (none of which were planned as such) before the first task could be properly completed - you know how it is with these things - and what should have taken half an hour ended up taking about 3 hours and involving both of us!  Never mind, it's just how it goes some days.  A bit more was sorted, tidied away, found new homes for, added to the charity shop pile or put aside for the next trip to the dump.   We are gradually reclaiming the space.

I have finally finished upcycling my old jeans and although they are looking a little thin, they will certainly do another winter at least.  I'm now cutting out the lining for the charity shop curtains we bought a few weeks ago and will press on with that over the next couple of days.  

Our minds are somewhat preoccupied at the moment, waiting for some news which seems to be taking forever to be completed.  It is more than frustrating as we are very much at the whim of other parties and having done everything we have been asked to, and when we have been asked to do it, finding ourselves now having to wait for action elsewhere is becoming extremely tedious, to say the least.  There have been many phone calls and emails recently and our patience is being very sorely tested.  It is beginning to affect us both; our minds are not really on the work we have to do here and we find ourselves struggling to concentrate for any length of time.  Uncertainty can be quite an enemy!

That being said, I'm taking comfort at little achievements and successes - sorting  out a cupboard here; decluttering a drawer there.  The list may be long, but each item crossed off is a step in the right direction.

The scooters are back

Ah, the smell of 2-stroke has pervaded the atmosphere this weekend, as the annual scooter rally takes place.

Scooters - primarily Vespas and Lambrettas, but a few other makes thrown in for good measure - converge on the Island from far and wide.  For a few days each August bank holiday the Island plays host to several thousand ardent scooterists.  

Yesterday N and I walked into town to admire the scooters parked up along the front by the pier.  Some of the paint jobs are amazing, real works of art.  Then there are the traditionalists who prefer the original colours.  Some scooters are decorated - and goodness, how many mirrors do you really need on a scooter? - and mascots are strapped onto the back seats. 

Then there are the riders themselves.  N and I had a wry smile to ourselves as we noted that the average age of the scooterists is probably nearer 60 than 30!  A lot of parkas and Doc Martens about.

The shops in Ryde join in with the spirit of scooter weekend, and many had decorated their windows with all the paraphanelia - black and white clothing, 50s and 60s memorabilia, and we even saw one or two actual scooters on display.

This toy shop window display caught my eye - just love the dinky scooter!

Today saw the much-anticipated 'ride-out' from Ryde seafront (I'm never sure exactly how far the route is, or indeed, how many of the elderly scooters actually make the full distance; several didn't manage to make it along the esplanade!)  As hundreds of scooters puttered out of the marshalling area the air turned blue with 2-stroke fumes.  Many had turned out in their best outfits, others were in fancy dress while others were in parkas and jackets covered in badges.  

It's a wonderful spectacle; everyone just seems to want to have a good time.  A really good weekend.

In the sewing room ...

Just after sun-rise this morning.  Vapour trails from planes on their way to far-off destinations.

The 'sewing room' looks like a tip at the moment; I'm having a concerted effort to tidy and organise this little space but I keep getting waylaid by a forgotten - and half-finished - project I'd forgotten about.  I have two patchwork quilt tops, one double and one single, which have accompanied me on my last three house moves.  They must have been started well over 20 years ago.  They deserve to be finished.  They are on the list.

I have a number of upcycling/repurposing projects lined up, too.  Over the past couple of weeks I have had a (sensible) clear-out of my wardrobe and several items are bagged up ready for a charity shop.  Several more pieces of clothing are destined to be turned into something different and more useful, and have now formed themselves into a 'pile' on the floor.  A pair of jeans that I intended to pass on, on closer investigation have a lot more wear in them than I thought and I will alter them to fit better.  I need some stronger thread and top-stitching thread to complete that project, so now I have the beginnings of a shopping list as well.

I've got a few hand-made cards on the go as well, but have just realised that the glue ran out on the last cards I made, so that can go on the list, too.  We're at work tomorrow so I'm hoping to pop into the haberdashery afterwards with my list.

The painting in the kitchen is coming along, albeit slowly, but it is progress.  We may get the flooring tomorrow if we have time.

We had lunch with friends today, in a part of the island we don't venture to very often.  They have a lovely garden; plenty of plants and points of interest, exactly the sort of garden I like.  A few more ideas to store away until we are in a position to get digging outside here.  The meal was very tasty, and afterwards we sat and played a version of dominoes, new to me but great fun.  Great food, great company, interesting conversation.  It was a really lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Helpers in the kitchen

Phew!  A day with the grandkids and we're worn out but I think we've all had a good time  and that is the important thing.  It was a real pleasure to spend time with the youngsters on their own.  

While GD No 1 and I made choc-chip cookies - mixing can be quite hard going when you are only 6, but it's always easy to lick the bowl afterwards ;-) - the boys very kindly restrung the broken line on the rotary drier.  They did a good job and worked well together.  Then there was bread to make; watching the yeast froth up, and then the bread rise caused much excitement.  The apron I made yesterday was much appreciated and a perfect fit - it made me smile when I handed it over.

For lunch we made mini pasties with a savoury chicken filling, and I found myself with a different helper as GS No 1 quickly grabbed the apron and learned how to roll out pastry.  We soon had a little production line going - rolling, filling, sealing and crimping.  And, my goodness, did those pasties taste good!

N and I have always felt that children should be encouraged to eat what the adults have - it can become very difficult, and quite expensive, trying to cater for lots of fads.  Both our youngsters really enjoyed cooking and baking with us today, and were happy to try everything they had helped to make.  There might have been some different tastes and textures that they hadn't had before but that's all part of being adventurous and trying new things.  And there's always a chocolate chip cookie, just in case ...

After lunch we walked to visit the pigs, always a favourite for all ages.  

Making aprons

I have been sewing!  For two hours this afternoon I pottered away in the little bedroom (dare I call it a sewing room now?) cutting and sewing and generally having a bit of fun.

Do you remember this fabric?  I found it in a charity shop a few months ago and knew that it would come in useful for something.

I have now found a use.  Tomorrow we are looking after the grandkids for the whole day (I'm sure it will be fun!!) and someone has asked, many times, if she can make chocolate chip cookies with me.  Obviously an apron is needed for such a task.  Matching ones would be better still.

[Note re the cookies - neither of us has made these before (bit of an oversight on my part, I fear) so I have had a trial run with a very simple recipe.  Not quite the cookies that you see on supermarket shelves but between us, N and I have demolished the whole batch in less than 24 hours, so I guess they can't taste too bad ;-)]

The aprons are lined with some offcuts I had in my stash - I even patched one of the linings to make it big enough, in the true spirit of cutting your cloth accordingly - and the strings are also odd bits I had lying around.  They are bright, colourful and practical.  N has requested one, too.  

We'll see how they stand up to the wear-and-tear of cookie-making tomorrow.

Back to painting

Once N had coved the kitchen there really was no excuse for me not to get painting again.  

Before ...

... and after.  There is a difference!

I keep reminding myself that it is the last room to decorate.  I think it is probably just as well as we do seem to be running out of steam a little.  We will tackle the kitchen in our own time rather than feel under pressure to meet a deadline, but truth be told I think we just want to get it all done now.  We have decided on flooring and colour schemes, and with 2 or 3 hours' work each day, we should be sorted in a week or so.

We've had some fairly honest discussions about the house over the past few days and we are clearer in our minds how it will pan out for us.  Hopefully the next fortnight will have news that should make things a little easier for us and with that, a slightly calmer and more positive state.  

I'm doing my best to deal with some of the outstanding paperwork that has accumulated recently; sending letters, making phone calls and filing/shredding.  I'm also trying to get some order in the little bedroom/sewing room (not quite there at the moment but I persevere!) - lots of tiny tasks which have been piling up, none of which take very long and each one clears a small space.  Keep plodding away seems to be the way of things at the moment.

I was up early enough this morning to capture this lovely sunrise 

After the wonderful warm, sunny weather we enjoyed for so long, this week has seen the temperatures fall off quite noticeably.  And the evenings are pulling in - by 20.30 it's dusk, and we need a light to read by.  And it's still only August.  I'm not ready for it to be autumn yet.

Taking stock

It's all a bit quiet here, now our visitors have left us to continue their holiday on the mainland.  We really enjoyed their week here and it's taken us a while to get ourselves back on track. 

Having cut all the kitchen tiles with the much-travelled tile-cutter, N has been able to finish the grouting.  It's looking very smart now and has given us the impetus to continue the decorating that's still needed in that room - coving, painting, and flooring (that is going to have to wait for a while!)

Yesterday I finally used the new oven to bake bread.  A lovely wholemeal loaf and a batch of baps/morning rolls from Rhonda's DTE blog.  It was wonderful to have an oven large enough to bake all of it at the same time!  The rolls are lovely, and disappearing fast ;-)  I shall certainly use that recipe again, perhaps trying the fruit version as well.

I was, like so many, shocked and saddened to hear the news of Robin William's death this week.  He will always be the redoubtable Mrs Doubtfire to my children and I, but his talent created so many other wonderful characters, entertaining the audiences for many years.  It was sad to read of the inner turmoil he struggled with.  RIP.

It was a 'fetching and carrying' day today, so I had a couple of hours to spare waiting for my passengers to return from Southampton.  Rather than come home and go back later, I decided to have a couple of hours in Cowes.  Hard to believe last week was so busy - today there were just a few people along the Green and Parade.  

This time last week The Green was packed out; today I had it to myself

I had a brisk walk from Gurnard, in to town and back again.  

Beach huts at Gurnard

It was quite blustery (the yachts would have appreciated the wind last week!) and gave me a chance to clear any remaining cobwebs and just have some time to think and reflect.  Lots of things went through my mind and I appreciated the fresh air, the sea - always a calming effect on me - and just the time to mull things over. 

A lone gull surveying the sea

It's time to take closer order on some of the things that have been put on hold for several weeks.  And I think it's time to start sewing again :))

Fireworks in the rain

The end-of-regatta firework display is one of the highlights of Cowes Week and when we knew that our visitors would be with us for that week we decided to book tickets on one of the 'firework cruises', and enjoy the spectacle from onboard rather than onshore.

Having had glorious sunshine for the previous few days we had the highest hopes of a beautiful evening trip on the water.  

The weather had decidedly different ideas.

It poured!  

However, the evening turned out to be thoroughly enjoyable and everyone onboard had a great time.

From Ryde pier the ferry took us along the coast to Cowes then up and down the River Medina and along the Green before finding a spot off the yacht squadron to watch the fireworks; the firework-barge was literally in front of us.  Although the weather had closed in on the approach to Cowes, we were all delighted that the Red Arrows were still able to perform their breath-taking aerial display right overhead - at times we could see the pilots in their cockpits.  Every time I see their display I marvel at their skills.

The trip along the river was very interesting, seeing everything from the water rather than the land.  So many boats and yachts moored up and people determined to have a good time despite the rain.

Lots of umbrellas and waterproofs on the floating bridge!

N and I retreated inside for the fireworks and watched through the windows but our visitors, being of sterner, northern stuff (and employing doggy-bags to good effect !!!!!) braved the elements and stood on-deck for the display.  Sadly the weather prevented any photos but it was, as ever, a great show.

On the way back we were entertained again by the Wight Hot Pipes, a fantastic local band (bagpipes included) who had people up and dancing.  They were brilliant, great music, and everyone had a really good time.  

So, Cowes Week - no wind for sailing and a downpour for the fireworks.  We had a great time.

Waiting for sailing

The first full week of August is always noted in the diary as it is Cowes Week, the annual sailing regatta that attracts sailors and visitors from far and wide.  We were delighted to take our own visitors a couple of times last week, for them to enjoy the sights, sounds and spectacle.  

We were there in good time to see the yachts in the Artemis Round the Island Challenge set off - there were a number of notable guest sailors on several of the yachts, including younger members of our Royal Family.

Whilst N and I set up camp on the Green, our visitors headed off to sample the delights of the wonderful eclectic range of shops in Cowes (they returned several hours later with a goodly selection of bags denoting a successful time!)
N and I indulged in tea and home-made cakes from our favourite kiosk (those cakes are just yummy!), spread out the rug and settled down to watch the race starts.  We waited.  And waited a bit more.  And we listened to Cowes Radio informing us that the wind was a bit on the light side.  Oh dear.  Not good for a sailing regatta.

The Cowes Radio rib keeps those on-shore and afloat up-to-date with everything that's happening

By 2 o'clock (and after another Cowes Week tradition, baguettes from Tiffins) it was obvious, sadly, that racing was unlikely, and sure enough, a few minutes later, the abandonment flag was hoisted at the Yacht Squadron.  It was a shame not to see any racing but we had nevertheless had a very enjoyable time just watching the activity on the water.  The weather was glorious - very warm and sunny - just not enough wind for racing.  There is always something to see, and plenty of people wandering along the Green and Esplanade - we caught up with a couple of friends we'd not seen for quite some time.

We met up with our visitors on the Parade and cooled down with a pint of something cold and refreshing.  In the tent was this very colourful display case so I had a closer look.  Entitled The Shore Archive it is the work of artist Mary Flynn and has 'been created to raise awareness of plastic pollution in our oceans'.  Every item in the installation has been salvaged from Island beaches, 11 beaches in all and collected over 179 days.  It was quite staggering, and rather sad, to see so much plastic rubbish cleaned up from our local beaches.  I imagine some of it has simply been thrown away on the beach, or left behind (so many odd shoes!) or washed up.  It was a very graphic and sobering reminder of the problem of plastic rubbish.  Next time I go to the beach I must remember to take a bag with me and I will pick up any discarded plastic I find.  I know there are organised beach-cleans on the Island from time to time, and we have seen the annual 'Bag the Bruck' on Orkney beaches.  I think it's time I did my own little bit.