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 :))