Monday, June 16, 2025

A bit of a grumble

If you've read my previous post you'll know I worked hard today.

Husband likes to lie in the sun from early afternoon on; I prefer to leave it until the sun's not so fierce. So Husband had already been out there for ages when I settled down today with my book.

And then he started talking. And asking me things, and suggesting things I could do in the garden, or that needed doing, then making me get up to help him take off the pool cover, then again to put it back on. It's no wonder I have no idea what's going on in my book.

I wasn't going to post this but then Debra commented on my previous post that I deserved a rest!

* * * * *

I opened a letter this morning. I actually received it a few days ago but it looked boring so I'd ignored it. Husband usually opens my boring mail for me but he too had ignored this one, so in a quick tidy-up I decided I might as well check before I threw it away.

It was a letter from an insurance company asking if I were the next of kin of the late Mr John HF Williams (I was), as he had a small insurance policy that hadn't been cashed. First thought was that it was a scam so I went to the company's website - not via the link the letter suggested - and searched around there. Nothing obvious so I phoned the insurance company, again using not the number on the letter. 

Customer Services searched for me and couldn't find anything but then he said he only had records on current policies. When I read him the reference number he said it did sound like one of theirs, and gave me an email address to contact.

Unfortunately my email account is playing up so I can't at the moment. I could phone an alternative number but I'll do anything to avoid talking on the phone.

I'm already planning what I'm going to do with all these millions thousands tens of pounds. Current thinking is to pay someone to sort out my Microsoft account!

* * * * *

My seedlings died and my lily of the valley didn't grow but thankfully Californian and 'ordinary' poppies self-seeded.




Un-de-lay, un-da-lay, un-de-lay

On reflection, moving furniture before throwing what turned out to be 213 kg of clothes down the stairs might not have been such a good idea i.e. I was knackered.

I'd arranged for a recycling place to pick up all the clothes and shoes that were unsuitable for our friends at Zac's. They couldn't tell me exactly what time they'd collect so I went in to sort more stuff out while waiting for their phone call. And that was when I decided to move and clean furniture.

Moving the clothes rail out was easy apart from getting it stuck on the ripped-up underlay in the corridor; moving this unit in the other direction was less so.

At this point it's almost in position having been manoeuvred out of one room, into the corridor, and immediately back into the next room. It wasn't heavy, just awkward.

And here are the fifty or so bags of clothes and shoes waiting to be collected. The easiest way was to throw the bags down the stairs.
Any idea I had of doing more cleaning then went by the board. Instead I took three large bags to a charity shop and came home.

And I've just been in the garden hoeing and then attacking the bindweed on the raspberries. Now I'm going to sit in the sun and read.

You know when the ground is covered with tiny little shoots/weeds? And you hoe them. Does it kill them or do they just re-establish themselves?

P.S. Stu has just messaged me to say he's thrown out the old underlay. Hooray!


Sunday, June 15, 2025

On a quest

Lunchtime yesterday I was thinking half-heartedly of doing some gardening but feeling lackadaisical when GrandDaughter2 phoned me. She was bored so I said, "Do you want to come on an adventure with me?"
"Yes! What are we going to do?"
"We're going to look for a stone."

More specifically look for the stone commemorating the Battle of Gower. Until yesterday I didn't know there was a battle of Gower, let alone a stone commemorating it, but I'd seen a reel on Facebook.

Following William's successful invasion of England in 1066 the Normans gradually spread west and in 1106 Henry de Beaumont was granted Lordship of Gower. He immediately began building castles, including Oystermouth and Swansea, as his bases. There were plenty of small uprisings but by 1130 the Normans were well established and ruling - until the Battle of Gower in 1136. Henry 1st died in 1135 and political instability provided the opportunity for the battle, which the Welsh won. It was regarded as the catalyst for the Welsh rebellion.

It's thought the battle, which happened on January 1st, was fought in the vicinity of what is now Garn Goch common, and the Chronicles of John of Worcester record that 516 men died in the battle.

You have to look carefully to spot the signpost.
Then make your way through trees and brambles, across a swampy tussocky field.

The monument - the stone - is on a slightly raised patch with two plaques, on in Welsh, one in English, below.




Then GrandDaughter2 and I sat on the base in the sunshine and had a lovely discussion about war, Hitler, Trump, and money. 

When we'd finally made our way back to the car I suggested we investigate the ruins of the old hospital, before heading to McDonalds for ice cream.

It was a good adventure.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Sun and rain

Daughter took me for a long walk this morning, It began in Parc le Breos and I assumed we'd follow the normal route, which is quite flat and not that far. Instead we turned left and followed a different path. It was so gradual that at first I didn't notice the slope but slowly realised it was a long steady climb we were doing.

It took us to territory unknown to me, the side of Cefn Bryn's ridge, and, eventually, a view of the distant Three Cliffs.


It was a beautiful morning and a lovely walk - especially as the way back was all downhill.

Unfortunately the weather changed in the afternoon just in time for the junior school sports' day. But most of it still happened with only the tug of war and some of the long jump events being cancelled. GrandSon3 and GrandDaughter2 both came away as winners in their sprint and three-legged races. As I've said before, they obviously have their grandmother's ability (not).

* * * * *
Out the other day I just happened to pop into a charity shop where I picked up a jigsaw and three books. I was inspired by Boud's talk of the Grantchester series. I didn't watch the television programme so will see what the book's like.




Thursday, June 12, 2025

They were terrified, you see

After weeks of wind and cold and rain and sheltering under the portico we finally had a good evening for our Zac's gathering.

Sean reflected on the original ending of Mark's gospel. It stops with the angel telling the women that Jesus was risen, and describing their reaction. Apparently the way it was written was like a conversation, "They were terrified you see."

Of course in my head this transmogrified into Mark as a Welsh valleys boy saying, "They were scared shitless, see, butt."

But that's just the way my head works.

And after a lovely evening we were blessed with a gorgeous day yesterday. Last week we'd decided we'd do a day trip on Wednesday this week. It was gradually down-graded until, on learning that the forecast was for full sun, Husband suggested we 'lie in the garden' instead. Unwilling to let him get away with it completely I made him come for a walk around the Limeslade to Rotherslade cliffs first.



It was the first time we'd walked there for years, and certainly since the new path had been laid down. Erosion of the cliffs was making the old paths dangerous so they built the new path on a higher level. If you look carefully you can see the way of the old path.

That was the path I used to walk on with my mum when I was a little girl. I remember everyone being very impressed that I would walk so far. 

The new path will be okay once its surroundings are reclaimed by nature.

It's an accessible path now. Yes, that's a good thing (but it does mean you get more tourists out there.) 


On the way to Langland we spotted two seals. Or they might have been birds.

But on the way back we saw four or five seals sunbathing on the rocks.




You'll have to take my word for it that those black blobs on the rocks were definitely seals because we saw them move, stick up their heads and tails in a sort of u-shape. Seeing seals followed by a 99 ice cream made my day.

* * * * *
Back in February Kim and I organised a community curry and quiz night in the church. Buoyed up by the success we planned a barn dance and barbecue for a week Saturday. We're a bit late plugging it and, currently, it doesn't seem to be attracting as many people as the quiz night did. So yesterday afternoon Kim and I took posters around the local shops and leafleted the immediate area.

It could be a small intimate gathering!



 


Monday, June 09, 2025

John Henry's got nothing on me

I was trying hard to dig up some bush/tree stumps with a fork. Husband came along and said, "You need a pickaxe."

He disappeared to the shed returning moments later with said pickaxe. "I don't know what to do with that," I said. He proceeded to show me - but carefully. It will be a month or so before he can handle a pickaxe as he used to.


It took a while and a lot of muttering but ta-dah!


And the hole.
Still hundreds of roots in the earth as well as the remaining stumps. It will take time, a whole lot of time.




Bread and potatoes

Elder Son talked about bread-making when we walked on Saturday and it gave me the urge to make cranberry pecan bread again. Last time it wasn't very good with so I tried a different recipe, and as I was following it I became convinced it was going to be a disaster. 

First of all the dough wouldn't stick together so I added more water. Then it was too sloppy so I added more flour. The mixer struggled to knead it so I took it out and finished it by hand but when I added the pecans and cranberries they were impossible to incorporate into the dough. Each time I folded some in, others fell out. Then I put it in the greenhouse to rise and Husband knocked it over.

So all in all I wasn't very hopeful.

While it was rising I planted some potatoes. A bag of salad potatoes I'd had in the pantry were shooting.

I have no idea if they'll grow but decided to give it a go. Halfway through planting it occurred to me that the shoots might be stalks not roots so I planted them the other way up. We shall see. My caulis are still alive after a week so I consider that a win. Unlike the runner beans that have been eaten away. (I think they were runner beans but I can't remember how I acquired them.)

Back to the bread. After brushing it with honey I stuck it in the oven expecting a solid unpalatable rock to emerge.

What did emerge was a pleasant surprise. As long as you avoided the rock-hard cranberries on the surface it was definitely edible.





Saturday, June 07, 2025

Awaiting the sock

I cleaned the bathroom this morning and while my back was turned Husband was in the garden. Up a ladder with a chainsaw cutting dripping wet trees.

"I've made it to seventy-five years old doing stupid things," he gave as an excuse.

It's a bit disheartening. It took me hours and hours to cut back the bushes and clear the fence; he thinned and cleared branches on the right in ten minutes with a chain-saw. But, still, he shouldn't have been doing it!

Other big news: I sorted out my sock drawer this morning. And I did a rash thing: I threw away an odd sock. Now I'm on tenterhooks waiting for the matching one to appear.

Then walked with Elder Son, GrandSon3, and Toby in Parc Le Breos, and visited the longest cave in Gower, over a mile long. 


Elder Son told me he'd been for an eye test - and nearly fainted. No genetic testing needed to prove he's my son. I thought I was the only person who could nearly faint at the optician's.

* * * * *
Finally I have downloaded and printed off a petition to take to church tomorrow. It's to send to our MP to ask him to vote against the assisted dying bill, third reading on June 20th. I am not entirely opposed to the idea but it's the way the bill has been rushed through and lots of safety measures abandoned on the way that concerns me.

* * * * *
Dinner tonight was Marry Me Pasta. 

A creamy chicken and spinach pasta dish. Very nice but I don't think I'd propose to the chef.



Friday, June 06, 2025

Booked

Tickets that is not me. For Operation Mincemeat in Swansea Grand Theatre in September 2026! (Note for self - they have emailed me e-tickets, must remember this for when I panic and can't find them.) This is the show I booked for us in London last year then had to cancel twice because of Husband's illness. The tickets only went on sale this morning but by the time I booked this afternoon the best seats had gone. The best = my favourite, in just the right position.

And Husband has just booked a house in Cornwall for a week in July for us, Daughter, Elder Son, families, and dogs. Then in late August we'll holiday with Younger Son and family in Italy.

And I've booked an early anniversary lunch for us in Slice, our favourite restaurant. 

This has been an unusually dynamic day for us.

In between I've been jigsawing and gardening. I've mentioned that I'm a disorganised gardener, which is all very well until it comes to weeding. "Does that look like something I might have planted or is it a weed?"

Our first wild strawberry has appeared. We seem to be more successful at wild than tame probably because the wild just grow themselves.