Yes! It's ANOTHER post!

I'm just churning them out these days! Enjoy them whilst they last! I'd just like to also say how much I'm enjoying reading your replies to my post - thank you xxx

Now I'm annoyed... It's now Monday morning.... I hit publish last night as I wrote this on Sunday for crying out loud! But publishing failed so I discovered this morning. Harrumph. 

Thought I'd show you my peonies. They are anywhere betwixt 50 and 120 years old. You know I only grow blue and purple flowers in my garden but I allow these to stay because they belonged to to HG's Great Grandma. 

I've had a go at looking up which variety they are. But quickly gave up! There's thousands! This one always opens first. It blooms beautifully for about a day. This is because year after year without fail, the peony blooms then we get torrential downpours and hurricane rains which promptly batter and destroy them. 

Next to open will be this double headed Red one. It looks red in bud but I'm sure it's pinker in flower. I'll show you when it opens. 

And finally, the third peony is a super big heavy fluffy pale pink almost white petaled flower. I need to stake this one as the stems grow tall. If you look closely, there are ants on the buds. They appear all over the buds from nowhere then disappear again once the plant is in full bloom. The ants don't seem to do any damage. 

Finally flowerwise, here's one of the ancient bluebells,

a teeny blue flower I planted last year

and my rather disappointing 'blue ' tulip.

Although people have stopped to admire them. 

I'm sorry I have no leafy rabbit photos but weather and hospital visiting stopped play. 

Here's a photo of the oddly knitted cardigan I'm on with. 

I'm forging ahead with this pattern even though I'm totally unsure of how it's going to turn out! Im also worried I'm going to run out of this wool!! 

I've a busy week at work coming up. But on Friday its HALF TERM ! Hooray! 

Have you any 'heirloom' plants in your garden? 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *no yellow flowers* Radiostar xxx

A Sunny Sunday

Hello again!
I know I'm not normally back so soon! I've had a lovely day out with the HG and my mum. The teenage boy declined the offer of a visit to a swanky pants garden centre!
The Christmas section is to die for. I like to just stand and stare! If FrugalMummy ever makes it oop north, I will take her and watch her spontaneously combust with glee!! Of course, it is rare I ever buy anything* - it's FAR too spendy!

We went to the much better, family run nurseries round the corner. I bought some winter plants for a fraction of the price! Of course they were all blues and purples! Except for a dear little crimson thing, bought because it was 40p! It will probably be dead by the morning!!
Here's my wee haul.

Much weeding and pruning and planting later ......

!! SPOT THE IMPOSTER!!
On Twitter you find some real gems, and here is a magnificent shot of the City Fireworks I told you about yesterday. Pam and my Dad would get along famously I think!! Anyway, hopefully this link will take you directly to his Flickr site and I have his full permission so share this shot. It really is a lovely part of the country to live in and this night is magical! Ack I don't think his site is public. Hang  on!
 Nope, blogger won't let me do it. I'll post a screen shot!
Anyway the photographer is Richard Gibbons

Photo (c) Richard Gibbens

http://m.flickr.com/photos/16609214@N05/10632610404/lightbox/

Link might not work still!! 

I've tried to add it properly via blogger to no avail. Le sigh. 

Anyway it's back to work tomorrow. That week off has zoomed by! Enjoy your Sunday evenings folks ! 

*Outrageous lie alert

Mini baked doughnuts

How do one and all. It's been a gloriously Autumnal sunny Sunday.

I am blogging this whilst listening to XFactor USA, I do have a penchant for old Mr C! And the hairs have just stood up on the back of my arms as this gorgeous American lass, who's Mama was murdered,  ( the sob factor - admittedly more awful than the norm ) just sang Whitney's I will always love you. She was OUTSTANDING! I nearly gave her a standing ovation myself, here in my own living room. She's called Ashleigh and ee by gum that lass can sing!

I digress.  I've spent a few spidery ( YUK ) hours in the garden getting it ready to go to bed for the winter. I just need a new roll of fleece to tuck my herbs in. The last of the tomatoes were brought in. They've been plentiful and delicious.

I've started a new knitting project. My friend, who I met in hospital is having a baby girl in a few weeks. Now normally I disapprove of finding out what a bambino is before the day - but having found this darling wool in my favourite wool shop in Newcastle whilst visiting my daughter the weekend after we took her back to Uni......she broke her arm and needed an operation...... Anyway I'm glad I know she's going to be a she! The finished article is going to be a sweet little Bolero cardigan and I have the cutest button too to finish it off!

I have been baking too. I bought myself a new baking tin. Mini baked doughnuts. Here's how they turned out! I really loved making them. They took no time at all and I worked them out at 65 calories each sans le toppings. The melted chocolate was far easier to use than the icing - which I flavoured with lemon juice. I think I will definitely be making these for the next school cake sale. 

I finished off the weekend with a winner winner chicken dinner , roasties, yorkshires, the works! And my first fresh Brussels Sprouts of the season! I loves em! 

How about you? To sprout or. Not to sprout?! 

Bye for now x 

The world and his wife are....

Juicing. Or it seems so. EEEVERYone at work is at it. Eeeeevveryone on fb is at it and I've seen a few bloggers at it too. Me? Not on your nelly! Even if you lose 14 stone in a fortnight!

Have you SEEN the mess that a juicer makes? I have. We have a juicer, bought by my son on a whim a few years ago. We bought carrots, oranges and apples etc. He was so excited with his purchase and was so eager to make one.... The world  me and the HG held our breath. This boy had lived off plain crisps, beans, mashed potato and wafer thin ham for months - bloody kids - I'm sure they all go through a fussy eater phase; ergo I was FRANTIC with worry he wasn't getting enough vitamins etc. I bought vitamin supplements and he did eat weetabix but I still admit to being neurotic mama.
( I was v grown up during this phase of his, I simply and calmly served up the family meal every night, quietly removing his plate with no fuss all nonchalantly like - even though I was BURNING WITH RAGE AND ANGER BECAUSE MY FOOD WAS BEING REJECTED AND HE WAS BEING SO NAUGHTY AND JUST EAT YOUR FLIPPING TEA ON THIS INSIDE, and eventually he did start eating properly again! Although he still won't eat pasta or scrambled egg. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?????!!!!!!

Anyway, we held our breath, he sipped the first one - orange, it was acceptable. The apple was ok, but the minute a carrot went in hailed death to the juicer! He didn't like it. I tried it. It was rank. I tried a recipe I'd found online, with ginger, lime and cucumber. It was frigging revolting. It was wrong on so many levels. Firstly electricity to make it is KILLING the planet; NOT healthy. A billion quids worth of oranges a week, NOT healthy....for my purse. A fruitillion hours spent dismantling the juicer and scraping pulp from nooks and crannies, NOT healthy for my temper. What a mess. It gets under your fingernails. The outside of a juiced courgette stinks and feels like nothing pleasant on this earth.

So, as you can probably guess, I WILL NOT be hopping aboard this latest juice band wagon. I'd rather have my 5 a day as main and pudding, not as a down it in one because its trendy. Oh my word, how uncool of me, using the word trendy!

In other news, my purple chillies are now fruiting! The do look like they have gone bad, but the label says they are purple, so I believe it! I have some juicy tomatoes coming along nicely too!

I spend most of my day outside in the garden on 'death to all butterflies watch'. I watch, incredulous, as they fill up on nectar from my lavender plants at one end of the garden, gathering energy for fluttering up the other end of the garden to where my beloved vegetable plot is. I am currently defending several Cavelo Nero plants, sweet potatoes, beetroot, turnip and basil. I have netting. I have a tennis racket! Butterflies don't make a satisfying thwack sound though! They are not even pretty butterflies. Just bog standard Cabbage Whites, this year there are tons of them. What is a natural predator of these pests because they can come to my house and naturally predate to their hearts content!

So, if you are juicing, good luck! How are you spending these sunny days? What are your top butterfly tips? Do let me know xx
Rachel x

School is OUT!

Let the Summer Holidays commence! Officially I don't count it as starting till Monday as we get the weekends off anyway! I'm about to strip my bed and tackle some stuff that needs putting away before it gets too hot - yes the sun is still shining-  and before somebody calls the Documentary team working for the BBC programme Extreme Hoarding! I'm then planning on pottering in the garden and generally catching up with a few jobs that need doing. 

I was lucky enough to receive some wonderful cards and gifts from the children leaving my class. Including this! 

I've never seen this before! It's still in the packet, it's going in the fridge to be savoured a teeny morsel at a time! 

I'm planning on sitting in the garden catching up with emails and knitting later. How are you spending your Saturday? 

Love Rachel xx 

PS. Forgot to tell you, met my new potential neighbours last night. They are WONDERFULLY LOVELY! There is a slight delay due to my current neighbours' house they are buying apparently - please pray WITH ALL THAT YOU HAVE that these issues are quickly resolved!!

Although I know you will miss my tales from next door ! I know some of my followers on Twitter will!  Don't worry, the cranks on the other side show no signs of itchy feet! 

Sunny days

Six weeks til Six weeks! 

Good Morning folks! 

I wake so early these days, I think it's the lovely, light, luscious, lip smackingly lovebunktious light mornings! I LOVE the sunshine. 

As most of you know, I will now be going outside and be being some time! 

My blue fences are due a coat of paint. I have the paint. I have the fences. It's like a match made in heaven! 

My borders are *blueming*lovely too! As you know, only certain colours are allowed in my patch! If you are yellow or orange then you will be forcibly ejected! 

Before I post this I will take a photo of my front. 

My front garden, you filthy perverts!! It's deliciously purply too! My rose bush is glorious. ( Again, filthy perverts should be ashamed!)

 

This was taken seven days ago. 

Ear worm alert! What a difference a week makes, 168 little hours! 

The flowers are a beautiful purply blue colour. I forget its name! It has masses of buds left to bloom and it's scent is delicately sweet. 

Here is a little tub I planted, by my front door. 

Isn't that the most amazing blue colour? 

And finally, my Pa in Law presented me with some lupins he raised from seeds. It's like playing Flower Roulette as I have NO IDEA what colour they will be!! 

Watch this space!! 

So, now it's stopped raining for a few days, what have you been up to? 

Post Script. 

The name of the rose is Rhapsody in Blue. It's still got its label attached. It's 3 years old now! Cost me £3.99 when it was a mere twiglet! This is how it looks from the outside of my garden! So inviting is its glorious scent, that a random lady leant over n stuck her nose in it this morning!! 

Tuesday - Tinnitus & Tarzan

Hello and welcome new and cherished readers ,

Yesterday, I didst whine about my summer cold. Last night, it paid me back. All of a sudden my right ear went odd. Next - all I could hear was a high pitched monotonous sound, like you get when you are trying to tune in a radio. It's there still today - but just in the back ground. Last night it was actually giving me a headache. So I did what any respecting forty one year old would do. I whinged about it for a bit; I whinged by twitter, I whinged by text, then took some 'zombify Rachel'  drugs. These drugs are over the counter non drowsy decongestants. Asda's own. They render me useless. They also dry out all my membranes!  So although I am a bit fuggy still this morning, I was spark out cold all night. I dread to think what the drowsy ones  would do! ( First time I found out they affected me was when I was having a driving lesson. My driving instructor nearly had a coronary at the round about junction as I just sailed straight on. He grabbed the wheel. He REALLY shouted at me! He drove me home. Poor guy. The culprit was Sudafed.

 Today I planned to get out in the overgrown jungle  garden, to do some hacking with a scythe weeding.  I asked my friends to send in Tarzan - all the Tarzans are on this site! - should they fail to hear from me after a couple of hours.

Which Tarzan would you have? There are lots to choose from - I know this from watching the  all films on a Saturday morning in the 70s! ( Before I discovered  the Wrestling on ITV! )  

My choice? Ladies and Gentlemen I give you - Denny Miller.  It said on the site that his film wasn't great. Well, to a pre teen kid in the NW of England it was bloody fantastic! Who knew that there was Tarzan Snobbery afoot? I HATE 'critically acclaimed' stuff by the way.

I actually found a sound clip of his cry! Took me right back - but it looked dodgy when I tried to embed it. { I know right, me, trying to embed a soundclip!! }





 

Raaaaaaaaaaaachellllll



Add your own caption!!!!

MMMMM full glorious technicolour!



Some say the best Tarzan was - Johnny Weissmullerlight Yogurts ( ha ha sorry - just seeing if you are paying attention )
Probably all the 'Critical Acclaimers'

My need for Tarzan is because I am convinced that large predators will have taken up residence, so lush is the undergrowth, and inner growth and over growth. But because I am still feeling a bit off it, I decided that I am definitely a fair weather gardener, when the monsoons hammered down again. My inner Alan Titchmarsh decided that a nice sit down and a cup of tea, with my knitting, in front of the Olympics was a far more attractive proposition.

This may or may not actually be my garden.

 The sun might shine tomorrow, the wildlife can have another day of tranquility.

Tuesday - Tinnitus, Tarzan and Tranquility. :)