Redcar on the Yorkshire coast

 Tony and I spent a lovely night away for our wedding anniversary.  The hotel was a bit basic but clean and comfortable with a lovely sea view. We thoroughly enjoyed the Thai meal at The Lemongrass and will definitely go there again.  

I've just booked a couple of days in Blackpool to celebrate my upcoming birthday. We'd originally intended to spend the night in Pickering where we'd hoped to book a ride on the steamtrain Tornado. We were treated to a drive past yesterday as it heads to Grosmont. 

 Unfortunately due to the extreme fire risk it would cause because of the heatwave it would actually be pulled along by electric diesel locomotive. That isn't what we'd wanted so I'll book a trip once the danger of setting fire to the moors is no longer cause for concern. Tony and I intend to book a couple of days away each month and hope to visit many bits of Britain. It's a very long time since we visited Blackpool and we're planning to nip over to Lytham St Anne's allotments open day. I'll take plenty of photos in Blackpool and hopefully we'll catch a nice sunset.

It's courgette season

 Courgettes are coming thick and fast now and are a great addition to pasta sauces. I'm freezing plenty of bags of sauce and lasagne/vegetable layer bakes. They'll be lovely through the colder months when the heatwave summer is a distant memory. Aren't the vivid purple potatoes pretty. They don't lose their colour when cooked and make spectacular chips. 

21 years

 Tony and I are celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary today. We can't believe that it's 21 years since we got married.  We're off out for a Thai meal tonight. The restaurant comes highly recommended by friends and we are looking forward to trying it. We're staying the night in a hotel and will have a wander along the promenade to work off the carbs. I'm definitely not missing out on rice today.  I could eat it with every meal. Unfortunately a low carb diet isn't great for a rice lover 😕 😢 😞 

Changes in the garden

 Tony and I are planning some big changes in the back garden. This is completely my fault as I'd ordered a beautiful garden arch with the intention of putting it on the drive. I measured wrong. I could of course just send it back but I'd set my heart on growing a jasmine covered arch. We've decided to change things around in the garden at the end of summer and use the arch in the back garden instead.  It's funny how this blog was always about crafting but has become a gardening blog these days. I did set up a separate gardening blog but kept forgetting to update it. Maybe one day I'll return to crafting but for the foreseeable future I'm happiest when I am in the garden.  And who wouldn't be when I can wander down the garden and pick beautiful squash,  potatoes and cucumbers for weeks on end

 

Torquay and South Devon German railway society open day

 Tony and I are currently in Torquay for a long weekend.  Himself is a member of the German model railway club.. or something along those lines. We came down to Torquay for the open day of the South Devon German railway society and have had a thoroughly lovely time. Torquay council could do with spending some money tidying up the place though. The stench of ripe dustbin isn't my favourite fragrance.

Poor Tony

 Yesterday Tony was stung by a wasp and has had a nasty reaction to it. His arm is treble the size and he's been prescribed penicillin by the local pharmacist.  All I'll say is 'poor little brave soldier'. 😃 😀 😄 😁 🤣 nuff said..

Tiny solar powered pond filter

 Tony and I have just watched a video on YouTube that shows how to make a tiny solar powered pond filter.  So we've followed the instructions which are totally idiot proof and made one.  Over time the pond plants will hide it but even if they don't we aren't concerned.  It's for the wildlife and I'm sure that they couldn't care less. We'll know in a few days if it's helping to keep the pond clear.

I've put the link to the you tube channel as a post on my own channel if anyone is interested 

Beautiful harvest of free potatoes

 I've grown these gorgeous spuds from ones that I was given or saved last year.  There's loads more in tubs in my garden.  I didn't even have to buy compost as I make my own.

This afternoon we're going to Ampleforth open gardens event.  Thank goodness it's cooler or I'd be staying home. 

Too flipping hot

 I'm going to do exactly what we Brits are renowned for. I'm going to moan about the weather. It's just too flipping hot for me. I'm watering the garden before 7am and then again after 7pm. The courgettes are absolutely loving it though and I'm harvesting beautiful Rondo de Nice ones at the moment. Party time cucumbers are proving to be incredibly productive and I'm taking side shoots off and growing them on to replace the current ones when the are exhausted.

 Tony and I have been out for a lovely carvery with my whist group. One of the ladies celebrated her 92nd birthday yesterday so of course we had to mark the occasion with a nice meal. I bought her a lovely birthday cake which we shared at our whist session.  Joyce got to take the remaining half home to share with her nearest and dearest. 

Can I just take a moment to say RIP Ann Widdecomb. Poor lady must have been so frightened.  I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.

Tea for two

 Yesterday I made a huge salad box that will feed us for a few days. All fresh picked from the garden or from my store. I also did a tray bake of home grown veggies. In the salad I put cucumber, lettuce,  three colours of chard, tomatoes,  apples, basil and mint.  In the tray bake I put potatoes, shallots, garlic and courgettes.. I  cut some cucumbers into sticks and wrapped them around with ham and  airfried a tin of chickpeas which I  sprinkled with a hot spicy powder mix. I  served it on some of my pretty china and used waterford crystal glasses to serve a bottle of lovely pressed apple juice that we bought at one of the open garden events. It made simple ingredients into a feast. The rose is of course from the garden and it smells absolutely divine