Re: Diary summary week ending 20th July 2025

[louisa maud]

Morning folks,  bit cooler  thank goodness,  can't be doing with to much heat, it did occur to me with the unbearable  heat we have had if it continue would people be installing  air condoning into their homes, just a thought!,

LM

[Roobarb]

Apparently extreme weather is the 'new normal ' :

BBC News - Extreme weather is the UK's new normal, says Met Office
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74w1gyd7mko

Better start saving for the aircon LM!

[ThrelfallYorky]

Survived this heatwave quite well - curtains drawn in day on whichever side of the house the sun is on. Busy day yesterday - got up a ladder and bashed some lead flashing that I'd noticed was moving, used the softening heat to help me! Not bad at my age! Almost Viktoria standard. Also emptied with trowel a heavy concrete planter, completely. All the lavender I'd put in that one died, it's twin flourished - so I wasted to know why! (Poor drainage, I suspect, one of the small pieces of stone beneath it to space it up from an uneven floor may have blocked drainage holes)
Even managed to do some weed-hacking in the blissful shade between the back of our big, solidly built shed, and overgrowth from neighbouring garden's hidden area they don't venture near!
Good day, eh? And I HATE heat, and somehow got all that done before splatting out on swing seat, under canopy, with cool ( non-alcoholic) drink!
No idea why I had such an outburst of activity. Amazed I did!
TY

[louisa maud]

Viktoria,  we are here!!

LM

[Viktoria]

Well done T.Y.
I have just blitzed as far as is possible my son’s bedroom / office.
I do my very best to not move what is obviously work ,nor to see it really .
Not my business , but managed a good “ bottoming” as my mother would say .ThanksL.M.
I don’t do such s lot really ,my house is small. All newly done when the last owner had damaged it badly so a really big refurbishment .
It is easy to run, and unlike my previous Victorian monster not on a busy road so the dust is white here - quite dirty in my previous house.
Curtains etc stay clean and the washing water is not dirty but previously that was grey.
I could not manage a ten roomed house on a busy road now .

I think I do more talking than working!
I have two bedrooms,a tiny landing and bathroom.
A lounge,kitchen diner and utility room .Vestibule.
Previously four bedrooms, bathroom ,huge landing .stairs ,hall,vestibule .
Lounge,dining room and kitchen.
I loved that house but could not manage it now especially as the busy road is twice as bad,Here it is s quiet side road.

Quite a bit of rain but not really cold ,it was needed.

Just ordered some books from “Postscript” ,some for my sister and some for the children ,a few real bargains .
Got to go to a very big Tesco to exchange a top I bought online .I asked for 8-10, well it might fit Kyra!
That is the easiest way ,our local smallish branch does not do refunds on things bought online.
Well nice cup of tea and a sandwich and the afternoon is mine .
Countdown in a little while .
Cheerio folks .
Viktoria.

P.S. Just seen the news re the Roman remains at Castlefield ,my Dad always talked about a Roman wall under a railway bridge over Liverpool Road .
Red sandstone .Quarried from“ Red Bank” on the fringe of the area described by Engels as “ The worst slum in zEurope”
My daughter and I worked on the site at Castlefield.
Time was running out so volunteers were invited to join in - bring your own trowel!
It was very interesting ,I dug out a Samian ware bowl,well the pieces.

These new digs are so near the surface .
Interesting.
Viktoria.

[louisa maud]

GREAT,  Sewing bee back again for another series

LM

[Roobarb]

Viktoria, I've just read your comment in last week's diary about duvet covers getting creased when putting them on,, you asked Why not side openings? I must admit to being rather puzzled by the question, I can't think how it would make any difference! Please explain to me! 

I like the Sewing Bee too LM, will watch it another night.

[mare]

Duvet covers can certainly be a battle at times, I manage but iron doesn't make appearance  Still have a bedspread that was a wedding present, a bit too small for king and super-king size beds we've had for some years although I haven't pulled it out of storage to see how it looks!

Lovely time with grandchildren staying last week and they're back home now for the new school term.
Also arrival of great-great-nephew at the weekend, a little tardy in his arrival and then distressed and needed caesarean birth and oxygen and transfer to bigger hospital but mum and baby doing well and happy. If he had arrived the day before, all three of my sisters would have had grandchildren/great grandchildren born on the same date/month but apparently he preferred to coincide with a relative on his great grandfathers side 

Lovely morning tea gathering yesterday to celebrate a 99 year old local, she's doing and looking very well and lives with her daughter but does have occasional TIA episodes and sometimes says she wants to join her late husband.

Better attend to dinner as it'll be late for my husband  A roast in oven, so pretty straight forward, just some greens now to put on including a beautiful big head of fresh brocolli 

Have a good week all ...

[ThrelfallYorky]

Viktoria, funnily enough many decades back, when I was a student, spent some time working on a Roman dig in Manchester, quite interesting to do.
TY