Wednesday 1 July 2020

The Distancing Diaries - Day 102 & 103


Tuesday morning (day 102) was so dark and dreary that it was nearly 7am before I woke up. After my Wii Fit session, I sat at the PC catching up with comments wrapped up in a cardi as I'd left the front door open for the lads. When I took Jon his mug of tea they weren't outside as I'd thought, they were wrapped up with him, obviously as chilly as I was.


After our fruit and yoghurt breakfast, I cleaned the bathroom & mopped the floor before getting dressed. Jon grouted the tiles he'd fitted yesterday. I'm so happy with them!


 I planted up some basil, parsley & mustard seeds.


And gave the veg plants a liquid seaweed feed.


I'm wearing my 1970s Anokhi pinafore dress, a silk top made from a vintage sari, vintage Rajasthani earrings and an Afghan choker. In the days Before Corona (BC) at this time of year, I'd be carrying one of my vintage straw bags and wearing clogs, these days it's a galvanised watering can and bare feet.


Liz arrived bearing gifts, an iris she'd liberated from the lake and some books to add to our freebie pile (she & Al live on a nature reserve and rarely have passers-by). How times have changed! In the past, we'd have gone upstairs and rummaged through my wardrobe or rifled through the rails in the Kinky Shed. These days we sit outside, watch the birds and admire the patio plants.


After noodles, Jon got to work sawing the planks I'd selected from the woodpile on Sunday and gave them a coat of my DIY chalk paint. Meanwhile, I planted some carrots, fennel and kohlrabi in the patch I'd cleared the other day. To deter any naughty cats or marauding blackbirds I cut down some branches from one of our holly trees and laid them over my planting and to make doubly sure, added my Edwardian bird scaring device.


Our neighbour Florence popped over to grab a couple of Liz's old cookery books from the free pile. We chatted for a while and waved at her husband Ray (the breadmaker) who had been banished to their front bedroom with a paintbrush and a pot of paint. Like us, they're still finding plenty to do during lockdown.


After Jon had worked his magic in the kitchen with the planks he'd painted earlier, he planted the iris in the pond.


Tea was halloumi with roasted veg and potato wedges with a cheeky beer on the side. When Jon had ordered something from Amazon the other day he'd neglected to tick all the boxes so we've got Prime free for the month (it's easy to unsubscribe, he does it a lot). We took advantage of the streaming service and watched Black Book, an absorbing subtitled Dutch film based on the true story of a Jewish singer who became a spy for the resistance.


On Wednesday (day 103) I woke up at 6am to drizzle and was pleased that I'd dragged the garden waste bin out the previous evening rather than leaving it to the last minute. After catching up with blog comments I did my daily Wii Fit session before Jon joined me for fruit & yoghurt in the kitchen just after 8am.


The household chore of the day for me was to pull out the desk, scrub the radiator behind it, sweep the floorboards and clean the window frame. Computers are such dust magnets - or maybe it's just old houses with open fireplaces - I was sneezing like a thing possessed by the time I'd finished.


Once dressed, I turned 6Music on and sat beside the window in the spare room repairing the silk top I'd worn the previous day. It seems to be disintegrating at an alarming rate. At this rate, there'll be more boro mending than actual fabric.


I bought my top from a boutique in Jodhpur just around the corner from our haveli. Jon & I got on with the proprietor like a house on fire and we ended up spending ages weeping with laughter as he insisted on dressing me up in ridiculous outfits and making me pose for his Instagram account. His stock was ridiculously cheap already but he still insisted on giving me a whopping discount (the top was £2).



Meanwhile, Jon finished fitting the new kitchen lighting he'd started before his back got the better of him last week. There are six of these retro glass lamps in all. Considering we ordered them online, not being able to inspect them in person due to lockdown, we were thrilled when they turned up.


That's why I've run out of vintage tea towels, I can't bear to use them. I had to frame this Irish linen lobster!


After a break for homemade spelt bread sandwiches with spicy chutney flavoured Kukore,


I dragged the garden waste bin back through the gates and filled it ready for the next collection in a fortnight.


This morning's sharp showers meant that I didn't have to do any watering.


 I'm still anxiously awaiting the agapanthus - there are thirteen buds waiting to burst open. Two of the crocosmia have bloomed so far, hopefully, the rest won't be too far behind.


Jacob's rapidly on his way to becoming a self-sufficient tortoise. Dandelions and rocket are growing like mad in his new enclosure.


As Jon was busy with the next project, the lads followed me around, curious as to what I was up to and anxious to get in on the action.



 Another Anokhi day. Today it's the turn of the midi dress with the quilted bodice I bought in their Chowpatti shop in Mumbai back in February. It wasn't my first choice, I'd set my heart on an indigo blue dress with a metallic gold print but after I'd tried every XS dress in the shop, this and a maxi dress I've yet to wear were the clear winners. As is usual with Anokhi, it's fully cotton-lined with French seams. The sales assistant was horrified when I fastened the bodice's top two buttons, Madam, that's not the way to wear these dresses! Lesson learnt.


The Kuchi tribal pendant came from Jaisalmer.


Tea was a tin of baked beans and veggie sausages with a jacket potato and grated cheese. I'm not sure what we'll be watching later but I can guarantee it'll be accompanied by a few rum and colas, it's Wednesday, it's the law!

Stay safe, stay fabulous & see you soon.

63 comments:

  1. Hi there Vix! I have been sorting out my cupboard of doom ( much better now when I first moved in there was soggy carpet and something not nice who knows what) and really cleaning the kitchen today you know "properly" like lol so your colourful post is a welcome reward. Those light are a great buy. Your taste is so ecclectic but everything just "sings" when it has had the Vix touch eg framing the Lobster tea towel. If you do do a vidio walk through I for one will be thrilled! I love the dress yyou bought on your last trip and I bet they are such happy memories of your fun in the boutique with your friend. I loved what you said in one of your replies about each day is an adventure and the weather dictates whether we are playing indoors or out. Enjoy the next couple of days Shazxx

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    1. Morning, Shaz!!
      I thought today might be a gardening day but it's just started to rain.
      The cupboard of doom and a proper clean of the kitchen? You definitely get a gold star for those challenging tasks.
      That lobster was far too groovy to use and with a peacock, a lion and an elephant in the kitchen already he seemed like a good addition to the menagerie.
      I shall work on the video walk when the kitchen's finished - I promise. I know a few people are perplexed by the strange layout of the house so it might explain it a bit better.
      Our lives were so different at the start of 2020, India feels like world away when I look at the photos now.
      Have a lovely day. xxx

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  2. The weather's changed here as well. It's been quite blustery these last couple of days it rained from last night until about 3 pm this afternoon. No need to water the plants, that's for sure! Those tiles are gorgeous, no wonder you're pleased with them. How lovely to see your Anokhi pinafore dress and your watering can is the perfect accessory! Today's household chore reminds me that our desk and what's behind it could do with a good clean. And it's not just a case of Dove Cottage being an old house as well. We just never seem to get to it. That boutique in Jodhpur must seem like a world away and a lifetime ago by now ... Your retro kitchen lamps are gorgeous and I can't believe that lobster is a tea towel! I'm a bit envious of your Crocosmia. I've been on the lookout for one in the garden centre. Lovely photos of Jacob and the lads and that final Anokhi dress is all kinds of wonderful! xxx

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    1. It can't decide what it wants to do here this morning, its changed from showers to sunshine and back to showers three times already! I do enjoy watering the garden - once I've wrestled with the hosepipe - but it's lovely to get the odd day off from it, too.
      The dust behind the PC is shocking, it wasn't even that long ago since I last did it (definitely during lockdown anyway!)
      I'm excited by the tiles and the lamps. I found that lobster in a chazza last year and didn't have to heart to use him, he's a work of art!
      I've no idea where that Crocosmia came from, there's always been a clump further down the garden but there's absolutely loads now, not that I'm complaining, I love plants with sculptural form (like agapanthus and euphorbia).
      The second Anokhi dress is a sleeper, I probably wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't have tried on all the dresses the shop had in my size. Now I love her! xxx

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  3. As I look out the window while typing, it's cloudy, with wind, and only faint bits of blue showing through. Happy July - Canada Day!

    Those tiles are wonderful - can't wait to see them all done and shown off in place. Love your gorgeous dresses - dang, that silk is just shredding on you. I'm glad you can repair it. The pinafore dress is lovely, and I did giggle at the pic of you dressed in 20 dresses! Ha!

    That lobster was made for framing! My favourite tea towel says, "My husband's in the trunk!" Hello, lads, always curious. Jacob is going to get fat on all that rocket! Enjoy your rum and cokes tonight! Woo! Hoist a glass for the Canucks!

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    1. Belated Happy Canada Day, Sheila! I read your comment last night and Jon and I toasted you with rum and cola!
      I do have a thing for tiles. The majority of tile shops only seem to stock grey, beige or white ones as colour seems to be a dirty word in interiors at the moment. I was so happy to find these beauties, the hardest decision was chosing between marine blue or peacock but the marine won out!
      I love the slogan on your tea towel, it would be brilliant on a tee shirt.
      I've just had to step in and intercept a wood pigeon from Stephen's evil grasp, just what you don't want to be doing before 8am! xxx

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  4. All these tantalising glimpses make me excited to see the great kitchen reveal! The lobster dish towel looks amazing against the acid green wall. Your pond still has a tinge of blue which suggests your treatment worked, You look lovely in your Indian dresses - even wearing twenty at a time!!! Weather here also uninspiring which forced me to tackle some indoor jobs I have neglected - I make hay when the sun shines, housework can wait! Your garden looks lush even when it's dull.

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    1. Morning, Catmac! The to-do list is getting shorter, hopefully it won't be too long before the kitchen is finished although Jon's got a few tricky jobs he's left till last. We also need a couple of things that involve leaving the house for - scary stuff!
      Maybe I should start wearing twenty dresses at the same time here, give them all a chance.
      Just when I think it might be a nice day it keeps clouding over and raining. I've just spotted something that needs a lick of paint though, that should keep me busy this morning and maybe the sun will decide to stay out this afternoon and I can play outside.
      Have a lovely Thursday! xxx

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  5. I think the blouse will has a unique character withthe mending. Love the loster tea towel and it does it the frame. I love towels wiht a bit of whimsie-makes the chore a bit better. As our lock down has been still working, I feel lack of excitement doing projects at home. Maybe if that was what I did to fill my evenings.

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    1. The blouse is definitely one of a kind with all that darning! I really enjoy a morning with the radio on and a bit of slow stitching though, so it's no real hardship.
      Isn't that tea towel an eyecatching design? Only in the 1970s!
      Chatting to my neighbour we agreed that looking forward to completely relaxing in the evening with a drink and something good to watch was a real incentive to get those mundane chores out of the way. It's a reward for being good. xxx

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  6. Hi Vix,
    Your garden is looking lovely and your Anokhi dresses are a lovely sight. That film looks interesting. Mum and I watched The Diary of Anne Frank last night which we borrowed from a library. I haven't watched it in years. X

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    1. Thanks, Jess! If in doubt, get the Anokhi out. They always make me happy even if the weather isn't playing nicely.
      I didn't know there was an Anne Frank film. The book had a profound effect on me as a child, I wonder if I could bear to watch it. We really enjoyed Black Book, I thought I might get a bit twitchy as it's quite a long film but I was thoroughly gripped. xxx

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  7. I so enjoy reading your blog! Love the tiles, love your wardrobe, love your garden and house and style of decorating. You guys have so much energy. Like you I am enjoying staying at home.

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    1. Hello, Claudia! Thank you so much for commenting and for your kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying your lockdown, too. xxx

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  8. I've never grown mustard seed, but I like mustard greens. I find it amazing what one can fine to do during the shut down.

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    1. Mustard cress is delicious on egg mayonnaise sandwiches! xxx

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  9. Hello Vix. I'm not a big fan of wet, cold weather either - I do hope you guys are graced with more sunny days throughout summer. We're in the throng of winter here. It's been pretty cold but we've had a blast of sunshine this week.

    Both your pinafore and the Anokhi dress are beautiful. The watering can makes for a quirky accessory!

    The new tiles and lamps look great. Say hi to your fur babies and Jacob!

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    1. Hello Suzy! Grey, damp days are so uninspiring, aren't they? The weather can't decide what to do this morning and my joints are stiff, always a sign of rain! I'm glad you've had to sunshine to brighten the winter gloom.
      I never used to wear midi length dresses but I've been converted over the last couple of years, they're a lot more practical for wearing in the garden when the grass is sodden - wet hems are the worst!
      Sending loads of love back to you. xxx

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  10. I totally love those tiles, they would look lovely in my bathroom. We are getting our tatami mats changed today, so I have to have the kids out of the house so to sunshine city we go. It’s in ikkeboro it’s a weird place, it has a hotel, shops, an aquarium on the top floor and a gaming complex. The kids love it.
    Me it’s a purse emptier as I love the shops. I am like that shop owner who took a photo of you . I will get them to dress up in an outfit That they think they look cool In and then I take a photo. I also get them to buy the cheap kimonos that often advertise sales or car promotions, they think they are promoting love and peace !!! I darent tell them the truth. Love the lobster tea towel.
    But you looked like you were having the time of your life. Which is good.

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    1. I was so excited to find those tiles, when we took a friend tile shopping last year the choice was beige, grey or white. How I loathe that "minimal hotel chic" look everyone is obsessed with at the moment.
      Sunshine City looks really interesting. I'd never be able to get Jon away from the aquarium. He rediscoveredn aquarium book he'd forgotten about at the weekend and was sighing over it like a crazy person.
      Those promotional kimonons sound hilarious. I'd love one of those!
      I fully intended to go back to that man's shop and buy everything but we never managed to as we missed the bus back from Jaisalmer and had to be driven to the airport by the hotel manager. It's a great excuse to go back (if we're ever allowed to go long haul again!)
      Have a fab day! xxx

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  11. I love the bottom dress on you with the necklace, quite divine. My goodness is there any spot left in your house that you haven't cleaned? I love that the visitors are happy to sit and admire your garden as well.

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    1. Thank you so much!
      After being a domestic slattern for years I do think I'm finally on top of the cleaning although the room I'm sitting in (where I cleaned behind the PC yesterday) is a complete disgrace! xxx

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  12. Before my butterfly brain flutters off to your gorgeous frocks, have a look at Little Fires Everywhere series on Amazon Prime while you’ve got it. I binge watched it. It’s really good.
    Now I’m chuckling at the pic of Jon. Philip has a saying “have you seen this lump on my back”. Usually said when I’ve committed him to something. Now pop back and look at Jon again haha xxx

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    1. I see what you mean about Jon, that did make me laugh!
      Thanks for that recommendation, I think did see it when we were scrolling through, I shall watch that later! xxx

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  13. Your cleaning frenzy puts me to shame. I am full of good intentions but far too easily distracted. I did try to sort out the cupboard in my craft room this morning but got waylaid by my laminator. I now have a smashing transparent face shield so it wasn't pointless crafting today

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    1. Cherie, I'm making up for years of neglect! I am quite surprised at how easy (and fairly enjoyable) it is when you do it regularly instead of in a frenzy when someone calls to say they're calling round.
      I'm impressed by the sound of your face mask! xxx

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  14. those blue tiles are beautiful, are they part of the kitchen makeover? I love the Anokhi dress - never saw any of these when we visited them in India, I think each shop has a limited range of stock. what fun modelling for your Indian Friends Instagram - I bet his shop is showing everyone how to wear his gear the Western way! I don't know what I would do without your posts, going through a grim time here in real world so they cheer me up no end and also inspire me to post too - don't ever stop!!

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    1. Thanks, Betty! They are. Topps Tiles are about the only tile seller in the UK that offer more than grey, white and beige, but be warned, there's some seriously lovely tiles on their website. I was spoilt for choice.
      The Jaipur branch of Anokhi is said to be the best as they stock the entire range as well as old stock from other branches. I was really impressed with the Chowpatti one in Mumbai, the assistant had the patience of a saint! xxx

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  15. I love Empire-line dresses but the curse of big knockers prohibits them ever looking good on Hattie Jacques-types! I too am loving those tiles and in particular the coloured grouting. The look reminds me of the Japanese art of fixing broken stuff with gold 'grout'. I know it begins with 'K', just can't recall the correct name right now. If you take the bottom two leaves off your tomato plant, this will encourage more growth up top. Also, spraying them with water of a morning or evening will encourage propogation. Also, you might want to pinch out the growing blooms (yes, some would say sacrilege but you'll thank me later on in the season) of your geraniums. This will prolong their growing season. Betty's right about your blog lifting the dark clouds of Coronaville. Keep on keepin' on, Madame.xxx

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    1. Ha! I can't profess to ever having that problem!
      Aren't the tiles beautiful? The website has a widget thingy so you can try out different colours of grout with the tiles of your choice. It's amazing how much better tiles look when you don't go for the conventional white.
      Is it Kintsugi? I love how the Japanese make a feature out of mending things. The art of precious scars, they call it.
      Thanks so much for the tomato tip, I wasn't sure if we had to wait for the plants to flower before getting rid of the lower branches and I've done them all now. I'm a bit scared of pinching out the growing blooms on my geraniums. Do you mean the buds below the main flower? i couldn't make head nor tail of the advice on Google! xxx

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  16. A week ago I was wandering around in shorts looking for something to do inside . . . today I am in thick jeans and a fleece refusing to put the heating on!

    Thank you for another colour-filled boost to my day, your agapanthus are much further on than mine, you lucky thing, Oh, and apologies because I lied in my previous post - as you know, Bill and I escaped the driveway and spent an afternoon at the seaside.

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    1. What a difference a week makes. Jon's just drawn the curtains, the cats are wrapped up in a blanket and we're having a curry for tea. It's like winter! It's almost a good thing that we're not at a festival!
      I'm delighted that you & Bill had a day out at the seaside. xxx

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  17. I love the tiles too and the grouting.Your pond reminds me of a Holy well I used to visit and cleanse my crystals in x

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  18. Along with my inability to knit, my list of non-skills includes grouting. I am therefore in awe of Jon's grouting of those tiles. Good gads, the man used non-matching color grout!
    I'm also admiring your choice of footwear -- none but blue nail color -- with the new Anokhi dress. Such a delicate pattern! The usual choice of sandals would be like putting an orchid in a pot with a tomato cage!

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    1. Jon reckons tiling and grouting are really easy, he does it so quickly! The website we bought the tiles from has a nifty tool where you can try different coloured grout with the tiles of your choice, it's amazing what a difference it makes.
      I've worn clogs for the last couple of days, it feels very weird after days of padding around barefoot! xxx

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  19. the new tiles and kitchen lamps look fabulous!
    and now i know what will grow next in your garden :-D
    very brave to tackle your computer corner. and yes - its old houses with fireplaces - even our "not open" tiled oven gives us dust for 3 houses.
    lovely dresses - will never be tired of seeing you in them. vintage silk is always that delicate, and sun exposure and washing make the desintegration prozess even faster. its made of proteine....
    stephen behind the fern - so cute!
    xxxxx

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    1. Thanks, Beate! Buying online is such a lottery, I'm so happy both the tiles and the lamps lived up to their website photos.
      I meant to tell you what I'd planted, sorry - I hope you don't think I was being secretive!
      I thought it was the open fireplaces that generated so much dust, I wondered where it kept coming from.
      If I ever go charity shopping again I'll buy an old sari and copy my shredded top. xxx

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  20. The tiles are so unusual, I love them.
    I haven't been in the garden this week, we've had lots of rain so I haven't needed to water. Your agapanthus is coming into bloom, they are lovely,you have such a lot of colour. The photo looking along the front of your house is absolutely beautiful.
    I'm glad to hear Jon's back is getting better. You two certainly get stuff done! xxx

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    1. Thanks, Sally! They also make a plain version but I loved the etched design, it made them look a little more exotic.
      We've mostly had shwoers this week and when the sun's been out it's been pleasantly warm. Today has been relentless, grey, cold and non-stop rain. I'm glad we've drawn the curtains, I'm fed up with looking at it! xxx

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  21. A dress with french seams!! Now that is really special.One of my sisters worked for The House Of Dior back in the late '60s, and she had to sew all garments by hand, with french seams, for 3 years. She made me one. I treasured it.

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    1. Wow! How fabulous that your sister worked at The House of Dior! I bet the dress she made you was exquisite.
      Anokhi still make everything by hand. I can only afford to buy their new stuff in India (or secondhand on eBay) the prices here are eye-watering! xxx

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  22. Another Beautiful post, thank you, and another dive into Ebay for me... that Anokhi dress...thank you!

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    1. Thanks so much, Carrie! Good luck with your quest for the Anokhi dress. They are out there! xxx

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  23. I've never tasted kohlrabi - does it taste like turnip? What a fab variety of vegetables and herbs you are growing.

    The tiles are fabulous and the new retro lights are pretty fab, too. It's a gamble buying from the internet, isn't it? My new mantel arrives on Monday and I hope it looks as good as it does on the website...

    I loved both your outfits; what a shame about the blouse disintegrating. Your cats are like children following you around everywhere - and getting under your feet I bet!

    Lovely flowers; your crocosmia looks very unusual. It grows wild in Ireland but always the orange variety not the scarlet...

    Take care and stay safe - I take it you won't be rushing back to Wetherspoons anytime soon!

    xxx

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    1. Hi Vronni. The orange version is known as Montbretia, not Crocosmia though I suspect they are kissing cousins!!! Think Montbretia may be native???

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    2. Hello Vronni! Kohlrabi has a fresh, almost apple-like taste. It's lovely in stir-fries and apparently can be thinly slices, oven baked and used as an alternative to chips!
      It is a gamble buying online, I like to see and touch things first and it's such a relief when they turn up and look even better than the photos. Hope your mantel turns out to be fabulous.
      The cats are like children, they mither, nag, have tantrums, get you up all at crazy times and sit for ages staring at you for no reason at all. I've no idea why we love them so much!
      I think Catmac's right about the Montbretia and that they're part of the same family. We've got both the orange and red in the garden and they look to be imminent in their blooming - we just need more sunshine.
      Stay safe - hope you're not going to be queuing outside the pub at 6am in the morning like BoJo said we can! xxx

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  24. Our shower is in serious need of grout...but I'm not going to think about it ;)

    Such great dresses. I guess the constant repairs just come with loving vintage. Nothing wrong with clothes that have lived a few lives and show it.

    That garden just keeps getting better and better!

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    1. I'd offer to send Jon round and sort your grout out but BoJo's just told us that the USA is in the red zone and he'd have to be quaranitined for weeks! xxx

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  25. Oh Vix, how I love to see you modelling all your gooorrrgeous dresses!!! You've got some real gems. I loved seeing you all dressed up in the shop - what fun you must have had! I bought a 2nd hand patchwork top last year that needs some attention - it's needing mending in several places and I must get round to it so I can wear it again. You know you've started something, don't you - my hubby never imagined he'd be roped in to have a new career in retirement - as a fashion photographer lol!! I have to check everything he does, though, as he is apt to chop my head off. Thank goodness for digital. So glad you like my little bits of modelling - and my hair too - it looks frighteningly white in the photos. The colour is still growing out in the ends. I'm now 67 (eeek!!) and I think I shall go on wearing plaits till I'm 90. I'm glad you like my completed knitting. The green one was languishing in a box for 25 years and I'm really glad to have got it finished now. I've got several Indian skirts - mostly midi rather than maxi, and a fabulous thicker maxi patchwork one given to me years ago by a friend. I need to dig these out again.

    Does your friend with coeliac disease use bought soya milk, or does she make her own? I found one make (Alpro, I think it was) was very chalky and unpleasant, but there was another brand which wasn't so bad. The home-made is much better. For tea and coffee I prefer almond milk which I make in my high-speed blender. It's got a lovely creamy taste, but it makes custard taste peculiar! It makes great yoghurt though. So I'm going to go on making both sorts of non-dairy milk. I'm going to make some more tofu soon, because I don't think the first lot was quite right - it seems a bit too grainy and fragile. I marinated it and roasted it but it didn't crisp up - not sure why. It tasted OK though. I've been watching lots of YouTube videos about it and trying to decide which method gives the best results.

    From what you wrote about Jon's activities over the past couple of days, his back is obviously better now - really glad to hear that! The tiles and kitchen lamps are gorgeous. Everything in the house and garden seems to be coming along beautifully.

    Lovely as always to see pictures of the Lads. I've just noticed that Stephen has a white tip to his tail! Lily had a tiny white tip when she was very small, but you have to search for it now - it's just a hair or two. They certainly are handsome lads! Loved the photo of Stephen with all 4 white paws and white tail tip together! I think they are bigger than Lily and Ruby (girls are usually smaller, I think). They are so funny with their little ways, and their favourite places which seem to change on a whim, incomprehensible to us! They do like to be "in" things or "on" things, don't they. I now have hundreds of photos of them doing funny things! They are endlessly entertaining, and so affectionate too.

    I had another really productive phone appointment about my bladder today. She's booking me in for a bladder scan, and I'm to go on with the 2-hourly visits to the loo! It's a bit inconvenient, especially when I don't feel as if I need to go (but usually find that I do after all) and the kitties don't like it either because they have to get off me so that I can get up!! I really feel optimistic that the physio can help me now.

    Shoshi x

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    1. Hello, Shoshi!
      Your husband's doing a cracking job with the fashion photography, you've got some fabulous clothes and look great in them. The reason I fell in love with blogging was that I got to see women of all shapes, sizes and ages instead of those bland models on websites and magazines. Real people are far more inspiring, aren't they?
      I think that milk was Alpro. I've tried their yoghurt too and wasn't at all keen. I do have a problem with anything rich and creamy, I only have a splash of skimmed milk in my tea and loathe ice cream or cream. I'm interested in the home made soya milk though, definitely worth considering.
      How funny that Lily started life with a white tipped tail and grew out of it. When we first had stephen he was striped, not sure what happened there!
      I'm so glad your bladder problems are being taken seriously and hope the two-hourly loo visits are just temporary, that must be exhausting! xxx

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    2. Hi Vix! I got my hubby out there taking photos of me again today! I think he thinks I've gone a bit mad lately - well, slightly more mad than usual, that is. I agree with you - real people are sooo much more interesting than the photoshopped magazine models.

      Home made non-dairy milk is always better than bought. I hated the Alpro soya milk! I've got a huge production line of soya milk making going on today because I've got to make yoghurt, custard and more tofu. I've had bowls of soaking beans, standing on bits of paper saying what they are for so I don't get them muddled up! My little machine has been going a lot. I have to do the final litre for the tofu at midnight, and will make it tomorrow, along with a huge amount of cooking as we're out for 2 meals this week and I'm taking food.

      So funny that Stephen started out life stripey - my hubby's first cat was called Tabby and she was black. I always teased him about it because he's colour blind and I said only he would have a black cat called Tabby! He said she was stripey when she was a kitten. They do get darker as they get older.

      If I can train my bladder to recognise that it needs to go, I should be able to extend the interval to 3 hours, but it's got to remain at 2 for a while yet, I think. It's the kitties who are most fed up with it because they have to keep getting off me!

      Off to see what you've been up to since my last visit. That is, once I've been to the loo again!!!
      Shoshi xx

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  26. How lovely you have a dress with French seams. I learned how to do it in a fashion sewing course I took last year- I'm so happy I did it. Now, all I need is to buy a sewing machine before I forget what I learned.
    The tiles Jon made look great. Your garden and house look impeccable.
    I watched Black Book a few years ago, a fantastic film, I still remember it.
    Your midi dress are very pretty. I like how you paired the first sleeveless one with a top made of silk sari. It is cool you're mending the top so creatively even if it keeps falling apart. The second midi dress has such a gorgeous pattern and I like the accessories you paired with it. Have a nice day!

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    1. French seams are a sign of quality - I make my dresses with them , too! You should get yourself a sewing machine, as sewing becomes more popular the prices are really reasonable. Even Lidl sell them occasionally!
      Black Book was such a good film, I love Sebastian Koch in everything I've seen him in. xxx

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  27. The midi dress is so gorgeous. I'd love to be able to carry off something like that but fear that, on me at least, it would hang like a sack.
    Those tiles are beautiful. You have such great taste, and I adore that shade of blue. X

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    1. Thanks, Jules! I can't imagine the midi dress would look like a sack on you, Anokhi clothes are so beautifully made, they're not like the high street stuff here where they look good on a hnager and horrible on as they're lined and handmade with love! Keep your eyes peeled on eBay (East is another lovely label to search for). xxx

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  28. I love enough of your dresses!
    I was thinking the other day about how strange it will seem to wear shoes and gather things into a bag when life calls for more social interaction once again. Funny how these everyday things seem a bit alien now.
    I love it when my cats follow me around the garden to see what’s occurring, often they take a sneaky drink from my watering can, even though they have a fresh bowl of water inside!
    Your garden is looking lovely!
    The lobster tea towel makes a stunning framed piece, it looks so good against the green wall.
    Take care, have a great weekend!
    xx

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    1. Thank you! The dress you bought reminds me of the second one. Dresses with sleeves rock!
      I know what you mean, it's going to feel very strange walking around with a bag and shoes after so long without either.
      Your cats sound as crazy as ours! Stephen will sit for half an hour waiting for me to put fresh water in his bowl yet has no problem drinking out of puddles!
      Have a fab weekend despite the lack of sunshine! xxx

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  29. I meant I love both of your dresses...
    xx

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    1. I thought that was what you meant! xxx

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  30. Those tiles are really lovely - Jon's pretty nifty round the house!

    I love agapanthus. I bought one this year; now it's out Pete can see why I wanted one so badly. with so many stems on it, yours must look amazing.

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix