Monday 11 January 2016

What's been going on today?

Hello. Busy Monday again. I should have washed my hair yesterday but didn't so I had to do it this morning before Crafty Club. I didn't have any work ready to take with me, so right at the last minute, moments before I stepped out of the door, I grabbed some balls of wool and a couple of crochet hooks. I need the practice if I am to have a go at making a piece of Scrumble art, like what Briony makes. Have you see her beautiful work, I have put her Scrumble blog on the sidebar. I can't see me making something as good as that. 
Our Crafty Christmas Tree was collected from the church this morning and was dismantled. We each took our own decorations home with us. Next Christmas we will be using the same tree but making new decorations for it. Having a theme was mentioned, maybe all bells, or all angels, or whatever ideas the members come up with. 
After Crafty Club I went round to Linda's house, she has missed a few weeks and we wondered if she was ok. She invited me in for a natter. She has been poorly but hopes to get to the club next week. 
This afternoon I went to the mobile library and swapped some books. Had a natter with Stan. It appears that the people at the Medical Centre which is where the van is parked, don't want it there any more because the patients are having difficulty getting in and out of the car park. A new place has to be found for it.  
Here is a sneak preview of my new project. I came up with several ideas for the blocks of wood which Bob gave me. One idea was a political statement, and another would have meant time consuming intricate painting. As you can see, they are getting painted different colours, I chose the third and easiest option. Those sample pots of paint I bought from Woolies for 4p each, before they closed down have come in useful for all kinds of jobs. Not telling you any more, you will have to wait and see what I do with them.  
A few Walking Group reports are coming through and I am adding updates to the members list on the Challenge page. You don't have to send in reports, but if you do it keeps up the momentum and hopefully everyone's motivation gets a boost. Don't worry if you are not able to make as much progress as you would have liked, by merely having a go and doing some walking means you are thinking about improving your fitness and general health. Remember each and every one of you are doing it for yourself, a few miles here, a few miles there, all adds up.

I had a change of footwear tonight. Normally I walk in my old boots, they are dead comfy, but tonight I put these trainers on. A free pair I got out of a skip, well I actually got them before they went into the skip, because the owner gave them to me. These have more of a spring in them, felt like I was walking on cushions and found them not as clumsy as boots. I even managed a bit of jogging tonight, not a good idea if you don't wear a bra, ha ha. I'll be wearing these from now on, unless it snows, then I'll be back to the boots. I am keeping to three miles a day, and it varies what time I do it. I am now in the habit of building the 45 minutes into my daily routine.

There always seems to be anniversaries for something or other, commemorating different events in history. If it isn't for the beginning or the end of a war, it's Googlie with their fancy logo's celebrating the birth or death of some ancient composer or engineer long gone 150 years ago. There must be something I should be celebrating in my own life, so I've been delving in the diaries again.

On this day, Wednesday January 11th 1989, I went into work at 8.am, and because there wasn't much to do, I worked on my lorry. I was employed by Leicester Heavy Haulage at the time. I painted the front bumper and grille, and it looked a lot better. After dinner, Jim sent me to Conder for a load of steel for Mid Wales, it was 50 feet long. I left Burton at 3.30pm. I parked up in Hereford on the Cattle Market, as that was the only place I know you can park. I expected the roads to get narrow from then on, so I would rather tackle them in the morning. I had a chat with another driver, he was from Van Leer, and chatted to local breakers on the CB radio. I rang Colin's cab phone but there was no answer. where is he? So, on this day 27 years ago I was sleeping in my cab on the Cattle market in Hereford. I vaguely remember it, ha ha.

All is well at Tightwad Towers tonight. Rocky is due a little Bimble any time now, that's if I can rouse him from his snooze. The kitties are all sleeping, but you can guarantee that when I move from this chair and go into the kitchen they will miraculously wake up and demand food, ha ha.

Thank you for popping in. Catch up soon. Toodle pip.

14 comments:

  1. Ilona, I have upped my walking amount by another 1.5 kilometres. I woke up puzzling how to get to work and home again on foot in time and without being sweaty. Everytime I feel lazy, I am spurred on by thinking of you. Thank you so much!

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    1. Hi. If you walk fast you will get sweaty, have a spray deodorant close by. If you feel like you could do more go for it, build up a few miles in reserve in the bank so you can take a day off now and again.

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  2. Sleeping in Hereford market place in your cab sounds a bit safer than when my son used to sleep in the cab of his road train. Pitch black in the Rockies. Mind you he had a bed ,cooker, microwave all in the cab. Doesn't do it any more . Says he's too old now. (46) He decided he would rather stay in Saskatoon and sleep in his own bed. ha ha. He works for himself now. ( mainly fitting kitchens.)

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    1. Hi Caz. I loved sleeping in my cab, driving for a living satisfied the wanderlust in me. I still don't mind sleeping in odd places, but wouldn't want to be tied to a job now.

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  3. I'm finding your diary excerpts interesting. Would be great to hear some more.

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  4. Good luck with the crochet practice Ilona, I know you'll produce something interesting.
    Briony
    x

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  5. I love your diary excerpts too, most interesting.
    Pam in TX.xx

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  6. Thank you for your link to the scrumble art. I am an avid knitter and crocheter. The projects that I like best are the kind that use up bits and pieces of what you already have. There is a kind of frugal serendipity to those projects that I don't get from projects were you have to buy everything to get started. The scrumble art looks very interesting, and based on some of your other projects, I bet you would be a natural at it, Ilona! The link reminded me of a project in one of my craft books. It was a large green bed cover, covered with countless numbers of three dimensional flower blooms (real and fantasy), all made with craps of yarn and crocheted and scattered at will. The effect was dazzling, and very much like a country meadow. The background story of the crocheter was more interesting...the lady was elderly, widowed and living on a tiny pension. She made the bed covers and sold them to supplement her income. Thanks again for sharing. Mary Jane in Canada.

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  7. Can't wait to see what you're coming up with involving the wood pieces. With as much walking as you do you sure need good shoes on those feet and that pair looks thick and comfy.

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  8. Lovely that you went round to check what was wrong with the lady who was missing craft club, there is so little community spirit around these days but you do so much in your village helping out with animals and gardens, you are really a very 'rich' lady, not materially but in friends and well wishers. I read your blog every day and find it very inspiring. Thank you.

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  9. So many people have joined your 1000 mile Challenge, I feel bad for not joining in especially as my dogs would love me to sign up to regular walking as long as they could come with me. But at the moment my energy levels are rock bottom so I will sit on my hands, when they are not typing of course, and watch your progress over the year. Those trainers look comfy, a good find :-)

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  10. How excellent to get one's shoes off - or en route to - a skip! They are such a marvellous source of useful items. May I share a list of recent skip acquisitions?
    - Endless supplies of wood for our little woodburner (heats the whole house and boils water for free)
    - A v. nice sturdy, old-fashioned shelving unit thing for the kitchen.
    - An extremely useful padded tray thing for eating in bed/on couch (they cost 10 quid new - I saw one in a real-live shop today)
    - A sizeable box of the poshest Christmas crackers ever known to humankind
    - A large, functioning torch
    - Numerous buckets and pots etc for gardening
    - Two bedside tables which just needed a bit of paint to tart them up.
    We just knock on the door and ask if people mind us having a rummage and have never had a negative response yet. My birthday present request for this year is to be taken to an exciting skip which I haven't seen yet!

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  11. Hello,Ilona.A day brightener,to read and love reading of your days.I like the crochet scrumple art very creative.How thoughtful to keep an eye out for a neighbour..I think kindness is alive and well all over the world,we just don't hear about it as much as the awful things going on.Right now many Canadians are all in a lather over Syranian refugees.The trainers are a great freebie wiil be very useful and are Fila no less!Thanks for sharing ,D.

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  12. I cant wait to see what you are creating this time, its always something amazingly crafty x

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