At the beginning of lock down, I bought some fabric with a view to making a Regency dress.  Yesterday, I finally decided I had time to begin cutting out, having fixed the problem with my sewing machine.  As we all should, I read through the instructions before beginning, and they said:  Do not wear this with a modern bra, the line won’t be correct.

So, before making the dress, I am going to attempt some stays!

I may also need a new chemise…

It seems like I have spent a whole lot of my life at my computer this week.  I have attended Zoom meetings, watched streamed lectures, updated websites, fiddled around with spreadsheets and attended webinars.

One of the lectures was at lunchtime, so I had a “working” lunch – something I have not done for many years!

I enjoy playing with technology, but I have started deliberately seeking out things I can do away from my computer – elsewhere in the house, or in my potting shed…

Meanwhile, there are more and more flowers on the plants from Rhey!

Not the weather for us to enjoy our most recent “pub” meal outdoors, but nice to have something close to it indoors.

First course was Steak & Chips with Peas and Mushrooms, washed down with a pint of Gadds #5 Bitter and a pint of Canterbury Merchant’s Ale (described by the brewery as a “Mild Kentish Stout”):

The pudding was a Raspberry & Passion Fruit tart; it really needed a dollop of double cream on it!:

Rocco seemed very keen on the steak and enjoyed a small offcut!

Some years ago, Phil’s mum gave me a small tote bag, which I used often and with pleasure.  However, the handles were getting worn, so I decided to refashion it into a sort of reticule.  It’s too big for that, really, but will hold all the junk a 21st century woman has to carry!

Over the weekend, while considering what to do next, I sorted out all the books in the loft.

First, empty all the shelves.  Then put the books into categories – move elsewhere in the house, no longer needed, Book Group books, and then by subject.  On top of that, I had to remove the ones I didn’t want from the log, and add any that I hadn’t bothered to log before to the log!  Those are the ones on the seat.  I have been lazy in the past…

At the end of the exercise, there’s one empty crate and two empty shelves.  Very satisfying.  Just the books in the bedroom to sort out now.  Some of those will undoubtedly go on the spare shelves in the loft!

We were due to be on holiday in the Yorkshire Dales this week, so as partial compensation, we decided to have another Tesco “Meal Deal”.

The main course was Slow Cooked Gammon Shank In Pineapple with Chunky Chips:

And for pudding, Chocolate & Orange Profiteroles:

And a surprisingly nice bottle of Merlot. Not bad for a total cost of £10!

The trouble with sowing seeds is… seedlings!

Some herbs – coriander, basil and parsley.  Destined for the herb bed, eventually.

Although I’m not sure all of this is parsley!

There are also some flowers:

And some very healthy looking ones from Rhey:

The upshot of all this is I needed to make some pots, using my useful little pot maker.  This is a job you can do while chatting to a friend or daughter via videolink.

And here are some I made earlier.

Watch this space for pictures of the pots with plants in!

We have been missing the occasional meal in a pub, so took advantage of a Tesco “Meal Deal” and made our own. I’d earlier collected a few pints of “Wantsum Imperium Bitter 4.0%” from our local beer takeaway, and enjoyed a beer in the sunshine while the cook was hard at work!

First course was peppercorn steak with lemon and thyme roast potatoes, pan fried mushrooms and salad. All washed down with a reasonable wine:

Pudding was raspberry cheesecake and cream:

Total cost £10 (plus a few vegetables), including the wine. What a bargain!