Your day (apart from gardening) what took place ? 2024

Made the first mince pies for this year, 48 altogether.

 

@Logan silly question but why are you making so many mince pies so early...well to us it is early.

 

@On the Levels I always do a trial run for the special ones for Christmas, also hubby likes them before Christmas. I don't mind really, they will be eaten now and no it's not a silly question.

 

You’re not on your own @Logan I’ve baked a few dozen Mincepies already and we’ve enjoyed every one of them .

 

That's good news and yes they're lovely.

 

My 53 year old teddy bear was given a clean up this morning using dry shampoo. Made the "fur" stand up and look a lot better. His bow tie is having a wash and once dry will be back on him.

 

I blame HomeBargains.

Recently we have been starting to notice those plastic "Box" balls that are replacing proper hanging baskets on both sides of front doors. The ones with pink flowers are all the rage around us, and admittingly, look better than a doorway without anything. Perhaps.

Now with the festive season they are starting to get paired with plastic "Box" wreaths with added plastic things, which again look cheerful and make me feel like a proper stupid snob when I feel my eyebrows lift and lips pursing.

Or perhaps we have subscribed to "Country Living" for too long...

Anyways, off we went to forage the marvels of the countryside and felt most smug and proper (Though we forgot the soup in Thermos and tweed clothing I'm afraid, and a dog called "Rover" or "Bob", but nearly there )

A man walking his dog (probably called "Rover" or "Bob") was following us part of the way so I prepared a speech about celebrating the nature, avoiding plastic and consumerism, and in general being a good person in case he challenged us for pinching rosehips, seedheads and pine cones. Sadly, he just said "Morning". And I had even practised a suitable posh-ish accent in my head!




The wreath base is made of Parthenocissus branches from the garden, nicely bendy and supple. And since we are a "Country Living" household, the unevenness of the shape just adds to the charm (plus it's quite fun to twine the branches around and around)

I'll snip some conifer twigs from the front to create a good lush green base and then add whatever looks good, rosehips at least and perhaps some pine or larch cones.

In other news, The Child replaced the oven seal following YouTube instructions and now we have a fully functional, clean, electric oven

 

I'd rather have a bare doorway any time @Selleri. A large, empty pot, or a group of them, is also nice - doesn't have to have plants in it/them.
I also don't understand how they manage to make any green colour in these plastic plants look like nothing that grows in real life!
The wreath will be great - I have a ready made wooden, woven one for the front door which I just add bits and pieces to from the garden. Holly and ivy is often chosen, and I add other little bits and pieces - pine/fir cones, berries etc, and some suitable ribbon. I wire the fir cones on to stop them being blown away.
Any berries you can collect will be great - I use cotoneasters as I have plenty in the garden. They last really well.

 

At the surgery this afternoon as one of the dog bites back in April has decided it is going to start bleeding and wont stop. Nothing doing there apart from yet another dressing and after the GP referral service (never heard of it) have to go back to the minor injury unit that treated me at the start and see what they think is the problem. So another glorious wait for hours tomorrow....but the forecast is bad so no gardening to do.

 

Oh dear @On the Levels i hope that it will heal soon.

 

@Logan so do I. After so many months and now....into waiting area for hopefully not too many hours tomorrow. All because I went and delivered some flowers to a neighbour on her 100th birthday and then the dog attacked me when I left. Terrified of dogs now and when owners say " they are ok/friendly" I don't believe them.

 

@On the Levels - I'm so sorry that happened to you. I hope you'll be ok. Worrying when something reopens after that length of time. I'm the same now with dogs because of the behaviour and lack of control by ignorant, irresponsible owners. I'm fed up with their attitude - apparently it's my problem when the dogs go for me, growling and barking, when I'm walking along minding my own business. There's lots of places I don't go on my daily walks because of it, and I'm the same as you when they give that pathetic quote.
It's become a huge problem on our hills too with even more attacks on sheep, and I've personally seen it more often in the last few years when out. Some people were arrested and charged the other day in the north east, because of the behaviour of their 'pets'.

 

I made a batch of tea cakes, ate 2 hot out of the oven. Very bad for your digestion my grandmother always used to tell me, eating hot cakes etc. Yum. What a heavenly way to go! I put half of them in the freezer. Today is going to be bread making day.
I phoned my computer nerd service engineer and asked him if he would be willing to find a replacement for my current lap top. He is wonderful, I have no idea what kind of brain he has in his head but start him talking about computers and he is off and away. I do not understand what he is talking about but he has serviced my equipment for so long I have complete faith in him finding something suitable for me. I did go online and look at what was available and was completely overwhelmed with how many different options there were. Scary. I have given him a price range and said there was no rush so he can take his time.

 

Starting to get the Christmas tree up and all of the decorations, it will take me over a week to do it all because i have to do it between walking the dogs/boys and everything else, the neighbours are planning to do a big switch on on 1st of December, i might beat them at that.

 

Made a loaf and did a big wash up and tidy.
Today ia another busy one. Walk the dog, go to Par Market to pick up the rest of the mugs I bought for club, take the mugs to club on the way home then home and collapse.
A lovely sunny morning but cold. I have dug out my thermal long johns to keep me warm.