This and that
You might, as our friends did yesterday, think that one of us was celebrating a birthday or some other occasion, for the house is filled with an abundance of flowers once again. But I bought these myself, whilst shopping in Cirencester last weekend. I couldn’t resist these huge lilies; the bunches wrapped in pairs, priced at £15. Thinking that two bunches were a little excessive, I asked to buy just one - would the greengrocer split the pack for me? Well no - the “bunch” was actually both of them - all ten stems. With each stem holding at least half a dozen blooms on a stalk measuring almost a metre, these were so spectacular, I picked up another bundle for Bettine.
They were so heavy, neither of us could carry the whole bundle in a water-filled vase and the whole process of getting them in place took quite some thinking through!
In one of those “this and that” weeks, I’ve been working my way through several lists, trying to sort out a few bits and pieces, placing online orders and receiving the deliveries, sometimes wondering what on earth the packers are thinking. This morning’s silliness was a huge box with just one small box inside - and a few bits of paper for packing. I suppose they did well to avoid using plastic at all but it seemed excessive all the same.
We’re watching the progress of the preparation for our village music festival on Saturday. I’m sure the people working on site are pleased not to be working in the baking sun, but after such a long spell of dry, warm weather, it will be disappointing if those clouds open up!
With a last minute change of plan yesterday, we decided to go out for lunch. Well, it’s not glamorous but oh my, it’s good! We did our usual trick of parking up on the common and enjoying our haddock and chips with a spectacular view. We had entertainment too, thanks to a small family trying to fly a kite. The children soon gave up and handed over to Dad, who did his best to run and get the thing in the air whilst Mum stood by, looking vaguely amused. It wasn’t long before she became bored and wandered off, though the children stayed a bit longer, watching as their father became more and more frustrated! When we left, he was there alone, fixing something that had come undone on yet another crash landing. I wonder how many kite flying sessions end like that?
The fish and chips were by way of a main meal as I was going out last night to John Lewis in Cheltenham. They were opening specially for WI members and had put together an evening of tastings, demonstrations and shopping (of course), complete with live music. What fun! The band (sorry, I didn’t catch their name) were terrific, hitting the spot with just “the right” music to get everyone in the spirit.
I enjoyed the “smart home” demonstration, giving full marks to the young man who gave a very professional overview of what’s available and how it works, doing his best to avoid the impossible by saying “Alexa” and “Hey Google” unintentionally! Lights came on, changed colour and went off, the fan came on and was reluctant to turn off again and a variety of messages appeared on screens here and there. What was most impressive was that he never patronised, never assumed anything and kept every one of his audience enthralled (and entertained!) throughout. Excellent!
As the weekend approaches then, we’re watching the warm and slightly humid weather turn our garden into a jungle as we prepare for a houseful and a weekend of fun.
We’re hoping no-one’s allergic to the scent of lilies, because my word, those blooms have bloomed! Bettine counted 61 flowers on hers and we must have a similar number. A little emergency action was needed because some of those flower heads were just too heavy for the stems and they keeled over. As a result, we now have three large vases and quite a spectacle on the dining table.
When my daily email from The Universe arrived, I did as I usually do and glanced at the message. I usually go ahead and delete it but on this occasion, it hit the spot and I did a quick cut and paste into a card for this week’s Project Life.
Don’t ask how I finished the tassel on the macramé plant hanger, will you?
