So we are nautical or patriotic instead of seaside......

Yesterday was the longest day. I remembered that today. And let me tell you, it is grey, wet and humid today and nothing in anyway resembling summer. Sigh. Oh well. The garden is growing at pace today. I swear the plants are inches taller than last night. I opened the door this afternoon, and the wave of humid air hit me, and I thought, yes, the plants will like this. Even if they are bent double by the weight of the raindrops. 

After an energetic aquazumba session at dawn, Jean and I whizzed off to coffee at Podington. The great garden centre place. I wanted some more of those tomato stands, and Jean was also interested in them. So coffee was the first thing on the list. I carried the tray to our armchairs, and spilled a little of my coffee, so I went back for more serviettes to mop up the mess, and voila, I sent Jean's cup flying all over the place. The mess........ Somehow it managed to miss most of Jean. Her shoes were another story. A stunning start to the day. The staff were delightful, cleaned up the mess - do you know how far coffee can spread????  Anyway, they brought a fresh cup of coffee, and ushered us to a clean set of armchairs, and I refused to touch anything on the grounds that I would cause more chaos. 

But the fruit scones were delicious. I had to eat mine before I reached very carefully for the coffee. Jean was watching. 

And on to the shops. And the pottering about. Dodging the rain. Town centres around here are so depressing at the moment. Shops closed, windows boarded up, and a plethora of charity shops. One or 2 chain stores and it is all SO depressing. I have said it before - the people look beaten. You know? Mind you, there were very few about today. People, that is. I was searching for a little red plastic chair and a table(plastic to match) for Missy - I had found the yellow, green and blue chairs a while back, but the red one was missing. Eureka! Today we spotted one, and a yellow table, and Jean, the star, carried them back to the car so I could potter on. They weigh nothing, but are just awkward to carry when one has a stick to contend with as well. The chairs stack, and they can be used outside and the rain won't damage them. And this being England, that is always a prerequisite. Actually, when I was down with A and A, we searched everywhere for little plastic chairs and tables, which were available everywhere last year, but strangely absent this year. Nothing. So when I got home, I was on a mission. 

Mission accomplished. 

While I was looking after the dogs for Glynis and Peter, I "liberated" some of their pebbles. I did confess, by the way. I had seen an idea on Pinterest I think, or somewhere on the Internet, and I wanted to make it. So I washed and dried the pebbles............

and then I sat down and wrote the names of people who matter to me on each pebble and put them in the bowl.

 And the idea is that you pick up a pebble in the morning randomly, and then keep it in your pocket all day and think about or pray for that person. The next day, you choose another one. Great idea, isn't it? And so simple. I have friends with pebble driveways. I am quite sure they won't mind me liberating more pebbles as the days go by. :-)

I like it. Pebbles/stones have a wonderfully warm feeling to them when they are kept in a pocket all day. They take on the body heat and it makes the whole thing even better. And Sharpies work perfectly on stone.

Let me know if you make your own bowl - and how you find it - I would love to hear.

Moving on then....................

My lounge.

I was aiming for the seaside look, which I still want to try, but because I couldn't find the pale blue cushions or the cream ones, I went with what was around. So I made the patterned covers, and the navy ones with the appliqued bits on them, and a couple of cream ones. After all the patriotic bunting efforts, the blue fabric just happened to be on the top of one of the piles. There are many piles. I found some of the red Christmas things, and a few bowls and flowers............

 That lighthouse is great, isn't it!

 And we now have a nautical/patriotic theme for this summer. Apt, because of the Olympics. Of course I planned it that way. Of course. In the future, I will group all the cushions in one place, so they don't go awol again, and maybe by next summer, the lounge will be painted white and the seaside look can reign supreme. I have seashells. Lots of them. And a bucket. I even have the white paint and a paintpod. Hint, hint, hint, to the painters around these parts. I am giving up on the waiting forever to get the whole house fixed before I paint. At least I have paint, and it is white. And therefore I can do it. I think it was last painted about 8 years ago. I know. Dire.

Wimbledon starts next week. You will be thrilled to know that it is supposed to rain. The whole week. 

I popped in to visit Glynis today, and she is loving being at home again. We are so happy to have her back too. She tires easily, and is very thin. I was going to say wrinkly, which is what I said to her, amid laughter and the mention of ET, but then....... She is so tiny, so any weight loss is immediately evident. I do not have this problem. Nor would I want to go through her experience either. We love her, and she is home. So it is all good. I will make it a mission to help her to regain her weight. That I am quite sure I can do. In fact, I am quite certain I am a leading expert in the putting on weight field. The delights of being me. 

Right. Time for coffee. And I do believe there is sign of sun..........................