31: a different kind of creativity.......

Did you watch this? Unbelievable. Felix Baumgartner jumped out of his balloon capsule from the edge of space this evening. If you missed it, just check your news channels. I watched him live and it was amazing. His poor mother must have aged a decade in the minutes it took for him to fall to an altitude where his parachute would open. I very much doubt we will see anything like this again in our lifetimes. 

There he is, on the ground. I took the photos with my camera from the live BBC TV news broadcast of it. 

Wow. 

Amazing. 

Today has been busy - church and a continuation of our superb Job sermons, and then shared lunch with friends. That is always lovely, and it is so nice to catch up and just relax over a meal. 6 families today, I think. I am always amused at how there is rarely anything duplicated in our offerings! And my Swiss ball for exercising is finally blown up properly. Friends are useful, you know! Sitting on it when it was lacking air was ridiculous. It looked like a squashed donut. Doughnut? Ah - a bagel. 

I came home and decided to cook the tomato and onion relish, which went well, and then to stew the apples. 

Well. 

I caramelised them in minutes. I managed to rescue most of them, although they have a slightly golden tinge to them. They taste fine. But my new stainless steel pot is in a dreadful state. My friend Meg suggested boiling vinegar and baking soda and letting it cool then scrubbing. I am on my second lot of vinegar etc and we are making very slow progress, but I refuse to give up. I will go and get out yet another steel wool thingy and try a bit more elbow grease when I have posted this. Creativity of the negative kind. 

My garden looks different without the numerous pots, doesn't it? But the dahlias are lovely. 

And here I am, after finishing all the trimming of the bunting flags. All ready to go now. From tomorrow, I will be looking after my friends 2 dogs for 3 weeks. In a perfect introduction to an extended time with me around, the small one, Dougal, ATE the £10 note which dropped from my pocket. I had just got home, after supper with them, when Glynis called and asked if I was missing a £10 note. I was. I had been to the supermarket on the way there. It is now in Dougal's stomach. I just hope he has passed it before I get to take over the reins. 

I hope you have all had great, uneventful weekends, and time to relax and enjoy life. And now, I am off to roll up the sleeves and attack a pot..........