Notes from the bewildered

.What a week!!!  Just when I thought all was well with the parents, off we go again. My Dad, bless him, who at 85 is seriously struggling to come to terms with having to give up his driving licence, has decided he is not ready to vacate the roads just yet.  Having come up with several ingenious ideas to keep himself mobile, his latest is...A BIKE!!!  Various unwelcome thoughts come to mind. Images of Dad, on a motor bike, zooming along the high street like some sort of geriatric hells angel, or wobbling along the road on a push bike, dressed all in Lycra, his legs shaved for extra speed....shouting abuse at anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way.

Do they still do cycling proficiency tests, I wonder?..if so, he would definitely need one, along with stabilisers and the local A&E on speed dial...

Talking of 'senior moments', I'm not immune to the odd one myself. This was very clearly demonstrated at a coffee shop recently.  There was I with a friend, enjoying tea and cakes, when I heard a friendly voice behind me shout "Hello Sue, how are you?"... Shock, horror, that awful moment when you realise this is someone you know well and really like, but cannot recall their name!!......Er, erm, I spluttered as I desperately tried to work out how I was going to handle the inevitable introductions.  Wracking my brain frantically, a name suddenly appeared in my mind, Yes, that must be it, mustn't it?!! In a split second I decided to go with it...As everyone waited expectantly I replied loudly and confidently, "Trudi, how lovely to see you" and was about to make the necessary introductions when she suddenly burst into laughter..."Sue", she giggled, "Trudi is my dog, I'm Tania!"....Oh No!! Please ground, open up and swallow me!!!

In the light of that monumental gaffe, I have decided that, if in doubt, plead temporary amnesia and say nothing..

Till next time ..

Sue x

Notes (not tales!) from the Riverbank...

Here I am at the River Cafe in Matlock, enjoying a rather large cappuccino and an equally large and scrummy cup cake on a gloriously sunny October afternoon. The perfect opportunity for a spot of people watching, (a favourite pastime of mine).  I have Molly with me, (the newest and most lively of my furry family)  who, at the moment, is all loved up with a particularly handsome golden retriever at the next table.  Awww!!

Talking of people watching, (and not in a good way), last week I decided to take the tram into Nottingham  City centre to meet my Mum for lunch and a spot of shopping.  All was well and relatively calm until a group of lads boarded. Loud, brash and possessing the confidence that being in a like minded group creates, they proceeded to try and impress each other.  I watched with interest as, after trying unsuccessfully to engage with the girl, clearly out of his league and unfortunate enough to be sitting next to him, the 'dominant male' of the tribe decided the best course of action to attract her attention would be to treat her to his, (obviously not tried and tested) party trick.  Removing a large brown paper bag from his rucksack, he then removed the contents, (a pair of grotty looking trainers from what I could make out), put them to one side and, yes, folks I did see right.....proceeded to, bit by bit, slowly eat the paper bag, a mouthful at a time...After what seemed an age, and when he had finished, the object of his desire looked impassively and disdainfully at him and said..."Excuse me this is my stop"....

Thankfully, it was also my stop!...

Sue

x

Notes from a sick bed

Oh dear!....Feeling a bit under the weather, today.  So much so, in fact, that, like a Victorian lady with an attack of the vapours, I decided to take to my bed, give in to whatever is ailing me and wait for normality to return.  As I usually have the constitution of an ox, and, with the exception of colds or hangovers, rarely feel unwell, this is definitely bringing out my 'woe is me' side.....There is a plus though. Provided  I'm actually not at death's door, it's sort of quite nice to have a 'duvet day'...

Well last week saw the finale of Coffee and Collectables.  A great finish to what has been a hugely enjoyable 8 months.  I've had interesting conversations with lovely people who share my passion for beautiful things over delicious coffee and cakes.....I'll certainly miss it.  A big thank you and the best of luck to Russ.

Well that's about it for now..

Sue x

Sunday lie in

Well here I am on my weekend away, enjoying a relaxing lie in with the Sunday papers.  No tv here so this is my first foray into world  news for a few days....Have to say this has been more enjoyable, than I thought it would be, no rubbish Saturday night television, just a good book and plenty of mags.  I really must do it more often.

My dogs have benefitted too, extended walks for them and some lovely Autumn sunshine as well.  On a humorous note, I have, during my walks, taken to observing house names.  It always amuses me, the names that people give their houses. Having endured the embarrassment of living during my schooldays in a house named 'Sumar', a name dreamed up by my Mum, (a combination of mine and my brother's names) and proudly displayed on a huge plaque by the front door, I am always interested in them.  My favourite so far has to be 'Bypass View', I do hope, they consider a name  change if they ever want to sell!...

Well that's about it for now...Enjoy the sunshine...

Sue x

Harvest festival and killer heels

Well here we are into September already ..what a marvellous summer it's been, so much glorious sunshine...Too hot even for my Aussie relatives when they visited back in May.  So, you would think, wouldn't you, that come this time of year , the fruit trees and vines that I planted last year would be laden with delicious fruits.   Not so...As usual, my crop has produced a strange collection of small, wizened and misshapened oddities that resemble something from an agricultural experiment ... Have to wonder what my lovely grandad would have made of them, (he being an expert gardener and producer of enough home grown fruit and veg to keep us all going for months) "never mind luv", he'd have said "I'll pop over and sort out the soil for you "...Awww, I do miss him!...

It's been a slightly better summer at my new venture, Coffee and Collectables.  Having extended out to include clothing and accessories we have been very busy with that side of things....As I'm into dangerous territory, though, I have to remember my mantra 'buy to sell not to keep' when I'm tempted by some slinky little number or a pair of killer heels!

Talking of killer heels, my latest acquisition , (a pair of gorgeous strappy wedges) actually did try to kill me...Not whilst wearing them, which I managed without incident, but when trying to take them off. Note to self, after several Kir Royals, to avoid the possibility of serious injury,  better to sleep in complicated shoes rather than try and remove them.

Well that's about it for now.....No further mishaps to report, thankfully!!

Just enough time before lunch to rustle up a delicious plum crumble.. Thankfully the local farm shop has got an abundant suppy of home grown fruit....

Sue x

Suzy's Blog

Shifting Sands

 

So excited!!...I have, in my garden, in pride of place a huge stately gazebo...It stands there looking  bit like something from a bedouin camp, tall, elegant and welcoming. I have to admit to being a bit fazed at first when faced with a flat packed array of poles, cord and no less then 45 different nuts and bolts, but, hey, less than 2 hours later and with a team of only 2 of us, (3 if you count the dog), there it was...And it doesn't wobble!...All that's left to do is to furnish it. I'm thinking table and chairs, (obviously) and maybe lanterns, (not the type that start fires, hopefully), a place for wine and glasses, (essential) , and a few Lawrence of Arabia type lounging cushions....Oh, and I guess I will definitely need the sunshine to continue for maximum enjoyment...

 

So that's the fluffy enjoyable stuff dealt with which just leaves me with the dull hard labour in the rest of the garden. ....Where do all these weeds keep coming from....Grrrrh!.

Well that's about it for now. Soon be time for a languish and nice glass of chilled white in my not yet collapsed gazebo...

Technical blip and a photo will follow shortly ( Hopefully)

Sue x

Suzy's Blog

Tantrums and Tiaras 

Hello blog. Yes I know it's been a while since we last spoke, and yes I admit I have neglected you, but here we are, reunited at last.

So what's been happening in my world over the last few weeks?....Well, apart from major frustration with my new devil phone, (now returned to Satan) I have been concentrating on the new addition to the shop, vintage and modern clothing. Have to say I do find vintage clothes fascinating, must be something do do with my preoccupation with dressing up in my Mum's clothes when I was a child. Oh the childhood memories, many a day was spent traipsing round the garden in a ten sizes too big ballgown, (my mum was a bit of a socialite in her day) glittery dancing shoes and a tiara, pretending I was Cinderella. My poor long suffering brother always used to make himself scarce on those occasions in case I roped him in as prince charming! Felix, the pet cat wasn't safe either. Long before the current trend of bling collars for pets, Felix was quite the glamour puss, regularly adorned with diamanté necklaces and a little lace neckerchief, sitting haughty on a velvet cushion. All very well until one day he was spotted sprinting across the lawn wearing one of my Mum's favourite  satin scarves....Oh, happy days..

 Vintage frocks seem to have an air of glamour and mystery about them, and the very fact that many of them are still around today is testament to the fine quality of the fabrics and workmanship. Can't see many of the clothes currently hanging in my wardrobe still being around in fifty or so years. 

Anyway, back to the present, Poor Russ, he comes back from holiday nicely chilled and relaxed to find the place full of women's clothing. It must have been like walking into a giant wardrobe!..

Couldn't resist revisiting the dressing up box of my childhood again and getting a picture taken in this beautiful 1920s gown!

 Toodle Pip x