A new week begins...

I am pleased to report that my Gardenia is looking fit and healthy and is now in bud.  This was a gift from JJ&A at the end of their holiday,  I have only had one previously and it turned all yellow so I am trying to make sure I do not make the same mistake (whatever that was) again.  I would just like to point out that his was not as big as the one which they gave to Di - not that I am jealous or have Gardenia envy or anything!!  Anyway fingers crossed that it continues to thrive in the way it has done so far.

We have amassed quite a collection of gin bottles - it has been a bugger of a job consuming the contents I can tell you!!!  They are simply too nice to just consign to the recycling bin so I have turned them into lamps by adding a string of LED solar lights with a 'cork' top and put them into the conservatory where they still get sufficient sunshine to recharge at least for the next few days or weeks.  So far November has been very kind and apparently the weather is set to be even better of the next few days.

I was off to art this morning and John had set aside the morning to clean our pool only to find that there was an issue with power getting to the pump.  This is a bit of a bugger really because he isn't certain at this stage exactly where the problem lies but it is safe to say that it isn't going to be a cheap fix.  He took me down to Sheila's but not before calling in to see Dad.  Mum said that she thought the plants looked a bit straggly and she is right because they could do with cutting back - which I will do next week when I am there.  I left John to go home and ponder the pump problem whilst I had a couple of hours colouring!!  I am enjoying my current picture of the House Leek and it is now beginning to really take shape.

John picked me up after I had had lunch with Sheila and Klaus (for which many thanks) and we shot off down to Polis so that we could go to the bank to get some living money.  If I had thought on I should have asked if there were any incoming payments pending as Di had text to say she and Rob had received their Winter Fuel Payment.  I checked at home on tintyweb but there was nothing.  I do hope we haven't dipped out for some reason as the money will come in very handy as the evenings are beginning to get quite cool.

We had a quiet evening in.  We have to be up reasonably early tomorrow because we have arranged for a local gardening company to come and cut back George and Pam's back garden and completely clear the front as they have plans to tile it.  We shall ensure that in the interim we keep the weeds down as much as possible so will get some membrane to put down.

As I said the evenings are now much cooler and as a result all the cats come in at night which is a bit of a relief to us but they do commandeer the sofas so poor John was relegated to the floor.  On that subject I have arranged for the rug and the two sofas to be cleaned on Wednesday so I am glad that the weather is set fair so that they get time to dry.  Charlie and his dribbly chin is leaving his mark on the arm rests and we really don't want to have to replace the suite any time soon.