Tuesday May 21st

It was a quiet kinda day...

so I just pottered in the garden..

just me and the birds.

I decided to make MrD a chocolate treat...

and baked a very moist Devils Food Bundt Cake...

no icing needed!

Over the pond... we have another water baby in the family..

Little Mr is doing extremely well in his swimming class

We are very proud

And Little Miss had Rockstar Day at school..

And proudly showed off her "Rolling Rocks" shirt.

I didnt have the heart to tell her its "Stones"!!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Monday May 20th

 Wishing my eldest a very Happy Birthday. He is such a blessing and Im so grateful for everything he does.. including all the years he looked after his mum...

Whether it’s Jamie, John or Jim… he will always be My Lad

Prince is far more settled now.... so finally we can start leaving him alone in the house for a while.

At last Im able to start going on my daily walks again. So this morning I went somewhere that Ive wanted to walk to for a while. I visited one of the greatest heavy metal guitarists ever.. Randy Rhoads

For those who dont know... he co founded the 1980s band Quiet Riot and was the original guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne's solo band... Crazy Train is a classic!!

He was killed in a private plane crash in Leesburg, Florida at age 25... and he now rests just round the corner from us

After long day at work... MrD decided to take it somewhat easier tonight... but he still insisted on doing something. There are little weeds in the new lawn...so he sprayed it with a special weed and feed. He is such a perfectionist

\

Its World Bee Day...so Little Tufty went to Nursery in her cute Black and Yellow outfit

Bees are out in force in the garden too

which is great for the flowers...

But I much prefer the occasional bird...

Here's this weeks dinner menu..

Weekly Plan - 20th May 2024

Monday              Honey Garlic Shrimp, Egg Fried Rice and Vegetables

Tuesday              Upside Down Puff Pastry Tacos

Wednesday        Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops, Scalloped Potatoes, Veg

Thursday             Bbq Chicken Pasta Bake

Friday                  Pizza (as always)

Saturday             Chicken Burgers and Apple Coleslaw

Sunday                Leftovers

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Sunday May 19th

 I love my Sunday mornings at church. I love to listen.. I love to learn and I love being uplifted. The two hours spent with fellow believers strengthens me for the coming week... and keeps me on the right path.

When we got home MrD mowed the front lawn and we spent pleasant afternoon in the garden chatting with our neighbours.

The garden is still a mess... or as we call it... a work in progress

(which probably wont be completed til next year)

But the roses are beautiful...

though Im a bit confused how one pink rose grew in the middle of all the yellows

Its also congratulations time to all of the grandchildren

Little Miss is doing incredibly well in her swimming... 

and has progressed to Level Two

Congratulations to our eldest grandson and his family... who looked so grown up when he attended

 BBC Awards Ceremony where his big sister had been nominated for an award

Little H lives with his mum and older half siblings so I only get to see him on Facetime. Seeing him standing next to his big brother... I forget how fast he is growing. At eleven ... it looks like hes going to be a very tall young man

Congratulations to Little Mr... who has lost another tooth.. 

and is convinced the tooth fairy is going to make him very rich...

And finally.. congratulations to Little Tufty..

For just being the cutest baby on the block

I am very blessed

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Saturday May 18th

It was a grey and misty start to the day... 

but after a quick trip to the dog park the sun came out...

and although MrD said he was going to have an easy day... 

he decided to start filling in the soil around the new water pipes.

Next week he will start to put plumbing in the Victory Garden.

It will be a great blessing...and much more convenient 

especially as Summer Squash is appearing...

the strawberries are flowering...

as are the cucumbers.

Im even thinking of putting in a bird bath for our little feathered friends 

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Friday May 17th

Did you know that today is World Baking Day.... No? Me neither! But in the spirit of the day...and because I'm still working my way through my vast 1940s recipe collection.. here's a recipe for Honey Brownies

This Brownie dessert comes from the "Your Gas Range Cook Book", 1940. They were quick to make and surprisingly tasty, but don’t make this recipe if you are craving chocolatey brownies. They tasted more like honey than chocolate. At first hubby wasnt impressed. "Where's the chocolate?" he asked. But the more he chewed, and they were very chewy, the more he enjoyed. Good thing he likes Honey

1/4 cup fat
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 squares (2 oz) chocolate
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c nut meats (optional)

• Cream the fat and add the sugar gradually.
• Add the honey and mix thoroughly.
• Beat the eggs and add to the creamed mixture.
• Add melted and slightly cooled chocolate.
• Mix well.
• Sift flour before measuring and then sift the flour, soda, and salt together.
• Add the sifted ingredients and nuts to the first mixture.
• Pour into a greased 9×9 inch square pan.
• Bake at 300°F for 55 minutes.

Meanwhile... Hubby was busy at it again

MrD finishes work early on a Friday...

so he got straight onto laying the new water pipes and timer system

He was determined to get it done today

and he did

and doesnt it look fabulous!!!

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Thursday May 16th

The Victory Garden is doing so well. Every morning I get a sense of excitement when I go out to "potter" as there is new growth every day

Today for example.. both the Zucchini (courgette) and summer squash plants have new flowers open...ready for me to fertilize by transferring pollen from the male to female flowers with a little paint brush. I had to go into this detail as it makes it seem like Im an expert.. when really Im an instagram student....

We also have little flowers on the pepper plants... 

but Im still picking off the flowers on the tomato plants.. which really pains me... 

but it encourages the stems to grow stronger and taller

And as for the potato plants... its amazing to think that in a couple of weeks... all being well... we will be able to start harvesting. Cant wait for new potatoes and bacon for dinner.... lovely.

We also had a visitor to the garden...

Is it wrong to tell my five year old grandson that I have a baby dinosaur in my garden.... 

and he believes me??

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x

Wednesday May 15th

Its been a funny old day... cloudy and a bit muggy

but a great day for just pottering in the garden.. and everything is so colourful

The pink roses are out in force...

 the first yellow rose has appeared

and a petunia has outgrown its pot so its now residing in a hanging basket

Even the birds are finding it inviting

Over the pond... Little Mr has had his first visit to the dentist....and did brilliantly..

Well..he is a cool dude

Plus another new pic of the girls

I really do have gorgeous grandchildren...

I am very blessed

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x