Down by the Creek

The Young Old Fart's Walk this week was down by the creek. We managed to catch the sun between showers.

The jetties were lovely old boards. (Positively dangerous in some cases.) These flowers are Michaelmas daisies, I think.

Talking about dangerous - here's a boat that isn't particularly sea worthy.

There's 'hope' for it yet though!

Good Hope 

Keep fit, take exercise

I looked on the Net and found out that '... there are four basic elements of physical fitness: 


1. cardiovascular endurance
2. muscular strength
3. muscular endurance
4.  flexibility. 


Each can be measurably improved with regular exercise. To be truly fit, you should develop all four elements, not just one or two.'


Who needs a gym? (I made a list of activities that give me a good workout. I'm sure there are more.)

Sweeping floors or paths - 1, 2

Mopping floor - on hands and knees - 1, 4

Polishing brass - 1 (benefits depend on how hard you polish) 

Kneading bread - 2, 3

Climbing stairs - 1

Hanging out clothes - 4

Ironing clothes - meditation - 3

Folding clothes - meditation - 4

Wiping worksurfaces and sinks - 1

Hoovering - 1, 2, 3.

Dusting - 4

Tidying cupboards - 4

Walking to the shops - 1

Making beds - 1,

Weeding - 4

Hoeing - 1

Digging - 1, 2, 3.

Shoveling manure - 1, 2,  3.

I found some simple ways to practice mental fitness as well. Again I looked on the Net which recommended the following. I've noted what I do in brackets.

Daydream - (Won't it be wonderful when I finish this blanket, tea cozy, shawl, other blanket, Christmas prezzy bags .....)

Collect positive emotional moments - (Last one was - DH "Just say where you want to go for a walk and I'll take you." Ahh!! It rained of course so we didn't go!)

Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts - (Never mind we'll have a day in instead.)

Do one thing at a time - (Now that I've retired this one is dead easy. I can always do 'whatever' 'tomorrow.)

Exercise - (See above.)

Enjoy hobbies - (See blog.)

Set personal goals - (Enjoy life each day.)

Keep a journal - (See blog.)

Share humour - (Have you had a chuckle yet?)

Volunteer - (Charity Shop here I come.)

Treat yourself well - I'm sitting here in my hideaway having eaten a good meal. I'm nice and warm, have my family around and cats snuggling. My knitting, crochet and novel are within arm's distance and there's a bottle of wine and a good programme to watch on the tele when I go downstairs. Friends came round last night to make music and I'm going out with one friend tomorrow and another friend the day after. 

I make even have a walk with DH before the week ends. (Maybe, if it doesn't rain.)

Blowing (er - growing) in the garden today

Carrots (in the middle of picking and freezing these)

Swede (blinkin' big things - devil to cut and peel)

Parsnips (roll on Christmas)

Beetroot (hmm - mm!)

Rhubarb (leaving to grow strong - got plenty of rhubarb crumble in the freezer)

Runner beans (running on and on and on and on)

French beans (keep forgetting to pick - look away and there's more)

Courgettes (who wants a courgette? Courgette surprise isn't a surprise anymore.)

Corn (whoops, no, picked and frozen)

Tomatoes (outdoors and in greenhouse, red ones and yellow ones, froze a pile the other day)

Cucumber (small sized but lots of)

Grapes - (nearly eaten them all)

Chives (snip, snip into different dishes)

Oregano (as above)

Leeks (getting fatter)

Strawberries (all fruit eaten)

'This self-sufficiency thing really is amazing. We sow the seed, right. Nature grows the seed, and then, we eat the seed. And then, after that, we sow the seed, nature grows the seed, and then, we eat the seed. And then, after that again, we sow the seed, nature grows the seed....' (Neil: The Young Ones)

Peace Prayer

Lead me from death to life,

from falsehood to truth,

Lead me from despair to hope,

from fear to trust.

Lead me from hate to love,

from war to peace,

Let peace fill our beings,

our world and our universe.

Amen

(Satish Kumar)

Collections - table cloths

I like table cloths. I like looking at them folded up in drawers. I like setting the table with them for different occasions. I can't resist a good table cloth from the charity shop or car boot. 

I'll take them home and love them. I've lacy ones, checked ones, Christmas ones, damask ones, different coloured ones, large, medium and small.

This one is not yet made into a cloth. It was a piece of fabric from the charity shop. There's double the size of the table here so I may make some napkins as well as a table cloth.

All set to make then - there's another project to start.

The corn is not as high now

I harvested the corn today.

Can you see all the flowers on the clematis behind?

There were quite a few cobs,

not all large ones though.

Some were tiddlies which we can eat whole.

Ahh ... baby corn.

 I also harvested a pile of tomatoes to freeze as we have a glut at the moment now the outdoor tomatoes are ripening.

The green veg are cucumbers.

It's pouring with rain now after all that sunshine.

I must go down to the seas again ...

... this time to have a picnic and walk along Central Pier.

I invited some friends to join me.

Lots to spend your money on on this pier.

It's the end of the season so not many people are here.

The stall holders are still manning the rides and selling their souvenirs.

In the distance you can just see South Pier ...

... and to the North guess which pier this is.

Not many people on the rides today.

These people were going round and round ...

... and round and round! I didn't stay to see them come off the ride. Been there, done that, been sick!

Round the end of the pier is a sad reminder not to lean over too far. The sea is not always calm.

More stalls but no punters or grockles as they are known here.

South Pier next.

'I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.'

John Masefield