Lost and Found

Whilst listening to a podcast I was reminded about returning to the last place you remember having the item, which was tucked, stuffed or generally dumped.

I did exactly that, the room laughingly called a spare bedroom ( I call it the " stick it there and close the door" room personally 🤪).

So, I went into the room, walked over to the duvet still neatly rolled in its plastic bag, just as I'd picked it up from the dry cleaners.

I looked at the roll, thought of a swiss roll cake and grinned; so easily distracted by thoughts of food. I really didn't want to unroll it ( 🤤 soft sponge with imitation cream and jam all coated it a dusting of sugar......yum).

 Pulling myself back to the task at hand I took the duvet out of the plastic and shook it. 

Nope, it wasn't in there.

Oh well, it was a thought. Folding it back up I went to place it onto the spare bed........... I couldn't quite believe it, there, hidden in plain sight was a small pile of £10 notes sitting on the bed. 🤦‍♀️

I'll never cure this ability to wander off in my thoughts ( the local bakery does a wicked homemade swiss roll, all soft and gooey with lashings of cream and real strawberries........) 

where was I? 

Oh, yes, no, I'll never stop it but I might, just might find the dumped or stuffed things I mislay.

The tucked, however are a whole different ball game! 

An inherited irritation

I remember going to the fridge one day and finding my mothers shoes. I wondered, as you would, and on asking her, all she retorted was, "oh, are they? I wonder where the butter is then?" She was completely distracted from what she was saying because she had returned to school work and was in the Do Not Disturb mode; I was left to hunt for the butter.

I have inherited this absent minded activity only I now call it Tucking or heaven help me Stuffing, which is very different I can assure you.

I think a lot of us put things away safely and tuck them in to a place we won't (or shouldn't) forget, only to promptly forget that special tuck we made.

I've spent many a happy (?) hour hunting out the item I've put away safely; who needs escape room puzzles, I set myself these quite frequently, always have.

Tucking is one thing but stuffing is another whole other ball game!

Take for example, my latest stuff. 

I popped over to the dry cleaners to pick up some duvets I'd had washed. On the way back I popped to the hole-in-the-wall to collect the money for the gardener I have who comes when heavy stuff is needed. 

So returning home I had a large roll of duvet and the money which I had stuffed down inside the duvet so kids round here couldn't take it as their own.

I got to the house, unlocked the door, tripped over an over zealous cat trying to get through the front door, then went upstairs. 

It's at this point everything goes vague. No idea. 

Admittedly I was coping with a raging sore throat and had been in bed all day feeling dreadful, so it's likely I would be vague but where have I tucked this blasted money?

Escape room puzzle now begins and I have 30 mins to find it.

Rains come, the weather feels like summer and the plants get confused

 It's been such lovely weather in the south east; washing goes out and is dry within an hour, lawns are verdant and accept mowing on a regular basis, the rains come and water the borders and flowers find their voices after being in semi-hibernation throughout the extreme heat of the summer months.

the first year its given me such spectacular colour

I took my camera out into the garden the other day. It is the middle of October and yet I have so many plants doing their best to put on a show and set seed before the cold and short days of winter arrive. At this rate it will be the shortening of the days which put pay to many of them.

a pot of chrysanthemum doing me proud for yet another year

very surprised by the marigolds especially as I'd chopped them back so harshly.

There are still a few butterflies out hunting for nectar and the honey bees carry on with their gathering for as long as they have breath to be able to fly. 

my trailing rosemary really surprised me but it's been a magnet for the honey bees.

the last of the roses. I've chopped all the others down so as to prevent rocking at the base when the wet, windy weather arrives.

 

The greenhouse is alive with geraniums, pelagoniums and herbs such as mint, basil and lemon thyme and its so hot in there I have to open the door every day just to let some cool air in!

Please don't get me wrong, its nice to still be in flip flops and summer dresses. OK I wear a cardigan but the thought of shoes? Nope, not yet. 

I went out for a wander this afternoon. There is so much going on in politics, the economy, value of the pound and the bond markets, I just needed a quiet thirty minutes whilst I had a think about the ramifications of the past few months and weeks.

I went to Kings Hill; I needed milk and stuff so two birds with one stone, shopping and walking.

There is a lot of building going on, reminding me of Thamesmead during its heady days of development and money. Not surprised by the building however sad it is, as we have been given very high targets where house building is concerned. It's still sad though, the inner green spaces that were there are now vanishing under roadways and footings. 

The boulevards are still tree lined however and its at this time of year they look at their most spectacular. Coming up to one roundabout I was stunned by the perfect beauty of the three trees, one red, one yellow and one a deep russet. I would have loved to stop and take a photograph but the traffic around wouldn't have thanked me.

As I walked among the small houses I was pleasantly surprised by just how many bedding plants seem to have blossomed in full glory and communal areas were carpeted with a flower meadow!! In October!! Just amazing.

Oh well, the weather is changing as is the complexion of our country; I am somewhat intrigued where it will all go next?

Covid booster, flu jab and bus strikes

You know it's going to be a rough day when you wake up, look out the window and realise today's the day when the buses go on strike again.

Waking, I drew back the curtains to see that crisp blue sky of autumn, few clouds and heavy condensation on the outside of my windows.

"Must have been nippy last night," I thought.

Snuggling back under the duvet I enjoyed a final thirty minutes of luxury before I needed to begin the day.

I knew I would be sore later and chances are, I'd react to the jabs and feel rubbish. I'd been warned by a few people I could feel as though I had the start of flu for about 24 hours and to be prepared with a fresh bed, paracetamol and plenty of water. 

I checked the time of my appointment; 16.55 hours, plenty of time.

I felt great, energetic, ready for the day and before I realised I had stripped the bed, put it all in the washing machine, made and ate breakfast and was now remaking the bed ready for later.

Yep, I felt better than I had for months, the acupuncture was paying off.

My day trundled productively on until, checking the time, I knew I had to leave.

I could get my car so far then walk the rest. This was going to be a true ankle test. 

I had managed 3.4 km until now without too much pain but this was at least twice that. Would it make me pay later? I hoped not.

As I walked into town I was amazed at just how quickly autumn colours had crept into the trees. 

Last week they were still looking sad from the drought of the summer with patches dying back to a crisp brown, but now a true kaleidoscope of hues bedecked the trees. The earth smelt alive once more and plants were beginning to spring up in the wetter soils.

Marching ahead of all the plants were the leaves of early bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus and anemones. It was as if Spring was impatient to come even though Winter hadn't walked in the door.

So I walked there and then hung about until my appointment time. It was warm so it was nice to sit in the sun.

Both jabs done and dusted, I began walking back to the car; a pleasant walk albeit starting to get a tad chilly. 

The students were out of school and milling about waiting for lifts or just mooching around because, they too had distances to walk. 

Large groups of gaggling girls overtook me as they absentmindedly walked home. I wistfully remembered those days when I too had that freedom not to limp or have stabbing pains in my ankle......not so long ago really. What's the line? "You don't know what you've got til its gone". Oh, how true is that!

On reaching the car I sat behind the steering wheel and relaxed.

Not long now and I could go home, eat and then take myself off to bed, but first; commuter traffic and by the looks of it, a nasty accident on the road I need to use.

Switching to 'driver' mode I started the car and joined the queues; joy, a flaming breakdown in the middle of the roadworks, that'll add time onto this journey. 

I broke through the deadlock and joined the M20 for one junction. A far quicker route. 

Yep, Kings Hill, "ooh, they've reopened the roadworks here, thank goodness". Back onto a fast stretch of road, "doing well here, should be ten minutes then home. Really looking forward to that cup of tea.."

"Why do we have temporary lights in Hadlow? Oh, water main burst, great." We slowly advanced through the water as it cascaded down the road. 

"So much for saving water through the hose pipe ban," I thought. "Why has that #### parked their car there?" I mentally exclaimed, as I watched an artic navigate itself round the car whilst trying to avoid the queues waiting to pass through the lights. Then the inevitable sound, sirens approaching from behind. Apart from flying over the top I really didn't know how they could get through.

We all climbed on to the pavement, the artic finally squeezed itself through, the delivery truck behind stopped, as did a massive queue of traffic, with the filter on the temporary traffic lights now blocked........joys of living near villages with narrow streets and heavy traffic use came into full force. All I could do was laugh.

"Where are those Polos?" I sat, watching the carnage sucking on my mints, listening to Smooth Chill on the radio.

"A quick drive home!! Pah!!" I thought as I leaned over the steering wheel resting my chin on the top.

Some fifteen excruciating minutes of tedium later, I left the tiny village of Hadlow and turned off the main road into Ashes Lane. 

Apart from tractors, combines and other farm vehicles I was unlikely to meet much traffic now.

I splashed through the other water main burst, cleaning the dust off my wheel arches. That's been like it since early August and they've got as far as the blue spray paint indicating an issue.......never! All that water is normal, obviously. I chuckled.

"Almost home. Tea, food, bed. Knackered. Ankle hurts. Think I'll watch a film".

Discarded knickers and eating with your head in a paper bag

Amazing what you come across when out and about.

A while ago I was sitting having a coffee in a Coffee House in the Arcade, Maidstone. 

Two young ladies came in, ordered and sat down. They ordered food which was delivered to their table, arriving as it does these days, in a paper bag, on a plate with an accompanying knife.

I wasn't consciously watching but one of the women caught my eye because she never removed the food from the paper bag, she ate it with most of her face inside, taking bites then covering her mouth so as to disguise she was chewing. I wondered whether she was exhibiting signs of eating shame, something which appears to be growing in the under 30s along with body dismorphia and eating disorders.

Social media has a lot to answer for (and yes, I am aware these issues were around before social media existed, but not to the extent or age range it seems to infect these days).

Anyway, I finished my coffee and used their restroom before I wandered off.

Low and behold a pair of clearly worn but discarded, lacy knickers sat where they had been thrown. 

Unisex loos; interesting for both sexes (and all those in between) to fall over.

I washed my hands thinking, did she change her underwear or choose to go commando? 

It might not have been a woman.....my mind wandered as I dried my hands.

Mm, food for thought as I left and wandered off to Boots.