Weekly Flylady Thread 18th August 2025

Fayolle

A quick and rather late catch up from me. It has suddenly gone very hot here. Twot, some might say…
I had a long walk yesterday with a friend, to add to the one of the previous day. Not in Kaz’s league, but yesterday ended up being 7 miles, mainly due to finding a new to us footpath and then it taking us off to pastures new. I did find sources of sloes and blackberries, both not too far from home. This morning I went to the allotment and picked more beans, more plums. This afternoon, I dragged DH to pick blackberries. They are only just ripening here, which seems to be a lot later than elsewhere, but still a bit early. The sloes will have to wait. I now have a list of preserving to get on with. It won’t be tomorrow as DH wants me to go out with him for the day. He is going on a factory tour for an hour - zero interest from me - and I can walk round what is supposed to be a pretty town. The jury is out as to whether I actually will go with him.
Flying wise - wm x1 done and line dried, dw run and emptied, WUDUPA x1. Dinner to sort out, which involve some tomatoes and basil from the gh plus some pasta. 

Jazee

Morning all.  It's the weekend and apart from popping out briefly this afternoon to sort a future event we have no plans for the entire weekend.  Which is just as well as my back is aching.

Wordle in two.  I'll water the garden soon, maybe a chore linked to the aching back.

Have a great day everyone.

Honey_Bear

Hurrah!  Thank you so much Valli and Kaz for your help.  At 7.45pm last night I received a text which said, ' ... lets just say my washing machine has secret places.'  It is found!  And we now have a lot more information about what we need to do when the key gets mislaid again.  Very relieved all round.

Our communal apple tree is very sick but we will see if it can be saved this winter by hacking off a huge section of it.  In the meantime I've been assiduously removing all the diseased apples that fall so we don't perpetrate the problem.  The apples that are healthy look ripe and their pips rattle in them, and they're brown, but they taste like cookers, and it's an eater.  It's also far too early for them to be ripe - it should be about another six weeks.  I got the step ladder out yesterday and took as many diseased ones I could reach off the tree and then picked all the biggest ones that looked healthy and we had a shareout of all of those to everyone who wanted some.  I've ended up with the smallest ones but as they're eaters they hold their shape when cooked so I'm processing them for the freezer, zapped in the microwave with soft brown sugar, sultanas and a shake of cinnamon.  Belovéd absolutely loves them with a scoop of icecream.  It seems a shame not to salvage what we can that's free while MSE'ing cheap food from elsewhere.

Must pick some blackberries because some are ripe here, those on southwest facing walls.  The rest aren't, quite yet.

I've got one tomato plant that has been prolific all the way through since the beginning of July but the rest have been very sluggish.  I hacked off the top of all of them yesterday in the hope that they'll buck up their ideas.  My aim is not to have to buy any tomatoes from July to October and this year I might just manage it if the others start producing.

Did a quick bit of vacuuming yesterday and we managed to get a couple of WM loads dried outside.  

Honey_Bear

Vacuumed the top layer, sent off a query about some good advice I've had and processed 15 small apples.  The house smells lovely and looks a bit cleaner.  

Now on with Scottish holiday planning, as my new-to-me Rough Guide to Scotland has arrived.

Jazee

Dailies done, two wash loads on line.  House hoovered through.  Marmalade cake made for DH.  Managed to smash an egg on the kitchen floor.  Then an unscheduled visit to the vet for Poppet as she came in from the garden limping.  We have to monitor her now for next 24 hours.

Valli

been to  a MacMillan coffee morning with sumptuous cakes - all homemade - but stuck to my favourite coffee and walnut.

A few weeks ago I ordered new louvres for my vertical blind ... I messed up the measuring and they were 10cm too long.  Over yesterday and today I have shortened them all, from the top - 32 in all, resewn top hem with hanging bar in place and they are now installed.  V. proud of self.  The old ones were faded and discoloured and didn't match the room anyway.

I have been given more of mum's 'stuff'.  I now realise that the foot pedal for the sewing machine is missing; I had to go and borrow my old machine to hem the louvres.  I've found the (distinctive) carrier bag she kept the machine pedal in but no pedal..  I have also binned an empty cutlery canteen and old posters which were my sisters have gone into recycling.  While looking for said pedal I found a drawer of new towels - gave them to the remaining aged P and told him to use them.  Also found tablecloths so his makeshift current cloth which is square, and the napkins he's using on the rest of the table can be replaced by one which fits.  He's trying to put stuff in the attic - I'm trying to dissuade him because I don't do ladders, even fitted loft ladders and I really dont want to have to clear a loft out.  I've another canteen of cutlery in the boot - don't know what to do with it - might CS it.  I'm not keeping it.  It's clutter. Not even silver or silver plated.

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Saturdailies were done yesterday.

Towels and tea towels are now swishing. I've supped a brew and done the puzzles: completed Strands with one hint,  completed Wordle in three, completed Connections with no lives lost. 

Plans for today include:
HH Admin 
Shredding 
Order Christmas cards 
Clean out Joey 
Clear weeds from drive 
Clean hand basin 
Shine kitchen sink 

Hope you have a lovely Sunday. 
Rxx

Fayolle

Morning all,
Yesterday I decided to go with DH on his day out. We went by bus and train, which was a good shout as this particular small town gets snarled up, especially in holiday time. The transport planning was a logistical feat, as we only have 4 buses at the weekend, but it all worked out well. He went on his industrial heritage tour and I walked around the town taking in the art galleries and craft studios. Lunch had, then another walk by the river and home. A pleasant day out all in all. In the evening we were asked to friends for a drink about 10 minutes after we got in the door, so it was a long day.
Today I really need to sort the fridge and the produce out. Still undecided as to what that involves. I quite fancy trying hedgerow ketchup, but that involves me going out to get some elderberries and / or haws. 

Wm x 1 has finished, washing out on the line. I really ought to run the vacuum cleaner around downstairs…

Valli

Morning all

More clutter valuable collectors items listed on fleabay including music box discs last seen at my Great Aunts over 20 years ago and which I had assumed had been thrown.  Of course, at that time I didn't know mum was a hoarder. Research suggests they may well have enough value in them to make them worth listing so I've had a go.  As always I price low - I want them gone.

I've almost cleared the ironing pile - came upstairs with ironed stuff to hang in the window to air for a while and to pick up a couple more hangers.   But I decided to polish off my ebay drafts ready for them to go live this evening.  I've had to pull one largish item until I find a box suitable for posting it.

There's more washing on the line, mainly bedding.

kazwookie

Blackberry picking yesterday gave 1.5kgs, so some are now blackberry and apple crumble, the rest are in an old ice cream tub in the freezer.

Coleslaw made

Kitchen semi cleaned

Walking done, area is packed with tourists who have either ill behaved children or dogs with them, the tide will turn in a bit, so they can go and rude on the  sand out of the way.

Loads of small stuff done.

Have a good day.