Seaside Its been very hot here too, I'm jealous of HHODs rain actually. Lots of plants are giving up and the lawns are brown and crispy. Even the nettles are drooping. Too hot to garden so my efforts have mostly been bits of watering.

I did harvest some more baby courgettes today, and a sneaky first pea pod and a broad bean pod. All nice and tasty. The peas taste so much better fresh like that. My raspberries are finally starting to ripen, but the birds stripped the cherry tree again so no cherries this year. Potatoes should be ready soon, love home grown new potatoes.

Read an article about salad shortages due to the heat stopping growth, which is probably why my latest lot haven't germinated. Tidied up the current patch in the hope of keeping it productive a little longer, it has generated a lot of salad bowls for 50p worth of seeds last year.

I used the baby courgettes to make a courgette, pine nut and sultana salad. I liked it, OH less keen so I need to rethink that one. It used up some OOD pine nuts anyway. Our visitors turned up today so lots of salad stuff and cold meat. It made sorting packed lunches easy at least.

OH did a trial fitting of the new bathroom cabinet and it looks far better than I expected, good proportions for the room so I am upgrading that from 'it'll do' to 'quite like it'.

I bought a replacement curtain rail for the broken one in DS1s bedroom. I can't remember quite how long he has had his curtains stuck to the pelmet with drawing pins for We haven't had time to fit it yet but mister resistant to change is still recovering from the trauma of the bedroom clear out. I don't want to stress him out too much after all.

Where has the week gone again? Monday and food shopping tomorrow. I've nearly run out of olive oil so an expensive start to the list, even in MrL. Mortgage goes out in the morning and then I can make a rounding up over payment. Its the little steps that make me feel like we are getting there, chipping away at it a few pounds at a time. And looking backwards and realising we have paid over a third off now since we took it out despite the famine patches. Its still big and scary, but it used to be huge and ugly!

Your courgette salad sounds delicious!

I love the way you describe your mortgage too: downgraded from huge and ugly to big and scary is definitely progress

hello helsbell it was this recipe, I own her 'All You Can Eat' book which I really like. No pretty pictures, just lots of good recipes.

Most of the DDs went out today, and I made a rounding payment to the mortgage and rounded both of our current accounts to savings. Not huge amounts as it is an expensive month but a few pounds here and there really do add up. I worked it out today that we have paid off just over 4% of what we borrowed in December, with the monthly interest dropping £4.38 against the last 30 day month. I'm please with that. I like that HSBC show the account online, show the interest as a separate amount make it easy to overpay and let me view the impact whenever I log on. A far cry from our last provider and the annual statement.

Food shopping this morning, need to work out what I spent out of which budget but a heads up for anyone after seeds, B&M had some down to 10p - seed mats for chillis and tomatoes, and £stretcher had most of their veg and flower seeds down to 20p, including small bags of 'for children' peas and beans so I checked the dates and stocked up for next year.

Timed it right with the MrM clearance shelf for dry goods, lots of 75% off long dated treats of things they are discontinuing. Worth a look if you are in. I didn't need 9 packets of Florentine at 50p each but I am sure I will eat them all they wont go to waste.

Salad sounds nice. Wondering if it work with larger courgettes too if I cut them into ribbons ??
Well done on the mortgage. I had famine years too but I got there anyway, you will too

Well done on clearing out DS2's room, that star was well deserved .

DH has plans to clear out our DS2's stinking hellhole while he's in Spain. This will be a mammoth undertaking but might get rid of the peculiar smell that wafts out when the door opens .

I think so, the original recipe uses normal courgettes but cooked for a little longer than I did.

I'm off to immerse myself in the weird and wonderful world of DS1s bedroom. Must find some rubber gloves first Why are teenage boys so revolting?

It's not just teenage boys...there's a wiff protruding from Star child's room too that I can't seem to identify despite opening the windows to air the room and washing all the bedclothes and cushions/blankets. I am planning a thorough bleach and scrub when she disappears to my sisters for a week in the holidays

I just took a stroll up the garden to tip the veg peelings in compost bin number 1, and noticed in passing that many raspberries are ripe. Must pick them before the birds eat them thinks I, and, noting the nettles I stroll back down the garden to fetch some gloves. Picking raspberries in gloves is challenging at best, but the nettles are rather nasty and I still have yesterdays scars.
Anyway, carefully lifting the untied canes (whoops, another job missed) to collect the lovely red berries underneath, and adding them a handful at a time to the collecting bowl, carefully on the floor where I can't stand it. Strip the last plant, turn to see the dog filling her face with the collected berries, step back trip over my own feet and stab myself in the leg on a foot high hard dead shrub stump. Dog runs away in a flappy panic as I fall backwards into the nettles. Hear that tearing noise? That's a panicked cat running up the side of the polytunnel with fully extended claws. I picked myself up, gathered the last handful of raspberries and limped back down to the house, with blood trickling down my leg.
Honestly it'd be safer and easier to go blindfolded over the road to the co-op and just buy some. The cat is now cleaning his bits right on top of the tunnel, having established that its a new sunny and safe place to sleep.

I know I shouldn't laugh but your writing is so descriptive, I could nearly see the whole thing play out. Hope you aren't too sore

Thanks INOD, I was laughing about it once I had dusted myself off. I'm fine, although I will have to wear jeans in public for few days. Just went up the garden and my fluffy friend is indeed back snoring on the top of tunnel.

I need to make myself do another hour on the boy room of doom this morning . Reminds me, must just ask him if he still wants everything while he is still at the grunty inarticulate stage...

So funny

You really do need to start a blog...

Oh redo, sorry for laughing but it sounds so much like something I'd do.

Oh Redo that was so funny, hope that you aren't too sore? x

Are you auditioning for a new comedy show?

I second everything everyone has said about yesterday's escapades!! I may have snorted in a very unladylike manner! I can really picture it, especially the furry friends and their various reactions! Hope the few salvaged raspberries were tasty at least.

I'm glad it amused so many people, it was funny once I had picked up the shreds of my tattered dignity. The big scratch is rather annoying as it means i can only wear sandals, not too much of an issue in this weather at least but they are not great for cleaning boy bedrooms.

Lots more done on DS1s room yesterday, still plenty more to do. He agreed that I could exit a few things which was good, and more stuff got put away so less out to gather dust. He was quite disturbed by the relatively clean smell and space last night, but not enough to actually do any more work on it himself. I'm going to crack on again shortly, its a dirty job but someone has to do it. Under his high sleeper today, need to drag the futon out and see how many times I can bang my head.

Cream living room curtains in the wash, might as well while the sun is shining even though they will be replaced shortly.

I'm taking part in a (free) 21 day style challenge and as part of it yesterday bought a muted vintage patterned linen mix spaghetti strap midi dress from the hospice shop. I don't like patterns much, dresses much and I hate midi length but I do like a challenge. I attacked it with scissors and made it into a just above the knee fit and flare sun dress that really suits my shape if I do say so myself. Really pleased with it, and its perfect for this weather. Hard work hand hemming it, but the flaring would have made machine sewing difficult.

I also spotted another kindle unlimited three month free trial (on the prime day page) which is great because mine expired last week.

Raw king prawns out defrosting, either a stir fry or a curry I think. We both have charming summer colds and something with some heat would help.

Well done on the up cycling of your dress. I wish I was talented enough to do that sort of thing.

DIA I can just about manage to hand sew a hem but making clothes from scratch is beyond me.

Yesterday I looked at DS room, got taken over by despair and with the rather splendid lyrics ' /and the room with all its clutter/like the black hole of Calcutta/' earworming nicely I focused on the room formerly occupied by SS.

It had already had the fabled 'twenty bags of rubbish' removed so it was shifting the last few bits and having a really good clean. There's a TV stand and some other bits ready to drop off at the hospice shop and then I think we will be able to add another chest of drawers which will be really useful. I thought about another bookcase but that is just an excuse to fill it with more dust gathering things. This is the room that the grown up house sitters will sleep in so its been great to really get it clean and clear. I'd forgotten how nice it is in there with the exposed stone - which you couldn't see for blasted clutter. I'm sure there is a clutter gene on OHs side. Cleaning the coffee cup rings off the window ledge took half the paint off so that has been scraped ready for a re-paint. The window itself was green, which is what happens when you never open the blinds or the windows, and leave the oil heater on full blast permanently!

There is now a list in the hall of things OHs practical abilities are required for . He does like a list, but is limited by time. My job is get things ready so that he just has to do the skilled bit, which is a good division of labour given my general clumsiness!

I noticed some nice 'botanical' cushions half price in the matalan sale and am tempted to get them for the spare room but will wait and go and look at them when I drop off the hospice shop pile. It is now an oasis of clean and emptiness. Have to confess to going and standing in it and feeling much better several times.

Everything aches today though - washing ceilings and doors and re-hanging curtains meant a lot of above head working. And I wrestled the cover on and off the spare room mattress. Really must learn to pace myself.

The (rarely used) living room looks and smells better for washing the window and door curtains. I'm not sure why I thought cream was a good idea but a good blast of biological washing liquid and super strength vanish has worked miracles.

You are doing great with house stuff